Awakened ones, don't seem that great?

This was undoubtedly a chaotic day.

The existing order was shattered, especially for the graduating students. The more suppressed they were normally, the more intensely they reacted now.

Teachers tried their best, emphasizing repeatedly that studying was still important, still the focus of their future lives. In the fervent atmosphere, very few could actually listen.

In the end, some students started setting their practice problems on fire in class.

"To hell with grinding problems, to hell with the sea of practice, to hell with college entrance exams!"

"I'm going to be a master of the New Era, I'm going to defy fate!"

When one person does something, many will follow.

More and more people started acting out, tearing books on the spot, climbing onto desks to wave their arms and shout, or howling like wild wolves...

This forced Jiang Yue, though reluctant, to step in and maintain some order.

Despite many of these students being fickle, his six years as class monitor gave him a presence that few dared to challenge.

"Classmates, I can totally understand how you're all feeling. This change came too quickly, and you weren't psychologically prepared. Some are excited, some are lost, some are looking forward, some are sad. These are all normal reactions."

"Take me, for example. I'm quite lost. I've been thinking all day about how everyone used to call me a top student. In the end, how useful is that title?"

This, of course, wasn't Jiang Yue's true thought. With his intelligence, he simply understood what to say to get through to them.

For instance, self-deprecation.

As expected, after Jiang Yue made a joke about his top student status, the classroom atmosphere cooled down significantly.

"I've seen our enrollment list. Every single one of us in this class is eighteen years old or older today, fully adult. The results of the Physical Test, and how much of a change they'll ultimately bring, are still undecided. And more importantly, not standing out this time doesn't mean you won't have opportunities later. As the leaders said, the Physical Test is a long-term project. Today it's Zhang San who's lucky, tomorrow it might be Li Si, the day after it could be Wang Wu..."

"Even if, hypothetically, you never excel in the Physical Test, wouldn't that make it even more important to study hard?"

"Besides, there's no evidence to suggest that excelling in the Physical Test means you can stop studying. No matter how developed your limbs are, without an armed mind, you won't be able to compete with others under the same conditions, right?"

"I can see that everyone's emotions are running high right now, and it's really hard to ask you to calm down and study. Honestly, I can't do it either. So, I propose that if you're feeling overly excited, you can go to the sports field after school to let off some steam. Football, basketball, running laps, whatever you want!"

"I'm not targeting anyone! But starting fires in class is absolutely not okay. If that fire spreads, that's dozens of lives. Even if some students have excellent Physical Test results, they haven't evolved to the point where they can't be burned by a furnace, right?"

This last part made everyone laugh.

The students who had started burning their practice problems were actually a little scared afterward.

There was nothing else in the classroom, but there were plenty of books. They were highly flammable, and if a fire had started, causing a death, even if they didn't die at the scene, they'd be looking at a lifetime in prison. And perhaps they wouldn't even get that chance, and would be executed directly.

Just then, Deputy Director Shao returned to the classroom.

"Students, the school leadership just finished a meeting and made a decision. Given that you all lack psychological preparation for the arrival of the New Era and are finding it difficult to adjust emotionally, we will be letting out early today. Evening study hall is also canceled. Tomorrow, the school will resume normal classes. You all need to adjust your mindsets promptly. In your six years of middle school, you've completed 95% of the journey, and it's just the final push. At this critical juncture, you absolutely cannot falter. Get into a good university. The Physical Test will still be conducted in university. The higher your platform in university, the higher your platform will naturally be in the future. Now, not only must you not slack off, but you must work even harder. The competition in the future will undoubtedly be even fiercer!"

"Alright, you're dismissed!"

After all, this was a speech from a deputy director. If Old Sun had given it, it might not have had the same effect.

Old Sun connected with students emotionally, while Deputy Director Shao connected with them verbally.

Each had their strengths.

As Jiang Yue was packing his bag, a figure darted to his desk. "Li Yue, a few of us Awakener who got excellent results in the Physical Test are planning to get together tonight. Are you coming?"

Li Yue became nervous and shook her head. "I... I won't go."

"Don't be like that! Li Yue, we'll all be in the same circle from now on. You can't always stay on the outside, can you? This is organized by Brother Yifeng. Wang Shen and I are both going."

"I need to review my homework." Li Yue remained unmoved.

"That's no fun! At least give us some face! From now on, we'll be the representatives of our class. If you don't come, it'll look like we're not united internally."

Li Yue wasn't as quick-witted. Her face turned red, and she clutched her pen tightly, looking very embarrassed. But anyone could see that she genuinely didn't want to go, not at all.

"Ziyang, Li Yue looks like she really can't make it, so maybe we should drop it?" Jiang Yue hadn't said anything initially. They were inviting Li Yue, and he couldn't make the decision for her.

