Chapter 265: Chapter 262 [By the Way] (11,000-word burst!)
Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty-Two [By the Way]
"Class is starting!"
"Stand up! Hello, teacher!"
"Please sit down."
Old Sun stood at the podium, cast a glance around the classroom, and unhurriedly picked up the chalk to write today’s lecture topic on the board.
The students of Class 6, Grade 12, all had serious expressions on their faces; even Luo Qing quietly stowed away the novel hidden in her desk drawer and sat upright.
The class teacher and vice-principal was teaching the class himself.
Who would dare to mess around?
Old Sun’s teaching was quite up to par, calm and collected, with good control of pace, and he occasionally threw out a simple question or two. These were not meant to trouble the students but were simple enough for them to answer correctly, thereby kindling their interest. Wow, it seems I’m not bad; I got it right.
It was a motivational model, much like playing a game and following a map where you’d find a small treasure chest every few steps; although it was never anything valuable, it would invigorate you.
By the end of the class, Old Sun showed no particular expression and simply made a concise conclusion before announcing the end of class, timing it with the sound of the bell.
「A week into the new school year and semester」
The students of Class 6, Grade 12, had already been re-adjusted.
Some of the top students from other Grade 12 classes were transferred in. There were a few new faces in the classroom and a few familiar ones gone.
Alright... among those missing familiar faces, there was a special guy: Chen Nuo.
Chen Nuo hadn’t changed classes; instead, he was on medical leave.
All in all, entering the sprint stage of Grade 12, Old Sun was satisfied with the students’ morale.
For Old Sun... with his temperament and views, the International Division’s antics were nothing but a crooked path!
Old Sun disapproved of it. In his long-held belief, education should not be a privilege reserved for the wealthy.
Therefore, even though the education group treated the new class recruited for the International Division as a future flagship, in Old Sun’s eyes, this "Class 6, Grade 12" was the real battleground for turning No. 8 Middle School’s educational fortunes around!
The results No. 8 Middle School’s students achieved a few months ago in the last college entrance examination...
It wasn’t a complete disaster but the performance you’d expect from a lousy school.
But this Class 6, Grade 12 was different. Under Old Sun’s strong advocacy, they gathered the top students from other Grade 12 classes. Then, after gaining strong support from the education group and the school, they assembled the strongest teaching staff available in the school.
Old Sun’s stance towards the education group was simple:
You play the capital game, dealing with fake international students and those seeking to emigrate to rip off the wealthy—that’s none of my business, nor can I control it. But high school education should still be centered on the college entrance examination! The future reputation of No. 8 Middle School should still be built on the college entrance examination success rate!
The education group also supported this point—after all, a prestigious school still needs substance.
In the domestic educational environment, what’s more solid than a high college entrance examination success rate?
Money-making is one thing, but a solid reputation attracts more wealthy people.
On the first day of the school year, Old Sun had already held a mobilization meeting for students and parents.
Especially for Class 6, Grade 12, where Old Sun personally took on the role of class teacher and lecturer. He was counting on this class to turn the tide for No. 8 Middle School’s college entrance examination success rate in a year’s time.
To have these children from ordinary families, who truly worked hard in their studies, get into good universities—that is the right path!
So far, the students’ morale looked good, and their spirits were high. However, watching his daughter sit listlessly at her desk after class, Old Sun sighed, his eyebrows twitching.
Sun Keke, ever since she suddenly ran out of the house some time ago—and heaven knows where she went with Chen Nuo—had caused quite a stir. Although she had informed her family, it triggered a major row at home.
Old Sun absolutely refused to let his daughter leave the house for so many days, mainly afraid that Chen Xiaoguo would take advantage of her prematurely.
But Sun Keke was resolute and went nonetheless, leaving Old Sun so angry he smashed a cup at home.
What worried Old Sun even more was that a few days later, when Sun Keke returned home safe and sound, her vitality seemed to have been completely drained.
She became withdrawn and silent at home, holing up in her bedroom to sleep for a day.
It wasn’t until school started that she pulled herself together to attend classes.
What made Old Sun feel that something was truly off... was that Sun Keke, at home, didn’t mention Chen Xiaoguo at all.
If it had been before, during meals, his precious daughter would talk endlessly about Chen Xiaoguo.
This behavior had been somewhat restrained in the past due to Yang Xiaoyi’s opposition.
