Chapter 5: The First Story (3)

He could understand the words, and he knew how to solve the problems.

But Qin Chu never expected that he wouldn't be able to write in this world's script. What kind of top student couldn't write?

Noah and Qin Chu "looked at each other" in their minds.

General Qin couldn't help but start cursing. "What kind of messed-up setting is this? Why can I read these characters but not write them? Do you expect me to answer the exam in Interstellar language?"

That would leave the grading teacher scratching their head over a pile of gibberish.

Noah sounded pitiful. "I'm just a military system. How could I have as many language packs as the main AI? You can even read right now because I secretly downloaded a little when we entered this world…"

"Hurry up and fix it!" Qin Chu barely resisted the urge to stab his pen into his head and end Noah.

Fortunately, before the exam ended, Noah carefully hacked into this world's data and downloaded an upgraded language pack. Qin Chu managed to complete the most nerve-wracking test of his life in the last half-hour.

When the first exam ended, the classroom and hallway erupted into chatter again.

Qin Chu remained seated. He noticed the proctor smile at him kindly before leaving. It seemed the teacher really appreciated Cheng Cheng. Based on the information Noah provided, that part was accurate.

However, Qin Chu was still puzzled. How could an honor student maintain friendly relationships with a breakfast stall owner, a school teacher, and even a local delinquent?

The first two were understandable, but the blond-haired thug from the alley caught Qin Chu's attention.

Moreover, if he wasn't mistaken, the classmates around him didn't seem close to Cheng Cheng. There was even a subtle sense of rejection.

Before he could dwell on it, his doubts were soon confirmed. A male student walked into the exam room from outside, loudly announcing like a human megaphone, "Shit! Zhou Sisi and Zhao Yuan couldn't even take the first exam!"

These two seemed to have some special status. The moment their names were mentioned, the students inside and outside the exam room turned to look at the boy in surprise.

The boy, clearly angry, continued his rant when he saw everyone's attention. "It's all because Cheng Cheng got some thugs to block Zhou Sisi!"

"And he even stole Zhao Yuan's electric bike! Damn it, he did this last time just to get first place, and now he's doing it again? Disgusting."

In an instant, all eyes turned toward Qin Chu, who was still seated.

Noah was speechless. "…Is this what you meant by 'borrowing a bike'?"

Qin Chu was equally speechless. "Is this what you meant by 'honor student'?"

Perhaps due to a lack of evidence or the victims choosing not to pursue it, Qin Chu wasn't called to the office. However, from the various expressions around him and the hushed whispers that people thought were quiet, he had roughly pieced together the parts that were missing from Noah's data.

The girl in the alley was likely Zhou Sisi, and the person he mistook for a store clerk was Zhao Yuan. It seemed Cheng Cheng had engaged in some rather unethical competition just for the sake of his grades.

Unlike the rest, who were just gossiping, the boy who had made the announcement was absolutely livid.

The boy's hair stood on end, giving off the impression of someone so furious his hair was about to explode.

His eyes swept across the room, quickly locking onto Qin Chu. He immediately wanted to cause trouble, but the second exam was about to start. The proctor entered right as the bell rang, forcing the "loudspeaker" to reluctantly hold back.

Even as he returned to his seat, he made sure to point at Qin Chu with a threatening expression. From his lip movements, it was easy to guess what he was saying—probably things like "Don't leave after school" or "Meet me at the back gate"—a collection of classic dumb threats.

Qin Chu, a seasoned general, detested people spouting empty threats in front of him. But this was just a ten-year-old human cub—not even worth a glance. He didn't even bother lifting an eyelid.

The rest of the exams went smoothly. This level of knowledge wasn't a challenge for Qin Chu. And with Noah around, there was no need to ask for help—not that he would ask. The only issue was that Noah was an absolute chatterbox.

The boy who had stood up for Zhou Sisi and Zhao Yuan glared at Qin Chu for two days straight. Then, at last, the exams were over.

After the final test, Qin Chu was asked by the proctor to help organize the exam papers, so he returned to the classroom a little late. By the time he walked in, the students were already seated for self-study. But since the exams had just ended, the atmosphere was still buzzing with restrained whispers.

Qin Chu entered through the front door. The slightly worn aluminum door scraped against the floor, making a sharp creak.

The murmuring came to an abrupt halt.

A room full of teenagers lifted their heads, staring at him in unison.

Normally, realizing that the person entering wasn't a teacher would make them relax. But when they saw it was Qin Chu, the silence became even more unnerving.

The scene felt too familiar. It reminded Qin Chu of the times he gave lectures to first-year cadets at the military academy. But back then, the silence was laced with awe and reverence. Now, it was filled with coldness and disdain.

The desks, which had been arranged for exams, were now back in their original positions—three columns filling the classroom. But in the open space at the back of the room, one desk lay abandoned on the floor.

After a brief pause, the whispers resumed—this time louder than before. If the earlier murmurs had been unconscious reactions, the current uproar was clearly meant to isolate someone.

Amidst the noise, Qin Chu walked forward without hesitation.

