Chapter 180 - 100: Taking First Place
’It seems he wasn’t the only genius here.’
Soon, it was Lin Yi’s turn to get his food.
The training camp’s food truly lived up to its reputation. The provisions were incredibly lavish.
Steam billowed from the serving window. Alongside a wide array of exquisite dishes, the most eye-catching items were the massive basins filled with pre-cut meat cutlets, each piece shimmering with a faint, energetic glow.
It was all First Grade Demon Beast meat!
And there was an unlimited supply!
Lin Yi didn’t hold back. He had the server pile his plate with a mountain of Demon Beast meat, then added several high-energy side dishes and a serving of rice.
Gao Yongkang followed his lead, though his portion was slightly smaller.
Carrying their trays, the two found a relatively quiet corner in the bustling cafeteria and sat down.
Gao Yongkang glanced from the mountain of meat on Lin Yi’s plate to the many injured, dejected trainees scattered around them. He couldn’t help but remark in a low voice:
"Lin Yi, you’re really famous now. On my way over, I heard tons of people talking about you, all trying to find out who defeated the gatekeeper. You’re a shoo-in for Class A; it’s a done deal."
Hearing this, Lin Yi paused, his chopsticks hovering in the air.
He looked up at Gao Yongkang, his eyes full of apology.
"Gao, I acted too quickly back there. I... should have given you all a chance to show what you can do. If I had, then maybe..."
He didn’t finish the thought.
But his meaning was clear.
By instantly defeating Tu Jun, he had deprived the other nineteen trainees, including Gao Yongkang, of any chance to have a noteworthy performance during the assessment.
This would very likely affect their assessment scores and final class placements.
𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
Gao Yongkang froze for a moment before a wry smile appeared on his face. He waved a hand dismissively, speared a piece of Demon Beast meat with his chopsticks, and shoved it into his mouth, chewing hard a few times.
"Ah, forget it, Lin Yi. It’s really not your fault."
"In a situation like that, no one would have had time to think about it. The fact that we followed you out of the exam hall completely unscathed and passed the assessment without a hitch—that result is already far better than what most people got!"
"You have no idea what a disaster the other exam sites were..."
He paused, his eyes sweeping over the bruised and sighing trainees around them, his tone becoming one of acceptance.
"As for which class we get... just gotta roll with it! Getting in was the first step. The rest of the way, we’ll have to pave it ourselves!"
Lin Yi saw the mix of acceptance and helplessness on Gao Yongkang’s face and simply nodded, not offering any more words of comfort.
As the two ate in silence,
CLANG!
An alloy tray was slammed down with considerable force on the empty table beside them.
The pair looked up to see Liu Ying pulling out a chair and sitting down, her face plastered with a deliberately friendly smile.
"Oh, I finally found you!" Liu Ying exclaimed, panting dramatically as if she had run a great distance. "This dining hall is way too big, and it’s so crowded. My legs nearly gave out before I spotted you two!"
Gao Yongkang’s brow furrowed as the memory of being ditched that afternoon flooded his mind. He retorted sarcastically:
"Well, well, if it isn’t the great Master Liu? What’s the matter? Not having a victory dinner with your new teammate, Dong Kun, and his crew?"
He intentionally put heavy emphasis on the words ’new teammate’.
The smile on Liu Ying’s face stiffened, immediately replaced by a wave of intense indignation. She slammed her hand on the table.
"Don’t even mention that bastard Dong Kun! Or his worthless piece of a cousin!"
"They didn’t even treat me like a human being! They used me as bait to draw the gatekeeper’s fire! I’d just rushed into the exam hall and the fight had barely started when the gatekeeper knocked me out cold with a single punch! I didn’t even get to put up a decent fight! My assessment score is definitely going to be at the very bottom! That bastard Dong Kun totally screwed me over!"
Seeing her fuming with rage, the bit of lingering frustration in Gao Yongkang’s heart instantly morphed into gloating satisfaction.
"Tsk, you can’t say that. Sacrificing for the team, drawing enemy fire... that makes you a great hero! Shouldn’t they be thanking you profusely? Leaving the team just like that? What a waste!"
"Hero my ass!" Liu Ying’s face flushed red with anger, her chest heaving. "That bunch of bastards just burn the bridge after they cross it! After the exam was over, they said I was dragging them down and kicked me right off the team! A pack of ungrateful jerks!"
The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, her voice starting to tremble.
Gao Yongkang watched her and had to suppress a laugh.
’How satisfying,’ he thought. ’Serves her right! That’s what she gets for being so quick to abandon us this afternoon!’
Liu Ying took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her anger. Her tone shifted, becoming sincere.
"I’ve finally seen the light! When it really counts, you can’t rely on outsiders at all! The folks from our own Yang City are the most dependable! From now on, we have to stick together, support each other, and work hard on our Cultivation! Sooner or later, we’ll make Dong Kun and that snobby crew of his regret treating me this way!"
She stared intently at Lin Yi and Gao Yongkang, as if seeking their commitment to an alliance.
Lin Yi, who had been eating in silence this whole time, finally set down his utensils.
He looked up, his eyes perfectly calm and his voice devoid of any emotion, merely stating a fact.
"Gao and I are too weak. I’m afraid we can’t be of much help."
Lin Yi didn’t actually resent Liu Ying for unhesitatingly choosing the stronger team that afternoon.
In his eyes, it was only human nature to look out for yourself when you’d only known someone for a few hours.
’But to come crawling back now that she’d hit a dead end?’
’Sorry, but he had no interest in being her backup plan.’
Liu Ying, however, seemed completely oblivious to the cold detachment in their voices. She shamelessly pressed on, trying to get closer.
"So... how did the assessment go for you two this afternoon? How’d you do?"