But since Yang Xiaoyi had also come to accept Chen Nuo, Sun Keke had let loose at home, bringing up Chen Nuo openly and unabashedly.
But these days, she had suddenly stopped mentioning him.
At first, when Yang Xiaoyi noticed this, she couldn’t resist urging Old Sun to ask if the two kids were having a quarrel.
How could I be willing to ask about that?! As if I didn’t have enough troubles already!
After several days of seeing Sun Keke in low spirits, Old Sun finally couldn’t hold back and asked.
And what did Sun Keke tell him?
"Dad, right now I just want to concentrate on my studies. I’m not considering romantic relationships at the moment."
"Huh? So you’re not in a relationship with Chen Nuo anymore?"
"Yeah, he won’t mind," Sun Keke answered calmly.
What does that mean? Broken up? Or are they still together?
"Love is something I’ll talk about when I’m older."
After leaving that one final comment, Sun Keke refused to say anything more.
It nearly drove me mad! What left me speechless was that Yang Xiaoyi seemed to be even more worried than I was!
To Old Sun, whether his daughter was having a spat with Chen Nuo or not, it was a good thing for her to temporarily step away from personal relationships during her senior year and focus on her studies.
But Yang Xiaoyi seemed to care about her daughter’s love life even more than he did.
Since Sun Keke had been closer to her father since she was little and Yang Xiaoyi played the role of the strict mother, Sun Keke always preferred to talk to Old Sun rather than to Yang Xiaoyi about any issues.
So, Yang Xiaoyi could only encourage Old Sun to probe into his daughter’s feelings.
After being nudged this way and that, Old Sun finally grew annoyed and even gave Yang Xiaoyi a piece of his mind.
The only thing that relieved Old Sun was that, although his daughter seemed a bit down in spirits, her academic performance had not slipped.
Far from dropping, her grades had actually stabilized and improved since the start of her senior year!
After a week of pop quizzes in all subjects, his daughter had consistently ranked among the top!
Even the teachers of each subject had spoken to Old Sun, saying Keke had truly come into her own!
There was hope for admission to a top-tier university!
Old Sun tidied up the books on his desk, ready to talk to his daughter about lunch.
At this moment, a few people crowded into the doorway of the classroom.
Old Sun looked up and frowned.
Some boys... wearing the blazer uniforms from the International Division. And they were obviously older, likely from the pre-college class.
One of them had a particularly slick look; he hadn’t bothered to tuck his shirt into his trousers, leaving the hem hanging out. His blazer was unbuttoned, and the mandatory necktie that went with the uniform had been taken off and carelessly stuffed into his blazer pocket.
He probably thought it was very stylish.
He also sported a side-part hairstyle, which by Old Sun’s standards, was too long and needed cutting.
His bangs were even highlighted! A small tuft was bleached.
Old Sun was utterly disgusted with these students. The school rules are clear—male students should not have long hair, and dyeing hair is prohibited regardless of gender.
Having been the dean of students for several years, Old Sun was about to scold them out of habit when suddenly, his eyes widened.
The three International Division students looked around as they entered the doorway, and the boy with the highlighted hair swaggered into the classroom with a clear target, heading straight for Sun Keke.
Sun Keke was resting her head on her desk, and the boy carelessly took a seat in the row in front of her. He looked at her with a smug smile and tapped the desk lightly with his hand.
As if on purpose, his wrist revealed the latest Casio sports watch model. It cost over a thousand yuan, equivalent to an ordinary person’s monthly income.
Well, it was 2001 after all, and the era of wealthy families was still in its early stages. Besides, families who sent their children to the International Division of No. 8 Middle School weren’t really top tycoons or influential giants—those families had better resources; they were just from quite wealthy households.
"Hello," said the boy with the dye job, squeezing out a smile he believed was very charming, and he ran his hand through his side-parted hair.
Sun Keke looked up, frowned, blinked, and then eyed the boy.
Up close, Sun Keke looked even more charming. Her features were already attractive, and now her eyes sparkled as if there were little stars in them.
The boy visibly paused, looking dazzled for a couple of seconds, and the words he had prepared for flirting seemed to falter.
Obvious impatience flickered in Sun Keke’s eyes. "Who are you?"
"My name is Zhou Kai. No particular reason, I just saw you on the sports ground today and wanted to get to know you," he said.
Sun Keke was silent.
Zhou Kai smiled again. "I asked around, your name is Sun Keke, right? I... AGH! OW, OW, OW!!"
