Ark Simulator, Didn't I Have No Physical Form?

Countless gazes, like tangible searchlights, swept over Su Rui, filled with shock, curiosity, amazement, and undisguised scrutiny. The boys' gazes were mostly scrutinizing and carried a hint of barely perceptible hostility (or self-consciousness), while the girls' eyes almost all lit up, their cheeks flushed, whispering amongst themselves, their excitement overflowing.

Standing beside Su Rui, Eyjafjalla could clearly feel the gazes directed at her. Some were filled with admiration for Su Rui, while others were curious and inquisitive about her as their "guide." Her heart involuntarily tightened, and her hand instinctively reached for Su Rui's sleeve, but remembering Su Rui's words from the previous night about being "uncomfortable with physical contact," she forcibly restrained herself. She merely straightened her back slightly, trying to appear calm, but her pink eyes uncontrollably revealed a hint of wariness and... a complex emotion mixed with pride and unease that she herself was unaware of.

Pride, because the eye-catching Su Rui was her deskmate (and soon would be), her "secret." Unease, however, stemmed from those gazes, this undisguised interest, which rekindled that strong urge to hide Su Rui away.

Ms. Feline, the teacher on the podium, clearly recovered quickly after her initial surprise. She adjusted her glasses, her gaze lingering on Su Rui for a moment before glancing at the female academic affairs officer beside her and the temporary access pass stamped with the principal's office seal that the officer handed her. She seemed to understand something, and a hint of understanding and... helplessness appeared in her tired expression.

"Quiet." Ms. Feline cleared her throat, her voice not loud, but carrying a teacher's authority, which calmed the noise in the classroom slightly. She looked at Su Rui and said in a formulaic tone, "This is Su Rui. Starting today, he will be joining our Class 3-A as a temporary auditor. Su Rui has special circumstances, so I hope everyone can get along amicably and not disturb his studies. Su Rui, there is an empty seat at the back of the classroom; you can sit there for now."

Ms. Feline pointed to the empty seat at the last row of the classroom, by the window. It was a single desk, a little far from the seats in front, with some cleaning tools and discarded tables and chairs piled up next to it, making it look rather lonely.

Su Rui (in his sheep form) glanced in the direction she pointed, his dark eyes calm and unwavering. He offered no objection, simply nodding slightly before setting off towards the empty seat. His steps were steady, seemingly oblivious to the gazes still fixed upon him, as if the surrounding clamor had nothing to do with him.

Eyjafjalla watched Su Rui walk towards that secluded corner, and her heart tightened for no reason. That spot... was too far away, and surrounded by clutter. She wanted to say something, but ultimately held back. Su Rui didn't seem to care, and besides, Teacher Feline had already made the arrangements.

She silently walked to her seat—a spot in the middle of the classroom, near the front. As she sat down, she couldn't help but turn back to glance at Su Rui, who had already walked to the last row and was putting down his backpack (a simple, unmarked dark canvas bag that Su Rui had "conjured" up before leaving home that morning). He was pulling out his chair and sitting down, his movements fluid and natural, as if that corner filled with clutter was no different from the rest of the classroom.

Ms. Feline continued taking attendance, and the morning routine seemed to have returned to normal. But Eyjafjalla could sense that the atmosphere in the classroom was completely different from usual. A subtle undercurrent of excitement and inquiry was surging beneath the seemingly calm surface.

After the morning assembly, the first class was Columbia History. The lecturer was a male teacher with gray hair and a flat voice. The course content was boring, the teacher read from the textbook, and the students below had varying attitudes.

Eyjafjalla forced herself to concentrate on the lecture, as Su Rui had instructed. But her attention kept drifting involuntarily to the corner at the back of the classroom.

Su Rui (in sheep form) sat there quietly. He didn't take out his textbook (he didn't have one), but just stared silently at the podium. His dark eyes were calm and unwavering, as if he were listening attentively, or as if he were daydreaming. He sat upright with his back straight, a stark contrast to the other students around him who were either sleeping, secretly playing on their personal terminals, or having unfocused eyes.

