Chapter 53: Battle Room, Fish Pond Match

Virtual Combat Room?

Expectation shone in Qin Shi's eyes; he had heard from people in New No. 1 Middle School's Hongzhi Class that top-tier universities not only boasted formidable faculty, but were also fully equipped with all kinds of advanced devices.

Relying on the student card's identity verification, one could access the school intranet and, depending on one's permission level, use numerous functions.

"What use is my fourth-year student card? I don't even have the right to mute, delete posts, or ban accounts in chat rooms. Brother, lend me your Director badge, let me take Assistant Teacher Qin and dominate the battlefield!"

Lin Yunqing grinned cheekily, reaching out as if to ask for it:

"If I can beat them I'll fight, if I can't I'll kick them out of the room — guaranteed to brush my way to first place on the Qiguang Heng University Combat Power Ranking in half a week!"

Lin Xiaohan couldn't be bothered with his own improper younger sister, simply smiling at Qin Shi:

"Qiguang Heng University's cutoff score this year is slightly higher than usual, roughly just over eight hundred points.

Apart from the basic points from each semester, things like the Vitality Assessment Exam, Meditation Master Qualification Exam, Mechanical Repair Certification Exam — as long as results come out, they all add points.

Yunqing thinks highly of you; her vision has always been picky, it's rare she acknowledges someone this much. Little Qin, you must work harder, don't disappoint her expectations."

"Understood, Director Lin."

Qin Shi nodded obediently, thinking to himself:

"Director Lin's look at me is weird, inexplicably giving off a 'I'm entrusting my sister to you' vibe."

Could it be I'm really supposed to become the Lin family's live-in son-in-law and eat soft rice?

I carry Lao Liang's high hopes, planning to revive Old Martial Arts' glory!

Qin Shi silently firmed his resolve, ignoring the temptation of the villa, luxury cars, and the Director big brother-in-law.

Lin Xiaohan was usually busy with important matters and didn't stay long.

Before leaving, he only instructed one thing:

"Uncle Chen's birthday is coming up, set at Jinhui Building — remember to attend the banquet."

Lin Yunqing's eyes lit up; occasions like this had many big shots, wasn't it a perfect opportunity to pull investment?

Compared to the Imperial Capital young masters who constantly "play the big shot," and the Haizhou princelings full of "elite style."

The rich suckers in the Hengzhou Metropolitan Area are currently a bit behind the times, still stuck in the juvenile phase of "loving the limelight" and "feigning maturity" — quality leeks with low development difficulty.

"Deal! Brother, I'll definitely be there on time, absolutely won't be late!"

Lin Yunqing agreed readily.

"Behave yourself. Wait until Mother's anger subsides, I'll have Zhenzhen buy some tonics and put in a good word for you on the side. What are you always doing at the Youth Palace, wasting time that could be spent writing papers and doing research."

Lin Xiaohan admonished worriedly.

This sister of his, hindered by her own mediocre talent, had slow vitality growth and was forced to choose Qiguang Heng University's Shen Neng Xi Ancient History Major.

Yet she happened to be obsessed with Martial Artists, watching Star Cup tournament videos on repeat since childhood, pestering Father to teach her New Martial Military Boxing.

Once her vitality rose to seventeen or eighteen points she got carried away, picking fights and causing trouble everywhere — the epitome of being both terrible and loving to play.

If not for the Lin family barely having some face in Hengzhou New Star, who knows how many times she would have suffered losses.

"No way, I didn't do anything wrong. It's that surnamed Qin who blinded his own dog eyes, treating me like those money-grubbing kept women, flaunting wealth and scattering money right off the bat."

Lin Yunqing said indignantly:

"If this were the Imperial Capital or Haizhou, I'd just shout once and a dozen little brothers would tear him into eight pieces!"

Lin Xiaohan shook his head helplessly; his sister's temper took after Mother, her hobbies after Father — truly a headache.

Leaving the villa district, Secretary Xu waiting outside parked the car by the road.

Then he bent down and opened the car door, letting Director Lin sit inside.

"Hengzhou, oh Hengzhou — too many historical legacy problems, don't even know where to start."

Lin Xiaohan leaned back in the rear seat, recalling the chat with his little sister just now, brows gradually knitting tight.