Zhou Kai was about to say something more when suddenly he yelped in pain; his ear had been grabbed and he was pulled to his feet.
Enraged, he turned to see a middle-aged man in teacher’s attire, with chalk dust on his fingers, standing behind him.
"Which class are you from?" Old Sun asked coldly.
"...I’m from the International Division," Zhou Kai frowned and rubbed his ear. "Are you the teacher of this class? Teachers shouldn’t just touch students at will, you know!"
Old Sun didn’t get angry. "Students from the International Division, what are you doing in our class?"
"It’s break time. I just came to visit and get to know the new students. Teacher, surely you can’t manage that, can you?"
Zhou Kai was not afraid of teachers. He had been a troublemaker since he was little; otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up at No. 8 Middle School. Besides, he was well aware that coming to No. 8 Middle School had cost his family a lot of money! My family pays fifty thousand yuan a year in tuition, and they’re even paying you to arrange my study abroad... How could this school possibly control me like other schools? Aren’t you supposed to be treating me like a king?
Old Sun’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Teacher, you should go do whatever it is you do after class. My conversation with a classmate isn’t bothering you, is it?" Zhou Kai was quite arrogant as he adjusted his clothes.
"I’m the homeroom teacher of this class."
"The homeroom teacher can’t control what students say during break time, can they? I didn’t even come during class time," Zhou Kai was dismissive. "Plus, I’m from the International Division, and you’re a regular division teacher. You can’t control the International Division, right?"
Old Sun laughed. "Hmm, just try and see if I can or can’t."
The classmates from the nearby class all looked at this guy called Zhou Kai with weird expressions on their faces.
During the morning break, Zhou Kai, dressed in his blazer, was holding a broom and sweeping the playground with a frown on his face.
The homeroom teachers of the main division indeed had no authority over the International Division.
But... the guy was the freaking vice-principal!
"PTOOEY!" Zhou Kai casually swung his broom a few times, then threw it aside. He touched the cigarette pack in his pocket but ultimately didn’t take it out upon seeing the teachers passing by.
So what if he’s the vice-principal! I’ll come to the main division every day to find that girl! The school never prohibited International Division students from visiting the main division!
「The next day」
A group of construction workers began to build a wall between the International and main divisions, with piles of iron fences brought over and placed alongside.
The school issued a new regulation, disseminating it to the teaching and research groups of the International Division.
"International Division students and main division students are not allowed to visit each other freely during school hours. If there are academic needs, they must be led by their respective teachers..."
Soon enough, a fence wall stood between the main and International divisions, with a small guardhouse built next to an iron gate in the middle.
A school security guard and a retired teacher, rehired, were assigned to gate duty, checking the student IDs of passers-by and whether they were accompanied by a teacher.
Zhou Kai: "???"
The group of his good-for-nothing friends around him had already learned more. "Bro, maybe you should just drop it... We inquired, and that girl called Sun Keke is the daughter of that vice-principal. You’re picking a fight with the wrong person."
"The vice-principal’s daughter! So what? He can build a wall to stop me from going over there, but he surely can’t control me after school, right? Besides, I’m only staying here for a year. As soon as my foreign school applications are set, I’m going to study abroad! Am I supposed to be scared of a vice-principal? PFFT!"
Zhou Kai was dismissive.
During PE class, Sun Keke was playing volleyball on the playground.
Soon, whistles came from the sidelines.
Turning her head, she saw on the other side of the iron fence, in the International Division area, a few International Division boys leaning on the fence whistling in her direction.
The one leading was none other than Zhou Kai.
"Sun Keke, throw the ball over here, let’s play together," Zhou Kai laughed.
Sun Keke frowned and gave a cold glance before turning her head away, ignoring them.
Luo Qing frowned as he walked over, first giving Zhou Kai a fierce glare, then whispered to Sun Keke, "Do you want... me to take care of this eyesore for you?"
"...No need." Sun Keke shook her head. "Just ignore him."
"That... Chen Nuo..."
"Luo Qing, can you stop mentioning Chen Nuo to me from now on?"
Luo Qing sighed and scratched his head.
Sigh, the young couple hasn’t made up from their fight yet.
