C4 I'm Willing

The Technology College group was abuzz once more.

"Astonishing comeback..."

"..."

"???"

"!!!"

"Looks like Mr. Mo had an ace up his sleeve."

"Xu Meiting: Knocked out crying in the restroom."

"Mr. Mo: Everyone's going down."

Only Mo Yiwei's roommates knew the extent of the trials the top ranker had endured.

With his fist bandaged, Mo Yiwei sent out a message: "Thanks for the support, everyone. Tonight's New Year's banquet is on me at the Lucky Hotel in Nancheng."

"Mr. Mo's got style!"

"Lucky Hotel? Rumor has it that our seniors always made a point to visit before heading to Evolution College."

"Too bad I went home for the holidays. I would've been there in a heartbeat. Feels like I missed out on a fortune!"

"Lucky Hotel! It's like wishing good fortune upon you."

The teacher then announced, "The award ceremony will take place at 3:00 PM in front of the administration building. All who can make it should come. The top ten will receive celebratory candies."

The students echoed their enthusiasm.

By 2:50 PM, the area in front of the Technology College administration building was packed.

Many had stayed on campus over the New Year's break, not because they didn't want to go home, but because they had no home to return to.

Lee Cha was among them.

On a makeshift platform, the teacher delivered an inspiring speech before introducing, "Today, we're honored to have a genius from Evolution College present our awards. Please welcome Chen Ziwen!"

A dashing man with a buzz cut leaped onto the stage.

A wave of gasps swept through the crowd, the girls swooning and the boys' eyes shining with admiration.

An Evolver! So cool! So impressive!

Chen Ziwen spoke, "I'm grateful to Teacher Chen for this chance to be recognized by so many talented students. Now, let's have the top ten talents join me on stage!"

Quickly, ten individuals took their places on the stage, their faces alight with excitement.

Even as Mo Yiwei tried to contain it, the thrill was evident in the twitch of his smile.

Xu Meiting's eyes were red from tears, her expression pitiful and endearing.

Chen Ziwen distributed the prizes to them one by one.

With a few swift jumps, they vanished into the distance, leaving the crowd in awe once again.

The award ceremony had concluded, and people were free to leave, yet the top ten students found themselves engulfed by a sea of admirers.

Destined for Evolution College to become Evolvers, the top ten were in the prime position to receive flattery—when else would be a better time?

Basking in the center of attention, the top ten reveled in their vanity being stroked.

Mo Yiwei and Xu Meiting were particularly popular, with throngs of people around them, reflecting their status as the top two in Fitness rankings.

Lee Cha observed the spectacle in silence. Life, he mused, was nothing but a performance.

In this apocalyptic world, wearing a mask had become the norm.

Had it not been for his past with Xu Meiting, he might have joined the ranks of these sycophants.

Just then, a teacher approached him and inquired, "Lee Cha, aren't you close with Xu Meiting? Why didn't you cast your vote for her?"

This teacher, responsible for student liaison, had access to the backend data and knew Lee Cha was the last to vote.

Lee Cha simply shrugged.

A nearby student gasped in disbelief, "It was him! His vote tipped the scales! And here I thought it was some high-and-mighty figure!"

"Who is he?"

"A freshman, seems his name is Lee Cha."

"Wasn't he always seen with Xu Meiting? One of her many admirers, right?"

"Could he be playing hard to get?"

"Are you kidding? If he tried that, he'd be sent packing with a one-way ticket..."

Before long, Xu Meiting sensed the commotion.

Struck as if by lightning upon hearing the whispers, she approached with tears welling in her eyes and asked, "Lee Cha, why?"

Lee Cha offered a faint smile and replied, "No particular reason. Voting is a choice, and I vote for whomever I please."

Xu Meiting, on the verge of tears, implored, "Don't you realize this could affect the rest of my life?"

Lee Cha responded coolly, "What does that have to do with me?"

A murmur spread through the crowd, "Holy smokes, did Lee Cha break it off with Xu Meiting?"

