C38 A Clear and Crisp Slap

Zhang Xing, engrossed in his meal, suddenly sensed a hush fall over his fellow diners. Glancing up, he noticed all nine of them had their heads bowed deep into their rice pots. What had happened?

He then turned his attention to the other students at the table. Each one wore a peculiar expression, tinged with a hint of schadenfreude. Several classmates in coarse clothing were gesturing behind him, winking repeatedly.

Swiveling around, Zhang Xing caught sight of a group of young adults, around 18 or 19, clad in gray robes, advancing towards him. The leader, Linder Glen, was strikingly handsome with a charismatic air. His smile was warm, but his eyes betrayed a cold, dark intent.

They approached Zhang Xing swiftly, and he could just make out the excited whispers of the girls nearby: "Ah! That's Linder Glen from the High-Level Magic class. He's my idol; he's so handsome!"

"Oh my God, my heart's racing out of control, I think I'm going to faint!"

"Look, he's heading this way!"

"He's after that little classmate."

"Which one?"

"The youngest among the ten newcomers. Do you see him?"

"I do. Isn't he a bit young? Could he be from the Linde family?"

"No, he's poor. Glen's looking to cause him trouble."

While the girls murmured among themselves, the boys were intently focused on their meals, not daring to glance in that direction.

"Zhang Xing, enjoying your meal?" Glen towered over him, a smile playing on his lips.

Zhang Xing nodded, responding, "Yes. Haven't you eaten yet?"

Glen's expression froze. He hadn't expected Zhang Xing to be so composed, nor his reply so unexpected. The words Glen had prepared were suddenly redundant.

Zhang Xing simply continued eating, leaving Glen staring at the back of his head. The moment turned awkward.

"Move aside and eat!" Glen's glare sent the nine students at the table scrambling to their feet, disappearing in an instant.

Glen pulled up a chair across from Zhang Xing and seated himself. He leaned in, resting his right arm on the table and propping his cheek against his half-clenched fist, watching Zhang Xing eat in silence.

Zhang Xing cast a glance, offered a slight smile, and carried on with his meal.

At that moment, the restaurant was enveloped in an unusual hush, with only the sounds of dining emanating from their table.

It was as though time itself had come to a standstill. The young girls clutched their mouths, eyes wide with astonishment, breaths held in suspense.

However, the eerie quiet was short-lived, as Glen could no longer contain himself.

A gasp of shock rippled through the crowd, drawing all eyes to their table.

As the onlookers gasped in unison, Glen straightened up, his right hand soaring to its full height, and delivered a fierce slap to Zhang Xing's face, even as he continued to shovel food into his mouth.

"You're still playing dumb!"

One could only imagine the repercussions when a teenager, nearly twenty, struck a six-year-old child with such force.

Many of the girls turned away, unable to watch, their eyes squeezed shut, while several of the boys averted their faces.

The students braced themselves, picturing the young boy being flung at least three meters, his face swelling up like a pig's head.

The slap resonated, a crisp sound that filled the entire dining hall.

Then, a thud was heard!

Confusion set in among the crowd. Why was the little boy still seated there, calmly eating? Shouldn't he have been sent reeling from the blow?

Even more baffling was Glen's sudden disappearance!

The group of teens that Glen had brought with him slowly turned their heads to look around.

The rest of the students followed suit, turning their gazes in the same direction.

And then, a scene unfolded that left everyone in shock!