Chapter 27

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Chapter 26 | 🔻 Contents 🔻 | Chapter 28

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Translator: Silvery

PR: Decadence

The weather on this night is quite pleasant.

The pair wanders back and forth through the Night Market before leaping over the fence with the backdrop of the moonlight.

In the pitch-black darkness at the base of the fence, Yu Sheng feels Jin Linkun’s hand landing upon his head, rubbing twice in gentle circles.

“……”

Yu Sheng: “Friend, I’ve already recounted my tales for nearly two hours. Did the idea of comforting me only just occur to you?”

Jin Linkun’s brows gentle out. The eyes behind his glasses curve ever so slightly.

He takes two steps forward and the hand atop Yu Sheng’s head ruffles once again:

“Yes.”

Yu Sheng: “……”

This person was actually able to answer that in such an unfazed manner. He didn’t even try to make up an excuse.

In contrast, Yu Sheng’s the one thrown off balance and doesn’t even know where to begin.

Still unused to the feeling of being at another’s mercy, Yu Sheng raises a hand instinctively to smack off the hand on his head.

Except, he falters just when he’d brought it up, and slowly brings it down again.

To be honest, even though the past is riling, it is still just that – the past. Now, when he thinks of the events long passed, there isn’t much of anything that bubbles up.

Or rather. Since they’ve only just gone for a big group meal then proceeded to stuff themselves around the Night Market, besides feeling bloated, there truly isn’t anything else he can feel.

But he does owe one to the hand which fed him.

After chomping down on the chicken cutlet, bread, and sweet potatoes Jin Linkun handed over to him, even if it turns out his roomie is showing early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, he can only play along grudgingly.

……

Moreover, it happens to be a bit cold tonight.

The hand which has settled over his head is warm. Jin Linkun dips his head down ever so slightly. His eyes, too, are warm.

Ink black eyes slightly curved, he’s peering at him with incredible patience.

Yu Sheng doesn’t smack his hand off. Standing in the shadows hidden from the moonlight, while there’s no one else around, he lets him do as he wishes and ruffle for a bit more.

There are no secrets within the Summer Camp.

Within two days, news of Team 2 and 7’s match has already spread like wildfire.

By the end of those two days, the chit chat corner of the anonymous forum has already torn apart the reasons, aftermath, line-ups and team comparison for the match. Post after post springs up like shiitake flourishing in springtime.

Some bet. Some explain and estimate the odds for the match. There are also those who couldn’t stop themselves from questioning the format of the Double-Twos VS Rubik’s Cube & Sudoku Pro-Gamers + Recommended Student: Is this truly a result of luck? Or did one of them play dirty?

Yu Sheng finds none of these developments surprising.

If there’s anything, the only thing that’s out of his expectations is the over 50 posts which popped up over the course of these two days.

To think everyone accepted the setting of “Two teams are fighting for the right to use the toilet as a study place”…

“I guess we have truly fallen behind times.”

Jin Linkun doesn’t understand it that well either, frankly speaking. Leaning back in his seat, he flips through the new sudoku book on his desk.

He double-tasks and converses with Yu Sheng in the meantime:

“Based on what I’ve heard, it seems like three months’ enough to create a generation gap now. This could be the study method that is the new ‘in’—”

He stops abruptly, putting down his book and opening the slightly ajar backdoor to peer out.

Yu Sheng’s chopsticks stills:

“Is someone out there again?”

“I didn’t see them.”

Jin Linkun shakes his head, closing the door:

“It could be the wind’s work.”

Yu Sheng pays it no mind. Shovelling another few spoons of rice into his mouth, he closes the online forum’s reminder to download the mobile app.

Never one to miss out on a vital business opportunity, the garbage app had seized this period to rope in the dollars and intentionally rolled out a new online betting function.

One can easily participate by registering and logging in. All bets of below 100 Wisdom Beans are allowed. They shall be added or deducted from the account once the PK is over, in accordance to the number of participants winning / losing.

Buy now or you’ll lose out! Don’t be deceived by the naysayers! The heart-throbbing moment is right before your eyes!

“……”

Yu Sheng puts down his phone, eyeing the guy before him who’s fervently recommending this app:

“And what is a Wisdom Bean?”

“It’s similar to virtual currency. You can use it to purchase questions and attached images – It’s given based on the number of questions you answer and the amount of time you spend online! They’ll also immediately wire a hundred to your account if you get a friend to sign up!”

