Playing the Pig to Eat the Tiger

Silence.

Dead silence.

When a One-Star Blank Energy Card finally took shape under Tang Jian's hands and lay quietly on the desk, the entire office fell silent.

"Teacher Sun. I'm done."

Tang Jian smiled as he looked at Sun Yiying.

"Uh. Oh, good."

Suppressing her excitement, Sun Yiying came back to her senses. Under the dazed, astonished gazes of Yang Mao and the others, she reached out, picked up the One-Star Blank Energy Card from the desk, and examined it carefully.

Clear, smooth lines ran perfectly from beginning to end before Sun Yiying's eyes, and they even gave off energy fluctuations.

This was undoubtedly a successful One-Star Blank Energy Card.

Sun Yiying lowered her head to check her watch. Only a little over four minutes had passed.

That meant Tang Jian had indeed made a One-Star Blank Energy Card in just four minutes.

"Not bad." Two adorable dimples appeared at the corners of Sun Yiying's smile as she casually inserted the Energy Card into the card slot of the desk lamp beside her.

With a click, she flipped the switch.

The desk lamp immediately lit up before everyone's eyes.

"Damn, Tang Jian, you really made it?!"

Yang Mao stared blankly at the lamp, still unable to believe it as he looked dazedly at Tang Jian.

"Stunned, aren't you? I already told you I could make a One-Star Blank Energy Card in one go." Tang Jian smiled.

"When did you ever say that?" Yang Mao grumbled, his gaze even a little resentful.

Tang Jian froze. He remembered that when he had wanted to tell Yang Mao that morning, Yang Mao had happened to run into Hu Lingli, so he never got the chance to say it. He really had not told him.

"Uh, when you ran into Hu Lingli this morning." Tang Jian casually brushed it off.

"When I ran into Hu Lingli...?" Yang Mao was doubtful.

"Tang Jian, impressive. Looks like you've been hiding your talents. You can make a One-Star Blank Energy Card so easily—your card energy is more than just thirty-something, isn't it?"

Liu Kun gave Tang Jian a thumbs-up and smiled meaningfully.

As soon as he said that, Gao Yang, Wang Lele, and the others came to their senses and looked at Tang Jian with uncertain shock.

"Tang Jian, you've hidden yourself well. If today hadn't been the day the mentor picked people, were you planning to keep hiding and then make a splash by joining the Rocket Class?" the chubby Jia Ling said with a pout.

At those words, Gao Yang, Yang Mao, and the others suddenly understood.

"Damn. You bastard, you're so sneaky! So you've been playing the pig to eat the tiger all along. You must have secretly bought Solar Energy Potions and drank them, right?"

Yang Mao's sense of disparity showed plainly, and he immediately began shouting.

Sun Yiying suddenly frowned. "Yang Mao, how can you casually give someone a nickname?"

Yang Mao shrank his neck and smiled sheepishly, not daring to respond, though he still felt rather upset inside.

He had thought that a companion he had always left behind had suddenly displayed such astonishing ability and might even be stronger than him. Yang Mao could not help feeling unbalanced.

Even though that companion was one of his closest friends, he still could not get over that imbalance so quickly.

Tang Jian smiled and waved his hand. "I didn't drink any Solar Energy Potions. But I bought a lot of blank cards to practice making cards, so my card-making skills improved quickly. I also found a few tricks while making cards. When I have time, I can share them with everyone."

His words immediately won everyone's goodwill.

Wang Lele clapped excitedly. "Great, great! I've been figuring out card-making on my own, but I feel like I'm just too clumsy. It'd be wonderful if you could teach me, Tang Jian."

Mentor Sun Yiying watched the scene with a smile, feeling even more appreciation and surprise toward Tang Jian for being willing to selflessly share his experience.

She had thought there were only five students in her class with hopes of making a push for the Rocket Class, but now Tang Jian and Jia Ling had been added to the list.

Tang Jian in particular had brought her an enormous surprise. Card energy above forty, and a One-Star Blank Energy Card made in four minutes—such ability would be considered outstanding even in the Rocket Class.

This boy is good, but he's far too good at hiding himself. If I'd discovered him sooner and trained him early, he might have been able to aim for a prestigious university in the college entrance exam.

Sun Yiying secretly felt regret, then clapped her hands. "All right, the seven of you each have your own little insights into cultivation. It's good to discuss them more privately. Now, I'll tell you about the intensive training arrangements for the next ten days.

"Tang Jian, this is your Green Grade Sketching Pen. Take it, along with the Energy Card you made yourself."

Sun Yiying took a pen packaged in an exquisite box from the drawer, then removed the Energy Card from the desk lamp and handed both to Tang Jian.

It looked as though the pen had been prepared long ago, but it had obviously not originally been intended for Tang Jian.

Under the envious gazes of Yang Mao and the others, Tang Jian accepted the pen and Energy Card, then listened to Sun Yiying's arrangements along with everyone else.

According to Sun Yiying's plan.

Over the next ten days, Tang Jian and the other six would no longer remain in class to study. Instead, they would undergo intensive cultivation training according to her plan.

Liu Kun, Gao Yang, He Chong, and the chubby Jia Ling would spend the entire day doing physical training and basic combat training according to the schedule.

Tang Jian, Yang Mao, and Wang Lele, meanwhile, would undergo physical and basic combat training in the morning, then practice card-making and study card-making knowledge from the afternoon until evening.

"Hehehe, brother, the three of us are in one group. I might not be able to compare with you in card-making, but when it comes to physical fitness and basic combat, hehehe."

After hearing the arrangements, Yang Mao gave Tang Jian a malicious grin.

Tang Jian blinked and said softly, "Old Yang, I forgot to tell you that after practicing card-making at home, I also occasionally practice basic combat. And have you forgotten? I run to school every morning, so my physical fitness isn't bad either."

"What?" Yang Mao was doubtful. Then he narrowed his eyes and snorted. "You practice basic combat at home? Who spars with you? What can you possibly practice by yourself? Follow me from now on. I'm very good at fighting. Even the punching bag at my house has been beaten out of shape. As long as you get beaten more, you'll become stronger eventually."

"A punching bag can be beaten out of shape?"

Tang Jian was speechless, but he still nodded. "Yang Mao, thank you. You really are a good brother."

"Of course!" Yang Mao raised his chin and glanced at the excited Wang Lele nearby, who was rubbing her fists together. "This chick has 43 card energy, about the same as me, but I can take on three like her by myself."

"Mm." Tang Jian had already grown used to Yang Mao's style of bragging.

In the morning, Tang Jian and the others temporarily rested to recover their stamina and card energy, while studying cultural subjects.

By the afternoon.

At Sun Yiying's sharp cry, the two groups immediately ran onto the large sports field.

One lap around the enormous field was eight hundred meters. Looking out, the grass in the middle was lush and green, like a sea of green as far as the eye could see.

"Today's training starts with ten laps to warm up. You must finish within twenty-five minutes." Sun Yiying raised her hand to check her watch, her pretty face taut.

"God?! Eight thousand meters in twenty-five minutes??" Yang Mao wailed.

Other than Liu Kun, almost everyone had broken out in sweat before they had even started running.