The Backdoor Admission

Even so, out of politeness, Ronan still stepped forward and asked in the friendliest tone he could manage:

"Need any help?"

The tall roommate fell silent for a moment before asking stiffly, "A noble?"

Ronan paused slightly, then calmly nodded.

A trace of coldness appeared in the other man's eyes. "Thanks, but no."

With that, he turned around and carried the bulky old computer into the inner room.

Bang!

The front door slammed shut, making it clear that strangers were not welcome.

Ronan laughed soundlessly.

Still, he did not care much. He had never expected to get along particularly well with his roommate. The situation was a little worse than he had anticipated, but not unacceptable.

"Looks like the conflict between nobles and commoners within the Empire is even more terrifying than I imagined."

Ronan secretly shook his head. Having spent so many years in Crescent Prison, he had received some information about the outside world, but he was still not worldly enough in many respects. Whether among nobles or commoners, he seemed entirely out of place.

After returning to his room, Ronan locked the door. He spent some time online using the computer Earl had newly set up for him, then began practicing the Elf Meditation Technique.

That night, in a study within Deepwater Fortress.

"This time, I was wrong. I underestimated Yi Lin Manor's preparations, and I underestimated Ronan's strength."

Xiang Feihu lowered his head, his expression ugly.

The Li Family Head remained seated. His index fingers lightly tapped against his temples with an indescribable rhythm and cadence.

"In terms of operating a Light Mech, you're no match for him?"

The middle-aged man touched his nose, sounding somewhat emotional. "Now I'm truly curious how Earl managed to hide someone so outstanding and cultivate him in secret."

Xiang Feihu hesitated for a moment before finally saying honestly, "I'm absolutely no match for him."

"And there's another crucial point. I won the first two rounds because he was trying to control the mech through a Neural Network."

A Neural Network?

The Li Family Head narrowed his eyes. "The Military Department has classified Neural Network technology as a key research project for the next twenty years, but no person or machine could possibly achieve that within at least five years... What do you think is going on?"

Xiang Feihu said awkwardly, "From my fight with Ronan, he seemed like a rookie who had never experienced actual mech combat. If Su Xiao hadn't reminded him, he probably would have kept fighting me through the Neural Network... But once he switched to normal controls, I think... I think..."

"What do you think?" the middle-aged man asked quietly. "Just say it. I need all the information on Ronan."

Xiang Feihu gritted his teeth. "I think it felt like I was facing Nanbei!"

Like facing Li Nanbei!

That oppressive control, those attacks that were impossible to defend against, that fearless momentum...

They were exactly the same as Li Nanbei's!

If outsiders heard that assessment, their jaws would probably drop.

Xiang Feihu had actually rated Ronan so highly.

It was simply unbelievable.

The middle-aged man also showed a trace of surprise, but he knew Xiang Feihu's personality.

He called things exactly as he saw them and never exaggerated.

If he said Ronan was like Li Nanbei, then Ronan at least had the potential to become the next Li Nanbei!

At that thought, his breathing gradually slowed.

"Ah."

"A week ago, Zhang Lao from the Investigation Bureau personally came to my door and told me to restrain myself. I think he was right."

"Everyone knows we deliberately gave ground. We were waiting—for Nanbei to grow, for Yi Lin Manor to weaken."

"But now, I'm afraid we can't wait any longer."

Xiang Feihu's expression also turned solemn.

"Contact Silver Fox," the middle-aged man said calmly. "Tell the Rose Blood Knight that this time, I'll pay one hundred times the price."

"Ronan must die."

Ronan did not know that, somewhere in Bo Ning District a thousand miles away, a conspiracy against him had already begun to take shape.

He simply got up early as usual.

After completing the Eleven Arts, he packed his things, went downstairs alone to buy some breakfast from the convenience store, and hurried toward the classroom.

By the time he reached the classroom door, the room was nearly full.

A group of thirteen- and fourteen-year-old boys and girls were gathered together, chattering away. When Ronan entered, quite a few people looked at him curiously.

Only some of the nobles in Bo Ning District had ever known about Ronan's identity and background. To commoners, it was a realm they would never encounter in their lifetimes.

Ronan swept his gaze across the room and immediately knew that at least three-quarters of the students were commoners.

All the noble descendants were gathered in a corner at the back of the classroom, led by a pale-skinned boy. Su Jie was among them as well.

A clear dividing line had formed between the noble descendants and the commoner students.

After thinking for a moment, Ronan sat down alone in a seat right in the middle of that divide.

There were still five minutes before class began.

Ronan could not be bothered dealing with these little brats, so he simply closed his eyes. Yet his sharp hearing allowed every discussion from the back of the classroom to enter his mind.

