22: Chapter 22 Brother Jiang, please wait!

June 7th, the day of the College Entrance Examination.

On this day, the entire city of Jiangcheng seemed to have a switch pressed, a switch named "anxiety."

To make way for the city's future martial artists, construction sites ceased operations, cars were forbidden from honking, and even the square-dancing aunties consciously put away their speakers, switching to silent Tai Chi.

The air was permeated with a sense of anxiety, thicker than the smell of gunpowder.

At the gate of Jiangcheng No. 1 High School, a long yellow cordon was pulled taut.

Heavily armed SWAT officers patrolled with keen-scented exotic beast police dogs, while drones buzzed overhead.

Outside the school gate was a sea of red.

Parents wore red qipaos with high slits, holding sunflowers in their hands to symbolize an immediate victory and seizing the top spot. They were more nervous than prisoners heading to the execution grounds.

What filled the air wasn't the scent of flowers, but the pungent smell of essential balm and sedatives.

However, amidst this solemn atmosphere, a black stretch luxury car slowly pulled up to the gate.

The car door opened, and Jiang You stepped out, yawning.

He wasn't wearing a school uniform, still in his loose casual clothes, holding a bag of soy milk and slurping it away.

"Brother Jiang! Brother Jiang, please wait!"

A voice, extremely enthusiastic and even carrying a hint of anxiety, rang out.

Zhao Tai was seen leaning on a single crutch, his face plastered with a smile brighter than a sunflower, limping over: "Looking at your complexion, you slept well last night? Today's top scholar title is definitely in your pocket!"

Jiang You glanced at him, took a sip of soy milk, and asked: "Isn't this the Car God Zhao? You're using that crutch quite smoothly; done with wheelchair drifting?"

The smile on Zhao Tai's face stiffened for a moment, and he cursed inwardly: Drift your grandpa! Tonight, I'll let you drift into a coffin!

But he took a deep breath, forcibly ignoring Jiang You's mockery, and went straight to the point: "Ahem, that... Brother Jiang, what happened before was an accident. I stopped you today because I have serious business!"

"The College Entrance Examination ends tonight. I'm hosting a teacher-appreciation banquet at home, which can also be considered our graduating class's farewell dinner. The top fifty students in the school are all going, along with Teacher Gu and the others. I want to use this opportunity to apologize to you. You... must do me the honor of attending!"

After listening, Jiang You's face remained emotionless, and he even yawned: "Dinner? Not going."

"It's too tiring. Having to change clothes and listen to you all bragging to each other. If I had that time, I'd rather lie in the villa and watch TV."

Zhao Tai panicked.

Jiang You isn't going?

If he doesn't go, who is he supposed to feed that ten million worth of poison to? Who are the fifty death squads supposed to ambush? If the protagonist of this Hongmen Banquet doesn't show up, who is he performing for—ghosts?

Zhao Tai grabbed Jiang You's sleeve, eagerly casting out bait:

"Don't, Brother Jiang! This time is different! It's all high-end dishes!"

"I specifically air-freighted a third-tier deep-sea bluefin tuna from the coast! And a whole second-tier turkey! It's all buffet-style; eat as much as you want! There's plenty!"

Upon hearing "third-tier tuna," Jiang You's eyes flickered slightly.

His internal [stomach] even let out a slight growl, seemingly urging him to agree.

But Jiang You's laziness was ingrained in his bones. He frowned and asked with a look of disdain:

"Buffet? Doesn't that mean I have to walk around to get food myself?"

"And does the tuna have bones? Do I have to carve the turkey myself? If I still have to peel shrimp shells or something... then forget it, it's too much trouble."

Zhao Tai was dumbfounded.

What the hell kind of reason is that?

To eat third-tier monster meat, others would crawl there, but you actually find peeling shrimp shells too tiring?

"No... you don't have to do anything!"

Zhao Tai gritted his teeth, desperate to trick Jiang You into going, and went all out:

"I'll arrange personal service for you! I... I'll peel the shrimp for you myself! I'll even cut the meat and feed it to your mouth, how about that?"

"And the location is at my house, just a few steps from Villa No. 8 where you live. You can just hop over the wall; you don't even need to walk!"

