Sorry, I Feel Like My Freshman Year Was for Nothing

This guy was strange.

It was something Ling had suddenly noticed about Fang Ran.

At first, Ling had simply thought Fang Ran was a goofball—a machine for spouting terrible jokes and snark, as well as an idiot and a moron. But after recovering her calm from the massive blow of completely screwing herself over—yesterday, that was—and regaining the intelligence of the old "Night Wanderer," she silently observed Fang Ran for the entire morning.

Thinking back on how Fang Ran had acted these past few days, she naturally noticed many things.

This guy was undoubtedly an ordinary person, the most common kind you could find in any crowd.

No special talents, nothing remarkable, an ordinary family, ordinary looks, ordinary social connections.

And all morning, Fang Ran had slept through class like everyone else and squeezed into the cafeteria with everyone else. There was absolutely nothing special about him.

Ling pondered silently. Yet this sort of ordinary person, the kind who would vanish into a crowd the moment he turned his head—

Had been chosen by Night Battle.

Through Night Web, Ling had once examined the files of countless participants. Every one of them possessed something extraordinary.

Exceptional intelligence, outstanding physical ability, strong willpower, powerful mental resilience, excellent social skills.

Even the most mediocre Night Battle Participant had one of those shining qualities and held a central position in their usual social circles.

But this guy...

After one morning, Ling had already learned that Fang Ran was the kind of ordinary person who was ordinary even within his own social circle. He was not quite pitiful enough to be completely dispensable, but he definitely was not any sort of central figure.

But still—there was that "but." Someone like him had been selected as a Night Battle Participant.

And when he was with other people, he did not seem to have that goofball aura. He chatted and laughed with his classmates normally enough. Yet Fang Ran's "deep impression" from the past few days still made Ling deeply suspicious.

Wasn't this guy supposed to be a goofball?

It was not that Ling was overthinking it. Fang Ran's behavior this morning differed far too much from his goofball image from the past few days. It felt as if an idiot had suddenly turned into a normal person.

Then Ling suddenly remembered the night she had taken Fang Ran out. At the time, she had not yet fully calmed down after accepting the blow of being trapped, so she had not thought much about it. But looking back now, especially compared with Fang Ran this morning—

It was utterly suspicious!!

Ling firmly believed, without the slightest doubt, that if someone merely pointed a handgun at Fang Ran's head right now, this coward would immediately drop to his knees and beg.

Yet this very coward had faced firearms that night, sent those people's bullets flying, and protected a girl he had never met before. Well, although he had beaten up her second uncle.

And there was something else. How had a guy like him found the courage to let go and jump from the height of the fourth or fifth floor!?

Could someone whose willpower was obviously not that strong really have acknowledged his ability so inexplicably after just one night?

Ling had thought about all this after reaching an agreement with Fang Ran yesterday. She had always found it strange that Fang Ran had suddenly told her those things yesterday. Had he guessed something?

Impossible, right? That goofball who always loved to make snarky comments.

But that goofball seemed perfectly normal around other people today, didn't he?

Ling realized that she could not quite figure this guy Fang Ran out.

Inside the data space, Ling floated in the air with her legs crossed, her eyes lowered as she pondered something. Then, as if she had suddenly thought of something, a mischievous smile curled her lips.

Come to think of it, hadn't that coward glanced back at her several times just now?

"By the way, we don't have class this afternoon, Fang Ran. Come on! Let's game together!"

One of his dorm mates slapped Fang Ran hard on the shoulder. Fang Ran sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Forget it. You guys go ahead. I'm not going."

"Don't tell me it's because you need to study?"

One of them adjusted his glasses and questioned him with a look of contempt.

Fang Ran spread his hands helplessly.

"Because I'm poor."

Everyone: "..."

"Fine then. Since you're heading to the club building to pick up girls, we won't stop you!"

It was still that same dorm mate, slapping Fang Ran hard on the shoulder without any regard for Fang Ran's dead-fish-eyed protest that clearly meant, Pick up your sister.

Then Fang Ran adjusted his hood. He felt as though his Summoned Beast had moved just now. Sigh, was the old Power Bank uncomfortable from staying in one position for too long?

