Chapter 38: Special Treatment

Chapter 38: Special Treatment

In the dimly lit space, the overwhelming stench of blood sent shivers down everyone's spine.

The gruesome scene left the remaining individuals frozen in place, gaping in shock as their once lively companion had their throat slit in one swift motion. The executioner's face was spotless, his hands clean of blood, as he pierced them with his gaze.

They were struck silent.

In their minds, they recalled how Xu Qingan had once described his older brother as having a bad temper, being a crybaby with emotionally unstable tendencies and a bully. But he never mentioned that when unstable, he could kill without a second thought!

"D-don't panic!"

"He's just an A-level who's been in school for half a year! Brother Wang only lost because he was caught off guard! I refuse to believe that if we all gang up on him, we can't bring him down!"

The speaker raised his voice, trying to cover up his fear.

The others thought it made sense and quickly drew their weapons, charging at him.

The result? They were all quickly overpowered and left writhing in pain on the ground.

Xu Qingran was ruthless and to the point. He took down each attacker one by one. This time, he refrained from targeting their faces, instead using their own force to toss them around. Once they were battered and bruised, feeling like their bodies were about to break apart, he delivered a deadly slash, ensuring those who refused to answer would never speak again.

No matter how much they pleaded or regretted, he remained merciless, his actions as cold and heartless as a demon.

By the end of the skirmish, the only one left standing was the group's sole S-level member.

He looked at Xu Qingran, who was calmly wiping his blade a short distance away, and finally, with legs trembling, he confessed: "Y-yes! We know your brother Xu Qingan, and we're quite close!"

In a desperate outburst, he shouted: "We were the ones who told him about your situation at the academy! All those rumors outside were leaked by us! Are you satisfied now?!"

The S-level member glanced at the bodies scattered around and couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

This was nothing like what they had heard!

From Xu Qingan's descriptions, Xu Qingran was supposed to be weak, a coward who would cry at the sight of a chicken. But the person standing before them now not only seemed capable of handling a chicken but might even be capable of shoving it down someone's throat!

He cursed inwardly, even starting to blame Xu Qingan.

Giving them false information like this—was that kid trying to get them killed? And what were they thinking, throwing away their bright futures just to mess with a lunatic like Xu Qingran?

As his thoughts wandered, Xu Qingran approached him.

His first words sent shivers down the man's spine: "Good. Then let me ask you this: were the incidents I encountered during my exams also arranged by Xu Qingan?"

The man's lips trembled in fear as he hurriedly denied: "I-I don't know if Xu Qingan was behind it, but I can assure you, it wasn't us!"

"At most, we just tampered with the system during your entrance exam, hoping to embarrass you and make you a laughingstock."

Xu Qingran: "I see."

"So you think those things are no big deal if they happened to you?"

The man stubbornly retorted: "Yeah, it's just some gossip! It's not like you lost a limb!"

"Is that so?" Xu Qingran chuckled. "But I'm different."

He first pointed to his head: "I have a little issue up here."

Then he pointed to his heart: "This heart of mine is still very narrow-minded."

"If anyone so much as crosses me, I'll make sure to take a piece of their flesh, even if it costs me my life."

Xu Qingran's eyes slightly curved, and he added: "But since you're the only one who answered my question, I'll make your death a bit less painful."

After hearing this, the man's pupils contracted, and before he could escape, his vision instantly plunged into darkness.

Then, his life was snuffed out.

The lab fell back into silence.

The red alarm lights continued to flash. Xu Qingran approached the drugged insect race, gave its plump body a pat, and yanked out its slender tail. This insect race's tail is their strongest weapon, able to lift objects many times their weight, with a tip as sharp and hard as a curved blade.

Xu Qingran examined it briefly, sneered, and then slashed his own arm deeply before tossing the tail aside.

Then, cool as a cucumber, he walked out of the chaotic lab.

Soon after, he ran into other guards hurrying over. Keeping a straight face, he pointed back to where he'd come from and briefed them on the situation. The guards took note of the fresh wound on his hand, nodded, and a team dashed in to handle the mess.