His face was naturally cold. His school uniform sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. Holding a chair with one hand, he looked less like he was returning to study and more like he was here to start a fight.

This created a bizarre phenomenon—wherever he walked, the chatter died down. Like a walking silencer, his presence alone muted the classroom.

Qin Chu commented to Noah in his mind, "These students are surprisingly obedient."

Not like the troublemakers in his military academy, who spent every day trying to stir up chaos.

What he didn't know was that before he arrived, the class had been brainstorming various ways to mess with him. But now? Who knew how many people had planned to trip him, only to quickly retract their legs in fear of his intimidating aura.

Yet, they couldn't help but sneak glances at him.

The classroom seating was arranged in three major columns, each split into three smaller sections. Previously, when Cheng Cheng's dirty tricks hadn't been exposed, he still had two seatmates. But now, those two had immediately paired up with someone else, leaving him abandoned.

Everyone was waiting to see a show—where would Cheng Cheng sit?

But to their surprise, Qin Chu didn't hesitate at all. He extended his arm, set the fallen desk upright, and placed it directly at the back row.

Unlike the old Cheng Cheng, he had no forced smile. His lips were pressed into a firm line, and his movements exuded the unmistakable aura of someone who couldn't be bothered to deal with idiots.

Ironically, it was their plan to exclude him—yet now, it looked like they were the ones being coldly rejected.

After setting up his desk, Qin Chu realized it was too far back—leaning against the trash can. Without hesitation, he knocked on the desk in front of him and ordered in a flat voice, "Move forward."

The student in front clearly wasn't happy. He turned around with an irritated glare, spitting out, "You fuc—"

But the moment his eyes met "Cheng Cheng's" unusually icy gaze today, he swallowed the rest of the sentence. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but in the end, he silently turned back and started dragging his desk forward.

His seatmate, disappointed beyond words, scolded him, "What the hell?! Didn't we agree to resist evil forces to the end?"

The first student had a complicated expression. "I just… feel like if I refuse, he'll kill me…"

The seatmate looked at him with pure disdain, you coward practically written all over his face. He turned, ready to confront Qin Chu himself.

But after two seconds of meeting Qin Chu's eyes, he quietly turned back. Now, the words on his face had changed to I am a coward.

And so, a chain reaction swept through the room. The back row shifted forward, causing the entire column to move. The classroom filled with the sound of desks scraping against the floor.

The "loudspeaker" from before—the mastermind behind this whole ostracization plan—was seething at his desk, practically pounding his chest in frustration.

Meanwhile, Noah, who had been silently listening to the murmurs in front, sighed in Qin Chu's mind. "Commander, this isn't right."

Qin Chu asked lazily, "What's not right?"

Noah: "You're supposed to be the one getting isolated! So why does it feel like you're the one oppressing the entire class?!"

Qin Chu: "…"

After a moment, Noah spoke again, his tone tinged with caution. "You'll be living in this world for a while, at least until the mission is complete. I strongly suggest building good relationships and explaining what happened this morning."

Qin Chu remained indifferent. "No need. My only goal is completing the mission."

Noah fell silent for two seconds. Then, he finally revealed, "The mission calculations are complete. Your task in this world has been determined."

Hearing this, Qin Chu showed mild interest. "What's the mission?"

The street outside the school was filthy with disorder. His hands were itching to clean it up. Surely the task was something along those lines.

But Noah quickly crushed that thought. "It's not crime-fighting."

Qin Chu: "…"

Noah's voice grew even more cautious. "After precise simulations, the safest and most effective mission route is—ensuring your three classmates successfully take the college entrance exam."

Ensuring These Kids Take the Exam?

Qin Chu was so speechless with frustration that he didn't even get the chance to curse before Noah started firing off explanations like a machine gun:

"This world revolves around this school, and its boundaries are limited to this city. The data constructs living in this world will always have reasonable excuses to remain within this setting forever."

"So, the more people who take the college entrance exam, the greater the chance that someone will break free, causing bigger logical loopholes in this world's system."

Qin Chu immediately understood what Noah meant.

"Exactly! My dear Commander, you're still as brilliant as ever!" Noah sounded like he was fishing for praise. "And to make things easier for you, I've carefully selected the three candidates with the highest probability of success."

Realizing that he was about to start a babysitting career, Qin Chu's mood plummeted. He asked flatly, "Who are they?"

Noah kept up his enthusiastic tone: "They are—last year's top two students, Zhou Sisi and Zhao Yuan, plus the tenth-ranked student, Wang Peng!"

After that burst of excitement, an awkward silence followed.

Qin Chu: "…Oh. You mean Zhou Sisi—the one I had people block. And Zhao Yuan—the one whose bike I stole. And…"

At that point, Qin Chu hesitated and asked, "Who's Wang Peng?"

"He's at your two o'clock position."

Qin Chu lifted his gaze—only to lock eyes with Loudspeaker Bro, who was still glaring at him with fiery resentment.

Qin Chu: "…Wow. Fantastic job."