Yu Xiaogang raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet. "Now that you all know me, please introduce yourselves one by one. State your name, level, and Martial Soul. The order will be from highest to lowest level."
" Dai Mubai, level 37, Martial Soul: Evil Eye White Tiger." Dai Mubai was the first to speak, his voice loud and clear, carrying the confidence of a leader.
The air paused briefly, and Yu Xiaogang's gaze fell on Tang San, nodding imperceptibly.
Tang San immediately understood and announced loudly, " Tang San, level thirty-one, Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass."
" Xiao Wu, level 31, Martial Soul: Soft Bone Rabbit."
" Oscar, Level 31, Martial Soul Sausage."
This seemingly insignificant detail actually holds a hidden secret.
Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Oscar Mingdu level 31 with similar Soul Power, but Yu Xiaogang deliberately guided Tang San to speak first, subtly making Tang San stand out among the three and giving him an edge over Xiao Wu and Oscar.
You might not notice anything once or twice, but if it happens repeatedly, people will subconsciously start to think that Tang San has a higher status and naturally regard him as the core.
Yu Xiaogang, as an adult, was adept at establishing authority in this subtle way, but the teenagers at Shrek were only teenagers, simple-minded, and completely unaware of the tricks of the trade, making them easy to manipulate.
Following that, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun each gave their self-introductions.
Lin Kong naturally came last. He calmly began, " Lin Kong, level 24, Martial Soul: Dark Blue Silver Grass."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Xiaogang's voice rang out again, his tone calm but with a hint of scrutiny. "If I remember correctly, Shrek Academy has a rule—students below level 25 need to pass four stages of the entrance exam; those above level 25 can skip the second and third stages. Lin Kong, I checked your admission records, but I couldn't find any record of you participating in the entrance exam?"
As soon as he said this, everyone's eyes focused on Lin Kong.
What's the best way to destroy a person's confidence and prestige?
It means seizing upon some trivial matter in public and using the guise of "for your own good" to criticize and lecture someone. Once or twice might not be a big deal, but if it happens too often, Lin Kong's image in everyone's eyes will plummet, and his original prestige will be completely destroyed.
Lin Kong raised an eyebrow slightly, a half-smile playing on his lips. He glanced at Flender instinctively, but Flender deliberately avoided his gaze, turning his head to the side.
Yu Xiaogang pressed on, his tone slightly seductive. "What? Is there some hidden story behind this?"
"Yes," Lin Kong readily admitted, his tone casual.
"What's the hidden story?" Yu Xiaogang pressed, wanting to see what reason Lin Kong could come up with.
"He made a lot of money for Old Flender." Lin Kong's voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear.
Yu Xiaogang immediately seized the opportunity, his expression turning serious, and began to escalate the situation. "This is simply not right! The academy's rules are meant to be followed, not broken for money. You all must remember this and never follow Lin Kong's example, lest you inadvertently go astray."
At this moment, the way everyone looked at Lin Kong did indeed change subtly. Some were puzzled, some were confused, and some had already begun to subconsciously ponder Yu Xiaogang's words, wondering whether what he said made sense.
They are so naive that when faced with the "reasoning" spoken by someone who holds the title of "teacher," they only instinctively consider whether it is right or wrong, but never think that this so-called "reasoning" is just an excuse against Lin Kong.
In the process of thinking, their ideas had been unknowingly guided and changed by Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang took in everyone's reactions, feeling smug. "Heh, a bunch of twelve-year-old brats, manipulating them is a piece of cake."
Ah~ um~
Just then, Lin Kong suddenly yawned widely, his face showing an indifferent or even somewhat annoyed expression, as if he had no interest in the conversation whatsoever.
Yu Xiaogang frowned and immediately seized the opportunity to escalate the situation. " Lin Kong! What kind of attitude is this during class time? Is this disrespecting classroom discipline and the academy's rules?"
"I only respect those who deserve respect." Lin Kong looked up at him, his tone calm but carrying an undisguised rebuttal.
His yawn just now was intentional, a test to see if Yu Xiaogang was deliberately targeting him. And now, the result is obvious.
That bastard, he really came for me!
Lin Kong was certain that if Zhao Wuji were standing here right now, his first reaction upon seeing him yawn would be to ask with concern if he hadn't slept well last night, rather than immediately escalating the issue to the level of discipline and rules, as Yu Xiaogang did.
Shrek Academy only has a small number of students, and they value human relationships above all else. Where would they find rigid discipline and rules?
The reason Yu Xiaogang kept talking about discipline and rules was simply because he was too weak—a level 29 Soul Grandmaster had absolutely no persuasive power in front of this group of exceptionally talented students.
He can only rely on the so-called "system," and on the vague "discipline" and "rules" within the "system," to cloak himself in a cloak of "authority" and make himself appear very powerful.
Now that he had seen through Yu Xiaogang's true nature and purpose, Lin Kong naturally wouldn't hold back any longer.
The previously peaceful atmosphere suddenly became filled with a strong sense of tension.
" Lin Kong, what do you mean? Have you forgotten who I am?" Yu Xiaogang glared angrily and roared at Lin Kong.
The others frowned, glancing at Yu Xiaogang and then at Lin Kong, unsure of what to do.
"I know!" Lin Kong nodded, his tone indifferent.
"You know? Hah! You know and you still did this?" Yu Xiaogang crossed his arms. "You clearly know I'm a teacher, and you still did this. I knew I hadn't misjudged you. From the first day you joined the Junior Soul Master Academy, I knew your character was so despicable!"
Yu Xiaogang's words revealed even more information, causing the other Shrek students to ponder the "first day of the Junior Soul Master Academy." In the process, they were naturally forced to accept that " Lin Kong is of low character."
What does it mean to manipulate people's hearts?
That's it!
The most basic manipulation of people's minds!
So, how will Lin Kong respond?
He pointed at Yu Xiaogang, "You're a piece of trash with level 29 Soul Power, so why should I respect you?"