Chapter 5

Two days later, the holiday ended.

Du Nan returned to the public school.

"Regarding the matter of Teacher Kong, I believe everyone is already aware. This matter is now over, and I ask that the students refrain from further discussion. I, as the principal, assure you that the authorities will not hold anyone else responsible. You are all young students who were misled and will not face any punishment. I would like to specially commend Student Du Nan, who never participated in any of Teacher Kong's related activities during his period of public speaking. In this class, there are fewer than four students who remained clear-headed, and Student Du Nan can serve as a role model for everyone."

After the principal finished speaking, the students and mentors clapped, 'clap clap clap.'

The applause was intense, but it was clear that it was all perfunctory. Many of the students in the class still had red, tearful eyes.

When they looked at Du Nan,

each of them gave him a 'different kind of' look.

As Teacher Kong's top disciple, a super scholar in the Ancient Literature class, and a genius who had been invited to the Ancient Literature and Battle Songs class of the Baiquan City Higher Academy, such a prominent figure had 'betrayed' his mentor at the critical moment. He didn't even offer a word of support and disappeared without a trace.

Teacher Kong had even worked hard to apply for his recommendation to the city college.

Ungrateful!

Seeing the looks from the students, Du Nan knew he was being unjustly accused and was being given a series of labels.

You're just talking with your mouths, but I have already successfully activated the fifth magic power. I won't talk nonsense... Du Nan silently complained in his heart, but he didn't dare to say it out loud. If he revealed even a word, he might be cut into pieces and preserved in formaldehyde. These kids can misunderstand, but it would save him a lot of trouble.

"Everyone, please calm down."

The principal raised his hands in a gesture of a spreading eagle, listening to the applause with satisfaction, and then said, "I am very pleased that the students have regained their clarity. The Ancient Literature class will not be disbanded. I have already invited a new teacher to take over, so please rest assured. Additionally, I have some good news to announce. Recently, Teacher Kong applied for the city college recommendation, and after consideration by the authorities, it has been decided not to interrupt it. Student Du Nan has once again been invited to the Battle Songs class of the Higher Academy, which is a cause for celebration."

"Clap clap clap!"

The principal and mentors smiled, while the students clapped with resentment. As a top scholar, Du Nan was once again unjustly accused.

The mentors thought: It's glorious for the school to produce someone who can enter the city's higher academy!

The students thought: A traitor can also enter the higher academy, what a travesty of justice!

Du Nan thought: What the hell! What does this have to do with me? I was just passing by, buying soy sauce... Even though I ended up on the Blue Sea Star, I am still a pure and proper Chinese person, right? What does the higher academy have to do with me? Go to hell with the Battle Songs class, it's just a pseudo-classical dance and song group that glorifies 'invasion and colonization,' a bunch of second-rate scum.

Whoever wants to go can go!

I won't serve!

"Principal," Du Nan politely raised his hand and stood up. His demeanor was completely different, exuding an air of 'I am a top scholar, an excellent student, a four-good youth, and a model of five virtues.' He said steadily, "I feel deeply guilty about this city recommendation. I failed to regain my clarity in time and did not prevent Teacher Kong from going down the wrong path, causing my classmates to be misled. As a representative of the Ancient Literature class, I feel deeply ashamed. As a citizen of the Blue Star Federation, I should not stand idly by when something bad happens but should fulfill my social obligations and do my best to prevent it. In terms of morality, I am very unqualified, so..."

He rambled on, spouting a bunch of 'strict and solemn words' that even he didn't recognize, delivering a long speech that even surprised himself. He fully utilized his innate 'scholar engine' to the maximum, sweeping the field with unmatched power.

In the end,

all his words boiled down to one meaning: I won't go!

"Clap clap clap..." The principal led the applause, wiping away a fake tear, looking deeply satisfied.

There was no choice.

Du Nan was a genius in Ancient Literature, and it was easy for him to speak of his deep sins. His speech was full of praise and references to classics. If the school forced this 'self-blaming and self-punishing' student to leave, depriving him of the opportunity to redeem himself, it would be a major crime against academia, the federation, and humanity.

"Very well, very well, I understand Student Du Nan's intentions."

After another round of rambling,

the principal, unable to persuade him, finally agreed to Du Nan's wish to stay at the school and atone for his sins, allowing him to continue studying in the Ancient Literature class of the public school.

Before leaving, the principal's eyes flashed with a cunning light: Kid, the authorities have already set the quota to calm the situation. I don't even want you to go. This way, my grandson will definitely get a spot to study in the city. Entering the city, what a great opportunity, who knows, he might be chosen as a son-in-law by some city citizen and become a citizen himself.

Du Nan caught the principal's gaze.

