Chapter 136: The Intercollegiate Grand Competition
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Wang Chen washed up quickly and lay down on the bed, his mind racing with countless thoughts.
“Cai Kun has provoked me time and again. Out of consideration for our former classmates’ relationship, I have retaliated before, but never struck at his roots.”
“But this time, he actually hired someone to cripple my hands and feet. Enough is enough. I must find a way to eliminate this threat once and for all.”
Wang Chen remained awake for half the night. After settling on a plan, he finally sank into a deep sleep.
…
Several days later, at the venue of the National University Competition.
Escorted by his driver, Long Wushuang arrived early at the examination candidates’ assembly area. He looked around, but still could not see Wang Chen anywhere.
“What’s going on with Chen? I’ve called him several times these past few days, and he kept saying he had something to do. We only agreed to meet here at the assembly area.”
Long Wushuang muttered to himself, “If he doesn’t show up soon, he’ll be late. Chen is such a dependable person—he wouldn’t really do something like that, would he?”
Not far away, within the delegation from Luzhou No. 1 High School, a graceful figure was also looking around anxiously.
“Why hasn’t Wang Chen arrived yet? Could something have happened to him?” Lu Shiyu was extremely worried.
She had not seen Wang Chen since they parted after their first trial.
She had often called him, but he had blocked her number. When she bought another SIM card and called again, Wang Chen answered, but merely told her in a cold, formal tone to behave herself.
She had originally wanted to ask Wang Chen to go level up with her, but because of that, she had never found the opportunity.
She had planned to use the university competition, when Wang Chen would have no way to avoid her, to mend the rift between them.
Yet Wang Chen was still nowhere to be seen, and her anxiety grew unbearable.
In the same delegation as Lu Shiyu was another girl who looked equally worried.
She was fresh and lovely, with a beauty that grew more pleasing the longer one looked at her. Dressed in a light combat uniform, she possessed a distinctly valiant air.
She was Tang Ruotong.
She, too, was deeply concerned.
“Why hasn’t Wang Chen arrived yet? Could he have run into some trouble on the way?”
After thinking it over, she decided to report the matter to her homeroom teacher.
The teacher was also at a loss and could only report it upward once more. After passing through several levels, the news eventually reached Ouyang Yue, the principal of Luzhou No. 1 High School.
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After the principal’s secretary whispered to Ouyang Yue for a moment, the elderly man, who had been chatting and laughing with the various officials, suddenly changed expression.
He apologized to everyone, saying he would be away for a moment, then followed the secretary to one side.
“What? There’s still a student who hasn’t arrived? Have you called his parents?” Ouyang Yue asked.
“That student is an orphan. He never provided a parent’s contact information. As for his own phone, one of his classmates tried calling, but it appears to be temporarily unreachable,” the secretary replied.
“What are we supposed to do?” Ouyang Yue asked anxiously.
A considerable commotion arose among the delegation from Luzhou No. 1 High School. Wang Chen had performed brilliantly during the first trial, and he was also a famous figure who had dominated the top position in his year at Luzhou No. 1 High School for a long time. Naturally, everyone was extremely interested in him.
Upon hearing that Wang Chen might be late, the students immediately began buzzing with excitement. They whispered among themselves, and even the repeated reprimands of the homeroom teachers did little to quiet them.
…
“Why is it so noisy over there? Which school is that?” the chief organizer from the Luzhou Education Commission asked with a frown, turning to the secretary beside him.
The secretary immediately grew tense and sent someone over to issue a warning.
A middle-aged man seated to the organizer’s left also looked displeased.
“They should at least consider where they are. Making such a racket in public—this school’s teachers clearly aren’t very good at discipline.”
Two deep lines ran from the sides of his nose to the corners of his mouth, making it clear that he was a stern man who rarely smiled.
The nameplate before him read:
“Qinghua University, Zhu Jingjun.”
The woman seated beside him smiled warmly.
“Today is the moment when all their years of hard study finally bear fruit. It’s only natural that they might be a little overexcited.”
Her nameplate read:
“Beisheng University, Ou Yulan.”
If the students had possessed sufficiently sharp eyesight to see the two nameplates from afar, they would probably have immediately stood at attention, terrified of leaving even the slightest bad impression on either of them.
That was because the two universities they represented were the very finest in the Yaolong Empire. They had supplied the empire with countless elite talents and could rightly be called the foundation of the nation.
Being admitted to either university was a momentous occasion that would bring glory to one’s family and elevate one’s social standing. It was the dream of countless students.
Hearing Ou Yulan’s words, Zhu Jingjun gave a cold snort.
“How improper. It merely proves that their years of hard study have muddled their minds. They clearly failed to devote enough effort to cultivating their character.”
Ou Yulan could only smile wryly and shake her head without replying. She had already heard that Zhu Jingjun, the director of the admissions office, was famously rigid and humorless. After meeting him in person, she found the reputation entirely deserved.
Seated to the organizer’s right was a spirited old man who chuckled.
“What does it matter? Young people ought to be full of energy. Even a little rowdiness is a good thing. What would truly be troublesome would be for them to be young yet already guarded and calculating, utterly devoid of vitality.”
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The nameplate before the old man read:
“Military Representative, Yu Jiazhang.”
The moment the old man spoke, Zhu Jingjun, who had been wearing an expression of anger, immediately reined in his temper. He said nothing and merely nodded in acknowledgment.
Ou Yulan smiled.
“Elder Yu is right. The nation needs precisely this kind of energetic new blood at present.”
She then turned to the chief organizer.
“Still, for an entire school to become so noisy, perhaps something has happened. Why not send someone to ask?”
Although the chief organizer occupied the seat of honor, he was wedged between these influential figures and already felt thoroughly ill at ease.
At Ou Yulan’s suggestion, he hurriedly sent the secretary down to investigate.
When the report came back, everyone reacted differently.
Zhu Jingjun thundered, “Absurd! On such an important day, he hasn’t even entered the venue! I say that student has no intention of pursuing higher education at all!”
Ou Yulan, however, said worriedly, “Could he have encountered some kind of emergency? Does he need the Education Commission’s assistance?”
The old man furrowed his brows and murmured, “Wang Chen… Why does that name sound familiar? Tsk, age really does ruin one’s memory. I can’t seem to recall.”
The chief organizer sent someone to contact Wang Chen. For all the students taking part, the university competition was an event of the utmost importance, and every effort had to be made to ensure that he could still arrive in time.
…
Outside the venue, reporters from every major media outlet crowded around the perimeter, hoping to uncover some exclusive information and turn it into a sensational headline.
A volunteer wearing a reflective vest quietly approached the reporters and said in a low voice, “I have a piece of information. Five thousand Tianlong coins. Anyone interested?”
A reporter with a neatly parted hairstyle immediately asked, “What level of information is worth five thousand Tianlong coins?”
The volunteer hesitated awkwardly before replying, “Just the usual sort.”
“Usual?” asked another reporter wearing round spectacles. “How exactly do you define ‘usual’?”
“And if it’s ordinary information, then it can’t possibly be worth five thousand Tianlong coins, can it?”