Chapter 30: Live Performance (Revised)

Chapter 30: Live Performance (Revised)

In a VIP room of the academy, the sound of clapping echoed.

A man with black hair streaked with silver highlights stood in front of a screen broadcasting the two assessment sessions live, his hand wearing a silver ring clapping loudly. Not far behind him sat several administrative officers from the Silver Dragon Battalion. They exchanged glances, clearly startled by the 'ferocity' displayed by Xu Qingran.

"Is this the Third Prince's selected candidate from the Tower of Evil this year?" The speaker was somewhat elderly, the wrinkles on his face blending with the slight frown between his brows, almost indistinguishable. "He doesn't seem like someone who can be easily controlled."

Mu Ziyu's thumb continuously rubbed the dragon head carved on his ring. He looked up at the screen, watching the tall figure slowly descending from the pile of shattered metal frames. "No matter how unruly he is, he's still a citizen of the Empire."

"If the Empire can tame E-types, what person can't be controlled?"

Mu Ziyu picked up a glass of wine from the nearby high table, a hint of defiant competitiveness flashing in his slightly sunken eyes. "Besides, if my eldest brother could train Shen Tingyu into such a loyal subordinate, as the commander of the Silver Dragon Battalion, why can't I do the same?!"

Missing out on Shen Tingyu as a pawn has always been a lingering disappointment for him.

The two major factions under the Empire, besides serving as mutual oversight and balance to better protect the Empire's citizens, are also tools for the royal children to compete for the throne. Regardless of gender, every royal child has the right to become the next king, so the struggle begins from a young age.

Successfully taking command of the two battalions is equivalent to reaching the final stage. In the current Kayan Empire, only he and the eldest prince, Mu Ziyue, are competing. The more talents one can gather under their command, the greater the achievements for the Empire, and the higher the prestige.

The reputation of the Silver Dragon has significantly declined in recent years due to the influence and agitation from the Golden Wing. Especially since everyone values strength, even within the Silver Dragon Battalion, the evaluations of Shen Tingyu and Su Wenming are very high, which makes him feel a significant threat. Finally encountering someone as special as Xu Qingran, with the potential to become an E-type, he doesn't want to miss this opportunity easily.

Moreover... the threat from the devil race is growing, and the source crystals supplying the Empire's field protection are approaching the end of their useful life. Whether for the sake of the Silver Dragon Battalion or the future of the Kayan Empire, he hopes to recruit more talents.

"Deputy An, what do you think?"

Mu Ziyu asked with a dark expression, but there was no response for a long time.

Turning to look at the row of seats in the room, the middle-aged man sitting at the far end was tilting his head, drunk and asleep, his head nodding slightly, completely resigned to his fate.

Mu Ziyu's face darkened further.

But when his gaze fell on the man's prosthetic right leg, the anger he wanted to vent was forcibly suppressed. He turned to the others and said arrogantly, "In any case, I will need you instructors to keep a close eye on my chosen candidate during this period. Report any movements of his to me immediately."

After speaking, Mu Ziyu grabbed the cloak hanging nearby, swung it, and the heavily embroidered silver dragon on the cloak draped over him, radiating authority and dignity.

Just as he was about to leave, someone asked, "What if Xu Qingran doesn't end up becoming the E-type specialist that the Third Prince desires?"

They admitted that Xu Qingran's foundation indeed looked very promising, but with only an A-level spiritual pool, no matter how good the foundation, it wouldn't be enough. In the face of E-types with extremely high talent, the gap in spiritual class is an insurmountable gap.

Mu Ziyu chuckled, "Not becoming an E-type?"

"Then find a reason to expel him from the academy."

He saw potential in Xu Qingran, betting that he could become the talent he desired, hence offering him the highest treatment to keep him. Of course, if Xu Qingran failed to meet his expectations, he would immediately strip away these benefits, letting him experience the fall from heaven to hell.

Another instructor quickly stood up and asked, "Then, Third Prince, what about the judgment for today's second assessment session...?"

"Judgment?"

Mu Ziyu chuckled again.

...

"...Although Xu Qingran did not use spiritual power to directly harm his fellow students, the assessment explicitly prohibits the use of spiritual power. Additionally, with three yellow cards, it has been decided to halve the evaluation of all assessment items as a penalty."

