48 Continuous Training

Wuyi pretended to act as the other kids did; he would fear as they feared, frown as they frowned, and pretend as they pretended. He was careful not to let his secret out. It was here that Wuyi learned something new—the art of manipulation in all its glory, even Chao could not teach him this art with this depth. He could see that in some kids, the hatred was so intense that it fueled a resolve to prove Gao wrong, to withstand his abuse and emerge stronger. A single word of reluctant acknowledgment from Gao felt like a deluge of praise to them, while his constant belittlement should have numbed them but instead made them question their own worth.