Cen Rui introduces, bouncing with excitement:

“You can also top up them if you like. The exchange rate’s 1:100. $18.80 will give you 1880 Wisdom Beans! It’s a really helpful app, Sheng Gē, all you needa do is move your hands…”

Yu Sheng thinks the number $18.80 sounds really familiar for some reason. Still as a statue, he turns down his advertisement and swiftly chucks his phone to a corner of his desk.

Shortly after everyone fence-vaulted together, his reputation was strangely bolstered amongst those in Team 7.

Team 7’s students also began calling him Sheng Gē. When he leaves the room, there are people who’d call out to him. When he’s eating, there’d be people striking up a conversation with him. Even before Night Self-Study begins, there are still people who’d run over to chat with him.

From time to time, there’s even the occasional young lady who would twirl circles around outside his door, peek in, then disappear without a trace.

In consideration of the setting and its associated image, Yu Sheng firmly believes these people must be here to talk to him about their studies. Dead set on not answering the door, he leaves it all for Jin Linkun to deal with.

Cen Rui had gotten hyped up over nothing. Tugging on his hair, he sighs and sits down in disappointment:

“Still, these people sure can’t tell the good from the bad. What’re they all betting on Team 2 for…”

Yu Sheng looks up and sees the page on Cen Rui’s phone.

Currently, those who are supporting Team 2 take up a great 73.2% of the bets. Based on the trend, it looks like the number will only continue to go up.

The forum has already thoroughly shared the odds of winning. One is better off pursuing the things they’re good at; Even though Team 7’s PK line-up consists of the two Boss Bros ranked 2nd at the start of the Summer Camp, the Study Gods are still better off studying in the end.

In the meantime, Team 2’s line-up are all pro-gamers. The games chosen were all highly specialized too. No matter how you look at it, the other team stands a greater chance of winning than them.

Forget the spectators from the other teams. Even their brethren from Team 7 have more or less come to terms with the results. Yesterday, they started the process of mass migrating to scour out other study places which can become their new courtyards.

After listening to them, Yu Sheng has more or less understood the situation:

“You didn’t bet on Team 2?”

“Of course I’d bet on our team!”

Cen Rui sits ramrod straight, standing his ground firmly:

“This isn’t a matter of a dollar! This is a matter of dignity!”

Beside him, Liang Yifan who had been kowtowing to a Rubik’s Cube shoots up as well and they boom powerfully in unison:

“IT’S FINE TO LOSE THE TOILET! IT’S FINE TO LOSE THE MATCH! BUT OUR DIGNITY MUST NOT BE DISGRACED!”

Yu Sheng: “……”

He thinks ‘dignity’ and ‘match’ are extremely reluctant to be put on level field with that first word.

Once they’re done screaming their slogan, Liang Yifan’s battery cuts off and his head smashes back into the desk.

Thus, the Rubik’s Cube on the desk is given another kowtow to.

In accordance to Vice-Captain Student Kong’s argument of “TianJi’s Horse-Racing Theory has Lots of Uses”, in the days leading up to the match, the games they’re in-charge of had been shuffled around multiple times again.

The good-for-nothing Liang Yifan couldn’t break past the tall wall of 5 minutes even after 57 consecutive hours of Tetris training. Officially thrown into the dumpster as the underdog, he’s placed in-charge of the hardest-looking game – the Rubik’s Cube.

The little tetris square thus +1D and is promoted to a little cube.

According to the rumours, Liang Yifan nearly barged into the toilets last night with a can of sardines in order to bring Team 2 down with him.

“Sheng Gē, Sheng Gē.”

Cen Rui abandons his pal there without a shred of mercy. Peeking sideways, he pulls Yu Sheng over secretively:

“About God Kun…”

Yu Sheng raises his brows and twirls the pen in hand. He gives him his ear.

Cen Rui isn’t here merely to promote the app. He also came bearing the entire Team 7’s onerous faith.

Said onerous faith can more or less be summed up with finding a way to ignite God Kun’s fighting spirit.

At least to ignite it enough, so he can go from flipping through Sudoku, to flipping through Sudoku & trying them.

All the students of Team 7 are quite happy to volunteer their pencils and erasers. If God Kun prefers using a non-erasable, quick-drying gel pen, they can also wall-vault this instant to go make a couple of clean copies for the ease of correcting and fixing the answers.