"Then that's it. Bye~"

They waved goodbye, and Fang Ran waved back as he bid them farewell.

"Whew! I'm exhausted. No classes this afternoon, so I'm going back to sleep."

Ignoring the looks from other people passing by on campus, Fang Ran lazily stretched, yawned, and spoke in a listless tone.

This useless shut-in, Ling cursed inwardly.

"Fang Ran, what's that building over there for?"

Ling suddenly asked. Fang Ran answered with some surprise, "Oh, that? It's the school's club building. All kinds of clubs have their bases there."

"Let's go take a look," Ling said, leaving no room for argument.

"Huh!?" Fang Ran's face was full of I don't want to, I want to go home, I want to sleep after eating my fill.

"Are you a pig!? You want to sleep as soon as you've eaten!?"

Seeing Fang Ran's unwilling expression, Ling immediately roared!

"I'm telling you! If you don't go, then even if you make it home, I'll use telekinesis to blast rock music in your head!"

Holy crap! Did she have to be this ruthless!?

Fang Ran immediately caved and obediently trotted toward the club building with his Power Bank ancestor.

The club building was not far from the teaching area, and even Fang Ran's slow stroll did not take much time. People along the way walked in groups of two or three, and the closer they got to the club building, the more often pairs of one man and one woman appeared.

Fang Ran felt like he could barely suppress the burning in his heart anymore.

One person and one Power Bank arrived before the club building, and then they were swallowed up by the crowd!

"Want to chase goddesses? Join a club! Your many talents will make you the brightest star!!!"

A massive slogan stretched across the front of the club building, instantly stunning Fang Ran.

What the hell? Were club recruitment slogans this wild nowadays?

"The brightest star," too.

Come to think of it, it was the season for clubs to recruit new members.

Shut-in Fang Ran stood dumbfounded at the entrance to the small plaza before the building, feeling completely out of place amid the sea of people and the recruitment tents of all kinds of clubs.

"Oh, it's pretty lively." Ling looked over the various clubs—soccer, basketball, table tennis, English, Japanese, journalism, and more—then nudged Fang Ran from inside his hood and spoke in an oddly meaningful tone.

"I know you're hinting that a shut-in like me doesn't belong in a place like this." Fang Ran rolled his eyes, instantly catching Ling's unspoken meaning.

Heh, she was surprisingly sharp when it came to places like this. Ling chuckled.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the crowd. Large groups of freshmen wearing military training uniforms rushed toward one side of the plaza, all whispering excitedly about something.

"What's going on over there?" Ling asked.

Fang Ran stood on tiptoe and looked, then—

He saw absolutely nothing.

"Uh, maybe potato chips are half-price?"

Ling: "..."

Do you believe I'll smack you in the face?

Under Ling's silent threat, Fang Ran had no choice but to look again and head in that direction. Then he suddenly remembered which club was located there and roughly guessed what was happening.

Just then, one person and one Power Bank had already squeezed their way through the crowd to the vicinity of that tent.

Latin Dance Club.

Ling silently looked at those five words and immediately understood why so many people had crowded over here.

Latin dance. Heh, did he really think all these people—especially all these guys—had come for Latin dance?

Heh.

Too naive.

"Students interested in joining our Latin Dance Club are welcome. Anyone interested can come inside and take a look."

A girl stood there, smiling as she spoke to everyone.

This was the real reason those little brats had squeezed over here, wasn't it? Ling looked contemptuously at the boys nearby.

"Holy crap! Bro, is that beauty from our school?" Fang Ran wore the same expression as everyone around him and secretly tugged at the sleeve of a student beside him as he asked.

The guy beside him gave him a disdainful look. "No way, man. Did you transfer here or something? That's our school's School Belle, Xia Yao! She's the president of the Latin Dance Club. You seriously didn't know that?"

Fang Ran immediately burst into tears. Sorry, I feel like my freshman year was for nothing.

Please bookmark this!!!! Please bookmark this!!!!

This really isn't some clichéd girl-chasing story, so please bookmark it!!!!