Chapter 2 - Chapter 1: The Reluctant Scholar and the Chaotic Call

The ancient plum tree stood proudly in the center of Huanfeng High School courtyard, its blossoms swaying gently in the crisp autumn breeze. Beneath its sprawling branches, Lin Wei-min sat cross-legged, eyes burning with a strange mixture of frustration and determination. Before him lay a towering pile of textbooks—his arch-nemeses—destined to crush his spirit with every dense page of integral calculus and physics formulas."How is this supposed to fight back, huh?" Wei-min grumbled, glaring at the math book as if willing it to surrender. With a sudden snap, he slammed the book shut and cracked his knuckles. Fighting was another matter entirely. His fists could speak a language textbooks never could.Just then, the rustle of leaves and the sound of frantic footsteps interrupted his brooding. Li Juan appeared, clutching a crumpled bag of crisps and waving an overly optimistic, though clearly chaotic, study timetable."Wei-min! You can't just punch your way through the exams!" she declared, eyes sparkling with determination. "We need a real study group!"The corners of Wei-min's mouth twitched into a smirk, the dry sarcasm of a seasoned fighter slipping through. "A study group? Sounds more like a battlefield where the weapons are pens and snacks. But… if this is war, maybe I need to gather the strangest battalion this school's ever seen."Before he could finish his thought, chaos arrived in full form. Jian Yong, the school's resident prankster, came barreling from behind a bush, tripped over a hidden stone, and tumbled headfirst into a pile of fallen leaves. The sudden commotion startled Hu Wei, who was lurking nearby like a sneaky ghost from a Japanese horror tale. With a startled yelp, Hu Wei vanished into a shadowy corner, barely suppressing a giggle.Meanwhile, Li Jun lumbered across the courtyard, struggling under the weight of a towering stack of textbooks, his footing reminiscent of a Bollywood hero's awkward dance in slow motion. Suddenly, his foot caught on a loose tile, and with a theatrical scream, he crashed spectacularly, sending books and snacks scattering in a magnificent cloud of academic chaos.Li Juan gasped dramatically and scooped up a bag of biscuits, holding it aloft like an ancient relic. "Our snacks!" she cried. "Every true study session lives or dies by its snacks!"Wei-min laughed, brushing dust from his jacket with a shrug. "Fine. Then chaos it is. Let's form the craziest, most unstoppable study brigade this school has ever seen."From across the courtyard, the rival gang leader Bai Ying narrowed her eyes, her glare as exaggerated and theatrical as a Japanese comedy villain's. The gauntlet was thrown. The academic war was about to begin.