The cafeteria fell silent for a moment.
Every chewing sound, every bit of chatter, every clink of bowls and chopsticks vanished all at once.
Hundreds of pairs of eyes turned toward them in unison.
"So having money makes you so great? Who wants your food!"
A shrill voice tore through the silence.
Wei Xiaofeng stood a few steps away, gripping an empty bowl, his chest heaving.
His face had turned the color of liver, and the veins at his temples throbbed.
His whole body was like a taut string, ready to snap at any moment.
"So you say Grade C meals are dog food... Tsk, tsk, tsk. Are ordinary people not people to you? Do we deserve to be trampled underfoot by you rich folks?"
The more he spoke, the more agitated he became. His voice grew so shrill it cracked, and spittle flew everywhere.
At his words, countless students who had been eating Grade C Meal buns stopped mid-bite.
A restless mood spread through the cafeteria.
Some silently set down their buns, their eyes dark.
Some lowered their heads and clenched their fists.
That bowl of soup he had flung out seemed to have scalded their own faces.
But the unrest lasted only a few seconds.
Whispers soon spread like a rising tide.
"Isn't that Wei Xiaofeng? What's got him so worked up?"
"Jealous of the rich, obviously. Haven't you heard? His family used to make forging materials, but Universal Heavy Industry's new machine drove them into bankruptcy. They even sold his mother's jewelry to scrape together his tuition."
"Heh... Who can he blame? His own family was useless, living off their past earnings and unable to keep up with the times. Now he's whining and blaming everyone else. Think getting into Class One makes him a god?"
"Exactly. What did Lin An ever do to him? So what if he's rich? If you're broke, you deserve to die, right?"
"Besides, wasn't it the silver-haired girl who said Grade C meals were dog food? Why splash Lin An? Picking on the weak, are you?"
As Wei Xiaofeng listened to the muttering around him, his face turned pale, then flushed, then pale again.
What was wrong with these people?
Weren't they supposed to back him up?
Why were they all taking the rich guy's side?
His gaze was fixed on Lin An.
He recognized that logo.
Universal Heavy Industry.
That was the company that had introduced that damn Civilian Soul Guidance Forging Machine, priced at just one-third the cost of a traditional forging platform, yet five times as efficient.
The Wei family's business, built over three generations, had turned to scrap overnight in the face of that machine.
His father had shut down the shop, his mother had pawned her dowry, and the family's entire savings had gone to plug the hole left by their debts.
And what about him?
This young master of Universal Group had been personally escorted by the dean of studies to move his luggage on enrollment day, lived in a top-of-the-line fifteen-square-meter dorm, and even had the cafeteria install a chair for him.
Why?
Why had his own family been ruined while this man could enjoy everything without a care?
"What do you know!"
Wei Xiaofeng whipped around and roared at the crowd, his eyes bloodshot.
But as his gaze swept across the whispering faces, a chill rose in his heart.
Those looks—
They weren't sympathetic or angry. They were gloating.
And there was a trace of pity, as if they thought he was an idiot.
He had left early and didn't know what had happened that morning.
When something happened to Lin An that morning, every teacher in the school had rushed out, and the dean of studies had personally led a group to surround the boys' dormitory.
Every last one of them knew: with a background that powerful, who would dare provoke him?
If Lin An had just been some ordinary rich kid, that would have been one thing. But he was clearly from a completely different world.
How could anyone envy someone from another world?
Just then, two figures stood up at the same time.
Tang Wulin set down his chopsticks and walked over to Lin An's side without a word.
Gu Yue stood as well.
Rather than going to Lin An's side, she stepped directly in front of him, blocking him from view.
Her purple eyes had turned into cold, slit-pupiled eyes, the pupils narrowed to thin lines, like some reptilian Ferocious Beast fixing on its prey.
"Did you eat shit?"
Gu Yue's voice was soft, as light as an ice blade sliding over glass.
"Looking for trouble for no reason?"
Under her stare, Wei Xiaofeng's heart clenched.
An instinctive fear shot up his spine, making his hair stand on end.
What was with this girl?
She was only in Class Five, so why did she have eyes like that?
It was as if some terrifying beast had fixed its gaze on him.
His throat tightened. He opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.
Just then, several students gathered behind Wei Xiaofeng. They were the ones who usually called him brother.
"Xiaofeng, we've got your back!"
"So having money makes you great? You think no one in Class One will stand up to you?"
"Exactly! You're just a support-type. What are you acting so arrogant for?"
With people backing him up, Wei Xiaofeng's confidence returned.
Lin An finally set down his chopsticks.
He turned his head, looking past Gu Yue's shoulder at Wei Xiaofeng.
His expression was mild. There was no anger, no contempt, not even disgust.
"It's fine. Leave him alone."
"But..."
Gu Yue bit her lip and clenched her fist, unwilling to let it go.
"Why should we deal with someone like him ourselves?"
Lin An rolled his eyes at her, his look tinged with exasperation. "A waste of time."
He really did find it baffling.
Gu Yue had been the one to say, "The buns are for dogs," yet this guy had splashed him instead of her?
Was he crazy?
Besides, Lin An had bought extra food to share with others. How had that insulted their pride?
If they didn't want it, they could just not eat it.
Lin An shook his head, inwardly reflecting.
No wonder this was such a small place.
Their understanding of the Soul Dao was far too limited.
In Ming Capital, forget mocking someone to their face—anyone with half a brain would have already dropped to their knees and called him Dad.
Small places were just small places. People put on airs of purity, thought a little talent made them the chosen ones, and didn't even know how to latch onto a powerful patron.
People like that wouldn't get far.
He ignored him.
Completely. Utterly.
Wei Xiaofeng stood frozen in place.
His face went from red to purple, then from purple to black.
His bloodshot eyes stayed fixed on Lin An, his teeth grinding together.
He'd splashed soup and shouted insults, and the other guy still wouldn't even look at him properly?
As if he were a fly.
No.
He was worse than a fly.
At least a fly could make someone frown.
He wasn't even worth that.
"Hey!"
Wei Xiaofeng strode forward, his voice so shrill it broke.
"Remember my name! Wei Xiaofeng, Class One, first year! If you've got guts, don't leave after school. Let's fight one-on-one!"
His finger nearly jabbed Lin An in the face, spittle flying everywhere.
"You're not scared, are you? Huh? Support-types are all useless! What the hell does money—"
He didn't get to finish.
A hand reached in from the side, fingers spread wide, and clamped onto his head with pinpoint accuracy.
Gu Yue was suddenly standing in front of him.
Her exquisite face was expressionless, but her purple eyes were as cold as an Ice Seal lake.
"Try saying one more word."
Wei Xiaofeng's pupils contracted sharply.
He hadn't even seen how she moved.
The next instant—
With his head gripped in her hand, she slammed it hard against the floor.
Bang!
A dull thud rang out, and spiderweb cracks spread through the floor tiles.
Wei Xiaofeng's forehead struck the center of the cracks. Blood seeped along the lines between the tiles, a piercing red.
His body slumped to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. It twitched once, then went still.
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