After hanging up, Shi Feng quickly ate a few bites of instant noodles and hurried to school.
Only after he was on his way did Shi Feng remember what this was about. It was also one of the reasons his parents had fallen seriously ill.
In his previous life, he and Heizi had joined Shadow Studio. When Zhao Ruoxi called to tell him to come to school, he hadn't gone. Instead, he'd continued playing God's Domain. He had finally made it into Shadow Studio, and if he wanted to rise through the ranks, he needed to perform well in God's Domain. Who had time to worry about trivial class matters?
As a result, he lost his university recommendation. There was only one recommendation available, but it could help the chosen student find a better job. With the population putting immense pressure on society and jobs so hard to come by, such a recommendation was a stepping stone to the upper echelons.
When his parents found out, they'd been deeply worried.
Their concern had added greatly to their mental strain. They'd never shown it, though. Instead, they'd encouraged him and told him not to worry about the family's debts. In the end, his exhausted parents had fallen seriously ill a year later.
He didn't want to repeat the same mistakes in this life. Even if that recommendation was completely useless to him, he still wanted to know what had caused him to lose it.
His grades were average in class, so getting the recommendation shouldn't have been a problem. Yet when graduation came, he hadn't received it. The only explanation he could think of was whatever was going to happen today.
When he entered the university, Shi Feng noticed something rather interesting.
There were an unusually large number of students on campus today. The place was packed. It was never this crowded on an ordinary day. Students usually went out to socialize or have fun, studied in the library, or, at the very least, stayed in their dorms playing games. They didn't normally wander around like this.
When Shi Feng entered Teaching Building No. 3, he found the usually empty classrooms packed, each one occupied by a different class.
"What's going on today?" Shi Feng wondered to himself.
As soon as he entered Classroom 401, Shi Feng sensed that something was off. His classmates all turned to look at him, their expressions full of surprise, as if something that shouldn't have been there had suddenly appeared.
The boys glanced at him but didn't bother speaking to him. They simply went back to chatting.
Some of the girls, dressed to the nines, gave him looks of disgust. He was used to it by now, but when he looked back at them, they immediately turned away.
"Shi Feng, you're here. Find a seat. Once Lin Feilong arrives, the whole class will be here." The class monitor, Zhao Ruoxi, sounded indifferent, as though speaking to him was merely a formality.
Still, Shi Feng had caught a hint of anticipation in the look Zhao Ruoxi had given him earlier. It wasn't directed at him, though. It was probably for the Lin Feilong she'd mentioned.
"Okay." Shi Feng nodded and found a seat in the corner. As for sitting with the other boys and chatting, their expressions made it obvious that wasn't an option.
Shi Feng could only smile bitterly. He really had been a failure at dealing with people in his previous life...
But there was nothing he could do about it. He'd skipped every class reunion and class activity to save money, and had long since become invisible to his classmates. Perhaps they all thought he was antisocial.
"Why is he here?"
"The class monitor probably told him to come. I can't believe he actually did."
"He's just a failure in our class. I can't stand looking at him. Look at that creepy stare. Is he interested in me or something? Gross."
The class began quietly gossiping about Shi Feng. They were even more surprised that he'd shown up. He never took part in any activities, yet here he was. Their comments weren't merely dismissive; they were mostly disgusted. Shi Feng was skinny and weak, and students from other classes often bullied him. He was a failure who couldn't even afford to attend class gatherings. His classmates were embarrassed whenever anyone from another class saw someone like him among them.
Their voices were low, but Shi Feng still heard them—or perhaps they'd meant for him to.
In everyone's eyes, academics were secondary. What mattered most was having a strong physique. This was an era that placed great importance on physical training, and Shi Feng's frail build clearly didn't fit in. Naturally, he was branded a failure.
Shi Feng simply smiled. He wasn't a child anymore. Why would he get angry at these kids? The only thing he cared about now was the recommendation.
Before long, a muscular young man nearly 1.9 meters tall walked in.
It was Lin Feilong.
From what Shi Feng remembered, Lin Feilong was a man with a knack for getting things done. He'd managed to win the heart of a wealthy young heiress from a major corporation after graduating from university, and in just three years, he'd become the company's chairman. But as the virtual world's influence on reality continued to grow, Lin Feilong had also entered God's Domain. He'd sought out Shi Feng, who had been his classmate, hoping they could work together in the game.
Back then, Shi Feng had been the leader of Shadow Studio and the Guild Leader of the Shadow Guild. The Shadow Guild had barely qualified as a second-rate guild, but it had controlled a major city with a population of five hundred thousand.
For old times' sake, Shi Feng had agreed. Shadow Studio had made a fair amount of money from the arrangement, but Lin Feilong had earned even more. He'd also trained quite a few capable subordinates. Later, somehow, he'd managed to get close to another first-rate guild and abandoned Shadow Studio.
When everyone saw Lin Feilong enter, the boys stood up and treated him with great respect. The girls who had been dressed to the nines sent him flirtatious looks. Even Zhao Ruoxi, who seemed so reserved to Shi Feng, had changed. He'd had plenty of experience with women, and he could tell she was a little interested in Lin Feilong.
"What's going on?" Shi Feng couldn't make sense of it. The others were one thing, but Zhao Ruoxi was the class belle. She was gentle and sweet, with a delicate oval face and a slender figure, and she came from a fairly well-off family. Boys from other classes were always trying to court her, but she'd never given them the time of day. Why was she interested in Lin Feilong?
Was Lin Feilong the protagonist or something? Did everyone love him at first sight?
"Everyone, take a seat." Lin Feilong walked up to the lectern as naturally as if he were a leader. "Thank you all for coming to congratulate me today. I wouldn't have made it this far without your support."
"Brother Feilong, you're too modest. More than five thousand people took part, and you made it into the top ten of the School Fighting Tournament. That's an honor for our class. You've qualified for the Jinhai City Fighting Tournament without even having to enter the preliminaries. That's not something just anyone can do. When you become a martial arts master, don't forget us!"
"Exactly, Brother Feilong. We're all rooting for you to become champion."
The class rushed to congratulate him, each of them practically ready to offer themselves to him.
Only Shi Feng was unmoved.
He was stunned. He'd thought it was something serious, but it turned out the School Fighting Tournament had just ended, and everyone had gathered to congratulate Lin Feilong on qualifying for the city tournament.
In the past, he might have envied Lin Feilong. So many people in society loved fighting tournaments, and even those who competed in the city tournament were more popular than major celebrities. Qualifying wasn't easy; the selection process was strict, and only three or four out of every ten thousand people made it. If they performed well, they might sign contracts with major companies and become brand ambassadors, with countless advertising opportunities. It was hard not to make money that way. Their future looked boundless.
But as God's Domain gradually grew in popularity, people became more interested in fighting and waging war inside the game. After all, experiencing it firsthand was the best part, and there was no danger involved. Many God's Domain experts had become idols as a result.