"I heard that when we go to Jiangbei University for training this time, He Xun, the disciple of Six-Star Card God Great God Ma, will come give us a lecture.
"Although He Xun is a new disciple Great God Ma recently took in, he's exceptional in his own right. Otherwise, Great God Ma wouldn't have chosen him. I heard he's already the vice president of Jiangbei University's Student Union, with peak Two-Star Card Master strength."
"Where did that news come from? Is it true? That's great! I've always admired Great God Ma. I've always loved Glory of the Dead, the game his company made."
"Quit talking nonsense. It's not Great God Ma teaching us, just his registered disciple. Still, I hope we can learn something."
"He's a Two-Star Card Master, and he's willing to teach you. What more are you picking at? I think you've got a slipped disc."
On the highway, heavily sealed off and protected due to the threat of the sinkholes, a double-decker luxury bus sped along at an unhurried pace. A group of students chattered away in lively discussion.
"Hey, Tang Jian, they said Great God Ma's disciple He Xun will be coming to teach us this time. If that's true, it'll be awesome. We should make a good impression in advance. Once we get into Jiangbei University, we'll have the Student Union's vice president looking out for us."
Yang Mao nudged Tang Jian beside him with his elbow, visibly excited.
He Xun? That name sounds familiar.
Tang Jian rolled his eyes. "Don't waste your thoughts on useless things. Your own strength is what matters. No matter how much others give you, if you lack the strength, you won't be able to hold on to it."
Up front, Gao Yang turned around in agreement. "That makes sense. Tang Jian, what's your vitality at now? I feel like you're no weaker than Liu Kun anymore."
The stronger a person's vitality was, the more of an aura they naturally gave off. If they did not deliberately restrain it, some Three-Star Card Masters with vitality in the thousands could release enough pressure to force a whole group of Card Apprentices to their knees, leaving them unable to resist.
Gao Yang had clearly noticed that Tang Jian's vitality was rather strong.
"Uh, I drank a Solar Energy Potion yesterday, so I did get a little stronger. My vitality is almost at 10 now."
Tang Jian answered casually.
"What? You're already almost at 10? You bastard, you really are a bastard. We agreed to be slackers together, but you've turned things around so fast."
Yang Mao was stunned.
Liu Kun, seated beside Gao Yang in front, was also surprised. But once everyone remembered that Tang Jian had raised his strength by drinking a Solar Energy Potion, they quickly calmed down again.
A potion's boost in strength was only temporary. Tang Jian might not necessarily be able to maintain such a rate of improvement afterward.
Some of the more attentive people up front who had overheard Tang Jian were initially surprised, but they soon stopped caring much as well.
Hmph. His vitality is only nearing 10 at this point. With less than two months left, he won't be able to surpass me.
Wu Chun had also heard Tang Jian's words and snorted inwardly.
He still held a grudge over being embarrassed by Tang Jian earlier. But arrogant as he was, he only considered it an accident. If he were prepared next time, the outcome would definitely be the opposite.
"Vitality close to 10 puts him about on par with Gu Du and Liu Fei. But his card-making ability is quite strong..." Wang Ba rubbed the stud by his ear thoughtfully.
Gu Du, who had previously lost to Tang Jian, gritted his teeth as all kinds of thoughts about finding a chance to regain his dignity from Tang Jian ran through his mind.
High school students did not have complicated minds. They were all hot-blooded and competitive.
After losing, they wanted to win back their dignity. Yet none of them considered using underhanded methods. People like Xie Dong were a rarity, after all.
Jiangbei City was a famous historical city, as well as a city renowned for snacks in the central region of old Huaxia. It had unique natural scenery, four distinct seasons, many lakes and mountains rarely found in major cities, and an exceptionally rich Jiangbei cultural character.
This famous city was also about to be developed into a Federal Base City, with large-scale construction underway.
According to information online and in news reports, an excessive number of new sinkholes might appear here over the next few years. As a result, Huang Hu, the governor of Jiangbei City, was under enormous pressure and urgently wanted to attract outside talent to settle in Jiangbei City.
In recent years, Jiangbei City had introduced many preferential policies for outstanding outside talent, such as discounts on home purchases and work benefit subsidies.
It was estimated that Jiangbei City's universities might even lower their admission score requirements this year, though that was still uncertain.
After three hours on the double-decker bus, Tang Jian and the others finally arrived in Jiangbei City. The bus drove straight through bustling streets and construction zones before entering Jiangbei University.
The atmosphere at the university was clearly different. Within this commercialized city, it was like a beautiful scenic line.
Although it was not yet the hot season, many girls were already wearing short skirts that showed off their long legs as they walked past in groups.
Some laughed and played together, bouncing about with youthful energy. The campus was filled with lively, vibrant girls.
"Hey, hey, this one's good, this one's good!"
"This one's not curvy enough!"
"Tsk, this one isn't bad. She looks a lot like the celebrity Yang Mi'er."
"Whoa, look! Is that a guy or a girl? Pretty androgynous."
Once the bus entered the campus, the curtains had all been pulled open. Yang Mao and several other lively fellows were practically pressed against the windows, staring outside while their mouths kept chattering.
Tang Jian cast the group an annoyed glance. He casually looked at the female university students outside as well, then withdrew his gaze without much interest.
Reality was not a novel.
Jiangbei University did have quite a few beauties, but it was not as if stunning girls could be found everywhere one went. Tang Jian remained quite calm.
Once they arrived, the group got off the bus, their faces filled with excitement and curiosity as they could not help looking around. The two school leaders and two teachers who had accompanied them exchanged polite greetings with the teachers sent by Jiangbei University.
Tang Jian also put on the appearance of a naïve newcomer, looking around curiously and joining the group in pointing things out. He disguised himself as though this were his first time visiting Jiangbei University and broadening his horizons, but inwardly, he was very calm.
From the perspective of his previous life, Jiangbei University's landscaping was not bad at present, but its overall environment and facilities naturally could not compare with those of the future.
*I remember that when I was a freshman, several new sinkholes did appear in Jiangbei City. At the time, outstanding third- and fourth-year students from Jiangbei University joined the military in suppressing the chaos, and quite a few of them died.
There should still be half a year until then. The trading market here should still be in Miudong A District in the southern part of the city.
Tang Jian suddenly stirred. It was as if some long-sealed, incidental event in his memories had been triggered by the keywords "Jiangbei University," "Jiangbei City," and "Miudong A District in the south of the city," setting off a chain reaction.
At once, a rather important piece of information seemed to flash through his mind.
But when Tang Jian frowned and tried to think carefully, it became vague again. He felt as though he was about to remember it, yet could not grasp it.
Forget it. I won't think about it for now.
Tang Jian had no solution. Seeing that the school leaders had finished speaking with Jiangbei University's teachers and were walking toward them together, it seemed they were preparing to arrange accommodations.
Tang Jian's gaze suddenly sharpened and landed on a mild-tempered, ordinary-looking young man beside the Jiangbei University teachers.
Judging by his age and clothing, he was clearly a student of Jiangbei University. His face also looked very familiar.
"He Xun!"
A flash of insight suddenly struck Tang Jian's mind.
"Jiangbei University," "Jiangbei City," "Miudong A District in the south of the city," and "He Xun."
The four pieces of information came together.
Tang Jian immediately remembered the information that had eluded him earlier—an extremely important piece of information with immense value. His heart began pounding violently.
Thanks to Gentle Brother, "You Rui's White Shield," and "Zhengzheng Great Demon King" for the rewards! And please, give me some votes too.
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