"I doubt it. Hasn't Xu Meiting always claimed she's single?"

"Ambergris Fruit! Missed by a single vote. Such a shame for Xu Meiting."

"She didn't lose to Mr. Mo, but to her own past admirers."

Drying her tears, Xu Meiting declared with conviction, "You won't defeat me. Even without the Ambergris Fruit, I will continue to grow stronger."

Lee Cha gazed into her eyes.

Despite being riddled with frustration and regret, she put on a brave face.

Was she using him as a stepping stone to hide her vulnerability?

Lee Cha chuckled.

He pulled a wooden box from his backpack.

As the crowd watched with curiosity, he opened the box to reveal a crimson fruit.

A unique fragrance wafted through the air.

The crowd was spellbound.

Xu Meiting shivered, her eyes locked on the scarlet fruit, her breath coming in short gasps.

Someone growled, "Ambergris Fruit?"

Xu Meiting looked up at Lee Cha with a pleading expression, murmuring, "Lee Cha..."

Her voice was softer than ever before.

"Do you want it?" Lee Cha inquired.

Xu Meiting nodded eagerly, like a chick pecking at grain.

With a slight smile, Lee Cha said, "Well then..."

Her eyes sparkled as she reached out expectantly.

But in a flash, Lee Cha popped the Ambergris Fruit into his mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed.

Xu Meiting's hands froze mid-air, her face a picture of shock.

The onlookers were stunned into silence.

Hold on...

Did this kid just eat the Ambergris Fruit right in front of everyone?

How could he...

Lee Cha licked his lips and remarked, "Tastes so-so."

Xu Meiting stood frozen, her expression one of utter disbelief.

Before, Lee Cha would never have denied her anything she wanted.

A teacher lamented, "Lee Cha, with a Fitness of zero, you've just squandered the Ambergris Fruit..."

Struggling to contain her rage, Xu Meiting fixed her gaze on Lee Cha and demanded, "Why?"

"Why do you think I wrote the 'Tao Te Ching'?" Lee Cha countered.

Someone instinctively asked, "Why?"

With a grin, Lee Cha replied, "Because I wanted to."

With that, he strode off, the crowd parting to clear a path for him.

The girls watched his retreating figure, a simultaneous thought striking them: He's drop-dead gorgeous!

Xu Meiting inhaled sharply and declared, "Lee Cha, you might embarrass me, but it doesn't alter the fact that you're a Lowly Person. I'll become a formidable Evolver one day, and you'll live to regret this!"

Many around them scowled, their eyes heavy with disapproval. 'Lowly Person' was an insult usually whispered behind closed doors; no one had the audacity to say it out loud. Yet Xu Meiting had just done that, in a place where many identified as such.

Lee Cha hesitated briefly, then resumed his stride. The satisfaction of proving someone wrong was short-lived; he was now faced with an inevitable truth. Xu Meiting would be out for vengeance. The temporary shield of claiming to have an Evolver girlfriend could only fool people for so long, especially since he didn't actually have one. The female Evolver hadn't even bothered to learn his name.

Mo Yiwei stared at the Ambergris Fruit in his hand, feeling a stampede of frustration in his chest. It all seemed so pointless now. His fruit paled in comparison to Lee Cha's—why did it seem so underdeveloped? Dammit! If only he'd known Lee Cha had one, he would've bought it outright. Such a waste on a Lowly Person...

Stepping out of Nancheng University, Lee Cha paused, then headed towards the outskirts of the city. It was a journey he undertook annually. The path and the views were the same, but his emotions were not. Xu Meiting's image surfaced in his mind—not as she was now, but as the sweet little girl in a white princess dress from their childhood. She had stood up to his bullies and shared her candy with him... Yet, in this moment, the tender memory that had nestled in his heart for over a decade vanished into thin air. People change. In these dark times, the only person you can trust is yourself. It's every man for himself, or face obliteration.

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