Chapter 148: Change of Course

After some explanation from Long Wushuang, Wang Chen finally learned that the fatty had suffered from school bullying during his three years at Luzhou No. 2 High School.

The reason was absurd: it was simply because of his physique, as if being fat meant one was either meant to bully others or be bullied.

However, Long Wushuang was not the type to suffer in silence. He fought back with a fierce and unyielding attitude. Starting with the small-time thugs in his class, he fought his way up until he became the school bully of No. 2 High. Relying on his raw strength, Long Wushuang was practically invincible.

When the thugs at the school realized they couldn't beat him, they hired outsiders to deal with him. This proved to be a grave mistake. A classmate who was on good terms with Long Wushuang tipped him off, and the fatty called his father immediately. Less than five minutes after hanging up, three black vans screeched to a halt at the school gate. A dozen burly men in black suits stepped out, gave the thugs a "lesson" they wouldn't soon forget, and whisked Long Wushuang away.

Only then did the students of No. 2 High realize that the Long family’s influence was extraordinary. From that day on, Long Wushuang became a figure no one dared to provoke, earning him the nickname "The Demon King of the World."

As for why Long Wushuang had never mentioned this to Wang Chen, he seemed surprised, as if it weren't even a topic worth bringing up. In the eyes of Young Master Long, these were just children's games. He had spent a grueling week straightening out the bullies at No. 2 High and restoring peace to the students, and that was all there was to it—not worth mentioning.

Wang Chen nodded with a smile. He knew the fatty was simply trying to avoid bothering him; unless it was something he truly couldn't resolve, he wouldn't involve Wang Chen. This was the unspoken understanding between them, just as Wang Chen hadn't thought to call on Long Wushuang when he triggered a dangerous five-star mission, believing it was something he could handle himself. This was exactly why their friendship had lasted so long. What appeared to be a completely uninhibited bond was actually rooted in the deepest mutual consideration and respect.

...

Wang Chen posted his message on the public channel, but after a long wait, there was no response from Cai Kun.

"That's Kun-kun for you, with the courage of a chicken," Wang Chen remarked, swiping away the channel.

"You two, let's keep farming points. Let's not waste our time on trash," Wang Chen said with a laugh.

Long Wushuang and Tang Ruotong nodded, smiling. They were hidden within a thick cloud of smoke, and everything within a ten-meter radius beneath their feet was a blur of white. The beasts in the forest were being slowly killed by the smoke, so even if they didn't move, their points would steadily rise. And whenever they took action to finish off the dying beasts, their points would skyrocket.

In an instant, the point-farming frenzy of Wang Chen's team began anew on the leaderboard.

...

In the conference room, the large central screen had switched to show only the point status of Wang Chen's team. The admissions officers from the top universities of the Yaolong Empire watched the rapid changes in their score with astonishment.

"The speed at which these points are rising—even students from the Imperial Capital might struggle to keep up, right?"

"It’s too exaggerated. This team was completely stagnant before; how are they suddenly acting like they've been injected with adrenaline?"

"Didn't you hear Elder Yu? This is Wang Chen's strategy. He ignored the low-level beasts entirely and headed straight for the Silver Zone. Now that they've finished traveling, they've started to exert their power!"

"Even so, the points are rising too fast! Are they massacring entire herds in the Silver Zone?"

Ou Yulan stared at the screen, her beautiful eyes filled with shock, and said excitedly, "I’ve decided to recruit this Wang Chen!"

Yu Jiajin chuckled. "Wang Chen is indeed a student who always brings surprises. That offer letter won't be given in vain."

Zhu Jingjun hid a hint of appreciation in his eyes, but his expression remained indifferent. "Is Teacher Ou reaching a conclusion so quickly?"

"Wang Chen's current performance is indeed good, but his team hasn't even cracked the top three yet." Zhu Jingjun pointed at the screen. "At the current rate of increase, they won't have enough time to reach the top ten before the test ends, let alone the top three."

Ou Yulan frowned upon hearing this. He was right; the facts were as he said. The reason Wang Chen's team had risen so quickly was that they were late bloomers catching up from the bottom. But as the rankings grew higher, the point gaps between teams widened significantly, and the marginal utility of farming began to diminish. To climb higher now required significantly more points. Based on their current trajectory, they wouldn't make it into the top three.

However, after a moment, Ou Yulan’s brow relaxed, and she smiled. "Even if Wang Chen doesn't reach the top three, so what? I have already seen his potential. I believe he is exactly the kind of talent our Beisheng University needs."

Zhu Jingjun retorted coldly, "Then Beisheng's selection standards are truly getting lower and lower."

"The strategy Wang Chen chose makes it impossible for him to rank in the top three. Has he not calculated this properly? If not, then I can only say he has courage to spare, but lacks wisdom."

"Such a student can be called capable, but to call him a genius is surely an overstatement, isn't it?" Zhu Jingjun added sarcastically, "I didn't realize Beisheng was so desperate for people that they would settle for a big fish in a small pond."

Ou Yulan snapped, "Why must Teacher Zhu be so abrasive?"

"I’m just stating facts," Zhu Jingjun replied calmly, his eyes cold, as if Ou Yulan were making an unreasonable scene.

"You!" Ou Yulan gritted her teeth, ready to argue further.

Yu Jiajin, standing to the side, intervened gently, "Both teachers, please calm down. Look at the screen; Wang Chen seems to have a new move."

Hearing Elder Yu, the two turned their attention back to the screen. They had no personal grudge; they simply worked for different universities, and because these two top-tier institutions were often compared, a latent rivalry had developed over time. Much like two large corporations in the same industry, they were naturally at odds. This tension bled into the relationship between their recruiters, and with someone as tactless as Zhu Jingjun, a single spark was enough to ignite a fire. However, since there was no genuine personal animosity, it was easy to diffuse the tension, which was why Elder Yu was able to distract them so easily.

As they looked at the screen, their faces shifted from confusion to sheer astonishment. The screen now displayed the path Wang Chen's team was taking. They had left their original farming spot and were pushing deeper into the heart of the secret realm.

...

Cai Kun stared at the messages flooding the public channel, his eyes filled with fury. If hatred could kill, Wang Chen would have been dead a hundred times over by now. Under Wang Chen's redirection and intimidation, the target of the channel's crusade had shifted to Cai Kun.

Everyone was cursing Cai Kun as a despicable coward for anonymously spreading malicious rumors about a female classmate. Moreover, some students from No. 1 High who were close to Wang Chen had cleverly posted Lu Shiyu's background information in the channel. The local thugs suddenly felt the pressure of a King-level powerhouse looming over them like thorns on their backs and scrambled to apologize to Lu Shiyu.