Zero Mercy

005 Mu Yang’s formidable strength

Mu Yang watched as the two boys drew closer and closer to her. Every nerve in her body tightened; she had slipped instinctively into a state of full alert, like an animal sensing danger. When they were almost beside her, when their arms began to lift and their hands reached out to grab her, she moved.

She struck first.

Her foot snapped forward without warning, swift as a flash of lightning. She aimed low and true—one kick for each of them—driving the edge of her shoe straight into their knees.

Neither boy had imagined she would attack them like that. In their minds, she was just a slight, quiet girl, someone who could be frightened, restrained, or intimidated with ease. They had not guarded themselves at all.

The kicks landed cleanly.

A sharp, explosive pain tore through their legs, so intense it felt as though their knees had shattered from the inside. Both boys cried out and collapsed almost at once, crumpling onto the floor in a heap.

Mu Yang stared at them as they fell. The moment the danger passed, the strength seemed to drain out of her. Her face went pale, and she took an unsteady step backward, shock finally catching up with her.

This was not her fault.

Her parents had divorced when she was still very young, and she had learned early what it meant to be unprotected. After one particularly cruel incident of being bullied, she had made a silent decision: she would never again allow herself to be so helpless. From that day on, she forced herself to get up early every morning to train her body. She ran, stretched, strengthened her legs and core with stubborn persistence. Sometimes, when no one was watching, she would slip to the taekwondo gym near her home and peer through the windows, memorizing the movements as others practiced. Then she would return to her room, close the door, and rehearse those techniques again and again in secret, relying solely on memory and instinct.

Just now… she might have kicked too hard.

The thought struck her suddenly, sending a wave of fear through her chest. Had she hurt them badly? Had she crossed a line without realizing it?

The president of the student council took in the scene before him, his expression changing dramatically. Even his voice began to tremble as he spoke.

“Mu Yang, you actually dared to—”

He could not finish the sentence.

He truly had not expected it. This girl, who looked so gentle and fragile on the surface, had brought down two strong, healthy boys before anyone even had time to react. The speed and decisiveness of her movements had stunned him.

But whatever his personal shock, the situation had clearly gone beyond his authority. If something serious had happened, he would never be able to shoulder the responsibility alone. He had no choice but to report the matter immediately to the school’s Moral Education Office.

He made the call at once.

Five minutes later, Director Wu from the Moral Education Office arrived at the student council room.

After listening to several people explain what had happened, Director Wu stood quietly for a moment, his expression unreadable. His gaze moved slowly from face to face, thoughtful, conflicted.

At last, his eyes settled on Mu Yang.

“Your name is Mu Yang, correct?” he asked. “Why does that sound so familiar to me?”

From the moment she saw the director enter the room, Mu Yang’s heart had been pounding uncontrollably. She had no idea whether the Moral Education Office would make the same decision as the student council. She glanced toward the two boys she had knocked down. If they were seriously injured, she might be facing an even heavier charge.

Yet as she studied Director Wu more closely, she felt a strange sense of familiarity as well. After thinking for a moment, she remembered—it was him. On the day she had registered as a new student, he had been stationed at the freshman registration desk, welcoming incoming students.

Before she could answer, the student council president spoke up on her behalf.

“Director Wu, these three girls are all freshmen. You helped receive new students on registration day, so that’s probably why the name sounds familiar.”

Director Wu shook his head slowly, frowning.

“No. I’ve received many students. But this Mu Yang… I’m certain I know her from somewhere else.” He repeated the name softly, as though testing it. “Mu Yang… Mu Yang… Ah—now I remember. You’re the top scorer of the G City entrance examinations, aren’t you? The most outstanding student admitted to Di Rui High School this year.”

“Yes,” Mu Yang replied with a quiet sigh.

Being the top scorer was something many people would have been proud of, but Mu Yang had never enjoyed attention. She disliked having the title repeated over and over, as though it defined her entire existence.

When she confirmed it, a complicated look flashed through Director Wu’s eyes. If she truly was that student, then today’s incident was far from simple. The principal had personally emphasized that this student was to be protected and carefully cultivated.

After a brief pause for thought, Director Wu turned to the two girls who shared Mu Yang’s dormitory.

“As her roommates,” he said evenly, “when Mu Yang was not present, it was your responsibility to help look after her belongings. How could you allow her things to be damaged by others? From my perspective, Mu Yang’s reaction was not excessive. You are roommates, and you will continue living together. It would be better for everyone if you each took a step back and stopped escalating the conflict.”

His words made his stance clear: he had no intention of pursuing the matter between Mu Yang and her two roommates any further.

The reaction was immediate.

The two girls were visibly dissatisfied.

“Director Wu, how can you say that?” one of them shouted sharply. “Just because we’re her roommates doesn’t mean we’re obligated to watch her things! If her belongings were damaged, how is it fair for her to take it out on us? We refuse to accept this decision!”

Director Wu’s expression darkened.

“Silence,” he snapped. “If you can’t show even the most basic tolerance, then you should ask yourselves whether you deserve to be called students at all.”

The two girls were still seething, but under the weight of his cold, piercing stare, they swallowed the words they were about to say.

Director Wu then turned his attention to the two student council members who were still sprawled on the floor. His voice remained stern.

“And as for you,” he said, “as members of the student council, you resorted to grabbing and threatening a female student. What kind of example is that? In my judgment, Mu Yang’s actions were purely self-defense. If you are not seriously injured, then let this matter rest. As student leaders, you should be setting an example of magnanimity.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

No one had expected such a resolution.

Director Wu’s handling of the situation appeared to be openly favoring Mu Yang.

The two girls from her dormitory were unhappy. The injured student council members were unhappy as well. Yet Director Wu was firm in his assessment: Mu Yang had done nothing wrong. Everything she had done was justified.

If it were not for Mu Yang’s plainly dressed appearance, they might have suspected she was related to Director Wu in some way. Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—that clearly was not the case.

Mu Yang thanked Director Wu softly and turned to leave the student council room.

Before she could reach the door, a voice dripping with cold mockery cut through the air.

“Well, well. Director Wu’s way of handling things is truly impressive. After committing so many shameless acts, this shameless girl is declared completely innocent.”

The expressions of everyone in the room changed once again.

Gu Qianyi.

The young master of the Xuanling Group. A figure rumored to be as cold as a demon, untouchable and ruthless. One of Di Rui High School’s most idolized students.

Director Wu exchanged uneasy glances with the student council president and the others. None of them knew why Gu Qianyi had appeared here. But judging from his words, it was clear that he harbored deep dissatisfaction—both with Mu Yang and with Director Wu’s decision.

Mu Yang’s face stiffened when she heard his voice.

It was him—the boy she had already offended once before. Why was she unlucky enough to run into him again? From his tone, it seemed he had already learned exactly what had happened before arriving.

As conflicting thoughts churned through the room, Gu Qianyi stepped inside.

He cast a brief, indifferent glance at everyone else before fixing his gaze on Director Wu.

“Director Wu,” he said coolly, “from what I know, this student named Mu Yang is an extremely despicable person. Nothing she says can be trusted. I strongly suggest that you reconsider your decision.”

Director Wu felt a headache coming on.

To reverse his ruling now would mean losing face entirely. Worse still, the principal had explicitly instructed him to safeguard Mu Yang.

Yet refusing to change it posed another problem altogether. The young man standing before him was far more troublesome. Offending Gu Qianyi was never a wise choice—and the consequences were rarely mild.

For the first time that day, Director Wu found himself truly at a loss.