Ni Anqi, who had been standing silently beside me this whole time, finally couldn't hold back anymore. The feisty tigress glared at Song Dongyang and his group and shouted, "So you guys want a fight, huh? You think we're scared of you? Come on then! If we don't beat you black and blue today, you won't understand why the flower is so red!"
As she said this, she really looked ready to throw punches, which frightened John and the others. They quickly rushed over to stop her—after all, Ni Anqi was the biological sister of their boss, Brother Ba. He couldn't afford to let anything happen to her.
I also grabbed Ni Anqi at the right moment and turned to Song Dongyang. "Turkey, the school director gave repeated warnings before this trip—no fighting, no trouble, or there will be serious punishment. Are you really planning to throw hands with me here?"
Song Dongyang glanced around. Not far off, Director David and several male teachers in charge of discipline were already looking our way. Clearly, if a fight broke out, they'd be on us in seconds.
He said, "As much as I'd love to beat you up in front of everyone, I've already been warned twice by the school for fighting. I'm not about to get expelled just for punching you. Andrew, if you've got guts, let's play a different kind of game."
"What do you want to play?"
Even though I didn't want to waste time on this turkey, the whole class was watching. If I backed down now, they'd think I was a coward—not just weak, but a disgrace to Class 163.
Song Dongyang looked around and spotted a table under a patio umbrella. On it were beers, BBQ skewers, and dice—the leftovers from when John and his crew were drinking earlier. His eyes lit up, and he proposed, "How about a game of liar's dice with drinking?"
Before I could respond, Ni Anqi immediately jumped in, "No way! Andrew can't hold his liquor. He's always the first to pass out when we go out for late-night snacks."
Ignoring her, Song Dongyang looked straight at me with a mocking glare. "What's the matter, Andrew? Scared to play?"
I had just taunted him about being unable to handle a real challenge. Now he was flipping the script on me. He clearly hoped I'd back out and look weak.
I exchanged glances with Bucktooth, Big Luo, and Little Luo. There was a flicker of amusement in our eyes that only we brothers could recognize. What Ni Anqi said was true—I really couldn't drink. One beer and my face would flush red. Two or three, and I'd be tipsy. Even some girls could outdrink me. But when it came to liar's dice? None of them dared play me. I was deadly at it.
Why? Because I was great at math. I always scored high in exams, and liar's dice was basically a probability game. I could quickly calculate the best moves and often walked away the winner. Bucktooth and the others usually avoided playing dice with me for this very reason.
And now this fool, Song Dongyang, wanted to play dice with me? It was like stealing sacrificial food from the God of Death's table—he was asking for it.
"Scared of you? Let's play!"
I put on a reluctant, reluctant-to-accept look, as if I was forcing myself into a fight. In truth, I was afraid he'd chicken out.
Bucktooth, who knew me well, saw through my act instantly. Playing along, he rolled his eyes and pretended to stop me, loudly saying, "Yu-ge, everyone knows you're terrible at drinking—and dice too. Don't do it."
I snapped back, pretending to be furious. "Bullshit! Who the hell says I suck at dice? When have you ever beaten me?"
Bucktooth stubbornly replied, "I was going easy on you! That was just for fun. But today's serious—I have to speak the truth."
"Nonsense! I've always been better than you at liar's dice!"
Our classmates frowned and watched us bicker. Most of them were convinced. Only Big Luo and Little Luo were holding back laughter, biting their lips so hard they nearly drew blood.
Song Dongyang, who'd been slightly cautious, now looked completely smug. Seeing our "infighting," his face lit up with ridicule. "Andrew, are you a man or not? Say something if you dare to play!"
"Let's do it! Liar's dice. One drink per loss. Deal?"
"Heh, just so we're clear—no backing out until someone pukes."
"Fine by me!"
I laughed coldly inside. This bastard had clearly felt humiliated when I beat him up at the street food stall. Now he wanted to embarrass me in front of everyone and regain his pride.
Once we agreed on the rules, we sat down at the table. A crowd quickly formed, with even students from other classes gathering to watch the fun. The more chaos, the better, right?
In the first few rounds, I deliberately played like a newbie—calling exactly what I had. Two 1s? I called two 1s. Three 2s? I called three 2s. It made me seem like I didn't know how to bluff. But while I acted clueless, I was reading his habits and betting style.
Predictably, I lost every round. After a few cups of beer, my face was visibly red.
Song Dongyang laughed coldly at my poor tolerance, while Ni Anqi grew anxious watching me lose again and again. She tried to step in, but I waved her off like a desperate gambler, saying, "No—I have to win this round myself!"
Our classmates sighed and shook their heads. Some laughed quietly. To them, I probably looked like a reckless loser with no self-control. Song Dongyang's crew didn't even bother hiding their contempt anymore.
Feeling confident, Song Dongyang said, "You really want to win, huh? How about we raise the stakes a little?"
"Raise them? Bring it on!"
He clearly saw me as a hot-headed fool. Grinning slyly, he picked up a beer glass, spat into it, and looked at me provocatively. "Whoever loses drinks this. Dare?"
The crowd exploded with excitement. All eyes turned to me, craving drama.
Ni Anqi's face changed instantly. "Song Dongyang! That's disgusting! You're just bullying him. Andrew, don't play!"
I glanced at Song Dongyang, then at the beer glass. Suddenly, I stood up, grabbed the glass, and walked away. Everyone was confused.
I went over to a nearby BBQ grill, scooped in soy sauce, chili powder, wasabi, and a bunch of other gross seasonings into the beer, then stirred it with a spoon until it looked nauseating.
**BANG!**
I slammed the cup back on the table and, with beer fumes swirling around me, stared down at Song Dongyang. "Let's end this in one round. Loser drinks this. You in or not?"
"Wooooah—!"
The crowd howled again. Song Dongyang was now caught in his own trap. He'd spat in the beer first, and now I'd upped the ante. It was a full-on reversal.
Backed into a corner, he still didn't think he'd lose. Gritting his teeth, he growled, "Deal. Let's see if you back out. Everyone here's a witness. Loser drinks, or they're a damn coward."
I sneered. "Let's see who that is."
We shook the dice cups hard. I peeked inside—no sixes at all. I immediately shouted, "Three sixes!"
I'd been so honest earlier that he thought I only called what I had. He assumed I had at least three sixes.
"Four sixes!" he called confidently.
Got him.
"Five sixes!" I said next.
I didn't have a single six. If he challenged me now, I'd lose. But he didn't.
He assumed I must have several sixes. He hesitated, then called, "Six sixes!"
The moment he said it, I burst into laughter, lifted my cup, and revealed my dice. "Not a single six. You only have five dice—where are the six sixes coming from?"
His face turned ghostly pale. That's when he realized I'd been playing him from the start.
The crowd erupted. Bucktooth and the Luo brothers smiled knowingly, Harper let out a breath of relief, and Ni Anqi was the most ecstatic of all. The tigress jumped up, grabbed my hand, and cheered, "Haha! Andrew won!"