159: Orientation meeting

Chapter 159: Freshman Exchange Meeting

After getting dressed, A Ya Jun explained the situation to Shi Li.

It turned out that Tsinghua University had a few slots for students from other tribes every year, and with A Ya Jun's genius status within the Banlan Tribe, getting a slot was not difficult.

Of course, what he didn't say was that precisely because he lost to Shi Li at the Torch Raising Ceremony, he wanted to experience what kind of education system on Blue Star could produce a genius like Shi Li.

Even the dormitory, he had proactively requested to share a room with Shi Li.

In just about ten days, A Ya Jun had already reached the Platinum 9 rank.

It seemed he had assimilated the rewards from the Torch Raising Ceremony very well.

As Card Players, their natural way of greeting each other upon meeting was to have a card game.

The outcome, naturally, was A Ya Jun's defeat once again, after all, he wasn't the only one making progress.

After tidying up, the two went out together to familiarize themselves with the campus.

After having dinner at the school cafeteria, A Ya Jun wanted to take a shower, so the two returned together.

Just as Shi Li sat down, the third member of the dormitory arrived.

"Shi Li?! You're in this dorm too?!"

As soon as that voice rang out, Shi Li immediately recognized who it was.

Turning to look, it was indeed Gong Ping.

"You actually got into Qingchuan University too."

Shi Li was even more surprised than the other party, and for the first time, he questioned the value of Qingchuan University.

"Hehe, why not?"

Gong Ping rubbed his nose; he had now reached the Platinum 5 rank.

To speak of Gong Ping's usual academic performance, it was actually quite a distance from being able to get into Qingchuan University.

But somehow, his luck was very good; whether it was duels, written exams, or card making, he performed exceptionally well in all of them.

He managed to get into Qingchuan University right at the score cutoff.

Then, perhaps because they were both from the same place, Gong Ping was assigned to this dormitory.

With Shi Li acting as the intermediary, A Ya Jun and Gong Ping quickly became acquainted.

In the evening, the three climbed onto their respective bunk beds and started a dorm night chat session.

For teenagers who had just turned eighteen, this was a rather fresh experience.

- b

As the night passed, the relationship between the three grew much closer.

However, what was strange was that even after the second day passed, the fourth member of their dorm had not yet arrived.

Evening came again, and the night chat session resumed.

"I specifically went to the registration office during the day, and the other roommate really hasn't arrived."

Gong Ping brought it up proactively.

"Maybe there's some special reason, perhaps he dropped out."

Shi Li didn't care.

"Or maybe he was eaten by a monster on his way to school."

A Ya Jun's reaction was also indifferent.

After all, such incidents of being eaten on the way to school happen almost every year within the Banlan Tribe's territory.

Just as they were discussing this topic, the dorm lights suddenly went out.

The next second, they heard the sound of the dorm door lock turning.

Someone opened the door with a key.

"Who is it so late?"

Shi Li subconsciously checked the time on his phone, 00:00.

Then he stretched his head to look outside the door and happened to see a familiar figure stepping in.

"Hello everyone, I'm your roommate."

Chang Zhun said as he climbed onto his bed.

"???"

Gong Ping looked utterly bewildered: "Brother, what are you doing?"

"It's time to sleep."

Chang Zhun closed his eyes.

"You—you came too late."

A Ya Jun knew Chang Zhun.

"No, you all came too early. I came strictly according to the start date on the admission notice."

Chang Zhun still had his eyes closed.

"No, what's going on now? A Ya Jun, do you know him?

It's pitch black, brother, I haven't even seen what you look like yet.

What did you say your name was just now?"

Gong Ping rattled off a string of questions, but the only answer he got was Chang Zhun's already audible snoring.

He had specifically adjusted his schedule for university.

"Alas—"

Shi Li suddenly sighed.

A foreign man with mysophobia and an exhibitionist tendency, a rope-burning dog with time obsessive-compulsive disorder, and then there was Gong Ping.

He began to consider whether he should rent a house outside the school.

Early the next morning, he was woken up by Gong Ping's shouts.

"No! This isn't fair!"