·

In Linglong City, both the base guards and the live broadcast crew were more focused on the escalating situation in the wild. Aerial cameras zipped around the chaotic scene, while anxious viewers flipped between live streams, desperate not to miss any key moments.

On social media, celebrities and officials alike weighed in on the incident.

Golden Wing Battalion officials, in particular, subtly criticized the Silver Dragon's overall commander's handling of the situation, using the opportunity to promote their own favored commander. The incident ignited debates among citizens of both battalions over which prince—the one they backed—was more fit to rule the empire.

The empire-wide broadcast of *Into the Star Sea World* was a huge hit. Online evaluations of the base students' performance were largely positive, with comments like, "No surprise they're Grandis Military Academy students—they really hold their own in combat."

"OMG, I'm totally crushing on a badass like Ni Xiaoyuan! And the other female students are just as stunning and brave—total girl power!"

"They said this year's class was top-notch, and I was skeptical, but now I'm a believer!"

"My grandpa, a veteran, watched the live stream tonight and got teary. He said these kids are brave and responsible, and it put his mind at ease."

Viewers showered praise across the live streams.

Two cameras, in particular, were glued to the third prince, Mu Ziyu.

After all, he'd risen to become the battalion's overall commander. He and his seasoned team held their ground, even spearheading the elite troops and top brass from the eastern district in tackling the toughest sea capture mission.

Silver Dragon supporters cheered them on, clapping back at Golden Wing's online smears.

"The Third Prince is the last person who'd want this to happen!"

"Sure, Silver Dragon runs most of Linglong City, but the base research is a joint project, right? I don't get why people are throwing shade at a time like this."

Mu Ziyu's command was also quite orderly.

His serious expression made everyone follow suit.

Only he knew that he was already at the point of wanting to curse. If it weren't for this damn live broadcast, he would have already lost his temper, let alone maintain a gentlemanly demeanor?!

The rescue operation was in full swing.

The audience soon noticed something else.

One of the live stream's corresponding camera drones had, for some time, mostly focused on a certain figure. It was a young man with an excellent body proportion, wearing a distinctive black glove on his left hand. His soft brown hair was already soaked by the rain, and his dark clothes clung tightly to his body, outlining his athletic physique.

"Isn’t that the crazy kid, Young Master Xu?"

"Is it just me, or does he look way healthier than he did a year ago? I mean, he used to be skin and bones, super frail, but now his face has filled out, and he’s got a healthy glow."

"Yeah, even his arms are looking jacked now!"

"Since he entered the academy, his complexion has improved a lot. Probably the Shen family’s been feeding him well."

"Honestly, it’s fair to think the Xu family was starving him or something."

The camera barely moved, but the live stream’s viewer count kept climbing.

The guy on screen had this icy stare, standing out like a rock in the middle of all the chaos. One second he’s casually chatting with a buddy, the next he’s snatching up some six-legged monster mid-charge, its jaws wide open.

In one quick move, he jabbed a potion straight into the beast’s neck.

He tossed it aside like it was nothing, then coolly asked, "What were you saying?"

The camera caught his classmate’s shocked face, and everyone lost it laughing.

As the live stream blew up, some salty comments popped up, asking why the camera was glued to Xu Qingran. But after a bit, those comments died down, leaving just a few haters still spamming.

The reason? Xu Qingran’s fighting was just too damn satisfying to watch!

He was a born killer, ditching the psychic gun for up-close knife fights. He moved through those alien freaks like a leopard—fast, sharp, and deadly.

If something came at him harder, he came back twice as brutal. Even against the trickiest foes, he went straight at them, cool and fearless. He knew every alien’s weak spots in the Eastern District, making him the top dog in his class.

While everyone else was still stocked up, he was already bumming potions off his buddies. If they hadn’t seen him enroll, they’d swear he was one of the instructors.

"...Isn’t this awesome?"

"Yeah, this is exactly what you’d expect from a top student at a top academy. How’d he even get expelled?"

"There are mid-level aliens in the stream that even double S-level students struggle with, but Young Master Xu makes it look like child’s play!"

"Honestly, if it weren’t for Linglong City’s rules, he’d probably have wiped them out already."

"If you’d told me an A-level student could pull off 3S-level moves, I’d have called you crazy."

