Chapter 27: Skepticism

Chapter 27: Skepticism

"The person is indeed good-looking, but why does he resemble a certain reckless eldest son? Am I seeing things?"

The comment section was filled with question marks.

Thanks to the previous incident of entering the wrong live stream, most net-savvy members of the Golden Wing Battalion are now familiar with Xu Qingran's distinctive appearance. However, they still refuse to admit that the person appearing on screen is the Young Master Xu from the Silver Dragon Battalion they know.

At the same time, the Star Horizon forum homepage was once again buzzing with activity.

The title was just as straightforward:

"Holy——crap——!!"

"May I ask your name and where you're from?"

The young man on the big screen attracted the attention of many, and people wandering around various places couldn't help but stop to take a few more glances at him.

The sea breeze playfully ruffled his soft, brown hair, and as he curved his eyes, he delivered a bombshell to the netizens unwilling to accept the truth: "My name is Xu Qingran, my household registration is in the Fairy System of the Silver Dragon Battalion, but to be precise—I came from the Sirius System of the Golden Wing Battalion."

"..."

"Mom asked me why I suddenly dropped to my knees while watching the live stream."

"It must be a coincidence of name, birthplace, and face. How could the military academy's new student be the Xu family's little trash that I know:)."

"With Young Master Xu's qualifications, I can't imagine how he got in except by paying, but that's the military academy famously known for not accepting bribes... Last time, which prince's child tried so hard to get in but failed."

Everyone at the Golden Wing Battalion headquarters was enjoying the drama.

The Silver Dragon Battalion headquarters watched in silence.

In the vast hall, everyone stared at the screen at the recent sensation from their camp, stunned and speechless for a long time. And their camp's colonel was standing in front of the big screen, slightly tilting his head upward.

The person's smiles and expressions on the screen lit up his dark, night-like eyes. He had his hands in the pockets of his long coat, maintaining the same posture for a long time without moving. No one knew what he was really thinking under that calm expression, and he himself didn't know either.

He just felt a bit wistful.

It seemed like only about half a year since they parted, but Xu Qingran had gradually become an unfamiliar stranger. Whether the previous events were true or not, all the painful experiences and harsh rumors did not crush him, but instead slowly polished him.

The gem hidden beneath the rough stone was just beginning to reveal its edges.

And this treasure, once within his reach, was slowly slipping away.

"So you're Student Xu." The imperial official reporter, who hadn't seen the live stream, only felt the name vaguely familiar, "Student Xu, could you tell the online audience how you got into the military academy?"

"Was it through excellent physical performance, high spiritual pool talent, or standing out from the pre-school elimination assessments?"

Everyone was waiting, because they were also curious.

As a result, Xu Qingran tilted his head slightly, his eyes filled with confusion: "Huh?"

"Not really, I just had some thoughts, I didn't necessarily have to apply to the military academy, but they invited me, so I came."

"........"

"Who understands the clenched fist?"

"Little trash, keep bragging all you want! The military academy's invitation letters are sent to top talents like Colonel Lu and General Shen, with top qualifications and talents, you little grain of rice that falls over with a breeze, how could you have an invitation letter!!!"

The reporter was momentarily stunned by Xu Qingran's 'outrageous remark' and then asked him a few simple, routine questions: "Getting into Grandis Military Academy is no small feat. I'd like to ask Xu Qingran, have you set any goals for yourself for the next year?"

"Goals?" Xu Qingran thought for a moment and smiled sweetly, "Then I'll aim to pin Shen Tingyu to the ground as soon as possible, in a fair fight."

"I've never seen anyone so full of themselves!!"

"What Young Master Xu says is on him, not us anti-fans. If you curse him, don't curse us too, okay?"

"Who's pinning who down?? Xu Qingran, do you even know what you're saying?"

"I mean, not pinned to the ground but maybe pinned to the bed by General Shen (covers mouth) is also an option..."

"? What are you even saying, sis??"

"Shipping everything will only get you hurt, this ship is doomed to sink!"

During the online uproar, the reporter prepared to wrap up the interview with Xu Qingran: "Alright, last question, Xu Qingran, anything you want to say to our online viewers?"

At such times, most interviewees would say something like, they will definitely work hard to serve the people, protect the country, bring honor to their family, and other positive statements.

Xu Qingran, however, smiled somewhat arrogantly at the camera and said, "You fools, I told you I’ve got studies to focus on, believe me now?"

