Ling Yun shook his head slightly. His mental energy field was extremely sensitive, allowing him to deeply sense the subtle changes in Li Lingling. To others, and even Li Lingling herself, it was merely that she had become more beautiful, with fairer and better skin. However, in Ling Yun's eyes, Li Lingling's entire temperament and inner qualities were undergoing a slow but astonishing transformation. He just didn't know whether the change was for better or worse; from what he could see so far, it didn't seem too bad.
The three teenagers strolled leisurely, chatting and laughing, and the topic of university came up again. Zhang Yunfeng also gave Lingyun a small surprise. It turned out that during Lingyun's treatment in the provincial capital, Zhao Yu had spoken with Zhang Yunfeng several times. Zhao Yu felt that Zhang Yunfeng had a great talent for financial investment, so he arranged for him to intern at the headquarters of Sihai Group in Beijing, initially attending classes at a university that Sihai Group had business partnerships with. The three good friends were able to meet again in Beijing.
Thus, Zhang Yunfeng, a previously abysmal student who failed the college entrance exam and was utterly useless, suddenly rose to become a university student. This makes one marvel at the immense power and extensive connections of the Sihai Group, and how its members can influence so many different life circumstances.
That evening, Ling Yun returned home and, as usual, entered the barrier to cultivate his mental energy field. Although Elder Yu had increased the intensity of his cultivation, Ling Yun persevered through it all, resulting in a significant enhancement of his mental energy field and increasingly refined and proficient control over it. Yu Xiujie was very satisfied, saying that as long as he continued cultivating at this pace, Ling Yun would be able to enter a deeper layer of the barrier to cultivate true supernatural arts the day before university registration.
At this moment, thousands of miles away from Tongjiang City, in the depths of the Pacific Ocean, a small island of only a few dozen square meters was floating on the boundless sea. A shallow wave came up and immediately submerged the entire island. From time to time, crabs, starfish and other sea creatures crawled onto the island and then crawled back down from the other side.
A tall man dressed in black stood alone on the small island. He had a typical handsome Scandinavian face, but a long scar ran from his high nose to his eyebrow, making him look rather cold and menacing. The waves crashed onto the island, but when they reached his feet, they automatically parted and went around him, so the man, standing in shallow water, didn't get his shoes wet at all.
"Yvette failed?" A strange voice suddenly came from the sea.
The tall man was not surprised at all. He simply slowly opened his large palm, revealing a black domino with an English name engraved on it, which was turning from bright white to a lifeless gray.
"Asians are just unreliable!" a stranger sighed softly.
"It's not that they're unreliable, but rather that their strength is too weak. And trying to find someone using such a clumsy method as spirit communication is simply ridiculous," the tall man said coldly.
"So he died." The unfamiliar voice said indifferently.
"Let's proceed with the next plan," the tall man said calmly to the air.
Chapter Twenty-Four: New Student Reporting
As the start of the school year drew closer, Lingyun, Zhang Yunfeng, and Li Lingling were preparing for their registration. Tongjiang was over a thousand kilometers away from Beijing, a journey that would take at least a day and a night by train. Zhang Yunfeng and Li Lingling, from well-off families, could afford to fly to school, but Lingyun came from an ordinary family and had to take the train to save money. The two planned to buy Lingyun a plane ticket, but Lingyun absolutely refused. They had no choice but to give up on that idea.
The day before their departure, Chen Feng arrived from the provincial capital. It turned out that Xia Tian had learned that the three of them were going to study in Beijing, and had arranged for Chen Feng to send Ling Yun and the others to Beijing in his private helicopter. This surprised and delighted the three, once again marveling at the immense power of the Sihai Group. Zhang Yunfeng was especially excited, dancing with joy. He had never flown in a private helicopter before, and was incredibly thrilled.
