188: Who isn't a pervert at some point?

In the early morning of the capital, even the sunlight carried the majesty of the imperial city's roots.

The golden morning glow splashed onto the iconic west gate of Qingbei University, gilding the century-old plaque with a dazzling edge of light.

Several hotels around Tsingbei opened at the same time; the cold air from the air conditioners met the outdoor heatwave, stirring up a burst of white mist.

Groups of teenagers stepped out from the mist.

Some wore loose school uniforms, their eyes reflecting determination.

Some were dressed in suits and leather shoes, their every move carrying the arrogance of the elites from the Magic City.

Others spoke in the soft, melodic Wu dialect, or the spicy Sichuan-Chongqing dialect.

But beneath these vastly different appearances, the same thing called ambition was hidden.

These were the Gu Kings who had fought their way out from among tens of millions of high school students nationwide.

On every young face was written the absolute confidence cultivated by long-term dominance at the top of their grade rankings.

Lin Que blended into the crowd; his custom deep blue suit made him look tall and upright.

But among this group of geniuses competing for attention, he wasn't the most conspicuous one.

With one hand in his pocket, he scanned the surroundings with a calm gaze, feeling the smell of gunpowder in the air that was almost thick enough to materialize.

Yellow caution tape was stretched across the school gate.

Parents seeing off their children and teachers leading the teams stopped there.

For a moment, voices of advice and cheers rose and fell, as noisy as a wet market.

Shen Qingqiu stopped her pace, but she didn't chatter like the other teachers.

She just reached out and helped Lin Que straighten his already neat collar.

Her gaze passed over the boy's shoulder, taking a deep look at that lush, century-old institution of higher learning.

That was the sacred place she had once yearned for but ultimately missed out on.

"Lin Que."

Shen Qingqiu withdrew her gaze, her voice cold, yet with a bit more warmth than usual.

"Teacher?"

"Don't think too much, and don't worry about who your opponents are."

Shen Qingqiu patted his shoulder with just the right amount of force, leaving behind four short and powerful words:

"Just be yourself."

Lin Que smiled and nodded:

"Okay."

Without any grand words, he turned and crossed the caution tape.

His back calmly merged into the young torrent surging toward the auditorium... Following the volunteers' guidance, he passed through the famous Ginkgo Avenue.

A magnificent building appeared at the end of his vision.

The Tsingbei Centennial Grand Auditorium.

Red brick walls, a high-hanging dome, and Roman-style columns cast massive shadows in the sunlight.

This place had hosted national-level academic conferences countless times and received heads of state and dignitaries from various countries.

At this moment, it opened its doors to this group of seventeen or eighteen-year-old youths.

As soon as they stepped into the auditorium, the students who had been chatting and laughing earlier instantly lowered their voices.

The air was filled with a suffocating solemnity, the pressure of knowledge accumulated over a century.

Lin Que stepped over the threshold, but his eyebrows twitched slightly.

Something wasn't right.

Normally, for a written exam of this thousand-person scale, the tables and chairs should be neatly arranged, the exam numbers clearly marked, and even the scratch paper should be laid out like a military parade formation.

But the scene before him completely shattered his expectations:

The vast domed hall was empty, with only red velvet seats arranged in tiers.

No desks, no clipboards, not even a place to put the exam papers.

The entire venue was as clean as the prelude to an elegant concert, rather than a brutal final exam site.

"This is the exam hall?"

"Where are the tables? Are they going to make us write on our laps?"

"There aren't even names posted, and I don't see any proctors handing out papers. Is this going to be an impromptu speech?"

The top students, who were full of confidence, faced this unknown that completely broke convention.

The certainty in their eyes began to waver, replaced by a trace of bewilderment.

Just as everyone looked at each other and the whispering grew louder,

A gentle broadcast voice came from the high-fidelity speakers above the auditorium.

"Attention, students."

"There are no fixed seats for this entry. Please take a seat anywhere and wait for the start."

No explanation, no rules, only this cold sentence.

Lin Que's expression remained normal; he didn't rush to grab the "C-position" in the front row like the others.

He slowly wandered to the middle-back rows and picked a seat with a wide view near the edge.

Here, he could observe the whole scene without easily becoming the focus; it was an excellent "spectator's seat."

Just as he sat down, a wave of warmth leaned in.

"Lei hou ah, handsome!"

A dark-skinned boy wearing black-rimmed glasses sat down next to him.

He wore a flashy short-sleeved shirt and grinned familiarly, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, as he struck up a conversation in standard "Cantonese-accented Mandarin."

