Qin Siyang had long lost patience, desperate to cut all ties with Li Jingwen. Every extra word exchanged with her felt like a descent into degradation. Since polite words couldn't get this slow-witted woman to grasp his stance, he'd have to be blunt—hit her with a metaphorical cannonball. Now, she should finally understand: Qin Siyang was no longer the lapdog who obeyed her every command.
Watching Li Jingwen's face twist into an increasingly ugly shade, Qin Siyang felt a wave of relief. His words had finally gotten through. He strode toward the classroom, and sure enough, Li Jingwen didn't pester him, trailing slowly behind alone. Glancing back, he saw she didn't dare meet his eyes, staring numbly at the tiled path beneath her feet, lost in thought.
Qin Siyang entered the classroom cheerfully, sank into his usual corner seat, and settled in for another day of spacing out. His entanglement with Li Jingwen was finally over. His mind wandered to a new worry: if he lied about his Sequence ability, would anyone find out? Did the Sequence Ability Administration have the technology to verify one's true Sequence? He needed a solid plan.
When Li Jingwen walked in, her face was as purple as a bruised eggplant. Glancing at the relaxed Qin Siyang only fueled her frustration. Her girlfriends swarmed around her at once, concerned.
"Jingwen, what's wrong?"
"Yeah, you look terrible—did you sleep badly last night?"
Li Jingwen, with her good looks and cunning, had always been the center of their clique. Now that she was getting close to Zhou Yang—whose uncle was a Sequence Ability user—she'd become the undisputed queen of their little group.
Gritting her teeth, Li Jingwen said resentfully, "How did Qin Siyang find out about me and Zhou Yang?!"
Her girlfriends were stunned. How had Qin Siyang, that blockhead, suddenly woken up?
Hatred flashed in Li Jingwen's eyes. "He couldn't have known on his own! His attitude did a complete 180—someone must have told him!" She scanned her girlfriends, her gaze sharp and venomous. "Could it be one of you? Jealous of my good fortune, so you ratted me out to Qin Siyang?"
The girls exchanged confused looks, all wearing innocent expressions.
"Jingwen, you know I've never said a word to Qin Siyang."
"Jingwen, I'm not as pretty as you. I'm counting on your help in the future—why would I sabotage you?"
"Yeah, Jingwen. You're overthinking this. We're all on your side. What good would telling Qin Siyang do us? We're already swamped with homework—we've had enough trouble as it is."
Li Jingwen nodded slowly. She didn't believe her girlfriends had a motive to betray her. They'd benefited from her taming of Qin Siyang; there was no reason to do something so self-destructive.
"Homework was my way of talking to Zhou Yang, and breakfast was how I showed him my affection. Now Qin Siyang's ruined everything!"
One girlfriend looked worried. "Jingwen, you know we're terrible at homework—we've always relied on you. We can't help there."
"And we can't afford to make extra breakfast for Zhou Yang. You know our families' situations—some of us skip breakfast ourselves. Maybe you should think of another way?"
Before Li Jingwen could even ask for help, her girlfriends had distanced themselves, making it clear they couldn't offer any practical support. She'd long seen through their selfishness—they only wanted to mooch off her. Once she married Zhou Yang, she'd cut ties with all of them. For now, she tolerated them only because she needed their ideas.
"Fine. I'll think of another excuse to get close to Zhou Yang."
"That's the spirit! Jingwen, don't let a catch like Zhou Yang slip away—he's got such a bright future!"
"You're perfect for him, Jingwen! You'll definitely win him over!"
Li Jingwen was the most attractive and resourceful of the group. If she hooked up with Zhou Yang, they might get some perks too. "If you're with Zhou Yang, you might even get out of this dump on the edge of the safe zone—hit the jackpot overnight!"
As soon as the girl finished speaking, another nudged her sharply, shooting her a disgusted look as if scolding her for being thoughtless. They were stuck on the safe zone's edge for life. If Li Jingwen left, who would they turn to for help?
Li Jingwen ignored her girlfriends' hidden agendas. Everyone had their own calculations—no one was stupid. She'd never pass up a chance to escape the edge of the safe zone; it was what she'd been taught since childhood. A few words from fake friends wouldn't change her mind.
Still, their words made her think. With homework and breakfast out of the picture, what excuse could she use to approach Zhou Yang? Unlike Qin Siyang, that sheltered orphan, Zhou Yang came from one of the wealthiest families in the school—even the principal greeted him warmly. Li Jingwen, who prided herself on understanding boys, knew she couldn't throw herself at him directly—it would only make him dislike her. Yet she couldn't think of a reliable solution to her problem.
Li Jingwen ground her teeth. "It's all Qin Siyang's fault! If I find the bitch who told him, I'll tear her mouth apart!"
Sitting in the back row, Qin Siyang paid no more attention to Li Jingwen. For the moment, he felt light as a feather—but the feeling didn't last. Liu Dazhi's face popped into his mind.
Suddenly, Qin Siyang remembered he was supposed to organize books at the library. Since he had no desire to study, he headed there.
"Teacher Zhu, I'd like to keep working at the library organizing books. Is that okay?"