The helicopter was extremely fast, arriving in Beijing in less than two hours. After landing at a civilian helipad on the outskirts of Beijing, a long-awaited stretch Lincoln limousine from the Sihai Group immediately took the three of them straight to the city center. They then dropped off Ling Yun, Li Lingling, and Zhang Yunfeng at their respective universities.
Zhang Yunfeng's journey was smooth, and the reporting went exceptionally well. However, Li Lingling's arrival on the university campus caused quite a stir. Ling Yun, with her keen senses, noticed that many boys were staring intently at Li Lingling's beautiful, flawless face, whispering amongst themselves with gleaming eyes, saying things like, "Finally, a pretty girl has arrived this year! She's so beautiful!" and other such infatuated remarks.
After settling Li Lingling in, the Lincoln sedan once again carried Ling Yun away, finally stopping in front of a magnificent, classically elegant university gate. On the huge gold signboard were four large, bold Chinese characters: Jinghua University.
A beautiful young girl with radiant eyes was anxiously waiting at the school gate. When she saw Ling Yun get out of the Lincoln, her eyes lit up and she took a few steps forward: "Ling Yun, you've finally arrived." The girl grabbed Ling Yun's arm.
"Xia Zhen, I'm sorry to trouble you to pick me up again." Ling Yun wasn't surprised; Xia Zhen had already called him several times while the car was on the road.
"Don't be so polite with me. I'm your senior. Come with me. I've taken care of all the registration procedures for you, and I've paid your tuition. You can just go straight to your dorm." Xia Zhen grabbed his arm and started walking.
Ling Yun was taken aback: "The tuition has been paid? Who paid it?"
“Of course it’s Sihai Group.” Xia Zhen smiled smugly. “You’re a special employee of Sihai Group now, the group even reimburses your tuition.”
"Oh." Ling Yun was dragged into the campus by Xia Zhen in a daze, still wondering how he had suddenly become a special employee of Sihai Group.
Along the way, Ling Yun immediately learned what it meant to be looked at with disdain. Regardless of whether they were boys or girls, when they saw Xia Zhen affectionately linking arms with a freshman who had just entered the school, they all looked at Ling Yun with surprised eyes, as if Ling Yun's face had suddenly been covered with azaleas.
"Look, that's the school beauty! She's the school beauty! She's holding hands with a freshman! What a juicy story!" This was the whisper of the gossipy girls.
"Who is that guy? He's so average-looking but so arrogant. Is he the school beauty's boyfriend?" This was the question from a curious person.
"Get lost! The school beauty would fall for such a sleazy boyfriend? I don't believe it even if you beat me to death." This was a die-hard fan of the school beauty.
"No, I'm going to die! My goddess is holding hands with such an ordinary guy! How can I stand it? How can I stand it?!" This is the secret admirer of the school beauty.
"I'm going to kill that kid, kill him..." This was someone on the verge of losing their mind and becoming violent...
Ling Yun couldn't help but shudder and whispered, "Xia Zhen, they... are all your suitors? That's terrifying."
“They’re all boring guys, always full of energy.” Xia Zhen said without looking at them. “Just ignore them. You’re not even on the same level as them.”
As they approached the dormitory building, the two stopped, not because they had reached their destination, but because a group of people were blocking their way.
Seven or eight boys stood in the middle of the road, spaced slightly apart, filling the narrow space. The leader was a tall, handsome young man in his early twenties, dressed in a designer casual outfit, looking both sunny and dashing.
"Xiao Zhen, who is this freshman?" The handsome boy looked at Ling Yun with a faint smile. His magnetic voice was gentle and pleasant to listen to.
"Zhou Ping, this doesn't seem to concern you," Xia Zhen said impatiently, her face tense. "Please move aside, I need to take my new classmate to the dormitory."
"Oh?" Zhou Ping nodded. "So you're a freshman. Hehe, Xiao Zhen, it's inconvenient for you to take him to the boys' dormitory. How about I take this new junior with me?"
