Chapter 2: Du Zhengyi vs. Luo Qi

Life is a mystery, and for me, the greatest mystery in this fog is—am I, in the end, a piece of trash?

—Excerpted from "Luo Qi's Chicken Soup for the Soul"

Du Zhengyi was in the Library rushing to finish his graduation thesis, "Non-linear Cyclic Multi-dimensional Space Transformation," when he received that bubble. Sitting across from him was a sweet-looking girl, a classmate from the Archaeology major, who was writing a paper on the comparison between ancient Wanderer society and human agricultural society. For several days in a row, they had tacitly sat in the same spots, so he felt that perhaps he might have a chance.

He caught the bubble that kept flying around in front of him and gave the interrupted girl an apologetic smile. The girl gave him an understanding smile, then buried her head back in her books, skillfully casting a spell to perform a keyword information extraction on the text floating in the air. He quite admired her professional demeanor.

He stood up, clutching the bubble, and walked toward the door. Under the Library's massive dome, there was only the sound of quiet page-turning and the occasional static sound of auxiliary spells cutting through the air. By the time he reached the corridor outside the reading room, the noise became instantly clamorous. He glanced outside; the Third Grade Weather Control experiment exam was taking place on the playground below. Some idiot had somehow conjured a private cloud that hovered over his own head, raining down a downpour. The sound of laughter and jeering whistles from the playground carried all the way to the second floor of the Library.

He took one last look with interest at the boy standing desperately under the one-square-meter rain cloud, then turned to find a slightly secluded corner and crushed the bubble in his hand. It was a message from a teacher, notifying him to go to the Department Head's office at two in the afternoon.

Luo Qi carefully unfolded a crumpled piece of paper, on which was written in black and white the themes for the evening lectures for the coming week:

"Evaluation of Energy Detection Methods in Uncertain Environments"

Tuesday, F1 Academic Lecture Hall, Speaker: Great Mage SinghKamal

"Information Extraction Based on Infinite Data"

Wednesday, F1 Academic Lecture Hall, Speaker: Great Mage AbbottMusk

"Research on Ultra-light Porous Metals"

Thursday, F1 Academic Lecture Hall, Speaker: Great Mage Liu Li

"Space Compression Technology Based on Fermat's Theorem"

Friday, F1 Academic Lecture Hall, Speaker: Mage DaphneTate

He swallowed a mouthful of saliva. The evening lectures for the next month would showcase the future professional paths available to all Third Grade students. He was already standing at the crossroads of life, his eyes swimming with anxiety, yet he couldn't understand a single signpost.

He finally made up his mind to put down that wretched paper, "To be honest, I recognize all the Chinese characters inside the title marks."

"I suggest you skip the first one—SinghKamal—it sounds like... well, he's Indian, anyway, nobody will be able to understand the English he speaks. That way we can eliminate one option." His roommate and good friend Liu Xing said without looking up; he was using the last bit of time before class to finish a short paper.

"Then we should prioritize Teacher Liu Li's; at least it's not bird language," Luo Qi mused.

"Don't even think about it, I heard she's super strict. Besides, look at that topic, researching metals? You'll definitely be stuck in a lab researching materials for the rest of your life. You could ponder the fourth one; although I don't know what Fermat's Theorem is, space compression technology is probably about researching how to fit an elephant into a refrigerator." Liu Xing stopped his pen and said with a straight face.

Luo Qi had been looking at the second one, "Information Extraction Based on Infinite Data, why would anyone spend effort learning this stuff? I can use a computer, just Google it."

"Not many Mages trust that stuff," Liu Xing touched his nose and said somewhat vaguely. "You'd better not use that in front of others, either."

Luo Qi didn't make a sound; he was under too much pressure and had no spare energy to argue with Liu Xing about racial discrimination. He checked the time, "It's fifteen minutes to two, I have to go to Teacher Liu Li's office." He thought for a moment and couldn't help but voice his anxiety, "I've never taken her class, and she doesn't know me, why on earth is she looking for me?"

Liu Xing looked at him sympathetically, "Don't worry too much, buddy, honestly, you haven't done anything bad."

"I've already failed three courses," Luo Qi said self-abandonedly, "If I fail one more, I won't have to worry about what major to choose for Fourth Grade. Teacher Liu is probably looking for me because of this; I definitely failed my exam this morning."

