The next morning, Li Fei got up early for his routine morning run, as usual.
Today he had already asked for leave from Hao Yi. He didn't need to go to Martial Arts Hall for training, but instead, he was going to school with Li Tianyu to take the graduation exam.
At 8 a.m., the two arrived at Xing City Technical School on time.
However, they didn't enter the school immediately but waited at the main gate instead.
After about fifteen minutes, someone rode up on a bicycle from a distance.
As soon as the person arrived, Li Tianyu complained:
"Chen Gou, why are you always late? Today is our big graduation exam, and you dared to be late."
The newcomer was equally young, with an ordinary appearance and wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses that made him look very honest.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead:
"Anyway, getting here early just means standing around listening to the leaders' lectures, what's the point?"
The newcomer's name was Chen Lixin, a good friend of Li Fei and Li Tianyu at the school.
He studied business and didn't need to take the graduation exam. He had already secured the title of 'Outstanding Graduate' thanks to his excellent grades and also planned to go to college.
Though he looked honest, he had a belly full of tricks, shrewd and cunning, suited to be a crooked merchant, which is why Li Tianyu had nicknamed him Chen Gou.
Today, as Li Fei and Li Tianyu took their graduation exam, Chen Lixin had come as a friend to cheer them on.
"Let's go, let's go inside."
Li Tianyu called out.
The three walked into the school and headed straight for the playground.
The playground was bustling with people coming and going, part of them from the Zhi Ge Department and many others there to watch the excitement.
Nine round stages were set up around and in the center of the playground, which were to be used for the graduation exam shortly.
At this time, the leaders' speech had already ended, and the graduation exam was about to begin.
"Tian Yu has arrived?"
"Sister Tian Yu."
"Sister Tian Yu, cheer up later."
After arriving at the playground, many Zhi Ge Department students greeted Li Tianyu proactively, and she responded with a smile.
Li Fei and Chen Lixin were already accustomed to this.
Li Tianyu had a lively and outgoing personality, generous and enthusiastic, making it easy for her to get along with everyone, which is why she had many friends and was very popular.
"That show-off is posturing again."
Li Tianyu suddenly said.
Li Fei followed her gaze and saw that someone was surrounded by a crowd, laughing and chatting merrily.
This person's features were somewhat similar to Chen Lixin, but he had a more robust build and a more exuberant aura.
The man Li Tianyu referred to as a show-off was named Chen Lixin, Chen Lixin's cousin.
The Chen family was the number one noble family in Xing City, and Chen Lixin was the legitimate eldest son of the Chen family. In contrast, Chen Lixin was just an illegitimate child from the third branch of the Chen family, and their statuses were worlds apart.
Although Li Tianyu and Chen Lixin were good friends, she couldn't stand Chen Lixin and thought he was too pretentious.
Chen Lixin, as the Eldest Young Master of the Chen family, was coddled by teachers in the school, yet Li Tianyu, a girl, was always competing against him, showing no respect, which angered him greatly.
The two often conflicted at school.
There, Chen Lixin also noticed Li Tianyu and the others and immediately started walking over.
A group of people followed him.
"Tian Yu is here."
"My cousin is here too."
Chen Lixin greeted Li Tianyu and Chen Lixin.
As for Li Fei, he outright ignored him.
"I've already got the exemption spot for Zhi Ge Department in Wu'an University. I heard you're planning on applying to Wuda, Tian Yu, so you'll have to work hard. I'm looking forward to being classmates again in the future."
Chen Lixin said with a very boastful smile.
Xing City was located within the territory of Datong Prefecture, Feng Province, and Wu'an University was in the city of Datong Prefecture, so Xing City Technical School students' first choice for college was Wuda.
Given the Chen family's capability, it was not surprising that they obtained an exemption spot.
Chen Lixin took this opportunity to show off, making Li Fei feel as if he had returned to his student days when someone in the class would flaunt their latest model fruit phone after class.
