Chapter 6 An Unremarkable Special Admit

Chapter 6 An Unremarkable Special Admit

The one in the lead wore the school uniform with buttons neatly fastened to the top. His appearance was similar to others, but his hair was a bit messy, and there were dark circles under his eyes, giving off an air of debauchery. When their eyes met, the disheveled guy even flashed him a smile.

No one understood better than he did how to act like a trivial bystander being teased by a malicious protagonist.

He kept his head down, didn't speak, and didn't run away in panic; he just slightly quickened his pace.

But those people, fearing he might not realize they were calling him, shouted again, "Hey, new kid!"

They burst into laughter after shouting and swayed as they approached.

He sped up a few steps, unbuttoned his cuffs, and considered his chances of fighting back if he were to face bullying now.

He had been beaten before, but even limping, he could win three or four times out of five. With both arms and legs intact, winning wasn't impossible.

In a fight, either you were stronger or more ruthless; having an edge in either physical or psychological terms gave hope for victory.

His build wasn't as robust as many other boys, but he didn't fear death.

Once he went berserk, those people would behave themselves.

His eyes turned colder, and he bit his pale lower lip.

Then he caught sight of Pu Yu's back.

A sudden idea struck him, and he immediately called out, "Brother Pu!"

Under the streetlight, his shadow grew longer, rapidly overlapping with Pu Yu's, his head blending into Pu Yu's legs.

Their body sizes differed greatly, making their shadows contrast even more, emphasizing his slender and frail frame.

Pu Yu turned to look at him.

Ning Song smiled, panting as he caught up.

"I'm the new kid, we're in the same class," he tried to establish a connection.

Pu Yu glanced at the group of boys behind them.

His hair was a bit long, partially hiding his eyes beneath it.

Pu Yu's eyebrows were truly remarkable—long and sharp, arched upward with a fierce aura, his eyes narrow and pupils very dark.

Despite his small, well-behaved face and introverted personality, he had such gloomy and sharp eyes.

Ning Song didn't look back, only gazed up at Pu Yu, his smile widening.

Pu Yu looked at him as if he were an insignificant passerby.

Not quite; he was indeed just that.

He suddenly realized he had never heard Pu Yu speak or seen him walk with anyone.

He had never met such a quiet handsome guy.

Could he be a mute top?

But this was enough.

He felt that Pu Yu wasn't the typical cold-hearted guy who only cared about his lover. He showed some sympathy towards strangers, evident from his slower pace.

With his long legs, even walking slower made it challenging for Ning Song to keep up.

He followed Pu Yu forward, looking back once they were far enough, and saw that the group was no longer visible.

Until they reached the fork in the road, where they parted ways.

Pu Yu turned onto a path leading south.

That path led straight to the skyway, which connected to another area of the school beyond. Senior Zhou had told him that was the mysterious Building No. 1, where the Black Plaque students resided.

The long skyway was a bridge between two worlds.

And they were from two different worlds.

He rushed back to the dormitory.

Upon returning, he found that the light in his dorm was also broken.

He went downstairs to buy a desk lamp for temporary use and then headed to the first floor to take a shower.

Their dorm building lacked private bathrooms, so everyone had to go to the communal area on the first floor for toilets and showers.

All the residents of Dormitory No. 4 were so-called special admits, but Ning Song noticed most were wealthy, wearing branded clothes and shoes.

There was always someone desperate to send their child to Upper East School.

Truly poor students like him were rare.

The shower stalls were well-enclosed single rooms, and the conditions were good, with free hot water.

He had a bit of a cleanliness obsession and took a long shower, feeling utterly devoid of sexual appeal during it.

He wasn't particularly short, average height for a seventeen-year-old, with room to grow taller. But he was too thin, and the skeletal structure of teenage boys was pronounced. For him, saying he was emaciated wouldn't be an exaggeration—he had no curves, no hips, no waist.

It seemed a bit sickly.

He recalled the ease with which Li You had lifted him, and his heart still raced.

He still needed to eat more and try to become a bit stronger.

As he was rinsing out the jasmine-scented foam from his hair, he suddenly heard some boys talking outside the partition.

Then someone knocked on the stall door.

Two knocks, followed by a familiar, mischievous laugh. The water splashed around him, and with foam in his ears, he wasn't sure if they were knocking on his stall. Ning Song rinsed the foam off his head and heard a male voice say "Hey!"

The footsteps outside scattered.

After showering, he came out wearing shorts and a T-shirt, but there was no one outside the stall.