「After school」
Luo Qing was sitting on his bike at the school gate, holding his phone. "Hey, Chen Nuo, when exactly are you coming to school? If you don’t show up soon, Sun Keke is going to get harassed, you know. I’m telling you, those kids from the International Division are so arrogant, I really want to give them a good thrashing. Eh? What on earth are you sick with? School ended early today; shall I visit your place to see you? Ah? No need? Oh... So when are you coming to school? Are you and Sun Keke..."
「At home in the living room」
Chen Nuo put down the phone and then stroked the Gray Cat lying on his knee.
The Gray Cat seemed to want to struggle, but it was firmly held by a strong hand.
"You’ve got to have the awareness of being a cat. Such a good cat, not letting people stroke it—what’s up with that?"
Chen Nuo gently applied a bit more pressure.
The Gray Cat let out a low cry and obediently lay on his knees without moving.
Only then did Chen Nuo look up to see the two guests in the living room and smiled. "Continue, Davarishi."
Vanel and Selina were sitting on the couch in the living room.
"Mmm, Davarishi, I’ve come to say goodbye. This affair is over now, and I should return to the company," Vanel sighed.
"Hmm. So about the mission in Brazil, how do we settle it? Is it considered a mission failure?"
"Of course, it’s a failure," replied Vanel with a sigh. "And... I’ll report to the company that the mission failed, and all the personnel involved perished... That’s what the Star Sky Empress instructed. She said it was the only way to ensure your identity wouldn’t be exposed."
"So... I miss out on the reward as well, huh?" Chen Nuo sighed.
"Now, for the important thing I have to discuss with you," Vanel’s expression turned serious. "I hope you’ll never log onto the Amazing World Company’s website again using ’Harvey’ as your identity."
"Understood. Harvey died during the mission in Brazil, right?" Chen Nuo smiled.
"No, you don’t understand," Vanel’s expression became serious.
"Hmm?" Chen Nuo also became serious, sensing the gravity in Vanel’s demeanor.
"What I am about to tell you is something I didn’t disclose while we were in Brazil... We experienced life and death together, fought against that Seed, and you became my Davarishi. I was planning to tell you these things after the mission was over. But then you fell into a coma and lost your memory, which is why it has been delayed until today."
Chen Nuo frowned and pondered for a moment. "Alright, it seems to be something very important; go ahead and tell me."
Vanel took a deep breath. "You’ve been asking me... what exactly is the Octopus Monster organization."
Chen Nuo laughed. "I didn’t know before, but now I do. The Octopus Monster is an organization that secretly maintains world peace and protects the Earth. You search for alien Mothers globally, hunt them down, and safeguard the security of Earth’s human civilization... Right, that old man—the Son of the Sun—he must be one of your top leaders, right?"
Vanel fell silent!
After a moment of concentration, the burly fellow sighed gently. "Davarishi, the words I am about to speak concern our biggest secret, so..."
"Hmm?" Chen Nuo raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"I actually... belong to another organization."
Vanel’s words made Chen Nuo’s eyes narrow quickly.
"Our organization is formally called... ’Invasive Species Resistance Affairs Group’..."
"Davarishi, do the founders of your organizations always choose their names so casually?"
Vanel’s face showed a moment of embarrassment. "Alright, let’s not talk about the name... It’s not important."
"Aren’t you a part of the Octopus Monster?" Chen Nuo frowned.
"To be precise, I am infiltrated within the Octopus Monster’s company," Vanel said in a low voice.
Chen Nuo’s expression became serious!
"So, what you mean is... the operations in Brazil, searching for the Mother, hunting the Seed... these actions weren’t really the will of the Octopus Monster?"
"We just took advantage of the missions issued by the Octopus Monster, then we used the opportunity to find the Mother and kill her! I, as well as the great Son of the Sun, are members of the ’Invasive Species Resistance Affairs Group.’ Of course, the Son of the Sun holds a higher position within the organization than I do."
"Then what role does the Octopus Monster play?"
"...That is something I have never been able to figure out," Vanel spoke gravely. "After I joined the Octopus Monster’s organization, for many years, they have been dedicated to searching for various types of octopi at high prices all over the world... We do not believe that this behavior is simply due to a peculiar personal taste of one of the Octopus Monster’s leaders. After all... the coincidences are far too strange. We have always suspected that there is a special connection between the Octopus Monster organization and the alien Mothers. We also suspected that the Octopus Monster has been using its influence and power in the Underground World to search for the Mother throughout the world! It was not until this mission in Brazil that I truly confirmed this point—because this mission was actually issued by the Octopus Monster itself, but due to internal rotation, I happened to become the leader of this mission! And in Brazil, we found the Relic World, found the Mother and also found the Seed... these confirmed our suspicions! The Octopus Monster is also always looking for the Mother!"