"I’m officially ditching my hater status and becoming his biggest fan!"

"Sign me up for the hater-to-fan club!"

Strength has always been the best proof to crush rumors.

No wonder netizens always see him in various live streams, as the cameras mostly automatically lock onto the key scenes of chaos, and his support always arrives just in time. No matter which species, he can handle them with ease.

While others are in life-and-death struggles, he looks like he’s fishing.

In the end, even low-level aliens would start running with their tails between their legs when they saw him, as if they had seen the living King of Hell.

After many years in the apocalypse, Xu Qingran was only good at two things.

The first was killing people.

The second was killing alien beasts.

These foreign creatures are not fundamentally different from the beasts.

Xu Qingran's cleanup operation here is proceeding smoothly, but the situation in Mu Ziyu's live broadcast is not so good. The most powerful Haina clan in the outer eastern region has had their combat effectiveness boosted by the rain.

The mid-tier ones are already troublesome, and now a high-tier one that can match a typical 3S has emerged.

Emergency reinforcements are still en route, and they might be delayed by other alien species in the eastern region. Mu Ziyu and the elites he brought have been struggling with that high-tier Haina for a long time, but the number of people around him is decreasing.

They weren't killed, but their attention was diverted by the surrounding mid-tier creatures.

They have to prevent the numerous low and mid-tier creatures from approaching while also guarding against the highly destructive high-tier one. The Hainas have a natural inclination toward killing; even if they don't intend to eat their prey, they still want to slaughter any non-clan members they come across.

Mu Ziyu took advantage of the distraction created by others, suppressed his aura, and tried to sneak up from behind to ambush it, but it swung its tail and sent him flying, crashing into a nearby tree trunk and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

For some reason, as they fought, it felt like they had walked into a trap, and suddenly they became the disadvantaged side.

Their stamina and spirit had already been largely depleted in the earlier struggle.

He tried to get up but found that one of his arms was injured from the collision, and even the slightest movement caused him unbearable pain.

He glanced up at the mechanical orb flying overhead.

He could easily imagine how people outside would mock his disheveled appearance behind his back.

He could also imagine how gleeful Mu Ziyue would be upon hearing about tonight's events.

Mu Ziyu lowered his head, clenched his fist tightly, gritted his teeth, and felt deeply resentful.

—That's why they say, as long as the class of spiritual power is suppressed, no matter how good other aspects are, it's all just empty talk!

When compared to his elder brother, Mu Ziyu's most criticized aspect is his double S spiritual pool. Both he and Mu Ziyue are N-types, but Mu Ziyue possesses the top-tier 3S of the same type, while he only has double S.

Since childhood, his achievements in various fields have always lagged behind his brother's.

Whether in arts or martial arts.

Thus, Mu Ziyu is particularly obsessed with the class of the spiritual pool.

The heavy footsteps slowly turned the giant beast in his direction.

Mu Ziyu pursed his lips tightly, grabbed his long knife with his uninjured hand, and planted it on the ground, trying to support himself up to avoid being ambushed by the high-tier Haina. Just as he was about to move, the giant beast in front suddenly raised its head and let out a loud roar towards a certain direction. Immediately, a figure wielding a knife charged at it from its side.

The spiritual blade cut through the night like lightning.

It broke through the weakened spiritual defense of the high-tier Haina, leaving a long bloody gash on its shoulder. At the same time, the Haina swung its tail, sending the attacker flying.

Mu Ziyu glanced sideways and saw the tall, dark figure rise as if nothing had happened after the intense impact.

He seemed to have come from the most chaotic battlefield, with numerous wounds all over his body, and even his pants and shirt were torn by sharp claws.

The rain had stopped, and his boots splashed in the small puddles of the wild area.

The man turned slightly towards him, his gaze suddenly falling on him.

His deep amber eyes carried the chill of an early spring rain night. Though his face showed no expression, it inexplicably sent a shiver down one's spine. He still tightly held the short knife for close combat, and for a moment, Mu Ziyu felt that the man would rather use that knife to kill him than deal with the aliens.

This thought slightly startled him.

But Xu Qingran just calmly reset his dislocated arm with a click.