False alarm.

But someone whistled at him from a distance.

He turned to see Li You.

He was the complete opposite of Pu Yu.

He was brazenly wrapped only in a towel around his waist, exposing his muscular chest and long legs. His wheat-colored skin was smooth and firm, with defined abs and pectorals. Unlike the muscular image on his card, he had a more youthful appearance.

His V-lines trailed down into the towel.

It was still a bit chilly, and Ning Song shivered as he came out, while Li You stood leisurely in the draft, chatting with someone.

"Ning Song, you have a welcome party today," someone laughed. "Make sure you clean up well."

Others chuckled knowingly.

Ning Song ignored them and walked out with his shower basket. On top was a green bottle of shampoo, a popular brand in Lower Harbor. It was cheap and came in large bottles, which most rich people found too fragrant. The night wind blew his loose T-shirt against his body, emphasizing his slender, pale frame.

Like a lamb thrown into a pack of wolves.

Chilled by the wind, Ning Song sneezed.

Getting sick now would be disastrous; even a minor illness could take days to recover from. He hurried upstairs, while Li You's voice carried over the night breeze, sounding as ethereal as the white mist seeping from the bathroom door: "They're still having that welcome party?"

After showering and returning to his room, Ning Song had originally planned to work on a new map, but the day's experience of being followed left him feeling irritable.

In the school, only three types of people were truly safe:

The wealthy, the powerful, and those who were exceptionally talented.

He needed to change his position at the very bottom of the pyramid quickly.

So he made a plan for advancement.

White, red, gold, black.

If he could get into the black tier, no one would dare to provoke him, even if no one loved him.

The advancement system at Upper East School was simple.

Accumulate points.

Points could be earned in several ways: donating money to the school, academic performance, competition achievements, social practice activities, and participating in group events or performances.

He believed he had a chance.

Whenever he set a goal, he pushed himself hard.

He would climb step by step!

Instantly, Ning Song felt like he had transformed, and he searched for the best universities for game design in this world.

He was self-taught, excelling in creativity and imagination, naturally suited for this field. His games were innovative and fun, but his fundamentals were weak. As a game designer, his strengths and weaknesses were equally pronounced. To go further this time, he needed professional and systematic training, not just relying on self-study.

While searching for schools, he stretched his legs.

His health was really poor.

It was not yet ten o'clock, but he already felt exhausted.

Almost like a sickly person.

But he wasn't born with that constitution; he didn't deserve it.

Because usually, that kind of constitution belonged to the protagonist.

He poured a glass of water, and his phone vibrated.

He picked it up and saw a private message from a forum friend.

When he first arrived in this world, unfamiliar with its games, he frequented a well-known gaming forum. Online, he was more talkative than in real life, leading him to meet many like-minded friends, including one called "Mackerel." This person was skilled, and they often discussed game design together. Later, "Mackerel" introduced him to their company, Sharky Arts, where he submitted his small game designs.

[Mackerel]: "Haven't seen you around lately?"

[Non-Fish-Eating Cat]: "Been busy."

Their conversation looked like a couple's chat, one frozen mackerel, the other a clawing kitten.

Actually, he hadn't always used this avatar or name; he changed them specifically for "Mackerel."

Once, when they disagreed on a concept, he argued fiercely, sticking to the facts. Later, he realized "Mackerel" was very serious and a bit shy, so he started playing along. But Mackerel never responded, and everyone else egged them on, so he deliberately chose a corresponding username to tease him.

Over time, they became familiar with each other and often exchanged insights on game design.

Their strengths and weaknesses complement each other perfectly. "Mackerel" is proficient in internet technology and has a wild imagination.

However, their interactions were limited to the forum, with very few private messages. The last private message was about *Black Rose Campus*, which seemed more like a business collaboration at first glance.

At this moment, he couldn't resist teasing him a bit.

【NotAFishyCat】: "Missing me?"

【Mackerel】: "Find a new job yet?"

As expected, he didn't take the bait.

His seriousness was amusing.

Ning Song replied: "On my first day, everyone at the new company is so cold (sob)."

Since most people on the forum were working adults, he feared that revealing he was a middle school student would lead to unequal treatment. So, his persona on the forum was a 35-year-old programmer facing potential layoffs.

【Mackerel】: "What happened?"

【NotAFishyCat】: "The new environment is stressful!"

【Mackerel】: "If you're not adapting well, consider our company."

