Lu Renyi had not expected Jiang Yan's promise to put in a word that morning to mean having the physical-combat teacher contact him personally. When he arrived at the training ground that afternoon, their physical-combat teacher simply had him sign in and take the assessment first.
Lu Renyi, under the inquisitive gazes of everyone around him: ...
The physical-combat teacher, Zheng Jue, had been Jiang Yan's classmate. They later remained at the academy to teach together and always took charge of the same year, so Zheng Jue understood Jiang Yan fairly well.
Anyone capable of attracting Jiang Yan's interest was probably no peaceful soul.
"Jiang Yan seems to like you quite a bit. When he messaged me this morning, I thought someone was trying to scam me. He doesn't necessarily show the principal any courtesy, yet he actually asked me to look after you."
Lu Renyi pretended not to notice Zheng Jue's appraising gaze and replied in his usual tone.
"During class, Teacher Jiang said that my attentiveness reminded him of the passion he had right after graduating from university, so he wanted me to join his project. But if I go tomorrow, I'll need Teacher Jiang's help. Sorry to trouble you, Teacher Zheng."
The moment Zheng Jue heard that, he knew Jiang Yan had been toying with someone again. But he did not tell Lu Renyi the truth. Instead, he turned around and raised the testing chamber's difficulty by one level.
"Put in some effort. Don't embarrass your teacher. He rarely speaks up for a student."
"Don't worry, Teacher Zheng. I take class very seriously."
After finishing the inspection, Zheng Jue waved Lu Renyi into the testing chamber, then remained outside and watched the excited crowd from Class A.
"What are you all so worked up about? Never seen a handsome guy before?"
"Teacher, who was that just now? You looked like you knew him pretty well."
One of the bolder students voiced the question directly and gathered beside Zheng Jue with a playful grin.
"You never give anyone the time of day. Why were you so patient this time? You even attached the sensor pads for him."
Patient?
Zheng Jue recalled his probing words and Lu Renyi's feigned ignorance. Then he looked at the fools before him, who thought he and Lu Renyi were close and had come fishing for information. He was bitterly disappointed by their incompetence.
"Once the assessment is over, all of you are running ten laps."
"What?!"
Even those who had said nothing looked unwilling, but none dared object. Most of the people qualified to teach at the academy were formidable and well connected. The students knew better than to provoke them for no reason.
Most of Class A therefore only muttered a few words under their breath before lining up obediently to wait for their assessments.
About ten minutes later, Lu Renyi emerged. He obediently removed the sensor pads, then stood to one side to wait for his score.
Zheng Jue told the class representative to maintain order while he went aside to watch the recording of Lu Renyi's assessment. That left only Class A and Lu Renyi on the training ground.
Lu Renyi stood there spacing out as he waited for the plot point the System had mentioned. The Class A students exchanged glances, then finally pushed one person forward and made him socialize.
"Hey, man. You know our Teacher Zheng?"
Ke Qi came over and hooked an arm around Lu Renyi's shoulders, sounding him out with a broad grin.
"Teacher Zheng doesn't even treat those Class S people nicely. He spoke to you so patiently just now and even helped you with the sensor pads. Don't expect me to believe you don't know him. Are you relatives?"
Lu Renyi had not noticed someone suddenly appear beside him. He turned to look at Ke Qi, caught the probing undertone, and answered with a smile of his own.
"I'm in Class C, and Teacher Zheng also teaches our combat-arts class. Of course I know him."
It was an utterly uninteresting answer. Ke Qi could tell that Lu Renyi was dodging the question. He disliked nothing more than people who had eight hundred schemes in their heads, so he immediately lost interest, released Lu Renyi, and turned to shrug at the group opposite them, indicating that there was nothing he could do.
Behind him, Lu Renyi studied Ke Qi for a moment and asked the System.
"He's probably a major character with plenty of scenes, right?"
"Yes. His name is Ke Qi, and he's also a member of the protagonist's group. His ability is Shadow. It lets him hide inside any kind of shadow, move freely, and remain unaffected by all kinds of barriers."
Lu Renyi lowered his gaze to the shadow stretching all the way to his feet and once again marveled at the diversity of abilities.
