10 Warriors

Zhao Ze was forced to scrub excrement for an entire morning.

The incident even drew the attention of the grade director, Zhang Guodong.

Zhang Guodong was a rigorous and pragmatic man who took a hard line on student character education. He was, of course, no stranger to Li Shuangjie; she was not only a standout among the freshmen but also the daughter of an old friend, a child whose praises he often heard others singing at dinner parties.

Zhang was best at teaching humanities students. He had repeatedly assured Li’s father that if she came to Jinggao, she would undoubtedly be the top humanities student in three years.

Li Shuangjie did indeed come, but she chose the sciences.

And she had held the top rank in the entire school for nearly a year straight.

A girl studying science.

Well, that was fine too.

At the time, he had felt gratified, unaware of what an unparalleled menace Li Shuangjie actually was.

At this moment, he was patrolling the building:

"Is the restroom on the fourth floor broken?"

A student replied that it wasn't; someone from Class 11 was just taking a dump.

Taking a dump? Zhang Guodong thought he had misheard.

"What exactly is going on here?"

This was not Li Shuangjie’s fault; she had merely opened her mouth and proposed a small conjecture. A passerby overheard it, and it spread from ten to a hundred, becoming increasingly absurd until, by the time it reached Zhang Guodong’s ears, it had transformed into "Zhao Ze broke into the classroom at night to take a dump for the sake of excitement."

In the hallway, a few students were whispering:

"I heard Zhao Ze and his girlfriend were taking a dump together..."

Tang Xin couldn't take it anymore: "I didn't do it!!"

"Oh, oh, so it was just Zhao Ze by himself."

Zhang Guodong told them to stop spreading nonsense. He went to Class 11 to investigate. The other students had already been moved to the lecture hall, leaving only Zhao Ze, who was being punished, scrubbing the excrement off the floor as if mourning the dead.

When Zhang asked what happened, Zhao Ze insisted:

"That cunning top-ranked student ruined me!"

He was convinced that Li Shuangjie had done this, but no one believed him. After all, who would intentionally smear feces in a classroom just to ruin a male classmate? No normal person would have that kind of logic. Zhang Guodong reminded him tactfully that if there were truly a physical issue, it was nothing to be ashamed of.

"I didn't!" Zhao Ze was on the verge of a breakdown.

"I didn't do it! I really didn't!"

"Only we know if your excrement stinks or not."

Li Shuangjie and a few classmates stood at the classroom door.

"Only the classroom surveillance knows if you did it or not!"

"Exactly!" The sanitation commissioner dragged over a bucket of water. "It’s all your fault for stubbornly refusing to admit it, causing the whole class to be talked about! Tang Xin has worn herself out clearing her name, and she even begged us to help you clean this up. Please get your butt in gear, thanks!"

"Why should I admit to something I didn't do?!"

Someone reiterated: "Wouldn't checking the surveillance footage solve this?"

Wait, checking the surveillance.

Zhao Ze hesitated.

He hadn't been the one on duty last night.

He hadn't bothered with the general cleaning either; he had gone on a date.

Going back further.

Tang Xin hadn't gone to morning exercises for several weeks.

He and his brothers had skipped self-study sessions.

Going back even further.

Zhao Ze finally sensed something was wrong.

He suddenly looked at someone in the crowd.

"You are..." he said, "doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

Li Shuangjie smiled: "Doing what on purpose?"

Zhao Ze couldn't be explicit, because class officials were to be re-elected next week. Positions were chosen once a semester—a rule set by Zhou Li under the guise of "allowing more students to participate in management," though in reality, it was to weed out incompetent people. If you did well, you could be re-elected; if you provoked public outrage, you would be ousted.

At such a critical juncture, Li Shuangjie was suddenly stirring up trouble. What was she after? The sports commissioner position, or... a coup? It was terrifying to think about, and just as terrifying not to. A cold sweat broke out on Zhao Ze’s back. It’s fine, he told himself; all the necessary favors had been handled. As long as he got over half the votes like last time, he could keep his position.

Zhao Ze ultimately chose to swallow his pride; after all, checking the surveillance would be his ruin. If he checked it, he might clear his name regarding the excrement, but more secrets violating class rules would be dragged into the light, inevitably sparking public outrage. Fearing this, he scrubbed the floor with a dark face. He had assumed that would be the end of it.

Little did he know, it was the start of a nightmare.

Li Shuangjie contradicted him at every turn. When he held meetings, she drank water; when he spoke, she coughed; when he ate, she switched tables... When he told her not to record names for absences during the long break, she turned around and highlighted all those he had protected, reporting them to Zhou Li.

"Li Shuangjie! I think you’ve lost your mind!"

Zhao Ze slammed his hand on her desk in anger.

