Bling Bling

Lu Yuan took the payment slip and followed the hospital signs into another building. His mother was in the inpatient department, while the hospital's testing facilities were in the outpatient building.

On the third floor of the outpatient building, Lu Yuan found the True Essence testing hall.

The moment he entered, his vision went dark.

Damn, there are so many people!

A dense mass of people had formed four lines to wait for testing. Nearly all of them were examinees, and they were easy to recognize.

Almost everyone had study materials in hand, standing there working through practice questions as they waited.

Lu Yuan joined the back of a line and took his own study materials out of his bag. Mainly because everyone else was studying, and he would be looked down on if he didn't.

It was that cutthroat!

Although many people were waiting in the hall, they were all reading, so it was quiet save for the rustling of turning pages. Even the young nurses coming and going were caught up in the mood, moving softly for fear of disturbing the future pillars of the Hua People.

The atmosphere for studying was wonderful. Unfortunately, an ill-timed commotion came from outside, shattering the peace.

"This is so annoying! Why do I have to wait in line? I don't want to wait in line!"

Amid a string of clacking high heels, a furious girl burst into the hall. She was beautiful and coldly glamorous, wearing a gorgeous long satin dress, with expensive jeweled ornaments adorning her carefully styled long hair. Simply standing there, she was dazzling and imposing.

Even someone as unable to recognize quality goods as Lu Yuan could tell at a glance that the girl came from an extremely wealthy family. She was sparkling bling bling from head to toe, and every bit of it was money!

Unfortunately, compared with her stunning appearance, the girl's personality was especially unpleasant.

After entering the hall, she swept an arrogant glance around, finally settling her gaze on Lu Yuan.

When she saw that Lu Yuan was actually looking back at her, the girl glared with her almond-shaped eyes.

"Hmph!"

Lu Yuan had no idea what she was huffing about, but he quickly lowered his eyes and pretended to look at his study materials. He thought the girl had quite a temper and that it was best not to provoke her.

"Making me line up with these people is a deliberate waste of my precious time! Why didn't you buy a testing device to keep at home?"

The girl's voice was especially lovely, but because she was so loud, it sounded rather grating instead.

"Eldest miss! True Essence testing devices are controlled goods. Private purchases aren't allowed."

The person who hurried in after her was a balding older man. His scalp gleamed, his clothes were extraordinary, and he was lean; he was presumably no ordinary person either. Yet he was bowing and scraping before the girl, so he appeared to be her family's butler.

Besides the older man, four burly men in crisp suits followed her in. They were probably bodyguards.

Two of the bodyguards were actually carrying a wide, carved rosewood bench. Judging by the look of it, it weighed a good hundred jin.

The two gently set the bench on the floor, and the girl sat down as naturally as could be. A soft velvet cushion covered the seat, and she crossed her pretty legs.

Lu Yuan's eyelids twitched. He wasn't the only one; the examinees throughout the hall were stunned by the girl's tycoon style.

The girl paid no attention to the looks from others. Once she had taken her seat, her expression finally improved a little. She turned to the balding older man and said:

"I'll let it go this time. The next time I come for a test, buy the hospital in advance. Understood?"

"Yes, yes, eldest miss!" the old man said. But when he turned around, Lu Yuan saw that he looked constipated. Apparently, he wasn't all that willing either.

The girl stayed quiet for only a little while. Someone like her would never follow the rules and wait in line properly. Her eyes darted about, and she soon came up with a rotten idea.

"Hmph, what a bunch of trash!" she said with feigned disdain. "You don't work hard normally, but now you're all putting on a show here!"

Though she hadn't spoken very loudly, everyone's attention was on her, so they all heard her.

Lu Yuan frowned. Has this girl really never been beaten up in her life? How can she be so clueless?

Lu Yuan was a mature person, and his misfortunes in his previous life had taught him even more about forbearance. People could insult him all they wanted; as long as they left his family out of it, he could pretend he hadn't heard. It wasn't as though he'd lose a cent.

