Class Zero

"You're very expensive," Xie Xie said.

After a while, everyone had eaten and drunk their fill. Tang Wulin pointed at Meng Li, who had fallen asleep hugging a bottle of alcohol.

"How about we take him back?"

"Sure," Gu Yue said coldly.

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie carried Meng Li between them. He muttered drunken nonsense, his words carrying a peculiar accent.

"I want barbecue."

"Dammit, let's go! I can walk, put me down!"

"Tonight's bill is on Young Master Xie?"

"Will he be okay like this?" Tang Wulin asked worriedly.

"I heard my uncle say that drunk people are all like this."

"Definitely a sister complex. Gu Yue, it looks like your rival is really formidable." Xie Xie laughed as he supported Meng Li.

My rival is actually myself? Gu Yue froze slightly.

By the time Tang Wulin and Xie Xie carried Meng Li back to the dormitory, it was already very late. The three of them tidied up a little and went to rest.

"Ahhh, I really chose my friends poorly. So poorly!" Meng Li's face flushed red. When Xie Xie called him a sister complex, he felt that he must have said something he shouldn't have last night. Unfortunately, he had drunk too much and couldn't remember a thing the next morning.

"Didn't we say so? We're superficial brothers, Sister Complex." Xie Xie ate breakfast as he vividly continued recounting what had happened the night before.

As Meng Li listened on, his expression gradually turned ferocious. Stroking Murasa, he partially drew his blade and said, "Say a single word about it and you die. Draw your sword!"

Xie Xie stopped talking. He had no desire to end up on Meng Li's list.

Gu Yue was unusually quiet today. As she swallowed her food, her thoughts gradually drifted away, recalling the scene from last night.

She remembered how, at the restaurant, Meng Li had mistaken her for Na'er and fiercely shielded her behind him. There had been no enemies, yet that look in his eyes had moved her.

Is this what it feels like to be protected? Gu Yue shook her head and did not dwell on it.

"By the way, Tang Wulin seems to have disappeared again?" Xie Xie hurriedly changed the subject.

After the three finished eating, there was still some time before the morning assembly. They took a leisurely walk, and as soon as they reached the field, they saw Tang Wulin staring foolishly at a beautiful figure.

"Tch, what are you looking at? What's so good about her?" Meng Li was also looking at the beautiful figure ahead, and Gu Yue felt a slight sourness in her heart.

"Better-looking than you?" Xie Xie gave Gu Yue an appraising glance.

Gu Yue had black hair and black eyes. Her figure was above average among girls her age, very well-proportioned, but compared to that girl, she did fall a little short.

Gu Yue: (｀^′)

"You're asking for death!" Gu Yue said.

"Meng Li, who do you think is prettier?" Gu Yue looked at Meng Li.

"You're prettier!" Meng Li answered without even thinking.

"That's perfunctory!" Gu Yue said.

"..." Sure enough, when a woman gets angry, everything you say is wrong. Meng Li simply shut up.

"Hey, she's already gone far away and you're still staring?"

"Xie Xie." Tang Wulin was stunned.

"She's the school beauty of the Academy's Intermediate Division." Xie Xie stepped forward and draped an arm over Tang Wulin's shoulder, his face covered in dust, while examining his profile.

"I couldn't tell, but you're not so simple after all. Now I know why you threw away all those love letters."

"As they say, every boy has an unforgettable senior sister in his heart."

"Alright, enough." Tang Wulin was covered in embarrassment.

"What are you even talking about..."

"If you want to pursue her, then pursue her. Better than regretting it later. What was that girl's name again?" Meng Li said. So that girl just now must be the female lead. She was quite pretty. The protagonist really is the protagonist; only a school beauty is worthy of his status.

"You don't even know that? You've been at the school for months. Her name is Ouyang Zixin!"

Xie Xie wore a lewd grin.

"I hear you're all very interested in that girl?" Gu Yue smiled as she rolled a fireball between her hands, her eyes seemingly casually glancing toward where Meng Li stood.

"No, absolutely not." Meng Li gave a dry laugh. He had no interest whatsoever in the girl the protagonist Tang Wulin liked. Besides, they were still so young. What was there to talk about in terms of romance?

"He wouldn't dare!" Xie Xie shot Meng Li a sidelong glance, then went off to whisper with Tang Wulin.

In his heart, Tang Wulin was his true good friend. The other two were not; they could only be considered superficial friends. Who told him he could neither beat them nor outtalk them?

The entire Eastsea Academy field was packed with people. Meng Li stood beside Wu Changkong, with Gu Yue, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie standing in order behind him.

People all around were whispering. In any case, the students from the other classes looked at their class with astonishment, and even envy.

They envied their talent and envied them for rising from Class Five to Class One.

Long Hengxu stood at the front with a solemn expression. The red banner behind him bore the words: Strive constantly for self-improvement, never give up.

"Students, please quiet down!

"Next, I will announce several matters..."

The first matter Long Hengxu announced was that First Year Class Five had been promoted to Class One, while the remaining classes would each move back one rank. The second was that Class One, the victor of the Promotion Tournament, would receive one Grade A Meal every day for an entire semester.

Of everyone, Tang Wulin was naturally the happiest about the reward of a Grade A Meal worth one thousand Federal Coins.

As for Meng Li, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue, none of them lacked money. Saving the cost of one meal a day only made them happy for a moment.

The final matter was the establishment of First Year Class Zero. Those who had displayed extraordinary talent in the Promotion Tournament would be selected as key cultivation targets.

After Long Hengxu stepped down, the principal gave a speech. Once his speech was over, Meng Li, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, Tang Wulin, Wang Jinxi, Wei Xiaofeng, and Zhang Yangzi were called to the office.

A confidentiality agreement was placed before them. If they signed it, they would receive the Academy's full support. The price was that they had to attend both intermediate and advanced academy at Eastsea Academy.

Meng Li signed without any hesitation. They had already shown such sincerity, so there was no need for him to put on airs.

Seeing Meng Li sign, Gu Yue signed without hesitation as well.

Tang Wulin followed immediately after. He needed resources, and he needed to grow stronger.

Even the hesitant Xie Xie signed. After all, his good brother Tang Wulin had signed too.

Wei Xiaofeng chose to leave! He needed to go to a better academy.

After Wang Jinxi from Class One signed, Zhang Yangzi signed without hesitation as well.

Thus, Eastsea Academy's First Year Class Zero was established.

Naturally, there were plenty of benefits to being in Class Zero. All six of them were assigned single dorm rooms, the same kind ordinary teachers lived in. That afternoon, they busied themselves moving into their new rooms.

After tidying up his dorm room, having learned his lesson yesterday and been branded with the label of sister complex, Meng Li gave up drinking.

He began meditating to increase his Soul Power. He needed to raise his Soul Power as quickly as possible so that he could remain undefeated in the future.

He meditated until eight in the evening, when there came a knock on his door.

When he opened it, he saw Gu Yue dressed in a carefully chosen light green dress. In her fair hands, she carried a Grade A Meal from the school.

"I thought something had happened to you. You didn't even eat, so I came to check on you." Gu Yue smiled as if casually.

Meng Li felt a slight warmth in his heart and took the meal from Gu Yue's hands.

"I'm fine. I got so caught up in cultivating that I forgot the time. Want to come in and sit for a while?"

Gu Yue poked her head inside and looked around. On the desk by the window were three photographs, all of them pictures with a silver-haired girl.