The Gymnasium’s Unspoken Rules

After a morning filled with various events, Jiang Zhe changed into his sportswear.

He was then promptly led to the gymnasium by the enthusiastic Ruan Ling and her companions.

Within the vast gymnasium, a cacophony of voices filled the air, creating an incredibly lively atmosphere.

Not only was Jiang Zhe’s class scheduled for physical education, but several other classes were also present at the same time.

“We have PE with Class One again? How annoying! Why is Class Six always the one suffering?”

“Class One isn’t too bad, at least better than Class Two. Those guys in Class Two look at people with their noses in the air. I actually worry they might try to eat with their nostrils.”

“That’s a bit much, isn’t it?”

“Hehe, isn’t that Jiang Zhe from Class Nineteen? He’s so handsome.”

It wasn’t yet time for class, and students in the gymnasium were gathered in small groups. Jiang Zhe, who had just managed to escape Ruan Ling’s fervent attempts to keep him by her side and had retreated to a corner, still couldn’t avoid the influx of gossip.

Although physical education classes were shared by several classes, there were strict grade limitations. For instance, first-year and second-year students were clearly separated to prevent potential conflicts between different age groups.

Students from the same year generally knew each other, and with these connections, even if disagreements arose, they wouldn’t escalate too severely, as others would step in to mediate.

The class divisions mentioned by the students were based on Fenghua High School’s unspoken rules. Class One in each grade wasn’t determined by academic performance, but by students’ family backgrounds.

For example, Ning Ran and Lin Moshu, both students of Class One, represented families whose influence served as an invitation ticket to the top tier.

Class Two comprised students from first-rate prominent families. While not on par with the absolute elite, their backgrounds were still formidable.

Following this pattern, the further down the class sequence, the less distinguished the family background.

Special enrollment students at Fenghua High School were randomly assigned but could not enter Classes One through Five. Jiang Zhe, for instance, was placed in Class Nineteen.

Classes further down the sequence were largely filled with nouveau riche students who had paid exorbitant fees to secure their admission.

Ordinary students attended school to study, but for these wealthy second-generation scions, high school was not a place of learning; it was a social arena.

It was where they built foundational relationships from a young age, mastering the art of human interaction to facilitate the exchange of information and assistance in the future.

Jiang Zhe ignored the scrutinizing glances from students in other classes, leaning against the wall with a hint of boredom.

Then, as if remembering something, he promptly flipped his left hand to check his wrist.

It had been over a day since he transmigrated into the game, yet he still hadn’t secured a binding character to extend his lifespan.

He wondered how long his current reserve of ‘Affection Points’ would last.

The icon, resembling a phone battery, was originally full, but now half of it had vanished.

‘The endurance isn’t great at all!’

‘Does this restriction of relying on Affection Points for survival mean I’m tied to Fenghua High School? What if I’m too far from my binding character in the future and can’t get Affection Points in time? Wouldn’t I just run out and die?’

[The reserve in the Affection Points status bar can be stacked. A certain amount of Affection Points must be accumulated to unlock relevant requirements. Before unlocking, stacking is not possible.]

Just as Jiang Zhe frowned in distress, the mechanical voice sounded again, answering his internal query.

After hearing the mechanical voice several times, Jiang Zhe was no longer startled.

He had even found a pattern: whenever he felt confused about this game world, the mechanical voice would automatically activate.

It was like an NPC guide in a game, actively helping to solve problems, which was quite convenient!

So, upon hearing the reminder, Jiang Zhe speculated that it might be similar to the health bars of high-level monsters in games, where defeating them required depleting not just one layer of health, but several stacked layers.

However, for now, it seemed imperative to quickly bind a character!

Otherwise, once the remaining Affection Points were depleted, his life would simply be over.

“Jiang Zhe is just too handsome, no wonder even Ning Ran is interested in him.”

“He’s absolutely debut-worthy, of course he’s good-looking. But they say he’s a pretty face with no substance, just a handsome face and nothing else.”

“I’m shallow, I admit. I only care about looks. I’m not on the same wavelength as those who prefer inner beauty.”

While Jiang Zhe was silently contemplating the need to accelerate his progress, a group of girls, forming a gossip circle, were stealthily approaching.

Their cheeks were flushed with youthful bashfulness, and their eyes seemed eager to stick directly onto Jiang Zhe.

They had waited so long, and now that they finally had a PE class with Jiang Zhe, they absolutely couldn’t miss this opportunity.

If they could ‘accidentally’ stumble into Jiang Zhe’s arms, or ‘unexpectedly’ brush his hand, such ‘unavoidable circumstances’ couldn’t be controlled, so they couldn’t be blamed.

‘If only we had been assigned to Class Nineteen back then. Aside from Classes One to Five, the other classes are all pretty much the same. High-minded but penniless families are even worse than the nouveau riche anyway!’

‘Moreover, being in the same class as Jiang Zhe, just seeing his face every day would make us happy. And besides, the early bird catches the worm; we’re still young, and the future holds infinite possibilities.’

“I told you I hate PE class. Everyone just crowds around, acting like they’re some kind of social butterflies. Shameless.”

“I think Liu Jinglin is right.”

The girls’ stealthy approach plan did not succeed. When they were still three meters away from Jiang Zhe, Liu Jinglin, leading the girls from Class Nineteen, directly became a roadblock.

She successfully prevented the girls from other classes from getting close to Jiang Zhe.

This scene played out every time there was a PE class, and the other students in the gymnasium had grown accustomed to it.

The girls of Class Nineteen protected Jiang Zhe like a scarce resource. Although they weren’t particularly close to him, they wouldn’t allow girls from other classes any chance to approach, much like wild beasts marking their territory.

They were practically glaring at each other with red eyes.

The blocked girls from other classes were naturally displeased. Unable to openly curse, they resorted to barbed insults and passive aggression. Thus, the girls from the two classes began vying for the title of ‘Champion of Snark,’ drawing everyone’s attention and effectively turning Jiang Zhe into a mere background figure.

His thoughts, interrupted by the clamor, returned to reality. Jiang Zhe looked at the girls still fiercely competing for the championship before him and felt utterly exasperated.

‘This face is a menace wherever it goes.’

Quietly moving away from the scene of the argument, Jiang Zhe initially wanted to find a quiet spot to rest.

As he looked up, searching for such a place, his eyes immediately fell upon Ning Ran, who had just entered the gymnasium.

The number of students in the gymnasium was considerable, yet Ning Ran stood out like a crane among chickens. Even amidst the crowd, she was impossible to overlook; in fact, it made her even more conspicuous.

She still had an entourage behind her, though a quick glance revealed a new group of followers, not the ones from yesterday.

It was almost time for class, indicating Ning Ran had arrived precisely on schedule. As she looked up at the noisy scene inside the hall, her beautiful eyebrows furrowed.

A look of displeasure crossed her usually impassive face, clearly displaying her foul mood.

Seemingly disinclined to watch any further, Ning Ran quickly averted her gaze. This made Jiang Zhe chuckle softly.

His original plan to find a quiet spot swiftly changed; now, he felt a stronger urge to go and provoke Ning Ran a little.

Before Jiang Zhe could even take a step, one of Ning Ran’s followers tugged at her sleeve and said a few words. Ning Ran then looked towards Jiang Zhe with a hint of surprise.

Their gazes met unexpectedly.