A small grove behind the school playground was overgrown with weeds and littered with trash. The school leaders would never come to a place like this, so it had become the gathering spot for the school’s troublemakers—one-on-one fights, group brawls, and parties were usually held here. Faded bloodstains could still be vaguely seen on the ground.

William Carter and Sarah Thompson walked into the grove, followed by more than a dozen brothers. From a distance, they could see 'Tiger' leading a group, waiting inside, all holding “sticks.” The two groups met in the center of the grove, sizing each other up. William Carter looked at 'Tiger' and spoke first: “What rank are you at No. 1 High?”

Tiger grinned, “Who are you? What makes you think you can talk to me?”

Sarah Thompson lit a cigarette for William Carter and said, “This is Will, our boss!”

Tiger glanced at William Carter, “Will, huh! Never heard of you. I don’t care what kind of punk you are, No. 1 High belongs to 'Mr. Miller'. Since you’ve come here, if you’re a dragon, you’ll have to coil up for me; if you’re a tiger, you’ll have to lie low. If you want to be king here, take a good look at yourself first. Today, let’s talk about you beating up my brother!”

Sarah Thompson lit his own cigarette and said, “I don’t know who this 'Mr. Miller' you’re talking about is, what kind of—”

William Carter stopped Sarah Thompson, not letting him finish. “We’re the ones who beat him. If you want to do something about it, say it straight. Whether we establish ourselves here is our business, you’re not qualified to interfere.”

Tiger: “Fine, kid, you’ve got guts. Let’s not talk about that for now, let’s just talk about you beating up my brother—how are we settling this score?”

Sarah Thompson shouted, “Settle your mother’s ass. Fuck you, what the hell are you? Just because you’ve got a few lines shaved in your hair, you really think you’re a tiger?”

“Heh heh!” Old Tiger sneered, “Fatty, don’t act so cocky now. In a minute, I’ll have you picking your teeth up off the ground!”

Sarah Thompson took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, “Come on, you little shit! I want to see how you’re going to make me pick my teeth up off the ground!”

William Carter swung his arm out, knowing there was no way to get through this without a fight. He stared at Tiger and said, “This fight is inevitable. I wanted to avoid it if I could, but now there’s no choice.” As he spoke, without any warning, he charged straight at Tiger, raising his knee and slamming it hard into the other’s lower abdomen. Tiger hadn’t expected him to make a move so quickly, and was caught off guard, doubling over in pain from the blow. William Carter seized the moment, pressing down on Tiger’s lowered head, and then drove his knee fiercely into his face.

But Tiger was a seasoned fighter and quickly reacted, blocking William Carter’s knee with his arm. Seeing that his knee wasn’t working, William Carter switched tactics, using his elbow to strike hard at Tiger’s exposed back. The elbow is the hardest part of the human body; William Carter used all his strength, and Tiger couldn’t take it—his back felt like it had been struck by lightning, and with a scream, he collapsed to the ground. Tiger had underestimated his opponent and was knocked down before he even had a chance to fight back. William Carter knew you couldn’t show mercy to an enemy—once you start, you have to make sure they can’t get up. His eyes now shone with a beast-like gleam; he no longer saw the fallen Tiger as a person. Grabbing his hair, he slammed his head into the ground again and again. In no time, Tiger’s face was covered in blood and he was barely conscious.

As William Carter charged at Tiger, Sarah Thompson didn’t just stand there—he shouted and rushed at the underlings Tiger had brought. The brothers behind him all pulled out the sticks tucked into their waistbands and followed. At the front, Sarah Thompson immediately spotted 'Little Sam', grinned widely, and said, “You little shit, didn’t you think you were tough? Today I’ll show you how to play!”

'Little Sam' was standing at the back of the crowd, and from a distance saw Sarah Thompson glaring and running at him. Terrified, he yelped “Mama!” and limped away. Sarah Thompson didn’t give him a chance—he caught up in a few steps and knocked him to the ground. In the morning, he’d held back a little, but this time he didn’t—he used all his strength to beat Little Sam. The others all found their own opponents, and the fight turned into a melee. Just then, another thirty or so people came in from outside, holding sticks they’d just ripped off chairs, and without a word, joined the fray. Leading them was a tall guy with flashy hair and an open shirt—it was George Miller.

In an instant, the grove was filled with shouts and chaos. The students on the playground were used to this; some kept chatting, some kept playing ball, as if nothing was happening—a scene of “harmony.” But inside the grove, it was like hell on earth. Students with broken bones lay on the ground howling, and those still standing, faces covered in blood, couldn’t hear anything—right now, all they saw was the enemy. The struggle between the new and old forces at No. 1 High had begun!

William Carter stood up, his hands stained red with blood, his face spattered with drops. Tiger lay on the ground, unconscious. Wiping the blood from his face, William Carter bent down, grabbed the unconscious Tiger by the hair, and forcibly dragged him up.

“Everyone stop!”

William Carter shouted. His voice was no less loud than Sarah Thompson’s. The students heard the shout and stopped, turning to look at William Carter. Everyone was shocked, because what stood before them didn’t look human—it looked like a demon. The blood on William Carter’s face, after being wiped, had spread out, making him look especially ferocious. He was covered in blood—no one knew if it was his or someone else’s—and he was holding Tiger up by the hair, lifting his upper body off the ground. No one could tell if he was dead or alive. He looked just like a demon straight out of hell.