Liu Xing was also a bit worried, but remained calm, saying realistically, "If you dawdle any longer, you'll be late, and then Liu Li might strike you with lightning. I heard from students in her college that her nickname is the Thunder God and Lightning Mother."

"Aren't the Thunder God and Lightning Mother two different people?" Luo Qi asked, not quite believing it. His buddy had always been rash and only heard half of what people said, so his words weren't very reliable.

"Probably emphasizes double the power," Liu Xing said indifferently. He glanced around carelessly, and seeing that no one in the classroom was paying attention, his expression suddenly turned acrid. He frowned and said firmly to Luo Qi, "Don't think about those useless things. If you really get expelled from the Mage sequence because of four failed courses, I can introduce you to hang out with my cousin. He even got a Level One Mage License when he graduated, but didn't he go into the catering industry after graduation? He has several three-star Michelin restaurants in his hands now and is doing just fine in the Otherworld. Why must you be a Mage? Is being able to conjure a Fireball such a big deal? My cousin doesn't have to rub his fingers together to stir-fry; he uses an electronic igniter."

Luo Qi didn't know what to say for a moment and licked his lips. He did yearn to be a Mage, but then he thought of that unlucky exam this morning and instantly lost his spirit. He knew Liu Xing meant well and felt a bit touched, so he patted Liu Xing on the shoulder, mumbled a thank you, and went out.

This delay made him a bit late. Luo Qi hurried through the corridors of the teaching building, trying his best to take shortcuts to save time. By this time, some classrooms had already started exams. Through a half-open door, he saw students inside taking a Second Grade math exam; some shifting numbers were floating in the void, looking very cool. However, most candidates were unwilling to show off like that and preferred to diligently calculate with pens on paper.

Luo Qi could no longer afford to envy those born with brains powerful enough to project their thoughts visually. His ability had always hovered between being a Mage and not quite being a Mage; he had no time to appreciate those lucky ones who were close to the Upper Supremum. The practical problem he faced now was whether he could maintain the lower limit and at least not get expelled by the school.

It was already two o'clock when he ran into the last corridor. The end of the corridor connected to a honeycomb-shaped hexagonal hall. In the center of the hall stood a statue of a snake-bodied woman, and five identical offices were hidden behind the walls. He glanced at the office door plates; only numbers hung on the five doors.

Luo Qi steadied himself and checked the time; he was already two minutes late. He calmed down and spent another minute trying to recall which office number the teacher had said, but to no avail. Three minutes later, he took a gamble and chose 2 as his lucky number, then knocked on the door.

The wooden door opened inward on its own. Luo Qi thought excitedly that this was a good omen, indicating that someone inside was indeed prepared to meet him. However, Teacher Liu Li was not in the room; only a young man was sitting on the sofa next to the desk, looking at him with slight surprise.

"Sorry, sorry," Luo Qi said hurriedly and awkwardly, "Excuse me, I think I went to the wrong..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the door to the suite behind the desk was suddenly pushed open. A serious-looking middle-aged woman walked out quickly, holding a stack of documents. She glanced at Luo Qi and commanded impatiently, "Stop talking, Luo Qi, close the door, come in, and sit down."

Luo Qi was stunned. He came to his senses, apologized in a low voice, and walked in sheepishly.

The man sitting on the sofa, looking closely, was not much older than Luo Qi, just much more composed in temperament; at first glance, he didn't look much like a student. Luo Qi plopped down next to him. The boy also turned his head to size him up; he just scanned him up and down, and his face revealed suspicion. The moisture under his thin eyelids carried a natural air of disdain.

Annoying! He grumbled indignantly in his heart; he didn't look like a good person at first sight.

"Teacher Liu," the man spoke first, his tone sounding as if he were very familiar with Great Mage Liu Li, but Luo Qi detected a slight exasperation in his tone. This was strange; he hadn't even done anything yet!

"What grade is he? Not a freshman, right?"

Freshman your grandpa! Luo Qi shifted unhappily on the sofa, covering the exaggerated tear in his ripped jeans. How could he have predicted that he would be called to the office by a teacher today? He had always avoided all teachers.