"I see you're not nervous at all. Do you have some kind of inside info?"

The boy pushed up his glasses, his eyes full of shrewdness.

Lin Que glanced at him and shook his head with a smile:

"Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it. Being nervous won't conjure up a desk."

"True. Tsingbei is really weird, not even giving us a desk. Aren't they afraid we'll poke holes in our pants while writing?"

The boy was a chatterbox; he complained while reaching out his hand:

"Let's get to know each other. I'm Chen Jiahao from Guang Province. Where are you from, handsome?"

Lin Que didn't want to be too high-profile, so he only replied vaguely with two words:

"Su Province."

However, these two words seemed to trigger some hidden switch.

Chen Jiahao, who had been complaining in a low voice, suddenly raised his volume:

"Su Province?!"

This shout was particularly piercing in the relatively quiet back row area.

Swish—

The dozen or so students nearby who were whispering to each other heard the words "Su Province."

Instantly, like sharks smelling blood, they all turned their heads at once.

Those were a dozen pairs of eyes filled with inquiry, curiosity, and even a hint of fear.

Lin Que: "..."

"Brother!"

A burly guy from the Northeast in the front row turned around directly, leaning on the back of the chair with a look of amazement:

"You're from Su Province? Then you must know that 'freak,' right?"

"Freak?"

Lin Que blinked, looking innocent.

"Stop pretending!"

Chen Jiahao slapped his thigh excitedly:

"The god who took up two 'premium selection' spots all by himself!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

A girl with a ponytail nearby also leaned in and said mysteriously:

"I heard those two articles have completely different styles. One is a madman, the other is an insect. It's like they weren't even written by a human!"

Lin Que rubbed his nose, feeling that the direction of things was starting to get interesting.

"That..." Lin Que asked tentatively, "What else have you heard?"

This question was all it took to completely ignite the fire of gossip around him.

"More than just heard!"

Chen Jiahao lowered his voice, looking like he held top-secret information:

"I heard that Lin Que from Su Province looks... how should I put it, especially mature!

I heard that to participate in Fu Zhi Yao Competition, he specifically went to a mental hospital to experience life for half a year!

He lived with madmen every day, and that's how he wrote with such madness!"

Lin Que's mouth twitched.

Mental hospital? Half a year?

How come I didn't know I had this experience?

Before he could digest this ridiculous rumor, the big guy from the Northeast threw out an even more explosive version.

"No, no! The version I heard is that the guy has split personality!"

The big guy looked serious, as if he had seen it with his own eyes:

"They say he's terrifyingly gloomy at school, never talks to anyone, and his gaze can kill!

His primary personality writes satirical literature, and his sub-personality writes absurd realism.

Every time he switches personalities, he has to lock himself in a dark room for three days and three nights, without eating or drinking!"

Hiss—

The sound of people drawing in cold breaths could be heard all around.

"That's terrifying. He's a madman who'd give up his life for literature."

"Entering the finals with someone like that, do we even have a chance?"

"No wonder he could get a double premium selection. It turns out he traded his lifespan for talent."

Lin Que listened to these increasingly ridiculous descriptions.

From "mental hospital method actor" to "split personality maniac,"

Some people even started to imagine if he had supernatural powers.

He suppressed the urge to facepalm and forced himself to control his facial muscles.

Since everyone was spreading such supernatural rumors about him, wouldn't it be a waste of their rich imagination if he didn't play along?

Lin Que took a deep breath, a perfectly timed look of "lingering fear" appearing on his face.

"Is that so?"

Lin Que sighed, lowered his voice, and said in a secretive tone:

"It does sound quite scary. That kind of person... his aura is too gloomy. It's better for us normal people to stay away."

When everyone heard this "fellow from Su Province" say so, their original doubts instantly turned into certainty.

"It must be hard for you."

Chen Jiahao patted Lin Que's shoulder with a face full of sympathy and sighed:

"Competing in the same province as a monster like that, the pressure must be huge, right?

It's okay, we're all just here to accompany him today. It's the taking part that counts."

"At worst, just treat it as a trip to the capital; it's not a loss."

"Yeah, yeah. That kind of freak is a minority after all. We normal people will compete against each other."

The big guy from the Northeast also comforted him.

Lin Que suppressed his laughter and silently accepted this care and sympathy from his "competitors."

Just as everyone was heatedly discussing what the "Su Province monster" actually looked like and whether he would go crazy on the spot,

Another commotion came from another part of the auditorium...