Ch. 282 - My Admission Letter Accidentally Fell Out

Daxing City.

Chen Shu had just stepped off the bus when he heard a familiar voice.

"Pull that banner up a bit higher for this young master! It's not conspicuous enough!"

Chen Shu focused his eyes and saw a little fatty directing several people as they hauled up a banner.

It read: "Warm Congratulations to Ouyang Bao on His Admission to Huaxia Academy!"

"..."

Chen Shu's expression froze. He hadn't expected his student to be this much of a show-off, advertising all the way to the bus station.

"Ouyang Bao!"

Ouyang Bao spun around, his expression instantly igniting with excitement. He shouted:

"Teacher Chen!"

The onlookers were baffled. Teacher? This young?

"Not bad, kid! Same school as me!"

Chen Shu coughed, discreetly signaling that he too was a Huaxia Academy admit.

Ouyang Bao scratched his head and said, "You're gonna have to look after me from now on, Teacher."

"By the way, Teacher, what brings you to Daxing City?"

"I need to catch a flight to the Capital."

As they talked, they walked toward the station exit.

"Teacher, you should've just told me! You could've taken my family's private jet!"

"??"

Chen Shu's eyes bulged, and he let out a long sigh toward the heavens.

I don't even own a fucking car yet, and this bastard already has a private jet?

"Forget it. Next time. I'm leaving tomorrow."

"What a shame. Teacher, get in the car!"

Ouyang Bao trotted over like an eager puppy and opened the car door for him, the very picture of sycophantic devotion.

The driver, watching this scene unfold, was utterly dumbfounded. Since when had the young master turned into a bootlicker?

Ouyang Bao said, "As it happens, the family's throwing a banquet. Teacher, want to join?"

Options instantly triggered before Chen Shu's eyes.

[Option 1: Accept without hesitation. Free food — why not? Completion Reward: Beast Space Upgrade]

[Option 2: Refuse outright. Eating someone else's food softens the mouth; taking their things shortens the hand![1] Completion Reward: None]

[Option 3: Reveal your identity as Nanjiang City's Top Scorer and freeload your way through Daxing City! Completion Reward: Skill "Wind's Breath" +1]

Chen Shu paused briefly, then immediately settled on Option 1.

He had never seen this type of reward before — clearly, it only became available after reaching Black Iron rank.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly impose..."

Chen Shu smiled and said, "Driver, step on it!"

"..."

The group arrived at Daxing City's luxury villa district.

"Young master, please!"

Attendants immediately came forward to greet them, opening the car door.

"Too kind, too kind."

Chen Shu bared his teeth in a grin, utterly unselfconscious, and stepped out of the car as naturally as if he owned the place.

"My teacher."

Ouyang Bao got out of the car and offered a brief explanation.

Seeing the reverence in his manner, the attendants' mouths all fell slightly open. The picture just didn't seem right.

"Little Bro Bao!"

Just then, a voice rang out — someone else had arrived at the doorstep.

A young man in a white dress shirt approached with elegant poise.

The moment he got a clear look at Chen Shu's face, his expression jolted with shock.

"Holy crap, it's you?!"

Chen Shu turned his head and happened to catch sight of the other party. Recognition clicked in his mind.

"Xie Fengyu from Nancang First High?"

The Beast Taming Competition finals had nearly ended in defeat for them. He had an impression of all three from Nancang First High.

Of course, the key reason was that his laxative plan had failed.

That had been eating at him ever since.

"Bro Feng, you two know each other?"

Ouyang Bao scratched his head, then suddenly remembered. "Right, forgot — Teacher beat the crap out of my cousin."

"..."

The corner of Xie Fengyu's mouth twitched. Could you possibly be any more blunt, you bastard?

"This is my teacher, Chen Shu!"

Ouyang Bao grinned. He and Xie Fengyu were close, so he was deliberately teasing him.

"This is my cousin, Xie Fengyu!"

Xie Fengyu nodded, a spark of excitement in his eyes. He hadn't expected to run into Chen Shu.

Although he'd lost to the guy, he wasn't so petty — he'd actually been wanting to get to know him.

