A few of them arrived at the tables in the cruise ship's main dining room, where fine tableware and fresh flowers had been arranged.
They chose a spot slightly off to the side and slowly sat down.
The view here was excellent. A huge, bright window stretched across the room.
From here, they could admire the sea and the sky.
Yi Chen gazed at the scenery quietly.
The others browsed the menu and casually ordered the food they wanted.
Then Ken Sudō, Sato, and the others started chatting.
Yi Chen fell into thought and said nothing.
Ken Sudō wore an aggrieved expression.
"Man, the school said we'd be going on a cruise, but so far it's been nothing but exams. One after another."
"I'm exhausted."
Sato chimed in, her voice full of complaint.
"Exactly. Those seven days of exams on the Uninhabited Island were a nightmare. Nothing we did felt comfortable."
"What kind of school gives exams like that?"
Airi sat nearby, but her gaze stayed fixed on Yi Chen. She spoke softly.
"Mm-hmm. And Yi Chen-kun must have had it even harder than we did back then."
Ken Sudō immediately shouted in indignation.
"Just thinking about that makes me mad. On the Uninhabited Island..."
"Kushida and her group did nothing but chatter and make a racket."
"Especially that girl. She even accused me of trying to hit someone."
"Hmph. Yi Chen earned so many Class Points for our class, and they still treated him like that."
Seeing this, Yi Chen quickly raised a hand to stop Ken Sudō.
A faint, wry smile crossed his face as he said, "Thanks, Sudo. Let's not bring up the past. It's all behind us."
Ken Sudō still looked as if he was boiling with indignation on Yi Chen's behalf. He stamped his foot anxiously.
"Yi Chen, how can you just let it go? You're too nice. If it were me, I'd have beaten them up..."
"At the very least, I'd have gone over and argued with them."
Yi Chen shook his head helplessly, the wry smile still on his lips.
"Enough, enough. Thanks, Sudo."
Sato also spoke up for Yi Chen.
"Exactly. Yi Chen-kun has done so much for the class. We all know that."
Yi Chen deliberately changed the subject. His gaze swept over the group as he asked quietly, "Let's leave that aside. What does everyone think about the upcoming VIP Exam?"
Sato looked at Yi Chen, thought for a moment, then pursed her lips and spoke slowly.
"Based on what we know so far, if the VIP in our group comes forward and all of us answer correctly, everyone will get 500,000 points. That should be the safest option and the best for everyone."
Ken Sudō nodded enthusiastically, his face full of agreement.
"Exactly! It's simple. If I were the VIP, I'd tell everyone on the last day."
"Then we'd all get the points, and everyone would see just how generous Ken Sudō is."
Airi's cheeks flushed slightly. She gave a gentle nod and spoke in a soft voice.
"I agree with you. That really would be the best."
At once, everyone turned to look at Yi Chen.
Ken Sudō leaned toward him and asked eagerly, "What do you think, Yi Chen?"
Yi Chen gave a slight nod, his expression calm.
"I agree."
Ken Sudō immediately thumped his chest and laughed heartily.
"Haha, good thing this exam isn't hard. Yi Chen-kun and the rest of us are on the same page, so we'll be fine."
Yi Chen said nothing more. He lowered his eyes and silently considered what to do.
If things follow the plot, Ryuen has already arranged for the spies to find out everything.
Then every class will lose 50 points, and Ryuen will win on his own.
There are eight groups, and Class C has an average of two VIPs.
If those two VIPs don't get guessed incorrectly, Class C won't be affected at all.
Even if everyone answers correctly, Class C will still get two million points.
The remaining people in Class C can guess the VIPs in the other classes and get...
Six groups, 300 Class Points, and three million points.
If they guess the other classes correctly, those classes will also lose 50 Class Points.
Every class will lose 100 Class Points.
Then Class C will be the only class to win this exam.
What should I do?
Before Yi Chen could come up with an answer, the servers soon brought over all the food the group had ordered.
The exquisite dishes gave off a delicious aroma.
Yi Chen couldn't help thinking again, So this is how the rich live?
Everyone ate and chatted, while Yi Chen barely spoke.
They all knew that although Yi Chen usually kept quiet, he was very capable.
After dinner, they headed back to the classroom together. It was bustling with activity.
Everyone talked over one another. Some were nervous and worried about what to do;
Some were excited and thought the exam sounded fun;
Others looked confident, leaned back in their chairs, and rested with their eyes closed, as if victory were already assured.
That night, Yi Chen lay in bed, thinking over what to do.
He opened the cards he owned to take a look.
Bronze: one Calf Kick
Two Silver Cards: Five-Tone Singing King, Sprint Genius
Gold Cards: Omniscient Reader, Primordial Flower Hand, Sword Mastery
Diamond Cards: Whirlwind Triple Kick, Baji Fist
"Wait, I haven't used Omniscient Reader yet."
"Even though I can only use it once, it should work for this, right?"
Yi Chen steeled himself and used it!
The Omniscient Reader card instantly shone brightly in the room, bathing it in golden light.
The glare was so bright Yi Chen couldn't keep his eyes open.
He heard a voice say,
"The Omniscient Reader's First Wall has been opened."
Then the golden light that had filled the room gradually faded away.
"Wait, the First Wall has been opened?"
"What now?"
Yi Chen checked his surroundings, then opened his door and explored the cruise ship.
In the end, he found nothing.
Defeated, Yi Chen returned to his room.
He took a deep breath and called out in his heart,
"Angel."
As soon as the words left his mind,
a gentle light flashed, and Angel appeared out of thin air in the middle of the room.
She wore a pure white robe, her wings gently fluttering behind her.
With a playful smile on her face, she teased him.
"What is it, young man? Missing your beautiful Angel already?"
Yi Chen pursed his lips and gave an unimpressed "Tsk."
He asked bluntly, "What does my Omniscient Reader do? And what do you mean by the First Wall?"
Angel tilted her head and blinked in feigned surprise.
"You used Omniscient Reader already? Young man, you're sure in a hurry."
"I'm not too sure what this card does, either."
"But if I remember right, the First Wall can interfere with the plot."
Yi Chen's face lit up. He hurriedly pressed her for more.
"What does that mean? How does it interfere?"
Angel playfully winked at him and spread her hands.
"You'll have to figure out what happens next on your own. I'm going to bed."
Before Yi Chen could say anything else, Angel turned into a streak of light and disappeared.
Angel was strange. When Yi Chen called her for no reason, she acted as if she couldn't hear him at all. But whenever she issued a quest, or he needed her like now, she appeared right away.
Feeling helpless, Yi Chen stared at the spot where Angel had vanished for a while. Finally, he sighed, lay back down, and pulled the covers over himself.
He thought, Forget it. I'll take things as they come.
As he thought, he slowly drifted off to sleep.
Before you continue