With that, he put his hat back on and, leaving the reporter and photographer stunned, walked off toward the academy with his backpack. After Xu Qingran's explosive interview, the TV station's later interviews seemed dull by comparison.

Major forums and social media were buzzing about Xu Qingran's appearance at the military academy, with trending hashtags like:

#How the hell did Xu Qingran get into Grandis Military Academy?!#

Some said:

"No way, he’s probably just visiting!!"

"This has to be fake! What kind of qualifications does Young Master Xu even have? Is he even cut out for the military academy?"

"Maybe he’s applying to be a janitor or something?"

And many who hadn't caught up on the previous gossip:

"Xu Qingran? Who’s that? What’s the deal with him?"

"With all this buzz, is he some celebrity joining the army?"

"Isn’t it normal for regular folks to get into the military academy? Does it always have to be the kids from political or military families getting all the attention?"

Gossip-savvy netizens came out to school everyone, bringing up again the love triangle between Xu Qingran, Xu Qingan, and Lu Cheng, as well as the engagement and promotion banquets, the secrets of the Xu family, etc., successfully putting Xu Qingran back in the trending spotlight.

The comments were blowing up with discussion.

"My guess? He probably pulled some strings with the Shen family to take a special exam."

"Even with an F-level spiritual qualification, if he trains hard and barely passes the physical test, he could still end up as a low-level guard after graduation, right?"

"Stop talking nonsense, Grandis Military Academy doesn’t play favorites!"

"Don’t say I didn’t warn you, badmouthing the military academy is a big no-no."

And there were titles like:

#Who’s winning this promotion showdown between Xu Qingran and Xu Qingan?#

#Does Xu Qingran Deserve a Graduation Banquet?#

At Grandis Military Academy.

Xu Qingan sat in the auditorium where freshmen were assembling, wearing a polite and friendly smile, but his hand gripping the phone was clenched tightly.

...How is it possible? With Xu Qingran's subpar qualifications, how could he possibly get into the military academy?!

The military academy is the dream of many, especially at Grandis. It represents the recognition of one's abilities. Graduates can go to the battlefield to fight enemies, and with enough talent, they can climb up to achieve high-ranking titles.

Who wouldn't aspire to become an officer like Lu Cheng or Shen Tingyu, admired by all, if they had even a hint of ambition?

Although Xu Qingan's spiritual pool qualification is also at S-level, he is more inclined toward academic intelligence, an I-type. His spiritual energy isn't suited for military use, so he had to pivot to the medical field, highly esteemed among I-types.

Of course, one reason was that he knew Xu Qingran also aimed for the medical academy. Xu Qingran's spiritual energy level isn't high, but he excels in academics. Even if he doesn't pursue surgery or other medical practices, he could join a high-profile research team on his own merit.

The cheating incident was also something he pinned on Xu Qingran. Lu Cheng's father favored him over Xu Qingran, as he was better suited for medicine. He exploited Lu Wennian's dislike for Xu Qingran and stirred the pot. Without a proper investigation, Lu Wennian could easily find a pretext to expel Xu Qingran.

After all, the medical academy is brimming with talent; it wouldn't miss an F-tier Xu Qingran.

But he never imagined Xu Qingran would pivot and head to the military academy!

No matter how prestigious the institution he got into, in this era where martial prowess reigns supreme, gaining admission to Grandis Military Academy instantly eclipses everything else. The trending topics on social media seemed laughable because the two were incomparable.

Moreover... compared to his still nebulous goal of becoming a military doctor, Xu Qingran stands a better chance of meeting and interacting with Lu Cheng. Especially since Lu Cheng's attitude toward him has noticeably cooled. If they were to fight side by side in the future, who knows if old flames might reignite...

The opening address hadn't begun yet, and people around him were also glued to their phones, catching up on the latest gossip, occasionally shooting odd glances his way.

Xu Qingan had honed his mindset well over the years, appearing calm and composed on the surface, not letting anyone around him notice his unease and resentment. But the next few years of university might not go as smoothly as he had hoped.

·

CS Celestial System - Azure Star.

Xu Qingran walked along the neatly trimmed tree-lined path, heading deeper into the academy. Around him were scattered other naive freshmen, curiously and joyfully observing their surroundings. Occasionally, there were small groups of already familiar companions, laughing and chatting loudly.