"At the same time, the final result of this assessment session is voided. There is no winner in the second session."

The referee announced the decision handed down from above while holding an oxygen tank.

In the venue, the other members of the group who crawled out of the wreckage had faces that turned a spectrum of colors. There was one more spot up for grabs, but now, it's gone!

The perks of snagging this final assessment spot are pretty sweet.

It is said that those who come out on top in each assessment group will receive special instruction from officers of both camps two months later. This includes top-tier personnel like Lu Cheng, Shen Tingyu, Su Wenming, and experienced veterans.

After that, for every semester's assessments and studies, the best resources will be allocated to the winners. The duty roster will also allow them to choose the easiest and most manageable tasks first, and they can grab the limited-time cafeteria offerings weekly. Their IDs and photos will be featured on the academy's homepage, making them stand out.

The group was devastated.

Looking at Xu Qingran, who showed no surprise at all upon hearing the verdict, his eyes showed no trace of worldly ambition. He simply shrugged and handed the colorful flower he was holding back to the referee.

Everyone's expressions darkened further.

Xu Qingran, what a madman! He'd rather take a halved evaluation score and end up in the lower class, thwarting everyone else's chances of gaining an advantage. What kind of person does that?

In short, while they don't fully understand what Xu Qingran is thinking, the name Xu Qingran is now unforgettable to everyone in Group 2. In fact, within just a few days of enrollment, most students have come to understand the impact of those three words, and their preconceived notions about him have shifted.

As Xu Qingran strolled out of Venue 2, someone leaning against the entrance outside suddenly called out to him.

He turned his head towards the sound and saw Ni Xiaoyuan with her high pink ponytail.

She sported fingerless gloves, perfect for climbing, and she raised her hand to give him a cool wave, greeting, "It's been a while."

Xu Qingran was silent for a few seconds before responding, "It's been a while."

Recalling that the system mentioned her temper was less than stellar, he paused for a moment before asking expressionlessly, "You looking for another round?"

Ni Xiaoyuan raised an eyebrow, then laughed and said generously, "No, you've really changed a lot. I won't pick a fight knowing I can't win, but what you just did was really pissing me off."

"Let's spar sometime. I want to see how you've grown from the crybaby who always needed others to protect him."

Ni Xiaoyuan didn't like Xu Qingran much when they were kids because she thought a boy who cried all the time, couldn't fight back when hit, and only called for help was too weak. When she heard recently that he had thrown a tantrum over a man, she felt a pang of pity for him.

She never imagined she'd run into him again at the academy.

Even more surprising was how much his personality and abilities had diverged from what she remembered. But overall, it seems like a step in the right direction. Maybe he's turning heartbreak into fuel?

"Sure," Xu Qingran nodded and then walked away.

Ni Xiaoyuan crossed her arms, tilting her head as she watched his cold, retreating figure, thinking—

Actually, she still had a fire raging inside her.

If his presence weren't so intimidating, she really wanted to pin him down and give him a good beating right then and there!

Indeed, he was much easier to bully when he was younger.

·

Zhang Zhihe and the others returned from other assembly areas and also heard about Xu Qingran's great deeds. While having dinner and returning to the dorm, they were still excitedly talking about it: "Boss, you're too fierce. Everyone else is carefully avoiding the rules, but you just go all out!"

"The lower classes are more likely to be laughed at and looked down upon, and the training intensity is much higher. That's why everyone is desperate to get into the upper classes through the entrance assessment. With your score, you're definitely going to be at the bottom. Aren't you afraid it'll be too tough?"

Afraid of what?

Xu Qingran thought.

This body of his needs better training, and the academy's arrangements are a godsend.

Xu Qingran let out a light chuckle but didn’t respond.

The setting sun cast its slanting rays as a few people sat in a small cart heading back to the dormitory.

A gentle breeze blew through the window, and in Xu Qingran’s line of sight, he suddenly saw Lin Qianmu getting off another small cart. Lin Qianmu smiled and waved to the classmates leaning out of the cart to look at him, then turned and walked toward the detached house near the dormitory area.

Students classified as Type E or Type D are assigned to detached dormitory buildings.

