NOVEL NEXT Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Exchange Students?
Lu Jun didn't chat much with his sister; both had their own matters to handle, striving to climb the peak of magic.
However, before he could consolidate his cultivation and rest for long, Dean Xiao called him early in the morning and asked him to come over.
Lu Jun was baffled but didn't delay. After a few quick practice moves, he rushed to Pearl Institute. When he arrived at Dean Xiao's office, he found several other people present.
Ding Yumian, Dongfang Ming, Bai Zhengfeng, and several others—there were six or seven people in total.
"What's going on?" Lu Jun used his Psychic Voice Transmission to ask Ding Yumian, "So many people gathered here, and they all seem to be outstanding representatives among the freshmen."
Hearing this, Ding Yumian glanced at him with her autumn-water-like crystal-clear eyes and replied, "You don't know? In a few days, exchange students from the Imperial Capital Institute and Southern Institute are coming. We're here to hold the fort."
Lu Jun responded with a look, "Oh? So, we're working for free?"
"Not really…" Ding Yumian's gentle voice echoed in his heart, "If we win, the academy will provide rewards. The one with the best performance can receive a reward within a certain limit."
"Then I'm in!" Lu Jun immediately agreed. Afterward, he added with some concern, "And you? Your condition doesn't make it easy for you to act, does it?"
"Hmm." Ding Yumian hummed softly, "I'm here to hold the line. This time, we've proactively invited the top three institutes for a home-field battle. We must win. If you can't manage, I'll step in."
"Yes! We must win," Lu Jun said seriously, "I promise to complete the mission. You just focus on staying hidden."
He had made up his mind. Before challenging the rankings, he would first sweep through the top freshmen in the country as a warm-up.
As for the academy's reward limit, Lu Jun already had something in mind: he wanted the academy to use its connections to find special magical metals for the Metal Element.
Over the past five months, he had inquired about such resources, but unfortunately, Pearl Institute wasn't specialized in this field and had limited achievements in it.
Dean Xiao sat at his desk, watching as the pair of young man and woman exchanged flirtatious glances right under his nose. The office, meant for several people, had turned into a stage for two, while the others felt like light bulbs.
Bai Zhengfeng and Dongfang Ming had awkward expressions, and Huang Lixing, who had been sitting close to her best friend, was now full of disbelief. It was as if she were questioning Ding Yumian for abandoning the singletons' camp.
Of course, the pair, immersed in their heart-to-heart exchange, completely ignored everyone else.
"Ahem, ahem, ahem." Dean Xiao had no choice but to clear his throat to draw everyone's attention. He said seriously, "You've probably heard by now. Over the next three months, we'll be hosting an exchange competition with the visiting students."
"All I can say is to treat this seriously. Friendship comes first; competition comes second."
Lu Jun smiled knowingly. Understood. He was going to thoroughly thrash the two institutes, letting them feel the warmth and hospitality—this was "friendship first." Forcing them to compete for second place would embody "competition second."
After giving some instructions, Dean Xiao dismissed everyone.
After leaving the office, Lu Jun began to anticipate which exchange students would arrive this time. Since he was a year ahead of Mo Fan, it was unlikely that people like Lu Zhenghe, Xu Dalong, or Liao Mingxuan would be among them.
However, considering members of the National Battle Team, such as Nan Jue, who were generally a year ahead of Mo Fan, there was a chance some familiar faces might appear. The quality of these participants would far surpass those like Lu Zhenghe.
A few days quickly passed, and the teams from the Imperial Capital Institute and Southern Institute arrived in Magic City.
Two buses pulled into the main campus of Pearl Institute. The students from both groups got off, keeping a clear distance from each other. Across the street, they stared at each other with open hostility.
The Imperial Capital team included several individuals with outstanding presence. The men were handsome, and the women were beautiful.
Among them was a beast-like man standing over two meters tall with a sturdy frame and thick hair. There was also a graceful, noble-looking young man who exuded the air of an aristocrat, and a small, slim boy with a cute demeanor who held a black cat in his arms.
In addition, there were two strikingly different women: one with a voluptuous figure, flawless, pure beauty like a white lotus, and the other with a bold, seductive charm and an arrogant demeanor.
The beast-like man, Zu Jiming, sneered disdainfully, clearly dissatisfied. "Look at these nobodies. We had to come all the way to Pearl Institute as exchange students? It should've been the other way around."
"Indeed," the elegant Guan Yu said with a smile. "People from small places lack knowledge and need to broaden their horizons."
The bold and seductive woman, Mu Tingying, smirked with interest. "Magic City, huh? I wonder how the disciples of the Four Great Families measure up. Would they dare compete with my Mu family?"
The pure and delicate Nanrong Ni tried to mediate. "We're all classmates here. Friendship first, competition second."
Her words kept the others from making any more sarcastic remarks.
Leading the Imperial Capital team was a tall, slender man who appeared youthful, with fair skin and a scholarly demeanor. He seemed entirely indifferent to the bickering among the students.
In truth, he wouldn't have come if not for hearing about some intriguing research topics in Magic City. He was entirely uninterested in the overt and covert rivalries among the schools.
The slim boy, Jiang Yu, also refrained from participating in the disputes. Holding a black cat with white gloves, he curiously observed the surroundings.
On the other side, the Southern Institute team was relatively low-key. Though officially ranked third after the Imperial Capital and Pearl Institutes, everyone knew the truth. The top two were in a league of their own.
The third-place ranking was always contested among nine first-tier institutes.
Knowing there was little chance of rising to the top, the Southern Institute's leading teacher adopted a laid-back attitude. He turned to two prominent disciples, Zhou Xu and Li Kaifeng, and said calmly, "Just do your best to make a good impression."
The two young men smiled and nodded on the surface, but inwardly they were itching to prove themselves.
Soon, Director Jiang of Magic City personally came out to welcome the teams. Spotting the teacher from the Imperial Capital Institute, he immediately put on a warm smile, hurried over, and shook hands tightly. "Professor Yuan, welcome! We've been eagerly awaiting your arrival."
Professor Yuan, the teacher from the Imperial Capital, seemed slightly uncomfortable with social situations. He withdrew his hand and got straight to the point.
"I heard your Dean Xiao is working on the [Water Circulation Array], aiming to manage the frequent floods in the Yangtze River system. It's an excellent concept and could greatly benefit the stability of southern agriculture. I specifically brought my team to assist with this project."
"Also, I heard you've found a water-controlling demon that isn't hostile to humans. You're planning to research how to develop a beast-taming unit. I've come to contribute to that as well."
"That's correct." Director Jiang, noticing that the professor was a pure academic, quickly adjusted his approach. Switching to a straightforward tone, he said, "Let me take you directly to the laboratory. This way, please."
Professor Yuan's eyes lit up with anticipation. He called for his team of research assistants and followed Director Jiang to the Pearl Institute's laboratory, completely forgetting about the exchange students.
Fortunately, Director Jiang had arranged for two deputy-level staff members to handle the reception.
"Damn it," Zu Jiming cursed angrily. "That useless professor just dumped us here! I already hated him for not caring about anything, and now he pulls this."
"Nothing we can do," Guan Yu replied with a hint of dissatisfaction, though he managed to keep his composure. "Research is more important. It's about major projects that ensure humanity's stability. Our families can comfortably talk about profits in the cities only because of the contributions of scholars like him."
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