However, this "quietness" and "uniqueness" are attractive in themselves.

As soon as the bell rang and the teacher hadn't even left the classroom, several boys sitting in the back row, dressed more "trendy" than the average student, exchanged glances, grinned, and moved closer to Su Rui's seat.

"Hey, new guy, your name's Su Rui, right?" The boy in the lead, with a few strands of dyed blond hair and several earrings, leaned casually against Su Rui's desk, tilting his head to look him up and down. "You're pretty good-looking. Where are you from? Why did you transfer schools at the end of the semester? What does your family do?"

His tone carried a slick familiarity and inquisitiveness, his gaze lingering on Su Rui's face and little horns with undisguised interest.

Another boy next to him chimed in, "Yeah, is that hair and those horns real or fake? Could it be some idol that an entertainment company is preparing to launch, coming to our school to experience life?" As he spoke, he even reached out, seemingly wanting to touch Su Rui's hair.

Su Rui (in his sheep form) didn't even lift his eyelids, as if the noisy boys in front of him were nothing but air. He simply tilted his head slightly to avoid the outstretched hand, and then continued to look ahead, as if pondering some profound question.

Completely ignored, the blond-haired boy's smile froze, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. "Hey, I'm talking to you, are you mute?" He raised his voice and reached out to push Su Rui's shoulder.

However, just before his hand was about to touch Su Rui, Su Rui (in sheep form) suddenly stood up. His movements weren't fast, but they carried a strange, unassailable rhythm, just enough to avoid the blond boy's hand. Without even glancing at the boys, he picked up the simple canvas bag on the table, turned around, and walked straight towards the front door of the classroom—seemingly heading to the restroom, or perhaps simply wanting to leave this unpleasant corner.

Volume 19, page 1299: Happy Education is Like This

"Tsk, what's with the high and mighty act." The blond-haired boy scoffed as he watched Su Rui's departing figure, but didn't chase after her. After all, they were in the classroom, and there were other classmates watching.

Eyjafjalla watched the scene nervously the whole time. She only breathed a slight sigh of relief when she saw Su Rui walk away and the boys stop bothering her. However, the unpleasantness and worry she felt because Su Rui had been "harassed" did not diminish at all.

This was just the beginning. Similar situations continued to occur in the following lessons.

It wasn't just the boys; some outgoing girls, or girls who were confident in their looks, also tried to get close to Su Rui under various pretexts. Some would approach him under the guise of asking questions (even though Su Rui didn't have any books), some would "accidentally" drop something at his feet, and some would deliberately slow down and stare intently at him as they passed by... the methods were endless.

Su Rui (in lamb form) was always dealt with the same way: ignored.

Whether it's striking up a conversation, asking questions, or making deliberate attempts at physical contact, he ignores it all. He either gets up and leaves directly, or sits there quietly like a perfect ice sculpture, radiating a cold aura that says "keep away," silently shutting out all attempts and harassment.

His extreme indifference and aloofness did not deter those eager to try; on the contrary, it seemed to arouse the curiosity and desire to conquer in some. Of course, some people gave up in frustration after being rebuffed a few times.

No matter how Su Rui responded, Eyjafjalla, sitting in the front row, felt her emotions fluctuate wildly, rising and falling with the constant gazes directed at Su Rui and the attempts to get closer. Every time she saw someone approach Su Rui, her heart would clench, and anger and resentment would uncontrollably ignite in her pink eyes. Especially when she saw those girls looking at Su Rui with undisguised admiration and even adoration, she felt a tightness in her chest.

That's her Su Rui! What right do they have to look at her like that! What right do they have to strike up a conversation with her!

A strong sense of possessiveness and jealousy spread wildly in her heart like wildfire. She could hardly concentrate on the lesson; all her attention was focused on the corner at the back and the "flies" that kept trying to get close to Su Rui.

