Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Yu Bao, You Were a Duck All Along?

Afternoon, during the free period—

"WHOOSH! WHOOSH!"

Under Yu Bao’s control, the loose dust on the sports field moved and arranged itself in an orderly fashion, finally forming a sand painting about two meters long and one meter wide:

In the center of the picture was a silly, goofy-looking puppy; beside it was a Huajing Cat with a calm expression, patting the puppy’s head.

Su Zhi, as handsome as the readers, sat behind the goofy puppy, and Shao Ya, who was next to him, gave him a punch.

"Woof~"

"Yu Bao, you’re amazing!"

"Yu Bao, fly bravely! Mommy—"

"Get lost!"

The spectating students applauded for Yu Bao.

Yu Bao, however, first looked toward Brother Xiaoyue, who was lying on a tree branch, and wagged its tail.

Xiaoyue nodded in praise.

"Meow, meow." (Not bad, well-drawn.)

"Haaa~"

Only then did Yu Bao stick out its little tongue, pleased with itself.

The two deskmates sat under the shade of a tree, watching. Scattered sunlight and flowers intertwined, swaying with the gentle breeze.

"Maybe you should consider having Yu Bao take the art school entrance exams? It’d be a shame for the kid not to go to college."

Shao Ya joked as she took photos to save.

"I’d rather not. Art school exams still have academic subjects."

Su Zhi laughed and lay down in the shade.

In a school that was like a factory, such relaxed and carefree moments were few and far between.

There was only one free period a week, and it was often commandeered by Old Ban. It was a rare chance for the students to enjoy a carefree time without training.

Those who could endure the tediousness and keep grinding were all hardcore.

For example, the class academic representative and his duck duo.

In the distance, a vast expanse of white could be seen over by the artificial lake—that was Liu Yuhang training Xue Li in the Hao Waterfowl’s second Skill: White Mist.

The principle behind White Mist was somewhat similar to the Earth Force Field, also involving filling the surrounding air with Water Element.

White Mist not only drastically reduced visibility but could also provide a power boost for other Water Element Skills.

Many of the Hao Waterfowl’s subsequent Skills relied on White Mist to unleash their power.

’Wait a minute, isn’t this setup a bit like Yu Bao learning Earth Force Field...’

’So, Yu Bao, you were a duck all along?’

"Whoa!"

Shao Ya suddenly slapped her thigh.

Su Zhi looked up helplessly. "Why are you slapping my thigh when you’re the one who’s amazed?"

"You’ve gone viral!"

"What?"

"See for yourself!"

Shao Ya shoved her phone in Su Zhi’s face—

"Supernova Burns! Class 1410’s Strongest Dark Horse Aims for the City League! A Showcase of First High’s Spirit!"

[As summer approaches, just standing outside is enough to break a sweat. It seems staying in the dorms is the wisest choice...]

[But on the deserted sports field, we noticed a first-year student and his Yu Dian Dog. Even in this sweltering heat, he was still persisting with his training...]

[We interviewed this student and were shocked to discover that he was none other than Su · Strongest Dark Horse of the First Year · Star of 1410 · The Stabilizing Needle in Contests of Size · The One Who Thrashed the Terror Demon · The Unorthodox Beast Tamer · Zhi...]

[The young Su Zhi’s grades are not ideal, but he never gives up...]

[And regarding the upcoming exchange tournament and City League, Su Zhi expressed: "The most important thing is to enjoy the process of competition itself"...]

"...?"

Su Zhi stared at the sky.

He looked at his classmates; they had curious expressions, having clearly read the article as well.

"Brother Shu is awesome!"

"What ’Brother Shu’? From now on, call him God Su!"

"Brother Shu looks all chill on the surface, but he’s actually grinding behind everyone’s backs!"

’No, I also think going back to the dorm is the wisest choice, but the problem is the dorms are closed...’ Su Zhi opened his mouth, but the words caught in his throat.

"Come with me to the office."

"I’ll go later, I want some peace and quiet."

Su Zhi replied casually... then suddenly realized something was wrong.

’Normally, shouldn’t someone say "go to the office"? Why did this person say "come with me"...’

