Chapter 261: Ascension Is Art, I

"Commissar Ji, I'm going out to use the restroom."

"Me too."

Hearing this, Cai Xiaoqing looked up and glanced at the two, then uttered an "Oh."

"But don't skip class early."

"Alright, we're really going to the restroom, don't worry." Lin Dong gave his word—whether he actually went was another matter—"Then we're off."

Lin Dong slipped out of the classroom, and Sun Zhicheng followed right behind him.

Since the two were often seen together, the class had long grown used to it, so no one paid them any attention, assuming they were just going to the restroom.

After going downstairs, the two walked a short distance until their figures vanished behind a small flowerbed beneath the notice board, fully swallowed by darkness.

Sun Zhicheng turned back to look at the brightly lit Gao San teaching building, clearly sensing the restlessness nearing dismissal time.

"Dongge, can you finally tell me now?"

"Of course. Talking upstairs is inconvenient—you know why." Lin Dong cleared his throat with a cough, "Listen carefully to what I say next."

Is the big one finally coming?

Sun Zhicheng held his breath, staring intently at Lin Dong's serious face.

"Good!"

"Chatting is just killing time, giving emotional value," Lin Dong set the tone with his first sentence, "Focus on three things. First: screening."

"Screen who?"

"Your chat partner, plus anyone else—just say three sentences. If they respond, keep chatting; if not, drop them." Lin Dong bent his first finger.

"You don't need to worry about that—I've already given you people who are willing to chat."

Hearing this, Sun Zhicheng recalled a moment, silently agreeing—it was true.

Although the girls Lin Dong introduced to him all had boyfriends, none had refused to chat with him; their replies were warm, and the rhythm of conversation felt comfortable.

"Dongge, that's brilliant!"

"Not worth mentioning." Lin Dong bent his second finger, "The second thing is emotional value—specifically, providing new experiences."

"Put simply, your only rival is her boyfriend. Make her feel that chatting with you elevates her or expands her experience—hit hard wherever you can."

This time, Sun Zhicheng didn't fully understand, but he decided to memorize it for now.

"And the last one, Brother?"

"The last thing—the most crucial part." Lin Dong's expression turned grave, each word deliberate, "Never reveal your true identity!"

Sun Zhicheng was startled; in an instant, scenes of a boyfriend murdering a yellow-haired thug in broad daylight rolled through his mind.

He was scared. He cowered.

"Dongge, what happens if we get caught?"

Lin Dong said nothing, only gave a chilling smile.

"Guess."

Sun Zhicheng didn't want to guess; he frowned, thinking hard for a long time.

"Dongge, can't I chat with girls who don't have boyfriends?"

Hearing this, Lin Dong frowned.

"Look, you're rushing again—what did I say before?"

Sun Zhicheng froze for a few seconds, then licked his lips.

"My level isn't high enough?"

"You get it." Lin Dong patted his shoulder, speaking with gravity, "Acheng, take it slow."

Saying this, Lin Dong turned to head upstairs.

He didn't have high hopes for Sun Zhicheng, but he followed the principle of being bros—pull someone up if you can, don't let them turn into Blackie.

At the very least, become a double-faced turtle—after all, he actually won over Ren Meimei, the pink jellyfish.

The ultimate evolution of the frenzied-licking hound: the Mad Hellhound.

Though there were successful cases before, lickdogs were still foolish creatures—who could like a foolish being? Good looks, wit, humor, and cultivation all mattered.

No need to stand out—just be good enough.

Though Lin Dong had countless theories, Sun Zhicheng's head was made of wood. The deeper he explained, the less Sun Zhicheng understood—yet the essence of emotional value

lay in acquisition.

The routine of Lu Mingfei taking Young Lady Hui Li Yi shopping had been overused, but it was still a valid approach: with you, she must gain something.

Novel experiences, new things—not only make her feel you're impressive, but also create an illusion in her mind.

That she, too, has ascended.

What is ascension? In plain terms: I'm preparing for the civil service exam—what are you doing?

Though it's just an experience, it makes her briefly feel her own value has risen—her circle elevated, or she's met someone interesting, or even a great master.

Guaranteed win, bro.

These were the golden, king-level laws Lin Dong had distilled from three years of elementary school, three years of middle school, three years of high school—nine full years of online chatting.

Too bad, Acheng could only say "Aba aba."

"Dongge!"

Suddenly, Sun Zhicheng called out to Lin Dong.

"Hmm?"

By the flowerbed, half of Sun Zhicheng's face was swallowed by darkness.

He seemed nervous—even swallowing saliva as he spoke.

"Dongge, if I learn all this, can I win over the girl I like? Or take her back from someone else, and make them regret it?"

Lin Dong raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? A competition?"

"Yeah! Get it back—do you think it's possible?" Sun Zhicheng's breathing was uneven, clearly having made a firm decision. "Dong Ge, be honest with me."

In the night wind, Lin Dong fell silent.

"Don't overthink it. Just work hard and focus on improving yourself."

"Mm!"

As he went upstairs, Lin Dong felt a heavy mood.

