10: Chapter 10 Little Fatty and Little Skinny

Hearing Lin Yan's calm counter-question, the Skinny guy beside Little Fatty hurriedly waved his hands, a smile plastered on his face as he said, "Brother, don't misunderstand, we didn't mean anything by it!

"Since we'll be seeing each other every day from now on, we just wanted to get to know each other's family background so we can look out for one another in the academy, right?"

The Little Fatty also nodded repeatedly, a shrewd glint in the tiny eyes on his round face as he rubbed his chubby hands together and chimed in, "Right, right, right, that's exactly it!"

Lin Yan looked at the two of them and immediately saw through their insincerity.

However, curious about what this fat and Skinny pair was actually planning, he spoke with a slightly playful smile, "My family is nothing special, just a Viscount in the Heavenly Soul Empire."

As soon as he spoke, the pair exchanged a glance, relaxed smiles instantly spreading across their faces, and their tone grew boastful.

The Little Fatty raised an eyebrow, contempt creeping into his voice, "A Viscount... That's alright, I guess, but compared to the two of us, it falls far short."

Patting his stomach, the Little Fatty puffed up with confidence, his tone carrying an air of natural bossiness, "Brother, not to brag, but my dad and his dad are both Marquises of the Heavenly Soul Empire—prominent figures in the imperial capital!"

"From now on, as long as you behave and listen to us, the two of us will cover for you! Though, as for fetching water, sweeping, and other chores..."

Just as the Little Fatty was talking passionately, the Skinny guy beside him caught sight of Lin Yan's calm expression from the corner of his eye, and his heart gave a sudden nervous twitch.

He hurriedly tugged on the Little Fatty's sleeve, leaning in to whisper in his ear, "Fatty, something's not right. This kid is too calm."

Tugged on, the Little Fatty froze for a moment and followed the Skinny guy's gaze to Lin Yan—sure enough, he saw his indifferent expression, carrying a subtle, unreadable gaze.

A sudden doubt arose in his mind, instantly deflating most of his previous arrogance, and his tone softened.

Then the Skinny guy cleared his throat, softening his tone, and gave an awkward laugh to probe, "Brother, I haven't asked yet—what is your Spirit? What's your Soul Power level? Again, no offense intended, just getting to know each other, getting to know each other, haha."

The Little Fatty also nodded rapidly, "Right, right, right, just getting to know each other. After all, strength matters a lot in the academy."

Seeing the two switch so smoothly between arrogance and subservience in such a comical manner, Lin Yan shook his head inwardly with a slight smile.

He had originally thought he was about to experience a classic novel trope of 'provocation, face-slapping, and showing off,' but he hadn't expected these two to be quite clever.

Looking at the two before him, Lin Yan lost the desire to tease them further and spoke plainly, "Level 32, Spirit Elder. Well? Does that meet the expectations of you two?"

"S-Spirit... Spirit Elder?"

The expressions on both their faces froze instantly, as if they had been struck by a freezing spell, completely motionless.

The Skinny guy's hand, stretched out to pull the Fatty's sleeve, froze in midair, his mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg, both of their flashy bangs drooping over their faces.

The air remained dead quiet for three full seconds before the Skinny guy snapped back to reality first. A flattering smile instantly spread across his face, his waist bending until he resembled a shrimp. Hands rubbing continuously, he squeaked out in an intentionally raised tone, "Brother! Brother! Spirit Elder is great, Spirit Elder is fantastic! Forgive my disrespect, forgive my disrespect!"

The Little Fatty reacted right after, his chubby face squeezing into a smile uglier than crying.

Hurrying forward, he used his small chubby hands to eagerly brush away non-existent dust from Lin Yan's shoulders, his voice dripping with servility:

"Right, right, right! Brother, what I actually meant to say earlier was that from now on, all the chores like cleaning the dorm and fetching water will be handled completely by us! You just focus on cultivating peacefully and don't worry about a thing!"

