Thirteen Tigers: The Unreliable Ally

“Huff… huff… huff…” Wang Zhen panted heavily. “Zhao Hu, among those people just now, was there anyone from the Thirteen Tigers?”

“No, only Liu Jie was there. It seems the Thirteen Tigers have grown into a large group at this school, with many followers,” Zhao Hu said as he helped Wang Zhen up and gently sat him on the bed.

“All right, thanks for your help.” Wang Zhen rested his hands on the bed, his whole body sinking weakly into the blankets.

“Otherwise, I could try pleading with Wan Daming for you?” Zhao Hu placed a hand on Wang Zhen’s shoulder, speaking kindly.

Wang Zhen looked up at Zhao Hu and smiled faintly. “It’s good you stepped back just now—that way you won’t get into trouble too. Thanks for the thought, but there’s no need to beg Wan Daming on my behalf. I’ll take revenge my own way.”

Seeing this, Zhao Hu didn’t insist further and lay down on his own bed.

Wang Zhen pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

“Beep… beep… beep…”

“Huang Wei, what are you doing?” Wang Zhen held the phone to his ear.

“Just finished dinner. What’s up?” came the voice from the other end.

“Do you know anyone at Luocheng No. 1 High? I got beaten up there and need some help.”

“Luocheng No. 1 High? Let me think…” After a moment of silence, “Ah! Room 607, a guy named Wei Jiang. He’s a brother of mine; you should find him. He might have a way.”

“Thanks, brother.”

“No need for formalities. All right, take care. Gotta go.”

“Okay, good luck.”

After hanging up, despite the pain in his body, Wang Zhen quickly got out of bed and hurried to Room 607.

***

Inside Room 607, Wei Jiang sat alone in front of his computer.

“Beep beep beep~” Wei Jiang received a call. Lazily, he reached out to answer, hearing the anxious voice of his friend Huang Wei: “Wei Jiang, you have to help me out! My brother Wang Zhen is in serious trouble!”

Wei Jiang responded with a casual “Hmm, hmm,” his eyes never leaving the game flickering on the screen. “Okay, got it. Sure, no problem.” His tone was utterly indifferent.

“Don’t be so dismissive! He’s my brother!” Huang Wei’s voice rose with urgency.

“I’ve been like this for a long time. You know me,” Wei Jiang said, then lightly hung up, though a strange ripple stirred in his heart.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. Wei Jiang sighed, reluctantly setting down the mouse. Slowly, he stood, dragging his feet with some hesitation as he approached the brand-new wooden door.

Standing there was a figure unusually thin, hair messy and unkempt, his face etched with fatigue and the harshness of life, eyes deeply sunken.

Wang Zhen stared at Wei Jiang before him, doubts rising in his heart: “Can this guy really help me? Is he reliable? What kind of skills does he even have?”

Wei Jiang, a youth with a rebellious and disheveled gaze, tightly grasped Wang Zhen’s hesitant hands. A smile playing at the corners of his mouth seemed to melt the ice around them. “You’re Huang Wei’s brother, and Huang Wei is my brother. So doesn’t that make us brothers now?”

Wang Zhen nodded slowly, his voice deep and magnetic. “I suppose so.” A flicker of complex emotion passed through his eyes.

At that moment, Wei Jiang’s gaze suddenly grew intense. Clutching Wang Zhen’s hand, he implored, “Since we’re brothers, can you lend me fifty yuan?” His tone was pleading, tinged with helplessness. His eyes glistened faintly with unshed tears, as if hunger had pushed him to the brink. “I haven’t eaten all day. I’m starving.”

A ripple stirred in Wang Zhen’s heart. His instincts told him this man might not be as innocent as he seemed. Immediately, he realized the thought he had just had was right—this guy was unreliable!

Yet, just as the thought took hold, Wang Zhen recalled Huang Wei—the good brother who had fought alongside him through thick and thin. He took a deep breath and slowly pulled fifty yuan from his pocket, handing it to Wei Jiang. With the money in hand, Wei Jiang shot out the door like a flash.

“Wait here for me,” Wei Jiang called back over his shoulder.

Wang Zhen stood there, watching the direction Wei Jiang disappeared into, his heart filled with conflicting emotions.

He glanced around the dormitory. All the beds were empty except for Wei Jiang’s.

***

“This guy… is he just someone who borrows money and runs off? Seems like Huang Wei’s recommendation really isn’t reliable. Oh well, fifty yuan is a gift at this point.”

Wang Zhen sighed helplessly, shook his head, closed the door to Room 607, and returned to his own dorm.

At 10:30 p.m., Wang Zhen received a call from an unknown number.

“Hello? Who’s this?” Wang Zhen answered lazily.

“Didn’t I tell you to wait in the dorm? Where did you run off to?” a boy’s angry shout came from the other end.

Wang Zhen pulled the phone away from his ear and scratched it. “I thought you took my money and wouldn’t come back, so I left.”

“Are you coming back or not? Do you still want revenge? If you do, then get your ass back here now!” Wei Jiang shouted angrily and hung up.

Wang Zhen quickly put on his clothes and pants. Zhao Hu noticed and casually asked, “Wang Zhen, it’s so late. Where are you going?”

“I’m going to find a friend,” Wang Zhen replied as he bent down to slip on his shoes. His eyes flickered with an indescribable urgency.

After lacing up, Wang Zhen hurried to Room 607. The door slammed shut behind him, and his figure melted into the night, every step marked with unwavering resolve.

The door to Room 607 was ajar, seemingly left open just for Wang Zhen. He pushed it quietly, making no sound, then swiftly closed it behind him, shutting out the noise of the outside world. Upon entering, Wang Zhen immediately sat beside Wei Jiang.

Wei Jiang was still engrossed in his game, deftly manipulating the mouse and keyboard. Occasionally, he spat out fierce words that echoed in the silent room, laced with recklessness and fanaticism: cursing his teammates, “You bunch of idiots! Can’t you play? If you can’t, go home and farm! Don’t be a nuisance here!”

Wang Zhen’s newly kindled hope was instantly doused. This guy was still just as unreliable as ever…