Ch. 224 - I, Chen Shu, Have Always Won People Over Through Force

"It's early morning — aren't you cold?"

Both of them secretly thought what a shame it was, and hurried to explain. "We're about to leave, and we were worried you'd catch a cold. Just trying to keep you warm."

"Is that so?"

Chen Shu's face was full of suspicion. Those grins just now had been anything but well-intentioned.

"I'm telling you, Chen Pi, do you actually have some kind of psychic sense or something?"

Fang Si raised an eyebrow, a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

He'd clearly been dead asleep, and then he just snapped awake — purely on instinct.

It was utterly absurd!

"I already told you — the Nanjiang Bandit can never be hooded by a urea bag!"

Chen Shu shrugged and stuffed the two urea bags back into his backpack.

"Alright, it's about time. I need to get to school!"

The three of them parted ways right there, promising to meet again at university!

Nanjiang Second High.

Chen Shu carried his breakfast and headed straight for the classroom.

It wasn't even seven o'clock yet. The special training class's classroom was completely empty. Chen Shu sat bored at his seat.

"Huh? Chen Pi?"

Outside the classroom, a dark-skinned man stared in astonishment.

"Old Li?"

Chen Shu raised an eyebrow. It was none other than his former homeroom teacher, Li Yuan.

"..."

The corner of Li Yuan's mouth twitched. You really are the shining example of respecting your elders...

He spoke up. "You're here this early now? That's a really big change!"

The old Chen Shu definitely hadn't had this kind of study ethic.

He'd never expected that in less than a year, the kid would've become this diligent.

"Even geniuses need to put in the work. I've gotten used to showing up early. Have you seen 4 AM at Nanjiang Second High?" [1]

Li Yuan's face was full of gratification. "No wonder you've improved so fast — I always had faith in you!"

Chen Shu's strength had naturally spread to the entire grade.

Forget just Second High — practically every middle school and high school in the city was buzzing with legends of the Bandit!

Li Yuan said with an approving expression:

"The other students only envy your outstanding results, but none of them know what you've sacrificed to get there..."

He hadn't even finished his sentence when a voice cut in:

"Chen Pi, you finally showed up to class today?"

Shen Wushuang breathed a quiet sigh of relief. At least Chen Shu had remembered that today was the start of the Beast Taming Competition.

"Hm? Teacher Shen, doesn't he come in first every day?"

Li Yuan's expression froze. A dawning realization crept over him.

The corner of Shen Wushuang's mouth twitched, and he shook his head. "Teacher Li, I think you're overthinking things. School's been open for almost a month, and I've only seen his face two or three times."

He went on. "Oh right, Teacher Li — what were you saying Chen Shu sacrificed?"

Li Yuan gave a strained laugh. All he could see was Chen Shu sitting at his desk, earnestly shoving youtiao into his mouth.

I actually fucking believed his bullshit!

"Gotten used to showing up early," my ass. "Have you seen 4 AM at Nanjiang Second High"...

He cursed himself for being stupid enough to believe Chen Shu had actually turned over a new leaf!

"Yeah, no. I'm out. Goodbye!"

Li Yuan practically fled the scene.

...

An hour later.

Shen Wushuang was driving a sedan, heading for the Beast Taming Competition venue: the Beast Taming Arena in the city center.

"Chen Pi, quit sleeping! Do you have any confidence at all?"

Chen Shu yawned from the passenger seat. "Relax, everything's already been arranged!"

The seven major high schools competing had all been thoroughly whipped into submission by him.

Barring any surprises, the results would be completely unsurprising.

"Xiaoyu, when the time comes, you can just hold up my photo and enter the competition. Same result — first place guaranteed!"

Chen Shu called back to Xu Xiaoyu in the rear seat.

"Cut the bullshit!"

The corner of Shen Wushuang's mouth twitched. "You want us to make it a black-and-white photo while we're at it? Maybe have Xia Bing bring some funeral wreaths up on stage?"

"Uh... that won't be necessary!"

Chen Shu shook his head, thought it over, and decided he'd just go through the motions in person.

The Beast Taming Arena in the city center.

The normally deserted venue was packed to the rafters, with crowds lining up everywhere.

Right at that moment, someone cried out in shock: "Mayor Zhou is here?!"

A middle-aged man with a square jaw arrived at the scene. His eyes were razor-sharp, and his face radiated authority.

As a high-ranking government official of Nanjiang City, he was himself a powerful Silver-rank Beast Tamer.

Mayor Zhou smiled and said, "Director Wang, this year's Beast Taming Competition is going to be a real spectacle!"

