Chapter 172 - 98: Provincial City
The engine gave a low, powerful roar, and the convoy slowly began to move.
Lin Yi lowered the car window, waved vigorously at Chen Zhenguo standing by the road, and shouted, "Goodbye, Principal!"
Chen Zhenguo took two steps forward, his piercing gaze cutting through the window to lock firmly onto Lin Yi. He instructed in a booming voice:
"Kid! Remember my words! Once you’re at the provincial training camp, give it every last ounce of strength you have! Don’t disgrace Yang City No. 1 High School, and especially don’t disgrace yourself! Go show them what you’re made of!"
The other four students in the car also leaned out their windows, waving goodbye to their respective principals.
The car rolled on, heading for the Provincial City.
...
Once the convoy was far from the Public Security Bureau and Chen Zhenguo’s group had vanished from sight, the car’s interior fell deathly quiet.
The five people in the car stared blankly at one another, nobody saying a word.
They were strangers!
Finally, the girl sitting in the front row moved.
She turned gracefully and said with a smile:
"Hey, let’s not be so gloomy! We’re going to be teammates, so we should get to know each other. I’m Liu Ying, from Fanhua High School."
She was the only girl among the five, her voice clear and crisp, full of natural energy.
Her greeting broke the ice.
The other four seemed to relax a little.
They began to introduce themselves:
"Lin Yi, Yang City No. 1 High School!"
"Dong Kun, Super High School!"
"Sun Tai, Super High School!"
"Gao Yongkang, Shiyan High School!"
Having introduced themselves, the group began to warm up to each other.
The cringeworthy awkwardness quietly faded.
Liu Ying was clearly a social butterfly. She leaned forward slightly, resting her hands on the seatback in front of her, and spoke with an eager tone:
"Did you guys know? This training camp has gathered the top one thousand geniuses from all of Nanjiang Province! Yang City’s education ranking isn’t that high in the province. Once we get there, the geniuses from the Provincial City and the other major cities will definitely form cliques. The few of us from Yang City have to stick together. We need to help each other, band together for survival! Otherwise, we’ll be eaten alive."
Gao Yongkang immediately nodded vigorously in agreement, his face etched with worry:
"Liu Ying is absolutely right! Those guys from the Provincial City have had better resources since they were kids; their starting points are ridiculously high. We’ll definitely be at a disadvantage if we try to go it alone. We have to team up! Only by working together do we stand a chance of securing a spot in the training camp and not getting crushed by those prodigies."
Lin Yi looked away from the window, glanced at Liu Ying and Gao Yongkang, and nodded.
"Mm, that makes sense. We should look out for one another."
However, Dong Kun and Sun Tai from Super High School remained silent, not immediately voicing their opinion.
Dong Kun even curled his lip slightly, a hint of disdain on his face.
Liu Ying keenly picked up on their attitude. She immediately fixed her gaze on the pair, her tone probing and underscored by a subtle assertiveness:
"Dong Kun, Sun Tai, what about you two? Why so quiet? Planning to go it alone?"
The smile remained on her face, but a serious look had entered her eyes.
Only then did Dong Kun speak, his voice slow and laced with a sense of superiority:
"Banding together for survival? I agree. However..."
He paused, deliberately drawing out the suspense.
"Before we left, I got in touch with my cousin. Once we get to the training camp, Sun Tai and I are joining his team directly."
"As for the rest of you... my cousin’s team has very high standards. Whether or not he lets you in, well, that’s not my call to make."
"Your cousin?" Gao Yongkang turned to look at him. "Is he in the training camp too? What city is he from?"
A smug look spread across Dong Kun’s face. "Nanjiang Martial Arts University Affiliated High School!"
"Whoa!"
Gao Yongkang gasped.
"Nanwu High School?! Your cousin... that’s incredible!"
Liu Ying also gasped, covering her mouth. Her eyes flashed, and the way she looked at Dong Kun instantly became fervent. Her earlier probing expression vanished, replaced by a naked desire to curry favor.
Even Lin Yi, who had remained calm until now, couldn’t help but turn his head again. His gaze fell on Dong Kun, carrying a hint of scrutiny.
Nanjiang Martial Arts University was the undisputed number one university in Nanjiang Province.
Even if it wasn’t one of the top ten universities in the nation, it was still solidly ranked within the top twenty country-wide.
And its affiliated high school—
Nanjiang Martial Arts University Affiliated High School.
It was the number one high school in all of Nanjiang Province.
Rumor had it that getting into Nanwu High School was as good as having one foot in the door of Nanjiang Martial Arts University, granting access to resources and direct pathways ordinary people couldn’t even imagine.
Its lofty status and profound strength were enough to make any student in the province look up to it in awe.
The smile on Liu Ying’s face grew even brighter, now tinged with a hint of sycophancy. Her voice softened as well:
"Dong Kun, I didn’t realize you had such a powerful connection! This is great! When we get to the camp, you have to put in a good word for the rest of us with your cousin! Ask him to take us under his wing, too. We’re all from Yang City; we won’t let your cousin down!"
She deliberately emphasized the name "Yang City," trying to get on his good side.
Dong Kun narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Liu Ying and Gao Yongkang.
"You and Gao Yongkang... your skills are decent enough. I know about you two; you broke through to become Martial Artists a year ago, so your foundation should be pretty solid."
His tone shifted as his gaze fell upon Lin Yi:
"It’s just... Lin Yi, I heard you only became a Martial Artist in the last two months?"
The atmosphere inside the car instantly grew awkward again.
All eyes focused on Lin Yi.
Lin Yi met their gazes and nodded calmly, his tone flat and unwavering:
"That’s right. It’s been less than two months since I became a Martial Artist."
Dong Kun sneered.