Chapter 476: Chapter 476: The World-Weary Pauper
Listening to the mocking voices of many senior students, everyone with pig faces, tensely stretching their faces with dark eyes, but nobody said a word, really —— it was so embarrassing, everyone felt ashamed.
It was embarrassing, not just because of the swollen faces, but also because the reasons behind those swollen faces were equally embarrassing. If these seniors knew the reasons, they would likely laugh about it for an entire year. Hence, all freshmen from Class 131 of the Combat Department chose to maintain a tacit silence.
Amidst this strange silence, the cafeteria broadcasted the news, and nothing particularly eye-catching or heart-wrenching happened today...
After the news ended, suddenly ——
The school broadcast issued a notice: Starting next week, the finals of this year’s Alliance University online tournament will be broadcast live.
As soon as this message was released, the entire place was in an uproar.
Everyone began discussing heatedly, even Ji You’s batch of Combat Department students, who were silently eating, couldn’t help but open their chatterboxes.
"Did you participate?"
"Were you eliminated?"
"Did you advance?"
"What’s your name?"
...
Privately, many started digging for information, Ji You kept silent.
Shen Changqing, Chu Jiaojiao, Yue Qiguang, and Yue Qiyuan also remained silent.
Then —
Previously in the cafeteria and ready to leave after eating, Sheng Qingyan suddenly sat back down. He looked at his few friends and curiously asked, "Who among you is still in?"
Nobody said a word.
Sheng Qingyan covered his mouth and chuckled, "You all didn’t get eliminated, did you?"
Nobody said a word.
Sheng Qingyan’s tone carried a hint of pride, "Weaklings! All weaklings..."
Yue Qiguang glared at Sheng Qingyan fiercely, clenched his fist, and yelled: "Keep blabbering, and daddy will send you to the Sky!"
Hearing this, Sheng Qingyan covered his mouth, laughing even more joyously, "Ah Guang, you’re so fired up, you must have been eliminated early!"
Yue Qiguang: "..."
Stubborn as a dying duck, Yue Qiguang refused to admit, opening his mouth to retort, "Even if daddy’s lousy, beating you is still easy as pie."
Sheng Qingyan covered his chest, showing a scared expression, his tone exaggeratedly saying, "Don’t pick a fight with me, I really don’t like fighting, it’s pointless, pointless, pointless... I’m leaving."
He was also worried that Yue Qiguang, the unreasonable brute, would really come over to fight with him. He didn’t have time for that. Was fighting as important as keeping watch at the Master’s shop?
Hmph!
Sheng Qingyan lifted his foot and cleanly slipped away.
On this side.
Ji You quietly asked, "Uh... Shen Changqing, is your team for the online tournament still looking for members?" The online tournament preliminaries allowed participants to earn a lot of points by winning matches and placing successful bets, but after advancing through several rounds, the betting and point rewards were suddenly removed. Only the teams and individuals entering the finals could earn a large amount of points as rewards. Of course, betting was reinstated after reaching the finals, and the winning participants could continue to draw a cut from the betting pool...
As a penniless person, Ji You was pondering, how could she earn points?
Aside from taking school tasks to earn points. Undoubtedly, participating in the current online tournament would accrue points faster. The individual competition was too fierce, filled with experts; to play it safe and to have another avenue for earning points, Ji You thought about joining the team competition.
As for whose team to join?
Certainly, it would be more reliable to join with these friends around her rather than teaming up with strangers.
Shen Changqing heard Ji You ask that and was slightly stunned, thinking: So, Ji You hasn’t given up on joining a team yet.
However—
Shen Changqing bluntly said, "We are still missing one person, but we are actively inviting another expert to join, so—"
Ji You: "Oh—"
Shen Changqing said, "I’m sorry, Ji You."
Ji You: "..."
Ji You asked, "Is that expert even better than me?"
How was Shen Changqing supposed to answer that?
Beside them, Yue Qiguang nonchalantly said, "Of course, he’s better than you! He’s the 11th-ranked boss in the East District. You’re just dead weight who was already eliminated, just cheer us on honestly."
Ji You’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, "Oh, so the other guy is the 11th-ranked boss. That’s impressive!" Praising oneself in front of so many people felt secretly thrilling.
Something about that sounded off. Yue Qiguang sneered, "So, give up already; our team has no room for dead weight."
Ji You looked at Shen Changqing, then at Chu Jiaojiao, Lou, Lance, and others, and asked bluntly, "Isn’t your team supposed to not recruit dead weight? Why did you accept him then?"
He—
Ji You pointed towards Yue Qiguang.
Yue Qiguang: "...You’re the dead weight! 4444, are you asking for trouble? Come on! Let daddy sort you out on the arena right now!"
Ji You chuckled and shook his head in refusal, saying, "I don’t fight with dead weight."
The two bickered loudly, while others quietly continued eating their meals.
Soon,
Yue Qiyuan picked up his tray, stood up, and said, "I’m done eating; I’m leaving now."
Shen Changqing also said, "I’m done eating; I’m leaving now."
Lou and Lance also picked up their trays, indicating their departure.
Before long, only Ji You and Chu Jiaojiao were left by the dinner table. Chu Jiaojiao, looking at Ji You’s face with sympathy, said, "Ji You, do you want to participate in the team competition? How about you go fix your face? I can talk to them and let you join? Anyway, we still need someone to attract and absorb the hostility..."
Ji You: "..."
Ji You said, "Thanks for the offer, but I don’t want to join anymore. Also, I’m not fixing my face." It’s just a face; it will heal naturally in a few days. Besides, going to the infirmary for a fix would cost money.
When it came to spending money, it felt like it was stripping Ji You of her life, how could she agree?
Chu Jiaojiao urgently said, "Ji You, think it over."
Ji You picked up her tray, saying, "I’ve finished eating."
She took her tray to be recycled, then without a pause, she rushed to the training room. There was a class in the afternoon, specifically a Mecha Operation class, which covered a vast amount of knowledge daily that required careful attention, no skimping allowed.
Just—
When Ji You entered the training room, she found no one else there but herself, until just before class started, when the Combat Department students swarmed in.
Ji You noticed, all the pig faces were gone. Apparently, they all spent money going to Doctor Luo in the medical room to fix their faces.
It seemed, in the whole Combat Department, she was the only one left with a pig face.
Ji You’s face remained expressionless as she consoled herself:
The world of a poor soul always endures hardships.