NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: Chapter 2 Graduation Assignment
"Ding Xiaotu, here's your allocation notice, slap!"
Just like a workbook hitting the head, Ding Huan felt a bit of pain on his forehead, and subconsciously he raised his head to find himself sitting at his desk with a sheet of blue paper tossed in front of him.
Allocation notice? Ding Huan felt dizzy. What is this thing?
And Ding Xiaotu? How long had it been since he last used that name?
When he was born, he often fell ill, so his father hoped that in sickness, his son would be like dust, insignificant, and thus he gave him the trivial name, Ding Xiaotu.
Just as he thought of this, he saw a person in front handing out a stack of thick blue pamphlets, apparently the same person who had distributed the blue paper in front of him.
Why did he only have a single sheet for this so-called allocation notice, while everyone else had several pages at least?
He turned his head to look at the side, where dappled sunlight fell through the gaps between leaves outside the window, scattering in pieces on the windowsill and giving him a long-lost sense of familiarity.
A few unintelligible bird calls carried a hint of peace and serenity, making Ding Huan feel as though his memory had been fragmented.
This wasn't the vast, boundless cosmic starry sky that made one's heart flutter with unease, nor did it seem to be the blood-scented Changyi Continent.
Had he not perished already? Could it be...
A thought suddenly sprung up from the depths of Ding Huan's memory that even he found hard to believe; his hand went down and he pinched his thigh hard. No pain?
"Ah..." A shrill scream echoed out, and Ding Huan, puzzled, turned his head, to see a square face appearing before him.
"Ding Xiaotu, it has nothing to do with me that you were allocated to Yujiang University, why pinch me?" Tears were rolling in the eyes of the square face.
Ding Huan, however, was stirred with excitement. He hadn't been captured exclusively, nor had he died... To be precise, he had returned to the day of university graduation allocations.
The scene before him finally started to feel familiar; he was still a student at Heluo Shangwu University.
Heluo Shangwu University was the only university in Heluo City that guaranteed job placements for all graduates, and it ranked within the top thirty nationwide.
Not only that, but each year one or two students from Heluo Shangwu University were admitted to the Blue Star Ten Great Colleges.
The Blue Star Ten Great Colleges only accepted top-tier geniuses and were established collaboratively by nearly two hundred countries globally, the Martial Arts Alliance, the Genetic Alliance, and other top-tier global organizations, all for the purpose of nurturing the future backbone of Earth's guardians.
How many students a school sent to the Blue Star Ten Great Colleges signified the strength of that institution.
"I'm sorry, Jia Youjian..." Ding Huan finally remembered his desk mate and apologized sincerely.
The pain from the pinch had faded for Jia Youjian, who wasn't truly angry, and he whispered back,
"Xiao Tu, you were originally supposed to stay at Heluo Shangwu University with Luo Xinwei, but someone stole your spot."
Ding Huan patted Jia Youjian, as distant memories gradually began taking shape.
This should be the year 2062, and Earth had long entered the genetic era.
The onset of the genetic era was due to ocean pollution with nuclear and conventional waste, which then gradually spread globally, followed by the release of various viruses by some utterly unethical nations.
Afterward, Earth's population plummeted, and wars spread from Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Palestine, and Iran-Israel to the rest of the world.
With the reduction of population, various types of flora and fauna rapidly vanished.
When viruses and pollution spread on a massive scale, the bloody law of the jungle began, life became fragile, and those who survived grew ever stronger.
Firstly, the genes of animals that had not yet gone extinct began to mutate, turning into fierce wildlife and even Fierce Beasts.
Humanity had to face varying kinds of pollution and the increasingly mutated and strengthened Fierce Beasts.
Gradually, humans began to congregate in designated areas, and at the same time, they erected protective nets and Protection Walls.
Vast swathes of post-primitive jungles and mountain ranges emerged, becoming places rarely visited by man.
This compelled humanity to practice martial arts, enhancing their physical bodies.
Heluo Shangwu University also began to rise to prominence during this time, formerly known as Heluo Sports College, with an initial national ranking of around two hundred.
With the flourishing of Martial Arts, Heluo Sports College launched twelve different Martial Arts classes, swiftly climbing into the top thirty globally and breaking into the top ten within Hua Xia.
Despite numerous schools later launching Martial Arts courses, none could shake Heluo Sports College's standing in Martial Arts.
In September 2043, a student of Heluo Sports College with top-tier martial talent cultivated Inner Strength and became an Inner Strength Martial Artist, further elevating the college's renown.
That same year, Heluo Sports College was renamed Heluo Shangwu University, solidifying its status in Hua Xia's Martial Arts education.
Subsequently, Inner Strength Martial Artists surfaced one after another across the nation, and Heluo Shangwu University remained at the forefront as a Martial Arts flagship institution.
Martial Arts experts became the main force in containing various Fierce Beasts, spurring a global craze for Martial Arts.
In March 2044, global Martial Arts experts convened in Zhongyuan Province of Hua Xia to establish the Martial Arts Alliance.
Additionally, a detailed division of Martial Arts Realms was laid out, with Heluo Shangwu University being one of the contributors to the classification.
