The resounding footsteps and the ceaseless rolling of luggage wheels echoed through the high-speed rail station, never once pausing.
Those who chose to travel on a Monday morning were either weary workers or returning wanderers.
Most of them moved with a hurried air.
Occasionally, a few might glance back, drawn by the girl’s exquisite beauty.
Yet, they ultimately hurried on their way.
“Right, I should check the directions again.”
While observing the constant flow of people in and out was somewhat amusing, it wasn’t a sustainable plan.
Huang Xiu pulled out her phone, opened her photo album, and used two fingers to zoom in on the saved image of the directions.
“Do not pass through security and enter the station. Proceed directly to VIP Lounge Number Two. You can ask staff for its exact location.”
“So that’s it.” The young woman nodded in understanding, finally knowing her destination.
She scanned her surroundings, preparing to seek out a staff member.
Suddenly, a slightly surprised, hoarse shout, unfamiliar to her ears, rang out from behind.
“Big shot, is that you?”
Turning back in a daze, Miss Xiu Xiu saw a young man who looked familiar, yet she couldn’t quite place him.
He had an ordinary appearance, with a round head and round eyes.
“You are…?” Huang Xiu asked, puzzled.
“It’s me!” The young man pointed to himself. “Big shot, you truly have a memory befitting a person of importance!”
The mention of ‘Candidate 123’ jogged Huang Xiu’s memory. Covering her mouth, she exclaimed in surprise, “Are you 299?”
“That’s right!” The young man nodded vigorously. “The exclusive ranking for anime and manga protagonists—the bottom feeder.”
His mindset was undeniably excellent; there was no trace of the despair he’d shown on the day the star fell.
Nevertheless, Huang Xiu was genuinely surprised to see Candidate 123 here.
“Why are you here too?” she inquired.
Yet, the moment the words left her lips, a possibility struck her, and her mouth parted slightly.
She felt a surge of disbelief.
‘It can’t be… Could it be you?’
“Exactly!”
The young man spun around triumphantly, the Pikachu charm dangling from his backpack zipper jingling merrily.
“I’m also a freshman at Tiandu University.”
As he spoke these words, a wave of emotion washed over him.
That single punch, born of his unwillingness to yield, had truly changed the course of his life.
‘Indeed, bitterness first, then sweetness; suppression first, then elevation! I am truly the archetypal underdog protagonist from novels and anime!’
Candidate 123 cackled maniacally in his mind, though his outward expression remained serene.
He extended a hand, saying in a tone he tried to keep calm, “Big shot, let’s properly reintroduce ourselves. My name is Zhang Si—the ‘Si’ from ‘temple,’ not the ‘Si’ from ‘Zhang San Li Si.'”
Yet, the tremor in his fingertips betrayed his inner turmoil.
“Ah, hello.”
Huang Xiu politely shook his hand. “I’m Huang Xiu—the ‘Xiu’ with the ‘mouth’ radical, the ‘Xiu’ from ‘xiu-xiu-xiu.'”
“Have you found VIP Lounge Number Two?” she asked.
“Of course! I arrived just a tiny, tiny bit earlier than you all, so I’ve already mapped out the location of VIP Lounge Number Two.”
‘Fake. It wasn’t just a tiny bit earlier; it was an *immense* amount earlier.’
As a local of Yanghai, he had been too excited to sleep all night, arriving at the high-speed rail station at five in the morning, just as it opened.
“I’ve been waiting here by the entrance, just in case other freshmen couldn’t find the VIP lounge,” Zhang Si said, running a hand through his hair. “But I never expected the first person I’d see to be you, big shot.”
“Come on, follow me.” With that, he reached out, intending to take Huang Xiu’s luggage.
But she didn’t let go.
“Ah, I’ll manage it myself…” Huang Xiu offered an apologetic smile.
She wasn’t the type to get overly familiar with strangers.