He instantly understood: Kid, do you really think I'm so stupid? The Lightning Magic Power is something even I can't figure out, and entering the city would be even more dangerous. Besides, I've already spent all my living expenses. How can I live in the city? Even if I managed to get a little, it wouldn't be enough for a bowl of porridge. You look so proper, but do you think I don't know what you're thinking? You definitely want to monopolize the city college quota, thinking you're so smart. We'll see how you fare.

*********

Du Nan opened his book and began to study a different history.

Before the Magic Power Era,

technology had developed to an unimaginable level.

Semi-intelligent machines, spacecraft, genetic modification, superconducting communication, and even space folding technology... These technologies brought endless convenience but also caused infinite destruction. The human race consumed resources recklessly without ever researching methods for resource regeneration. They would rather spend huge sums of money to find new resource planets than try to recycle and reuse semi-old and semi-waste items.

In this technological era, most people became 'lazy pigs.'

With the development of semi-intelligence,

robots replaced a large number of human jobs.

Education, healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, cleaning, and even the purchase of bio-androids to replace lovers and spouses for those who were too lazy to go out. Except for a few special jobs, almost no human labor was needed. Most people in the cities lived a life of ease, with everything provided for them.

Of course, it was different outside the cities. The poor people outside the cities still lived in a semi-abandoned state under a gray sky.

Technology changed the fate of all humanity and made everyone live a happy life?

That's just a slogan!

Don't be too serious, young man!

Then, in this scientifically advanced galactic era, something completely unrelated to science and technology suddenly appeared: Magic Power!

An endless new energy source.

Scientists regarded scientific knowledge as the 'domain of the gods,' and the extraordinary powers they could not explain were attributed to the 'demon' category. However, the rulers who lived like gods did not reject this demonic power. On the contrary, they believed it was a gift from the gods to humanity, a perfect gift to make humans 'transcend the divine.'

Humans developed magic power, not to benefit the masses, but to use it first for: war!

Subsequently,

society rapidly underwent a new round of transformation.

Magic power was like a key, opening a new 'gate of war' for the intelligent races in the interstellar sea. No one was grateful for this 'endless' energy. Everyone had the same thought: With magic power, our armed forces will be even stronger; with magic power, our invasion speed will be faster; with magic power, our colonies will be more extensive.

Magic power is our strongest weapon.

A divine war tool.

Thus, insatiable greed made all the intelligent races in the universe regard this new 'energy' as a treasure for invasion and colonization, starting a new round of galactic wars and writing one heroic legend after another.

The only constant: the rich became richer, and the poor became poorer!

Du Nan understood the current environment. Strength became the dominant force, and laws and regulations became a joke.

In this technologically advanced Magic Power Era, combat power represented one's status. Colonizing planets became easier, natural resources were developed faster, and society became more prosperous, but the lower classes still lived as if in the end times. If the poor used to live a life 'worse than pigs and dogs,' now... they 'are' like that.

The next day,

a new mentor arrived and immediately rejected the previous teacher's 'free thinking' philosophy.

"Wind, fire, water, and earth, the four major magic powers, are the eternal sequence. I don't know what the previous mentor told you, but I clearly tell you: there is absolutely no fifth magic power. Open any textbook from junior high to university, and the third sentence will be this truth. You are young, and having new ideas is normal. However, you cannot let wild thoughts lead you astray."

In the new mentor's mind,

free thinking and wild thoughts were the same. Students must remember the federal academic knowledge and not have any strange ideas.

"Our lives are not good because we are not working hard enough, not because of the federation's responsibility. You might think the federation is wealthy, but you haven't considered that the federation needs a large amount of war logistics and spends a lot of money researching new weapons. At the same time, we can live safely thanks to the protection of the federal army. Without the federal army's protection, we would have been invaded by the Wild Beast Race or the Alien Race, or even destroyed by the alien insect race."

"It's not the federation that invaded their homes, so why would they come for revenge?"

A low murmur of dissent came from a corner.

"Who? You..." The new mentor, with surprisingly good hearing, roared, "Stand up. How dare you speak like that, ungrateful thing. Without the federation's expansion, where would your wealthy life come from? Stand at the back and hold up your desk. Stay there until the end of the class, ungrateful dog."

"We have no wealth at all." A different voice came from the corner again.

"Who?"

This time, the new mentor's ears weren't as sharp. However, a thin, tall student slowly stood up, lifted his desk, held it over his head, and automatically went to stand at the back of the classroom, accepting the punishment calmly.

The new mentor's mouth twitched, unable to speak. These ungrateful, low-class students were too difficult to educate.

Right!

"Where is the class representative?" The new mentor remembered an important person, a pawn to suppress troublemakers. A common tactic was to use 'loyal dogs' to bite people when the mentor couldn't control the troublemakers. The class representative in a public school was the mentor's big weapon to punish disobedient students.

The students in the class

looked at each other.

Then... simultaneously, they pointed to a guy sitting at the back, snoring loudly. Their faces said: This is the Ancient Literature class representative, the loyal dog you imagined. Although he might not be what you expected, he is indeed the class representative.

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