Then, gripping his blade, he charged towards the frenzied high-tier Haina.

Next, Mu Ziyu witnessed the most insane fight of his life.

Others sought to minimize damage, relying on flanking and sneak attacks to battle the Haina. But Xu Qingran didn’t follow that approach. Regardless of whether the opponent was low-tier, mid-tier, or high-tier, he faced them head-on.

Even more terrifying was his precise control over his targets.

Even in direct confrontation, the high-tier Haina not only failed to gain an advantage but was repeatedly breached by him. Despite his small stature, when facing the ferocious Haina, his eyes reflected a beast-like madness, making him seem like the dominant force in the fight.

Most importantly, there was no trace of fear of dying in him.

Many people fear pain, especially when facing enemies stronger than themselves. Only the peculiarly-minded E-types would show such a disregard for death.

Mu Ziyu watched as Xu Qingran's chest and abdomen were pierced by the high-tier Haina's claws. Just as he was about to be shocked, Xu Qingran smiled faintly. Seizing the moment of the Haina's attack when its defenses were momentarily down, Xu Qingran used all his mental energy, forcefully severing the high-tier Haina's claw.

The Haina howled in agony.

Yet, the person who should have been in more pain calmly pulled the claw from his body and tossed it aside.

As calm as if he had merely been bitten by a mosquito.

Mu Ziyu couldn't help but recall the Xu Qingran he had seen in the Tower of Evil arena.

The same gaze, the same madness that would drag everyone down with him in death, had impulsively led Mu Ziyu to bet on him, hoping he would become as formidable as Shen Tingyu. Unfortunately, in theory, he could only reach S-tier.

In fact, judging by his current offensive power, he was nearly at the level of a prospective S-tier, possibly even among the strongest in that tier. But normally, someone of this tier should be overpowered by a high-tier Haina, not engaged in such an evenly matched fight!

The high-tier Haina, enraged and irrational, began to lash out wildly.

This was exactly what Xu Qingran wanted.

He sneered silently, like a butcher seizing a weak opportunity, and launched his counterattack.

Indeed, when Xu Qingran first practiced with the simulated Haina, he was overpowered for over half a month. That was the first time he truly understood what it meant to be suppressed by a higher power tier.

However, he would never accept defeat against an opponent he aimed to overcome.

If he couldn't win, he would keep practicing until he could triumph.

And Mu Ziyu, sitting on the ground, was completely awestruck.

Before today, he had stubbornly believed that the tier of one's mental pool determined everything. Until now, he watched as Xu Qingran fiercely battled the high-tier Haina with a ruthless gaze.

Every strike he landed on the Haina seemed to drain his mental energy, his observation was so meticulous, the pale blue light blades danced with a majestic momentum.

In the end, the giant beast finally collapsed under the relentless onslaught.

And the equally battered man stood firm till the end, dragging his blood-soaked, fierce aura, step by step towards him.

Finally, he crouched down in front of him, meeting his gaze at eye level.

Only to see him grab the mental energy blade, his eyes cold, and thrust it fiercely towards him.

Caught off guard, Mu Ziyu's eyes widened.

The viewers in the live stream instinctively held their breath, gasps on the verge of escaping their lips.

After a loud noise, the sharp blade plunged deep into the tree trunk beside Mu Ziyu's head.

For a moment, Mu Ziyu felt his heart skip a beat.

He steadied himself, maintaining the composure of an imperial prince, and asked in a deep voice, "Xu Qingran, what are you trying to do?"

Xu Qingran, with his back to the camera drone, locked eyes with him coldly for a few seconds.

Then he said casually, "Ah, nothing much."

"I just heard recently that I could be kicked out of the academy. I simply wanted to ask the Third Prince—does my performance today not qualify me to stay in the academy?"

Indeed.

Xu Qingran had laid all this groundwork not just to humble Mu Ziyu, but also to use such a crazy method to make Mu Ziyu and the public aware of his abilities. He knew very well that sometimes, no amount of explanation could match the effectiveness of direct action.

Even the Haena surrounding Mu Ziyu and his guards was all part of his calculations. In the end, the duel with the real high-level Haena was also a setup he orchestrated to challenge his own limits.