"And the purpose of the Octopus Monster’s search for the Mother is...?"
"...I don’t know, it can’t be confirmed," Vanel responded with a bitter smile. "That really cannot be determined."
"You’ve been with the Octopus Monster organization for a significant amount of time, haven’t you gotten any intel?" Chen Nuo shook his head.
"The Octopus Monster’s organization is very secretive; I was only mixed in as a middle manager, responsible for a team, but... I never knew who my superiors were, and I never knew anyone from other teams. There are many different action groups within the Octopus Monster. Each group operates independently; they have no subordination or contact with one another, and I have no idea how many similar action groups there are inside the Octopus Monster besides the team I am in charge of, nor who is in the other groups. Over the years, all the tasks I have carried out and missions I have executed within the Octopus Monster came from orders from the upper echelons. Take this mission in Brazil, for example; I received the order and went to Brazil to lead the team in charge of the mission. The commands were issued through a special channel on a website; I don’t even know who was giving the orders. Upon arriving in Brazil, I used the resources of my action group to contact mercenary organizations, mobilize supplies, and so on. One could say that each action group under the Octopus Monster controls a significant amount of autonomous resources and can independently undertake many tasks. To us, the Octopus Monster is like an Emperor hidden in the shadows, simultaneously managing many kingdoms that are unaware of each other’s existence. And I am just one of those kingdoms being directed. Regarding the relationship between the Octopus Monster and the Mother, we have been unable to obtain accurate and detailed intelligence. Over these years, in our group, the only person who has made it to the position of action group commander is me. And before me, or at the same time... Over the years, what the other action groups of the Octopus Monster did, whether they searched for the Mother, or found the Mother, and what they did after finding the Mother... I have no idea about any of it! But, after this operation in Brazil, our organization has been able to confirm that the Octopus Monster definitely has some special relationship with the Mother."
Chen Nuo frowned, thinking, Could it be an ally? Like your ’Invasive Species Resistance Affairs Group’? Is it possible? The Octopus Monster is also searching the world for the Mother, eliminating her?
"Theoretically it’s possible, but other scenarios cannot be ruled out either."
Chen Nuo felt a chill in his heart.
Other scenarios... That could be even more complicated! An ambitious organization seeking the Mother to satisfy its ambitions? Or... other Seeds left by the Mother, seeking her, to awaken her? Both are possible!
"Our mechanism for distinguishing friends from enemies is actually quite simple... When the intentions of the others are unclear, anyone or any organization searching for the Mother is considered an enemy by us!"
Vanel’s tone was very serious.
Chen Nuo agreed with this standard.
After all, the Mother was too dangerous!
"Compared to the history of our organization, the Octopus Monster organization appeared much later and has a much shorter history. However, due to their unique organizational structure, it is very difficult for us to infiltrate their senior ranks and obtain more information." Vanel sighed. "That’s why I’m warning you today: don’t use the Harvey account to log into the Octopus Monster website anymore! Even, I would advise you not to log into the Octopus Monster website at all... But I think that’s unlikely for you. Because in reality, the Octopus Monster website has become the largest hub for intelligence and information in the Underground World. So... to ensure your safety, and to protect the inside story of this mission in Brazil... I’ve brought you something."
With that, Vanel took out a laptop from his bag.
"This is a notebook with a special login system installed. You can use it to log in with any account and effectively protect your privacy. The Octopus Monster officials will not be able to locate your login site through the network, thus effectively safeguarding your identity. Also, I suggest you abandon all of the Octopus Monster website accounts you’ve used in the past! I’ll give you two unregistered black accounts that I bought from the black market for you to use."
As he spoke, Vanel took out two small, black USB drives.
Chen Nuo took the laptop and USB drives.
Vanel continued, "I suggest you always take care of yourself in the future... Never post any messages related to the Mother on the Octopus Monster’s site! Also, don’t say a word about any content related to this mission in Brazil."
"Of course," Chen Nuo nodded, then frowned. "What about you? What will you do next...?"
"I have to return to the Octopus Monster organization; after all, I’m still undercover." Vanel gave a wry smile.
"How will you explain the Brazilian mission when you return? A complete team wipeout and only you survived?"