"Luo Qi is a Third Grade student." Liu Li sighed, her eyes appearing very large behind her lenses. She looked at the boy with slight reproach. But Luo Qi could see with a heavy heart that her reproach was like a mother proudly complaining about her capable eldest son.

Liu Li turned her face back to look at him. Her gaze toward him was much sharper; as soon as Luo Qi met it, he became nervous and subconsciously straightened his back, not daring to lean against the back of the sofa anymore.

Liu Li didn't say anything for a moment, just looked at him deeply, as if evaluating something. Luo Qi became nervous again; if she were going to expel him, surely she wouldn't do it in front of someone else.

"Your credits are not enough to advance to Fourth Grade," Liu Li said concisely.

Luo Qi's throat went dry, and his heart sank to the bottom.

"So I hope you can make up the credits by participating in social practice during the vacation," Liu Li continued.

What? Luo Qi was greatly surprised. He had never heard of such a remedial method. Hope rose suddenly, but his heart felt hollow, and he was at a loss. The boy was attracted by his foolish behavior and turned his head to glance at him, his expression cool.

"His name is Du Zhengyi, you should have heard of him," the teacher probably noticed him staring blankly at the senior, so she introduced him.

He was stunned for a moment; he had heard of this name. He couldn't help but size the person up again carefully. His skin was slightly dark, he was very thin, tall, and looked quite good. However, it was hard to say about his personality; he was so obnoxious even under the nose of a Great Mage. But it turned out this person was Du Zhengyi; Luo Qi had indeed heard of him, and felt quite emotional.

Most people only knew this person was a top student. In fact, when he was in Fourth Grade, he once did something incredible, though not many people knew about it. However, when he was hospitalized with serious injuries, he was in the very hospital where Luo Qi's parents worked, so his story was told over and over again by Luo Qi's parents at the dinner table as an excellent case study—a genuine model of "the child of someone else." Luo Qi sighed secretly; having the good fortune to sit on the same sofa as the shadow of his own upbringing, the pressure was really not ordinary.

But Luo Qi then calculated the time; Du Zhengyi should be in Seventh Grade this year and would graduate in a month. Then why was he still hanging around here? He should either be writing his thesis or looking for a job. But as soon as the thought turned, he wished he could hit himself with a ruler—this was really not the time to gossip about others. It was already a crisis, yet he was still distracted. Wasn't the most important thing now to ensure he wouldn't be expelled? He had never heard that participating in social practice could make up credits. However, influenced by his neighbors who were always innovating, many Great Mages had recently been talking about innovation and development; perhaps the practice project had only been added starting this year.

Thinking this way, he really felt he was too lucky and couldn't help but have his heart pounding. He looked at the teacher eagerly, hoping she would say more about exactly what he needed to do to complete that social practice and save his credits.

Liu Li signaled for Luo Qi to go over and take a document bag from her desk. He hurriedly stood up and took it. Just as he wanted to open it to take a look, Liu Li spoke again, so he had to suppress his curiosity, lift his head, and wait for the teacher's instructions.

"You are in the same group as Du Zhengyi. What you are doing is social research. The subject of the research is non-Mage humans, and the title is 'Analysis of the Authenticity of Human Ethnic Groups Based on Supernatural Phenomenon Eyewitness Reports.' The specific analysis methods, research areas, and other relevant information are already in Du Zhengyi's hands. Your main job is to be his assistant," Liu Li said concisely and clearly, her tone flat without inflection, her language highly refined—she was completely an academic type.

She paused here and stared at Luo Qi, as if seeing if Luo Qi could digest this information. Luo Qi immediately raised his hand high. She sighed and nodded at him, "Do you have any questions?"

"I think," Luo Qi argued eloquently, "the research title should be shortened; it could be changed to 'Zi Bu Yu' (The Master Did Not Speak), which is both simple and appropriate." He paused and added, "And evocative."

This time, not only Teacher Liu Li but even Du Zhengyi beside him turned to size him up carefully. His interest in getting attention soared, and he continued to speak freely, "I have always felt that Kongzi might have been a Great Mage who hid his identity. His phrase 'The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, violence, disorder, and spirits' allowed us to live peacefully on this land for thousands of years. We have never had such terrible things as the Salem witch trials on our continent. I believe Kongzi deserves a lot of credit for this."