The inner gate of the academy was solemn.

One side was gold, the other silver, symbolizing the convergence and unity of the two camps in this place.

Students in all Grandis academies are not divided by camps, and the military academy is no exception. In fact, military academy students even have the right to choose their affiliated camp again upon graduation, so no one brought any strongly representative camp items, as getting caught would result in immediate expulsion.

At the gate, a few senior students were on duty, nodding and greeting the freshmen as they entered.

When it was Xu Qingran's turn to enter, they stopped him: "Wait, you are...?"

The guards were all students who graduated last year, mainly there to guide lost or confused freshmen and prevent accidents or riots. Xu Qingran, who passed by them, looked too pale and delicate, with a refined and beautiful appearance, more like someone preparing to enter an art school to become a celebrity than a military academy student.

"Um, classmate, please show your ID for verification," one of the seniors said.

Xu Qingran had already swiped his identity card countless times since boarding the military academy's dedicated shuttle and walking all the way here. Others did the same, so most were let through directly.

But he could understand their suspicion, so he didn't make a fuss and handed over his military academy ID card.

One of the seniors, upon seeing his face clearly when he looked up, instinctively covered her mouth and exclaimed: "Young Master Xu!"

Instantly, everyone's eyes turned to her.

A teammate who hadn't been following the gossip asked: "What Young Master Xu?"

She met Xu Qingran's amused gaze and blushed, awkwardly saying, "Well, it's the story I mentioned to you guys a while ago, about the Silver Dragon Battalion..."

The group suddenly caught on, and they looked even more surprised as they turned to Xu Qingran.

Their surprise turned to shock after his ID card was verified.

Wait, what?

Wasn’t that young master supposed to have been coddled in a wealthy family, with notoriously poor qualifications? How did he even get into their military academy?

—Can he even cut it?!

During the identity verification, a sudden commotion broke out behind them.

The crowd gasped in admiration, their eyes lit up as they turned toward a certain spot, as if someone they admired and knew well had arrived.

Xu Qingran also looked.

Sure enough, there was a striking young man in the crowd, wearing a maroon long-sleeved shirt, with rare orange-brown hair. Sparse sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting a soft glow on his smile as he chatted with others.

He radiated a calm, gentle energy, and as he passed by, it felt as if his refreshing energy could soothe anyone nearby, easing the mind.

The young man walked onto campus, drawing everyone’s attention, with a crowd trailing behind him. Xu Qingran retracted his gaze and noticed that the gatekeepers were also watching him enviously.

Curious, Xu Qingran asked, "Who’s that?"

The moment he spoke, the gatekeepers turned to him, staring at him in shock and disbelief.

The senior holding his ID card blurted, "You don’t know?!"

"That’s Lin Qianmu, from the elite Lin family of the Golden Wing Battalion!"

Xu Qingran paused, then calmly replied, "I'm from the Silver Dragon Battalion."

Should I know?

But the senior continued, "Even the Silver Dragon Battalion must’ve heard of him! Last year, when he was verified to have an SS-level D-type soul spirit, the whole empire was buzzing about him!"

Lin Qianmu had been groomed by the Lin family as a warrior since childhood. Even before his soul type was determined, he was already excelling in both academics and martial arts. Later, his soul unexpectedly stabilized as a D-type, but due to his high spiritual pool level and martial foundation, he became the ideal candidate the military sought—someone who could both fight and provide support.

For the students of the military academy, their favorite companions weren’t the powerful E-types, but the gentle and considerate D-types! So, unsurprisingly, Lin Qianmu became one of the most popular freshmen of the new academic year.

Xu Qingran pondered this.

Another senior nearby sighed enviously, "It's a pity he's already taken. We can only admire from afar, with no chance to pursue him."

Xu Qingran disagreed, "As long as he's not married, there's always room for change."

The senior widened his eyes and said, "Are you crazy? Lin Qianmu's fiancé is Su Wenming. Who would dare try to take him away?!"

Xu Qingran fell silent for a moment, then asked without changing his expression, "Who is Su Wenming? Is he an E-type?"

Another wave of silence fell over the group.

They looked at Xu Qingran as if he were an alien, unable to comprehend how this sheltered young master had managed to get into the military academy!

The senior sister, holding her forehead, explained, "Su Wenming, the youngest son of the Su family from the Golden Wing Battalion, is the current lieutenant general of the Golden Wing's main battalion."

