"What's there to panic about? If anyone should be panicking, it's him. If I disappear and don't come back, the school will have to take responsibility since I would have gone missing on school grounds."
Chu Ge said with a tease of a smile. Even now, whenever he saw Tang Xuejia, he would immediately think of her British Shorthair cat.
It was disgusting.
After eating bugs, it would go lick her feet.
Those bugs were Survivors.
With identities of humans!
Just thinking about it made Chu Ge feel nauseous again.
"Chu Ge, you seem to keep a low profile normally, but why do I get the vibe you're quite sneaky?"
Tang Xuejia said earnestly before she turned away.
Chu Ge found it amusing. His eyes shifted as he said, "Class representative, let's go to the zoo together this weekend. Hanging out with the class is so boring."
He wasn't particularly interested in Tang Xuejia, just bored with nothing to do; having a pretty girl for company could lift his spirits.
The British Shorthair had caused him psychological trauma, so he wouldn't be developing feelings for Tang Xuejia beyond that of classmates anytime soon.
But he thought she wouldn't agree.
After all, he had ruined her chance to go see the comic exhibition with Song Xiaoyu that day.
Tang Xuejia tapped her lower lip with her pen and said with a pout, "Okay then."
Chu Ge raised an eyebrow, surprised she had agreed.
Could it be because he had become more handsome lately?
He smiled but didn't continue the conversation and focused on his studies instead.
As time went by, more and more students arrived in the classroom.
When the bell for morning self-study rang, everyone returned to their seats to start reviewing.
"Clap, clap—"
At that moment, applause broke out, and Class President Xiao Xiaojie stood up at the lectern.
He said seriously, "Classmates, we are in our senior year now. Apart from the sports meet, gym classes will be canceled, and we'll have to come in on Saturdays, leaving almost no time to play. As class president, I want to organize a barbecue for us this Sunday. It might be our last chance to get together as a class, except for the graduation ceremony, and I hope everyone can make it."
After he finished talking, a cheer erupted from the class.
Compared to the zoo, most people preferred a barbecue.
Chen Xunjie sneered quietly, "There he goes, playing the lead role again."
Chu Ge showed no reaction, as if he hadn't heard Xiao Xiaojie's plans.
Seeing the excitement among his classmates, Xiao Xiaojie smiled in satisfaction and continued, "Really, I hope everyone in the class comes. We're all part of class seven, senior three, and it won't be the same if anyone's missing. I want us to create a lasting, beautiful memory of our youth."
"Each person should prepare fifty yuan. After we pay for the rental cars and food, any money left over can go into the class fund. What do you think?"
Some agreed, others disagreed.
Class funds again!
A plump girl in the front row raised her hand and asked, "Do we have to go?"
She looked annoyed, thinking that a single barbecue shouldn't cost that much.
With so many people in the class, how much could each person actually eat?
Probably only those students who usually stood out would be full in the end.
"It's best if everyone goes. Didn't you understand my point? I don't want you to have any regrets," Xiao Xiaojie said, pushing up his glasses and glancing at the plump girl.
Suddenly, the classroom erupted into chaos.
Tang Xuejia turned and said with a smile, "Looks like you won't be able to go to the zoo after all."
Chu Ge stared at his textbook unblinkingly and responded, "It's the same thing I've always said, it's no fun with a crowd. I'm still going to the zoo. It's up to you whether you come or not. You've always been afraid of the class leader in high school. In the future, in the professional world, you are going to be that earnest and honest employee under your supervisor, doing whatever you are told to do."
Tang Xuejia furrowed her brow; these words were obviously not kind, but was it right to speak this way?
"I just want you to go because my deskmate wants you there. Just come with us," Chen Xunjie said excitedly. Although he often complained about Xiao Xiaojie, he didn't dare to really go against him.
With Chu Ge leading, he felt very thrilled.
Tang Xuejia thought for a moment and said, "Alright then."
The wild cookout was the talk of Class 3, Year 7 for quite a while until they quieted down when a teacher patrolling for the morning self-study session passed by.
For the following days, Chu Ge attended classes with peace of mind and didn't come into conflict with anyone in the class.
After his rebirth, he realized he wasn't as overexcited as the characters in those rebirth novels.
Initially, he found his classmates fascinating, but as time passed, he began to see them as childish.
He became even more low-key, barely chatting with the students at the desks in front and behind him.
In the blink of an eye,
It was Saturday night.
Chu Ge was lying on his bed, about to enter the Survival House, when his phone rang.
He looked and saw it was a call from Gao Fei.
"Hello, what's up?"
"Bro, you actually survived the Survival Competition for the second time! How's it going, how many Survival Points do you have now?"
"One thousand two hundred."
"That many? Haven't you used any?"
"Yeah, I did. Just earned more."
"Nice, I just joined a Survival Team. There's a big shot leading us, so it'll be much safer from now on. Let me tell you, this Survival Team is amazing. The leader is an American Lion that's killed over a thousand!"
Gao Fei began to brag about the Survival Team he had just joined. Chu Ge could feel his excitement from his voice.
Killing over a thousand was something Chu Ge currently couldn't even imagine.
How many Survival Competitions would one have to survive to accumulate those numbers?
Chu Ge listened attentively and didn't feel impatient at all.
Having Gao Fei around, he could learn more about the Survival Arena.
Once Gao Fei had finished, Chu Ge asked, "What's the use of being Two Stars? I've just advanced to Two Stars, and I don't feel much change."
"What! You advanced to Two Stars?" Gao Fei's voice suddenly shot up an octave.
Chu Ge found the sound grating and frowned, "Is that a problem?"
He could sense the panic in Gao Fei's tone, which suggested it wasn't good news.
"Two Stars is a necessary step, but there's no need for rookies! The setup for gaining Survival Points differs with each Star Rank; the higher the rank, the more points. The points from kills are double the previous rank's, but the difficulty increases just the same. You're heading into the Two Stars competition without ample experience—are you looking to die? Why didn't you consult with me beforehand?"
Gao Fei was frustrated. Hearing this, Chu Ge's brow furrowed even deeper.
So that's how it was!
No wonder I could check the survival tasks five days in advance.
"I was thinking of introducing you to a Survivor big shot in Nanluo City, getting you some real-world mentorship so you could live a more comfortable life. But seeing this... looks like you'll be off the radar in a month."
"A Survivor big shot? How many Survivors do you have contact with in reality..."
"What do you know? We're all people who could die any time, so of course, we want to have as much fun as possible. This big shot is a major tycoon here. If you make it back alive, I'll take you to hang out in his company, earning a salary for nothing. Speak well on his behalf, and you'll get bonuses every month."
"Is it really that good? Is this guy overflowing with cash, or is he not right in the head?"
"You don't understand. It's an exchange of favors. If he runs into trouble later, we'd also have to help him, right?"