"That ability must be quite convenient for killing people."
The System: !
It kept feeling that ever since the conversation that morning, its host had gradually become strange. His former composure was gone, and dangerous remarks kept popping out of his mouth.
"But Host, how did you know he's a major character? I don't think I ever told you who any of the major characters were, did I?"
How did he know?
He could tell.
Class A had descended into brief disorder after Zheng Jue left. Although the class representative restored order before long, it had been enough for Lu Renyi to identify the centers of the various small groups in the class.
Ke Qi might have looked as though the others had merely pushed him forward, but everyone stood clustered around him, watching him from the corners of their eyes. When he returned empty-handed, they even flattered him a little. He was clearly the central figure of that group.
Given the circumstances, failing to see it would have been stranger.
However, nine out of every ten sentences Lu Renyi spoke were lies. Faced with the System's question, he thought for a moment and chose the most plausible answer.
"Because he's good-looking. In the comics I've read, important characters are generally quite attractive. I don't think this world is exempt from the rule."
"Is that so?"
The System reviewed every important character in the comic and found that they were indeed all good-looking. Then it remembered the instructor's repeated warning during its training at headquarters.
"If your database ever stops working and you can't provide your host with information on the major characters, then while you wait, simply seek out the attractive people. They'll definitely have plenty of scenes!"
Having successfully convinced itself, the System said, "All right, Host, I understand! I'll remind you more often in the future too!"
Lu Renyi: ?
Lu Renyi did not understand what exactly the System thought it had learned. Before he could ask, however, a disturbance on the other side drew his attention.
"Host, the protagonist and his friends are here. According to the plot, some Class A students will mock the protagonist's Class F and challenge them to a match, after which the protagonist will humiliate them."
"What a cliché plot. Will anyone really read this?"
Lu Renyi slowly shifted toward the quarrel with the crowd. But he already had a strong presence, and his identity as an outsider caught between the two classes made him conspicuous, so a small empty space opened around him.
"What, aren't you in Class F? Doesn't Class F have the worst overall strength rating? Everything I said is a fact, so why are you angry?"
The blatantly shameless declaration made everyone standing nearby retreat several steps, afraid of being dragged into it.
Lu Renyi sighed with feeling.
"What a perfectly standard cannon-fodder declaration. Is his next line going to be, 'If you don't like it, let's compete. If you win, I'll do this or that,' or something?"
Lu Renyi did not know the name of the person who was about to be humiliated, but when he saw the speaker's tiny eyes, he privately nicknamed him Squinty.
"Probably not. The protagonist, Lin Shubei, likes pretending to be guileless in public so he can toy with people. That sounds more like something Lin Shubei himself would say."
Lu Renyi: ?
Sure enough, the instant the System finished speaking, Lu Renyi saw Lin Shubei break free from the two people holding him and eagerly charge forward to propose a contest.
But the two holding him had not actually used any strength. Lin Shubei's acting was also rather immature, and Lu Renyi could clearly see the mockery in his eyes.
No one else knew. Not only Class A, but even the Class F students who had been indignant moments before stared at Lin Shubei in shock.
Instead, Squinty, who had deliberately provoked Lin Shubei, now started pretending to be the reasonable one.
"Perhaps we'd better not. After all, I'm in Class A and you're in Class F. I won't win any praise if I beat you, but I'll be mocked if I lose. There's nothing in this for me."
Lu Renyi looked at Lin Shubei on the left, restless and seemingly on the verge of rushing out to fight, then at Squinty on the right, relaxed and entirely focused on baiting someone into his trap. At last, he slowly released a sorrowful sigh.
Lin Shubei's acting was actually rather poor. Although they were roommates, they had not spoken much over the last two months. Around Lu Renyi, Lin Shubei had always been quiet and aloof. Who would have expected him to automatically update into a sweet, naive fool in public?
Was this the power of the plot?
Lu Renyi's sigh was so mournful that even Ke Qi glanced over.
"A sweet, naive fool for a protagonist and calculating cannon fodder full of schemes. Can justice truly defeat evil in this world?"