Gong Ping stood at the balcony entrance, pointing at A Ya Jun, who had just finished showering and was wiping himself down with the door wide open: "Damn Banlan man!"

"Get out of the way, I need to use the water."

Shi Li didn't know what he was being "unfair" about, and pushed the two aside.

Unexpectedly, Gong Ping poked his head back in.

"No! This isn't fair! Damn Blue Star man!"

After seeing Shi Li, he shouted again.

Was he the abnormal one, or were their Talents too great?

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."

Shi Li had just walked out when Chang Zhun squeezed in and closed the door.

"Hey, first come, first served!"

Gong Ping, having been cut in line repeatedly, felt this was very unfair.

"Sorry, I need to have a bowel movement for 30 minutes promptly at 7 AM every morning."

Chang Zhun's voice came from behind the door.

"No, big brother, if you're going for a big one, you should let me go first!"

Gong Ping was about to lose his mind.

One person showering, one person pooping, the restroom wasn't enough!

Left with no choice, he could only go borrow the restroom next door.

By the time the three finished breakfast and returned, they saw Chang Zhun limping out of the dormitory.

A Ya Jun: "What's wrong with you?"

Chang Zhun: "My legs went numb from squatting too long."

Shi Li: "—, you shouldn't have cared about him."

They had received a notice yesterday that all freshmen were to gather at the sports field at 8 AM.

Upon arriving, they didn't see any teachers; the organization and order were maintained by a group of senior students from the student council.

"Dear junior brothers and sisters, welcome to Qingchuan University."

"I am the Vice President of the Student Council, Fu Hui."

On the stage, a senior student with a neat ponytail held a microphone.

She then introduced the reason for gathering them there.

The reason was actually very simple: the choice of college.

Card universities typically divided into seven colleges according to the seven major systems.

The original intention of this division was to better research the seven major systems.

However, with the development of Blue Star Card Player civilization, by today, they basically only represented a tradition.

The colleges of each system no longer adhered to a single card system but had evolved into comprehensive systems, each with its own strengths.

The reason they were still divided into seven systems was not only to pay homage to tradition.

It was also to promote healthy competition.

Since there was competition, there was naturally a distinction between strong and weak.

Even among Qingchuan University's seven major colleges, the same was true.

In recent years, the most influential were the Berserker College and the Persistence College.

These two, whether in competitions or in other realms, clearly outperformed the other five colleges.

The weakest, on the other hand, were the Momentum College and the Listen to the Wind College.

Returning to the choice of college, normally, freshmen would do some research before entering university.

So, when choosing a college, everyone naturally wanted to enter a better one.

However, to ensure reasonable allocation of teaching resources and to minimize waste and overcrowding, the number of slots for each college was limited.

Since the number of slots was limited, the order of selection became an issue.

The task of the student council today was to determine the order in which freshmen would choose their colleges.

"Dear students, our school has always had a tradition of exchange and welcoming new students.

Exchange and welcoming new students, as the name suggests, means freshmen and senior students engage in card game exchanges.

Your performance will determine the order in which you choose your college.

And these senior students are your opponents for a while."

Fu Hui waved her hand, and a total of ten senior students walked onto the stage.

Their ranks were very uniform, all Platinum 15.

"What's going on, how can we possibly beat them?"

"What kind of welcoming is this? Isn't it clearly bullying people?"

"How can we possibly beat Platinum 15? That's a 9+1 deck."

The freshmen below discussed animatedly.

According to Shi Li's observation, the highest-ranked freshmen so far were like A Ya Jun, at Platinum 9.

There were about 20 such people.

However, he didn't know which one was the S-rank Treated by.

Anyway, unlike the other students, most of these few had eager expressions, ready for a challenge.

Platinum 9 against Platinum 15, there was still hope.

"Please calm down, everyone. We are not asking you to necessarily defeat these senior students.

The final selection order will be determined by the number of rounds you can endure against them."

With Fu Hui's explanation, it seemed much more reasonable.

"Hey, they said number of rounds, not duration."

Shi Li had already seen Chang Zhun's expression beginning to show.