Liu Li nodded and looked at him expressionlessly, "It seems you really understood what you are being asked to do. Since you mentioned it, go write a historical paper researching Kongzi. It must have your own point of view. Hand it to me next month, 40 pages."

Luo Qi paused for a moment, beginning to take the nickname "Thunder God and Mother of Lightning" for Liu Li seriously.

A scoff sounded by his ear; it was Du Zhengyi. "Why does this brat look a bit familiar to me?"

Luo Qi glared at him. Their age difference was no more than three or four years; who could be much more of a brat than the other? Besides, what was with the "familiar" talk? It wasn't like they were picking up girls at the cafeteria.

Who would have thought Du Zhengyi would then say to Liu Li, "I think finding a student from the sociology or history department would be more efficient. I recommend a history student from my own year; her professional competence is excellent, and she is better suited for this social research."

Luo Qi's chest tightened instantly. He regretted being so smug and saying so much nonsense earlier; he might have messed things up again. Why couldn't he keep his big mouth shut?

Liu Li actually pondered for a moment, and Luo Qi's throat constricted. He would later think this was the most important minute of his life, yet he had been like a dim-witted seal, completely stuck on the mudflat, unable to even save himself. In the end, Great Mage Liu Li herself firmed up a conviction from who knows where and shook her head at Du Zhengyi.

Du Zhengyi sighed, and without any regard for the fact that the person in question was right there, he asked bluntly, "Which of his abilities has a higher standard deviation?"

Surprisingly, Liu Li did not answer. Luo Qi looked at her curiously; in truth, he also wanted to know what secret and outstanding merit he possessed that allowed him to be chosen by a Great Mage. But Liu Li pressed her lips together tightly, as if trying to stop her own words, as if what she was about to say would be deeply against her own will. He had only seen people look like this at one time: when what they had to say was too embarrassing to utter. His brain twitched again—could it be because he was exceptionally handsome? Handsome enough to appeal to all ages?

Luo Qi curiously glanced at the poser next to him and noticed he was also observing Teacher Liu Li with interest.

Luo Qi turned his head to look at their teacher. The Great Mage, who was highly respected and whose true age was almost impossible to verify, let out a breath. Luo Qi suddenly suspected that in this moment, her mood was one of "might as well give up." Then, she said a sentence that made him blush deeply and that he would not be able to forget for many years to come: "According to observations, his L-Value is far higher than the average."

He looked at his teacher in disbelief, then awkwardly looked to his side; that guy's eyes were almost popping out of his head.

"L-Value means Luck," Liu Li said to Du Zhengyi in a lecturing tone.

"I know," Du Zhengyi replied nonchalantly; he might have been too shocked to care about manners. "Looking at him, one can tell it doesn't mean 'lovely' value."

A secret fire burned in Luo Qi.

Du Zhengyi continued, "Luck is just rolling dice. Everyone has a chance to roll high numbers, but as long as you toss them repeatedly, everyone's probability will eventually be about the same. Perhaps some Calculation Mages believe luck is a research direction, but I don't buy that theory. Believing in luck is like believing in fatalism; I didn't get an education just to set up a stall in the plaza."

Liu Li looked at Du Zhengyi in silence. He felt the pressure of this silence and finally shut his mouth.

"I don't believe in it either," Liu Li said slowly, "but there are always some people who, within an observable range, present relatively better luck. Although there is no theory that can explain luck, it is often measurable." After she finished this sentence, she looked deeply at Luo Qi, and Luo Qi embarrassedly avoided her gaze.

Du Zhengyi wanted to say more but stopped himself. Finally, he gave a very reluctant, perfunctory remark: "The more Magic develops, the more rigorous it becomes." It counted as a specious form of compliance toward his teacher.

Luo Qi could not agree with this statement; he felt that human science was more rigorous, but this time he kept his mouth tightly shut. Who would have thought Du Zhengyi would suddenly turn his head again and gaze at him inquisitively? He began to have a bad premonition.

Du Zhengyi suddenly had a realization. "Oh, I remember who you are! You're that idiot who conjured a rainstorm cloud over his own head on the field this morning! You failed your Weather Control lab exam, didn't you?"

Damn it! Luo Qi said to himself; he had never seen anyone more annoying than him.