Chapter 29: Something is going to happen!

“0001?”

Lin Zhen’s fighting spirit surged.

Facing such a top-tier opponent in the sixth round—where most would be eliminated—was undoubtedly a stroke of luck.

This would allow him to truly gauge the immense gap between himself and the strongest Gifted Student selected from ten thousand!

“I’ve encountered the big boss, 0001!”

“This villain’s already this strong by the third episode?”

“Couldn’t turn the tides before; probably impossible now.”

At the start of the battle, Lin Zhen focused on probing.

He deliberately placed himself in a weaker position, trying to buy time and improve his score.

It was undoubtedly a safe tactic.

But 0001’s fighting style was like a starving wolf—ferocious and cunning, with physical prowess that crushed his opponent.

In just a simple probe, 0001 immediately spotted Lin Zhen’s flaw.

A crisp crack echoed.

Their bodies swiftly crossed paths and pulled apart.

Lin Zhen’s throat cartilage shattered instantly, and the fight was abruptly cut short.

Clutching his throat tightly, he slowly collapsed to the ground, slipping into unconsciousness amid the growing pain of suffocation.

His scattered gaze was filled with regret.

The pressure 0001 brought was overwhelming.

No matter what moves he made, they were all seen through, as if he had returned to the classroom facing Teacher Saxin—utterly despairing.

Through his blurry vision, he saw 0001 slowly approach and squat in front of him, his tone indifferent yet tinged with loneliness:

“Boring. Anyone who’s intimidated by the name ‘0001’ from the start and puts themselves in a weaker position will never defeat me.”

“You—are pathetic. Whether it’s your combat skills, your physical condition, or your mindset as a fighter.”

“How did a student like you even make it this far in the competition?”

Lin Zhen bowed his head, silent.

But a sudden flash of a girl’s exquisite face crossed his mind.

If she were the one fighting 0001—though she’d likely lose—the process wouldn’t be such a one-sided massacre, right?

Just then, 0001 seemed to notice something.

He reached out, pinched Lin Zhen’s chin, forcing him to lift his head and meet his gaze.

“Your expression seems to have told me something.”

0001’s eyes were deep purple, mysterious and profound, as if hiding countless unspeakable emotions.

They seemed to see through many matters.

Simply locking eyes with him brought a crushing pressure, as if this pair of eyes belonged to someone who could read hearts.

Lin Zhen’s heart skipped several beats, the suffocating pain temporarily suppressed.

He felt as if his soul was being scrutinized.

“Did someone throw the match for you?” 0001 suddenly asked in a low voice, a trace of disgust flashing in his eyes.

“Dude, did you just open your ‘Heaven’s Eye’? You can tell that just by looking?”

“So Lin Zhen’s previous wins were because Xiaoxi was throwing the fight?”

“You’re only realizing this now? Didn’t she hint at it multiple times before?”

“Xiaoxi is Xiaoxi; it’s normal for her to throw a fight (laughs).”

“0001 really is a villain, he gave me the creeps from the start.”

The chat was buzzing with viewers intrigued by this ‘strongest’ 0001, mainly because the character had high-level presence and an excellent model.

Many were naturally drawn to villains with outstanding looks and imposing aura.

Lin Zhen didn’t reply, his shattered throat making it impossible to speak.

But as 0001 pressed, the unspoken truth resurfaced in his mind, subtly altering his expression.

That change was instantly perceived by 0001.

His tone became certain, edged with severity.

“Oh, it seems I was right! Your expression has already told me—someone really did throw the fight for you!”

0001 dropped Lin Zhen and stood up.

The camera now focused on his cold, gaunt face, then rose to those eyes that seemed to pierce through the soul.

Fragmented images silently flickered deep within his gaze:

A thin man holding a frail child, kneeling on the ground.

The child looked up, trying to see the person in front, but was pushed down by the man; all he could see was a pair of luxurious boots.

【But this should have been his chance… Sir, he’s a genius!】

The man trembled, his eyes filled with longing and excitement.

【Upper-class citizens have the Donor Admission Rights. That’s the rule. Your child will have another chance next time, just wait another year.】

The owner of the boots said coldly, mechanical eye glowing red.

【Remember, Huijin Star is never short of talent.】

As the words fell, the boots clicked away.

The man did not raise his head; his eyes became dead.

“Damn it!”

0001’s eyelids drooped slightly, the fragmented images vanished, and his disgust deepened.

He looked at Lin Zhen and suddenly chuckled:

“Heh, those who trample on the Rules of Battle Camp like this are devils. I will never let this kind of troublemaker off easy; I’ll teach him a lesson.”

With that, he turned and ordered towards an unknown direction:

“Pull up the Competition Data for number 786. I want to personally ‘educate’ this rule-breaking student.”

Lin Zhen’s heart sank instantly upon hearing this.

After all, Yun Ruoxi had deliberately thrown her match for his sake. If 0001 targeted her…

But then he thought it absurd.

Pull up her Competition Data? Impossible. Even 0001 couldn’t have that much authority…

His smile froze as he clearly saw a Virtual Screen appear in front of 0001.

The latter, as if worried Lin Zhen couldn’t see clearly, stepped closer, showing him the familiar, breathtakingly beautiful face on the screen.

“Looks like you don’t know yet?” 0001 said softly with a smile. “The High-Level Leadership of Battle Camp are a bunch of leaders who enjoy watching the show.

As long as your request appeals to them, they’ll grant it.

“As 0001, I get special treatment from them too. They always indulge some of my personal… tastes.

“So, where else could be better than the Battle Camp?”

He reached out, grabbed Yun Ruoxi’s image from the screen, and formed a virtual holographic projection in front of him.

“2195, huh? Does she like you, or do you like her? Don’t worry, I don’t care about your feelings.”

0001 tapped the projection with his fingertip.

“But I will teach her a lesson—not just in virtual space, but in reality! Because there’s one rule she must understand: the Rules of Battle Camp cannot be broken.”

Danger! Something’s about to happen!

Lin Zhen’s alarm bells rang in his mind.

He immediately held his breath and forced himself to exit the arena, returning to his personal space.

He quickly opened his [Friends] list and tried to contact Yun Ruoxi, but messages sent to number 2195 sank without a trace—no response at all.

“Oh no, something’s going down.”

“Xiaoxi: Danger, urgent rescue!”

“This villain has a backstory, huh? Probably suppressed because someone broke the rules, so now he worships the rules?”

“That sounds like an oversimplified character setup.”