【Mackerel】: "The atmosphere here is great."

【Mackerel】: "Very humane."

【NotAFishyCat】: "Any bald guys?"

【Mackerel】: "...Yes."

【Mackerel】: "But I think it's unrelated to our company; it's probably genetic hair loss."

Hahahaha.

Ning Song laughed out loud, feeling all his fatigue dissipate.

Every time the other person was so serious, he found it hilarious.

He chatted with "Mackerel" for a while about the recent developments on the forum.

Before he knew it, it was already ten o'clock.

【NotAFishyCat】: "Gotta go, got work to do. My colleagues are calling for a team-building event."

【Mackerel】: "Now?"

【NotAFishyCat】: "(sob) Can't get out of it."

As soon as he sent this, Qiao Qiao knocked on the door and called him from outside.

He quickly typed "bye" and shut down the computer.

He put on his coat and went with Qiao Qiao and two other boys to Building No. 1.

Qiao Qiao told him that this was one of the rare opportunities for non-black badge students to freely enter Building No. 1 throughout the year.

But Ning Song felt that such an opportunity wasn't necessarily good for new special admissions students.

This welcoming party seemed more like bringing new special admissions students to Building No. 1 for the aristocratic young masters to pick from.

When Li You came, did he also attend this welcoming party?

Would he have submitted himself to be chosen?

At ten o'clock, the school was silent. This century-old institution, with its dense vegetation and twisted tree branches, looked like monstrous shadows under the night sky, and the air carried a hint of sea salt.

"Will we get caught?"

He had never done anything like this before.

He had read Upper East School's strict rules.

"Today is special; even if the security guards see us, they'll turn a blind eye. It's fine."

Qiao Qiao added, "I wanted to tell Zheng Xiaobo and ask Li You to come support us, but Zheng Xiaobo's phone has been off all this time."

"Who is Zheng Xiaobo?"

"He's my neighbor and childhood friend. He's close with Li You. Li You never attends these welcoming parties, but if Zheng Xiaobo asked him to, he might come and support us."

Ning Song picked up on the implication: "Didn't you say it's fine?"

Qiao Qiao smiled: "Just an extra precaution... Don't worry, we're not Qin Yi's type. He's very picky."

Sure enough, "it's fine" because they were safe-looking!

He followed Qiao Qiao through the white thorn bushes, across the skyway, and around half the lake, then entered Building No. 1.

The young masters of Shangdong Province's five major financial families, except for the son of the Guanglong Shipping family, lived in this building. The only child of the Pu family, Pu Yu, the heir to the Grand Entertainment Empire, Sheng Yan, the son of the Li family textile tycoon, and the notorious second son of the Qin family, Qin Yi, all resided here.

Qiao Qiao had told him all this.

Up close, Building No. 1 appeared even more luxurious and ominous. A security guard was smoking at the entrance but said nothing, merely watching them quietly.

Ning Song nodded slightly to the guard and hurried inside with Qiao Qiao.

Once inside, they headed straight for the east side of the first floor. This area seemed more suited for large events rather than student dormitories. At the end of the dark hallway, a door glowed faintly.

Qiao Qiao pulled him inside, through a long corridor with many suites, and then into another door, where an entire hall of boys came into his view.

Despite being a group of high school students, he felt as if he had entered a world of decadent luxury and damp debauchery. Some were drinking and laughing, while others were whispering and kissing intimately, but the moment they noticed him entering, the noisy chatter disappeared.

They stared at him with intense gazes.

The room was lit by numerous candles encased in colorful glass globes, casting rosy light spots on his face, adding hues he didn't have during the day. Yet, he appeared too frail, like a skinny stray dog that had wandered into a pack of wolves.

This was his first time seeing Qin Yi.

Qin Yi had the face of a villain.

He was very handsome, but the words "arrogant and domineering" seemed written all over his face. A noticeable scar ran from his right eyebrow to his hairline, resembling a red worm, giving his face an eerie and menacing look. A boy who looked extremely innocent, wearing a red collar, clung to his arm. Qin Yi caressed the boy's collar as if petting a personal possession.

This was also his first time seeing so many black collars. The black collar on Pu Yu exuded elegance and quality, but on these people, it conveyed a haughty arrogance, more like a badge of privilege.

They circled around Qin Yi, scrutinizing him.

The hall played English songs, the female singer's voice smooth and raspy, like red velvet, blending with the aroma of whiskey in the room.

"Hello, seniors," he greeted them politely and proactively.