Su Zhi looked up blankly and met the gaze of Old Ban in the shadows.

·

The Office.

Su Zhi and Shao Ya looked at each other, wondering what Old Ban was up to.

Even Liu Yuhang was scratching his head in confusion.

’I’m a model citizen, how did I get dragged into this?’

"I called you here to discuss the City League. As of today, registration for the league has officially opened."

"So—"

Zhou Shengfa glanced at Su Zhi and began to chant:

"This Su · Strongest Dark Horse of the First Year · Star of 1410 · The Stabilizing Needle in Contests of Size..."

Su Zhi buried his head in his hands. "Teacher, please stop reading..."

"Now tell me your true thoughts. Have you decided to participate in the City League?"

Old Ban’s tone suddenly turned serious.

Su Zhi nodded. "Of course."

"Your reason?"

Zhou Shengfa stared into Su Zhi’s eyes.

"Don’t repeat the platitudes you used in the interview. What I want to hear is your real goal. Tell me, how far do you want to go? Or are you aiming for a medal? Bronze, silver, gold?"

"What I said then were my real thoughts."

Su Zhi met his gaze without flinching.

"Goals aren’t that important, because effort doesn’t guarantee success. You just do your best, and then calmly accept the results."

"If I absolutely must have a goal, then of course, it’s the championship."

"Alright."

A smile spread across Zhou Shengfa’s face. He then took out several resources and placed them on the table.

The three of them stared with wide eyes—

Refined Sandstone—a Tier Two Earth Element resource.

Bubble Crystal—a Tier Two Water Element resource.

Birch Saliva—a Tier Two Wood Element resource.

One piece of Birch Saliva, and two pieces each of the other two types. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"They’re a gift for you from the students of Class Nine."

Perhaps because there were other teachers in the office, Zhou Shengfa’s tone was very mild, and he wore a smile.

Otherwise, he would have long since blurted out, "You did a f*cking beautiful job."

"Take them. You’ve earned it."

"Thank you, Teacher!" The three of them put away their respective resources.

Tier Two Resources were more expensive than Tier One resources, but their effect was far better than Tier One resources of the same price.

Moreover, their affinities all matched. They weren’t just given a few random items to get it over with, which showed that Class Nine had at least some sincerity.

These resources would be enough for the three of them until the end of the month—which was also exactly when the City League would be held.

"From now on, the goal for the three of you is to enter the City League, and then win the championship!"

Zhou Shengfa said in a deep voice.

"There are now twenty-five days until the school’s qualifying match for the City League. In principle, each class only has two slots. But I am a Gold Medal head teacher, so I can designate an extra one."

"You three are my chosen candidates."

"During these twenty-five days, if you have any problems at all, you can come to me anytime. That includes holidays, and even the middle of the night."

"I have only one requirement—do everything in your power to become stronger!"

"I’ve said my piece. I’ll ask one more time, are you participating?"

"Of course I’ll participate."

"I’ll participate, I’ll participate!"

"Same here."

Zhou Shengfa nodded.

His gaze fell on Su Zhi, and he suddenly smiled.

"To be honest, I always used to think that students who don’t follow the syllabus are problem students."

Su Zhi blinked. "So, have you changed your mind now?"

"Not at all. But you can give it a try."

"DING~ DING~ DONG~ DONG~"

As they spoke, the leisurely school bell rang. For a Friday with no evening self-study, this was also the bell for dismissal.

Zhou Shengfa waved his hand.

"Alright, go on home. Don’t fall behind on your training when you get back."

"Goodbye, Teacher!"

"Oh, right," Su Zhi turned back and asked curiously, "If I had really said I didn’t have much of a goal... would you have held back my two pieces of Refined Sandstone?"

"No. Your resources are yours."

Zhou Shengfa tucked his hands into his pockets. "I’d just call you a coward, and then give you the resources anyway."

"Hehe, goodbye, Teacher!"

"Hehe, my ass."

The three students left. Zhou Shengfa leaned back in his office chair and opened a group chat named [Hair Growth Group]—

[Group Owner] [Teacher Zhou Shengfa]: Tomorrow at eight, same old place! @Liu Junpo @Yang Jingyue @Du Gang

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