"That's how classic hot-blooded shonen comics work. Besides, this is merely the persona the protagonist currently displays. It may differ ever so slightly from who he really is. You've lived with him for so long, Host, so you know what he's like in private, don't you?"
"The protagonist has a rather nasty personality. He likes using this persona to toy with people."
The System spoke awkwardly. It had always known about Lin Shubei's malicious sense of humor. It had barely shown in the first volume, but once the second volume began, he stopped hiding any part of his personality. The full revelation had driven away a group of fans.
The Creative Department's members were so resentful every day that even their department head did not dare approach them. They did not dare propose changing him outright either, so they could only send the System to help.
Afraid that Lu Renyi would be unable to accept it, the System hurried to add.
"The protagonist will gradually grow in the future, and these malicious games will slowly become less frequent. It will merely cost him a little."
In a shonen comic, the cost usually meant death. The only question was who would die.
While Lu Renyi discussed the protagonist's makeup with the System, Ke Qi noticed him and quietly slipped over.
But before Ke Qi could say anything, Lu Renyi had already turned to stare at him. His silent expression was rather intimidating.
Ke Qi blinked. He had not expected Lu Renyi to notice him immediately. Lu Renyi had clearly failed to notice him before. Had he already detected Ke Qi's ability?
Ke Qi had no intention of concealing it; anyone could learn about it by asking around. But Lu Renyi's initial surprise did not seem feigned. That raised a question.
Had Lu Renyi known in advance and simply hidden it well, or had he inferred Ke Qi's ability during that earlier close approach and prepared for him ahead of time?
Lu Renyi watched Ke Qi for a moment, then resumed his discussion with the System and ignored him. But after waiting for ages without hearing Ke Qi speak, he looked over in confusion and found Ke Qi deep in thought without the slightest attempt to hide it. If this were a comic, his inner monologue would probably be floating beside him.
Lu Renyi: ...
"Seriously, System? Are you certain he's a member of the protagonist's group? Is that group truly not going to collapse at this rate?"
Lu Renyi felt deeply worried about his future. He feared that boarding the System's pirate ship and meeting the protagonist's group early might keep him from surviving even the next year and a half.
That fear even overwhelmed his urge to make sarcastic remarks. His emotion was so sincere that the System could not help reassuring him.
"It's all right, Host. You need to have faith in the protagonist's group's plot armor! Most of them won't die. Trust me!"
Most of them would not die, which meant there was still some chance of them meeting a bad end. If even members of the protagonist's group faced that risk, Lu Renyi felt that showing his face in the comic would not necessarily let him live long enough to earn sufficient money and retire.
The System detected Lu Renyi's abruptly sinking mood and racked its brain for a way to comfort him.
Got it!
"Host, this is a good thing! As a major character, Ke Qi has almost all his inner monologues included in the comic. You're standing beside him now, so your face is certain to appear too!"
After saying that, the System once again felt that it had bound itself to an excellent host. He lived with the protagonist from the very beginning and had even attracted a major character's attention. The System felt that a promotion and raise were within reach.
But seeing Lu Renyi remain dejected, as if he might lament that life was hopeless at any moment, the System administered an even stronger dose.
"Once your face appears, you'll generate discussion. Discussion gives you points, and points can be exchanged for money!"
Lu Renyi's fugitive soul snapped back into his body in an instant. His recovery was so swift that the System could not help urging headquarters again.
【You absolutely must approve my earlier proposal as soon as possible! You have to let hosts exchange points for their world's currency!】
"So approaching major characters can influence them in turn. I thought they were all predetermined programs, but apparently they have considerable autonomy."
He needed to approach major characters to establish his presence before the readers. Conversely, those characters would also change because of his approach. That meant he did not have to sit helplessly by and watch the plot develop; perhaps he could create a new storyline himself.
Having extracted the information he wanted from the System, Lu Renyi felt much better. Even Ke Qi, who had recovered and was now studying him, became more pleasing to the eye.
"You know my ability?"
"I do."
"Since when?"
That was an interesting question. The abilities of every student at the academy were recorded in the archives. Anyone determined enough could find them.
