Mu En's persuasion

That was reality. If you had value, the academy would take you seriously and give you status and standing. If you had none, you would have to squeeze out whatever value you had left and give everything to the academy.

The strong devoured the weak. That was the law of the entire Douluo world, and of Shrek Academy as well.

If anything, it was even more blatant here.

Otherwise, why would they only accept students with letters of recommendation?

It truly shattered Bei Bei's worldview. In his mind, Shrek Academy had been a warm, caring family. It would discover people's talents, save gifted youths, and treat ordinary people as equals.

But now, it seemed all of that had been his own fantasy.

Even Zhang Lexuan, who had often come to comfort him, had stopped visiting.

Anyone who witnessed this would find the contrast brutally jarring.

The difference between what had happened before and what was happening now was like heaven and earth.

Tap, tap, tap!

Just then, footsteps sounded in the quiet room, drawing closer from the distance.

They were accompanied by the sound of something heavy striking the floor. Thunk, thunk, thunk. It struck the wood, producing crisp knocks with every impact.

A moment's thought was enough to tell that it was something like a staff.

Bei Bei immediately realized who had come. The only person who would walk straight in here without announcing himself was his great-great-grandfather, Mu En.

Mu En approached, supporting himself with a scepter.

"Bei Bei, I hope you can be strong. It isn't just Shrek. The entire Douluo world is like this. You can't enjoy only the sunny side of things. Once you take over, you'll understand that everything has two sides. There isn't only light, but darkness too. Darkness will always exist."

Once