Morning.
Su Ze pushed away Little Hottie, who was like a furnace, as usual.
However, Su Ze found it strange. Normally, when he woke up, Little Hottie would wake up as well, without exception from the beginning until now. But today, Little Hottie didn't wake up, which was rare.
Could it be? Did she die silently?
A terrifying thought arose in Su Ze's mind, as it seemed to be the only reasonable explanation.
But Su Ze was overthinking.
Little Hottie drowsily opened her amber eyes, glanced at Su Ze, and then fell back asleep, still half-asleep.
Has she learned to sleep in? Su Ze was surprised.
He speculated that perhaps his recent behavior, showing no intention of leaving her again, had made Uesugi Akizuki less worried about him leaving.
Su Ze went about preparing breakfast as usual.
At the entrance of Building 8, Meng Xingyao held a bag containing two bento boxes.
She took a deep breath, stepped into the elevator, and carefully adjusted her bangs in the reflective elevator wall.
As the elevator doors closed, a white-haired girl emerged from the corner, her face dark, and pressed the button for the other elevator.
Meng Xingyao, filled with nervousness and excitement, made her way to Room 211. After hesitating for a moment, she pressed the doorbell.
Uesugi Chigenki, who was brushing her teeth in front of the mirror with a melancholy expression, heard the doorbell, tilted her head, and guessed who it might be. After hesitating for a while, she rinsed her mouth, wiped her lips, and went to open the door.
As expected, Meng Xingyao stood there with a bento in hand, her smile as bright as the sun. "Good morning! I made breakfast for you."
A fox in a chicken coop, definitely up to no good!
Using the excuse of bringing breakfast to enter my dorm and then bullying me, huh? Don't think I can't see through your scheme!
Uesugi Chigenki forced a smile and took the bento. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, you're welcome," Meng Xingyao said with a smile, ready to step inside.
Click. The door closed.
...
Facing defeat before even starting, Meng Xingyao stood in the empty corridor, stunned.
At the end of the corridor, the white-haired girl turned and left.
I knew it, why would Yaoyao not want to get back together with me? It must be this fox spirit seducing her.
A Candle Realm ghost... heh, if you dare to touch my woman, don't cry too loudly when I turn you into a human stick. Show the same courage you have now when you steal my woman.
Su Ze was smoking on the balcony, looking at his phone, while Little Hottie, who had finished breakfast, stared blankly at the ceiling.
Suddenly, the campus alarm blared!
Little Hottie, caught off guard by the sudden loud noise, curled up in fear. The next moment, she reacted and quickly ran to Su Ze, grabbing his hand.
"All faculty and students, gather at the stadium. All faculty and students, gather at the stadium..." The school's loudspeakers echoed throughout the campus.
Su Ze felt it was odd, but the urgency in the voice was clear. He immediately picked up Uesugi Akizuki and jumped out the window, heading toward the stadium.
He had thought about finding Uesugi Chigenki, as she was new and probably didn't know where the stadium was. But after considering it, he decided not to.
At this moment, if you were on the road in the Huaxia University dormitory area, you would see this scene.
Whether freshmen or seniors, whether on the fifth floor or the fiftieth, tens of thousands of students poured out of the windows like bees leaving their hive, or like dumplings dropping into a pot, landing on the ground.
A few students with poor skills broke their legs, groaning and clutching their feet, sweating profusely.
Some were still in their underwear, while others were running and putting on clothes. The latter seemed a bit smarter.
Despite their disheveled appearance, their decisive response to the call showed a military-like efficiency.
"Chigenki, come out!"
Meng Xingyao anxiously knocked on the door. Uesugi Chigenki, startled by the alarm, took several seconds to react. When she opened the door, a pair of hands grabbed her and carried her away, slung over a shoulder.
In her dazed eyes, the scene before her blurred, and then she felt herself flying, as Meng Xingyao jumped down with her.
At the stadium, with no class divisions or formations yet, tens of thousands of students were in chaotic disarray.
But soon, they tacitly reached a consensus, and rows of lines formed from front to back.
They were students of Huaxia University, so they had all learned how to survive in this environment.
Those who were too slow were chased by teachers, who struck with considerable force, some even wielding knives, their faces twisted with smiles.
Uesugi Chigenki was set down and immediately crouched on the ground, hugging her knees and trembling.
Confused, terrified, and shocked, she struggled to raise her head and look around.
The alarm had stopped by now, and Meng Xingyao stood behind her, gently patting her back. "Don't be afraid. Now, stand up, we need to line up. Don't be nervous."
Fortunately, Uesugi Chigenki, in her confusion, gradually regained clarity with Meng Xingyao's words, understanding what she needed to do. She didn't know many people at this school, only Su Ze, Little Hottie, and Meng Xingyao.
And at the moment, Meng Xingyao was one of the people she could trust.
She obediently stood up and lined up.
Teachers from all directions gradually arrived, no longer chasing after students but standing on the periphery, observing.
In the principal's office of the administration building, an elderly man in a white shirt, with a sturdy and robust build, gently sways his coffee. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his arms resting on the parapet.
His eyes exuded majesty and defiance, yet also amiability, with a slight smile. This man, who was still vigorous at the age of one hundred and thirty, was the principal of Huaxia University, Jie Congrong.
"This year's crop is quite good, but among the best, only the best will survive," said Vice Principal Keno Oville, stepping out of the office.
Jie Congrong took a sip of coffee:
“Over a hundred years, I have witnessed batch after batch of my students, one after another, entering disasters, mysterious realms, and spatial gates.”
"They were brave, fearless in the face of death, persevering, and sacrificing themselves for the greater good."
"I saw them grow from carefree youths into mature and steady heroes of China, and then, they became lifeless corpses, their names engraved on cold tombstones."
"I remember their eyes as they entered disasters, some resolute, some crazy, some fearful..."
"But none of them retreated, using their extraordinary bodies to shield China from storms."
"People say, heroes emerge in troubled times, but where do heroes come from?"
"They come from ordinary people who choose to light themselves up, becoming candles that illuminate the darkness in times of crisis."
“When resisting disasters, they were heroes, but people also unconsciously overlooked.”
"Who is this son? Who is this father? Who is this daughter? Who is this mother?"
“So, what bad seedlings are there? As long as these seedlings can grow and contribute to disaster prevention, no matter how much or how little, they are all good seedlings of China.”
"I am forever proud of them."
When all the students, startled by the sudden alarm, rushed to the stadium in a chaotic frenzy, no one stepped onto the stage to provide an explanation.