A Certain Someone ( The On1y One ) Chapter 023 – Punishment

Sheng Wang Repeatedly Gave Himself A Mental Pep Talk, And Finally Reached His Claws Out Towards The Neighbouring Bedroom.

That night, Sheng Wang became the main discussion topic of the whole level.
The ones who lost it the most were Class A students. These top students clearly had high scores by themselves, and yet they behaved like they had not seen the 100th+ place for eight lifetimes. They were acting as if they were high on laughing gas, and gathered around Sheng Wang’s desk and crowed.
Gao Tianyang led the crowing, study rep Song Sirui assisted him.
The main character himself, Sheng Wang, instead had his eyes downcasted as his hands rested inside his desk, tapping on his phone. He couldn’t shut the two jokers’ mouths, he could only let them act out as they wanted.

“Look at the entire level, who else dares to jump a hundred places in a week?” This was Gao Tianyang.
“No one!” This was Song Sirui.
“Sheng-ge, out with it, do you want to steal the study rep position from our Old Song?” This was still Gao Tianyang.
“???” Song Sirui was baffled, and added on, “I can bear to part with this.”
“Respectable!” Gao Tianyang flashed a thumbs up at him.
“Magnanimous!” Song Sirui also gave himself a thumbs up.

Inside the desk, Jiang Tian had just sent a WeChat telling him no need to wait for him after night self study. Sheng Wang was bored anyway, and sent him several stickers in a row.
Canned: A question, is there any way to make this two unable to speak?
Jiang Tian: No.
Canned: Aren’t you Gao Tianyang’s childhood friend why can’t you handle him.
Jiang Tian: ……
Jiang Tian: Not his mom.

“No wait, Sheng-ge, why are you laughing?” Gao Tianyang really couldn’t help sticking his head out to steal a glance. Unfortunately, the angle was off and the table was in his way, he could not see anything at all.
“Nothing.” Sheng Wang casually replied.

Gao Tianyang narrowed his eyes and started smirking. Song Sir wagged his finger and said, “Something’s up Sheng-ge—”
“What do you mean something?” Sheng Wang did not even pay attention to them at all. He closed a few more apps, then withdrew his hands from the desk.

As his expression was truly lost, Gao Tianyang stopped smirking as he lost his enthusiasm, saying, “Forget it, let’s talk about grades. Seriously, your jump this time round is way too high, even after my many years in the pugilistic world, I’ve never seen such a leap. Your position increasing by 100 was even faster than our Chili meimei’s weight going above 100.”

“You don’t want to live anymore?” Sheng Wang looked at him incredulously.
Instantly, a cry exploded from Chili at the side, “SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME GAO TIANYANG?!”
Chilli, as a legend who could squeeze into the top five of the level, was well-liked by everyone. She mixed in well, and proved herself to be a troublemaker too. Everyone included her in their jokes. Out of everyone, Gao Tianyang was the most insufferable with his words, and would often end up getting beaten up by her.

The moment her voice stopped, Chili’s book flew directly straight at them through the crowd.
Gao Tianyang said a “fuck”, and ducked to avoid it. Sheng Wang closely followed, tilting his head out of the way. It was after that then did he realise that oh no, the book was flying towards Jiang Tian’s face.
Just as he realised, he heard a ‘smack’ behind him. Jiang Tian managed to stop the book.

He grabbed the book, and wordlessly looked at Gao Tianyang. The latter immediately bowed to him with his palms together, and respectfully passed the book back to Chili. Once the person who led the crowing escaped, the other people scattered like birds.
They ran away like they were utterly defeated, Sheng Wang managed to laugh with this sight alone, leaning against his chair.

“Quiet now?” Jiang Tian’s frosty and plain voice suddenly rang from behind his ears.
This person’s voice was too gravelly, when he spoke softly he always caused his ears to itch. Sheng Wang replied with an ‘Mn’, and could not help but pinch his earlobe.
Jiang Tian said next, “Then move your table forward a bit, don’t quake against my table.”
Sheng Wang: “……”
Fine, whether his ears itched depended on the content too.