"Don’t worry, we’ve already prepared a set of excuses. The Brazil mission failed; we encountered an attack by people with unknown identities in the rainforest, and the entire team was wiped out." Vanel sighed. "In my report to the Octopus Monster, I won’t mention the existence of the Mother and the Seeds... Even though the Octopus Monster may guess. But I say it this way to make the Octopus Monster think I’m still unaware, to avoid being silenced."
"Can’t you just not go back? Davarishi, it sounds like you might be silenced if you return."
"This is my mission and my calling!" Vanel’s eyes were very determined. "Currently, the Octopus Monster organization is too dangerous, and I’m the person closest to infiltrating their core. It would be too much of a pity if I left now."
After a pause, Vanel smiled. "Don’t worry. When I return, the Octopus Monster will definitely subject me to strict scrutiny. To face the possible mental screening during the examination... Our organization has experts in spiritual power ready to perform some procedures! I’m more than seventy percent confident I can pass this examination! Once I pass, it’s very likely that I will continue to be assigned by the Octopus Monster to future missions involving the Mother. In that case, I will have the opportunity to gather more intelligence!"
At this point in the conversation, Chen Nuo glanced at Selina. "What about her...?"
"Miss Selina is not one of our people... but after this incident, she has decided to join us."
Vanel gave a bitter smile. "The Black Iron Mercenary Corps was also wiped out in this operation. If Selina shows her face, she will definitely be caught and interrogated by the Octopus Monster organization about what happened. So I’ve already accepted her into our organization. When she leaves here, she will go with me, and from today, there will be no ’Selina’ in this world. She will change her appearance, her identity, and become someone else in this world, working for our organization."
Selina said coldly, "I don’t have any other choice!"
Chen Nuo pondered for a moment. "Davarishi... do you think that there are other Mothers in this world? Or... are there other Seeds?"
"I don’t know!" Vanel’s expression was resolute. "But what I know is that our organization has been dedicated to finding and hunting this alien Mother for thousands of years, and countless people have given their lives for the cause! We are fighting to defend our planet, to defend our civilization! As long as these alien species that could potentially harm our civilization exist in the world, no matter if they are other Mothers or Seeds... The fight of our people will not stop!"
Chen Nuo opened his lips. "A noble ideal, and a great organization."
He paused, then the rascal couldn’t help but say, "Have you ever considered changing the name of your organization? The ’Invasive Species Resistance Affairs Group’... That name is really too slapdash!"
Vanel hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "Actually, our organization has another nickname."
"What is it?"
"Ark."
Chen Nuo laughed. "Like the Ark in the Bible that preserved life during the great flood?"
"Yes. So every leader of our organization also has a codename, called... Noah!"
Noah’s Ark? Not a bad name.
「Northern Europe, Iceland.」
A nondescript small town harbor.
An elderly woman with a full head of gray hair slowly walked on the fishing dock.
Around her, sturdy fishermen were jumping off their boats, lifting buckets of fish onto the dock.
Some fishermen swung their iron hooks, dragging out large fish one by one.
Among heaps of ice blocks designed to keep the catch fresh, the harvest was plentiful.
The old woman seemed to wobble with her steps, but all the while she clutched a cellphone, seemingly having a casual conversation.
"Yes, yes, I understand... So there are two pieces of news, one good, one bad. Which would you like to hear first? The bad one? Alright, that’s very much in line with your usual temperament. The bad news is, the mission in Brazil is a complete disaster. All the clients are wiped out, and our action team is gone too. That guy named Vanel is the only one who survived. His interrogation has already started... Yes, the aftermath team has been to that rainforest. Unfortunately, we found nothing. There was nothing there, just some scattered energy fluctuations. ...Don’t you understand what I’m saying? I mean, whatever was there before, it’s all gone now! Do you understand? We need to look forward. Since whatever was in that place is no longer there—maybe it died, or maybe it ran away—we’ll continue to send people to investigate. But there is something more important to do next. That’s the good news I mentioned. In Antarctica, the survey action group has sent back information. They’ve discovered something quite interesting there; although it’s not confirmed yet, I have a good feeling about it. I think they must have found something. Oh... what are you saying? Recall the Antarctic action group to report in person? I’m sorry, that’s not possible. Because... the boys on the Antarctic team were all wiped out. I don’t know; they all turned into blocks of ice overnight. Yes! Completely frozen solid, all of them turned into ice blocks. Unless the technology you developed can revive people who froze to death after defrosting... If that’s the case, I wouldn’t mind sending you a few corpses on a chartered flight to try it out. ...Alright, alright, let’s not argue anymore. Going forward, let’s focus on Antarctica!"