But Ke Qi's reaction clearly showed that he had already dismissed the possibility of Lu Renyi knowing his ability from the start. If he reacted this strongly, then there had to be something wrong with his ability.
Lu Renyi found it amusing, so he did not dodge the question or change the subject.
"After you approached me just now."
The moment he finished speaking, Ke Qi's expression darkened for an instant. Yet he did not appear surprised, almost as though he had expected Lu Renyi to possess such skill.
Lu Renyi suspected Ke Qi had invented some sort of character setting for him.
Before he could coax any information out of him, however, Ke Qi's expression changed again. Just as warmly as before, he came over and slung an arm around Lu Renyi's shoulders. For a moment, Lu Renyi wondered if he was imitating Lin Shubei. Why did all these people change faces so quickly?
Ke Qi pretended not to see Lu Renyi's strange look and asked.
"Do you think that guy from Class F will let Zhou Cheng provoke him into a fight?"
The Class F student naturally referred to Lin Shubei, while Zhou Cheng was Squinty, the cannon fodder about to be humiliated.
"I don't know either of them well. How could I predict what they'll do? But are you looking forward to them fighting?"
"Aren't you roommates with that Class F student? How could you not know him? Besides, Zhou Cheng said before that he was quite interested in you. If he proposes a two-on-two match and that Class F student agrees, do you think you might get dragged into it?"
Ke Qi automatically ignored the second question. He had no intention of walking into that trap, nor did he explain how he knew Lin Shubei and Lu Renyi were roommates.
"He doesn't like staying in the dorm, so of course we aren't close. But if he really wants my help, I suppose I could lend a hand, as long as he pays enough."
Lu Renyi recalled the System mentioning Lin Shubei's privileged family background and found the idea increasingly feasible.
Looking at the rising tension among the people opposite them, Lu Renyi estimated that it was almost time.
"They'll probably come looking for me any moment now."
Ke Qi had been pondering whether Lu Renyi's claim that he would work for money was true. Hearing this out of nowhere, he instinctively looked toward Lin Shubei and Zhou Cheng.
Lin Shubei seemed to have reached some kind of agreement with Zhou Cheng. Both were staring at Lu Renyi, but Lin Shubei looked hesitant while Zhou Cheng appeared gleeful.
"Five, four, three, two, one."
"Lu Renyi, could I ask you for a favor?"
The timing was perfect. Ke Qi even wondered whether Lu Renyi and Lin Shubei had joined forces to toy with Zhou Cheng.
"Will you join us, Student Lu? It would be a good chance for us to see how capable the person Teacher Zheng values so much truly is."
Every word from Zhou Cheng encouraged Lu Renyi to accompany Lin Shubei. The people who had been planning to leave stopped to watch Lu Renyi's reaction.
Even Zheng Jue, who had intended to come over, halted when he saw that the storm's center had shifted to Lu Renyi. He prepared to stand where he was and enjoy the show.
"Sure."
To everyone's surprise, Lu Renyi did not decline. He even agreed very quickly.
Yet as Zhou Cheng watched him approach with a beaming smile, a terrible premonition suddenly rose in his heart, stripping away his earlier confidence.
"Thanks. I'll treat you to a meal later. You can choose whatever you want."
Lin Shubei was probably the only person present made happy by Lu Renyi's answer. As far as he was concerned, he and Lu Renyi were not close. They had been roommates for two months but had exchanged fewer than twenty sentences.
He behaved differently in the dorm than he did here, so when Zhou Cheng proposed bringing Lu Renyi in, Lin Shubei had worried that Lu Renyi would think he had a split personality.
Fortunately, Lu Renyi was actually this eager to help others. Lin Shubei decided to treat him to two meals.
"Forget the meal. Just give me the cash equivalent. Since you're so sincere, I'll even give you a twenty-percent discount."
The surrounding crowd fell silent. Yet Lu Renyi and Lin Shubei both seemed a little lacking in common sense: one dared say it, and the other dared agree.
Seeing the atmosphere veer in a strange direction, Zhou Cheng ignored his inexplicable unease and hurried to speak.
"So Student Lu has decided to help, correct?"
"Ah, yes. I'm on Lin Shubei's side."