Cen Rui says it very sincerely. After Yu Sheng Gēts a brief outline of his reason for coming, he turns to glance at Jin Linkun, still seated in the corner.

Truth to be told, he can help the other by explaining how he is doing those exercises seriously; that he just doesn’t need to write things out and that he can fill them in his head.

……

But that’d be too high and mighty.

If he handles this carelessly, Team 7’s hard-earned camaraderie, forged through a bitter hatred for a common enemy, can easily go back to the Anti-Study God Pomposity group from before.

Besides that, if they truly want to ignite Jin Linkun’s fighting spirit, they shouldn’t splurge their efforts on meaningless endeavours like prep work before the competition.

Yu Sheng tears away his gaze, looking down at Liang Yifan’s best record of 4 minutes 57 seconds on the phone.

Rubik’s Cube and Tetris Game are both ways of training one’s memory and mental flexibility. 10 years ago, they were highly popular means for well-rounded development of the brain.

It’s not so much that he’s hopeless at them; he’s just never tried them out seriously in public. That’s because Team 2 had already gone behind their backs and done them dirty the last time they drew lots. If they were to stumble upon the truth, they could pull some crap out of their asses again during the match.

It is naturally impossible for him to win both matches single-handedly. But if Jin Linkun could take a little more initiative and come over to help out, the possibility of them winning 3 matches with 2 people is not entirely out of the ballpark.

……

The moment it flashes across his head, he firmly stomps out that idea.

Yu Sheng doesn’t give much of a reply. Casually and curtly answering with a few lines, he firmly turns down Cen Rui’s next attempt to drag him into the app so he can get those 100 Wisdom Beans. Then, he kicks him away to the chime of the Night Self-Study’s bell.

Tomorrow is the day of the competition. Few members of Team 7 are able to calm their hearts. Even though they’re all quietly keeping their heads low and pretending to study, paper slips are passed around like a hurricane.

Under uncountable frantic eyes, Yu Sheng plays Tetris for half the lesson before putting down his phone to rest his sore eyes. It’s then that a message notification pops up out of the blue.

Duan Lei: Sheng Gē, how have you been recently?! Is the Summer Camp fun? Are there competitions? Are they tough?

Yu Sheng picks up his phone again. He’s about to give a couple of simple replies when the idea stirs in his head again and he types:

Yu Sheng: There are competitions. It’s not tough. If anything, they’re more like playing games.

Yu Sheng: If there’s a member of your team who isn’t that inspired, what would you do to up his motivation?

Duan Lei startles. He replies: If not a good beating then, I guess… a punch should do?

Yu Sheng lifts his head, taking a look at Jin Linkun beside him, whose hand is leisurely stealing a sweet.

The latter stops automatically. After a pause, he single-handedly tugs off the sweet wrapper and he presents the sweet to him.

Yu Sheng: “……”

His head hurts a little. Pushing his hand away, Yu Sheng puts his phone down to let his eyes recuperate.

The phone buzzes multiple times, the pause between each buzz increasingly short.

Duan Lei had sent a couple more messages over to him.

Duan Lei: No, those guys over at the camp are all academic tyrants. Nerds like that can’t take a beating.

Duan Lei: Then, it looks like you can only motivate him with a reward.

Duan Lei: Sheng Gē, what’re you guys getting if you win this competition? Merit points? Direct Admissions? I heard the prizes at the Summer Camp’s competitions are all extremely spectacular! Just use that to motivate him!

Yu Sheng peers at the messages on his screen.

If they win, they get back Team 7’s right to study in the toilet’s bright sink area in the dead of night.

Yu Sheng sits in silence for a while, then he picks up his phone again.

Before he can respond, Duan Lei’s messages are already leaping out at him.

Duan Lei: HOW WAS IT?!

Duan Lei: DID THAT HELP, SHENG GĒ?!!

……

Yu Sheng: That was very helpful.

Yu Sheng: Suddenly, I’m left with no drive as well.

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Silvery:

YS: -100 motivation

JLK: +5 Sweets +100 Affection for his Little Friend

LYF: +1 Rare Candy +1000 EXP in ??? (??? remains to be seen ;))

Next Time on DTTM! – Chapter 28: <God Kun is amazing.>

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*Notice: There will be no updates for the month of October due to both Cadence and my exams.

Chapter 26 | 👎🏻 Contents 👎🏻 | Chapter 28

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