A World Worth Protecting

1

“Baole, did you see that? Chen Bing is so cocky now. Although he did not gain admission into a college after graduation, I heard that because of his family’s status, he was given a position as a Federation employee in Phoenix City,” a stout boy with short cropped hair who was sitting beside Wang Baole whispered softly.

“That’s impressive.” Wang Baole nodded slightly. The dishes looked appetizing, and he picked up his chopsticks to begin eating since he had skipped lunch.

Very quickly, when all the classmates who confirmed their attendance had arrived, the dining table was abuzz with chatter. They were all busy catching up with each other, talking about their experiences in the foundation school, from the fun to the embarrassing, their conversations punctuated by bouts of laughter.

Wang Baole joined the conversation but began to feel that something was amiss. Most of his classmates had not changed much compared to the past, but there were a few who took advantage of the conversation to boast about their achievements, and that made Wang Baole very uncomfortable.

Especially that Chen Bing, who was dressed in a suit and appeared to be someone of importance.

Everything he said was an attempt to show off his status as a Federation employee. He said that being able to secure a reservation at the hotel was a symbol of his status. In between conversations, he also took out his voice transmission ring several times, and it sounded as if he was reprimanding others. All of this was to show how impressive he was.

In addition, there was another guy called named Huang Gui who had been accepted into Holy River Dao College, one of the four leading colleges. He sat there, acting like the leader of the group. Occasionally, he would raise his wine glass as he spoke to others in a calm and controlled manner. In reality, he was using every sentence to show how extraordinary he was.

In response, the classmates sitting beside Huang Gui willingly sucked up to him, causing the limelight to be stronger on Huang Gui than on Chen Bing.

If that was it, the most Wang Baole would have felt was discomfort. However, very quickly, that Huang Gui from Holy River Dao College seemed to have drunk too much. He slammed the table, his emotions welling up on his face.

“Dear classmates, it’s been a year, and everyone has changed so much. Du Min, you have grown prettier…” Huang Gui blabbered on, full of emotion. His tone sounded familiar to Wang Baole, and his expression changed weirdly.

Noticing Wang Baole’s facial expression, Huang Gui laughed.

“Everyone has changed significantly, except Baole, who is still so fat.”

As he spoke, the other classmates who were sucking up to Huang Gui burst into laughter as well. Other classmates also joked about Wang Baole. In this way, even if Wang Baole was angry, he could not show it and could only show his displeasure by unhappily picking up food to put onto his plate.

Du Min saw what was happening and was secretly delighted. After all, it was rare to see Wang Baole being so defeated.

Perhaps it was Du Min’s dressing today and her previous role as class monitor that made her exceptionally eye catching. Now, Huang Gui looked at Du Min after finishing what he had to say.

“Du Min, I heard that you and Wang Baole gained admission to Ethereal Dao College. That is great! What faculty are you in now?” Huang Gui asked.

“The Alchemy faculty,” Du Min said with a smile.

“Ah, the Alchemy faculty. If you have any doubts regarding alchemy, feel free to send me a voice transmission. We were classmates after all, and I will definitely help you.” Huang Gui’s eyes lit up hearing the phrase ‘Alchemy faculty’, and he smiled as if he found a new topic to talk about.

The classmates who were sucking up to him immediately became rowdy.

“Dear classmates, didn’t you know that Huang Gui is not an unremarkable student at Holy River Dao College? He is the Head Prefect of the Vegetation Hall of Holy River Dao College’s Alchemy faculty!”

Everyone was surprised upon hearing that. Though there were some who were unsure of the meaning of ‘Head Prefect’, that term sure sounded impressive to them.

Wang Baole let out an unhappy sigh under his breath, as his displeasure toward Huang Gui increased.

Huang Gui was secretly delighted looking at everyone’s facial expressions. However, he hid his pleasure under smiles.

“What’s the point of saying all that? We are all classmates, so even if I am the Head Prefect, it doesn’t make me superior to other students. Zhou Xin, you need to finish this cup of wine as punishment,” Huang Gui said modestly.

The students who were sucking up to Huang Gui also laughed heartily upon hearing that, raising their wine glasses for a toast.

“What the Head Prefect said was right. I just want to explain to the rest about the role of a Head Prefect so that everyone can become more knowledgeable,” Zhou Xin replied.

“Hah, you…” Huang Gui smiled and fell silent as he shook his head. Zhou Xin let out a dry cough and continued speaking.

“Dear classmates, the role of a Head Prefect is nothing simple. All of you may not be clear, but let me tell you that a Head Prefect is a respected position in which someone has shown exceptional capabilities in a particular hall in a faculty. He is not an ordinary student but a disciple of the Chancellor. It is the same at every college. Du Min and Wang Baole, it’s the same situation at Ethereal Dao College, right?”

Du Min’s expression changed slightly upon hearing that, and she quickly shot Wang Baole a glance before nodding.

Wang Baole touched his nose slightly and remained silent as he looked at both Zhou Xin and Huang Gui.

