Wang Longlong's steamed dumpling flew into Lu Qiqi's hat, brewing a huge disaster.
For a moment, he anticipated many possibilities:
If Lu Qiqi were one of the guys, it wouldn't matter; just fish it out, and everyone would laugh it off. They wouldn't make a big deal out of it.
If the dumpling hadn't been dipped in chili oil, if Lu Qiqi wasn't wearing new clothes, it would all be manageable.
But as luck would have it, Lu Qiqi didn't meet any of those conditions, and even Wang Longlong, with his wit and resourcefulness, felt helpless.
"Damn it, what should we do?" Wang Longlong racked his brain but couldn't think of a solution.
Wang Longlong looked around; his most trusted Brother Ma wasn't there.
Then he glanced toward the water cooler at the front of the classroom; Ma Shicheng was there, filling his cup.
"What do you think, Cui Yu?" Wang Longlong sought for a solution. As the saying goes, three cobblers with their wits combined could match Zhuge Liang, and who knows, perhaps Cui Yu had an idea.
Cui Yu looked troubled; he had just carelessly caused this mess, and he couldn't shake off the responsibility.
Cui Yu came closer, lowering his voice:
"Longlong, if all else fails, we might just have to come clean!"
Wang Longlong hastily intervened, "Not yet!"
Just now, Yu Wen and Lu Qiqi were talking about her newly bought clothes. If she found out there was a dumpling stuffed in her new clothes, Lu Qiqi might very well lose it on the spot!
Lu Qiqi sat in the desk in front of them, and from their usual interactions, Wang Longlong knew her well—a straightforward and fierce character who held grudges and was certainly not a weak, meek girl.
Once such a girl is angered, the consequences are severe.
Moreover, Lu Qiqi's clothes were definitely not cheap. She had previously worn a coat that cost over three hundred. Who knew how much this one cost?
If she demanded compensation out of anger, it would be a bloody loss for them.
Cui Yu suggested, "Why don't we try to take out the dumpling while she's not looking?"
Wang Longlong observed carefully. It was mid-April, the weather had warmed up to over 20 degrees, and Lu Qiqi's new clothes were a thin jacket with a very small hat opening.
To try and extract the dumpling without causing a commotion was impossible; Lu Qiqi would surely notice.
Wang Longlong shook his head in refusal; the method was not feasible!
Ma Shicheng returned with the water, and before he could take a sip, Wang Longlong and Cui Yu rushed to explain the situation to him as if they had seen a savior.
"What is this?" Ma Shicheng was speechless internally.
He stared at Lu Qiqi's hat for a moment and said:
"After all, you were wrong first. I have a way to delay, but eventually, you still have to come clean."
Wang Longlong said, "I plan to stall for time to get the dumpling out, after all, Lu Qiqi's reaction with and without the dumpling are two different things."
Ma Shicheng looked around the classroom, "It should be possible to take it out, just wait for someone."
"Wait for who?" Wang Longlong asked.
"You'll know when he gets here," Ma Shicheng said.
Seeing even the clever Brother Ma unable to solve the problem on his own, Wang Longlong's mood nearly plummeted to the bottom, his eyes falling onto the disposable paper box filled with steamed dumplings, his appetite waning with his spirits.
At the classroom's back door, Dan Xiao, dressed in a school uniform, and Zhang Chi returned from exercising; as soon as Dan Xiao entered the classroom, Ma Shicheng called out to him.
"Dan Xiao, give us a hand," Ma Shicheng had once had the fortune to witness Dan Xiao's capabilities and had taken note of it.
After hearing him out, Dan Xiao walked towards the four-seater desks.
He was good at reading expressions and noticed the troubled looks on Wang Longlong and the others; his smile immediately turned warm and simple.
"What's up, Ma Shicheng?" Dan Xiao responded.
Wang Longlong knew Dan Xiao to be a good guy, and since he was called in by Brother Ma, after a brief hesitation, he spilled the beans about the dumpling incident.
After listening, Dan Xiao said lightly:
"You want to remove the dumpling, right?"
Wang Longlong worriedly said, "It's just an idea; it's impossible in reality!"
Ma Shicheng said, "Last time in class, I saw you practice plucking coins out of the air, your skill was impeccable, plucking each accurately. Why not give it a try?"
Upon hearing this, Dan Xiao's eyes locked onto Lu Qiqi's hat.
He chuckled inwardly; in this world, there was nothing Dan Xiao couldn't extract.
"Leave it to me," Dan Xiao agreed.
"Huh?" Wang Longlong was taken aback, asking uncertainly, "Can you really do it?"
Cui Yu also cast a skeptical glance.
Dan Xiao was recognized as a good guy, even Wu Xiaoqi had said he was a good person, and Zhang Chi had been praising him a lot recently; this was a testament to his good character.
But this matter could not afford any slip-ups; if messed up, Cui Yu and Wang Longlong would definitely face Lu Qiqi's wrath.
Dan Xiao, rarely showing his edge, said, "Do you know what authority is?"
Cui Yu instinctively asked, "What is authority?"
Dan Xiao replied, "I am the authority."
He spread his hands, and the others saw that unlike other students' delicate hands, Dan Xiao's fingers were slightly blackened, large-knuckled, and calloused, as though they were accustomed to hard work.
"Watch closely," Dan Xiao motioned with his right hand.
Then, slightly leaning over...
How fast was his hand? Cui Yu swore that he only caught sight of a shadow.
The next instant, Dan Xiao drew his hand back.
Cui Yu quickly looked at his hand, and there, between Dan Xiao's fingers, was a half-red steamed dumpling.
"Holy crap!" Wang Longlong was dumbfounded.
Dan Xiao's hand was like a bolt of lightning!
Cui Yu thought of the animal documentaries he watched as a child; Dan Xiao's hand, like a snake striking, was swift to attack and swift to retract!
Without long-term practice, this was impossible.
Ma Shicheng too admired him; indeed, everyone had their strengths.
Ma Shicheng took out a tissue, and Dan Xiao placed the dumpling on it before casually wiping the red oil from his hand with another piece of paper.
Wang Longlong breathed a sigh of relief; at last, the problem was half-solved.