"After this, I still have to prepare for competitions, so I probably won't have the time or energy."

Brian Cooper turned down William Foster's request.

But William Foster wasn't willing to give up so easily. He slapped his thigh and said, "Isn't this perfect? The position I saved for you just happens to not require much time or effort."

Brian Cooper could tell the homeroom teacher was determined to make him the class committee member: "Go ahead."

William Foster said happily, "Our class just happens to be missing a discipline monitor!"

"It really doesn't take much time, it's just right. When you're in charge of Samuel Clark—ah, I mean, when you're in charge of discipline, pay special attention to our classmate Samuel Clark."

William Foster: "He might skip class from time to time in all sorts of ways, climb over the wall to leave, stay out all night, get into fights off campus..."

When Samuel Clark returned to class, he still had no idea that William Foster was plotting something big behind his back.

David Bolton heard that the top student was back in class today after his leave, so after morning exercises, he leaned against the window of Class 7, peeking inside. Samuel Clark wasn't there, so he chatted with Samuel Clark's deskmate: "Warrior, why is it that I always just miss the top student? Am I really not fated to meet him?"

Samuel Clark's deskmate was a boy with glasses, who looked gentle and weak, but his nickname was Warrior ("Warrior"). Besides the fact that his name happened to have the character "勇" ("brave") in it, it was also because he dared to sit next to Samuel Clark and had survived for two days.

Actually, John Thompson wasn't that brave at all. Because the bus broke down, he arrived late and ended up sitting next to Samuel Clark by chance—he had no choice.

The moment he walked into Class 7, he almost wanted to end his high school life right then and there.

John Thompson was also in awe of this school bully's friend: "The top student went to the office. You can come back next period."

David Bolton: "Why are you shaking when you talk? What's it like sitting next to our boss?"

Just now in the teacher's office, Samuel Clark had described his relationship with his deskmate John Thompson as "loving and harmonious, with a great atmosphere and shared goals." In his heart, John Thompson thought: I want to drop out.

"Our boss doesn't hit people, and he rarely curses either. He's very civilized," David Bolton said. "No need to be so scared."

As they spoke, Samuel Clark happened to walk over to the window. He didn't enter the classroom, but stood next to David Bolton, leaning against the windowsill and asked, "Scared of what?"

David Bolton: "We're talking about you. Your deskmate seems pretty scared of you."

Samuel Clark had no self-awareness at all. He thought he hadn't done anything these past few days—either sleeping or playing on his phone during class, and when he was sent out to stand as punishment, he even created a perfectly quiet study environment for his deskmate. So what he told William Foster wasn't entirely a lie: "I get along pretty well with my deskmate."

After saying that, Samuel Clark asked, "Right, Mark Thompson?"

John Thompson: "..."

David Bolton: "His name is John Thompson. Even I, all the way in Class 1, remember it. What's up with you?"

Samuel Clark rubbed his nose and avoided the topic. He'd been busy all morning and hadn't eaten anything, and only now did he realize he was hungry: "Got anything to eat?"

David Bolton pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

Samuel Clark glanced at him.

David Bolton sheepishly put the cigarettes back. This school bully from No. 6 High didn't smoke, so smoking didn't fit his image at all.

David Bolton rummaged in his pocket for a while and finally pulled out a lollipop: "This is all I have. I only got it as a freebie when I bought cigarettes at the shop. You didn't have breakfast?"

"Last night I was busy writing a self-reflection, and I overslept this morning." Samuel Clark had been leaning his elbow on the windowsill, but after taking the lollipop, he turned around, back to the window, and unwrapped the candy. "Why are you wandering around Class 7 again?"

David Bolton was about to say, "To see the joke—you said you wouldn't get caught," but before he could, the bell rang. He hurriedly backed away, saying as he went, "Gotta go, next period is Old Li's class in our class. If I'm late by even a second, he'll skin me alive."

Samuel Clark stuck one hand in his pocket and waved at him casually, then walked into the classroom with the lollipop in his mouth.

He sat down and only then remembered to check what class it was. He leaned back in his chair, squinting, but found that the corner of the blackboard was blocked by someone. All he could see was the top button of a school uniform, then a boy's prominent Adam's apple, black hair, and a cold expression.

When Brian Cooper walked to the back of the classroom, the angle shifted, and Samuel Clark finally saw the word "Math" written on the blackboard.

Samuel Clark quickly crunched the candy in his mouth, then, still leaning back on the chair with its legs tipped up, lowered his head to rummage through his desk for his book. His book was in the same condition as when he got it—he hadn't even written his name on the title page.

As he was flipping through it, he heard someone in the class exclaim, and then the whole class started whispering.

Samuel Clark didn't look up, but he noticed that the sunlight coming in from the window was suddenly blocked by someone. He had been bathed in sunlight, but now it was as if the weather had changed, and everything suddenly darkened, casting a large shadow over his desk.

He was forced to look up.

Brian Cooper walked past the front rows of students, but instead of going straight to his seat, he crossed to the other side of the aisle, leaned down slightly, and with two fingers pinched the stick of the lollipop in Samuel Clark's mouth. Samuel Clark froze, and the white plastic stick was pulled out by Brian Cooper: "No eating candy in class."

Chapter Five

After Brian Cooper said this, the chatter in the class immediately stopped.