Shen Ning had no expectations about teamwork. Over the years, she had gotten used to working alone. Even during the mall battle, where over a dozen classmates were involved, she was the only one who did all the killing.
As for Xu Chuyao โshe didn’t care. According to Yu Jing, she didnโt join the special squad for any kind of team activity. She came to be the Emperor.
โThis is the place.โ
Yu Jing brought them to a large room in the office building. Judging by the decor, it was probably used for receptions before. In the middle of the hall, five classmates were already seated on chairs and sofasโtwo girls and three boys. With Xu Chuyao and Shen Ning added in, there were seven people in total.
โWell, look whoโs here,โ said an upperclassman boy, letting out a whistle. โIsnโt this our new commander?โ
So, they were clearly already aware of the appointmentโand not too thrilled about it either.
Yu Jing gave them a brief introduction and then turned to leave, telling the group to get to know each other on their own. As soon as she left, the senior students immediately surrounded them.
โNot sure which leader you’re related to, busty girl,โ sneered the boy from earlier, โbut donโt think for a second you can boss us around, got it?โ
Xu Chuyao glanced at him like he was an idiot, didnโt say a word, and went to sit in a nearby chair. Shen Ning followed and sat beside her. She wasnโt sure what was going on, but sticking with her girlfriend felt like the safest bet. Li Renhao had taught her thatโno matter what happens, stand by your girlfriend. Then he ended up getting paired against his own girlfriend in gym class.
โShe already chickened out?โ
โSheโs not gonna run crying to the teacher, right? We didnโt bully her.โ
The four upperclassmen tossed out their jabs one after another before walking away with smug grins.
They were all fifth-year students, in their final year at school and close to graduation. As some of the top students in their grade, they had ambitionโthey hoped to land good positions after graduation, ideally getting leadership roles in the security departments of a major city.
Normally, that kind of goal would be hard to achieve. But due to the recent threat from the Clown Gang, the school had formed a special squad and announced that all successful actions carried out by its members would be counted as military merit. It was a golden opportunity. The four of them had been full of enthusiasmโuntil they learned theyโd have to take orders from a third-year girl named Xu Chuyao.
And who was Xu Chuyao, anyway? The most popular school beauty when the semester started, the flawless Thunder Goddess with a perfect face and body. Sure, those were all complimentsโbut they made her sound like a total airhead.
If it had been a year earlier, maybe theyโd have been happy to play house with the cute girl, maybe even develop some feelings. But now, with graduation looming, what mattered most to everyone was their military merit.
โA terrorist group targeting students? I say itโs just โcause the third-years are too weak.โ
โEven a Tier 1 clown could go on a rampageโwhat does that tell you?โ
โIf it had been our class that day, not a single student wouldโve died, and not a single clown wouldโve escaped.โ
The three fifth-year boys and one girl chatted loudly nearby, clearly intending for Xu Chuyao and Shen Ning to overhear them. But the two girls remained calm and unbothered.
Shen Ning, a firm believer in โstrength is power,โ actually agreed with part of what they said. The students involved that day had been weak, and the Tier 1 clown wasnโt that impressive.
Well, she was Tier 2 now anyway.
As for Xu Chuyao, she just found their comments amusing. The more they talked, the more she wanted to laugh. She could hardly wait to see their expressions later.
At that moment, the other girl in the room walked over to them and introduced herself. โHi, Iโm Yu Yuwei from Class 4, Year 4. Looks like Iโm the only fourth-year here.โ
Yu Yuwei was a bit taller than Shen Ning. She wore a beige knit top and cropped pants, with shoulder-length wavy brown hair. She looked like a sunny, cheerful girl.
She didnโt have the โhigh statusโ of the fifth-years, so she couldnโt join their little clique. But she also wasnโt โimmatureโ like the third-years, so they didnโt mock her either. She was stuck in the middle. After some thought, she decided itโd be better to team up with the lower years. After introducing herself, she looked at the white-haired girl:
โYou must be Shen Ning. Thereโve been so many stories about you around school latelyโitโs an honor to meet you.โ
Then she turned to the stunning Thunder girl:
โAnd you must be Xu Chuyao. Before I came, the teacher told me to follow your lead in the squad. She said youโre a genius.โ
Whether or not her teacher actually said that, Xu Chuyao didnโt know. But the flattery was nice to hear.
โThatโs the right attitude,โ Xu Chuyao said, beckoning her over. โCome sit with us. Donโt hang around those idiots.โ
Yu Yuwei snuck a glance behind her. The four others hadnโt heard. She let out a tiny sigh of relief and said, โThose guys are really strong. Two of the boys are Tier 2. The other two are at the peak of Tier 1โabout to break through any day.โ
Shen Ning frowned. She couldnโt help asking, โThatโs it?โ
Big deal.
Xu Chuyao was even more unimpressed. She gave a little snort. โOn paper, maybe theyโve got some strength. But you know what? Thereโs an old saying in Huaxia: โIf I say youโre good, then youโre goodโeven if youโre not. If I say youโre bad, then youโre badโeven if you are good.โโ
Yu Yuwei was baffled. What was that even supposed to mean?
At that moment, their homeroom teacher, Yu Jing, returnedโthis time with a tall, stern-faced man in tow. As soon as the four fifth-years saw him, they straightened up immediately. He mustโve been their instructor.
โNow that everyoneโs familiar,โ Yu Jing said, stepping to the center of the room with the male teacher beside her, โlet me explain. This mission will involve Class 3, Year 5. Nine students in total will go out. You will add a few from the special squad to blend in. Submit your roster to me by the day after tomorrow.โ
She handed a roster sheet to Xu Chuyao. All seven members of the special squad were listed. She had the authority to assign roles.
โNo need to wait,โ Xu Chuyao replied. โIโll decide now. Me, Shen Ning, and Yu Yuweiโthree people total.โ
The room instantly erupted.
All four fifth-years stood up in outrage.
โAre you serious? This is a personal vendetta!โ
Even Yu Jing was momentarily speechless. Sheโd been planning to have the whole squad go out for their first missionโsomething safe and steady. But Xu Chuyao had just excluded all the fifth-years with a single sentence. Still, she was Xu Chuyaoโs teacher and ultimately supported her decision.
The male fifth-year teacher twitched his lips as if to speak, but held back. According to the higher-ups, Xu Chuyao did have the final say.
The fifth-year girl stepped forward, demanding, โI get that you donโt like us, but the battlefield isnโt a place for petty grudges. If you handpick your team and we fail against the Clown Gang, will you take responsibility?โ
Xu Chuyao just smiled.
You think you understand the Clown Gang better than me? You think you see more clearly?
โAhem, I guess some of you didnโt hear me clearly,โ Xu Chuyao said, stepping into the center of the room, directly in front of the two teachers. She raised the roster high and declared in formal tone:
โDisregarding personal objections, I hereby demote Cheng Li, You Jia, Shi Lei, and Zhong Mingโto the bench!โ
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Man I love how arrogant she is and you know it’s especially satisfying since she can back that shit up.