Beside him stood a man in a suit who carried the same kind of quietly imposing presence.

It was the director of the Nanjiang City Spirit Suppression Bureau!

"Indeed. Nanjiang City's been producing prodigies left and right — this year's bound to be a fierce contest!"

The two of them chatted and laughed as they entered the Beast Taming Arena together.

And behind them trailed dozens of government officials along with the principals of all eight high schools.

Media crews swarmed the perimeter, broadcasting live...

"Hey, Old Li, I can't help but notice your expressions all look a little off?"

Mayor Zhou chuckled, glancing at the principals behind him.

"Uh..."

Every principal except Second High's wore an expression of barely contained misery.

Mayor, the Beast Taming Competition championship has already been reserved by the Bandit...

Just as the group was entering the Beast Taming Arena, a voice suddenly rang out from behind them.

"The Nanjiang Bandit has arri—"

The voice cut off abruptly. Every government official spun around in unison.

Seeing that there was no panic in the crowd, they shrugged it off — probably just some citizen messing around.

Nanjiang Second High's principal, however, instantly broke out in a cold sweat. He'd recognized that unmistakable voice in a heartbeat.

Thank god nothing came of it!

Everyone filed into the competition grounds together.

The Beast Taming Arena had been completely renovated. Aside from a massive competition stage, rows upon rows of seating surrounded it on all sides.

The stage itself was encircled by protective barriers — the same tier as the Spirit Fighting Arena's, more than sufficient to let any Beast Tamer below Black Iron rank go all out.

"Holy shit! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

Shen Wushuang's forehead was also drenched in cold sweat. He'd clamped his hand over Chen Shu's mouth the instant the words started coming out.

This little bastard had started causing trouble the second he stepped out of the car!

"There are important people here today, and it's being broadcast live. Rein it in. Got it?"

Chen Shu nodded reluctantly.

Sure, he called himself the Nanjiang Bandit — it wasn't technically illegal — but at an event like this, it definitely wouldn't be a good look.

The group entered the Beast Taming Arena and made their way to the competitors' rest room.

"Hey there, everyone!"

Chen Shu flashed a grin and called out to the other competitors.

In an instant, the rest room went dead silent.

The prodigies from every other high school didn't even dare look at him. They just kept their heads down and stayed quiet...

"What did you do to them? Nuke the other schools?"

Shen Wushuang immediately sensed something was off.

Sure, Chen Shu had challenged all seven schools last semester, but that was nearly half a year ago. There was no way they'd still be this terrified... right?

"Nothing!"

Chen Shu wore a face of pure innocence. "I, Chen Shu, have always won people over through for— uh — through reason!" [2]

"Right, everyone?"

Every face in the room went pale. They all nodded frantically in agreement.

Seeing this, Shen Wushuang was about to open his mouth to ask, but a voice came from outside.

"Will the teachers from each high school please come up for the draw!"

Shen Wushuang had no choice but to leave the rest room with the other schools' teachers and head to the competition stage for the draw to determine matchups.

Chen Shu flashed a grin. "Last week's agreement — everyone remembers, right?"

"We remember! We remember!"

Everyone nodded vigorously, still unable to look him in the eye.

Barring any surprises, they would never forget Chen Shu's face for the rest of their lives...

[1] "Have you seen 4 AM at Nanjiang Second High?" (凌晨四点的南江二中你见过吗): A direct parody of Kobe Bryant's iconic quote, which became legendary in China. In a 2012 interview, Kobe was asked how he became so great: "I've seen the 4 AM Los Angeles." The quote swept Chinese internet as the ultimate expression of relentless dedication — by 2020 (after Kobe's death), it was ubiquitous on every inspirational poster and student's WeChat moments. Chen Shu deploys it to justify his early arrival... and then immediately proves he was lying by eating breakfast at his desk when Shen Wushuang arrives.

[2] "Won people over through force — uh — reason" (以力服人/以理服人): A one-character swap gag targeting one of the most famous lines in the Mencius (孟子, 3rd c. BCE): "以力服人者，非心服也" — "When you subdue people by force (以力服人), they do not submit in their hearts." Mencius contrasted 以力服人 ("force-won compliance") against the virtuous ideal of 以德服人 ("virtue-won compliance"). The Chinese internet added a third variant: 以理服人 ("reason-won compliance"), one character away from the discreditable original. Chen Shu begins the discreditable version and catches himself — but since every terrified student in the room had just agreed to surrender on command, no one in the room is fooled.