C2 You Can't Take the Blame!

"After fifteen long days and nights, and ten thousand soft dollars, I've finally scraped together enough."

Luo Ke surveyed the magical interface with a heart so full of hope it was nearly bursting. He had stumbled upon this interface half a month ago.

He recalled that fateful day when he was on his way to work. Perhaps he had neglected to check his horoscope, for as he walked, he encountered a runaway magnetic levitating train.

Luo Ke's legs churned furiously, trying to dodge.

But the train, as if it had eyes, targeted him and sent him spinning.

Yet, something odd occurred.

Once in the hospital, Luo Ke was not only unharmed but lacked even the slightest scratch.

The examining doctor marveled at this being the first medical miracle of the Spirit Qi era.

Upon waking, Luo Ke found this bizarre interface lodged in his mind. He voiced his suspicions to the doctor multiple times, but to no avail—the doctor dismissed him, even suggesting a psychiatric evaluation, treating him as if he were insane.

This had caused Luo Ke considerable distress.

But after a rollercoaster of shock, confusion, and fear, Luo Ke came to terms with the oddity in his brain. He had been toiling away, sacrificing sleep to understand this interface, and now, his efforts had finally borne fruit.

"Damn it, whatever you are, you'd better be worth it. After all this time, don't let it be for nothing. Those ancient novels always talk about a 'golden finger' leading to instant success, marrying the rich and beautiful, becoming a CEO, and reaching life's pinnacle, right?"

"I'm not asking for the pinnacle. Just help me ace the college entrance exam, and I'll be forever grateful."

The mysterious system displayed all the subjects Lin Xiaoyi was studying, each with a different cost to upgrade. Although Lin Xiaoyi wanted to upgrade them all, his funds were limited, and there was a basic pharmacology exam today.

Luo Ke briskly rubbed his hands and hit the upgrade button for basic pharmacology without hesitation.

Whoosh!

His wealth points dwindled to nothing.

A golden glow enveloped Luo Ke, filling him with a warm surge of power, as if knowledge was being crammed into his brain. But as quickly as it appeared, the light vanished.

That's it?

Luo Ke blinked, his face flushing as if he were straining with exertion.

"Luo Ke, get out here now! You looking for trouble? Think you can just hide in the bathroom? You ignoring me, Brother Hui? Asking for a beating?"

Just then, a voice bellowed from outside the restroom.

The door was kicked open, and Luo Ke's virtual interface flickered out, his eyes snapping back to reality.

He looked up to see several boys from the senior class eyeing him ominously.

"What do you want, Hong Chenghui?" Luo Ke asked, his tone edged with annoyance.

"Oh? Getting bold, aren't we, Luo Ke? You don't take my words to heart. I've told you time and again to steer clear of Lin Jing. You think you're untouchable? I've made it clear—Lin Jing is mine. And in this senior class, only I, Hong Chenghui, am a martial student destined to become a martial artist."

"Luo Ke, quit dreaming about punching above your weight. If I catch you sniffing around Lin Jing again, you'll regret it..."

Hong Chenghui, the boy in question, let out a cold snort and brandished his clenched fist threateningly.

"Luo Ke, what makes you think you can even hold a candle to Brother Hui? Have you no self-respect?"

"Do you even understand what it means to be a martial artist? You couldn't get into the most basic university, while Brother Hui here was headhunted by a top-tier martial arts college. He's destined to be among the elite once he graduates. What makes you think you can vie with Brother Hui for a girl? Wise up and back off. Maybe, out of classmate loyalty, Brother Hui might deign to look out for you."

"Yeah, you're nothing but a working stiff. Do you have any idea how much Brother Hui spends in a month? You probably haven't even met a pharmacist. But Brother Hui? He's in a league of his own with a matching degree over 90%. It's practically a given he'll become a martial artist."

The sycophants orbiting Hong Chenghui showered him with praise, their flattery music to his ears.

He smirked in self-satisfaction.

Shanhai City, a third-tier city, boasted Shanhai High School as a key institution, yet it couldn't hold a candle to the schools in first and second-tier cities in terms of faculty and student talent.

At Shanhai High School, the number of martial students with the credentials to take the martial arts exam was less than a hundred.

Hong Chenghui, pre-enrolled by a martial arts university before even sitting for the college entrance exam, was a standout among them.

With a matching degree already soaring at 90%, he was leagues ahead of the average, especially considering the typical Martial Arts University entry benchmark was an 85% matching degree at 17.

Breaking past the 90% threshold at just 17, Hong Chenghui was the object of much admiration.

"Lin Jing talking to me is none of your business. I've got better things to do than to entertain your tantrums. You're a martial student, sure, but that's got nothing to do with me. You fancy Lin Jing? Then muster the courage and tell her. What's the point of throwing a fit in front of me? You think I'm going to help you win her over?"

Luo Ke rolled his eyes, showing not an ounce of deference to Hong Chenghui.

He had once hoped for a breakthrough that would catapult him to success, but nothing had changed. It was like being constipated; frustration had been brewing inside Luo Ke for far too long.

"Luo Ke, you're just making things harder for yourself!"

Hong Chenghui's anger flared.

"What's the matter? You want to hit me? We're in a classroom, under the watchful eye of surveillance cameras," Luo Ke said, feigning shock.

"A classroom? Scared now, are you, Luo Ke? Too late for that. I could take you down right in front of a teacher and no one would dare object. That's the difference between a martial student and an ordinary person like you."

Hong Chenghui's smile was smug, clearly relishing Luo Ke's supposed fear.

But mid-taunt, he noticed Luo Ke wasn't paying him any heed. Instead, Luo Ke was busy tapping away on his wrist's virtual keyboard.

What was he up to?

Hong Chenghui's brow furrowed.

'Shocking! A martial student named Hong from a certain high school caught bullying on campus. Powerless, I, Luo, watch my grades plummet.'

What a spine-chilling headline.

Hong Chenghui peeked over and instantly, his face went pale.

After crafting that eerie headline, Luo Ke managed to look utterly aggrieved as he casually uploaded a selfie. His fingers danced across the keyboard, and in a flash, he had hammered out several hundred words of text.

"Luo Ke, what in the world are you up to?!"

Hong Chenghui fixed Luo Ke with a death stare, his heart feeling like it missed a beat.

"I'm not up to anything, just stating the plain truth. You know we regular students are no match for you martial types. If you decide to hit me, I stand no chance. My only recourse is to vent online, to air my grievances through the keyboard warrior route."

"Relax, it's just a blog post. I'm seeking a little online sympathy for my bruised soul. You're a martial student, already scouted by the Martial Arts University. You shouldn't take it personally. You can shoulder this burden, no problem."

Luo Ke gave Hong Chenghui a serene look, completely disregarding the menacing glare in his eyes, and continued on his own tangent.

No need to take it personally, huh?

If it's nothing personal, then why the sneaky photo of me?

Unless I'm mistaken, that green dot on the virtual interface is the blog's recording feature, right?

Damn.

There's a phrase on the tip of my tongue, but I'm not sure if it's the right time to say it.

Hong Chenghui was utterly taken aback when he heard it.