On Friday morning, Yichen arrived at school as usual. Walking down the campus path, he felt the air grow heavy. Chatter had dwindled to a murmur.

"Yichen... morning."

Zhenghong shuffled over, half-asleep, his greeting lazy.

"Morning. Why so tired?"

"Ahh~ Sang karaoke with some girls days ago. Xiaoqing found out last night and yelled at me."

Xiaoqing was his girlfriend of half a year, a first-year at another high school.

"Hey, if you’re dating her, stop clinging to other girls."

"How can I? I won’t be tied down by one girl," Zhenghong declared righteously. "It was a club mixer! As a core member, I had to be there."

He suddenly slung an arm over Yichen’s shoulder, grinning mischievously. "Yichen, I’ll share a foolproof trick for noisy girls."

"What trick?"

"Just shut her mouth."

"Shut it... how can you say that?"

Zhenghong shook his head with a knowing smile. "The key is *how* to shut it, ahaha." He dropped his arm and trudged on, still drowsy.

Yichen sensed something shady but didn’t ask. Yet Zhenghong’s smirk sparked his imagination. He pictured Zixuan, towel stuffed in her mouth, her elegant face flushed crimson—unwilling yet strangely alluring.

Yichen jolted. *Zixuan’s my sister! How dare I think this?* He shook his head hard, banishing the image.

After a few steps, he noticed Zhenghong’s neat uniform—buttons fastened, no earrings.

"You actually buttoned up and ditched the earrings?"

"I had to. Look ahead." Zhenghong pointed helplessly. Yichen followed his gaze: students and teachers in black armbands patrolled the path.

Yichen recalled homeroom teacher Li Zhen’s warning yesterday.

"Because that chairman’s inspecting today?"

"Yeah. Ugh, such a hassle. If I get a chance, I’ll heckle him."

"Don’t be stupid. Getting expelled would ‘suck’."

"Haha, relax! If enough join in, no one blames anyone."

"Fine. I won’t bail you out."

Yichen sighed inwardly—Zhenghong was joking, thankfully.

Zhenghong suddenly perked up, beaming. "Yichen, will you come to tomorrow’s friendly match against other schools?"

"Well..."

Zhenghong’s eyes welled up instantly. "You’ve hesitated for days! Please, just say yes."

He’d begged daily for over a week—more urgently than recruiting Yichen for the basketball club.

Yichen felt rude refusing. "I rarely play. I might drag you down."

Zhenghong paused, then grinned. "It’s just a friendly match! Everyone wants to see your shooting skills live."

Yichen smirked coldly. "I suspect you have ulterior motives."

Zhenghong’s smile stiffened. He sighed. "Alright. The club wants to recruit you through this game. But no pressure—they just hope playing sparks your interest. You’ll be a sub, not playing full time."

Yichen sighed. "I knew it."

"Yichen, promise you’ll come! Forget joining the club—if you skip, the whole team will roast me."

Yichen pondered. Honestly, he’d rather study at home. *But Zixuan’s returning this weekend...* His heart skipped. Motivation surged. He beamed. "Okay, I’ll go. What time?"

"Huh? Why the sudden yes?"

"Ahhaha, because you asked!" Yichen clapped his shoulder cheerfully.

Zhenghong eyed him suspiciously but relaxed—Yichen had agreed.

Chatting, they entered the classroom. Yichen spotted Shiyue laughing with a girl at her desk. Their eyes met instantly. Shiyue blinked, then gave a slight smile. Yichen smiled back.

The tense inspection atmosphere vanished here. Students chatted and laughed freely—only teachers took it seriously. Yichen greeted familiar classmates as he walked to his seat.

Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding.

The morning bell rang. Li Zhen entered precisely. Students settled for assembly.

"Skyvoid Group executives will inspect classrooms today," Li Zhen stressed. "Stay sharp in class—no daydreaming or sleeping!"

Yichen barely listened. He rarely zoned out anyway, unless the teacher was terrible.

By second period, a young sociology teacher stood at the podium.

"...Besides ordinary humans, rare individuals wield special powers. We call them Soul Force Wielders. They use Soul Power—an unexplainable force granting superhuman abilities. Historically, their power fueled unrest; wars often hid their influence. Now, the Soul Force Administration manages them, ensuring stability. Newborns undergo Soul Power tests. If positive, they’re sent to specialized schools. Adults get assigned jobs to serve society—their innate duty. They can’t live among ordinary people. Their main role? Hunting Monsters threatening humanity. Some powerful Wielders even use cover identities to move freely. Memorize this—it’s exam material."

After class, Yichen organized his notes.

"Ah, I wish I were a Soul Force Wielder too," Zhenghong sighed.

"Are you dumb? That means losing freedom."

"But teachers say Wielders live lavishly! No worries about money or food—like rich people!"

"I’d rather earn what I want."

Yichen stretched, about to invite Zhenghong out—when the classroom erupted.

"Whoa, huge news!"

"What?"

"A stunning beauty! Hurry, look!"

"Wait for me!"

Students chattered wildly, rushing to the corridor railing to stare at the plaza below.