Though they weren’t through with crowing to their hearts’ content, the students of Class A silently acknowledged one thing — at least two slots for the Tri-Quality Students of the City list had been booked, one would be Jiang Tian who was firmly first in the level, the other was Sheng Wang who was on a rocket.
To use the class monitor, Li Yu’s words, it would be “Congrats, the two of you can start celebrating in advance.”
In the end however, the second day results were released, the two were congratulated into the students affairs office.

The one responsible for passing the message was Small Mouth Xu, he was dragged in by his dad as hard labour, and carried a stack of exercise booklets into the classroom. The thing he said upon entering was, “Jiang Tian, Sheng Wang, head to Duxing Block, Dean Xu’s looking for you.”

He was probably one of the most decent students in Class A, he never called his dad dad in school, and obviously he did not dare to call him Big Mouth either. He always called him Dean Xu in all propriety.

“The two of us?” Sheng Wang turned around and faced Jiang Tian in dismay, he asked Small Mouth, “Did he say anything?”
“He didn’t.” Small Mouth replied honestly, “In any case he was smiling as he said that, I guess it should be a good thing? Maybe it’s about the Tri-Quality or something.”

Sheng Wang and Jiang Tian went to the office in half-disbelief. The moment they entered they saw Big Mouth Xu, whose smile didn’t reach the eyes, as well as Zhai Tao who was standing with his head hung low.
You’re telling me this could fucking be the Tri-Quality Students of the City??
Sheng Wang wanted to dice Small Mouth Xu up right there and then for getting the critical information wrong.

Big Mouth was all smiles as he sized Sheng Wang up, and looked towards Jiang Tian too. A few seconds later his expression abruptly changed. Saliva droplets flew everywhere as he roared, “Getting too big for your britches, aren’t you?! Fighting on the day of the weekly test itself! You even picked the fountain square that has the highest human traffic! Tell me, what exactly were you thinking?! Ah? Putting up a show?!”

After he paused for a breath, a vigorous voice rang from the office entrance, “Reporting in!”
Big Mouth Xu jumped, and looked at the entrance in annoyance. Sheng Wang shifted his gaze there too, only to see Gao Tianyang standing there, Small Mouth Xu in tow. The one who just yelled was Gao Tianyang.

“Why are you even back here?!” Big Mouth Xu was still pissed off, he showed no leniency towards his own son either.
“Reporting in,” Small Mouth Xu began in an orderly manner, “Class B’s exercise books are still here, I got Gao Tianyang to help me.”
Big Mouth Xu said, “You think I don’t know what Gao Tianyang’s like? Going on about getting Gao Tianyang to help you some more, it definitely has to be his request to come here, he just wants to join in the action.”
Small Mouth Xu sheepishly pursed his lips, “It isn’t really that either.”

“Is your curiosity sated yet?” Big Mouth Xu said, “Get the exercise booklets and quickly leave!”
However, Gao Tianyang did not move. He shot a harsh glare at Zhai Tao, and said to Big Mouth Xu with righteous insistence, “I fought too, why wasn’t I summoned!”
“Did you hit anyone?”
“I did!”
“Hit, my ass!” Big Mouth Xu pointed outside the windows, “You think the security cameras in this school are dead? Don’t blindly join in, get out! Otherwise, I’ll increase the punishment, believe it or not.”
Gao Tianyang still wanted to say something, but he was dragged out by Small Mouth Xu who was well-versed with Big Mouth Xu’s temper. “Don’t retort, he’ll just get angrier.”

The office door was slammed shut by Big Mouth Xu, Zhai Tao couldn’t hold it back anymore, “Reporting in.”
“Speak.”
“I Fuc—” Zhai Tao wanted to cuss on instinct, the words left his mouth before he remembered where he was, and he unwillingly swallowed it back, “I didn’t hit anyone either! Why am I here too?”
He’s the fucking one who got beaten up from the start to the end, the scar still hasn’t faded from his face!

