Envious and resentful glances focused on Zhao Feng, who was wearing a blue and white school uniform. It was clear from his appearance that he was a weak and easily bullied high school student.

The group of young men who had dropped out of school exchanged looks and subtle signals, clearly seeing Zhao Feng as an easy target, just waiting to pounce.

Zhao Feng remained as steady as a mountain, pulling the dazed Jin Fugui aside and whispering a few words in his ear. Jin Fugui nodded and walked out of the game hall.

The boss lady, with her eyebrows raised and eyes wide open in anger, pushed through the crowd and approached. Seeing the 10,000-point score on the screen, her face twisted into a smile that was more grotesque than crying. She cursed inwardly, the faulty machine acting up again. Despite setting the lowest payout rate, the machine had triggered a "Full Sky of Stars" only once that day—and it had been won. The slot machine really had been messed up.

"Little handsome, you're lucky. You hit the Full Sky of Stars. Do you want to keep playing or exchange for game coins?" she said, with a forced smile.

Hearing the boss lady's usual sales pitch, Zhao Feng couldn't help but laugh. That conniving woman wasn’t planning on exchanging money. A thousand yuan had turned into eight thousand game coins, which was more than enough to annoy the boss lady.

"I'm here for the winnings. Exchange me a thousand yuan. You wouldn't think about cheating me, right?" Zhao Feng said coldly.

Under the watchful eyes of many, he felt the weight of countless questioning gazes.

The boss lady’s face flickered between dark and light. Cheating was out of the question; credibility was key in running a shop. If she didn’t exchange money for this kid, no one would come back to play the slot machines. She quickly walked back to the counter, with an awkward smile, and after some painful moments, handed Zhao Feng the cash.

Zhao Feng checked the money and confirmed it was correct. He tucked it away and squeezed through the crowd, quickly walking out of the game hall.

A group of young thugs followed closely behind, rushing out of the game hall to take down the "fat sheep."

A Summer taxi was parked by the side of the road, and Jin Fugui stuck his head out of the window, shouting, "Over here, quickly get in!"

Zhao Feng hurried over and sat in the car, telling the driver, "Master, take me to Xiao Feiyang BBQ."

The driver started the car and called out, "Alright!"

The taxi sped into the traffic, disappearing down the long street. The group of thugs were left empty-handed, cursing as they returned to the game hall.

A young man with yellow hair came over and whispered to the boss lady, "Boss, this guy's too slippery. The moment he stepped outside, he got in a taxi and ran."

The boss lady’s expression darkened, and she fumed, "Didn't I tell you to set the payout rate to the lowest? How did he still hit the Full Sky of Stars?"

The young man chuckled awkwardly. "He must have just been lucky. There's only one Full Sky of Stars per day. He's probably the one who hit it."

The boss lady's voice grew harsh. "After we close tonight, I’ll reset the machine so that Full Sky of Stars won’t trigger again. Tonight, those who want to gamble all night, stay and make up for my losses."

The young man’s eyes gleamed, and he nodded excitedly, as if more excited than winning Full Sky of Stars himself.

Xiao Feiyang BBQ.

In a quiet private room, Jin Fugui held the menu, swallowing saliva and chattering nonstop.

"Twenty skewers of big kidneys."

"Twenty skewers of small kidneys."

"Twenty skewers of chicken tips."

"And a big pot of tripe hot pot, with fish balls and vegetables."

"Anything else?" the waitress silently wrote down the order. The chubby kid had quite an appetite, and his tastes were extremely heavy.

"That should be enough. Four bottles of ice drinks as well. Feng Ge, you pick the drinks," Jin Fugui said, handing Zhao Feng the menu.

"A hundred skewers of lamb, and we're done," Zhao Feng replied, not even taking the menu. He felt helpless; the chubby kid’s tastes hadn’t changed. It was like his kidneys were in poor condition, with his excessive craving for meat.

The waitress quickly left, and the room was left with just the two of them.

Zhao Feng took out two large banknotes and tossed them to Jin Fugui with a smile. "Here you go, little fatty. Remember, double the payment, just like we agreed."

Jin Fugui, unbothered, stuffed the money into his pocket and gave Zhao Feng a meaningful look. "Feng Ge, I feel like you've changed. You're not the same as before."

Zhao Feng squinted his eyes slightly, adjusting his "clumsy" hairstyle, and narcissistically replied, "I’ve only become even more handsome. Don’t be jealous."