Before leaving Yazhou, he had a serious talk with Father.

Among the Three Departments and Nine Bureaus of Dongxia, the Education Bureau has the largest structure, the most bloated personnel, and the slowest promotion.

For the young faction to rise, they inevitably have to pull down the restorationist faction occupying positions above like ancient tomb corpses.

Up north the Imperial Capital's aristocratic clans are heavy, newly past a transition and brittle; second-tier Haizhou and Jingzhou huddle tightly with many mountain heads, impossible to squeeze into.

To step into that red building of the Education Bureau for an internal post before fifty and become a high official, one naturally needs eye-catching political achievements.

"Hengzhou has been marginalized for many years; if the Chen and Lin families combine forces to treat the chronic illness and clear the root of disease, there might be some opportunity."

Lin Xiaohan took off his glasses and gently wiped them.

He did not inherit Father's cynical, go-with-the-flow attitude and temperament; rather he was more like Mother, with a strong competitive spirit, unwilling to remain behind others.

"Secretary Xu, any movement from the Qin family side?"

"Qin Lihao previously invited Director Lin to dine and meet every day, sent gifts several times in a row. I replied as you instructed, saying you were too busy, no time."

Secretary Xu drove the Lingyun A6 — symbol of the establishment — steadily:

"But these two days it suddenly went quiet."

Lin Xiaohan put his black-rimmed glasses back on:

"The decision-maker in the Qin family is Qin Renying. Since Qin Lihao stopped moving, his elder brother should be stepping out."

Chen, Lin, Qin, Zheng.

Back when the Fourth War Corps of the Great Expedition incorporated Hengzhou into Dongxia's territory, the first pioneers to arrive were these four great families.

Undeniable, in the pioneering early period they invested enormous manpower and resources; countless bloodline descendants fell one after another on the thorny roads of frontier exploration, forging tragic chapters of family history.

But the first batch of rich dividends had already been seized and plundered by them, enjoyed and digested, allowing the families to propagate and thrive, branching out into the most sturdy great tree rooted in this land.

"A thousand years have passed; the four great families should have left Hengzhou with their harvest, but that Great Explosion... turned Hengzhou into Dongxia's eighth Administrative Star under 'Electronic Blockade' and 'Energy Confinement' — easy to enter, very hard to leave."

Lin Xiaohan unconsciously tapped the armrest, as if his unreliable father's words still echoed in his ears:

"Different people have different ways of advancing. How you take the first step often depends on how far your gaze reaches.

Some people need to constantly emphasize their origin, region, surname, expressing intent to be selected and cultivated; others should wash away the brand that has accompanied them since birth, to prove their awakening."

……

……

"Come come come, Assistant Teacher Qin, I'll help you register a user account for the Virtual Combat Room!"

Lin Yunqing eagerly pulled Qin Shi into the elevator, walking into a spacious, bright basement.

She didn't know where she wheeled out a computer using transistors as components, roughly the size of a washing machine.

Its surface was etched with complex, exquisite streamlined text, like mysterious symbols.

Qin Shi, who had mastered five major regional common languages, couldn't understand it at all, only finding it very strange.

This didn't look like a technological creation, but more like a ritual vessel for religious sacrifice.

"Do you Dongxia people go online and play on computers with this much ritual sense?"

He set aside his confusion for the moment and took the thing Lin Yunqing handed over.

Its overall shape resembled a motorcycle helmet; once powered on, the goggles flickered with constantly refreshing data streams.

Matte black, special material, light in hand, exuding a "can't afford it" luxurious aura.

"San Tan Heavy Industry's 'Spirit Realm Series' — this thing is better to use than those ugly, unflattering tight combat suits, and VR devices with relatively worse sync rates. Pity the latest portable model hasn't been released yet……"

Lin Yunqing's explanation was full of unfamiliar vocabulary that Qin Shi half-understood.

This was perhaps the barrier and generation gap brought by family background.

Even the rich kids from Xin Yi High School's Elite Class might not be able to afford such a "toy".

"The helmet also has similar symbols engraved?"

Qin Shi weighed it in his hand and asked directly.

"Teacher Lin, what are these?"

"You can view it as San Tan Heavy Industry's unique design style; as for function, you can understand it as 'warding off evil'."