But the examinees around him weren't as good-tempered.

"Hey, what did you say?" A boy with glasses stepped forward indignantly. "You think having money makes you so great?"

Seeing that someone had actually taken the bait, the girl covered her mouth and burst out laughing. She looked so lovely when she laughed that the boy with glasses turned bright red.

Once she had laughed enough, the girl propped her chin on one hand and asked with great interest, "Interesting! You don't care about money? What a coincidence, neither do I. Then what do you think makes someone great?"

The boy with glasses spoke righteously. "We're students, so of course we compare grades. Maybe your family has a couple of lousy coins, but once I graduate from university, I won't necessarily be any worse off than you!"

He spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, drawing nods from the examinees watching. They whispered among themselves. Yes, students should naturally put their studies first. The girl's family was rich, but once everyone graduated from university, it wasn't impossible that a few of the examinees present would become billionaires.

After hearing the boy with glasses out, the girl pretended that a realization had dawned on her.

"So you want to compare grades with me. How courageous!"

She beckoned with her little hand. "Read my grades to him."

A bodyguard took out an exquisite booklet. The four large gold-stamped characters "Guanghua Academy" on its cover dazzled the watching students.

This eldest miss was unbelievable, actually carrying her student handbook around with her.

Everyone gaped in astonishment and whispered among themselves.

"Guanghua Academy!"

"It's Guanghua Academy, the strongest in the five southern provinces!"

"The private high school with an eighty percent admission rate to Cultivation University!"

"Heavens, how did a study god like her end up here?"

By now, the examinees were no longer looking at her with hostility, but with worship-their worship of a study god. Such a pretty girl, and a study god from Guanghua Academy too-it was perfectly normal for her to be a little proud, wasn't it?

"First-year final exams, full marks in every subject!"

"Second-year final exams, full marks in every subject!"

"Third-year completion exams, full marks in every subject!"

"Outstanding Student of the Jiangzhou Region, year 3186!"

"Distinguished Student of the Divine Land, year 3187!"

The bodyguard read on, line by line, listing one incredible result and honor after another. The watching students grew numb as they listened.

The worshipful looks around her left the eldest miss quite satisfied. She stood and ordered the bodyguard, "Read my name out loud!"

The bodyguard obeyed and announced loudly, "The Divine Land's top student, the shining morning star, Li Tao!"

"You will remember my name, because before long, it will be sung throughout the world!" Li Tao declared magnanimously. "When that time comes, you can say you know me. I give you permission to use my name to brag!"

That was unbelievable confidence-or perhaps arrogance. After she spoke, the girl named Li Tao looked arrogantly from side to side.

The examinees she looked at hurriedly made way and invited her to go first. Wasn't it only natural for a study god to have priority? Who was qualified to stand in line ahead of her? Li Tao's little trick had indeed worked.

Only Lu Yuan remained standing where he was.

Li Tao frowned. "Why aren't you moving aside?"

"First come, first served. No matter who you are, you have to wait in line."

"Heh." Li Tao sneered. "Are you unconvinced?"

"It's not that there's no one in this world I respect, but you aren't one of them."

Li Tao was secretly startled, unsure of this person's background. Why did everyone else bow and scrape before her, while he alone was so cold and aloof?

"Who exactly are you?"

"Lu Yuan. You'll remember that name, because next, I'll show you that there are heavens beyond the heavens!"

(The above came from Lu Yuan's imagination.)

(The following was what really happened.)

Lu Yuan hurriedly stepped aside, and Li Tao didn't even glance at him.

She sauntered into the testing room. Many examinees also abandoned the line and crowded around the door, craning their necks to peer inside.

The computer screen in the testing room was turned sideways to the door, so if they looked hard enough, they could see the data of the person being tested.

Everyone was eager to see the study god's True Essence data, and many realized they were about to witness a miracle with their own eyes.