Chapter 45: Pre-Competition Preparations

In the competition venue, Ke Lu and the others turned toward the source of the voice.

The girl didn't avoid their gaze but instead strode over to their group, saying, "I've heard your school boasts exceptional talent. How can you even fail at something as basic as familiarizing your students with the venue?"

"What's it to you?" Su Rou retorted fiercely, brandishing her two pom-poms. "Even little kids know not to butt in. What's your excuse?"

The girl smirked disdainfully, stroking her long hair with exaggerated affectation. "I just think No. 1 High School's reputation is probably all hype."

A No. 2 High School student, Ke Lu realized instantly, recognizing her uniform. Throughout Liao City, and even the entire province, Liaocheng No. 1 High School had always reigned supreme—the undisputed top school by a wide margin, the dream school for countless students across the province.

That's why Hysilens had specifically placed Ke Lu and Su Rou there. Even Gu Yunfan, the Demon Prince, had chosen to study at Liaocheng No. 1 High School.

The girl's sarcastic remarks and disdain for No. 1 High School reeked of sour grapes.

Before Ke Lu could respond, Gu Yunfan stepped in front of Su Rou, his tone calm but his words sharp as a blade:

Before Ke Lu could speak, Gu Yunfan had already stepped forward, subtly positioning himself between Su Rou and the girl. His tone remained calm, but his words were as precise as a surgeon's scalpel:

"If I recall correctly, No. 2 High School's admission score last year was a full sixty-two points lower than No. 1 High School's."

He continued, his gaze unwavering as he watched the other girl's face pale slightly:

"Instead of resorting to veiled sarcasm here, you should reflect on why you failed to gain admission to your preferred school."

Though he didn't explicitly name her, the girl's face drained of color instantly. She opened her mouth to retort, but his next words silenced her completely:

"If you harbor resentment, you could openly challenge the School Team during their visits or prove your strength in the Inter-School Exchange Competition."

His gaze swept indifferently over her clenched fists, his voice remaining even:

"Unfortunately, you lack both the courage to confront stronger opponents directly and the skill to demonstrate your worth. All that's left is to prey on isolated classmates to satisfy your pathetic vanity."

Each word pierced through her pretense like a fine needle, striking her deepest insecurity.

He's quite the talker, Ke Lu thought to herself, sighing inwardly. But according to what I know, Gu Yunfan isn't usually this sharp-tongued.

It was clear his true motive lay elsewhere—to get closer to Su Rou.

A classic knight-in-shining-armor routine. Clichéd, but effective.

The girl had bitten off more than she could chew. She'd thought she was picking on a few pushovers, but these "pushovers" were so tough they could crack her teeth.

"That's because my Talent hadn't manifested yet!" she roared, desperate to prove herself. But her audience barely noticed, not even bothering to lift their eyelids.

"I couldn't demonstrate my Talent in Spirit Arrays back then."

"Oh," Ke Lu finally spoke up. "In that case, you should be focusing on preparing for the competition. If you place well, you might even get extra points on the College Entrance Examination for your special aptitude."

"So, what brings you here now?"

Ke Lu's piercing blue eyes met the girl's gaze, as if they could see into her soul.

The girl shuddered, as if a raw nerve had been struck, and her words stumbled:

"I came to clear my head... What's it to you?"

Then, she saw something terrifying looming in Ke Lu's eyes, suffocating her.

Though the person before her was small in stature, she felt compelled to look up, unconsciously diminishing her own aura.

Ke Lu hadn't activated her [ Imperator's Majesty ], but its regal aura was already subtly seeping into her demeanor. She could unleash it at any moment if she chose to.

How could a mere high school student possibly withstand such pressure?

She heard Ke Lu say, "Now, you can get lost."

For some inexplicable reason, the girl who had been so arrogant just moments before suddenly went silent. Her face was filled with resentment, but she slunk away like a whipped dog.

Behind her, Su Rou belatedly called out, "Hey, don't just run away with your tail between your legs!"

Soon, the girl's shadow disappeared from sight, and the atmosphere among the four friends grew quiet after the interruption.

Su Rou broke the silence first, complaining, "Who was that girl just now? Her mouth was so foul."

Su Rou and Qin Yu claimed ignorance, but Gu Yunfan answered, "That must be Chen Yu, the daughter of the Vice President of our province's Spirit Array Association."