After finishing the call, the old woman tucked away her phone, gathering her windblown gray hair in the chilly wind, and tightened her scarf.
She approached a fishing boat and began carefully selecting, then started haggling with the fishermen.
"Enough, Jorgensen, don’t talk to me about that... I just need one piece! The belly! The richest part! No, no, no, I don’t want an entire fish! You know, I’m just an old woman, almost toothless with age. Only the soft belly meat can I chew..."
「Brazil, Rio de Janeiro.」
On a rundown street, the door of a bakery swung open.
The plump, dirty-clothed owner lazily turned his head to glance at the door of his shop.
A small, skinny boy, no more than eight or nine years old, walked in.
The boy’s skinny appearance was unremarkable. He wore an oversized, dirty T-shirt that didn’t quite fit.
A stranger, definitely not anyone I know from around here. Probably some passing beggar.
"Hey! Out you go, I don’t have any money to give to beggars," the owner said coldly.
"No, I’m here to buy something."
The little boy answered with a light smile, speaking in very standard and fluent Portuguese.
The owner paused momentarily.
Taking another look at the child, he noticed the boy’s skinny appearance was paired with extraordinarily bright eyes!
"Do you have something called cookies here? People always talk about them, and I’ve been wanting to try," the boy said with a smile, slowly pulling a few coins from his pocket.
A few minutes later, the little boy left the bakery.
Carrying a bag of cookies in his hand, he munched as he walked along the roadside.
Quite a nice flavor, very sweet... Hmm... Although it’s not that sweet taste of life... But, not bad. I like this taste.
「Monday morning.」
Chen Nuo waited for Brother Lei to come over to his house to pick up Xiao Yezi and take her to kindergarten.
Chen Nuo sat in a wheelchair on the balcony, watching Xiao Yezi follow Brother Lei downstairs and leave. Then he spun his wheelchair, returned to his room, and picked up the phone.
"Arrange it. I plan to go back to school... Of course, after all, I’m still a student."
「At ten o’clock in the morning.」
The English class was interrupted.
In the spacious classroom of the International Division’s preparatory class, the ceiling fan was spinning.
The classroom door was pushed open, and the incessantly talking foreign teacher stopped and turned to look.
An International Division teacher and an educational group staff member stood at the door.
The foreign teacher stepped outside, and soon he came back in. "Excuse me, everyone! We have a new student who has joined our class today."
A wheelchair was pushed in through the door.
The bunch of wealthy young students in the preparatory class all looked coldly at the guy being pushed in.
"You have one minute. Before I come back, you can introduce yourself to everyone." The foreign teacher shrugged and then stepped out, discussing matters with the International Division staff.
Chen Nuo smiled and watched the foreign teacher leave. After the classroom door closed, he turned his head to look at the group of wealthy young students sitting in the classroom.
His gaze finally settled on one of the boys with dyed bangs.
"Hey! Where are you from?" a student asked with a laugh.
"In a wheelchair? A paralytic, right? HA HA HA HA!"
"Why not go to a special needs school?"
A group of unruly International Division students mocked without restraint.
Chen Nuo wasn’t angry at all, calmly watching these people. He then waited for the few who were leading the jeers to finish speaking their provocations, which they thought were very clever.
Then, the next second, everyone was stunned!
This guy in the wheelchair slowly...
Stood up!!
"Holy crap! You’re not paralyzed?" Zhou Kai blurted out.
Chen Nuo got up, grinning, and walked up to him.
Zhou Kai was captivated by the strange radiance bursting from the eyes of the youth in front of him, then turned around in anger and said, "You son of a..."
SLAP!
A slap, and half of Zhou Kai’s face swelled up!
Zhou Kai was stunned for a moment, then jumped up furiously, while two or three of the boys who were close to him also leaped up, cursing.
But...
Two seconds later!
One of the boys was lying on the ground, with Chen Nuo’s foot pressed against his head.
Quickly after, the other boy and Zhou Kai were grabbed by the youth, one in each hand! Held by the neck and lifted into the air!