The library was run by Teacher Zhu, a kind retired teacher hired back by the school. Calling it a library was generous—it had only three bookshelves, a few small tables, and existed merely to pass inspections from the education department. There were few useful books, and even fewer students came to borrow them. Out of sympathy for Qin Siyang's situation, Teacher Zhu had given him this low-paying job to help him make ends meet. In both his past and present lives, Teacher Zhu was one of the few bright spots in his lonely school days.
"Of course. As long as you're willing, this job is yours."
"Thank you, Teacher!"
"Go on then. Come back after lunch, and you can tidy up a bit."
Qin Siyang glanced around—only one or two students were there, and there was nothing to organize. He nodded and turned to leave. "Got it. See you at lunch, Teacher."
"Study hard and don't slack off. You might even get into college."
"I will, Teacher."
After saying goodbye, Qin Siyang returned to the classroom, planning to zone out through the rest of the class. But when he heard the teacher's topic, he realized this lesson was different. For once, the content was new—not the outdated knowledge they usually covered. It was about college entrance exam applications.
Qin Siyang was in his third year of high school, with only six months left until the exam. The teachers had set aside the day to explain the application process. Yet in his class, no one had a hope of getting into a higher institution. To him, the lesson was still pointless—a waste of time.
"Students, in six months, you'll take the college entrance exam, then fill out applications for universities established by the United Government."
"The United Government has only eight universities in our safe zone. Competition is fierce—like thousands of people fighting to cross a narrow wooden bridge."
"Most of you will probably not get into these eight universities. After graduation, you'll start your lives elsewhere in the safe zone. But I still think it's important to tell you about them."
"First, these eight universities are for ordinary people like us. Sequence Ability users cannot apply."
Qin Siyang frowned, confused. He knew little about higher education and had no idea universities were only open to ordinary people. Did that mean Sequence Ability users couldn't go to school after high school? What would he do? He had to get answers.
He raised his hand immediately.
"Qin Siyang, do you have a question?"
"Teacher, if someone is a Sequence Ability user, do they have to hunt gods after high school?"
The teacher shot him a annoyed look. "I'm talking about college applications, which concern all of you. Why are you bringing up Sequence Ability users, something that has nothing to do with you? Sit down!"
Qin Siyang was asking about something that directly affected his future. He refused to back down. "What if one of us awakens a Sequence before the exam? Someone might get lucky!"
"What if? There is no 'what if'!" No student in the school had ever awakened a Sequence. The teacher thought explaining Sequence Ability users was even more of a waste of time than talking about applications. The class's top student might have a shot at college, but no one in the class stood a chance of becoming a Sequence Ability user. Some things were fated. In five years, none of the school's thousands of ordinary students or their parents had awakened a Sequence—why would his class be any different?
But the teacher's experience didn't match the students' hopes. Young and naive, they still dreamed of the future and often overestimated themselves. Qin Siyang's words sparked their imaginations. Just because no one had done it before didn't mean they couldn't be the first!
They echoed Qin Siyang's request. "Teacher, tell us!"
"Yeah, Teacher! We might really awaken a Sequence!"
"Zhou Yang's uncle awakened his suddenly, didn't he?"
"Do you think you're comparable to Director Zhou?!" The teacher snapped, irritated by their unrealistic fantasies. Zhou Yang's uncle was the local education director—not an ordinary person. It made sense he'd awakened a Sequence; everyone knew government officials had a much higher awakening rate.
But the students refused to give up, insisting he tell them where Sequence Ability users went after the exam. Reluctantly, the teacher relented. "Besides the eight universities for ordinary people, the United Government runs hundreds of universities for Sequence Ability users. Only students who awaken a Sequence before the college entrance exam can apply—and they only get one chance."
The classroom erupted again.
"Hundreds?! Did I hear that right?!"
"Hundreds for Sequence users, but only eight for us? That's so unfair!"
"Quiet! Quiet! If you don't settle down, I'll stop talking!" The teacher restored order, shooting another annoyed glance at Qin Siyang, the troublemaker. Qin Siyang ignored the warning, listening intently, his excitement growing. This was the first he'd heard of universities for Sequence Ability users. He'd thought hunting gods outside the safe zone was their only option after awakening—he never imagined they could continue their education. The world already had an education system for Sequence Ability users!
Why hadn't he seen any posts about this on Godslayer Camp? He pushed the question aside and kept listening.
"Sequence Ability users take an exam similar to the college entrance exam, organized by the Sequence Ability Administration. It tests their Sequence and skills, and they receive a score based on their performance."
"With that score, they can apply to their desired universities. If accepted, they can continue their studies there."
"That's enough. Telling you more is useless. If you're curious, check the Sequence Education forum—there are plenty of posts about it."
Qin Siyang suddenly understood. He'd been looking in the wrong place—that's why Godslayer Camp only talked about god hunting. He had to check out that forum if he got the chance. The Sequence Education forum… He could try looking it up next time he went to an internet café. Oh, right—he couldn't go to internet cafés anymore. Liu Dazhi's loathsome face popped into his mind again. Qin Siyang thought about Liu Dazhi constantly—imagining countless ways to kill him. He couldn't wait to act.