Wang Xiuming concluded his speech and walked off the stage. Yet, the profound impact of his words lingered in the air.
A hum of discussion, as delicate as the fluttering wings of insects, began to ripple through the crowd.
He had declared that a C-rank student would act as a ‘catfish’, relentlessly pursuing the top-ranked freshmen from various provinces. This pursuit would even include an S-rank ‘super great white shark’.
Such an audacious declaration had been delivered in the most understated tone.
In any other setting, such words would have been dismissed as a mere jest, met with laughter and forgotten. However, this was the freshman orientation, and no one believed he was joking.
‘This kid is serious!’
Among the freshmen, some were indifferent, others grew tense, and a few felt annoyed and angered.
With thirty-four new students, every conceivable personality was present.
Nevertheless, having been given this designation, no one wished to be the one caught by the ‘catfish’.
“Interesting,” the Vice President of the Jiquan Association murmured from the back row, making no attempt to conceal his admiration for Wang Xiuming.
“This freshman has spirit. I’d say he’s highly likely to overturn quite a few expectations.”
Rankings merely represented a tangible form of talent. Yet, talent required manifestation, and some latent abilities simply couldn’t be measured during re-examinations.
For instance, diligence itself was a form of talent; a hardworking genius was still a genius.
Tiandu University had never been short of examples where the seemingly weak had turned the tables.
“This person would be an excellent fit for our Jiquan Association.”
Most members of the Jiquan Association were seated together, and it was one of their executives who spoke.
“Indeed, this batch of freshmen is remarkably interesting, and their quality is astonishingly high,” Vice President Yu Zishi chimed in. “To maintain our ranking, our Jiquan Association must recruit as many as possible.”
“Especially that A-rank freshman,” Yu Zishi continued, “we absolutely must secure them.”
These sentiments, expressed in various forms but carrying the same meaning, echoed repeatedly within different organizations. They resonated again and again throughout the hall.
Recruiting A-rank freshmen was the top priority, followed by securing as many other talented students as possible.
This was a universal consensus.
[Yun Yu, are you quite familiar with the A-rank student?]
Seated below the stage, Yun Yu’s expression stiffened as he read the message from the head of the Student Union’s Security Department on his phone.
[Moderately, we’re comrades in arms.]
The fact that Huang Xiu and he were both disciples of Teacher Yuan Fei was, for now, known only to the school’s faculty.
This allowed him to respond in such a manner.
[You’ve faced life and death together, so your relationship must be strong. In short, can you find an opportunity to promote the Student Union to your junior, Huang Xiu? Ideally, you should just ‘abduct’ her directly.]
[After all, you understand our situation these past few years.]
[Hmm… that depends on her. I can only tell her about the advantages of our Student Union.]
After sending the message, Yun Yu pressed the power button, tucking his phone into his trousers pocket.
“I’ll find a time to talk about it,” he sighed.
****
The subsequent segments of the freshman orientation proved rather tedious.
They mostly consisted of various important school leaders delivering brief remarks.
These leaders included both Awakened individuals and ordinary people.
Though their speeches were uninspiring, they nonetheless represented Tiandu University once again peeling back a layer of its mysterious veil for the new students.
For reasons unknown, perhaps due to certain considerations.
Even the official Tiandu University website on the Void Web listed no names for its leaders.
Following the lead of other freshmen, Huang Xiu also diligently recorded the names of these leaders in her memo app.
However, she privately admitted that she would most likely never look at them again.
After all, having already noted them down, expecting her to review them felt a bit excessive!
Finally, with the announcement that classes would officially begin tomorrow, the day-long freshman orientation drew to a complete close.
Huang Xiu was just about to head back to the dorms with her roommates when she was unexpectedly stopped by Yun Yu.
“Junior Huang, would you like to have dinner together tonight?”
“Sure! I’ll treat you then,” Huang Xiu said with a shrug and a smile. “I still remember last time!”
She was referring to the dinner Yun Yu had treated her to after the re-examination.
