Nine chairs were scattered around the classroom, and Ruan Chen chose one to sit at the back.
She seemed not to hear any of the gossip.
First came the self-introductions. Everyone only said their name and which province they came from, not daring to say a single extra word, as if afraid of wasting time.
After the icebreaker activity ended perfunctorily, the teacher in charge finally breathed a sigh of relief and forced a friendly smile. "Now I'll take you all to see our AI Core. Perhaps one of you will become its pilot. I wish you all success."
Although the people below clearly showed impatience, they still showed their support and burst into enthusiastic applause.
Ruan Chen also got up and fell to the back of the crowd.
The boy in front of her was named Wei Feng. He seemed nonchalant when he got up, but then he kicked over the chair he was sitting on.
Ruan Chen reacted quickly. She took a step back, and the chair grazed her toes as it crashed heavily to the ground.
The boy was tall and had curly chestnut hair, whether naturally or dyed, it was hard to tell. He kept apologizing, but the sarcasm in his mouth and eyes was undisguised.
Ruan Chen remained silent, bent down to lift the chair, and Wei Feng also bent down at the same time.
But Wei Feng didn't pick up the chair he had deliberately knocked over. He whispered in Ruan Chen's ear, in a voice only the two of them could hear, "You little piece of trash, I really don't know why you still have the nerve to come here—if I were you, I would have gotten lost. I really don't know how trash like you managed to sneak in."
Ruan Chen suddenly remembered that she had seen the nameplates of the professors in the teaching and research office that day, and one of them was surnamed Wei.
Her hair was also chestnut brown and curly.
It seems to be innate, and also hereditary.
It's unclear what Professor Wei from the Martial Arts Research Institute was trying to achieve by telling Wei Feng all this, but it can't be ruled out that he's one of "them's" people.
Ruan Chen's hand gripping the chair tightened slightly. Her knuckles were somewhat thin, and the veins on her sleeves, rolled up an inch, were visible and then disappeared.
Then Ruan Chen stood up and swiftly flipped the chair over, slamming it heavily onto the boy's instep.
She stood up swiftly, and the boy was still whispering his next sarcastic remark in her ear when Ruan Chen, who had suddenly stood up, bumped his chin hard.
Wei Feng heard a sharp cracking sound from his jawbone, and tears immediately streamed down his face from the pain.
Ruan Chen rubbed her shoulder nonchalantly, coldly and insincerely retorting with every word of Wei Feng's apology.
Then, she walked past him, who was still in a daze, with her hands in her pockets, swaying as she walked forward.
After all that commotion, Ruan Chen's mood suddenly improved, and a faint smile appeared on her usually aloof face as she quickened her pace to catch up with the remaining people.
The group was whispering amongst themselves when they heard someone chasing after them. They assumed it was Wei Feng, the one who had led the provocation, and were about to greet him and ask about the outcome of the battle. These people had only known each other for a few minutes, but they had already begun to secretly compete with each other. However, they had reached a tacit agreement on dealing with the good-for-nothing Ruan Chen.
What caught their eyes was Ruan Chen, whose small face wore a clean smile.
She was naturally beautiful, but she liked to keep a cold and silent expression, which made people afraid to get close to her or look closely at her beautiful face, and subconsciously kept their distance.
But when she smiled at this moment, she was truly radiant. Her aloofness vanished completely, and she had the air of a pampered princess from a powerful family.
Ruan Chen is good at acting, but most of the time she's too lazy to act.
“Wei is taking care of some things in the back; he’ll catch up soon,” Ruan Chen kindly offered.
The group of people looked as if they had seen a ghost, but they all nodded and smiled at Ruan Chen.
Regardless of what these people are thinking, you can't hit someone who's smiling.
The group stopped in the frosted glass room, and Wei Feng, rubbing his sore and swollen chin, limped up and gave Ruan Chen a venomous look.
Ruan Chen looked completely innocent, watching the show with a leisurely air. "Wei, come on, we're just waiting for you. Hey, what happened to your legs and chin? They were fine just now!"
Ruan Chen fully displayed the innocent and naive spirit she had learned from Ruan Yunhan back then.
"Alright, students, let's begin." The teacher in charge was really afraid that these rebellious yet talented students would cause some trouble in the most confidential part of the Martial Arts Research Institute, so he hurriedly interrupted and asked the first question, "Students, first sense how many intelligence cores are here, and in which rooms are they located?"
Ruan Chen yawned and glanced at the hidden camera. The director of the Martial Arts Research Institute and those esteemed professors were probably watching the students' every word and action.
Five.
Six.
"Only five!"
"There are clearly six, can't you tell?"
The group started arguing amongst themselves. Ruan Chen noticed that Wei Feng stood to the side with a confident expression, not saying a word, arms crossed, sneering, his eyes full of disdain for a clown.
Ruan Chen's heart stirred slightly, and he silently opened his mental network, completely enveloping the mental networks of all these people.
Like a god looking down on the human world.
Within Ruan Chen's coverage area, she sensed eight mental networks—one belonging to the other seven students and the professor in charge. There was not a single fluctuation of mental energy around Wei Feng.
Ruan Chen raised an eyebrow slightly; interesting.
The professor in charge gestured for everyone to be quiet, then looked at the three students who said there were six, a hint of appreciation in his eyes, and asked, "Which six?"
Several people raised their hands in unison to point it out.
Then the professor leading the team asked again, "Can you sense the differences between these six intelligence cores?"
This time, the other three students remained silent. After a moment, a short-haired, capable-looking girl spoke first, "It seems that some have stronger energy, while others have weaker energy."
Ruan Chen looked at the girl. Her name was Wu An, and she came from Yuncheng.
The professor leading the team shook his head regretfully, indicating that the answer was incorrect.
However, in Ruan Chen's opinion, this answer was not wrong. The energy fluctuations of Chi Xiao and Qi Xing Long Yuan were indeed very weak, and Chi Xiao was probably doing it on purpose.
Another timid boy hesitated before speaking—he even subconsciously raised his hand before speaking, "Professor, um..."
His finger pointed to the room of Seven Star Dragon Abyss.
Ruan Chen straightened up from her lazy posture. Although she was somewhat watching the show, she also hoped that China could have more top talents.
The professor's eyes were full of anticipation as he stared intently at the boy's somewhat dry lips, waiting for him to give the answer.
However, another confident voice interrupted the boy, saying loudly, "The intelligence core in the third room is incomplete; it seems to lack a soul!"
Wei Feng's voice was smug.
Ruan Chen chuckled softly.
It seems that Professor Wei from the Martial Arts Research Institute really can't keep a secret. She said the exact same thing Wei Feng said just last week.
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