After listening to Zhou Xin’s introduction, the classmates finally understood the significance of being a Head Prefect. Everyone was surprised and shocked as they looked at Huang Gui, their faces revealing looks of reverence. They all raised their glasses to give Huang Gui a toast.

Huang Gui returned the toast to everyone, but he only took a small sip of wine every time. When the atmosphere became more upbeat, Huang Gui’s attention fell on Wang Baole.

Since the start, Wang Baole had never given Huang Gui a toast, and that filled Huang Gui with displeasure. Now, Huang Gui began to ask about Wang Baole while smiling.

“Baole, I heard that you gained admission to Ethereal Dao College. How are you doing now?”

Without waiting for Wang Baole to reply, Huang Gui waved his hand to dismiss him.

“Forget it, I shall not add salt to injury. We were all classmates, and it was known that you merely met the minimum requirements to gain admission. You’re probably still studying… which faculty are you in now?”

Wang Baole felt his rage rising, as he curtly replied, “The Dharmic Armament faculty!”

“Ah, the Dharmic Armament faculty. That is an unusual faculty. It’s tough, but as long as you persevere, you’ll have a bright future. If you had chosen to enter the Alchemy faculty, I could still help you. Although I wouldn’t be able to let you rise to the top hundred of the class, it would be no problem making it to the top thousand.” Huang Gui did not care about Wang Baole’s tone. To him, the only person who was worth his time to interact in this class gathering is Du Min.

That was because Du Min had grown much prettier. As for the others present, Huang Gui felt that the gap between him and them was too large to be overlooked.

As Huang Gui continued his insults, Wang Baole grew increasingly irritated. If they weren’t classmates, and this was not a class gathering but a situation in the Dao College, Wang Baole would have long taken action. He felt depressed, and noticed Du Min looking at him, happy that he was being ridiculed. He immediately responded with a death stare.

Looking at Wang Baole’s expression, Du Min was immensely pleased and delighted. She turned her attention back to Huang Gui and began to smile coyly.

“What Huang Gui said can’t be any more correct!”

Upon getting Du Min’s approval, Huang Gui was delighted. He became more loquacious than before and began sharing his experiences at the Holy River Dao College, clearly flaunting himself with every opportunity possible.

Wang Baole was immensely irritated. He thought of Liu Daobin. They were not classmates from the foundation school, so he was absent from this class gathering. Had Liu Daobin been present, he would have revealed Wang Baole’s status in college, and everything would have been perfect.

If Wang Baole revealed his identity himself, he would be no different from Huang Gui. Things like this should be made known through others. Therefore, with unhappiness, Wang Baole rubbed his tummy as he planned to make his leave.

Right at this moment, in the gathering hall of Cultured Hotel, a middle-aged man with a stout built and a determined gaze that looked immensely authoritative walked through the hall to enter the premium lounge, escorted by his subordinate and an employee of the hotel.

However, when he passed Wang Baole and company, his eyes catching a glance of all of them, he stopped in his steps. He took a closer look at Wang Baole before revealing a hearty smile. He quickened his steps to arrive before the table where Wang Baole was seated.

He was accompanied by many people, all of whom were surprised but still followed behind the middle-aged man. Their appearance immediately caught the attention of those seated around the table.

The facial expression of Chen Bing, the employee of the Federation, changed immediately. He got up right away, and the others, including Wang Baole, also raised their heads in surprise. From his imposing manner, the middle-aged man was clearly someone distinguished.

Just as they all looked up, the middle-aged man let out a cheery laugh.

“You’re Baole, right? Haha, I am Daobin’s father. I heard from him that you’ve helped him a lot in school, even to the extent of helping him enter the College Discipline Department. I am so thankful to you.” That middle-aged man was indeed Liu Daobin’s father, the Deputy City Lord of Phoenix City. He had seen a picture of Wang Baole from Liu Daobin and was now smiling amiably as he held Wang Baole’s hand.

Wang Baole was momentarily taken aback but quickly greeted him with a smile. “City Lord Liu?”

“Ah, drop the term ‘City Lord’! Just call me uncle. This meal is on me. Baole, please take good care of our Daobin. If he is disobedient, discipline him as you like!” Liu Daobin’s father was extremely passionate, even polite, as if treating Wang Baole like his own nephew.

This whole series of events left the people who were following him flabbergasted. They all looked at Wang Baole, trying to figure out his status and background.

Very quickly, Liu Daobin’s father raised his glass and toasted everyone seated around the table. Chen Bing quickly greeted him anxiously, but after noticing that he was an employee of the Federation, Liu Daobin’s father merely nodded and did not direct much attention to him. Instead, he spent a few more moments chatting with Wang Baole before leaving.

Everyone seated around the table was shocked. The conversation that took place between Wang Baole and the middle-aged man revealed the man’s status, which was further confirmed by Chen Bing’s actions. They all fell silent as they looked at Wang Baole, unsure how to proceed.

It was clear now that Wang Baole, who had kept a low profile since the beginning, was the one that was the most mysterious and gave everyone the biggest surprise.

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