"What's there to be proud of just because you got into Wuda with your family's help?"
Li Tianyu retorted with disdain on her face.
"I got into Wuda thanks to my family, and what can you do with yours? Oh, that's right, I heard your brother went to the Martial Arts Hall; is it because your family could only afford to send one person to university, so the sister stole her brother's spot?"
Chen Lixin said, laughing.
He had never been able to completely surpass Li Tianyu in school, but now that graduation was approaching, he finally felt he could showcase his superiority with the university entrance exams, and he couldn't help feeling very pleased with himself.
He turned to Chen Lixin, "Cousin, you knew the Li family was in trouble and didn't tell me. I could have lent them some money to prevent the siblings from fighting over it."
"You fuckin'..."
Li Tianyu, already feeling guilty because Li Fei couldn't take the university entrance exams, was furious when she heard this and was about to charge at Chen Lixin to throw down.
After all, she had done this many times before.
Li Fei pulled her back.
In his eyes, this situation seemed rather childish, but to seventeen or eighteen-year-olds, it was a matter of face.
At that age, people still take pride very seriously.
It was unrealistic to expect Li Tianyu to back down, so Li Fei decided to take advantage of the situation to gain some benefits for himself.
He looked at Chen Lixin, saying calmly,
"I heard that the Chen family is sponsoring this year's graduation exam?"
Chen Lixin was taken aback and then smiled proudly, "Yes, the prize money for the top eight in this graduation exam is provided by our Chen family."
This was a standard move for the Chen family to buy favor and establish prestige. In recent years, the prize money for the Zhi Ge Department's graduation exam at Xing City High School had been covered by the Chen family.
Li Fei looked at him, "You just said you're willing to lend us money, but as martial artists, we believe in relying on ourselves rather than others. I wonder if Eldest Young Master Chen would be willing to add an extra amount to the original prize money, allowing us to earn this money through our own abilities?"
"As martial artists, we believe in relying on ourselves rather than others." Hearing this, the surrounding Zhi Ge Department students' eyes lit up, feeling inexplicably inspired; it touched their youthful souls.
This statement also implicitly ridiculed Chen Lixin for entering university based on his family background, making his face darken.
Li Tianyu looked at Li Fei with a surprised look; she hadn't expected Li Fei to respond like this.
Chen Lixin also glanced at Li Fei with surprise and nodded inwardly.
In his view, Li Fei's response was very good; it retained dignity and set a trap for the other party.
Although Chen Lixin was arrogant, he was no fool and scoffed,
"Fine, I will personally put up three hundred yuan as a prize. The person who comes first in this graduation exam will receive double the prize money!"
There was prize money for the top eight in the graduation exam, but he would not add to the prize money for all eight, only for the first place.
With Li Tianyu's abilities, making it to the top eight was very stable, but getting first place was not guaranteed, and the money might even end up back in his own pocket.
"Alright, then I'll thank Eldest Young Master Chen for the prize money in advance."
Li Fei smiled slightly, as if the first place were already in his bag, and then he left with Li Tianyu.
"Hmph!"
Chen Lixin felt like he had punched a bunch of cotton.
"Who would have thought, eh? Normally this kid's like a silent gourd, only ever following behind his sister, but today he's suddenly made progress."
A companion said to Chen Lixin.
"Idiot, does he actually think his sister will definitely come first?"
"Please, he's just being mouthy. 'As martial artists, we believe in relying on ourselves rather than others.' They're just saying that because they have no one to rely on,"
Someone mocked.
"Enough!"
Chen Lixin shouted, his face darkening.
He actually took it to heart when people said he only relied on his family background.
He clearly had talent too.
But now that he was locked in a challenge with Li Tianyu, Chen Lixin absolutely could not let her take first place in the exam. The extra three hundred yuan didn't matter; what was important was the Chen family's face.
"The Chen family's face is above everything else."
This was a lesson Chen Lixin had learned since childhood.
He thought for a moment, called someone over, and whispered a few instructions.
...