“But isn’t the school cafeteria free?” Ying Zhiyu interjected from the side, posing a profound question.
“I’m treating a senior to a meal, so I can’t cook something special, is that it?” Huang Xiu retorted, turning back with feigned indignation.
“Sister Xiu Xiu, you’re so rich,” Ying Zhiyu remarked.
“I earned quite a bit this time, though I’m not sure when it will hit my card.”
Huang Xiu smacked her lips, her face alight with anticipation. This Touchpoint operation had earned her at least a hundred — no, a thousand — academic credits!
‘Be bolder, it might even be two thousand!’
“Oh, by the way, can my roommates come?” Huang Xiu inquired.
This was one of her mother’s cardinal rules: never, ever go out to eat alone with a boy.
While she didn’t believe Senior Yun Yu was interested in her, the ancestral laws were immutable!
“Of course,” Yun Yu replied with a smile. “They are all promising talents, and bringing them into the Student Union would certainly be beneficial.”
Perhaps considering how exhausting their morning mission had been, both lunch and dinner today were exceptionally good.
Dinner was a lavish beef feast, featuring pan-fried steaks and stir-fried beef, and most importantly, it was unlimited.
“It’s truly a blessing to be able to study at Tiandu University!”
With this exclamation, Huang Xiu abandoned her plan of a special meal and instead began to devour the available food with gusto.
Her plate was piled high with five steaks, resembling a small mountain, conservatively estimated to weigh around five catties.
The main course and vegetables were relegated to a humble corner of the plate.
While this might seem an exaggerated sight elsewhere, it was quite common at Tiandu University.
Even Ying Zhiyu and Jia Qianrou demonstrated their prowess by tackling two steaks each.
After finishing their meal and chatting for a while, Yun Yu, seeing the opportune moment, began to speak.
“Senior Yun, you mentioned the Student Union?”
Huang Xiu lifted her head from her mountain of meat, a smudge of black pepper sauce still clinging to her rosy lips.
“Yes, I was entrusted to introduce the Student Union to you this time,” Yun Yu replied. “Of course, if Junior Jia and Junior Ying are also interested, that would be even better.”
Yun Yu set down his knife and fork, a warm smile gracing his face.
His plate held seven steaks. In terms of sheer quantity, the sports students invariably held the advantage.
“Alright,” Jia Qianrou nodded without resistance, while Ying Zhiyu remained engrossed in her battle with the steak.
“I’m also a member of the Student Union, let me clarify that first,” Yun Yu began, “and this isn’t a formal invitation yet.”
Yun Yu started by stating his identity, then proceeded to explain at a leisurely pace.
“The Student Union is currently the second-ranked organization within Tiandu University,” he elaborated. “We offer top-tier benefits and do not restrict recruitment based on lineage or abilities. As long as a student can pass our assessment, we welcome them.”
“Are there still organizations that restrict based on lineage and abilities?” Huang Xiu asked, her expression that of a curious child.
“Yes, apart from the Student Union, most organizations initially began as different clubs formed by like-minded individuals, which is why they have various restrictions,” Yun Yu patiently explained.
Yun Yu explained earnestly.
“For instance, among the top eight organizations, the Fireball Cult, ranked sixth, only recruits students with flame-related abilities. Though its ranking isn’t high, its combat strength is formidable.”
“Then there’s the Seekers’ Society, ranked seventh, which only recruits students from the White Tower lineage. And Goblin Tech, in eighth place, primarily takes students from the Research Department or those whose abilities are useful for invention and creation.”
“The Blood Assault Association, ranked fifth, exclusively recruits female students. The Weapons Combat Department, ranked fourth, only accepts students who specialize in close-quarters weapon combat.”
“As for the Endeavor Society and the Jiquan Association,” Yun Yu concluded, “a significant reason for their excellent development in recent years is that they, like our Student Union, have removed such restrictions, accepting anyone who passes their assessment.”
Yun Yu added this final point.