Finally, during the last math class of the morning, when a girl sitting diagonally in front of Su Rui once again "accidentally" rolled her eraser to Su Rui's feet, then bent down to pick it up, her movements were infuriatingly slow, and her eyes kept glancing at Su Rui's face, Eyjafjalla felt the string of "reason" in her brain completely snap.

Before the girl could even straighten up, she jumped up from her seat.

The movement was so dramatic that even the math teacher, who was explaining an example problem, stopped, and all the students' eyes turned to Eyjafjalla, who had suddenly stood up.

Eyjafjalla's cheeks flushed red with excitement and anger, but her eyes were unusually bright and determined. She took a deep breath, and amidst the surprised, puzzled, and amused gazes of everyone, she turned around and walked a few steps to the last row of the classroom, next to Su Rui's seat.

"Eyjafjalla?" The math teacher adjusted his glasses and asked, puzzled.

Eyjafjalla ignored the teacher and the girl who was still half-squatting on the ground. She simply reached out and grabbed Su Rui's (in her sheep form) wrist, which was resting on the table. This time, she didn't hesitate; her movements were so fast that Su Rui didn't even seem to have time to react.

"Su Rui," Eyjafjalla's voice trembled slightly with excitement, but every word was exceptionally clear and loud, as if she were announcing to the whole class, "Come here and sit with me!"

The classroom erupted in an uproar.

Su Rui (in his lamb form) had his wrist gripped by her, and he slightly raised his dark eyes to look at her. A barely perceptible hint of surprise seemed to flash across his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He glanced at Eyjafjalla's slightly reddened eyes and tightly pursed lips, then swept his gaze over the surrounding eyes—some filled with surprise, some with amusement, and some with jealousy—and seemed to understand something.

He didn't struggle or speak, but simply let Eyjafjalla pull him up from his seat.

Seeing that he didn't object, Eyjafjalla's courage grew even stronger. She took Su Rui's hand and, under everyone's stunned gaze, walked back to their seats in the middle of the classroom.

Her seat was a single one, with no extra seats next to her. But she ignored it, forcefully pushing her books and stationery aside, clearing a small space at the edge of the desk. Then, pointing to the edge of her chair, she said to Su Rui in a commanding, unquestionable, even somewhat fierce tone, "You sit here!"

Should Su Rui and she share a single desk?

This request was utterly outrageous. But at this moment, Eyjafjalla was blinded by jealousy and intense possessiveness, and didn't care whether it was reasonable or not. She just wanted to pull Su Rui out of that "harassing" corner and put her under her own nose, preferably using her body to block all the malicious gazes.

Looking at her protective, predatory demeanor, a barely perceptible, almost helpless smile seemed to flicker deep within his dark eyes. He glanced at the narrow edge of the chair, then at Su Rui 'Eyjafjalla "I won't give up until you sit down" attitude, and finally, he sighed almost imperceptibly.

Then, to everyone's even greater astonishment, Su Rui (in his sheep form) actually... turned sideways and sat down on the edge of that single school chair. Although he only sat on a small part of it, and most of his body weight was still supported by himself, he was indeed "sitting" on "the same" chair as Eyjafjalla.

The two were so close they could almost feel each other's body heat. Eyjafjalla could even smell Su Rui's familiar, clean, and refreshing scent, mixed with the faint smell of her new school uniform.

The math teacher on the podium, watching the chaotic scene, opened her mouth as if to say something. But remembering that the head of academic affairs had specifically come to greet her that morning, saying that this new auditor was "specially approved by the principal," had a "special background," and would be "given as much convenience as possible," and seeing Eyjafjalla's reckless attitude, and that Su Rui herself seemed to have no objections... in the end, she just waved her hand helplessly and sighed, "Alright, alright, sit down and don't disturb the other students. Eyjafjalla, your book!"

