fight

Each person's workbench was essentially a one-meter-long iron table. One end of the table had a rotating vise fixed to it, while the tool slots in front of the table held rows of tools, including handsaws, files, hammers, chisels, taps, dies, straight rulers, compasses, marking needles, and calipers. At the other end of the table was a foot-operated grinding wheel with an anvil beside it. This was the most basic apprentice workbench, and also the cheapest. It was said that more advanced workbenches came with built-in steam-powered modules and smelting furnaces. Under the hands of experts, such a workbench could create anything imaginable.

With his plan in mind, Zhang Tie didn't hesitate any longer. He donned his work clothes, put on his safety goggles, and grabbed the longest piece of steel wire. Since there was no specialized wire control board, he had to rely on the available tools. First, he secured the steel wire and a wooden board in the vise, positioned the mandrel, and looped one end of the wire around it. After carefully winding it clockwise a few times and checking that everything was in order, he began winding more confidently. The process wasn't particularly difficult, and before long, Zhang Tie had nearly completed his first spring. He counted the coils, cut off the excess on the anvil, and smoothed the rough edges of the steel wire on the grinder. A simple cylindrical spring was successfully made. After testing it, Zhang Tie found it to be quite springy. With the first spring finished, his spirits lifted, and he quickly made the other two springs, though he struggled a bit with the spring hooks. While Zhang Tie was still grappling with the spring hooks using a chisel, others in the classroom had already completed three different types of springs.

Eventually, the bald man walked into the classroom. After answering a few raised-hand questions and inspecting everyone's three completed springs, he gave an extended lecture on spring tempering, end-rounding, and coil tension, as well as the manufacture of torsion arms. Then, everyone tested their springs. And just like that, the three hours of the morning flew by...

Lunch was at the school cafeteria, one of the school's few perks. However, the cafeteria food was always quite lackluster. Weeks could go by without a single hint of fat or oil in the meals, barely enough to fill their stomachs. Yet, despite this, the sight of the swarms of students rushing to the cafeterias during lunch could still take you by surprise. Each grade had its own cafeteria, and the number of diners was fixed. But there were always fewer trays than people. As a result, there were always a few unlucky students who didn't get a tray and ended up fainting from hunger during the military training sessions in the afternoon. Zhang Tie had been in that situation twice. After that, he learned the first rule of survival in the Black Iron Age: do whatever it takes to fill your stomach.

The only rule in the cafeteria was to line up. Beyond that, there were no rules at all. So, if you didn't want to be one of the unlucky few who went hungry, you had to not only be early in line but also have the strength to keep from being bullied. Of course, luck played a big part too.

Just like now.

Zhang Tie was in the middle of the line. After a full morning of classes, the fifteen- and sixteen-year-old boys were starving. The line at the cafeteria was long, and more students kept pouring in. Zhang Tie felt fortunate; he had slipped out of class quickly enough to avoid being stuck at the back of the line. By the time the last few students dragged themselves to the end of the line with glum faces, the students at the front were already being served lunch. But then, the noisy cafeteria suddenly fell silent. Zhang Tie turned his head to see Gryce and his gang swaggering in. They had arrived at the cafeteria last, but instead of lining up, they headed straight to the front. The faces of the students at the front of the line, who had just received their trays, turned pale.

Damn it! These jerks pull this every day! Zhang Tie cursed inwardly.

"Heh, sorry to trouble you guys today!" Gryce and his crew sauntered up to the students who were about to get their meals, speaking politely but with arrogant, disdainful expressions. Their heads held high, noses in the air, arms crossed, they looked like cats toying with mice.

"Damn, they're so arrogant!" someone next to Zhang Tie muttered under their breath.

"If you could beat them, you'd be just as arrogant and steal other people's food too!"

"I heard Gryce has been so cocky lately because he passed the Level 2 Soldier assessment. He's already lit two Meridian Points. It's been years since anyone from our school reached that level while still a student."

"He's only got the upper hand because of his big size. It's nothing impressive. A bunch of brainless brutes. Do they think this childish behavior will get them a recommendation from the school before graduation?"

"Ha, don't be jealous. It's called natural talent. They're way stronger than us. We can't provoke them…"

"Well, his dad's a big shot in the Coal and Steel Federation."

"Big shot? Pfft, his dad's just a squad captain for some rich family's guards."

"Anyone close to a big shot is a big shot too!"

"If it were me, I wouldn't give up my tray. Damn it, why should I?"

"Because if you don't, they'll beat you so badly you won't be able to get out of bed for a month. Is that enough of a reason?"

As the students near Zhang Tie whispered among themselves, the boys who had been robbed of their trays walked by, their faces full of humiliation. Some students looked at them with sympathy, others with indifference. But no one said a word of comfort. This was something everyone in school had to learn—no one would fight your battles for you. If you didn't fight for your own survival, no one else would. For those without power, the choices were always simple: suffer in silence or get beaten to a pulp. There was no third option.

As those students passed by Zhang Tie, their humiliated faces made him think: What if that were me? What would I do? What if one day they weren't trying to take my lunch tray but my wife? If my wife were Dana, what would I do? This thought gripped Zhang Tie's heart, and for a moment, he imagined Dana's face, crying in despair. The pain in his chest grew sharper.

No…

A primal scream echoed in his mind.

On the second floor of the cafeteria, where the teachers and staff ate, a few eyes were watching the scene unfold below through the thick glass windows.

"A Level 2 soldier is way too powerful for these kids to handle. Gryce could easily take on a dozen of them by himself. At his age, his strength and physique are a huge advantage."

"Gryce's group only has four people, but how many are there in line below? At least a few hundred. The students have only learned half of what the school is trying to teach them. They've learned how to compete and fight for survival, but they still haven't grasped the other half—teamwork and cooperation."

"That's what separates humans from beasts. Even the weakest person, if they unite with others, can take down a mighty beast…"

"Maybe they'll understand that one day, but for now, I doubt it…"

"Let's wait and see. Maybe someone down there will wake up first."

The conversation behind the glass walls faded into the clattering of silverware and the chewing of food.

Zhang Tie ate his meager lunch absentmindedly, quickly finishing it without much thought. Afterward, he stood in line to wash his tray and utensils at the sink and then lined up again to return them to the cafeteria. He felt a little empty inside. The image of Teacher Dana's tear-streaked, despairing face kept resurfacing in his mind. Lost in thought, Zhang Tie walked with his head down, feeling even gloomier when he noticed his worn-out shoes, which had been patched up twice. Eventually, as he passed through the small forest near the school, he realized that he had been surrounded by several people.

"Felt pretty good this morning messing with us, didn't you?" Before Zhang Tie could react, a fist landed hard on his stomach, nearly making him vomit up his lunch. Bent over in pain, he snapped out of his daydreams, realizing with dread that he had been caught. Damn it! How could I have let this happen? I saw the way these guys were glaring at me in class. How could I forget what happened this morning? These thoughts raced through his mind like lightning.

"Get him!" someone shouted just as Zhang Tie spotted a pair of feet in front of him. Without thinking, he grabbed the ankles and yanked as hard as he could. With a yelp, the owner of those feet toppled over. Zhang Tie pounced on him, landing a punch squarely on the guy's nose, sending him sprawling. Without hesitation, Zhang Tie threw himself onto his fallen opponent...