Chapter 34: Destiny's Mission, Activated Once More! (Part One)

Shi Tiexin suddenly understood—so this was the issue. He truly hadn’t realized it was a problem, because in his view, something like this barely counted as an incident. In the Orphanage of Tumubao, at the Star Workers’ Union School for the Children of Workers, this was entirely normal—well, perhaps soaking someone in a chamber pot was less common, if only because they didn’t have chamber pots there.

But if students didn’t fight, how would they establish hierarchy, how would they know who was strong and who was weak? He’d grown up in such an environment; it was second nature to him, something he never questioned in his heart.

A tremor ran through the other consciousness in his mental domain, which hastily transmitted the relevant rules to him. Only then did Shi Tiexin realize that such behavior here was a severe violation of regulations, far worse than shouting in class.

Shi Tiexin was speechless. Seriously?

But, come to think of it, with rules like these, how could those weaklings be anything but weaklings? If this were my world, someone as feeble as Teng Chaobiao daring to call himself the Scourge of the Streets would have been shoved headfirst into a latrine before he was five.

Forget it, none of that matters now. I, Old Shi, am a straightforward man—what’s true is true. Even if the consequences are serious, I would never stoop to lying!

—But I can always choose to remain silent. Heh heh.

He quickly tried to talk himself down: Let it go… Take it easy… Don’t be so stubborn. Just yesterday I got in trouble for breaking school rules. If I get caught violating a serious one today, I might really be packing my bags and sent away. Best to stay quiet…

Still, a world where you can’t even throw a punch—what kind of nonsense rule is that?

Shi Tiexin held his tongue, but Zheng Kaiming was not surprised. Though their interaction had been brief, Zheng Kaiming saw Shi Tiexin as a silent, honest student with great ambition. A person of such disposition, faced with slander, was unlikely to protest his innocence.

“So, you won’t speak? You think buying off all of Class 28 to give you false testimony and then erasing the evidence is the end of it? Have a student mop up the floor in the restroom, pour half a bucket of water into the chamber pot—who could check the concentration or purity then? These are petty tricks, but they don’t clear you of suspicion.”

While speaking, Zheng Kaiming continued to observe Shi Tiexin’s reactions closely.

Shi Tiexin, meanwhile, was growing increasingly unhappy.

This was a matter of mindset, of fundamental understanding. He could accept that shouting in class broke the rules—after all, even in his own world, if you howled and flipped tables during a Holy Land mentor’s lecture, you wouldn’t just get your class changed; you’d get beaten, crippled, and thrown out. So when he was punished, he felt wronged but ultimately accepted it, never considering an appeal.

But as for hitting Teng Chaoguo, Shi Tiexin truly didn’t see it as a big deal. No matter how much the other consciousness explained and transmitted information, it couldn’t change his worldview. In his eyes, someone like Teng Chaoguo deserved to be hit, and since the other started it and he only retaliated, it was no one else’s business.

Besides, it was tied to his Destiny Task—how could he not fight?

It was just a fight, so why were they so relentless? What’s wrong with knocking down a few delinquents?

Shi Tiexin was defiant, but no fool—he knew better than to argue with Zheng Kaiming at this moment, so he kept his mouth shut. Still, his breathing grew rapid, and his emotions were plain to see.

A gleam flashed in Zheng Kaiming’s eyes—there it is! That deep-seated anger, that stubborn refusal to yield! My eyes never fail me. If someone was truly guilty, they could never be so indignant and unconcerned.

Looks like those four really did make a false accusation—no doubt about it!

But such a student is worth anticipating. Letting him waste away in the trash class would be a shame. A jade uncut is not a gem; he needs a little more tempering.

“So, you still won’t speak? Never mind, whether you admit it or not doesn’t matter. I won’t press the issue. I’ll ask you only this: Shi Tiexin, will you have any money to eat with next semester?”

What? I won’t be able to eat?

Shi Tiexin was confused, but the other consciousness shook violently and sent over a message—suddenly, Shi Tiexin understood. He really was about to run out of money! His meal card being empty today wasn’t a fluke—he had no assets here and was in long-term financial trouble.

No wonder he was so thin—he really hadn’t been eating well.

Wait, that’s not right. Another message came through, and Shi Tiexin frowned and spoke: “I signed a contract with the school.”

“Yes, after you became the top scorer in the entrance exam, the school signed a contract with you. As long as you attended Fengming First High, all your tuition, fees, and textbooks would be free, and you’d receive a living stipend. The school will honor the agreement. But don’t forget, there was an additional clause in the stipend contract—you must remain in the elite class to receive that year’s support.”

Elite class? Was that there?

The other consciousness trembled even more, sending over more information, and Shi Tiexin realized Zheng Kaiming wasn’t making it up—it was true!

Several schools had courted the top scorer then, but Fengming First High had offered the best terms. And Shi Tiexin, an orphan, found the stipend particularly attractive. Back then, as the champion, he never considered he might not stay in the elite class. At the time, the restriction seemed meaningless.

But three months can change everything—never assume a penniless youth will always have his way. Now he was both poor and out of luck, tossed into the trash class.

Which meant…

“So, if you don’t fight your way back into the elite class by the end-of-year exams, you won’t even be able to refill your meal card!”

Shi Tiexin’s eyes widened—damn, does this mean I’ll have to… keep bullying those four guys for the long haul?

Well… that’s not so bad.

But if he could get his hands on a Mind Arts manual, he might just be able to claw his way out of the trash class and into a regular class at least. At the very least, he wouldn’t have to live across from the bathroom anymore—it really was unbearable.

“Shi Tiexin, after assaulting a classmate and committing a serious violation, do you think you’re well-suited to life in the trash class?” Zheng Kaiming, unconcerned with what Shi Tiexin thought, sneered coldly. “Since you fit in so well, your punishment is simple. Next semester, unless you test into the elite class, none of your conditions will change. You’ll keep living across from the bathroom, keep eating swill at the trash class window.”