Volume 19, Chapter 1300: Eyjafjalla's Possessive Power

Eyjafjalla then realized what was happening and hurriedly pulled her books back from the edge of the table, sharing the already cramped desk with Su Rui. Her cheeks, belatedly realizing their earlier boldness and the close proximity she was now with Su Rui, quickly flushed red, all the way to her ears. Her heart pounded in her chest, almost bursting out of her chest.

But her hand remained tightly, trembling slightly, gripping Su Rui's wrist, as if afraid that if she let go, he would be snatched away by someone else, or returned to that hateful corner.

Su Rui (in his lamb form) let her hold him, his gaze returning to the podium, as if the recent commotion, orchestrated by Eyjafjalla and almost a "declaration of sovereignty," had nothing to do with him. However, the fingertips of his wrist, which Eyjafjalla was gripping tightly, seemed to twitch almost imperceptibly.

Whispers broke out in the classroom again, even more enthusiastic than before. Various ambiguous glances swept back and forth between the two people sitting close together.

But Eyjafjalla didn't care anymore. She lowered her head, pretending to read intently, but her peripheral vision kept lingering on the profile of the silver-haired boy with small ram's horns standing close to her.

Su Rui is right here. Beside her, in her "territory." No one can take her away, and no one can see her.

This realization finally calmed the churning jealousy and unease in her heart, replacing it with a strange feeling that was a mixture of shame and tension, yet also an incomparably reassuring and satisfying one.

As for classroom discipline, whether it's reasonable for two people to squeeze into a single desk, and other people's opinions... none of that matters anymore.

At least, at this moment, under her "declaration," Su Rui was hers, her deskmate who belonged only to her.

The noise in the classroom gradually subsided amidst the math teacher's helpless acquiescence and the sound of tapping on the blackboard. But those curious, inquisitive, or otherwise meaningful gazes still lingered like a fine spider web, occasionally entwining around Eyjafjalla and Su Rui (in her sheep form) who were sitting close together.

Eyjafjalla's cheeks were still flushed, and her heart was still pounding erratically. The cool warmth of Su Rui's arm through the thin fabric of his school uniform, and the clear pulse throbbing on his wrist beneath her palm, constantly reminded her of the consequences of her bold "declaration." She lowered her head, pretending to be engrossed in her open math textbook, but none of the complex formulas and diagrams could register in her mind. All her senses seemed focused on the person beside her.

Su Rui (in his lamb form) was much calmer. He remained upright, his gaze fixed on the podium, as if he were listening attentively. But Eyjafjalla, out of the corner of her eye, keenly noticed that Su Rui's impossibly beautiful hands were placed under the desk, his fingers moving slightly and quickly in the air... or rather, a few centimeters above his thighs, as if he were typing on some invisible keyboard.

What is he doing?

Eyjafjalla's curiosity temporarily overwhelmed her remaining shyness and excitement. She secretly shifted her gaze from her textbook and, seemingly casually, glanced at Su Rui's hand.

Su Rui seemed unaware of her spying, or rather, he didn't care. His fingers moved smoothly and precisely, occasionally flashing with an extremely faint, almost imperceptible, ethereal blue light that vanished in an instant. His other hand rested casually on the edge of the desk, his fingers tapping lightly on the surface.

Eyjafjalla's gaze followed Su Rui's typing hand, slowly moving upwards until it finally settled on his face. Su Rui's profile was clean and sharp, his long eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath his eyelids. Although his dark eyes were looking straight ahead, deep within his pupils seemed to reflect... flowing, fine, non-classical specks of light? Like... some kind of screen that only he could see, suspended in mid-air?

This guess made Eyjafjalla's heart skip a beat. She couldn't help but lean closer to Su Rui, subtly and imperceptibly moving a little closer, then a little closer still. Close enough that she could almost feel the faint airflow from Su Rui's breath, close enough that she could smell his clean, refreshing scent, a unique aroma that seemed to belong to another world.

Then, she tried to adjust her angle, following the point of Su Rui's gaze, attempting to see clearly what the light and shadow reflected deep in his pupils were.