"He's not an E-type; he's one of the top-tier 3S-level individuals. Back then, to skip the tedious examination process for entering the military academy, he voluntarily entered the Tower of Evil, challenged the arena in Building 2, and after winning, accepted a special invitation from the military academy."

"Not long after Lieutenant General Su graduated, he led his troops to repel a group of insect race attempting to attack the Virgo system, making him one of the military's top talents. With such a fiancé as his backing, who would dare mess with Lin Qianmu?"

Seeing Xu Qingran lowering his eyes, seemingly trying hard to absorb the information, they shook their heads helplessly.

The person in charge of verification sighed and handed his ID card back to him: "Verification's clear, go on in, the guys' dorms are to the left, the assembly time is at 1 PM the day after tomorrow, don’t be late, got it?"

Xu Qingran took the ID card and entered, while the people outside looked on with concern.

"Look at his arms, legs, and that fair skin, it’s clear he hasn’t had much training, can he really make it?"

"What if he doesn’t even pass the grading test and will be carried out straight to the hospital?"

"Hard to tell, this happens every year..."

The gossip-loving senior, taking advantage of the fact that the school hadn't yet confiscated their phones and other entertainment items before the official start of the semester, leaned against the door and quietly soaked up the gossip. Turns out, Xu Qingran's enrollment had already been spotted, and after him, it was Lin Qianmu who was interviewed, yet the buzz around this eldest son was even hotter.

After scrolling for a while, she suddenly exclaimed: "No way!"

Before her friends could ask, she voluntarily revealed the new gossip that shocked her greatly: "Grandis University’s Medical School put out a statement clearing up the rumors about Xu Qingran cheating!!"

Lu Wennian is an authoritative professor at the Medical School, and every year many graduates record words of gratitude to him. It is said that this morning, while giving a lecture to senior students, he proudly wanted to let his soon-to-be graduates hear the words of thanks from their seniors. But when he pressed play, it was Xu Qingran's voice.

There was no praise, only straightforward sarcasm, publicly humiliating him.

On the same day, not only did the Medical School receive news of Xu Qingran's admission to the military academy, but they also got pressure from the Golden Wing Battalion higher-ups to judge the truth based on Xu Qingran’s track record, rather than slandering him without basis.

After a rapid review, under the pressure from above, they had to put out a statement on the official accounts of various platforms and the official website, and to formally apologize to Xu Qingran.

Netizens were still wrapping their heads around the news of Xu Qingran's admission to the military academy when the Medical School dropped another bombshell on them, blowing everyone’s minds.

—That's the Medical School! The most arrogant college in Grandis University! It's always others who make mistakes, when have they ever apologized to anyone? Putting out such a statement is like being possessed by a ghost!

A sharp netizen pointed out the biggest hole in this gossip.

"Wait, isn't Xu Qingran from the Silver Dragon Battalion? Why does the gossip say it was 'Golden Wing Battalion' that applied the pressure? Who applied the pressure?"

"...Silence."

"The silence from the family above speaks volumes."

"So is this the reward for sleeping? (bushi)"

"What sleep? Who slept with whom?! What gossip did I miss again!"

Xu Qingran, who wasn’t planning to go online, was still clueless about all this.

Following the senior's reminder at the gate and the campus signs, he walked for a long time before arriving at what seemed to be the male dormitory. The dormitory area was large, with hundreds of buildings in sight. There were also several self-service machines outside the area, where swiping the ID card could provide information about one's dormitory building and room.

Building 79 - 6th floor - Room 6038.

Xu Qingran, along with other students preparing to move in, boarded the dormitory area's exclusive shuttle tram, heading towards the deeper buildings. After a short while, they saw the building marked with the number 79, about a dozen stories high.

Arriving at the sixth floor, before even reaching Room 6038, he could already hear the hearty laughter of the boys inside. The door was wide open, and after confirming the number with a glance, he strode in with his backpack.

The dormitory was a four-person room with bunk beds, quite spacious, with only a toilet and no shower.

When he entered, there were already three very muscular men sitting inside, laughing heartily about something. They were momentarily stunned upon seeing him, and finally, the boy in bright red clothes asked: "Little brother, are you also a new military student?"

"Yes," Xu Qingran replied indifferently, throwing his heavy bag onto the right upper bunk, which was obviously not yet occupied.

The roommates were all checking him out.

