Yuan Chenyang didn't offer much of an explanation. "Is there something I can help you with?" he asked gently.
"I have a friend who says he has Talent," Bai Fengxi said, her voice clear and crisp.
"A friend?" Yuan Chenyang's brow furrowed slightly. He hesitated. "A refugee?"
"Yes," Bai Fengxi nodded.
Yuan Chenyang sighed, a flicker of killing intent in his eyes. "You're just too kind and don't know how to say no. I'll send someone to the shantytown to warn him."
Bai Fengxi shook her head and explained, "Zhou Zhong was investigating me. He helped fend him off."
"Zhou Zhong?" Yuan Chenyang frowned, realizing something was amiss. "What right does he have to stand up to Zhou Zhong?"
"He's already in Southwind Academy as a visiting student..." Bai Fengxi explained.
"How did he get in?" Yuan Chenyang's interest was piqued.
Bai Fengxi hesitated for a moment. "Jiang He brought him in."
"Jiang He?" Yuan Chenyang was taken aback again. A flicker of disgust crossed his eyes, and his annoyance extended to this nameless boy he had never even met.
"I'm not taking on any more students," Yuan Chenyang said, shaking his head.
Bai Fengxi said nothing in response, simply lowering her head further and taking a silent step back.
Seeing her reaction, Yuan Chenyang sighed in resignation. "Alright, how about this? We'll give him a chance. Let him join this year's special training program."
"Thank you." Bai Fengxi bowed and added, "His name is Su Chen."
"I understand. I'll have someone arrange it. Also..." Yuan Chenyang suddenly recalled something, and his tone turned stern. "Don't get too involved with him."
'Anyone who catches Jiang He's eye is bound to be good-looking.'
"Involved how?" Bai Fengxi looked up, seemingly bewildered.
"It's nothing. You may go." Yuan Chenyang relaxed slightly.
Once outside, the bewildered expression on Bai Fengxi's face vanished, replaced by a cool indifference.
'She knew what her advantages were, and she knew how to use them.'
'Since coming to Southwind Academy, she had never asked Yuan Chenyang for a single thing. She knew that if she ever did, her request would not be denied.'
'The special training program... this is the most I can do. We'll see how far you can go on your own.' Bai Fengxi's reasons for helping Su Chen were complex.
It was partly because of Xiao Gezi, partly out of a sense of kinship with a "fellow countryman," and partly out of sheer admiration for Su Chen's ability to climb into Jiang He's bed.
'Someone so "unscrupulous" deserved a chance.'
...
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
The knocking was gentle. Su Chen was wondering who it could be when he opened the door to find an unfamiliar man in black-rimmed glasses. Judging by his bearing, he clearly wasn't a student. He held a stack of files in his hand.
His tone was anything but friendly. "You're Su Chen, I take it," he said flatly. "I am Wei Zhigao, the head of Southwind Academy's special training program. You've been made a member, and I'm here to inform you of some necessary details."
"Special training program?" Su Chen was stunned. "Me?" he asked, surprised.
'What's going on? Did her mark come through for me?'
Wei Zhigao ignored Su Chen's shock and walked straight past him. He had already looked up Su Chen's file.
'A classic case of pulling strings, through and through. First Jiang He, now Vice Principal Yuan.'
He wasn't about to have a good attitude toward someone who just parachuted in halfway through.
...
"Yuan Chenyang... Why would that old coot get involved?"
In the room, the old man behind the desk had his brow deeply furrowed while Jiang He paced back and forth restlessly, muttering relentlessly, "Why would Yuan Chenyang help Su Chen? Have I offended him somehow?"
"Father, didn't you say this was just Qi Chuan trying to turn the tables on me? So how did Su Chen get put into that program?"
"Troublesome..." The old man's frown deepened. "If that old coot is involved, then we have to stop here."
"Stop here?" Jiang He stopped pacing, his voice full of disbelief. "What do you mean? We just forget about the attempt on my life?"
"Sigh... Yuan Chenyang..." The old man sighed. "The academy was just attacked. If he decides to make a fuss and implicate us, it will be a huge mess."