Ding Huan found it perfectly normal that someone snatched away the good job at Heluo Shangwu University.
With his current down-and-out status, it would be strange if such a good job wasn't taken by someone else.
Martial arts' high status didn't last for a few years, as people soon realized that the pace of martial arts training was too slow. To contend with those genetically mutated fierce beasts was still far-fetched, prompting suggestions to enhance humans' survival genes.
Thus, people began researching how to integrate various powerful genes into the human body, extending life and strengthening the physique.
In February 2046, Earth's Genetic Alliance was established.
Subsequently, various genes capable of merging with the human body were developed, meaning humanity now had the means to stand against the fierce beasts and Earth's harsh environments.
From then on, the status of martial arts cultivation gradually gave way to gene fusion and genetic cultivation.
Even after the advent of the genetic era, Heluo Shangwu University, a renowned institution that rose to prominence through martial arts, saw its status decline somewhat but not drastically. It remained a globally renowned university.
Moreover, Heluo Shangwu University would later develop a heaven-defying genetic potion, the endurance gene.
The creation of the endurance gene skyrocketed the fame of Heluo Shangwu University once again, propelling it to become one of the world's top universities.
Ding Huan instantly remembered that Heluo Shangwu University was supposed to develop the endurance gene at the end of this year.
A man with slick, shiny hair stepped onto the platform, his gaze sweeping over the classroom, then spoke with a vibrant tone,
"Ladies and gentlemen, starting from tomorrow, you too will bid farewell to your student days and contribute your strength to our nation and our planet.
As your class teacher, I would like to wish you all endless possibilities in the vast cosmic starry sky!"
Ding Huan snapped back from his faraway thoughts and glanced at the guy on the podium, their class teacher, Wang Youlan.
He only remembered that when his father hadn't gone missing, this guy always had a beaming smile whenever he saw him.
"Wang teacher, tomorrow we'll all be heading to our job positions. How about we get together at Qianjiang Gate tonight?"
A tall student with a respectable appearance stood up and eagerly suggested.
Before Wang Youlan could speak, almost all the students in the class enthusiastically seconded the motion to gather tonight.
Wang Youlan also smiled with satisfaction, saying, "Gu Xuan's proposal is excellent. In that case, let's meet up at Qianjiang Gate tonight.
I hope all students will attend. If you truly have a prior engagement and cannot join, please stand up and let us know."
No one stood up, which pleased Wang Youlan even more. After a few more words, he announced the official graduation of class 62(3) from the Variant Species Department at Heluo Shangwu University.
Everyone began to exchange early well-wishes and share various contact details.
Ding Huan grabbed his bag, shoved the assignment letter inside, and got up to leave.
He had no desire to linger here any longer. What he needed now was a quiet place to sort through his thoughts.
Why he had reborn on Earth, as well as some details of when he left Earth years ago. Without clarity on these, he might die again without understanding why.
"Ding Xiaotu, thank you for all your help over the years, even though we have our own paths. I wish you a beautiful future. Yujiang University might be weaker, but as long as you work hard, you'll certainly do well."
Not far from leaving the classroom, Ding Huan heard a clear voice from behind.
Who might this be? Ding Huan turned to see a pretty girl approaching, her tone somewhat cool even as she expressed thanks.
Quickly, Ding Huan remembered—this woman was Luo Xinwei, whom Jia Youjian had mentioned.
How difficult was it to get into Heluo Shangwu University? It wasn't just about having high scores; you needed connections too.
Luo Xinwei's family naturally didn't have such connections; all the connections were found by his assistance.
This woman was the goddess he had been pursuing, no, the goddess he had been wooing.
From junior high to high school, he wooed her for four years, and then for over two years in university.
Until his father disappeared and his cheap elder brother, Ding Jie, kicked him out of the Ding Family, and he no longer even had the right to woo...
Ding Huan flashed a brilliant smile, "Then I thank you for that. What you said is right, Yujiang University is quite nice."
Hearing Ding Huan's response, Luo Xinwei seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, "It's great you think that way, see you tonight at Qianjiang Gate."
After saying this casually, Ding Huan turned away, merely gesturing in acknowledgement behind his back upon hearing her words.
Ah, the youth, always yearning for what others deem wonderful, whether people or things.
Meet tonight? He had no intention of going to the Qianjiang Gate restaurant. With a pile of issues on his hands, how could he have time for some pointless gathering?
Ding Huan was aware of Yujiang University—it was indeed the worst institution in Heluo City, no contest.
In the last life, he heard that Yujiang University couldn't keep going and was on the brink of closing down. He seemed to remember it did indeed shut down eventually.
(Thank you to all friends for your rewards, recommendation tickets, and monthly tickets. Seeing many familiar old friends supporting, Lao Wu here says thank you once again!
Thank you to old friends Xuan Molin, Absolute Love's Madness, and Explosive Little Latte for their Alliance Hierarch support; as per our custom, Hierarchs need extra chapters. Since it's the new book phase, let's take it slow. Continuing to ask for your recommendation ticket support! Today's update ends here, good night, friends!)