Chapter 45

After hanging up the phone, Shifeng quickly ate a few bites of instant noodles and rushed to school.

It wasn't until he was on his way that Shifeng remembered this matter, as it was also one of the reasons for his parents' serious illness.

In his previous life, he had joined the Shadow Studio with Kuroko. Zhao Ruoxi called to notify him to go to school, but he didn't go; instead, he continued playing the game "Divine Realm." It was only after much effort that he managed to join the Shadow Studio, and to advance, he had to perform well in "Divine Realm." There was no time to deal with trivial matters in class.

As a result, he lost his university recommendation qualification. Although there was only one recommendation, it could help the recommended student find a better job, as the current society faced immense population pressure, making it extremely difficult to find work. Having such a recommendation was like a stepping stone to higher positions.

When his parents found out about this, they were deeply worried.

This worry added a lot of mental stress to his parents, but they never showed it. Instead, they encouraged him, telling him not to worry about the family's debt. Eventually, his parents, exhausted both physically and mentally, fell seriously ill a year later.

In this life, he did not want to repeat the same mistakes, even though the recommendation qualification was of no use to him. He still wanted to know the reason why he lost it.

His academic performance in class was average, and getting the recommendation qualification should have been no problem. However, he didn't get it at graduation. The only thing he could think of was the incident that was about to happen today.

As he walked into the university, Shifeng noticed something interesting.

Today, there were an unusually large number of students on campus, a sea of people. Normally, there weren't so many people around, as they would either go out for gatherings, study in the library, or stay in the dorm to play games. They wouldn't be out wandering the streets like this.

When Shifeng entered the No. 3 teaching building, he found that the usually empty classrooms were packed, occupied by various classes.

"What's going on today?" Shifeng wondered to himself.

As soon as he entered Classroom 401, he felt that the atmosphere in the class was a bit strange. All the classmates turned their gazes to him, their expressions full of surprise, as if something that shouldn't have appeared had appeared.

The boys just glanced at him and continued chatting without acknowledging him.

Some of the girls, dressed up elaborately, gave him looks of disgust. Although he was used to it, when he tried to look back, they immediately turned away.

"Shifeng, you're here. Find a place to sit. Wait a moment, and Lin Feilong will come. Then the whole class will be here," the female class leader Zhao Ruoxi said calmly, as if speaking to him was just a formality.

However, Shifeng vaguely sensed that there was a hint of expectation in Zhao Ruoxi's gaze when she turned to look at him, but it wasn't directed at him; it was probably for Lin Feilong.

"Okay," Shifeng nodded and casually found a corner to sit in. As for sitting with the other boys and chatting, just from their gazes, he knew it was impossible.

Shifeng could only smile bitterly. His life in the previous world was truly a failure...

But there was no way around it. Every time there was a class gathering or activity, he didn't participate to save money, and he had long become a non-entity in the class. Perhaps in everyone's eyes, he was very aloof.

"Why did this person come?"

"Probably the class leader notified him. I didn't expect him to actually come."

"But he's just a mediocre student in the class. Just looking at him makes me dislike him. Look at his lecherous eyes. He must be lusting after me. How disgusting."

The class began to whisper about Shifeng, surprised by his arrival. Normally, Shifeng never participated in any activities, and now he had come. Their words were not only dismissive but also full of disgust, as Shifeng was very weak and had often been bullied by students from other classes. He was also a mediocre student who couldn't afford to participate in class gatherings, making the other classes feel ashamed to have someone like him in their class.

Although the voices were low, Shifeng still heard them, or perhaps they intentionally let him hear.

In everyone's eyes, studying was secondary; what truly mattered was physical strength. After all, this was an era that placed great emphasis on physical fitness. Shifeng, being weak, clearly did not fit in, naturally making him a mediocre student.

However, Shifeng just smiled. He was no longer a child; how could he get angry with these kids? He was now only concerned about the recommendation qualification.

Soon, a muscular young man, nearly 1.9 meters tall, walked in.

This was Lin Feilong.

In Shifeng's memory, this person was quite resourceful. The reason he was considered resourceful was that after graduating from university, he pursued and won the heart of a wealthy group's heiress, and in three years, he became the chairman of the group. However, as the virtual world's influence on the real world grew, Lin Feilong also entered "Divine Realm," seeking cooperation with Shifeng, who was then a classmate.

At that time, Shifeng was the leader of the Shadow Studio and the president of the Shadow Guild, which was barely considered a second-tier guild but controlled a large city with a population of 500,000.

Out of respect for their classmate relationship, he agreed. Later, although the Shadow Studio made a lot of money, Lin Feilong made even more and cultivated many capable subordinates. Eventually, he attached himself to a first-tier guild, abandoning the Shadow Studio.

When the class saw Lin Feilong walk in, all the boys stood up, showing great respect. The elaborately dressed girls gave Lin Feilong flirtatious looks, and even Zhao Ruoxi, who seemed very quiet, showed some changes. Shifeng, having seen many women, could tell that Zhao Ruoxi had some feelings for Lin Feilong.

"What's going on?" Shifeng was confused. It was one thing for the others, but Zhao Ruoxi was the class beauty, quiet and charming, with a slender figure and a good family background. Other class boys often pursued her, but she never paid them any attention. Why did she now have feelings for Lin Feilong?

Could Lin Feilong be the protagonist, loved by all, making flowers bloom?

"Everyone, please sit down," Lin Feilong said, walking to the podium like a leader. "Thank you all for coming to congratulate me today. Without your support, I wouldn't be where I am now."

"Brother Feilong, you're too modest. Out of the 5,000 students who participated, you made it to the top ten in the school's martial arts competition, which is a glory for our class. Now, you don't need to participate in the preliminary rounds and have the qualification to join the Jinhai City Martial Arts Competition. This isn't something an ordinary person can achieve. When you become a martial arts master, don't forget us."

"Right, Brother Feilong, we're counting on you to win the championship."

The classmates congratulated him one after another, as if they were ready to pledge their lives to him.

However, Shifeng was the only one in the class who was not.

He was truly stunned. He thought it was something serious, but it turned out to be the school's martial arts competition just ending, and they were congratulating Lin Feilong on his qualification for the city's martial arts competition.

If it were in the past, he might have been envious, as many people in this society loved the martial arts competition. Even the participants in the city's martial arts competition were more popular than big stars. It was not easy to participate in the city's martial arts competition, with a strict selection process. Out of 10,000 people, only three or four might qualify. If they performed well, they might sign contracts with large companies, become company spokespersons, and have a bright future.

However, with the growing popularity of "Divine Realm," people became more interested in the virtual battles, as the real experience was the best, and it was both safe and exciting. This made many "Divine Realm" experts the focus of attention.