When Big Mouth Xu was severe, he did indeed carry the dignified air of an administrative Dean. He stared at Zhai Tao for a good while, and no longer used the roaring voice, “You really don’t know why you’re standing here now?”
He clearly was using a neutral tone, but it was more unnerving than roaring.

“Don’t know.” Zhai Tao impatiently said, stubborn.
“Though our school may not be the top of the province, we are a famous school with a hundred years’ worth of history after all. We spent a hundred years getting rid of the dregs, extracting the quintessential, we may not be the most forward, but teaching and educating people is enough. You’ve been here for at least a year, and all you’ve learnt is to call people a damn beggar, and to push people down the stairs?”

Zhai Tao heavily breathed as he pursed his lips. A moment later he denied, “I didn’t—”
“I’ve said, the cameras aren’t dead. The crowd that day has eyes and ears yoo.” When Big Mouth Xu saw the way he was acting, he couldn’t be bothered to waste his energy anymore. He waved his hands and said, “Fine, fine, I’m not here to argue with you either. Since I’ve already summoned the few of you here, I’ve already got my evidence from multiple sources.”
“For you, I don’t want to go on anymore, you know it in your heart.” Big Mouth Xu turned to Sheng Wang and Jiang Tian again, “As for the two of you, I know you meant well, but!”

His tone got harsher, “There are hundreds of ways to deal with this, why did you have to resort to physical action? Fighting in front of the entire school makes you especially cool, right? Ay, your bag flew so far ahead, right?”
Sheng Wang stared down at his feet, looking as if he was deep in soul searching.

He was born clean and neat, the ends of his eyes were elongated, with slight droop towards the end. When he smiled he nearly glowed, when his eyes were downcasted it was incredibly deceptive, with 30% innocence and 70% bookishness, Big Mouth Xu stuttered two times when he looked at him.
“I remember telling the other teachers the day you came, that you look like the type of student that’s especially well-behaved, and now?! You proved my words just like this?!”

The more Big Mouth Xu thought about it the more he got worked up, he gulped two mouthfuls from his thermos on the table, spat the tea lead dregs, and said, “The few of you like being spectated on, right? You like showing off in front of the entire school, right? There — Road #3 in the teaching zone, it passes through the teaching blocks, the canteen, the residential blocks, a stage like this is fancy enough, right? Sweep the parasol fluff, save our cleaning staff some effort.”

He lifted a finger, and said, “It wouldn’t take too long, just one week. This week, report with a broom in hand during the morning long break, I’ll get someone to watch over you. You bunch of brats, if you don’t lose face a few times round you’ll never know exactly how much longer life is! After finishing everything in a week, come over here and receive the outcome of your official punishment.”

Dean Xu finally quelled his anger, the three fight participants thus went onto the path of sweeping the streets.
Just after two days, Sheng Wang already wanted to quit.

Contrary to expectations, it wasn’t because it was shameful. The students had to go to the parade square during the long break, as long as they avoided the crowd at particular timings, Road #3 would be quiet and void of anyone, naturally it wouldn’t be shameful.
What really got to Sheng Wang was the parasol fluff itself, can this thing even be swept by fucking humans??

The moment he finished sweeping, a gust of wind the next second would result in another layer on the ground, even flying on top of people. The worst wasn’t even irritating the face, it was when it got into the eyes and that’s the meaning of true despair.

The wind was strong today, Sheng Wang was poked in the eyes for multiple times, his eyes were red from rubbing from the entire week, once in a while he had to hold on to the broom while pinching at his eyelids. When the young master was irritated, he shut the world out, he even tuned out his five senses, and was in a state of, hear nothing, see nothing, acknowledge nobody at all.

The Nth time he was poked in the eyes, he vaguely heard someone say to him, “Don’t move, there’s grass in your hair.”
Sheng Wang did not realise who was speaking, he retorted the moment he opened his mouth, “None of your goddamn business, I grew it myself.”

His left eye started tearing up as he blinked, and finally got the irritant out. Just as he sighed in relief, he suddenly realised that the one who spoke seemed to be Jiang Tian……
Sheng Wang paused for a second, and turned around with one eye squinted, only to see Jiang Tian retracting his hand from the top of his head.