Seeing the others' curious glances, Gu Yunfan explained, "I met her once at a business gala before."

In reality, he had never met this person at all. He had secretly instructed his subordinates to investigate using his phone moments ago.

What puzzled him was that, according to his subordinates' reactions, although Chen Yu was clearly the Vice President's daughter, her identity seemed to have been deliberately erased, making the investigation unusually difficult.

Under what circumstances would someone keep their own daughter's identity a secret?

A knowing smile curled at the corner of Gu Yunfan's lips.

"I see," Su Rou said, accepting the explanation without suspicion. She had heard about Gu Yunfan's wealthy family, so this explanation seemed reasonable. "Just another spoiled brat riding on her family's connections. What's there to brag about?"

Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she turned to Ke Lu with a serious expression. "Lulu, based on my experience, she's definitely going to be your biggest rival in this competition. But in the end, you'll crush her with your overwhelming skill."

She spoke with such conviction, as if she were delivering a profound prophecy.

Ke Lu replied, "What you really should do is delete that webnovel from your phone right now."

Su Rou immediately clutched her pocket protectively. "No way! It's my spiritual sustenance!"

They exchanged a knowing smile, and the atmosphere instantly lightened.

Qin Yu, who had been unable to get a word in edgewise, noticed the time and interjected, "Um... it's almost time. We should head over to the School Team assembly point first."

The others agreed without objection, but as they prepared to leave, Ke Lu replayed the earlier conversation in her mind.

That girl's reaction was odd, she thought. When I asked, "Why are you still here?" her micro-expressions clearly betrayed tension and panic. It was as if she had truly done something she couldn't admit.

Meanwhile, at the School Team's assembly point,

The other competition participants were thrilled to see Gu Yunfan and Su Rou there to cheer them on.

"Yay! We're not being left to fend for ourselves after all!"

In the stands, apart from a few parents, there wasn't a single supporter from their school.

This is what they call home-field disadvantage, they thought.

This situation, for their still-developing mental fortitude, undoubtedly had some impact.

The arrival of Su Rou and Gu Yunfan, however, was like a shot of adrenaline to their morale.

"How did you guys convince the teacher to let you come?" This was the most frequently asked question by the other members.

"Oh, us?" Su Rou considered for a moment before replying matter-of-factly, "I just told our homeroom teacher, and she let us go right away. She even gave us a whole lecture about not putting too much pressure on ourselves."

After hearing this, the other members fell silent for a moment. One of them grumbled, "When I do well in school, the teacher thinks I'm under too much pressure when I ask for a day off. But when I'm struggling, she just yells at me for being lazy."

Amidst the murmurs of discussion, the accompanying teacher climbed onto a chair, grabbed a small megaphone, and bellowed, "Everyone, gather around!"

The team instantly formed a neat line.

The teacher scanned the group, speaking earnestly, "As usual, the Second Profession Competition will award additional points for the College Entrance Examination: twenty for first place, ten for second, five for third, and two points for fourth through eighth places."

"This competition will be officially proctored by the Education Bureau, so everyone must take it seriously."

The students below showed visible excitement. They had been training hard for so long, partly to improve their performance on the College Entrance Examination, but also to win a place in the Second Profession Competition and earn bonus points for their specialized skills.

This competition was similar to the "art" and "sports" entrance exams for students majoring in those fields, but not exactly the same.

Who knew? Just a few extra points might be enough to get them into their dream universities.

Of course, even without winning, the competition was a valuable opportunity to hone their skills. Otherwise, why would anyone bother participating?

"Now, let's all give it our best!"

With that, the teacher extended her palm downward, placing her hand in mid-air.

As if on cue, the other students followed suit, raising their hands into the air to form a "stacked hands" formation.

Ke Lu had always been uncomfortable with such displays of group solidarity, but she didn't want to dampen everyone's spirits.

Su Rou noticed her hesitation, smiled, and gently pulled Ke Lu's hand forward, placing it at the very top of the stack, resting on the back of her own hand.

Even more thoughtfully, the other team members instinctively bent their knees slightly, accommodating Ke Lu's height and ensuring the cheerleading ritual could be completed seamlessly.

"Go team, victory is ours!"