Lin Yan gently pushed away the Little Fatty's greasy hands, looked at them both, and said calmly, "Alright, drop the act. Tell me, what's your deal?"

Their movements froze instantly, awkward smiles forced onto their faces. The Skinny guy spoke first, "Brother, I'm Ye Liangchen, and he's Chen Beixuan."

After Ye Liangchen finished, Little Fatty Chen Beixuan took over, "I'm Level 18 this year, and he's Level 19."

...

Through their harmonious back-and-forth banter, Lin Yan understood the situation of these two "talents."

In short, they were two rich young masters sent here by their families to gain prestige who wanted to find an errand boy, though they had enough sense to probe his background first.

As for why they submitted so smoothly upon learning Lin Yan was a Spirit Elder, the reason was simple: first, they were afraid of getting beaten up, and second, they didn't want to offend a Genius for no reason.

In Little Fatty Chen Beixuan's own words, "Although we bully others using our influence and are lazy gluttons, we aren't stupid."

"Brother, for you to Cultivate to Spirit Elder at your age, regardless of your background, your talent is top-tier. I'd have to have a hole in my head to keep acting arrogant and courting death!"

As for why the dorm was still so dirty when Lin Yan first arrived, it was because after registering in the morning, these two hadn't even come to the dorm.

They had snuck straight out to experience some of Shrek City's "special" services, only returning just now.

Then came the scene that followed: the two enthusiastically ran over to recruit an errand boy, only to crash right into his hands.

Having figured out the whole story and seeing their submissive attitudes, Lin Yan didn't dwell on their prior offense.

After all, as a Heavenly Soul noble in this life, Lin Yan knew the conduct of the noble youths across the Douluo Continent's three great Empires all too well—bullying others relying on power and acting arrogantly was just everyday routine for them.

Besides, Little Fatty and Skinny had submitted far too quickly.

As villains, shouldn't they clamor, clamor, and clamor again?!

Doubt, doubt, and doubt again?!

And then, only when a fist hit their faces, shout, "I'm sorry! I was wrong!"

They had no self-awareness as villains whatsoever, leaving Lin Yan without even a proper excuse to stretch his limbs!

Bah! Zero stars!

The dorm wasn't large to begin with, and with the combined efforts of Fat and Skinny, it was tidied up in no time.

As for Lin Yan?

Under the "passionate persuasion" of Fat and Skinny, he "reluctantly" took on the role of supervisor.

Just like that, the three had a clear division of labor, each fulfilling his duty.

Truly a joyous occasion, truly a joyous occasion!

After finishing up the dorm, Chen Beixuan and Ye Liangchen sidled up to Lin Yan, winking with a look that all men understood as they eagerly offered, "Brother Lin, Shrek City has plenty of 'special' services. Want to try them out tonight? Our treat!"

Looking at the two beating their chests with grand generosity, Lin Yan waved his hand with mild disgust, "You two go ahead, I won't join."

Seeing Lin Yan decline, they didn't push it further. Little Fatty Chen Beixuan feigned sudden realization, slapping his forehead, "Right! With our Brother Lin's good looks, he definitely wouldn't care for those vulgar beauties!"

"Then Brother Lin, we'll be taking off!"

"Go on, go on."

After seeing the two off, Lin Yan packed up his things and left the dormitory to buy some daily necessities, casually strolling around Shrek Academy to familiarize himself with the surroundings.

...

Three days flew by in an instant, and in the blink of an eye, the official start of school arrived.

At this moment, in the first-year teachers' office area, an old woman with crane-white hair and wizened skin was holding a list of new students, her sharp gaze sweeping over every name.

Lin Yan... Spirit: Emperor Flame... Level 32 Spirit Elder...

Pausing for a moment on Lin Yan's name, Teacher Zhou Yi's habitually terrifying face curled into a eerie smile, a flash of excitement gleaming in her eyes.

"A Spirit Elder, huh... Such a Genius rightfully belongs in my, Zhou Yi's, class! Jie jie jie!"