Lin Yunqing replied.

Ward off evil? What, are there ghosts hiding in the electronic network? Do they eat people?

Absurd thoughts popped up one after another in Qin Shi's head; he lowered his head to look at the helmet again.

You really can't say it doesn't — it looks quite like Daoist talismans from the Ancient Era.

He wanted to understand more carefully, but Lin Yunqing was vague and evasive.

Qin Shi didn't continue pressing; after familiarizing himself with the operating procedure, he put on the game helmet connected to the computer.

That identity card representing a fourth-year student of Qi Guang Heng University's Spiritual Ability Domain — *beep* — swiped open the card slot above the goggles.

"I'll create your character avatar for you."

Lin Yunqing used some method to enter the same virtual space with Qin Shi.

Then excitedly scanned his physical data, then pinched his face, selected clothing, and set entrance effects.

Half an hour later.

Qin Shi's novelty from his first contact with the virtual world had completely faded, leaving only drowsiness.

"Okay okay! Qi Guang Heng University's Old Martial Arts faction genius, fresh out of the furnace!"

A few minutes later, Lin Yunqing finally finished busywork.

"Handsome guy, who are you?"

Qin Shi switched to third-person perspective, examining his absurd appearance.

No wait, this head of white long hair — isn't it too beautiful?

Why are there several pairs of big glowing wings on his back?

A pitch-black long robe nearly dragging the floor — is that really suitable for fighting?

"A Xin Yi High School outer disciple, showing off this flamboyantly at a top-tier sect like Qi Guang Heng University — might attract some True Disciple Dao Son to come stomp on your head!"

Qin Shi was speechless inside; wasted so much time just to give him a look resembling Sephiroth from *Final Fantasy*.

Marking down this debt for now!

Will repay with a Deliberate Cannon Fist someday!

"Wait, what the hell is this broken name?"

Qin Shi looked at the line of text floating above his head.

【Nine Heavens Thunder Two Feet Kick】

"No time to explain more, Combat Room activating!"

Facing Qin Shi's increasingly dangerous gaze, Lin Yunqing felt very guilty and directly clicked enter.

……

……

"Teacher Lin, did you know, when I first met you, I thought you were pretty strong."

Qin Shi, wearing Sephiroth's cool appearance, said faintly.

"Are you implying I'm a scrub?"

Lin Yunqing got anxious.

"I'm very strong! Made the department Combat Power Ranking top ten!"

Qin Shi swiped through the menu interface, opening the personal info of username 【Super Invincible Tyrannosaurus War God】.

【Department Combat Power Ranking: 8】

【School Combat Power Ranking: 89235】

【Ranking: Resilient Black Iron】

"Teacher Lin, I feel your strength lies in being unable to drop from that ranking.

"Qiguang Heng University has just under ninety thousand students total, and you're practically scraping the bottom of the barrel."

Qin Shi nearly couldn't hold it together; turns out Lin Yunqing, who fancies himself a New Martial Arts prodigy, is a Shen Neng Xi scrub.

And an Ancient History Major at that — the least combat-capable one.

This obscure major has thirty people total, counting generously.

"Thought I'd be facing a gathering of elites from a First-Rank Academy, and instead I've been thrown into a Fish Pond Bureau."

Ignoring the frantically hopping, already red-hot Lin Yunqing, Qin Shi silently switched 【Nine Heavens Thunder Twin Feet Kick】, then tuned to the Military Martial Arts School channel.

【Pei Tugou: Solo Queue 1v1, loser calls the winner Dad, those unconvinced welcome to settle it offline for real!】

【Jiu Sanhu: I mainly cultivate 《Titanium Extreme Golden Body》, seeking a burly man with fierce power, fast attacks, and strong stamina to cherish me!】

【Xiao Xiao Wushu: Limit Flow, 《Electric Current Propulsion Way》, looking for a Military Martial Arts School practitioner, come bully me.】

"So this is the Breath of a University-realm Strongman inside a Top-tier Sect."

Qin Shi browsed the various posts on the public channel while selecting among the numerous Doorways flickering like light and shadow.

"You're the one!"

A moment later, his Gaze settled.

Initiated match invitation!

(Chapter End)