Jiang You was still a bit hesitant, smacking his lips:

"Hopping over a wall is also quite tiring... The main thing is that I generally don't go out at night; I have a curfew."

Zhao Tai was about to collapse. How could this person be so stubborn!

Besides, you live alone, where would you get a curfew?

Just as Zhao Tai wanted to increase the stakes further, even wanting to say "I'll carry you over."

"Ring-a-ding-ding—!!!"

The piercing preparatory bell rang out across the sky.

The broadcast at the school gate shouted: "All examinees, please enter the examination hall immediately! Those who are fifteen minutes late will be denied entry!"

The surrounding examinees began to sprint frantically.

Jiang You was also annoyed by the bell and frowned: "Alright, alright, it's noisy as hell. Time for the exam, we'll talk about this later, depends on my mood."

After saying this, Jiang You waved his hand, bypassing Zhao Tai as if shooing away a fly, and sauntered into the cordon.

Zhao Tai stood in place, leaning on his crutch, watching Jiang You's lazy retreating figure, his teeth itching with anger.

"Depends on your mood?"

"Fine... fine you, Jiang You! You refuse to drink the toast, only to drink the forfeit!"

"After the exam this afternoon, even if I have to block the door, I'll carry you over! Tonight, this last meal, you'll eat it whether you want to or not!"

...

9:00 AM.

First session: Comprehensive Martial Arts Theory Examination.

The classroom was so quiet that only heartbeats could be heard.

The invigilator for this session was a famous "Iron-Faced Judge" transferred from the province — Old Li.

Old Li hated students with poor attitudes the most. His gaze scanned the room like a radar; no small cheating tricks could escape his discerning eyes.

The exam bell rang.

"Begin answering!"

All examinees immediately buried their heads in work, pen tips rustling, wishing they could pour all the ink in their Brains onto the papers.

Except for that one spot in the corner of the examination hall.

Jiang You glanced at the dense examination paper.

"So many words... it makes me dizzy..."

"Anyway, just filling it up should be fine, right? I'll just write something randomly..."

However, before Jiang You could put pen to paper, sleepiness surged over him like a tide.

Jiang You's eyelids began to fight, his head sank lower and lower, and finally—

"Thud."

Face on the paper, asleep in a second.

Old Li on the podium instantly furrowed his brows into a frown.

Not even pretending?

Sleeping just one minute into the exam?

This is a desecration of the College Entrance Examination!

He was just about to walk over and drag this hopeless student out, when he suddenly remembered the principal's specific instruction: "That student named Jiang You is quite special. When he's sleeping... he might be thinking, don't bother him."

Thinking?

Thinking while lying down and drooling?

Old Li sneered, forcefully suppressing his anger.

Fine, I'd like to see what kind of flower you can "think" out.

However, just the moment Old Li turned around.

[Internal Chat Group]

[Brain (Background Silent Mode)]:

"Detected that the host's consciousness has disconnected."

"Retinal afterimage reading complete... '3026 National Comprehensive Martial Arts Theory Examination Paper (Paper A)'."

"Scanning questions... Question 1: Discuss the energy conversion efficiency of monster crystals."

"Is this kind of question serious? This is humanity's highest selection examination? Too simple, it's practically an insult to my computing power."

"Accessing database, generating standard answers. Right Hand, get to work."

[Right Hand (Bored)]:

"Writing again? So boring. I want to punch something, I want to tear things apart."

"Forget it, to hand in the paper early and go back to training, I'll just speed it up a little."

"Activating 'Ghost Printer' mode. Muscle fiber overclocking vibration, let's go!"

In reality.

Old Li had just walked back to the podium when he suddenly heard a rapid and dense scratching sound coming from that corner.

"Scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch—!!!"

The sound didn't sound like writing; it sounded more like someone frantically sanding wood with sandpaper.

Old Li whipped his head around.

Then, his glasses almost slid off.

He saw Jiang You, who was sleeping soundly on the desk, his head still pillowed on his left arm, sleeping so sweetly that he was even snoring slightly.

But!

His right hand!

That right hand holding the black pen had, at this moment, transformed into an afterimage difficult to capture with the naked eye!