Chapter 8

It wasn't because his family was rich, but because Yu Hongyuan's Physique Points were quite good. Although he was four points short of 90, he still ranked second in the school.

Principal Sun looked kindly at the school's second-ranked student and asked, "What is it, Yu?"

Yu Hongyuan fidgeted for a long while before finally mumbling, "Principal, I have a private car taking me to the provincial capital this afternoon. The driver is a First-Grade Star Bearer, so it'll be fast and safe. Um... um..."

Principal Sun didn't understand what he was getting at. "That's good."

Yu Hongyuan's face turned red, and he finally said it. "Um, could I trouble you to ask Li Yang if she'd come with me?"

Principal Sun: "?"

Yu Hongyuan felt he had lost face all the way to his grandma's house.

Principal Sun blinked. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Yu Hongyuan: "..."

Principal Sun looked at his fidgeting and his bright red face, and understood at once.

Ah, he was getting old. He'd overlooked the innocent stirrings of a young heart.

Yu Hongyuan

secretly liked

Li Yang?

It was possible!

After all, Li Yang not only had an impressive 90 Physique Points, but was also pretty. It was only natural that she'd make a boy his age dizzy with infatuation.

Principal Sun cleared his throat softly. "I'll ask her for you."

Yu Hongyuan was relieved. "Thank you, Principal!"

Principal Sun reminded him, "Remember, the exam comes first. Don't hold Li Yang back!" If Yu Hongyuan's private car hadn't been reliable, he really wouldn't have wanted Li Yang to go to the provincial capital with him.

Yu Hongyuan hardly knew what to say. Naturally, he had no idea what the principal had imagined. What pained him was that Principal Sun used to worry about others holding him back, but now he was the one holding someone else back.

Just then, Fang Chuyun had invited Li Yang to travel with her, when Li Yang's phone rang.

Li Yang answered the call. "Hello, Principal."

Principal Sun cheerfully asked her a few questions, and only after learning that she was all packed did he say, "Here's the thing. Yu Hongyuan is also going to the provincial capital this afternoon. His mother arranged a private car for him, and the driver is a First-Grade Star Bearer, so it's both fast and safe. Would you like to hitch a ride with him?"

Li Yang: "?" Why was Yu Hongyuan inviting her too?

Quite a few students from Huangcheng No. 1 High School were going to the provincial capital for the exam, but none of them were in the first group, so they weren't in a hurry to leave today.

Only Li Yang, Fang Chuyun and Yu Hongyuan were leaving today.

Principal Sun continued, "Ahem, Yu Hongyuan means well. You'll be taking assessments together in the future, and you might even get into the same military academy. It would be nice to make a friend."

As he said those last few words, he glared at Yu Hongyuan, hinting that being friends was fine, but he shouldn't get any ideas.

Yu Hongyuan muttered to himself, I'm done for. Mom didn't tell old Sun, did she? Does he know I'm going to be Li Yang's lackey?!

Li Yang paused, then replied, "Principal Sun, Fang Chuyun is here with me. She's already invited me to go to the provincial capital with her this afternoon."

Principal Sun was quite surprised, but his face quickly lit up with a smile. "All right! Go with Fang, then! The two of you will most likely be classmates in the future. You both came from our Huangcheng No. 1 High School, so it's best if you help each other!"

Principal Sun was truly gratified.

Just look at them! These were the students he had taught—so outstanding, so united, so harmonious!

Yu Hongyuan heard her and bristled at once. "What did she say?"

Principal Sun smiled. "Yu, you're too late. Li has already..."

Before he could finish, Yu Hongyuan put the excellent physical abilities granted by his 86 Physique Points to use. He vanished from the principal's office in an instant and raced toward the school apartment building.

Principal Sun: "Uh..." It was good to be young, so full of vigor.

Yu Hongyuan arrived at Li Yang's door at an astonishing speed.

This time, it wasn't for pocket money. His fighting spirit had been roused.

Damn Fang Chuyun!

She'd gotten there before him!

Li Yang hung up and said to Fang Chuyun, "Principal Sun said that Yu Hongyuan..."

Not long after she finished speaking, Yu Hongyuan arrived, looking at them while he gasped for breath.

"Li Yang!" Yu Hongyuan was so exhausted his eyes nearly rolled back. "Take my car to the provincial capital!"

Fang Chuyun raised an eyebrow. "Why should she take your car? Li Yang has already agreed to come with me."

"Listen to me..." Yu Hongyuan looked at Li Yang. "Fang Chuyun's car is an old model from five years ago. It's a bumpy ride. Mine is different. It's a new model developed just this year, with maximum comfort!"

Fang Chuyun immediately said, "All flash and no substance! My car was modified by the military!"

Yu Hongyuan said, "My driver is a Star Wielder!"

Fang Chuyun said, "He's only first-grade. If I wanted to, I'd be a First-Grade Star Bearer by now too!"