The more they looked, the more surprised they became, and they even wondered if he'd enrolled in the wrong school.

They exchanged glances.

Before Xu Qingran arrived, the three of them had been debating who would be the weakest in the dorm. Now, they all silently agreed on the answer.

The short and stocky one slapped his thigh and stood up: "Great, everyone's here. Let's do introductions again, okay?"

Xu Qingran quickly committed their names to memory.

The stocky man who initiated the introductions was named Zhang Zhihe.

The tall, muscular man in red was named Ren Ping.

There was also a handsome guy, close in age to him, named Liu Wenxing.

When it was his turn to introduce himself.

Zhang Zhihe burst out laughing after hearing his name: "Xu Qingran? Your name is exactly the same as that Young Master Xu I heard about a few days ago."

"But I heard his spiritual energy level is only F-rank, so he couldn’t possibly be here."

The other two clearly didn’t care for gossip: "What are you talking about?"

"Well, it's that notorious bully Young Master Xu from the Silver Dragon Battalion... Huh? Why is he trending again? Let me see..." As Zhang Zhihe read on, his smile instantly disappeared, and when he looked back at Xu Qingran, his expression turned to one of horror.

Xu Qingran gave a small smile in return.

Ren Ping, clueless about what was going on, added: "Ah! Now that you mention it, I remember! That's the guy who was madly in love with Colonel Lu Cheng, throwing fits and even threatening to off himself over him!"

"Come on, how could someone so fragile even get into the military academy and become our roommate?"

Zhang Zhihe wordlessly passed his phone to Ren Ping.

Soon, Ren Ping went quiet too.

Liu Wenxing, being the sharp one, smoothly changed the topic: "Well, I haven’t eaten much all morning with how busy I’ve been. You guys hungry? Let’s hit the cafeteria."

The tall and short duo nodded: "We’re famished."

"So... Young Master Xu, you coming?" Zhang Zhihe asked sheepishly.

"Just Xu Qingran is fine," he replied. "I’ll go."

He was starving too.

After saying that, he turned and walked out. The other roommates all let out a sigh of relief, but then something felt off.

—Young Master Xu looked so weak, but in that moment, they, the big guys, felt weirdly intimidated by him. What was that about?!

The cafeteria was a bit of a walk from the dorm.

It was lunchtime, and everyone, following the age-old tradition of "food comes first," made filling their stomachs the first order of business after moving in. After getting their food, there were only a few scattered seats left.

Only a far corner had visibly empty seats.

A large table that could seat seven or eight people was occupied by a man with deep blue hair eating alone. Everyone else acted like he had the plague, keeping their distance and not even glancing in his direction.

Xu Qingran carried his tray and headed straight for that spot.

He had no other thoughts; he simply felt that it was spacious and comfortable to sit there.

Seeing the direction he was heading, Zhang Zhihe and the others visibly tensed up and quickly tried to stop him: "Qingran, buddy, let's wait for other tables to finish eating, then we'll have seats."

Xu Qingran was puzzled: "Are those seats reserved?"

Zhang Zhihe was sweating on his forehead: "...Not exactly, mainly, the person sitting over there is an E-type from our batch. I heard E-types have bad tempers, and nobody dares to mess with them."

Xu Qingran raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

So that's how it is, huh?

Zhang Zhihe thought that after explaining to Xu Qingran, he would obediently wait. But instead, he strode right over to that corner, leaving them stunned and unable to stop him in time.

As Xu Qingran approached, he sensed the mental field radiating from the gloomy-looking guy. For most people, this would be a provocation, making them feel uneasy and tense because they felt weaker.

But all he wanted was to eat.

He had just set his tray down diagonally across from the guy and hadn't even sat down when the bench in front of him suddenly shot up with a force. It was like someone in a bad mood throwing a tantrum, making these little intimidating moves to threaten him.

Xu Qingran, however, as if he had expected trouble, lifted his foot along with his mental power the moment the bench flew up and slammed it back down.

The metal bench clanged loudly as it hit the ground.

The noise in the cafeteria paused for a moment.

Xu Qingran glanced sideways; the blue-haired man was looking at him with gloomy and repelling eyes.

The system was chanting scriptures with undivided attention.

It was used to it; it had already started to get used to its host's knack for picking fights.

Then, Xu Qingran's eyes turned even darker than the other guy's: "What's your problem? You own this cafeteria or something?"