He was quite bold to challenge her like that; had he forgotten how she had slapped him before? Li Shuangjie lifted her eyes with contempt, telling him through her demeanor that it wasn't the loudest person who won. She remained unmoved in her seat: "Why shouldn't I report it?"

"Wasn't that the agreement?"

"That was an agreement in your dreams."

The two stood in a silent standoff.

Zhao Ze gritted his teeth: "So that’s how you want to play? You think I’m actually afraid of you? You can only act arrogant for a few more days, you clown! Fine, be tough, let’s see if you can hold your seat after the class meeting next week! ...I’m warning you, there are plenty of people in this class who want to be sports commissioner!"

Li Shuangjie didn't even flicker an eyelash.

"Then let's wait and see."

In the days that followed, Li Shuangjie seemed like a completely different person. She settled scores and righted wrongs; her previous forbearance had only been to ensure a better explosion now! She wasn't afraid of offending anyone. For every absentee, she showed no mercy—one slap for the girls, two for the boys. She kept strangers at a distance and told acquaintances to get lost.

Once, when Tang Xin was actually on her period, she lay on her desk, too painful to move. Fearing Li Shuangjie would record her name for skipping the long-break exercises, she went to plead with her.

Li Shuangjie refused sternly:

"I don't care if you're on your period or not!"

Her voice was so loud that everyone around looked over. Zhao Ze could only tell Tang Xin to bear with it, promising it would be over after this week. Tang Xin bit her lip and said she was really in pain, that she used to be able to skip, so why did she have to care what Li Shuangjie thought now?

Zhao Ze said it was because she used to be special, and she had been caught, which made it impossible now! Tang Xin wanted to say that she wasn't the only one who had been treated specially.

"Forget it, just bear with it."

Seeing he was no help, Tang Xin leaned on her waist and went downstairs.

But at the stairwell, Xia Ya stopped her.

"Go back to class." She handed her an ibuprofen.

"I can't, Li Shuangjie will definitely record my name."

Xia Ya said: "She only said that in front of Zhao Ze. Actually, she went to the infirmary to get this for you just now. She went to lead the exercises, so she asked me to bring it to you. She won't record your name, but don't go around talking about it... I'll go get you some warm water."

"...Thank you." Tang Xin was surprised.

She stared at the small orange capsule in her hand.

Tang Xin had only talked to her during the long break, so she must have gone to the infirmary during the first two periods. Specifically for her? And she knew about her period? Even though she used that as an excuse for leave every time... Honestly, being cared for wasn't rare, but being cared for by someone like Li Shuangjie felt overwhelming. In fact, most girls in the class had complicated feelings about her.

Her brilliance was one aspect, her seeming heartlessness another—especially because she was so sharp, as if born to pierce through something.

However, she swallowed the pill with the warm water.

Ibuprofen had an analgesic effect.

The pain slowly faded; the knife piercing her lower abdomen was withdrawn. She felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

Before, she didn't know what kind of psychology was at work, but she had felt Li Shuangjie was somewhat attention-seeking. Otherwise, why did she frequently provoke Zhao Ze and his friends into discussing her? ...But did she really care about the boys' opinions? Li Shuangjie remembered her period, something Zhao Ze never did.

It was complicated. Tang Xin put on her coat and lay quietly on her desk, recalling bits and pieces of her time with her boyfriend. Realizing belatedly, she understood that Zhao Ze’s role could be easily replaced by others: Xia Ya could bring her hot water and walk with her; even if Li Shuangjie wasn't her friend, she would lend a hand when necessary. And she wouldn't have to constantly guard against the girls suddenly rotting and turning sour.

She suddenly remembered.

She was disgusted by the boys who watched adult comics during class.

But she had never mentioned it to Zhao Ze.

And she never took ibuprofen because her father told her it had side effects, and Zhao Ze said it was only for boys with sports injuries, and that girls didn't need it for their periods. It turned out that taking it felt like this; she realized she hadn't needed to endure the extra pain.

So, who was truly sharp?

And what was it meant to pierce?

Or was it.

To ensure she wasn't pierced herself.

.

For the past half-semester, Zhao Ze's path as class monitor had been smooth, and the class had seen no major trouble under his management. Zhao Ze thought it was all his own merit, but until Li Shuangjie stopped cooperating, he hadn't realized that without the other class officials, he was nothing.

"Zhao Ze! You do the general cleaning yourself this time!"

He was handed a rag, confused.

The sanitation commissioner said: "I'm not doing it anymore."

Zhao Ze was stunned: "...What do you mean?"

"I've thought about it, and Li Shuangjie was right." She mused, "You can control the votes to keep me in office, but I don't want to be the sanitation commissioner anymore. Endless work every day, taking the blame for everything. It's clearly you guys who don't clean, but I'm the one who gets scolded."

