Afternoon
Physical Education class for Year 1, Class 2.
Three kilometers for girls, five kilometers for boys.
On a certain rooftop
Five or six student council members stood on the roof, both male and female.
One person held binoculars.
The others held pens and notebooks, recording something...
Among them, a particularly striking young woman wearing a silver mask stood in the middle, radiant like the sun.
Their gazes were all uniformly fixed on the track field below.
On the track, a group of male students were running with all their might, sweat streaming down their faces, their bodies trembling constantly as if drained of energy, yet they persevered, unwilling to give up.
"Su Cheng has fallen behind."
The student council member using the binoculars observed Su Cheng on the track and spoke up.
He continued: "Uncoordinated movements, severely irregular breathing, already has a stitch in his side at just three kilometers, and can't adjust his pace."
"He's a complete athletic novice..."
"His physical fitness is terrible, even worse than mine."
A short-haired girl nearby showed a grinning expression, then shifted her gaze from Su Cheng and began writing in her notebook.
The notebook had keywords like strength, speed, endurance, coordination, flexibility, and agility.
These represented athletic qualities, the basic physical capabilities of the human body.
The others were also lowering their heads and recording in their respective notebooks. Even the student council member with the binoculars shook his head and looked away, unwilling to watch Su Cheng any longer.
But uniquely, the young woman wearing the silver mask continued to observe the crowd on the track.
The next second,
Her eyes, like black jewels, emitted a faint light.
The crowd of runners in her pupils gradually blurred until only one figure remained.
That remaining figure was Su Cheng.
Then, the figure kept enlarging, its movements becoming slower, until every subtle movement was captured in her pupils, before returning to its original state.
"What you see is only what he wants you to see."
She suddenly spoke, her voice cold and crisp, carrying a subtle authority.
Though not loud, her words fell like a spell into the ears of everyone who heard them.
Those present were startled upon hearing this and immediately stopped what they were doing, their gazes turning toward the person holding the binoculars.
"Yes!"
The student council member with the binoculars respectfully acknowledged, then resumed observing Su Cheng's movements on the track.
At this moment, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, his lips trembling slightly, not daring to show any negligence.
He understood the president's meaning.
Su Cheng was pretending!
Just like his grades, deliberately keeping them low.
"There must be something he can't fake."
He muttered to himself, focusing entirely on that figure on the track.
His eyes were fixed intently on Su Cheng, hoping to discover some clue through the binoculars.
Yet that figure continued maintaining his jogging posture, moving very slowly, showing an embarrassed expression whenever girls passed him.
"Yes! Wait... that look in his eyes!"
Just then, he noticed something.
In the binoculars, when there was no one near Su Cheng, his expression and eyes instantly became calm and composed, unmoved by praise or shame, almost "wooden."
Where was the embarrassed expression from earlier?
This was too abnormal!
The change in demeanor was too dramatic; earlier was clearly an act.
This thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
But then, he became certain.
Breathing can be faked, speed can be faked, even sweating and flushing can be faked, but the eyes cannot be disguised for long periods.
"Wait... his center of gravity."
Just then, he noticed another irregularity.
When no one was around Su Cheng, even though he appeared to be jogging slowly and exhaustedly, there were obvious movements of lifting his thighs and pulling up his calves, and each time his foot landed, he kept his center of gravity forward on his supporting foot, maintaining a "forward-leaning, ready-to-accelerate posture."
This was a habit only excellent runners possessed.
So how could an excellent runner get a stitch while running?
"Therefore... there's only one truth!"
"This is all his pretense."
Seeing this, he drew in a sharp breath, his forehead breaking out in a cold sweat.
This person wasn't just disguising his academic performance, but even his athletic abilities!
He was simply a monster!
"As expected of someone chosen by the President!"
His heart couldn't help but tremble with shock, but he quickly regained his composure and continued observing Su Cheng's movements.
"This is all his act. Though physical capabilities can't be specifically analyzed, I deduce they must be extraordinary!"
He lowered his binoculars, a self-deprecating smile appearing on his face: "After the President's reminder, I noticed some minor details he couldn't completely conceal."
The other student council members fell into silence, looking at their previously marked X's, their faces feeling hot with embarrassment.
If not for the President, they would have missed this hidden gem.
"But why does he insist on maintaining this weak facade?"
The short-haired girl asked reluctantly.
In fact, her heart was also full of confusion. She really couldn't understand why someone so capable, excelling in both academics and athletics, would choose to act weak.
If Su Cheng were here, he would recognize this girl as the student council member who had given him the application form earlier.
Upon hearing her question, the others showed puzzled expressions and looked questioningly toward the student council president.
"In this academy, many students come from very special circumstances, and these people become helpless as soon as they face pressure from those with power and influence."
The silver-masked young woman explained calmly, her tone steady, as if describing something trivial.
"Regarding this matter..."
At this point, her tone shifted, expressing something quite particular: "We need to reflect on whether we've done something wrong to cause such a result."
Hearing these words, the student council members were stunned, and the one holding the binoculars suddenly shuddered, seeming to recall something.
During the previous Eddie incident, the student council hadn't given Su Cheng a perfect solution, and had nearly let him get hurt as a result.
Why would Su Cheng disguise himself?
Wasn't it because he deeply understood that tall trees catch the wind, and fame can destroy a person?
"I'll leave the upcoming tests to you."
The silver-masked young woman turned her head slightly, glancing at them, speaking calmly, then suddenly continued with a more serious tone: "Just maintain proper boundaries. Don't disappoint me."
Hearing these words, the student council members immediately became solemn, nodding their heads, their expressions serious.
The masked young woman turned and left after speaking, disappearing from everyone's sight.
"Even if he's good at both academics and athletics, he's just ordinary when it comes to social connections. Even with the President's support, he can't possibly compete with others!"
As soon as the President left, the short-haired girl spoke eagerly, her expression showing concern, then sighed: "A commoner... no one in the academy will support him."
She didn't believe Su Cheng could defeat others, after all, he was just an ordinary person, and even a freshman, let alone facing senior students who had power and influence.
The gap was too obvious.
"Indeed, the world ultimately runs on relationships."
The vice president nearby looked at the lonely Su Cheng who had finished running on the track, his eyes showing a trace of pity.
At this moment, Su Cheng stood in stark contrast to others.
"You have no right to say that. Last time it was you who cowered before Director Eddie, lacking the courage to stand up, which led to his current situation of having to pretend!"
The short-haired girl's face flushed red upon hearing the vice president's words.
"I... I know I was wrong."
"If you know you were wrong, why haven't you apologized to Su Cheng yet?"
The short-haired girl's tone carried heavy dissatisfaction.
"Wait, look!"
Just then, the male student who had been holding the binoculars suddenly shouted.