Type E students are given special treatment mainly to prevent conflicts with others, which is why they’re kept separate. Type D students, on the other hand, are given extra protection to avoid being bullied by others at the school.

At the military academy, Type D students are like a juicy steak tossed into a pack of hungry wolves, and it’s hard to guarantee that they won’t be forced into a soul contract.

Xu Qingran felt a pang of envy.

Having a detached house was great, unlike his shared dormitory, which was always crowded, noisy, and full of commotion. While commotion isn’t always a bad thing, it didn’t suit his preferred living environment.

By nightfall, everyone who had endured a day of assessments was completely exhausted, just wanting to rest in the dormitory to recharge for the next day’s classes. Only Xu Qingran went downstairs for a night run around the dormitory area. When he got back, his dorm floor was suddenly in chaos.

As soon as Xu Qingran arrived, he saw a small group of people huddled together, looking upset and whispering anxiously. A thinner person with tears in their eyes was being comforted by everyone, including the kind-hearted Ren Ping.

He tossed down the towel he’d been using to wipe his sweat and walked over, asking, “What’s going on?”

Ren Ping explained indignantly.

The issue was that everyone wanted to rest, but the room across from them had cranked their stereo to full volume, blasting music and chatting loudly. Nearby students who were disturbed couldn’t take it anymore and knocked on the door, politely asking if they could keep it down. But they were met with harsh scolding from the intimidating group inside.

The one who tried to stand up for their roommate even got slapped.

Now, the people in the room were even rowdier. Like rebellious kids, the more others tried to stop them, the more they doubled down.

After hearing this, Xu Qingran stayed silent.

While everyone was still whispering, they heard a knock on the door of the noisy Room 6037.

The crowd turned in shock to see Xu Qingran, who had just returned.

The one who’d been reduced to tears hadn’t seen Xu Qingran’s live assessment. Seeing how delicate he looked—even more so than themselves—and not like someone who’d pick a fight, they quickly said, “Forget it, Xu. They don’t respect anyone…”

Before they could finish pleading, the door was yanked open.

A bald man barked angrily, “I already told you, your grandpa wants to—”

Before he could finish his arrogant rant, his nose was punched, followed by a kick to the gut that sent him stumbling back. Xu Qingran tilted his head slightly and chuckled coldly again, swaggering in as the other three people in the room suddenly stood up.

He locked the door behind him.

“Xu, what is Xu trying to do?!”

“Will he be okay…”

“Should we go downstairs and call for help?”

Ren Ping inexplicably recalled the night a few days ago and remained silent, not joining in.

Soon, the sounds of a fight came from the room, followed by someone being thrown against the door, causing it to shake violently. Then there were various heavy collision sounds, and soon after, pig-like squeals of pain began.

More and more people came out to watch the commotion, crowding the corridor in front of Room 6037.

The door was heavily hit several times.

Finally, the lock broke, and under the gaze of a crowd of onlookers, the door slowly creaked open.

When the door opened, all they saw was Xu Qingran, who they had thought to be weak and defenseless, fiercely smashing a chair onto the burly man who was kneeling on the ground. The sturdy chair, capable of bearing three hundred pounds, was shattered into pieces by him.

He grabbed the one with hair and slammed his head into the speaker, his voice cold: "You think you’re tough?"

The onlookers outside were stunned.

They were even more frightened by Xu Qingran's fierce eyes and presence, unable to utter a word.

The bald man, beaten to a pulp with a bloody nose, quickly spoke up for his nearly unconscious roommate: "Big brother, big brother, we won't, won't cause trouble anymore, no more trouble..."

Xu Qingran finally released him. Before leaving, he stomped on their speaker, crushing it beyond repair, and walked away satisfied.

The group was eventually called downstairs for a lecture. The dorm manager, who had long endured their antics, handed out a punishment, sternly stating: "One more fight, and you'll be kicked out of the dorm to sleep in the storage room!"

The bald man, covering his swollen face, complained bitterly: "Xu Qingran was involved too, why isn't he being punished?"

The dorm manager, recalling the orders from the instructors earlier in the day and hearing various rumors about Xu Qingran, confidently lied: "He was just defending himself!"

