The bell rang for class.
The two homeroom teachers, Wang Yan and Zhou Yi, entered the classroom almost on the bell.
Zhou Yi's aged face looked calm, but her eyes were especially cold. She had already learned what had happened yesterday.
Wang Yan stood at the classroom door, his eyes on his nose and his mind on his heart.
Zhou Yi walked behind the lectern alone.
"Everyone, stand up," Zhou Yi commanded coldly.
The students originally from Class One shot to their feet as though a red-hot branding iron had appeared on their chairs. The other students also stood, though some were faster than others.
"Very good," Zhou Yi said coldly. "It seems all sixty-seven students are here."
"Thirty-six of you stood up the moment you heard my command. The other thirty delayed to varying degrees."
"Now, those whose names I call will leave the classroom and stand in the corridor as punishment."
"First, Wu Feng!"
The first person Zhou Yi called was Wu Feng, who had led the others in pressuring Wang Yan yesterday and publicly provoked Huo Yuhao.
In Zhou Yi's view, the nature of yesterday's incident had to be distinguished clearly from the start. Given Huo Yuhao's individual combat strength, there was nothing inherently wrong with Wu Feng objecting to his running for class monitor.
She did not dislike students having pride or daring to question things.
But Wu Feng's mistake was disrupting classroom discipline during class, publicly provoking another student, and even leading the others in pressuring their teacher!
That was what Zhou Yi truly could not tolerate.
Everyone who could sit in this classroom was an elite among this year's freshmen-an elite among elites, at that.
Which of them was not proud and arrogant, with eyes set above their heads? If she let Wu Feng off lightly today, they would reach one conclusion-
Shrek's teachers were easy to push around and had no authority whatsoever.
The consequences would be unthinkable.
Then, at the slightest dissatisfaction, these troublemakers would copy her example like tracing a gourd from a model, joining together to pressure their teachers.
What kind of conduct was that?!
How were teachers supposed to teach? How could classes continue?
So today, Wu Feng had to be the first to stand outside.
Making her stand there would kill the chicken to warn the monkeys.
Zhou Yi swept her gaze over the utterly silent class and declared with resounding firmness:
"Wu Feng, out."
Wu Feng, who had kept her head lowered, said nothing. She obediently walked outside and stood by the corridor wall as punishment.
"Huang Chutian, Ye Yulin, Yu Ling, Tang Xiaoxiao, Ouyang Haiya..."
After Wu Feng went out, Zhou Yi called the names of every student who had been a little slow to stand. Most had joined Wu Feng in pressuring Wang Yan yesterday.
Although Huang Chutian had not participated in yesterday's incident, the fellow had zero emotional intelligence. Completely unaware of how serious things were, he actually scratched his head with a smile and said:
"Teacher Zhou, do you have to be so serious? We only stood up a little la-aaagh!"
Before he could finish, Zhou Yi flashed in front of him.
Then Huang Chutian flew out through the classroom doorway, chair and all, leaving only Zhou Yi standing there, her face cold and her hand still raised.
With Huang Chutian's cautionary example before them, and the six Soul Rings flashing around Zhou Yi-
Who still dared resist?
They all obediently walked outside.
After dealing with these troublemakers, Zhou Yi returned behind the lectern and said evenly, "Now, I have two announcements. First, from now on, anyone who dares disrupt classroom discipline or pressure a teacher during class will be expelled immediately!"
The entire class fell silent as cicadas in the cold.
"Second, regarding the class monitors."
"Control system class monitor, Huo Yuhao. Any objections? Speak now if you have any."
Nobody made a sound.
Although the control system naturally countered the assault and agility attack systems, that was in team battles, not one-on-one duels.
Yet Huo Yuhao, with his single ten-year Soul Ring, had defeated Wu Feng in single combat-an assault system student with a top-tier Beast Martial Soul and two Soul Rings of the optimal configuration. Naturally, nobody dared question his strength anymore.
"Good. Next."
"Assault system class monitor, Lin Mo. Anyone with objections, raise your hand now."
This time, Dai Huabin raised his hand.
"Speak," Zhou Yi said evenly.
Dai Huabin slowly rose. His tigerlike eyes met Zhou Yi's gaze without flinching as he pointed at Lin Mo and said gravely:
"Teacher Zhou, I want to challenge him for the position of class monitor."
At those words, every gaze in the class converged on Lin Mo.
The person being pointed at was leaning lazily against his chair. He did not even lift his eyelids, as though this had nothing whatsoever to do with him.
Zhou Yi glanced at Dai Huabin, then at Lin Mo's slouching posture, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
"Granted."
She nodded, then waved a hand.
"Everyone, stand up. To the Soul Dueling Zone!"
The whole class rose in unison and filed out of the classroom.
The moment Lin Mo stepped through the classroom door, he spotted Wu Feng leaning against the opposite wall.
Her head was lowered, her hands behind her back, and she stood utterly still.
Lin Mo could not see her face, but the corridor was only so wide. With just a slight dip of his head, he could see a small, clearly visible patch of moisture on the floor in front of her.
Was she... crying?
Lin Mo abruptly halted mid-stride.
He hesitated for a moment, but still stepped back, took out a packet of tissues, and offered it to her. "You lost, so you lost. At worst, just win next time."
In the end, Lin Mo had gone softhearted.
Or rather, he had always been this softhearted.
Blue Star's nine years of compulsory education, along with principles such as "the people are masters of their own country," "show others basic respect," and "establish proper values," had long since been carved into his bones.
Motherland had, in the end, protected and educated him too well.
So even with his previous life's experiences, he still could not fully accept the cruel law of survival that "the weak are meat for the strong."
On Blue Star, he had been nothing more than an ordinary corporate slave.
In his first life on the Douluo Continent, he had killed people, but every one of them had been guilty of heinous crimes.
He simply could not act with the ruthless decisiveness of a webnovel protagonist and look down upon all the mighty.
Still, Lin Mo had more or less come to terms with it when he had first been reborn. If he was not the protagonist, so be it. He was only an ordinary person who had accidentally transmigrated from Blue Star, anyway.
An ordinary person.
Doing what lay within his abilities, then living his own peaceful little life, was already plenty good enough~
At the very moment Lin Mo fully came to terms with this-
"Humm~"
He suddenly felt a ripple spread across his Sea of Spirit without warning. Immediately afterward, something like a shackle shattered with a crack.
The sound was incredibly faint, yet perfectly clear, reaching straight into the depths of his soul.
Before Lin Mo could react, a small, childish voice timidly sounded in his mind:
"Little bird... good..."
"I... will protect... little bird..."
In an instant, Lin Mo froze where he stood.