“What were you saying again?” He sheepishly asked.
“I wasn’t saying anything,” Jiang Tian lifted his chin, “Keep growing it.”
Sheng Wang immediately tilted his head in Jiang Tian’s direction, “I’m sorry I’m so sorry, help me remove it, I can’t go back with a head full of grass.”

Zhai Tao, who was at the side, violently thumped the ground with the broom, cursing, “Fuck……”

Just as he was cussing up a storm, someone walked towards them, high heels clicking. “Sheng Wang? Jiang Tian? What are the two of you doing?”
Sheng Wang straightened his head back from Jiang Tian. He looked up, and the English teacher, Yang Jing, was walking in their direction with a stack of paper in hand. Her delicate brows furrowed, and she was displeased. “I was just looking everywhere for the two of you, what are you acting like a living Lei Feng for?”

“Teacher,” Sheng Wang laughed dryly, “Not living Lei Fengs, the two of us are getting punished.”
All he ever said was “the two of us’, as if Zhai Tao at the side was just thin air. The ‘thin air’ nearly exploded in anger.

“Punishment?” Yang Jing”s brows knitted even tighter, “Which bumbling idiot picked such a good timing?”
There was no right answer no matter how Sheng Wang said it.

“Ah, don’t worry, I’ll scold whoever, you just answer whoever.” Yang Jing said.
“Dean Xu.” Sheng Wang replied, “Because the two of us fought the day of the weekly test.”
“I’ve heard.” Yang Jing nodded, “What a choice location, it has a bad influence, the punishment is indeed deserved. But why now? How many days do you two have to sweep?”
“One week.”
“This week?” Yang Jing raised her voice.
“Yup.”

“Go.” Yang Jing stuffed a stack of test papers each into Sheng Wang and Jiang Tian’s arms, and stomped in her heels domineeringly, “I’m going to speak with Big Mouth Xu!”
“Huh? This can’t be too good, teacher……” Sheng Wang quietly mimed a victory sign at Jiang Tian, and caught up to Yang Jing in two steps, “Why are you going to speak with him?”
“I was counting on the two of you to practise for your English Olympiad during the long break, he’s messing with my plans!”

Yang Jing was truly the woman who fought against all the school leadership, she stormed into the student affairs office in a fury, closed the door, and was all lightning and thunder as she yelled.
In the end she left Big Mouth Xu with a line: “The English Olympiad is next week, the two with the most potential to get a good placing are both outside. If you insist on punishing them this week, go take their places for the competition, if you can’t get a trophy I’ll hang myself at your office entrance, do as you see fit!”
“……”
Big Mouth Xu was agape and had zero power to fight back.

Under Yang Jing’s pressure, he retreated again and again, and in the end countered with a condition.
He said, “Then I have two requests, one would be there must be substantial showing for the competition, the second would be there must be an improvement of at least 50 places for the monthly test this weekend.”
Jiang Tian, who was first in the year: “???”

Fortunately, in the next second with all his sensibility back, Big Mouth Xu added on, “Sheng Wang, I’m talking about Sheng Wang here, Jiang Tian couldn’t improve even if he wants to.”
Sheng Wang had been eavesdropping for a good while, he finally couldn’t keep his mouth shut and stuck his head in after cracking the door open, asking, “Dean Xu, you know it gets more difficult to increase the level position the higher I go, right?”
“I do! Would it still be a punishment otherwise?” Big Mouth Xu was righteous.
Sheng Wang wanted to slam the door in his face.

“You either meet these two requirements, or continue sweeping the streets for me, and there will be demerit points for fighting, you can even forget about the Tri-Quality Students of the City !” Big Mouth Xu delivered a critical hit.

There was no dignity upon facing great pressure.
In the middle of the night, the second day. Sheng Wang repeatedly gave himself a mental pep talk, and finally reached his claws out towards the neighbouring bedroom.

TO BE CONTINUED.