At first, there were just blurry, flickering spots of light and flowing streams of data, so fast it was dazzling. But gradually, perhaps because she was close enough, or perhaps because Su Rui didn't deliberately block her "spying," those lights and shadows gradually became clearer and more cohesive in her eyes.

It was a semi-transparent virtual screen floating in front of Su Rui, visible only to him (and perhaps now to Eyjafjalla as well). The screen was divided into several windows, some of which were constantly changing, complex graphs and data tables that she couldn't understand at all, and others that seemed to be some kind of real-time communication interface with text scrolling rapidly on them.

At this moment, what appears to be a chat window in the center of the screen is Su Rui's finger interacting with this window.

Eyjafjalla squinted, trying to decipher the rapidly scrolling text. The characters weren't large, but she was close enough to make them barely visible.

The other person's name (or code name) is a concise string of seemingly encrypted symbols. And the chat content...

[The target area has been initially screened. Within a three-kilometer radius of Columbia University of Geology, there are seventeen properties that meet the criteria of being quiet, independent, having adequate security, clear title, and accepting anonymous full payment transactions. Detailed information and preliminary valuations have been sent. Please confirm the priority.]

Su Rui (in lamb form) twitched his fingers, seemingly flipping through something quickly. A moment later, he "typed" a simple line of text (Eyjafjalla saw the characters appear out of thin air in the input box and then send it):

[Priority given to detached houses with independent yards or enclosed balconies, and communities with a security rating of B or higher. Excludes high-rise apartments and converted street-front shops. The internal structure must facilitate basic security modifications. Within the budget, a slight premium is acceptable for a fast-track transaction and absolute privacy.]

The other party quickly replied: [Understood. We've already done a second round of screening according to the new criteria, leaving nine locations. Three of them meet the 'fast anonymous transaction' requirement; the sellers have clear backgrounds, urgently need funds, and are willing to accept full payment upfront, with a strict confidentiality agreement to be signed. Information has been updated.]

Volume 19, page 1301: This is impossible under normal circumstances.

Su Rui: [Send specific coordinates, internal structure diagram, recent community safety report, property ownership history, and potential dispute risk assessment.]

The other party: [Transmitting...]

Immediately afterwards, Eyjafjalla saw a series of images, floor plans, and densely packed data reports rapidly scrolling across the screen reflected in Su Rui's pupils...

Buy... buy a house? Near Columbia University of Geology?

Eyjafjalla's mind went Blank, as if struck by lightning. She even temporarily forgot their overly intimate posture, the teacher still lecturing in class, and the subtle, almost imperceptible, gazes around them.

Su Rui... is planning to buy a house? Near the university they're going to attend? For... her (and their)?

This realization was like a boulder thrown into a still lake, stirring up towering waves. Shock, disbelief, and a complex mix of indescribable emotions—a blend of ecstasy and unease—instantly overwhelmed her.

How much money does he actually have? Didn't he only recently "awaken"? Wasn't he with her the whole time? Where did he get the money to consider buying a house in the university district of Trimounts (home to Columbia University of Geology, one of Columbia's core cities)? And it doesn't sound like an ordinary apartment, but a detached house with a yard? And he's even considering "premium pricing" and "safety renovations"?

Countless questions, like boiling bubbles, churned in her mind. She could no longer hold back, and suddenly turned her head, her pink eyes wide open, staring straight at Su Rui (in lamb form)'s profile so close to hers, her mouth slightly open, as if she wanted to ask for clarification immediately.

However, just before she was about to make a sound, Su Rui (in lamb form) seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, or perhaps he sensed her intention from her suddenly disordered breathing and gaze. The hand he had placed on the desk stopped its rhythmic tapping and moved almost imperceptibly to the side... about a centimeter.

It was this subtle, almost imperceptible movement—the corner of Eyjafjalla's eye, or rather, the keen perception born from her complete focus on Su Rui —that allowed her to "see"—no, not "see," but rather a direct projection of consciousness—that above where Su Rui's finger had just rested, the air distorted slightly. Then, a palm-sized, semi-transparent virtual screen, emitting a soft glow and composed entirely of light, appeared out of thin air before her, hovering above the desk between her and Su Rui.

