Bullying Storm and Hospital Chaos

Suddenly, the trending searches were ablaze with news of a campus bullying incident.

All suspects involved had been arrested, and rumor had it that one of the main perpetrators had been taken in completely naked. The very day the incident was festering, that person was still living it up, just about to ‘stand at attention and charge straight into the dragon’s lair,’ when a swarm of police officers crashed in. The scene that followed—well, let’s just say it’s unmentionable, utterly unfit for censorship.

Campus bullying has always existed and long been a topic of concern, especially in the early days of the superpowered era, when the government handled superhumans with kid gloves, leaving behind many historical problems.

A is a superpowered, B is a normal person. A bullies B, A gathers a group to bully B, B awakens, and then B slaughters all the superpowered bullies. Hmm, this isn’t a hypothesis or an analogy, nor is it an isolated case. Worldwide, you can find names to substitute for A and B. As for why B becomes so powerful upon awakening? Would you become just as strong if bullied? Well… actually, there are far more Bs who aren’t powerful. Maybe… they’re still alive and well, but their hearts died long ago.

Being bullied is never a good thing. Suffering forced upon you is simply bad. Suffering is suffering. Don’t glorify it as a test of will. If someone tells you that, stay far away—they’ll eventually get struck by lightning, and you don’t want to be caught in the blast.

Suffering doesn’t build character. Couldn’t someone who perseveres through hardship achieve just as much in a smooth environment? If you’re used to playing on ‘hard’ mode, pulling off perfect ‘full combos,’ when you switch to ‘easy’ difficulty, would you suddenly become a button-masher? You wouldn’t, right?

Teenagers are unstable, lack restraint, and possess extraordinary power. Campus bullying was the most common problem of that era. Because it was so common, it was tacitly accepted. Ridiculous, yet it was considered ‘normal.’

****

Speaking of which, were those B’s actions extreme? Perhaps we should consider whether there were less extreme solutions in that era. Regardless, such resistance led to grim endings for those Bs—tragic, even. It served as a wake-up call, prompting reflection and attention. Campus bullying must never be tolerated. Later, as more superhumans awakened, their privileges were gradually revoked under the prevailing trend, and the law remained the ultimate authority.

So this trending topic won’t die down easily. Those bullies who got locked up won’t be released anytime soon. Su Mu even imagined plotlines from novels where the perpetrator has some ultra-powerful background, making a big noise but giving a small result—locked up today, quietly released tomorrow. But she was the number one villain, naturally standing against everything. She had nothing to fear. If they didn’t want to save face, she would help them save face. Just as her article stated: ‘If justice is absent again, it’s no different from evil. Then let me execute justice.’ Haha! Chuunibyou! But which teenager isn’t? Still, Su Mu had some confidence. This world maintained a normal order, where at least everyone could survive, barring accidents. After all, ordinary people do receive subsidies, and they really get them. And people like Saint Lily, little Ruoruo, and Su Qi—she had seen them in her own small circle. Then there must be many more such people in this world. Thinking that way, wasn’t it exciting?

****

He Mo fell silent. He couldn’t understand. That morning, his squad members were talking about being discharged soon, but now they were all lying in bed, groaning. Someone had sneaked into the hospital and attacked them. Even the seasoned captain had fallen victim. The only evidence left by the culprit was a note: ‘Don’t even think about getting better this month. If I see you move, I’ll hit you again!’ A child’s handwriting, with a tongue-sticking-out doodle.

‘Su Mo!’ He Mo clenched the note, fire blazing in his eyes. ‘Captain, everyone, this Su Mo is too hateful. I will avenge you!’

With that, he turned to leave.

‘Hey, kid, what are you doing? Don’t do anything stupid!’ the old captain hurriedly stopped him.

‘…’ He Mo silently picked up a small stool from the corner, sat down. ‘But on second thought, I don’t think I can beat her. So I’ll just stay here and chat with you. Let me know if you need anything.’

‘…’ Damn, when did this kid become so self-aware? Wasting my emotions. The old captain rolled his eyes, but inwardly breathed a sigh of relief knowing he wouldn’t do anything rash. Compared to the other veterans in the team, he had high hopes for this kid.

‘By the way, Captain, are the injuries Su Mo inflicted serious?’ He Mo asked curiously.

‘Nonsense. She’s the number one villain. Of course she’s strong. I exchanged dozens of moves with her, but my old wounds flared up, and I lost by a narrow margin!’ The captain waved his arms dramatically, painting a vivid picture.

‘Wow!’ He Mo clapped in admiration, with the clear, naive look only a college student could have.

‘Ahem,’ the captain cleared his throat. ‘I’m getting old. If I were younger, I could have fought Su Mo for hundreds of rounds!’

Suppressed laughter came from around them, but after being glared at, everyone looked away.

‘Hmm…’ The old captain looked at He Mo, pondering. ‘What’s wrong, kid? You seem to lack some edge.’

‘Ah…’ He Mo scratched his head, hesitated, then said, ‘Captain, do you know Saint Lily?’

‘Ah, that little girl?’ The captain’s eyes twinkled with gossip. ‘What, got a crush on her?’

‘Huh? No way?’ He Mo blushed and instinctively denied it, but the smile on her face that day had been too stunning. Remembering it now, he felt inexplicably weak. ‘I admire… just her strength.’

‘Haha!’ The captain laughed at his innocence. ‘No shame in that. There’s no rule against dating. If you like her, go for it!’

‘I told you it’s not that!’

‘I get it. How could I not? But be careful with those transformation-type people. They’re all about contrast!’ The old captain recalled some bad experiences. ‘Let me tell you, those magical girls look all sparkly and pretty, but they might actually be short, fat, and ugly, with bad personalities. And their age might even be older than me! Hell, they might even be men!’

‘Eh?’ He Mo’s jaw dropped. Looking at the captain’s confident face, the image of Saint Lily in his memory blurred, gradually replaced by a short, dark, fat man. He quickly shook his head. ‘Uh… stop! I really am only interested in Saint Lily’s strength! Maybe she’s about as strong as you, Captain!’

‘Uh…’ The captain hesitated. ‘Are you joking? Are you sure you’re not talking about that girl who uses an ice spear?’

‘In the dungeon, I fought her, then got knocked out. Then she was KO’d by Saint Lily with one punch!’ He Mo clenched his fist, affirming.

‘…’ The captain looked dazed. How many years had he been lying down? Were they talking about the same Saint Lily?