Lin Zihao was utterly bewildered. He hadn't even reacted yet, how had he already fallen?
"You lost!" Zhang Fan stared at Lin Zihao, a smile playing on his lips.
"I don't accept that. I wasn't ready just now. Let's go again." Lin Zihao finally reacted after a long pause. Zhang Fan had moved too quickly; before he could even exert any force, Zhang Fan had pinned him down. Naturally, he wouldn't concede.
"That's right, Brother Hao wasn't ready at all."
"That was a sneak attack."
"How despicable, you resorted to a sneak attack when you couldn't win..."
Lin Zihao's lackeys finally saw their moment to shine. As soon as he got up, they scrambled to make excuses for him.
Zhuo Tairan, seeing Zhang Fan suddenly push Lin Zihao down, mentally gave him a thumbs-up. This kid might be lacking in strength points, but his intelligence points were maxed out.
"Why are you reneging on the bet after losing? Zhang Fan specifically asked if he was ready just now, and I recall Lin Zihao saying he was ready anytime?" Zhuo Tairan was the first to object.
"Yes, I also remember classmate Lin Zihao saying he was ready anytime," Qiao Ruxin said with a smile, agreeing.
"I still don't accept it. If you truly have the skill, then arm wrestle me again." Lin Zihao dug his heels in, refusing to admit defeat. He was thick-skinned and felt no burden doing such a thing.
Zhuo Tairan was about to say more, but Zhang Fan stopped him.
"Alright," Zhang Fan agreed. "If you can pull your hand out, I'll agree to another round."
Lin Zihao chuckled at this. It was too simple.
He then tugged at the hand Zhang Fan was holding, but it didn't budge.
'Little brat, you've got some strength after all. Seems I underestimated you before,' Lin Zihao thought to himself. He increased the strength in his arm, but still couldn't pull his hand free. A hint of surprise entered his mind, as he had already used eighty percent of his strength and still couldn't move his hand.
'I don't believe it.' Lin Zihao used all his might, his small face turning slightly red. Yet, there was still no reaction. He felt as if his palm was clamped in an iron grip, completely immobile. At this moment, panic finally set in.
This scene was witnessed by everyone. They were all incredulous. Lin Zihao's face was red, and he still couldn't pull his hand out. In contrast, Zhang Fan maintained his calm and indifferent demeanor throughout, a stark contrast that clearly showed the difference.
"Your boss's arm is stuck. Aren't you dogs going to help?" Zhang Fan asked, looking at the anxious-looking lackeys beside Lin Zihao with a smile.
They exchanged glances, then looked at Lin Zihao, who was struggling in vain. They wanted to help, but Lin Zihao hadn't given the order, so they hesitated.
"Help," Lin Zihao finally couldn't bear it any longer. Having his arm pinned by Zhang Fan in front of so many classmates was ultimately embarrassing.
Asking his subordinates for help was also a loss of face, but it was better than being unable to move his hand.
Thus, the group of lackeys all grabbed Lin Zihao's arm and desperately tried to pull it out. Their faces turned red, but they achieved nothing.
"Classmate Lin Zihao, put in more effort. I'm almost unable to hold on," Zhang Fan encouraged.
Qiao Ruxin, standing between them, let out a snicker upon hearing this. Her delicate body trembled, and she shot Zhang Fan a sidelong glance.
His calm and indifferent appearance, with not even a tremor in his arm, showed no sign of him being unable to hold on. This kid was clearly just trying to provoke him.
The classmates in the room burst into laughter. Some even cheered for Lin Zihao and his subordinates, much to Lin Zihao's embarrassment.
"One, two, three, heave!"
Zhang Fan suddenly let go. Lin Zihao and his lackeys, their efforts wasted, felt a strong recoil and tumbled backward, crashing onto the tables behind them and falling in a heap.
"Congratulations, Classmate Lin Zihao, you've finally freed your arm. Now we can start again," Zhang Fan said with a smile, placing his arm on the table, waiting for Lin Zihao to accept the challenge.
Lin Zihao's face was ashen. After freeing his hand, he felt it was numb. He wasn't stupid; how could he not see that this scrawny-looking kid was actually incredibly strong? Even if all of them combined, they couldn't match him. He no longer dared to compete.
"No more. I admit defeat." After much hesitation, Lin Zihao rubbed his numb palm and finally spoke. He knew that if they continued, he would be humiliated again, so it was better to concede.
"What a pity. I was hoping for another fierce battle with Classmate Zihao," Zhang Fan said with a light chuckle.
The crowd almost spat out blood. How could they not tell that Zhang Fan's strength could almost crush Lin Zihao? Yet, he spoke of a "fierce battle," which was practically full marks for mockery.
Lin Zihao's lips twitched at this, and he remained silent.
"Since you lost, you should fulfill your promise." Zhang Fan looked at Lin Zihao and smiled.
The other classmates also looked at Lin Zihao, waiting for him to fulfill his obligation as the loser. They all wanted to see how the usually arrogant Lin Zihao would do it, whether he would renege or compromise.
Feeling the gaze of his classmates, Lin Zihao felt as if he was being paraded through the streets, incredibly humiliated.
"Big Brother," Lin Zihao finally said in a very awkward tone. After all, admitting defeat and calling Zhang Fan "Big Brother" was clearly more embarrassing than reneging on the bet.
"Mm." Zhang Fan nodded with satisfaction, then waved his hand. "You can dismiss your lackeys. Class is about to start, don't disturb Big Brother's studies."
Lin Zihao was filled with grief and indignation but was helpless. The display Zhang Fan had just shown made him realize that this guy possessed incredible strength and would surely win in a fight. Therefore, he couldn't resist for the time being and had to retreat for now, planning to regain his standing elsewhere.
As the crowd dispersed, Qiao Ruxin remained standing in front of Zhang Fan's desk, refusing to leave. She was tall and stunningly beautiful. With such a graceful beauty standing before him, Zhang Fan couldn't ignore her.
"Hey, little girl, why are you still standing here? You're really affecting my studies," Zhang Fan said.
Qiao Ruxin felt a strange sensation. Zhang Fan had changed so much after a summer break. Take the nickname "little girl" for example; the Zhang Fan of the past would absolutely not dare to call her that. Also, his previous strength could never have been this great, otherwise, Zhang Fan wouldn't have been bullied by those hooligans in their first year.
Could it be that after breaking up with Luo Shui, he was so devastated that his temperament completely changed, and his dormant power awakened, leading to such a transformation?
Qiao Ruxin's mind raced with wild speculation. Just as she was about to speak, the school bell rang. With a hateful glare at Zhang Fan, she turned and returned to her seat.