Xu Qingran added, "What an E-type can do, I, Xu Qingran, can do too."

"So, Third Prince, do you think someone like me, with such abilities, would still be kicked out like the rumors say?"

·

The chaos in Linglong City was finally brought under control at dawn with the help of troops arriving from other regions. Almost all the escaped alien creatures were captured, while a small number, too difficult to control and too lethal, had to be put down during the capture process.

On the same day, the topic titled 'Xu Qingran's Expulsion' shot to the top of the trending charts alongside Linglong City, marked with a bold 'Explosive' tag.

A popular post showcased highlights of Xu Qingran's performance from last night's live stream.

The poster said, "When I first heard that the eldest son of the Xu family could be kicked out, I thought it was because his performance at the academy was too mediocre, not meeting the admission standards. But after watching the live stream yesterday, I just want to shout—Grandis, are you crazy?? Are you really going to let someone like that slip away?!"

"Honestly, if I can't see such a talent in the military, I'll lose it before you do!"

The comments section was lively.

"Totally agree!! Why should Xu Qingran be expelled?"

"All these years, Grandis has been promoting how fair it is. Now, it seems there might be some shady business? Maybe the eldest son offended someone with his straightforward nature, and they're looking for an excuse to kick him out."

"If Grandis really kicks out someone like that, I'll start doubting its fairness."

Other top universities with military training academies across the nation also jumped in, eager to snatch him up.

"Miles Military Academy: Dear Grandis, if you don't want him, just say so. Otherwise, we at Miles are ready to send him an invitation!"

"Kachinor Military Academy: We at Kachinor want him too! We're Silver Dragon affiliated! Our retired lieutenant general from the Celestial Serpent Military District said he'd take Xu Qingran under his wing as his successor after graduation!"

"Tianhuan Military Academy: Although we're Golden Wing, we're the second-ranked university in the empire! Besides, isn't Xu Qingran the future son-in-law of the Shen family here? [Wink] He'll eventually become one of us, so he's a perfect fit for us!"

Besides Grandis, there are other prestigious universities in Kayan.

Their admission thresholds are no lower than Grandis, but because they aren't fully backed by the royal family, their resources are somewhat limited. However, students who graduate from these institutions, if they work hard enough, can still excel in their fields.

Xu Qingran's highlight clips were already blowing up online, even appearing under the Linglong City trending tag. The chaos in Linglong City was a matter of national importance, attracting more attention than just gossip-loving netizens.

Some of the older viewers, unfamiliar with family feuds or gossip, only knew that the young man in the video seemed like a reliable figure, yet was being expelled by Grandis, which made no sense.

Soon, the hashtag 'Oppose Xu Qingran's Expulsion' also trended.

Beneath it were countless comments tagging Grandis University and its military academy's official accounts, calling for an explanation.

What really blew up was that the official account of the Tower of Evil, which had always been aloof and only posted major news or wanted notices, surprisingly came out to repost Xu Qingran's trending video, with the comment: "Xu Qingran once underwent the trials of Tower 3's arena, back when his spiritual pool level was only B."

The crowd was stunned all over again.

Then they tore into Grandis and the Silver Dragon Battalion even harder, to the point where the people from Silver Dragon didn't dare to speak up.

And on the most popular Star Horizon forum, the homepage had been flooded with Xu Qingran's name these past few days, making him the hottest topic of the year on the forum. The previous mocking post about him being expelled had also been lingering on the homepage, repeatedly being dragged up.

"LMAO, the OP is definitely just jealous."

"What's wrong with being A-level? My big bro is still killing it at A-level!"

"S-level, no doubt. I saw the video; big bro's spiritual power is way beyond A-level. Probably because he's close to the stabilization period and didn't immediately level up, I bet he'll definitely advance to S-level."

"Damn, I'm not hiding it anymore, I'm a fan of the little lunatic! I'm proud to stan such a boss!"

"Where's the OP at? Why's he ghosting us?"

"That other thread was a joke, still trying to throw shade at big bro and hype up some fake nice girl. Is that really comparable?"

"If I recall, Professor Lu's rep isn't exactly stellar, is it? Didn't he use his authority to falsely accuse big bro of cheating on his medical school exams before?"