"So this is the Ronan you mentioned? He doesn't look like much."

The pale boy said that.

"Lin Chenluo, don't blame me for not warning you. This guy took down Xiang Feihu. He even forced my sister to flee all the way to Dragon Capital Province. He definitely isn't someone easy to deal with."

Su Jie's voice was unexpectedly a little weak.

However, Ronan frowned. Based on what he knew of Su Jie, if Su Jie were truly afraid of him, he would never spread the news around.

"Learning to sow discord and kill with a borrowed blade at such a young age?"

Ronan sneered inwardly. If it were not for Su Xiao's sake, this brat really needed a proper lesson.

Sure enough, after hearing Su Jie's words, Lin Chenluo became even more unconvinced.

"Xiang Feihu? The Li Family fell into a trap without even realizing it! Yi Lin Manor and the Li Family joined forces to suppress the news of that night, but they can't hide it from the Lin Family. I even watched the video."

"The angle of Ronan's Side Kick was obviously wrong. How could it possibly produce that kind of effect? Yi Lin Manor clearly set it up in advance! With the technology Yi Lin Manor controls, would it be hard to remotely set off an Isolation Wall on a timer and snap a sandbag?"

"As for the virtual mech battle... Heh. Xiang Feihu must have something wrong with his brain to fight their people in Yi Lin Manor's martial arts hall. Who knows whether they altered the mech data? Just turn up the White General's stats tenfold, and I could do it too."

Lin Chenluo said disdainfully, "This is Yi Lin Manor's way of hyping Ronan up, and you can't even see that? Xiang Feihu obviously fell for it. He's just a dumb soldier. If Ronan were really that strong, have you ever considered why Earl would suppress the news and keep others from knowing?"

A group of noble youths nodded repeatedly at Lin Chenluo's analysis.

Su Jie hesitated. "The mech battle data might have been altered, but that Side Kick..."

"When the hell did you become such a coward?" Lin Chenluo said impatiently. "Besides, we're not going to fight him directly. Wouldn't it be easy enough to humiliate him and give him a warning?"

"Just watch me!"

With that, he took out a sleek-looking phone and tapped it a few times.

Suddenly, the classroom's multimedia holographic screen slowly descended.

Everyone was stunned, only to see Ronan and his file appear on the screen!

What a thin student record it was!

All his personal information was classified. His previous academic record was blank, while the most important field—method of admission—clearly read: Guaranteed Admission.

"Oh, I pressed the wrong button by accident. Huh, so Bo Ning Academy has people admitted through guarantees too." Lin Chenluo's mocking voice rang through the classroom.

For a moment, the previously noisy classroom fell silent.

Everyone looked at Ronan with contempt in their eyes!

Especially the commoners. Beneath their contempt was a measure of anger!

So-called Guaranteed Admission was merely a nicer name—put bluntly, it meant getting in through the back door!

"You're keeping your composure pretty well. Quite dignified, huh? Ah, I originally thought someone important had arrived, but it turns out you're just trash who could only enter Bo Ning Academy through the back door."

Lin Chenluo's voice was sharp and shrill. "Looks like I need to have my father speak with the academy board. Letting just anyone into Bo Ning Academy—what does that do to the academy's reputation?"

Every word he spoke cut to the bone, without the slightest consideration or restraint.

Su Jie sneered. This was exactly the effect he wanted.

Yes, Ronan was powerful, but Lin Chenluo's background was no small matter either!

Lin Chenluo had provoked him like this on the first day of school. Let's see if Ronan could keep his composure now!

Ronan slowly turned and looked at the pale, almost sickly noble boy. Calmly, he said:

"Turn it off."

Lin Chenluo shut off the screen with a grin. "No problem. Anyway, everyone already knows what they need to know, right?"

Ronan could not be bothered with him. He closed his eyes to rest, directly ignoring the gossip around him.

Two minutes later, the bell rang.

However, awkwardly enough, the students realized in astonishment that the teacher for the first class on the first day of school was late!

Five minutes later, the classroom was on the verge of erupting. Ronan alone remained completely unmoved.

Ronan did not know that, in the principal's office not far from the classroom, an angry young teacher was slamming his hand on the desk.

"Why?"

"Bo Ning Academy has been operating for so many years and has an excellent reputation! Why should we make an exception for him?"

"Just because he's a noble? We commoners study our hearts out. So many people give everything they have and still fail to get into Bo Ning Academy, while he gets in so easily?"

"Isn't our academy's educational principle fairness and justice?"

"I'll say it right here today: I won't teach a student who got in through the back door!"

The first supporting character makes an appearance. There will be a supporting-character submission event next week. If you're interested, follow the "Deep Blue Coconut Juice" WeChat public account. As usual, please vote for recommendations.