"Get lost," Jin Fugui said as he opened a bottle of soda, looking displeased. "You narcissist, I can already tell you’re up to something. Tomorrow, when the teacher calls your parents, you'll no longer look so handsome."

Zhao Feng, calm as ever, replied, "Calling parents is no big deal. Haven't given the teacher eggs for a while. I’ll just bring a few extra."

Jin Fugui widened his eyes, laughing and shaking his head. "No way, you're really going to do that? Aren’t you afraid the teacher will chop you up?"

The waitress returned, bringing trays of grilled food—big and small kidneys, various skewers, and a large pot of tripe hot pot.

Jin Fugui picked up a big kidney skewer and started eating, his mouth dripping with oil as he praised, "We’ve been together since childhood, and this is the first time you’re treating me, Feng Ge. I'm going to eat like a king!"

Zhao Feng teased, "If you like it, eat more. The big kidneys are all-you-can-eat."

Jin Fugui said with confidence, "With my skills, be careful, I might eat you out of house and home."

Zhao Feng smiled without saying anything, sipping his soda and scanning the prices on the menu. Lamb skewers were five cents each, kidneys one yuan each, lamb chops two yuan each, and the priciest item, the tripe hot pot, was only ten yuan for a large bowl. With today’s prices, the fat kid could eat to his heart’s content and still not drink beer. A maximum of two hundred yuan would cover everything.

In his past life, Zhao Feng had been poor, struggling to make ends meet. He had never had the luxury to treat others. When they went out to eat, it was always Jin Fugui paying. He owed the little fatty countless meals.

They talked and joked, and after finishing the meal, the bill came to one hundred and fifty yuan. There were skewers of iron left on the table. It was definitely economical and satisfying.

The bright moonlight stretched their shadows long on the road, as if the past and present had merged into one.

Jin Fugui, with a rosy face and a loud burp, walked alongside Zhao Feng, glancing at his watch. He slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "I was so focused on eating barbecue, I forgot about self-study. The teacher won’t let me off the hook."

Zhao Feng teased, "The evening self-study is just the Chinese exam papers. It doesn’t matter if you show up or not. Your Chinese is terrible. You’ve been going to that Guo Da Mei’s tutoring class for years, and it’s still as bad as before."

Jin Fugui thought for a moment, then nodded helplessly, "Come to think of it, I’ve been going to that class for three years, and my Chinese still sucks."

Zhao Feng patted him on the shoulder and said casually, "The college entrance exams are only a month away. Stick with me, Feng Ge, I’ll protect you. I guarantee you’ll get into a top university."

Jin Fugui, laughing and crying, said, "I’ve realized you’re getting more and more like a bad guy. You think I’m easy to fool, but I’m the number one fatty in the class. I'm the best student in the school’s top twenty."

Zhao Feng chuckled dryly. "You fatty, I’m treating you to a haircut and a bath. Are you coming?"

Jin Fugui tilted his head and said, "Not going is for fools. Best bros, let’s go!"

"Brother Hair Salon."

In the trendiest barbershop in the city center, the kaleidoscope outside kept spinning, and the big sign was eye-catching.

The hairdresser had bright red hair, with bangs covering one eye. His hair was styled into a punk explosion, resembling a fiery rooster’s comb. He looked like he needed a good kick. It was the kind of look that would make everyone turn their heads when he walked down the street.

He wore a black t-shirt with a skull print, flashy black leather pants that glowed, and pointed shoes. Tattoos of dragons crossed his shoulders, making him look very 'social.'

The two arrived at home just after 10 PM. Their houses were neighbors, which made it convenient for them to visit each other.

As they entered the house, Zhao Feng stretched lazily and said, "Finally, a good day out."

Jin Fugui, still full from the barbecue, nodded in agreement, his stomach bulging a bit. "Yeah, it’s been a long time since we had such a good meal. But don’t forget, you’ve got to help me with my math homework tomorrow."

Zhao Feng waved his hand dismissively. "Don’t worry. I’ll help you. I’ll teach you all the tricks to pass that test."

Jin Fugui gave him a look of disbelief. "You? Helping me? Should I be worried?"

Zhao Feng grinned mischievously. "Not at all. Just stick with me and you’ll be fine."

"Yeah, sure," Jin Fugui muttered, though he wasn’t entirely convinced.

After some light banter, they each headed to their respective rooms, preparing to rest for the night.

[--------------------------------------------]

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