"You should lie low for a while. Just focus on preparing for your promotion to Tier Two Secret Method Scholar."
"Is that our only option?" Jiang He was still resentful. "And what about Su Chen?"
"Forget about Su Chen for now. Let Qi Chuan do whatever he wants. For the time being, this matter is closed," the old man said, his eyes glinting.
"For the time being?" Jiang He latched onto the word.
The old man tapped on the armrest, his voice growing deeper. "Let me figure out why Yuan Chenyang is backing Su Chen. Also, people from Yingfeng Giant City will be arriving. If Yuan Chenyang can't find the attackers, he'll likely be held accountable..."
...
"Why would Yuan Chenyang take an interest in a no-name like Su Chen?"
The voice speaking to him was calm, but it made beads of cold sweat break out on Qi Chuan's forehead. He gritted his teeth. "Rest assured, sir. He was only moved to the special training program. He still has to go out on patrol."
"And if Vice Principal Yuan looks into it, can you bear that responsibility?"
"I'll take it. I'll take full responsibility," Qi Chuan said grimly. "That man definitely knows something!"
...
'So many perks...' Su Chen licked his lips, excited.
This special training program really was something else. First off, the resources. He would be allocated three vials of concentrated Nutrient Liquid every week.
If he used them all up through high-intensity training and needed to buy more, he'd get a fifty-percent discount from the academy.
He also gained the right to purchase Assistive Exercise Potions, like the Blood Circulation Potion.
However, even with the fifty-percent discount, it would still cost 500 gold.
Not to mention tailor-made Profession paths and expert instructors.
Of course, in exchange, these students were expected to serve Southwind City for free for three to five years after graduation to repay the resources they consumed.
"However, the academy-wide Talent assessment for the start of the term has already passed," Wei Zhigao said, his face a mask. "I don't have the authority to request the equipment for a private test, so I can't determine your area of aptitude."
'Whether it was Physical Talent or Spirit Talent, those at Canyin rank or higher always showed some distinguishing trait. This guy in front of him looked completely ordinary.'
"No need." Su Chen didn't care. He then thought of a critical question. "Do I still have to go outside the city?"
"The requirement to leave the city was set by the City Lord." Wei Zhigao sneered inwardly. 'If this kid's connections reach all the way to the Headmaster, then I'll be truly impressed.'
"Guess there's no getting out of it," Su Chen said with a sigh of resignation.
'Scared of even leaving the city?' Wei Zhigao's expression grew even more sour. 'Vice Principal Yuan has such a forceful personality. Why would he pull strings for someone like this?'
He pulled out a sheet of paper. "Are you taking the Physical path or the Spiritual path? Once you decide, I'll arrange the corresponding training curriculum for you."
Su Chen glanced at it. It was a list of Profession names split into two columns: Physical and Spiritual.
There were more Professions on the Physical Side—five in total—while the Spiritual Side only had three.
"Are there any Top-tier Professions on this list?" Su Chen asked, earning a look from Wei Zhigao that said he was staring at a complete moron.
Su Chen paid him no mind. "I'll go with Physical, then."
'The Physical path at least offered five choices. The Spiritual path only had three, and the only Upper-tier Profession was Secret Magic Apprentice.'
'The Physical list, on the other hand, did have a Tier One Advanced Profession.'
"You're choosing Gale Walker?" Wei Zhigao frowned, the words 'biting off more than you can chew' practically written across his face.
'He'd seen Su Chen's file. A refugee with no foundational training... trying to qualify for a Tier One Advanced Profession in just three years was completely impossible. It would be a total waste of resources, nothing more.'
'He was about to offer a word of caution, but then he remembered the kid's connections and held his tongue. He got in by pulling strings, after all. Saying too much would probably just get him labeled a meddler.'
'Let him do what he wants.'
"Your student ID has been updated. The next physical training session is this afternoon. The instructor will give you the Profession materials when you get there."
"This is a Spirit Communication Device. It's a temporary loan. If you lose it, you'll have to pay for a replacement."
Wei Zhigao tossed a palm-sized metal device onto the table and left without a backward glance.