"Frenemies make the best friends.[2] Pleasure, pleasure!"

Chen Shu flashed a grin and extended his hand for a brief handshake.

"I was in such a rush back then — I'd meant to treat you to a meal. What perfect timing today!"

"??"

Xie Fengyu's mouth opened.

Isn't this Ouyang Bao's banquet? When did it become YOU treating ME to a meal?

"Ha... ha... thanks..."

He forced out a dry laugh. He'd thought the Golden Slime's defense was impressive enough.

Now it seemed the man's own face was even thicker...

The three of them entered the villa. Several elders were seated in the first-floor living room, conversing among themselves.

A middle-aged man smiled and said, "Xiao Bao and Fengyu are both here?"

"And who might this be?"

His gaze shifted to Chen Shu, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"Nanjiang City, Chen Shu! A pleasure, Uncle!"

Chen Shu grinned, then his body shook as though seized by a sudden fit.

Plop!

A small golden booklet fell right out.

"Oh dear! My admission letter accidentally slipped out. My apologies, everyone, my apologies!"

"..."

The living room instantly fell dead silent, every pair of eyes swiveling toward him in unison.

You bastard, "accidentally"? Could you possibly fake it any harder...

"Ah, this..."

Xie Fengyu's gaze followed suit. He'd assumed Chen Shu only pulled outrageous stunts during combat.

Now it was clear — the chaos had fully integrated into his daily life!

"Huaxia Academy really made the cover way too big. Honestly, they should change it. Otherwise I might not even want to go."

Chen Shu sighed, stuffing the admission letter back into his backpack.

"..."

The room remained utterly silent. There was really no other way to put it — the flexing had gone too far.

Ouyang Bao broke the awkward silence, saying:

"Dad, this is my teacher, Chen Shu. He taught me so much — without him, I probably wouldn't have made it into Huaxia Academy."

Chen Shu's guidance back then had opened the door to a whole new world for him.

Combined with the fact that Ouyang Bao wasn't actually stupid, his combat technique had skyrocketed. That had earned him a lot of extra points on the practical exam — just enough to hit Huaxia Academy's cutoff.

"A pleasure!"

Ouyang Ao extended his hand, giving Chen Shu a brief handshake. "Truly... a young hero!"

"You're Bandit Bro?!"

Just then, a youthful voice rang out.

A boy who looked about middle-school age exclaimed, his eyes brimming with hero worship.

The adults might not have had time to surf the web, but online, Chen Shu had a certain level of fame.

Whether as the Nanjiang Bandit or the Public Toilet Potion Master, he was at least famous throughout Nancang Province.

"Hey there."

Chen Shu grinned. He hadn't expected to meet a fan.

"The Nanjiang Bandit?!"

The other elders suddenly recalled as well.

A middle-aged woman spoke up: "Aren't you from the Nanjiang team that defeated Fengyu?"

Thanks to the Beast Taming Competition, Chen Shu's reputation had reached a peak.

But now, two months later, with the gaokao dominating everyone's attention, quite a few people had forgotten about him.

"Please, sit, sit!"

Ouyang Ao smiled, immediately recognizing this young man's excellence. No wonder his son showed him such reverence.

"Looks like all three of you are Huaxia Academy's new students."

Another middle-aged man stood up — he bore a resemblance to Xie Fengyu. He said:

"Xiao Feng, Xiao Bao, from now on, the three of you can look after each other."

"Look after..."

Xie Fengyu rubbed his forehead and said, "Dad, you're being a little overly optimistic."

[1] 吃别人嘴软，拿别人的手短 (chī biérén zuǐ ruǎn, ná biérén shǒu duǎn): A common Chinese proverb: "Eat someone else's food and your mouth softens; take someone else's things and your hand shortens." Meaning that accepting favors from others compromises your independence and obligates you to them. The System uses this in Option 2 as a caution against freeloading — which Chen Shu promptly ignores by picking Option 1.

[2] 不打不相识 (bù dǎ bù xiāng shí): "No fight, no acquaintance" — a Chinese saying meaning that people who have clashed often become friends afterward. Here translated as "Frenemies make the best friends" to capture the casual tone while preserving the idiom's meaning.