Don't even think about ruining your reputation on the first day of university, okay?

Then Fu Hui announced more detailed rules.

First, this time, the single-hand card rule would be used.

Secondly, the longer you last under your seniors, the higher your draft pick will be.

If the number of rounds is the same, then the scoring will decide.

The members responsible for scoring are the opponents in the freshmen's sparring matches, as well as the student council members maintaining order and observing the matches.

Ten seniors entered ten rooms, and everyone chose one to duel against.

Shi Li's four roommates casually picked a spot, took a number, and sat outside to wait.

"By the way, which academy do you guys want to choose?"

While waiting, Gong Ping looked at the other three.

"I want to choose the Berserker Academy."

A Ya Jun answered first.

He heard that the Berserker Academy had the most foreign connections among the seven academies and often organized students to participate in practical activities in foreign lands.

A big reason why he chose to come to Blue Star to study was for this.

In A Ya Jun's eyes, Blue Star was an excellent stepping stone.

He wanted to use this stepping stone to see more of the world.

"I want to choose the Persistence Academy."

Chang Zhun had a different answer.

He was very fond of the seemingly chaotic but actually profound circuits within the cards and had a strong interest in them.

And the Persistence Academy was one of the academies with the best research conditions in the entire Qingchuan University.

"I want the Balance Academy, because balance represents fairness."

Gong Ping stated his answer, but it seemed no one was interested in hearing his reasons.

After the three finished speaking, they turned their gaze to Shi Li.

However, before Shi Li could speak, a long-haired girl with crimson hair like a waterfall walked up to the four of them.

"Hello, Shi Li."

Chi Xi extended her hand.

"Hello, you are—"

"I am Chi Xi."

While shaking hands, Chi Xi curiously observed Shi Li.

She really wanted to know what made this boy so outstanding and why the Card Hall Master always showed admiration whenever he mentioned him.

"I've heard of you, an A-level contractor from District 5."

Shi Li remembered.

"No, I am now an A+ level contractor."

Chi Xi smiled.

Seven evolutions had allowed her to jump directly from B+ to A+.

"Impressive, congratulations."

Shi Li looked at the label above her head, [Platinum 9].

"You're not bad either; I heard you're already an A-level contractor."

Chi Xi had been keeping an eye on Shi Li's news.

An A-level contract was not far from an A+ level, so it seemed he might soon be qualified to go to the New World and get in touch with that new thing.

Cube Chess.

"Alright, I look forward to meeting you in the upcoming placement matches."

Chi Xi wasn't there for small talk; after leaving this remark, she departed to queue elsewhere.

"Is that Chi Xi?"

Looking at her retreating figure, Gong Ping finally asked curiously.

He almost forgot that he was also a contractor for the Show Card Hall, and he had at least risen to C+ level by now.

"Placement matches, huh—"

Shi Li, on the other hand, pouted.

If someone else had said that to him, he might have paid a little more attention.

But this person happened to be named Chi Xi—

"I ask you, what happens if a Concept God meets a Concept God?"

Just then, Chang Zhun suddenly asked him.

"Oh, now that you mention it."

Shi Li was indeed stumped by his question.

A Ya Jun was the runner-up, and Chi Xi was the second-place holder.

However, there was only one second place.

So if these two met in a competition, whose Concept God body would be broken?

Thinking of this, Shi Li couldn't help but look at A Ya Jun.

At this moment, A Ya Jun was staring blankly in the direction Chi Xi had left.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Gong Ping, beside him, nudged him.

"I—I think I'm in love."

A Ya Jun murmured.

"Well, I'll be."

Shi Li could only exclaim, "Well, I'll be."

This was quite unexpected, but the answer to Chang Zhun's question seemed to be imminent.

Next, the waiting freshmen were called into the rooms one by one.

After the battles, to prevent the seniors' deck from being leaked, they were all directly taken to the adjacent sports field for assembly, to avoid discussion.

However, from the expressions on everyone's faces when they came out, it was clear that their performance in the card games inside was probably not ideal.

Finally, after nearly an hour, it was Shi Li's turn.