What’s more, others from the same floor backed Xu Qingran, lying: "I asked people from your floor, and everyone said you started it. Xu Qingran only fought back to protect himself. You S-level guys can’t even take down an A-level? How pathetic!"

The group's faces turned red with shame and anger.

As they crept back, they all cursed Xu Qingran, only to find him standing outside his dorm room 6038, grinning slyly as he watched them return. Remembering his murderous gaze earlier, they instantly cowered, rushing back to their room like they were fleeing a plague.

They found the door broken, refusing to stay shut no matter how hard they tried. Outside, Xu Qingran stood with a chilling grin, his eyes locked on them. Terrified, they scrambled to barricade the broken door, desperate to keep the 'demon' out.

And so, the 6th floor of Building 79 prepared for a life of love, courtesy, humility, and peaceful coexistence.

The hallway was deserted by now.

Xu Qingran eyed the numbers 6037 on the door across from him before heading back to his room to gather his change of clothes and toiletries, heading to the shared bathroom on the floor for a shower.

The motion-sensor lights in the long hallway flickered dimly.

Just as he reached the bathroom door, he suddenly heard strange moaning sounds coming from inside, unusually clear in the quiet environment.

Xu Qingran: "?"

The system: "Well, well, live entertainment!"

At this hour, there weren't many people in the bathroom, and the ecstatic sounds echoed in the empty space.

A few more seconds of listening, and it was clear what was going on inside. A normal person would’ve blushed and slipped away, but Xu Qingran wasn’t exactly normal, so he walked in with his toiletries.

In the farthest stall, two men were lost in their passion, facing the shower entrance.

So engrossed, they hadn't even drawn the curtain.

The showerhead above was still gushing water, and the one on the receiving end had his eyes shut, lost in pleasure, murmuring, "Baby, you’re incredible!"

Xu Qingran stood outside, silently observing.

He thought, so this is how two men do it.

The one who was moaning lewdly happened to open his eyes and caught a glimpse of Xu Qingran standing outside, as if studying some scientific problem. His excitement vanished, and he screamed in terror.

The man behind him, startled by the ghostly scream, instantly lost his arousal. Upon seeing Xu Qingran, he too looked at him in horror.

They weren't exactly a couple; they just happened to meet during enrollment, decided to take a shower together, and after confirming each other's attributes, they spontaneously started to relieve stress. Who would have thought that at this time, someone would actually come in!

And not just anyone, but a strange pervert!

Xu Qingran paused, frowned, and said, "Keep going."

"I haven't seen enough."

The two in the cubicle: "..."

How can we continue when you've scared off all the excitement!

Xu Qingran then asked seriously, "When you do it, which one feels better, the one doing or the one being done?"

He had thought about it; if the progress of his plan didn't improve over the year, he would drug Shen Tingyu and force himself on him. He had also decided that it didn't matter whether he was on top or bottom; whichever position made him feel more comfortable, he would take that role.

After all, it was impossible for Xu Qingran to serve others.

The two being watched in terror didn't know how to respond and immediately wanted to flee, but Xu Qingran blocked the entrance of the cubicle, forcing them to retreat back into the corner.

Xu Qingran, having been rejected and having his interest dampened, glared at them gloomily and asked, "I'll give you one last chance to choose: will you continue on your own, or shall I force you to continue?"

A short while later, the sound of applause echoed in the bathroom again.

Only this time, the background noise was no longer the initial ecstatic tone, but fearful sobs.

Among the three, probably only Xu Qingran, who had learned something new, was the happiest.

·

Without a doubt, Xu Qingran was placed in the latter group of classes.

Based on various assessment evaluations, it was assumed that their foundation was below the average level, so they started with the most grueling obstacle course training. The training ground was about the size of a small town, filled with many high-difficulty obstacle courses, which were very time and energy-consuming. The current fastest record for completing the course was two hours.

Xu Qingran was not surprised to hear the renowned name of Shen Tingyu again.

118 minutes and 39 seconds was the record he left.

Xu Qingran stared at the numbers sent to their wristbands by the instructor and subconsciously curled his lips.

Then, he boldly wrote down 118 minutes and 38 seconds as his target.

Just as he submitted it, he heard a mocking chuckle from behind.

"Classmate, quite the dreamer, huh?"