The screen was facing her directly, and the content on it was crystal clear.

That wasn't the complex multi-window interface reflected in Su Rui's pupils, but an extremely simple, pure white background. In the center of the screen, there was only one number.

A long number displayed in black font.

Eyjafjalla instinctively held her breath, her pink eyes fixed on the number, her brain instinctively counting digits one by one:

Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousand, hundreds of thousands, millions, tens of millions...

Eight figures!

The first number is "3", followed by a total of seven Arabic numerals!

3, and then... Eyjafjalla felt her breathing becoming difficult. She checked again: ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions... Yes, it was eight digits, and more than thirty million!

More than thirty million Columbian dollar?! (She subconsciously interpreted the figure in Columbian dollar.)

For Eyjafjalla, who lost her parents at a young age and lived a frugal life relying on meager inheritances and occasional odd jobs, this figure was nothing short of an astronomical sum, a concept that had only ever appeared in the news and in her dreams. She couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to possess such a huge sum of money.

Su Rui... he... how could he have so much money?! It's only been a few days?! Wasn't he always by her side? When... did he earn over thirty million?!

The extreme shock made her temporarily forget the "house-buying plan" she had just seen, forget that they were still in class, and forget everything around her. She just stared blankly at the number floating in front of her, emitting a faint glow, representing astonishing wealth, her pink eyes filled with disbelief and bewilderment.

Just then, a calm, familiar voice, ringing directly in her mind, answered her questions and instantly pulled her back to reality from her extreme shock:

"Don't worry about how I did it; online stock trading is very simple for a super AI like me."

Su Rui's voice didn't travel through the air; it resonated directly and clearly deep within her consciousness. Her tone was flat, as if she were saying, "The weather's nice today," but the content caused Eyjafjalla's brain to crash once again.

Online stock trading? Super intelligent? So simple?

The sheer volume of information conveyed by these words once again left Eyjafjalla dizzy. Of course, she knew about "stock trading," and that it was an extremely risky investment activity that ordinary people rarely ventured into. She also vaguely knew that Su Rui was "special," an "existence" beyond her comprehension, an "intelligence"... But connecting "super intelligence" with "making over 30 million yuan through online stock trading" was still completely beyond her comprehension.

He... he used that old cell phone to... trade stocks online, and then, in just a few days, he made... over 30 million?!

This is like a myth, no, it's even more outrageous than a myth!

The glowing numbers representing over thirty million, floating before her eyes, seemed to radiate a scorching heat, burning Eyjafjalla's eyes. She blinked sharply, and when she opened them again, the glowing digital screen had vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.

Su Rui (in his sheep form) remained in the same posture, his profile calm, his gaze fixed on the podium. His fingers continued to tap on the unseen "keyboard" beneath the desk, processing the "home purchase plan." It was as if the numbers displayed earlier, enough to drive ordinary people crazy, and the truth about his own abilities that he had so casually revealed, were merely insignificant episodes.

Eyjafjalla's heart was still pounding wildly because of the numbers and the words echoing in her mind, almost shattering her ribs. She subconsciously looked at Su Rui, her pink eyes filled with indescribable complex emotions: shock, bewilderment, a hint of lingering fear (what if others knew about Su Rui's abilities...), and even more, a tidal wave of deeper understanding of Su Rui's existence and... an indescribable dependence and awe.

Volume 19, page 1302: Focus your mind on your studies.

Su Rui... was even more incredible, even more... powerful than she had imagined.

Not only could he help her plan her studies and connect her with influential figures like Saria to easily solve her college admission problems, but now... he could even earn more wealth online in a few days than an average person could earn in several lifetimes, and he had already begun preparing for their future (buying a house near the university!).

And he did all of this so... effortlessly, so casually.