The first person to go in was Gong Ping.

"No! This isn't fair!"

He was eventually dragged out by two seniors.

The second person to go in was A Ya Jun.

A Ya Jun's expression when he came out was not good.

Clearly, he had lost the card game.

"It seems that senior is very strong; even A Ya Jun couldn't beat him."

Shi Li couldn't help but feel a little curious.

He had fought A Ya Jun before and knew that his deck was not simple, and he might not necessarily lose to a [Platinum 15] opponent. "Next, student."

Just then, a voice came from inside the room.

"It's my turn."

Chang Zhun stood up but was pressed back down by Shi Li.

"You should wait until everyone else has challenged before you go."

Shi Li left this remark and walked into the room.

On the other end, A Ya Jun was led to the sports field.

"How was it?"

Gong Ping came up and asked with concern.

"As expected of a famous university in Xia Nation, the people here are very strong."

A Ya Jun shook his head, admitting defeat wholeheartedly.

Although he only had one less character card than his opponent, that one character card was precisely why he lost.

"It's alright."

Gong Ping patted his shoulder and pointed elsewhere: "I just asked around; that one over there, and that one over there, and that one over there, they all lost to the seniors."

The three he pointed to, plus A Ya Jun, were all the [Platinum 9] freshmen currently on the sports field.

In other words, as of now, no one had been able to defeat a senior in a sparring match.

And at this very moment, Shi Li had already entered the room and faced the senior.

This senior from Bear Nation had golden hair and blue eyes, with a broad chest and back.

"Shi Li, A-level admission agreement, the top scorer in Jiangnan Province this year."

He looked at Shi Li's information, and couldn't help but feel a bit curious.

The four major regions of Xia Nation, East, South, West, and North, had a total of 36 provinces or municipalities directly under the central government, which meant there were 36 top scorers in the college entrance examination each year.

More than half of them would enter universities affiliated with the five major Card Halls, leaving only about 18 to enter Tsinghua University.

If one person was assigned to each university, that would only be 4.5 people.

Therefore, Shi Li's identity as the top scorer in the college entrance examination was considered a 1% rarity among freshmen.

It's a pity, the Bear Nation senior secretly shook his head.

It's a pity that he was the top scorer in Jiangnan, a province with a backward college entrance examination, so at most, he could only be counted as 0.5.

This could be seen from his rank; the other top scorers among the freshmen were either [Platinum 9] or [Platinum 8].

Only Shi Li was [Platinum 7].

There were almost 100 freshmen in Qingchuan University this year with his rank.

"I'm ready, Senior."

While the Bear Nation senior was pondering, Shi Li had already laid out his cards.

"Good, then let's begin."

The Bear Nation senior smiled and also laid out his deck.

The first round began, and both sides started revealing cards.

Shi Li's reveal was very simple: [Tiao Tiao Guard] + [Crow Warrior].

Anyway, it was just a game to see who could last more rounds; he didn't intend to bring out his full power deck, nor did he intend to use his core hand cards.

"Good cards."

The Bear Nation senior glanced at them and revealed his first row of cards.

For fairness, his default deck for every freshman was the same.

Perhaps subsequent rounds might change according to the situation and game needs, but with the same default deck, at least the first row of cards was definitely the same.

"You Can't See Me!"

As three card slots were revealed, a child with a very large head, covering his eyes with both hands, appeared on the cards.

From his physique, this should be a child of the Giant race.

His card face also reflected this.

[Giant Sky Tribe Child]

Persistence, 100 points, three-star attack 100, 350 / 350, 0 / 80

[Coward - Characteristic]: Giant Sky Tribe Child gains [Fear] effect in the round it takes damage. [Giant - Passive]: Giant Sky Tribe Child occupies 1 row and 3 card slots, maximum health + 250.

[Bloodline - Passive]: Giant Sky Tribe Child can still cast skills when in [Defense]. [Wailing Cry - 80 Energy]: Giant Sky Tribe Child deals 30 [Stun] damage to up to 3 targets in 1 row ( [Fear]: Target is forced into [Defense] next round).