Tang Jian looked at Yang Mao's smug expression and desperately wanted to say that his card energy had long surpassed 40 points. It had even surpassed Yang Mao's, reaching 46.
But seeing Yang Mao's innocent smile, Tang Jian decided it was better to keep a low profile and reveal only a little.
He could just say that he was now able to make a One-Star Blank Energy Card in one go.
"Actually..." Tang Jian had only said two words when Yang Mao's eyes suddenly lit up. He waved ahead. "Hey, Hu Lingli, what a coincidence running into you here."
Up ahead on the school slope, a tall woman with a slender neck and a quiet, elegant temperament was walking slowly. At his words, she turned back. Just that serene profile carried the beauty of perfect stillness.
Tang Jian could practically feel his buddy getting drunk on the sight, so he swallowed the words that had reached his lips.
"Yang Mao, every time you see me, you say exactly the same thing."
Hu Lingli's voice was crisp. Her small oval face remained calm and tranquil. Her gaze merely swept over Tang Jian before directly ignoring him. She only looked at Yang Mao and raised an eyebrow.
"Hehe, Lingli, I heard from my dad that your dad said your card energy has reached 48? Congratulations! You're about to cross the threshold into becoming a Two-Star Card Disciple."
Yang Mao stepped forward to speak with Hu Lingli. His tone was even slightly stammering, making him seem very lacking in confidence.
"48 card energy? Oh, I remember now. In my previous life, this Hu Lingli also joined the Rocket Class selection. She did fairly well on the college entrance exam and later got into a first-tier university in Jinghua. But in the end, I heard she became the mistress of some great Card Master."
Tang Jian watched Hu Lingli stand there with her arms folded, looking like a white swan, and thought to himself.
By then, Yang Mao had already struck up a conversation with Hu Lingli. Mostly Yang Mao talked, while Hu Lingli casually gave a few hums in response.
"Uh... Old Yang, I'm heading off first. Morning self-study is about to start."
Tang Jian called out to Yang Mao, then left first without even glancing at Hu Lingli.
To be honest, girls at this age still possessed a natural, lively beauty. Unlike six or seven years later, when every high school student wore makeup. Hu Lingli really did look pretty good.
But Tang Jian had lived through it all before, and he had once been a Three-Star Card Master. What kind of beauties had he not seen? He was not about to be dazzled senseless by a little girl who had not even fully grown up.
"Who was he?"
Hu Lingli glanced at Tang Jian's retreating back, casually interrupting Yang Mao to ask.
Perhaps this was also the first time she had encountered a boy who could walk alongside her, not look at her even once, and simply leave.
Could this be the so-called trick of playing hard to get by pretending to be cold?
"Oh, he's my classmate. His card energy hasn't even passed 40 yet.
Lingli, my card energy has reached 44, and I can now make a One-Star Blank Card in one go. I'll definitely be able to join the Rocket Class selection. Then we can study together and improve together, right?"
Yang Mao chuckled dryly, unhesitatingly putting down his own buddy while elevating himself.
"Uh... we'll see. You still need to work harder. Gu Du and Liu Fei from our class have both reached 80 card energy. The two of them invited me to form a three-person group with them.
But I'm still considering it. Recently, I heard that our school has produced some formidable person who seems to possess Mechanical Combat Cards. I want to bring him into our ranks. If you find out who he is, remember to tell me."
As Hu Lingli spoke, she did not take either Yang Mao or Tang Jian seriously. She walked straight toward another stairway.
"What?!"
Yang Mao blankly watched Hu Lingli's back as she left, unable to stop himself from feeling dejected.
Seeing Yang Mao walk into the classroom looking rather lost and sit down beside him, Tang Jian could more or less guess what had happened.
But why did this formidable person Hu Lingli mentioned, the one with Mechanical Combat Cards, sound so familiar?
Tang Jian was puzzled. Suppressing his amusement, he patted Yang Mao's shoulder. "Forget it. A pretty face costs five hundred a night, but an interesting soul demands a car and a house. Be realistic and focus on what's in front of you."
"What does that mean?" Yang Mao froze.
"Nothing. I heard Shi Lei say that Little Yingying will be picking people later. Get ready. She'll definitely come looking for us." Tang Jian chuckled.
Yang Mao looked even more confused.
