Chapter 421: Unprovoked Provocation

Behind the young man stood four other students also dressed in basketball uniforms. Each of them was over 1.8 meters tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with strong builds. If not for their somewhat youthful faces, one wouldn’t be able to tell they were students at all.

They stood with arms crossed over their chests, eyeing Lin Xiao with strange expressions.

Lin Xiao saw contempt, disdain, scorn, and jealousy in their gazes. His eyes turned slightly cold.

It was clear these four students were led by the young man, and their attitudes toward him were filled with deference.

“Sorry, could you return the basketball to me?”

After a brief moment of surprise, the young man quickly returned to normal. He wore a warm, pleasant smile and spoke politely.

Although he concealed it well, Lin Xiao’s perception was incredibly sharp. He still sensed a faint trace of malice coming from him.

Lin Xiao tossed the basketball up lightly in his hand and said flatly, “Is this your basketball?”

“Yes, sorry about that. It slipped from my hand. If it startled you, I apologize.”

The young man’s attitude was very sincere, leaving no room for criticism.

“I meant no harm. It was purely an accident. Please forgive me.”

His earnest demeanor and handsome appearance made his words sound highly convincing.

Others might have believed him, but Lin Xiao did not.

Lin Xiao himself was an expert in deception and disguise. During his time in the military, he had received specialized training to better carry out missions.

For someone like this young man to put on an act in front of him was like performing a sword dance in front of Guan Yu. Lin Xiao saw through it at first glance.

However, today Lin Xiao’s main purpose was to accompany Yuan Yu to the sports meet. He didn’t want to cause trouble, nor did he care to play games with the guy. He casually tossed the basketball back.

“Here. Returning it to you.”

The basketball arced beautifully through the air—not fast, not slow—flying toward the young man.

A flicker of smugness flashed in the young man’s eyes as he reached out to catch the ball.

Lin Xiao turned away with a blank expression, not sparing another glance at the young man or his companions.

As he looked at Lin Xiao’s completely defenseless back, the young man’s smile disappeared in an instant, replaced by a cold expression. A look of resentment flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly raised his arm, hurling the basketball at Lin Xiao.

The basketball spun as it flew toward Lin Xiao, faster and with more force than before. It was about to strike him in the back.

The young man and his four companions all smirked simultaneously, as if already seeing Lin Xiao being knocked down, bleeding from the head.

But Lin Xiao, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, slowly raised his arm and caught the ball again.

The basketball, propelled with great force, spun rapidly in Lin Xiao’s palm, rubbing against his skin and producing a sizzling sound.

“How’s that possible?”

“He caught it again?”

“Does this guy have eyes on the back of his head or what?”

The four students behind the young man were stunned, their eyeballs nearly popping out.

The young man was equally shocked, his eye twitching uncontrollably. His gaze toward Lin Xiao had finally changed—there was now a hint of wariness.

Though he came from a well-off family and enjoyed a privileged life at school, in the end, he was just a frog at the bottom of a well. He had no concept of the true world beyond school walls.

He would never have encountered someone like Lin Xiao in school, and naturally had no idea what it meant to provoke him.

“Was this one also an accident?”

Lin Xiao turned again, holding the basketball in his hand, his face expressionless, without even a trace of anger.

The young man still wore a fake smile. After exchanging glances with the other four, he feigned innocence and said, “Yes, it was an accident. What a coincidence, haha…”

Under Lin Xiao’s cold gaze, for some reason, the young man felt as if he were standing on the edge of a cliff, and one misstep would send him falling to pieces. His laughter involuntarily softened.

The young man suddenly became both embarrassed and angry.

‘I’m actually afraid of him? Even if this guy has some skill, he’s just one person. Can’t the five of us handle one guy?’

Thinking this, his courage returned, and he dropped the act. Wearing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, he said to Lin Xiao, “Could you give the basketball back now?”

“No problem,” Lin Xiao replied calmly.

Then, with a casual wave of his arm, he threw the basketball back.

The basketball shot through the air like a cannonball. In the blink of an eye, it reached the young man and smashed directly into his face.

With a dull sound, the young man’s straight nose was struck dead-on. His head jerked back violently, and he staggered a few steps before falling flat on his butt.

Dazed from the heavy blow, the young man’s mind buzzed, golden stars danced before his eyes, and he sat dumbfounded on the ground, overcome by dizziness and numbness.

Blood trickled from both nostrils.

Several seconds later, the numbness on his face began to fade, replaced by piercing pain. The young man clutched his injured nose and let out a miserable cry, his whole body trembling in pain.

The four students behind him were stunned by the sudden turn of events.

It wasn’t until the young man began screaming that they snapped out of their shock.

“Young Master Fu, are you okay?”

“Young Master Fu, should we take you to the school clinic?”

Two of the students hurriedly helped him up, asking anxiously. At the same time, they glared at Lin Xiao as if ready to charge at him.

“You bastard! How dare you hit Young Master Fu?” one of them pointed at Lin Xiao and roared.

“Hit him?” Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile appearing at the corner of his lips. “Which of your eyes saw me hit him? He asked me to return the basketball, I did as he asked. He couldn’t catch it. How’s that my fault?”

The four students’ momentum immediately faltered, unsure how to respond.

If one were to judge the situation fairly, they were clearly in the wrong. If Young Master Fu hadn’t provoked Lin Xiao, how would this have happened?

Of course, they wouldn’t admit fault out loud.

“What are you all waiting for?”

Young Master Fu tilted his head back, pinching his nose to stop the bleeding. His eyes glared daggers at Lin Xiao, as if his gaze alone could kill him. “Get him! Beat the crap out of him!”

Hearing the order to attack, the four students exchanged glances but hesitated.

After all, they were students, not street thugs who fought daily. Plus, this was a school event—parents and school leaders were everywhere. Getting into a fight here would be asking for trouble.

“Young Master Fu, is this really a good idea?”

“What’s not good about it? Or are you all scared?”

Young Master Fu was completely enraged, practically delirious with fury, his true colors fully exposed. “I’ve spent so much money on you guys, letting you eat well, drink well, and party with girls. And now, when I ask you to teach this guy a lesson, you don’t even dare?”