"Yo, sis above, now that you mention it, I remember that too. Thinking about it now, what a poor baby big bro is, huh? Taking the medical school exam, being targeted and falsely accused of cheating. Finally got into the military academy on his own, and now the powers that be are forcing him out. Total tragedy."

While the outside world was fiercely discussing, Xu Qingran was lying in the medical center of Linglong City's base, recovering from his injuries.

The military doctor nearly let out a shriek when she saw him coming in covered in blood, accompanied by Ni Xiaoyuan and Feng Wei. She'd never met a student like Xu Qingran, who always managed to drop a bombshell every time he showed up.

When the medical staff cleaned and bandaged his wounds, their hands were shaking worse than when they patched up Shen Tingyu. Especially the gaping wound in his body, which sent him straight to the OR.

They couldn't understand how Xu Qingran managed to keep a calm expression without a hint of pain despite being so severely injured.

Is he even human? Maybe he's a robot or something.

Anyway, two days after the incident, the students gradually left Linglong City for vacation, only he had to stay in the medical center for a few more days for observation.

Of course, the military doc was most concerned about his soul fluctuations.

But this time, she was very surprised: "Incredible... you went all out that day, but your soul fluctuations stayed within safe levels."

Xu Qingran leaned back against the pillow, sitting on the hospital bed: "Just gotta keep it in check."

The tone of his voice made it sound as simple as drinking water.

The military doctor rolled her eyes: "First time I've ever heard someone claim they can control their soul fluctuations!"

"Anyway, you got lucky this time, so don't go causing trouble when you're back on break!" The military doctor didn't believe his explanation and nagged, "Even though we can't pin it down exactly, your stabilization day is coming up, so you gotta be careful."

Xu Qingran was totally chill, but to humor the military doc's concern, he just nodded and said, "Got it."

Thanks to his spiritual power, his injuries healed way faster than they would've in his past life. After about four days, Xu Qingran was up and about, just waiting for Xiao Zhang to come get him.

While stuck in the medical center, after getting his phone and stuff back, he just scrolled through the internet catching up on the drama.

And it was all about him.

He watched as Linglong City, Grandis University, and his own name stayed on the hot search for several days.

He didn't expect the netizens to be so overwhelmingly on his side, backing him up.

Xu Qingran felt somewhat disoriented.

In his previous life, nothing he ever did was recognized. The label of 'villain' was like an unshakable law of the world, firmly attached to him. Because of his immense power, people viewed him as the ultimate boss.

His vengeful nature and unpredictability made everyone regard him as a villain.

The base he established was universally seen as a secret lair for plotting world destruction.

So he learned to tune it out, focusing solely on his own heart and doing what he needed to do.

Xiao Zhang promptly arrived in Linglong City to pick him up.

Upon seeing him, Xiao Zhang was visibly moved: "Mr. Xu, it's been a while! You've been through a lot these days!"

Auntie Song had also caught wind of his recent experiences from the news.

She had been bombarding him with messages, insisting he must have lost weight and promising to cook him lavish meals upon his return.

During the journey back, Xu Qingran was overwhelmed with exhaustion and drowsiness. He drifted in and out of sleep, his mind in a fog. After barely managing to finish the feast Auntie Song had prepared for him at Shen Tingyu's place, he retreated to his room and collapsed into bed.

By the time he opened his eyes again, darkness had fallen.

He rose to take a shower. As the automatic hair dryer worked its magic, he absentmindedly scrolled through the news on his tablet.

It was only then that he realized he had once again trended on the hot search.

But this time, it was Shen Tingyu who propelled him there.

Primarily because the incident had dragged on for days, with both Grandis University and the military academy dragging their feet, failing to provide a clear response. Then, in a rare move, Shen Tingyu—whose social media updates were scarcer than those from the Tower of Evil—posted something that afternoon.

Shen Tingyu: [Smile] It just occurred to me that I also hold a special invitee slot at Grandis University. @Xu Qingran, I hereby formally extend an invitation to you.

The post came with an image.