The two boys’ faces were lifted just inches from the spinning ceiling fan blades. Zhou Kai and the other boy were so terrified they struggled desperately and screamed loudly.
With a grin, Chen Nuo looked at them with indifferent eyes, sending a chill through everyone else in the class who, frightened, sat back down.
As Chen Nuo held the two in the air, he then spoke with a smile, softly saying:
"Let me make my two rules clear.
"First, from now on, I call the shots here.
"You, and all of you, can ignore the teachers’ words, and even your father’s.
"But, every word and every sentence I say, you better obediently follow and execute it without question.
"Otherwise, I will get very, very angry.
"Did I make myself clear?
"Especially you, Student Zhou Kai. Did you understand?"
Zhou Kai screamed in terror.
Then Chen Nuo let the two down, and before Zhou Kai could struggle, a foot was already stepping on Zhou Kai’s neck.
"The second rule, I haven’t mentioned yet."
Zhou Kai’s body trembled. "You... you... you... you... you..."
"The second rule: I don’t like to hear foul language. Words like ’fucking’ or any other swear words, in the school, no one is allowed to say them in my presence.
"Have you all... fucking got it?"
GULP.
Everyone swallowed hard.
"You... you just said ’fucking’ too."
"Oh, I’m not subject to the rule." Chen Nuo looked at the girl who couldn’t help but speak up with a smile and then ignored her—Hmm, too skinny.
All the students in the prep class seemed to be stunned.
For starters, they’d never seen someone so fierce right from the get-go!
Secondly... although not everyone was necessarily scared by this kind of scene... after all, they were from poor academic backgrounds, and a couple of them used to be troublemakers...
But this teenager seemed to carry a strange aura, pressing down on everyone so they felt like they couldn’t breathe!
After finishing his speech, Chen Nuo let go of Zhou Kai, even going so far as to straighten his collar, then calmly walked back to his wheelchair.
He sat down in the wheelchair with poise.
Several students were going crazy inside! He can walk, so why the hell is he still sitting in a wheelchair?!!!!
Chen Nuo gave a faint smile, as if his gaze unintentionally swept over these few students.
"By the way, to explain, sitting in a wheelchair is just a small personal quirk of mine because I’m too lazy to walk.
"I have many other good qualities; for instance, I’m enthusiastic, kind-hearted, patient with classmates, and love helping others...
"And so on and so forth. You’ll all get to know them slowly over time."
After he finished speaking, Chen Nuo took a backpack hanging on the wheelchair, and from inside...
He took out a gray, short-tailed cat, placed it on his lap, and gently started caressing it...
Everyone thought: Holy crap, this whole scene just got even weirder!!!
The foreign teacher, having finished discussing with the head of the International Division outside, pushed the door and returned to the classroom.
The classroom was quiet, with the new transfer student sitting in his wheelchair at the front, watching all of his classmates with a serene smile.
The teacher hesitated, feeling that something about the atmosphere was off.
Especially with the new student holding... a cat?! Even for the International Division, pets aren’t allowed at school, right? But recalling what I was told outside the door... This transfer student is a relative of a school director... Okay, fine!
"Did you finish introducing yourself, student?"
"Yes, teacher, I’m done. By the way, my name is Chen Nuo."
"Then, everyone... let’s welcome the new student."
Everyone... silence...
Chen Nuo sighed softly and said pensively, "My fellow students, generally at this point, it’s time to applaud... Don’t middle school students in this new era understand good manners?"
After a second of silence...
CLAP, CLAP, CLAP...
The applause was thunderous!!
The teacher shrugged, thinking, Well, that’s good. The students are getting along quite harmoniously.
Chen Nuo wheeled himself determinedly to the seat next to Zhou Kai.
Taking advantage of the teacher flipping through the textbook again, Chen Nuo glanced at Zhou Kai, who was next to him with a terrified pale face.
Speaking in a low voice with a smile, he said, "Don’t be afraid, I’m actually not that scary."
Zhou Kai: "..."
"Oh right, there’s a small matter, but while I’m at it, I might as well tell you."
Zhou Kai: "..."
"The girl named Sun Keke who you’ve been eyeing these days... is my girlfriend."
THUMP!
Zhou Kai hit the floor!
WHAT THE FUCK!! This is a small matter? This is something to mention in passing?
[A promise made, a burst declared!
Sword, come!
Oh, no, that’s wrong! PTOOEY, PTOOEY, PTOOEY!
Votes, come!!!!]