He didn't know how to say it—understanding the world is itself a form of learning. Everyone knows that flirting is an art, even a discipline, full of endless subtleties.

Some things aren't mastered just because your rank has risen.

The young swordsman hasn't even sheathed his blade, yet he's already stepped into the martial world. But he doesn't realize how dangerous that world is—there exists something called the hunter, towering above countless heroes.

In Class Three, Lin Dong could clearly tell who had a higher rank than him.

Jiang Nian and Zhou Yuting—they were the peerless duo. Appearance maxed out, physique maxed out, emotional value maxed out—but none of that was the core.

The core lay in not caring about gains or losses, in unshakable inner will, defense maxed out.

Resilience maxed out.

Five minutes remained until the end of evening self-study; the classroom's restlessness could no longer be contained.

Chen Yunyun stretched like a biological clock had struck, then turned to see Wang Yuhe reading a novel.

"Finished your chemistry homework?"

"Not yet. I'll do it during tomorrow's morning self-study." Wang Yuhe shook her head, preparing to return to her book.

Chen Yunyun frowned, glancing at the book Wang Yuhe was reading.

"What are you reading?"

"Lu Yao's 'Life.'" Wang Yuhe flipped the cover to show it to Chen Yunyun. "Chai Muying lent it to me—I got hooked right away."

"Huh? Why?" She was baffled.

In terms of grades, Chen Yunyun had once scored lower than Wang Yuhe.

She had a scattered mind, loved chatting with classmates, and her focus inevitably drifted. Later, by accident, she finally settled down—nothing else improved, but her grades soared.

In the last major exam, she pulled ahead by over thirty points.

"Because it's infuriating—I just don't get why the male lead..." Wang Yuhe pulled Chen Yunyun aside and rattled off a stream of explanations, vividly recounting the plot.

"Qiao Zhen is so wonderful—how could Gao Jialin be so blind? Tell me, isn't this infuriating?!"

Chen Yunyun blinked, and murmured, "Oh."

"Don't be mad. I heard we're getting five tests tomorrow."

Wang Yuhe's face changed—she nearly fainted, furious.

"It's all Gao Jialin's fault!"

Chen Yunyun smiled, then, curious, asked one more question.

"I remember Chai Muying bought a book by Mo Yan—why don't you borrow it and read it?"

"Huh? No." Wang Yuhe seemed to recall something—she hadn't never read it before; her face instantly turned ashen. "Don't mention it. One read is enough to haunt you for life."

Chen Yunyun didn't read much; she had no literary girl vibe.

She usually read magazines or common books. Seeing Wang Yuhe's extreme reaction, her faint curiosity vanished instantly.

After evening self-study ended.

Jiang Nian stepped out and bumped into Sun Zhicheng's gaze.

The other's eyes were strange—like hiding a lion. You too, watch Lu Mingfei?

He didn't care. He grabbed his bag and slipped away.

The school insisted on extending evening self-study, slightly more considerate toward boarding students. After all, without evening self-study, the dormitory's homework atmosphere couldn't match the classroom's.

Day students suffered more—on windy, rainy nights, they had to stand at attention.

Those farther away got picked up; Jiang Nian, living about a kilometer away, had to rely on his two legs. He closed his eyes and ran—sprinting home.

Boom!

Speak of the devil.

Thunder rolled through the clouds, crushing out excess droplets. Within a few breaths, a thin drizzle fell, soaking the night.

Jiang Nian naturally hadn't brought an umbrella—but luckily, Xu Qianqian beside him had one.

The rain wasn't heavy; judging by sight, they wouldn't need to scramble for cover like last time.

The three of them—Jiang Nian, Xu Qianqian, and Song Xiyun—stood at the school gate, sharing a single umbrella.

"You didn't bring an umbrella?" Jiang Nian stood in the middle, separating the two girls.

No chance to adjust—the school gate was packed with Gao San students without umbrellas.

Half waited for parents; a third lowered their heads and dashed out, using their school uniforms to shield their heads and backpacks, plunging headfirst into the misty night rain without hesitation.

The harsh white floodlights above illuminated the puddles ahead of the gate and the rain threads drifting through the beams.

Song Xiyun's face was pale; her lips trembled slightly.

"No."

"It's fine—we'll wait here with you," Xu Qianqian immediately replied, then turned to Jiang Nian. "If you're in a hurry, go home and get soaked."

Song Xiyun's home was on the other side of the county; her mother, Zhao Qiuxue, picked her up every day.

Xu Qianqian worried Jiang Nian, that bastard, only cared about going home to play games. Every time she asked him to wait a bit after school, he always looked impatient.

So she'd preemptively stacked the buff.

But unexpectedly, this time the bastard didn't object.

Jiang Nian just nodded and murmured, "Mm."

"Then let's wait. It won't take long anyway, and it'll be nice to watch others get caught in the rain."

Song Xiyun turned her head and glanced at Jiang Nian.

She didn't know why, but she always felt that Jiang Nian's attitude toward her seemed to have improved a little. Although he still had that dead-fish look, he wasn't like before—

Anyway, she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it seemed like he didn't talk as infuriatingly as before.

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