The study commissioner: "I also think Li Shuangjie is right. Being study commissioner is thankless work. I can't collect all the assignments because you guys don't hand them in, and when the teacher asks, I have to make excuses. Besides, ever since you took over the class, the average grade has dropped."

The arts commissioner: "I'm the only one working on the blackboard newspaper every time. Li Shuangjie occasionally helps, but you all act like you're blind. I don't just mean the students; you class officials are the same. Every time you watch me work through a study hall, no one offers to help, and then you just throw out a few hollow compliments after I'm done. Especially you, Zhao Ze, what did you mean by bad-mouthing me behind my back when we didn't get the highest score last time?"

Zhao Ze only fixated on the name that ruined everything: "You're all listening to Li Shuangjie, aren't you? She's sowing discord! Can't you see that? She just wants to push me out so she can be class monitor! Besides, didn't I give you favors before? Have you forgotten how you got your votes?"

"If you trust her..." he broke his facade, "then I'll tell the homeroom teacher about the dirty tricks!"

"You mean, that way none of us get any benefits, right?" The study commissioner pushed up his glasses. "Yes, I did hate Li Shuangjie before; her grades were much better than mine, and out of selfishness, I didn't vote for her. But this time I won't vote for you either, absolutely not. Even if you tell on us, it doesn't matter; I wasn't planning on staying in this position anyway. I'm not some beneficiary of your schemes."

"Exactly, we're just here to resign."

"You can get the people you gave favors to to support you, then!"

He couldn't make them understand! Zhao Ze pulled at his hair in frustration. He didn't understand why such a change had occurred in just a few days. If Li Shuangjie were to evaluate his performance, she would only sneer: "It’s his good luck that no one flipped his table over these past few months! Just a local warlord who thinks he knows everything, yet can't even do the basics!"

The basics.

Cooperation, of course.

Comprehensive coordination.

Later, Li Shuangjie would demonstrate to Zhao Ze through action how capable and talented she was. She was the one who truly led Class 11 toward glory.

But for now, she had no need to tell this idiot; he was just a pest, one that would ruin the crop sooner or later.

The day of the election arrived soon.

The class began voting.

Zhao Ze watched the vote count between himself and Li Shuangjie without blinking. This time was different from the past; some abstained, others made different choices than before. The political climate was shifting, and Xia Ya’s vote brought the two sides to a true stalemate. Now, only one person remained.

Zhao Ze looked over with bated breath.

It was Tang Xin, and he immediately felt relieved.

"Vote for me!" he mouthed to his girlfriend.

Zhou Li stopped him: "No communicating, Zhao Ze."

Tang Xin didn't look resolute. She looked at Zhao Ze on her left, then at Li Shuangjie on her right. Her vote was gripped tightly in her hand. Zhao Ze stared at her with intense focus; in contrast, Li Shuangjie seemed less intentional. Did she... not care?

The vote in her hand.

Who would she give it to?

Just as Tang Xin reached out, her hand was pressed down by Li Shuangjie. It was that direct. Under the surprised gazes of Zhao Ze and the others, she took her hand, vote and all, like a guide. "Vote for me," she said.

"I care. Vote for me."

Zhou Li warned: "Li Shuangjie, you cannot force others to make a choice. Tang Xin, vote for the person you think is best suited to be class monitor; use your own judgment."

Tang Xin, however, decisively placed the vote in Li Shuangjie’s palm: "I was going to vote for her anyway."

Otherwise, why would she have cared whether she cared or not?

Li Shuangjie understood, but she didn't smile; rather, she looked as if it were a matter of course. Being trusted was her specialty. The voters who supported her pushed her to a high position, and she would not betray that trust: "I will do my best to satisfy the reasonable needs of every classmate. At least with me, we are a class; no one needs to do things alone or carry the burden alone. As for class affairs, I will strive to ensure every classmate participates."

"I also won't compare myself to the previous monitor," she glanced at Zhao Ze, "because it's unnecessary. He didn't do well enough, and I will do my best. My term is also half a semester; I hope everyone will examine my work carefully. If you are dissatisfied, you can remove me at any time."

"The new class monitor has a big mouth, doesn't she?" Zhou Li clapped, "Then let's give her a round of applause!"

And just like that.

Li Shuangjie reclaimed her throne.

However, the applause wasn't entirely joyful. Take Zhao Ze, for instance; he was on the verge of tears but still forced a smile while clapping. Of course, he wouldn't be able to smile at all if he knew Tang Xin was about to break up with him.

But there were others who couldn't smile either.

Xia Ya muttered: "I should have voted last."

If she had.

She could have held her hand, too.