It was two in the afternoon, and the sun beat down on Orion City University, scorching the cracked asphalt and casting long, jagged shadows across the street.
Li Wen rode his motorcycle toward the dorm, savoring a rare moment of calm amid the noise of the city. The wind whipped across his face, tugging at his hair and carrying faint traces of blooming flowers from the campus gardens. For a fleeting instant, the world narrowed to just him, the hum of his engine, and the burning heat pressing against his skin.
He had just begun to relax when a black jeep shot out from a side street—straight toward him.
His stomach clenched. The driver didn't slow. Didn't hesitate.
"Hey! Stay on your lane!" Li Wen shouted, panic seizing his chest.
Instinct took over. He twisted the handlebars and leaned sharply, trying to steady the motorcycle. Gravel sprayed beneath the tires like sparks. The bike wobbled, then tilted sideways.
He was thrown forward, skidding across the rough asphalt. Pain exploded through his body—palms torn, knees scraped raw, ribs screaming. Grit and blood clung to his skin, stinging under the sun. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth as he coughed and forced himself upright, every breath slicing through his chest.
His motorcycle crashed a few feet away, metal shrieking against the pavement before collapsing in a heap. Stars burst before his eyes. Every nerve blazed with pain.
For a moment, time stopped. The sun burned above him, but its heat was nothing compared to the fire raging inside his battered body.
Then came the laughter.
The black jeep had stopped. Three men stepped out—Zhao Yan, Wang San, and Chen Bo. Their boots struck the asphalt with deliberate weight, confidence dripping from every step. They looked like they owned the street.
Li Wen forced himself to sit up, sand and blood sticking to his sweat-soaked skin. Every movement sent fresh pain through his ribs and limbs.
"What… do you want?" he rasped, voice rough and broken.
Zhao Yan circled him slowly, eyes sharp and mocking. "Look at you," he sneered. "Covered in dirt. Is this how a country boy thinks he belongs here?"
"I was just trying to get back to the dorm," Li Wen said through gritted teeth, his breathing shallow but steady.
Wang San laughed, stepping closer. "The dorm? You think this city's safe for someone like you? You should've stayed in the gutter you crawled out of."
Chen Bo cracked his knuckles, a sound that echoed like a warning. "You've seen too much, heard too much. Time to learn your place."
Li Wen's hands trembled, but he pushed himself upright. "I don't want trouble," he said firmly. "Just leave me alone."
Zhao Yan leaned in, voice low and venomous. "Then stay away from my girl. Got it?"
Li Wen's eyes widened. "What? We're just classmates! I haven't even—"
"Shut up!" Wang San barked, and his fist slammed into Li Wen's shoulder. Pain shot through him like lightning. He staggered sideways, knees scraping the asphalt.
Chen Bo's kick followed, striking his ribs. Li Wen gasped, the world spinning around him. But through the haze of pain, something inside him refused to collapse.
Bystanders froze, whispering from the sidewalk:
"Did you see that? He just hit the ground hard!"
"He's still trying to get up?"
"They're crazy—he's going to get killed."
"No way… he's still moving!"
Li Wen spat blood onto the asphalt. They think this ends me? They've just lit a fire inside me.
Wang San lunged again. Li Wen rolled to the side, gravel slicing his palms. He kicked out, catching Chen Bo's shin.
"Move!" he barked, hoarse but defiant.
Chen Bo sneered. "Not bad, country boy—but not enough."
"You're underestimating me," Li Wen said, voice low and steady, defiance flickering behind his eyes. "I don't break that easily."
For a heartbeat, Zhao Yan's smirk faltered. "Bold words… for someone who just kissed the asphalt."
Li Wen straightened slowly, blood trickling down his temple. Every muscle throbbed, but humiliation and fury had merged into something sharp, clean—focus. His fists clenched. His body screamed. But he stood tall.
They think they've broken me. They've only awakened something I didn't know I had.
Wang San swung again. Li Wen dodged, gravel crunching beneath him, and countered with another kick that glanced off Chen Bo's shin. Pain sharpened him. Each strike made the chaos clearer.
Zhao Yan's expression darkened. There was a flicker of unease in his eyes. Li Wen saw it—and that was enough.
They're not untouchable. And I'm not the boy they used to mock.
The sun blazed above, indifferent. But Li Wen felt an inner fire burning brighter than ever. His body ached, his skin burned, but his will—unyielding.
Finally, Zhao Yan lifted a hand. "Enough for today."
They retreated, anger hidden behind strained bravado. Yet Li Wen didn't move. He stood there, bloodied and bruised, but unbroken.
He drew a slow breath, wiping the grit and blood from his clothes. The world around him felt sharper, louder, alive. Every sound, every scent, every flicker of light seemed amplified.
His fists tightened unconsciously—not in fear, but in readiness.
Next time, he thought, they won't walk away.