Before long, Card Disciple instructor Sun Yiying entered the classroom wearing white stockings and a little black skirt.
The entire class immediately fell silent.
Sun Yiying looked around. Satisfaction flashed through her large eyes behind black-rimmed glasses, and dimples appeared on her cheeks as she smiled. "Everyone knows that in less than ten days, the school will form the Rocket Class.
"So today, I'll be selecting the students from our class most likely to enter the Rocket Class for ten days of intensive training.
"Those whose names I call should come directly to the stage and stand on the right. Those whose names are not called may also volunteer and sign up on the spot.
"However, if your card energy has not exceeded 40 points, or if you cannot make two-thirds of a One-Star Blank Card in one go, then don't sign up."
Sun Yiying actually knew the entire class's situation like the back of her hand. She knew exactly who had a chance of joining the Rocket Class.
The reason she still gave everyone the opportunity to volunteer was to keep the other students from becoming too discouraged.
At the same time, if anyone had reached the standard recently, they would not be overlooked.
As quiet discussions broke out around the classroom,
Sun Yiying began calling names.
"Liu Kun!"
"Here!" The sturdily built Liu Kun was the first to stand. Under the envious and admiring gazes of his classmates, he walked to the right side of the platform.
He truly was one of the class's top prospects. His card energy had reached 70 points a week ago, and it might be even higher now.
"Gao Yang!"
"Here!"
Another tall, thin student wearing glasses stood and walked to the right side of the platform.
His card energy was already approaching the 50-point threshold, making him one of the class's standouts.
"Yang Mao!"
"Here!"
Yang Mao immediately stood up. His earlier dejection vanished completely. Lowering his head, he winked and made faces at Tang Jian. "Sorry, bro, I'll be going first."
Tang Jian forced a smile. "You go ahead, bro! I'll be right behind you!"
"Tch! Dream on." Yang Mao rolled his eyes and scampered over to the right side of the platform.
"Wang Lele!"
"Here!"
A cute girl with a ponytail and slightly chubby cheeks stood up. Blushing, she tiptoed onto the stage.
"He Chong!"
"Here!"
A short, lean young man with a crew cut stood and walked to the right side of the platform.
At that point, Sun Yiying stopped calling names.
Out of the class's fifty-seven students, only these five barely met the standard, receiving the envious and admiring looks of many classmates.
"Alright, now it's time for volunteers. Students with card energy above 40, or those who can make two-thirds of a One-Star Blank Card in one go, may come up."
Sun Yiying pushed up her glasses and looked expectantly at the class.
A hand timidly rose. A chubby boy named Jia Ling in the front row stood up. "T-Teacher, I have 39, I..."
"39 what?" Sun Yiying blinked.
"I have 39 card energy." Jia Ling gathered his courage.
"Oh?" Sun Yiying's eyes brightened slightly. She nodded. "Come up first."
Jia Ling's face flushed red at once. Overjoyed, he hurried onto the stage beneath countless surprised and envious gazes, as though he had won the lottery.
"Anyone else?" Sun Yiying looked at the students.
"Teacher, I have 38!"
"No. That's too far off." Sun Yiying shook her head.
Someone sat down in disappointment.
Tang Jian stood as well. "Teacher Sun, I can make a One-Star Blank Energy Card in one go."
"Hm? Tang Jian?!" Sun Yiying looked surprised.
"Huh?" Yang Mao, who had been smiling beside the platform, froze. He stared at Tang Jian in astonishment, his eyes full of shock.
"Bro! Are you joking?"
"Tang Jian, you said you can make a One-Star Blank Card in one go? In one go?" Sun Yiying frowned and repeated the question suspiciously.
"Yes. I'm fast. I can demonstrate it for you here, Teacher. It'll probably only take four minutes." Tang Jian nodded earnestly with an innocent expression.
The students in the class were all stunned, staring at Tang Jian with surprise and suspicion.
Making a One-Star Blank Energy Card in four minutes—students in other Rocket Classes might have achieved that level of card-making, but no one in Class Twelve of Senior Year Three had ever been known to do so.
And now, the utterly unremarkable Tang Jian had achieved it?
Four minutes to get it done?
Please give me recommendation votes! I can't live without votes! Wah wah!
PS: I made slight changes to the background details in some earlier chapters. —2018.8.20.
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