It showcased an exquisitely designed military academy invitation letter, bearing Xu Qingran's name in elegant handwriting, adorned with numerous official seals, and culminating in Shen Tingyu's personal signature at the bottom.

The comments section went wild.

"Holy cow, General Shen actually updated his social media!"

"I thought General Shen had lost his account password QAQ!"

"Isn't the real kicker that he personally sent a special invitation to Young Master Xu?!"

"So the rumor about General Shen having a special invitee slot is legit! After all these years without a single issuance, I was convinced it was just a baseless rumor!"

Typically, special invitations from Grandis University are reserved for a select few high-ranking officials with significant authority in specific colleges, along with members of the royal family. Shen Tingyu is the first non-college official and non-royal to possess this privilege, granting him the ability to issue up to one special invitation annually.

The reason everyone was skeptical was that over the years, no one had seen Shen Tingyu issue a special invitation to any student. He also rarely gave interviews and never personally confirmed it, so everyone almost forgot about it.

"Damn, is this the uncle who goes all out to protect his nephew's wife?!"

"Wuwu, I'm really envious this time, the never-issued special invitation, an exception made just for Young Master Xu!"

"So sweet! Love it!"

Not long after, Xie Nanjun also joined in the fun by reposting Shen Tingyu's update: "Seconded, seconded, accept this special invitation, and Golden Wing can compete with Silver Dragon for talent! Since Silver Dragon wants to let go of such a treasure, come to Golden Wing quickly!"

What’s even more outrageous is that students like Ji Huaixiu, Ni Xiaoyuan, Feng Wei, and Lin Qianmu, who come from prominent families and had already gone home for the holidays, also shared the post.

Though they didn’t say a word, their actions spoke volumes.

Some classmates also spoke out for Xu Qingran, highlighting how hard he had trained during his studies, proving that he was not only talented but also diligent. Why on earth should such a student be expelled?

As the situation escalated to a point where it could no longer be ignored, even the Empire’s internal affairs department reposted Shen Tingyu’s blog, subtly addressing the issue. Grandis University quickly issued a statement on its official account an hour later, clarifying that the rumors were false and Xu Qingran would not be expelled!

The Silver Dragon Battalion’s official administrative account also reposted, stating that the faction and the Third Prince had always had high expectations for Xu Qingran, and there was no talk of sending him away from the academy. His position as a special invitee would remain unchanged.

After all, failing to maintain his special invitee status would not only damage their public image but also cost them any chance to recruit Xu Qingran.

That same afternoon, Lu Wennian had just announced before Shen Tingyu’s post that he and Xu Qingan would collaborate on a research project centered around advanced D-type research. This should have been a trending topic, but just as it was gaining traction, it was overshadowed by Shen Tingyu and Xu Qingran’s unexpected spotlight.

Xu Qingran held his tablet, endlessly scrolling through social media.

He kept switching between their posts, eventually landing back on Shen Tingyu’s profile. He opened the attached image and stared at it in silence for a long time.

Lost in thought, he was startled by a sudden knock on his door.

When he opened the door, Shen Tingyu stood there, freshly returned from his travels and still in his formal uniform.

Xu Qingran arched an eyebrow.

The man outside chuckled and handed over the special invitation letter. “As promised, I even came in person. Does this meet Mr. Xu’s standards of sincerity?”

Xu Qingran stared at the letter for a moment before breaking into a laugh.

He took the letter and replied earnestly, “Thank you.”

Shen Tingyu looked down, a faint smile in his eyes, tinged with an unconscious sincerity.

He added, “How about we become friends?”

Xu Qingran hesitated for a moment.

He thought to himself that for Shen Tingyu, a naturally proud E-type, to make the first move, it must have taken serious thought.

His eyes crinkled slightly, his tone cool and confident: “Sure.”

·

The night passed.

Shen Tingyu’s special invitation letter sat quietly on the desk.

It was nearly noon, but Xu Qingran was still too groggy to get up.

In the end, it was his growling stomach that finally dragged him out of bed.

But the moment he stood, his head spun wildly, and his chest tightened.

At the same time, a slight tremor came from the depths of his spiritual pool, connected to his soul.

How to describe it? It was like the soul and body were a nucleus and its membrane, trembling as if they were pulling apart.