Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Arthur widened his eyes, staring incredulously at the figure appearing on the screen before him. The once naive, innocent, and almost gullible Ai Noah had, in the span of just one year, transformed beyond recognition, becoming a formidable figure radiating a dangerous aura. A complex mix of emotions flashed in his eyes—surprise, confusion, and even a hint of underlying unease.

Although Arthur had experienced rebirth, and all past events had become memories of a previous life, the experiences of that former life remained like a thorn deeply embedded in his heart, allowing his flaw of bullying the weak and fearing the strong to take root deep within his soul. At this moment, while intently watching the continuously playing footage on the screen, trying to find any trace of change in Ai's every move, he was also engaged in an internal struggle, repeatedly pondering whether he should try once more to get closer to Ai and mend what might already be a fractured connection. At the same time, the matter of borrowing money from Evan weighed on his mind like a heavy stone, making him agonize over how to pay it back properly.

When Arthur's thoughts inadvertently drifted back to the amount he had borrowed, his brows instantly furrowed into a tight knot, and a clear look of distress appeared on his face. It was no small sum, and repaying it would undoubtedly be a significant burden for him now.

However, Arthur had no idea that while he was troubled by his own affairs, a casual action of his had, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirred ripples in the heart of Evan, the protagonist he had created, really getting to Evan. After sleeping soundly for four hours, Evan's biological clock, like a precise alarm, woke him from his sweet dreams on time. As his consciousness gradually cleared, he slowly opened his eyes, which still held a trace of lingering sleepiness.

For convenience of movement, Evan's team had chosen to stay at this seemingly ordinary teahouse. However, this place called a teahouse was actually a secret outpost within the chaotic Green Forest Wharf—the Hometown Teahouse. They had booked three adjacent rooms, and the room allocation was quite orderly: the left room was occupied by the two girls, Nancy and Lily; the right room housed the three boys, Evan, Louis, and Ista; while the middle room had been cleverly converted into a multi-functional space for the five of them, serving as both a meeting room for discussions and a pharmacy for preparing medicines, as well as a storage room for miscellaneous items.

The accommodation provided by the Hometown Teahouse was located in a two-story building at the back. Perhaps to accommodate as many guests as possible, the rooms here were generally small in area. Inside was a large communal bed made of planks, about two meters long and roughly two point three meters wide. The bedding, while not luxurious, was reasonably clean and tidy. Apart from that, the room only had a simple wooden table barely sufficient for placing a few items, making it rather spartan.

For the three boys in a phase of rapid physical growth, squeezing into such a cramped room was indeed somewhat uncomfortable. Fortunately, Louis had been away on business last night, so sharing the large communal bed with Ista was just barely manageable.

Almost the instant Evan opened his eyes, Ista, as if on cue, also awoke from his dreams in that same moment. The two exchanged a glance, a knowing smile appearing on both their faces, before quickly getting up, dressing, and washing up in one fluid motion. By this time, the waiter from the Hometown Teahouse had already delivered their breakfast to the middle room as instructed.

When Evan and Ista walked into the middle room together, they saw Nancy and Lily already seated at the large table formed by three wooden tables pushed together. On the table sat a large steamer basket filled with steaming hot buns, their plump, white appearance exuding an enticing aroma that seemed to speak of deliciousness. Next to it was a pot of thick congee, golden in color with plump grains of rice. There was also a plate of tea eggs, their shells covered in cracks that seemed to announce how well-marinated they were—all of it enough to whet anyone's appetite.

The breakfast provided by the Hometown Teahouse, while not particularly refined or elaborate in its preparation, had the advantage of being generous in portion, ample enough for them to eat their fill.

Nancy looked at the buns on the table, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. As someone seeing Chinese food for the first time, despite trying hard to maintain the composure and calm befitting her role as team leader, her barely contained curiosity still shone through her gaze. She couldn't help but say, "Morning, you two. Come try these Chinese steamed buns. They actually have filling inside, pork filling at that, and it doesn't smell bad at all. The taste is really unique." As she spoke, she picked up a bun, took a small bite, and a look of pleasant surprise appeared on her face.

Lily also took a bite of a bun, savoring the flavor carefully, then observed the filling inside more closely and said, "I've never seen these vegetables inside before. It seems some spices were added too; the flavor is quite complex."

Just then, Louis, who had been away last night, pushed the door open and hurried in. His eyes immediately lit up at the sight of the buns on the table. He reached out and took the meat bun Evan had just picked up, taking a big, casual bite. Then, without ceremony, he took the bowl of plain congee Ista had just served himself and plopped down onto the empty seat between Evan and Ista.

Evan and Ista just exchanged an unconcerned smile at this, not paying it much mind, then picked up another bun each and served themselves bowls of congee. Nancy, however, shot Louis a direct glare and said in a tone tinged with reproach, "Louis, go wash your hands!"

Louis, with the meat bun held in his mouth, raised both hands high to show everyone they were clean. Once Nancy looked away, he immediately pulled three white jade tokens from his pocket, a mysterious smile on his face, and said, "There was a covert skirmish there yesterday. I saw a few freshmen from a distance. They had also managed to infiltrate a wealthy merchant's house, but ended up being surrounded and attacked by the male servants. Although they escaped in the end, they dropped their white jade tokens. The head of that household reported it to the local police overnight." As he spoke, he held up the bun with a bite missing, blinked, and struggled to hold back a laugh.

In the room filled with the faint aroma of food, Evan took a bite of the meat bun in his hand and mumbled indistinctly, "Just how many white jade tokens did the Headmaster throw in here, anyway?" After saying this, he casually picked up another white token from the table, his gaze lingering on it for a moment before turning to his companions, his face full of confusion as he asked, "Is this whole freshman competition just a test of our intelligence-gathering skills?"

Ista frowned slightly, images of Jinling City's intricate network of streets and alleys and its tide-like crowds surfacing in his mind. The city was vast in area, with a population far exceeding that of the imperial capital. The thought of having to complete the competition in such an environment made him somewhat apprehensive. He hesitated before speaking, "Perhaps it is. I sincerely hope the scope of the competition is limited to this Jinling City. If it expands to the entire country, that would be far too difficult. I'm afraid I'd have no choice but to drop out."

Meanwhile, in the conference room outside the illusion, the gazes of all the faculty and staff turned in unison towards Headmaster Constantine seated at the head of the table. Each pair of eyes was filled with doubt and inquiry, as if waiting for the Headmaster to unveil the mystery of the freshman competition for them.

Headmaster Constantine, however, merely allowed a mysterious smile to curl at the corner of his mouth. He elegantly picked up his glass of red wine, gave it a gentle swirl, took a small sip, and slowly praised, "Excellent wine." He acted as if the only thing on his mind was the wine in his glass. As for the matters related to the freshman competition, he had cleverly hidden them behind this inscrutable smile, leaving no one able to guess his true thoughts.

Seeing this, the faculty and staff exchanged looks of resignation amongst themselves, ultimately giving up on pressing further. They turned their attention back to the screens before them, continuing to watch the movements of the freshmen within the illusion.