However, what Fang Ziyang said later clearly took a turn for the worse, becoming a form of moral coercion: if she didn't go, she was uncooperative.

This was labeling her.

Jiang Yue had to step in to help Li Yue out.

Fang Ziyang glanced at Jiang Yue and chuckled, "Class monitor, how do you know if Li Yue can make it or not? Does this concern you?"

Bang!

Mao Doudou slammed his desk. "Fang Ziyang, I've had enough of you. Who do you think you are, that people have to go just because you invite them? I now solemnly invite you to eat shit, are you going?"

"Mao Nineteen, who the hell do you think you are? Do you have a right to speak here?"

"So what if I said it? Have you ever peed and looked at yourself in the mirror? You think you're an elephant just because you put a green onion up your nose? It was just a physical test, and you think you're a 'representative' of our class? You're not worthy!"

Everyone could see the conflict erupting here, unless they were blind.

However, no one was in a hurry to take sides.

In their eyes, this was a showdown between the old and new forces in the class. When gods fight, mere mortals should stay out of the way.

Even though the gods themselves weren't directly involved, their two proxies were fighting.

Fang Ziyang was quite a figure in the class, coming from a very well-off family. He generally didn't pay much attention to country bumpkins like Mao Doudou.

If Mao Doudou hadn't been allied with the class monitor Jiang Yue, Fang Ziyang probably wouldn't have even glanced at him.

Seeing Mao Doudou challenge him at this moment, Fang Ziyang couldn't stand it.

"Come on, let's go to the sports field and spar. It's a good chance to see what a 20% improvement in my physical fitness looks like."

Fang Ziyang was already a key player on the class basketball team, with excellent physical condition. Now that his physical fitness had improved by 20% in a short period, he naturally had the confidence to back it up.

Even though Mao Doudou looked equally strong and robust, Fang Ziyang now saw himself as an Awakener, while Mao Doudou was just some nobody with average Physical Test results.

In front of an Awakener, shouldn't a nobody kneel down, tremble, and sing praises?

"Fighting is a bit much!" At this moment, Jiang Yue had already packed his schoolbag and gently pushed aside Fang Ziyang, who was standing by his desk gesturing. "Excuse me."

Though it looked like a gentle push, Fang Ziyang's body inexplicably felt as if it had been hit by an irresistible force, causing him to stumble back four or five meters.

"Let's go! Doudou, Big Soldier Restaurant. Whoever wants to come, it's on me tonight."

Jiang Yue acted as if he hadn't seen Fang Ziyang retreat several meters. Without showing off or seeming flustered, he chuckled and walked out of the classroom.

"Hey! Class monitor, count me in. I haven't eaten a good meal in days," Tong Di said, adjusting his glasses.

"Class monitor, how can you have a feast without me, Old Wang," his deskmate Wang Xiawei quickly rolled up his schoolbag and followed.

Fang Ziyang was left standing there dumbfounded, unsure whether to be angry or not, feeling incredibly awkward.

To be honest, he was bewildered himself.

He hadn't perceived any deliberate force from Jiang Yue's push just now; it was indeed just a light shove. Yet, he had retreated so far, as if he were deliberately exaggerating his reaction to highlight Jiang Yue.

For a moment, he couldn't figure out if he was just weak or if Jiang Yue was hiding his true strength.

There was no evening study session. Li Yue quietly packed her schoolbag, neither joining Jiang Yue's gathering nor responding to Fang Ziyang's invitation.

Her solitary figure seemed to tell everyone that she just wanted to be a quiet, inconspicuous presence.

Human hearts are indeed complex. Even though many people were fawning over the few Awakeners around their desks earlier, seeing Fang Ziyang get the short end of the stick in this recent conflict, many inwardly rejoiced.

Why?

As this new hierarchy was just beginning to shift, Fang Ziyang had arrogantly declared himself the class's representative figure, high-handedly forming cliques and appearing to exclude others.

Who among young people of similar age could tolerate such immodest behavior?

Besides, weren't they supposed to be Awakeners with excellent Physical Test results? Wasn't their physical fitness supposed to have improved by 20%? How could a light push from the class monitor send him flying so far like a paper kite?

And he dared to call himself an Awakener? Bah!

Could it be that everyone had been deceived by these people? What Awakeners, they were just bluffing?

In short, Jiang Yue's push made many people feel a sense of satisfaction, and their hearts felt much more balanced.

The class monitor was still the class monitor, after all.

So, should they go to the class monitor's gathering?

Looking at Du Yifeng's unpredictable expression, most people decided to play it safe, not taking sides, and wait to see how things unfolded.