As he spoke, Zhou Ping stepped forward and extended his hand in a very gentlemanly and elegant manner: "Hello, junior, I am Zhou Ping, a sophomore majoring in physics, and also Xiao Zhen's good friend. Welcome to Jinghua University. May I ask your name? Let's get to know each other."
Ling Yun glanced at Xia Zhen without showing any emotion. Zhou Ping seemed to have a powerful background, and he wondered what his relationship with Xia Zhen was. Xia Zhen pondered for a moment, then whispered in Ling Yun's ear, "My identity at Jinghua University has always been that of an ordinary person, so you can't reveal your special abilities. This Zhou Ping has been pursuing me, but I really dislike him. His background is very complicated. I've investigated his origins, and all I can find is that his father is the president of a listed bank overseas. I don't know anything else."
Seeing Xia Zhen whisper intimately in Ling Yun's ear, a sharp glint flashed in Zhou Ping's eyes, which had been smiling but were not easily noticed.
Ling Yun nodded, stepped forward, and shook Zhou Ping's outstretched hand: "Hello, Zhou Ping, I'm a freshman, Ling Yun, please take care of me."
Zhou Ping chuckled softly, and the group of boys behind him exchanged knowing smiles. This newcomer was arrogant and ignorant. Zhou Ping had been an amateur 7th dan in karate when he first entered the campus, and was now a key member of the Jinghua University Free Fighting Club. He once held the record of smashing ten beer bottles with one hand in succession. This freshman dared to shake his hand; he was asking for trouble.
Before they knew it, the road leading to the dormitory was lined with students watching the spectacle. Among them was the school's most famous beauty, and Zhou Ping, the most popular and handsome guy pursuing her. It was impossible not to attract attention. And these two prominent figures were both gathered around a seemingly ordinary freshman. It was as if this freshman was the center of attention.
Who is this new student? Many people are looking at Ling Yun, whispering amongst themselves. But no one knows.
But many more students were excited; this was going to be a good show. The last suitor had been thoroughly humiliated by Zhou Ping, and it seemed this freshman was in for a rough time. Some of the older students who had already witnessed Zhou Ping's methods thought to themselves.
"So it's Brother Ling Yun, a pleasure to meet you." Zhou Ping spoke warmly to Ling Yun. Just by touching Ling Yun's hand, he knew that Ling Yun had never practiced any martial arts; there weren't even any calluses on the back of his hand. He immediately increased his strength by three points. Generally, when the strength is increased to this level, an ordinary person would not be able to bear it and would cry out in pain.
"Brother Zhou, you're too kind. I'm a new college student and don't know anything. I'll need your help." Ling Yun smiled faintly, making small talk with Zhou Ping. He felt the force in Zhou Ping's hand and couldn't help but steal a glance at Xia Zhen. The girl winked at him and stood silently to the side with a charming smile, clearly indicating that she wanted him to solve the problem himself.
Zhou Ping was slightly surprised, thinking to himself that this kid was quite stoic. He must have been in excruciating pain, but he didn't show it on his face, and even had the mood to exchange glances with Xia Zhen. He couldn't help but feel a little annoyed, but he kept a straight face: "Brother Ling Yun has the school beauty protecting him, he's already rising to prominence so quickly, I'm quite envious." As he spoke, he increased the pressure on his hand by five points.
Ling Yun watched him perform his gripping skills with indifference, and then noticed the students around him watching like spectators. He felt a little impatient. "Brother Zhou, I have to get to my dormitory. I'll ask you for advice another time." With that, he tried to pull his hand away.
Zhou Ping panicked. His intention was to teach Ling Yun a lesson, to make him cry and lose face in front of Xia Zhen and the other students, so that he would always be humbled and never dare to act arrogantly again. Even if Xia Zhen sided with Ling Yun, Ling Yun would never be able to hold his head high on campus again. In fact, before Ling Yun, Zhou Ping had already used this method to deal with several other boys, and it had always worked.