Moreover, having once been male, she was genuinely reluctant to accept such assistance from a man to a woman.
Even though it was offered with good intentions.
‘It’s just one suitcase; surely I can still pull it myself?’
“Alright!”
Zhang Si, unfazed, simply chuckled good-naturedly and led Huang Xiu towards VIP Lounge Number Two.
The location of VIP Lounge Number Two was not where Huang Xiu had expected; it wasn’t near the waiting hall inside the station entrance.
Instead, it was over a hundred meters to the right, outside the station entrance.
“No wonder I didn’t see any signs for VIP Lounge Number Two,” Huang Xiu remarked, pulling her suitcase as she followed Zhang Si.
Hearing this, he turned back with a laugh. “Haha, big shot, you rarely take high-speed rail, do you?”
“VIP lounges are always like this. They’re usually separate, with their own dedicated entrances, and security checks are handled differently.”
“Is that how it is?” Huang Xiu’s face showed dawning comprehension.
“Oh, right, I’ll tell you a little secret—I only just found this out myself,” Zhang Si whispered conspiratorially. “This VIP Lounge Number Two is specifically for people like us.”
“Oh, so it’s that exclusive?” Huang Xiu mused, just as she spotted the entrance to VIP Lounge Number Two.
Dedicated staff members stood guard outside.
“Exactly. After all, people like us are a bit special; some things just can’t pass regular security checks.” Zhang Si inwardly gloated.
This sense of mystery and privilege, akin to being a Dragon Group Agent, utterly captivated him.
After her identity was verified, Huang Xiu was respectfully ushered inside by the staff.
Their soft-spoken politeness made her feel a little embarrassed.
VIP Lounge Number Two was quite spacious. Upon entering, rows of sofas and massage chairs were neatly arranged.
Tables lining the walls offered a self-service selection of snacks and beverages.
Overall, it somewhat resembled a hotel buffet restaurant she had visited before.
By this time, a considerable number of Tiandu University freshmen from across Yunshang Province had already arrived.
Some, already acquainted or having met through freshman group chats, sat together, chatting in low voices.
Huang Xiu’s gaze swept across the room, identifying three familiar faces.
Two of them were candidates from the previous batch: Chi Xue and Moon’s Surface, both of whom had undergone their transformations.
The remaining familiar face was Bald Liu, the bald big brother who had appeared earliest.
Huang Xiu saw them, and they, in turn, saw her.
After so many days to calm down, their reactions were finally not as terrifying as before.
However, the greetings of “Big shot” that drifted from all directions still permeated the air.
It always gave Huang Xiu a strange feeling of having walked onto the wrong set, as if into a gangster film.
‘If I were wearing a black suit, I’d probably be mistaken for a mob boss,’ Huang Xiu grumbled internally.
“Sister Xiu Xiu, over here!” Chi Xue called out from a distance, her voice hushed.
Several people were still asleep on the nearby sofas, snoring softly, their breaths rising and falling in rhythm.
Even the recent greetings hadn’t stirred them.
They likely lived quite far from Yanghai.
Thus, they had set off for Yanghai yesterday and spent the night sleeping in the VIP lounge.
“I’m going over there first!” Huang Xiu said, lowering her voice as she turned to Zhang Si.
During these past fifteen days, she had been terribly bored, unable to chat with her old classmates.
Since Chi Xue had always proactively sought her out for conversation, and coupled with the camaraderie forged during their shared examination, their relationship had gradually grown closer.
They had, in essence, become good friends.
Even before their departure, Chi Xue had arranged for them to sit together during the journey.
Although Huang Xiu didn’t quite grasp this so-called ‘best friend’ bond where girls felt the need to do everything together, she had ultimately agreed.
“Alright!”
Zhang Si nodded, then scurried back out, ready to resume his grand mission as a ‘tour guide.’
However, most of the freshmen had already arrived, so Huang Xiu figured he likely wouldn’t be waiting for many more.