Era of Mist

The campus was bustling with examinees and young onlookers—a massive crowd. Many burly, imposing security guards stood at intersections along the campus roads, occasionally giving directions to those visiting the school for the first time.

He Chong was looking left and right, sizing up the environment of his future school, when another young man appeared and blocked his path.

"Well, well, if it isn’t He Chong. Only brought nine guys? What a show of force!" The young man was clearly on bad terms with He Chong. "Your Star Worker School is really something else, getting *so* many admission slots. I’m genuinely impressed."

The sight of this young man made the veins on He Chong’s forehead pop. He roared, "Gong Tengfei, don’t get cocky! The preliminary exam is right around the corner. If you’ve got any real skill, we’ll settle it there!"

"You think I’m scared of a loser who’s only brave on his home turf? Get your neck ready for the chopping block!"

Gong Tengfei and He Chong were both from Mu Yuan District and were minor celebrities in their own right. Being the same age, they were once even dubbed the "Soaring Duo" as they rose to prominence together. However, frequent clashes in various competitions had turned them into bitter rivals. Now, they couldn’t meet without trading insults.

But He Chong was no match for Gong Tengfei in a war of words. Within a few exchanges, he was so thoroughly roasted he couldn’t even get a word in. Luckily, a security guard yelled at them to quiet down. Both knew better than to cause a scene here, so they just shot each other a final glare, snorted in anger, and led their groups away.

He Chong’s core followers were unfazed, but the others in his group of ten stared, dumbfounded. They never imagined that Brother Chong, who was so dominant and imposing back at their school, could be put in such a sorry state out here.

"Listen up, you lot," one of He Chong’s lackeys, a guy with glasses, turned and said coldly. "When we get back, you all keep your mouths shut. Don’t say a word about this! You all know what happened to Shi Tiexin, don’t you? If you can’t keep your traps shut, you’ll end up just like him!"

The students immediately fell deathly silent.

They had all heard the story. Because Shi Tiexin refused to submit to He Chong, He Chong had sent his goons to ambush and beat him. The cruelest part of the plan came after the beating: they had deliberately dumped the unconscious Shi Tiexin at the entrance of the Upper City Central Hospital. The Central Hospital was infamous for its exorbitant fees. As an orphan with no medical insurance, who knew where Shi Tiexin was now, slaving away at some menial job to pay off the debt.

Not only was his preliminary exam ruined, but he was now saddled with a massive debt. Failure to pay would tank his credit score, making his future incredibly difficult. He could even face compulsory enforcement. It was safe to say Shi Tiexin was finished. Not just for this exam—it would take him a huge part of his life just to crawl out of this hole.

What a venomous scheme!

And the one who had cooked up this venomous scheme was none other than the guy in glasses at He Chong’s side, Wang Jiaxu.

Hearing Wang Jiaxu bring this up, the grim look on He Chong’s face softened. ’Annoying people pop up everywhere, but I’ll deal with them all, one by one.’

"Xiaoxu, you need to keep practicing your Rhetoric," He Chong instructed. "You can drop everything else if you have to. First, secure your spot as an examinee, then focus on getting your Rhetoric skill to the fourth level. When I return to the corporation, I’ll need someone who’s a good writer and a good speaker. Understand?"

"I understand! I get it! Thank you for the opportunity, Brother Chong!" He Chong was saying he planned to groom him as part of his inner circle, and Wang Jiaxu was ecstatic. To prove his worth, he immediately served up another vicious idea. "Brother Chong, after the preliminary exam, that brat Shi Tiexin will probably be at the end of his rope. We can send someone to the Orphanage to do some recruiting, make sure he gets ’selected’ to join the corporation... and then we can toy with him. You can take out your frustrations on him however you please!"

"Mm," He Chong nodded, satisfied.

Regardless of his actual skill level, Shi Tiexin had originally been qualified to observe the exam. Not anymore. He hadn’t shown his face at school for days, and with a little string-pulling, He Chong had taken care of the rest.

’After all, it *is* the Star Worker School. If they don’t side with their own, who are they going to side with? Outsiders?’

’And without observing the exam, how could a lowlife like him possibly learn the ropes? When the time comes, he’ll be caught completely unprepared and won’t be able to perform. He’s guaranteed to fail.’

Heh.

’I’ll make an example of Wang Jiaxu, to show everyone that those who follow me will prosper!’

’And I’ll make an example of Shi Tiexin, to show everyone that those who oppose me will be destroyed!’

’As for that punk Gong Tengfei... Hmph. I’ll take care of him in due time.’

Feeling smug and satisfied, He Chong led his entourage away. Within the group, only the one called "Brother Gu" showed any change. His eyes flashed for a moment as he cast a surprised glance toward a point in the distance. He then immediately reverted to his usual placid, smiling expression and fell in step behind He Chong, trailing him like a shadow.

In the direction he had glanced, a tall figure stood with his back to them, his chest out and head held high in a perfect at-ease stance.

The man was tall and powerfully built; the muscles of his back were clearly defined. At over two meters tall, he was like a small giant. However, all the ceremonial guards selected from Xiongan Security were towering figures of similar height, so he didn’t particularly stand out.

It was Shi Tiexin.

Shi Tiexin gazed at the crowd before him, marveling internally.

’This is a real eye-opener. I never knew so many people had reached such high levels of skill. All around me, men and women alike, every single one of them is brimming with vitality and radiating energy. The examinees in particular are just dazzling, full of a spirit that’s truly awe-inspiring.’

Shi Tiexin roughly estimated there were over two thousand people participating in the exam this time.

Two thousand masters, every one of them possessing at least a "Good" proficiency in the third level of the Six Great Mind Arts. Shi Tiexin was deeply moved. It wasn’t that he’d never seen powerful individuals before, but he’d never seen so many of them gathered in one place. And the crucial thing was... they were all his age.

’They’re all my age!’

"Uncle..."

’Is someone talking nearby?’

"Uncle..."

’Who are they calling? It can’t be me. Like I just thought, everyone here on campus is my age.’

"Uncle..."

’Huh? Why is someone tugging on the back of my uniform?’

’Holy crap, are they calling *me* "Uncle"?!’

’Who is this person? What part of me looks like an "uncle"?!’

Shi Tiexin whipped around to look. No one? He looked left, then right. Still no one.

"Uncle, down here!"

’Why is the voice coming from below me?’

Shi Tiexin looked down and was immediately confronted by a very conspicuous—and very large and round... uh...

’No, no, no! I’m not! I didn’t! Don’t get the wrong idea, I’m not a pervert! I just couldn’t help noticing... that her student ID was... The student ID on her chest was really... perky and...’

"Excuse me, Uncle, I wanted to ask for directions."

Her words snapped Shi Tiexin back to his senses. He quickly realized the "large and round" person speaking to him was actually a girl, probably not even 1.6 meters tall—a height so short in this day and age it was almost tragic. She was quite cute, though, with big eyes and a pert nose. A "big and pert" beauty, indeed.

Such a pity about her height, though... Sigh. Truly heartbreaking.

’Her proportions seem pretty good, though. Her legs aren’t long in absolute terms, dragged down by her total height, but her leg-to-body ratio is excellent. You’ve got the neck, then the chest, then the waist, then the legs... something like that. Huh? Wait a second, isn’t that how everyone is built? Bad description, bad description...’

’Ah, whatever. Since you’re this cute, I’ll let the "uncle" thing slide.’

"Miss," Shi Tiexin said earnestly. "I’m still quite young. I’m not an uncle."

"Oh! Sorry, sorry! I really couldn’t tell!"

’This "big and pert" beauty really doesn’t say the cutest things...’