Yu Hongyuan added, "He also took part in last year's practical assessment. He has plenty of experience and can give us some predictions on the way!"

Fang Chuyun said, "No need. I already have firsthand information I can share with Li Yang on the way."

"I have information too!"

"Yours isn't as good as mine."

"I paid a lot of money for mine. It's definitely better than yours!"

The two argued furiously, while Li Yang watched with amusement.

She wasn't really eighteen, but the two before her really were.

They stirred up Li Yang's memories. Who hadn't gone through an edgy phase? After years as a corporate slave, she found the sight rather cute.

Li Yang had more or less guessed why they had invited her: they were simply curious about her 90 Physique Points and wanted to get close enough to ask her about it and improve themselves further.

That was only human. If they truly wanted nothing, Li Yang would have found it strange.

"Um..." Li Yang spoke up.

The two fell silent at once and turned to look at her.

Li Yang said, "We're all classmates. Let's not spoil the harmony. How about... the three of us go together?"

Yu Hongyuan: "..."

Fang Chuyun: "..."

Two seconds later, as though racing to be first, they spoke at the same time. "Okay!"

Chapter 8

Of everyone, Principal Sun was undoubtedly the happiest that they were traveling to the provincial capital together.

How wonderful!

Thanks to Li Yang, Fang Chuyun and Yu Hongyuan were getting along!

These three were Huangcheng's stars of the future. Watching them, Principal Sun nearly shed tears of joy.

When Yu Zhiying heard the news, she immediately arranged a roomier car for her son. Not only would the three of them be able to travel in comfort, but they could also bring Fang Chuyun's coach along.

Before they left, Yu Zhiying rapped her son on the head. "Learn from Li Yang! I told you to get along with Fang Chuyun, and you've been botching it for three years!"

Yu Hongyuan: "..."

Learn, learn, learn. Learn my ass!

He cursed both of them to fail to get into Zhongdu Military Academy!

Of course, Yu Hongyuan only dared grumble in his heart. Outwardly, he remained meek and agreeable.

It had to be said that Yu Hongyuan's family really was well-off. Li Yang didn't recognize the car brands in this world, but she could tell from the design that it was expensive.

It looked like a minivan from the outside, but was surprisingly spacious inside. The seats could all recline flat and had massage functions. There was even a small television directly in front, and the air in the car was fresh and pleasant.

Li Yang went to the back row, with Fang Chuyun beside her. Yu Hongyuan sat in the front row, next to Fang Chuyun's coach.

Once the car started, the "war" began too.

Yu Hongyuan said, "Fang Chuyun, let's exchange information."

Fang Chuyun said, "You first."

"Why should I?"

"Forget it, then."

Li Yang was actually quite curious. Although she had looked through plenty of material from previous years, every practical exam was different. There were more than ten rotating formats alone, and each format had different assessment methods...

There were too many possible combinations. Predicting the questions was even harder than predicting those on the college entrance exam.

Fang Chuyun and Yu Hongyuan definitely had firsthand information, and obtaining it required either connections or money. Li Yang had neither.

Both fell silent, locked in a quiet contest.

Yu Hongyuan suddenly looked at Li Yang. "Li Yang, I'll tell you. This year's practical assessment is in a special quarantine zone!"

With that, he looked at Fang Chuyun provocatively, his expression saying, "See? My information is damn valuable."

Li Yang knew the previous years' material by heart and immediately grasped the key point. "Are we going to be clearing out mutated creatures?"

Yu Hongyuan: "Uh..."

Seeing him at a loss for words, Fang Chuyun looked at Li Yang and replied, "We don't know what grade of quarantine zone it is yet. If it's a high-grade one, it might be survival mode. If it's low-grade, we'll be clearing out mutated creatures."

Although Yu Hongyuan was sitting in the front row, he was listening closely.

At that moment, the Star Wielder driving the car spoke. "Don't worry. None of you have drawn stars into your bodies yet, after all. For the candidates' safety, the quarantine zone won't be too high-grade."

A special quarantine zone referred to an area where mutated creatures gathered, usually in the wilderness or forests outside the city.

A quarantine zone's grade was determined by the mutated creatures inside it.

The higher the creatures' grade, the higher the zone's grade, and the more dangerous it was.

Yu Hongyuan had hired the Star Wielder at the wheel. As soon as he spoke, Yu Hongyuan felt proud and lifted his chin again.

Then Fang Chuyun's coach spoke as well. "This year's chief examiner is a conservative. There's a high chance the exam will be survival mode."

The Star Wielder in front said, "Hard to say. Master Lin is only relatively conservative. The Lin Family is firmly in the pro-war camp."

"That was years ago. Ever since Master Lin took charge of the family, they haven't been so pro-war!"

"But survival mode has rarely been used in past assessments. This year, it'll most likely be clearing out mutated creatures again."

Yu Hongyuan's driver and Fang Chuyun's coach weren't going to quarrel like the two of them, but they clearly disagreed about the contents of the practical exam.