Are You Teaching Me How to Do Things

Guo Sheng continued slapping Song Bin's face, oblivious to the looming crisis.

Suddenly, he felt a firm hand pat his shoulder.

"That's enough. Making him stand? Do you think you're a teacher now?"

Turning around, Guo Sheng found Zhou Rui staring at him.

In scenes like this, the worst-case scenario for a bully is someone stepping in—it heightens their anger.

However, Zhou Rui's position in the class was unique. His close association with Lu Xubo made him someone Guo Sheng dared not offend lightly. Guo Sheng instinctively glanced at Lu Xubo, who was watching from a distance.

Zhou Rui ignored any social dynamics. He pulled Guo Sheng aside, then turned to Song Bin and patted him on the shoulder.

Without a word, Zhou Rui pried Song Bin's fingers open, retrieving the pen gripped tightly in his hand. Zhou Rui didn't exhale until the pen was safely in his grasp.

That was close. Song Bin's adrenaline was clearly surging, and the pen in his hand seemed ready to stab Guo Sheng's eye at any moment.

Although Zhou Rui didn't recall any tragedy involving Song Bin and Guo Sheng in his past life, he wasn't willing to gamble. Perhaps Song Bin hadn't had a pen in his hand before, but now he did, possibly due to Zhou Rui's interference in the timeline.

This time, Zhou Rui saved not only Guo Sheng but also Song Bin and their class teacher, Huang Dewei.

Unfortunately, Guo Sheng didn't appreciate the intervention. All he felt was embarrassment. With Zhou Rui standing protectively beside Song Bin, Guo Sheng interpreted it as Zhou Rui siding with the other boy.

"Zhou Rui, mind your own business!" Guo Sheng spat, reaching for Zhou Rui's collar.

Zhou Rui had no intention of engaging further, but when Guo Sheng made a move, Zhou Rui instinctively kicked him back, causing him to stumble.

Zhou Rui was about to press his advantage and teach Guo Sheng a lesson when, from behind him, Song Bin let out a strangled cry and charged forward.

Chaos erupted in the corner of the classroom.

Zhou Rui found himself fending off Guo Sheng while holding Song Bin back. It was utter pandemonium.

Fortunately, their class teacher, Huang Dewei, appeared at the door and bellowed, "What are you doing?!"

The room fell silent. Students not involved in the scuffle lowered their heads. Guo Sheng and Song Bin froze in place.

"You three! Get out here now!"

It wasn't clear what Huang Dewei had witnessed, but he summoned all three boys into the hallway.

As they left, the English teacher passed them on her way to class, sparing the trio a curious glance before continuing into the room.

Now, only Zhou Rui, Song Bin, Guo Sheng, and Huang Dewei remained in the corridor.

"What were you doing in there?" the teacher scolded. "The college entrance exam is less than two months away, and you're fighting? Are you out of your minds?"

As with many teachers, his primary concern wasn't justice but the impact on grades and the looming college entrance exam. He didn't care who was right or wrong; he just wanted to avoid injuries and disruptions.

Song Bin and Guo Sheng kept their heads bowed, remaining silent—a typical student tactic when facing a scolding: stay quiet and let it blow over.

Zhou Rui, however, was different. With the soul of an adult, he was no longer intimidated by authority. He casually patted Huang Dewei on the shoulder and said, "Old Huang, can I have a word with you?"

The unexpected familiarity stunned not only Huang Dewei but also Guo Sheng and Song Bin.

What kind of tactic is this? they wondered.

Huang Dewei frowned, thinking, I'm the teacher here. Shouldn't you be showing some respect?

Zhou Rui, unfazed, pulled the teacher aside, leaving the other two boys dumbfounded. Lowering his voice, Zhou Rui handed the pen to Huang Dewei and said, "This was in Song Bin's hand earlier. He might not have realized it, but he was on edge. Old Huang, you're the class teacher. The pressure in senior year is intense. If the string in his head snaps, it'll be disastrous."

Huang Dewei stared at the sharp pen in his palm, cold sweat breaking out on his back. Zhou Rui's words struck a chord. If something had happened between Guo Sheng and Song Bin, it wouldn't have just been a classroom issue—it would've become a school-wide scandal.

Before Huang Dewei could reply, Zhou Rui patted his shoulder and added, "Neither of them may realize the danger of that pen. There's no need to mention it, but you should rearrange the seating. Keep them apart."

Huang Dewei nodded reflexively. Zhou Rui was right.

But then the teacher paused, realizing, Wait a minute—am I taking instructions from a student?

Before Huang Dewei could react, Zhou Rui waved casually and returned to the classroom, leaving the rest in the teacher's hands.

Song Bin and Guo Sheng watched Zhou Rui walk away, their jaws nearly hitting the floor.

What just happened? Did Zhou Rui… give the teacher a lecture?

What kind of person is he?!

Back in the classroom, Zhou Rui ignored the curious stares of his classmates and resumed studying, cracking open his textbook as though nothing had happened.

"Task entry: Concentration, Experience value +1, Current progress (25/100)."

Wait, 25? Shouldn't it be 24? Where did the extra point come from? Zhou Rui wondered.

Opening the system, he laughed softly.

It turned out he had earned some experience points during the morning's brick-throwing incident—likely for his intense focus.

A pleasant surprise.

With renewed motivation, Zhou Rui threw himself back into his studies, determined to rack up as many experience points as possible.

By the end of the first class, he had checked his progress:

"Task entry: Concentration, Experience value +1, Current progress (29/100)."

"Task entry: Self-discipline, Experience value +1, Current progress (16/100)."

"Task entry: Inspiration, Experience value +1, Current progress (11/100)."

Despite slower progress than the previous day, Zhou Rui remained undeterred. He took out his math textbook to prepare for the next lesson.

Song Bin and Guo Sheng hadn't returned, likely still being disciplined in Huang Dewei's office.

Meanwhile, during the break, Zhou Rui's classmates occasionally glanced his way, impressed by his earlier actions.

He had stood up against the bully—a rare act of bravery in their class.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind.

"Zhou Rui, you okay?"

Turning, Zhou Rui saw it was Lu Xubo.

The two had been close in earlier years, but Zhou Rui's recent "awakening" had caused some distance between them.

Seeing Lu Xubo's concern, Zhou Rui smiled and said, "I'm fine. Just stopping a fight, that's all."

Lu Xubo nodded silently, looking away.

When the second class started, Zhou Rui immersed himself once more in his studies.

For the sake of experience points—and ultimately acing the college entrance exam—he ignored everything else around him.

Not even the occasional gazes from his classmates distracted him.

During lunch break, Zhou Rui quickly ate in the cafeteria, determined not to waste time. Nothing could stop him from earning experience.

It wasn't until the afternoon that something unexpected happened.