100 Fei Liming

According to the female instructor, holding a bonfire party on the first day is a tradition at the base, and the program is always quite extensive. As she said this, a faint smile suddenly appeared at the corner of her mouth, which happened to be caught by Zhong Yun. A premonition suddenly arose in his heart: perhaps this bonfire party would be quite interesting.

After dinner, there was a half-hour of free time. The female instructor told them to go back, shower, and change their clothes, saying she would come to get them in thirty minutes.

The dormitories for the twelve new recruits were adjacent, each with a single room. Since everyone was new and had just arrived in this unfamiliar place, there was a natural sense of kinship among them.

After showering, everyone gathered spontaneously in the open space in front of the doorways. The sun had long been blocked by the surrounding mountains, and looking up, one could only see a patch of golden clouds.

Zhong Yun stood in the shadows. He felt slightly unaccustomed to the tight-fitting, dark green vest he wore, even though he still had his protective vest on underneath, which he never went anywhere without.

While showering earlier, he had taken the opportunity to cut his hair, leaving only short stubble. He had originally wanted to shave it off completely, but after realizing that his head was not perfectly round, he gave up on the idea.

Zhong Yun stood there silently, observing his companions. The center of attention was undoubtedly the tall, handsome boy in their midst. When he introduced himself, it truly gave Zhong Yun a start.

Fei Liming. Looking at his face, which was cast from the same mold as Fei Yingming’s, Zhong Yun was certain he must be from the Fei family—perhaps even Fei Yingming’s younger brother.

It really is true that enemies are bound to meet. To be honest, faced with this boy who looked so much like Fei Yingming, Zhong Yun felt a bit of a psychological barrier.

It was evident that this Fei Liming was much better at social interaction than his brother. Although his outstanding appearance and eloquent speech made him the center of the group, he was not overbearing at all. That face, which Zhong Yun initially found annoying, was always lit with a bright, cheerful smile.

Soon, Fei Liming had temporarily established himself as the center of the group, and others gravitated toward him instinctively.

However, there were others as low-key as Zhong Yun. Beside him, an ordinary-looking girl had not said a word from the very beginning. Zhong Yun remembered her name: Liang Youyu.

"Zhong Yun."

Just as Zhong Yun was observing Liang Youyu, he heard someone call his name. He turned his head to see Fei Liming looking at him in a friendly manner. "Come over and join us."

Zhong Yun looked toward Liang Youyu. He didn't want to seem too antisocial; he had only kept his distance from that face that made him feel uneasy out of a sense of awkwardness.

"Classmate Liang, you should come over too. We are all new here; we really should stand united and support one another." Fei Liming had evidently noticed the silent Liang Youyu and extended an invitation to her as well.

Liang Youyu seemed to glance at Zhong Yun before walking over in silence. Zhong Yun also moved, and the two joined the other ten.

"You might not know this, but Zhong Yun was the top-ranked student at Mingzhu Academy this year. He’s much more impressive than I am," Fei Liming told the others.

"The top-ranked student?" The others looked at the unassuming Zhong Yun, and the expressions in their eyes changed instantly.

Mingzhu Academy had always been recognized as the best school in the country. Every year, no fewer than twenty million people applied, and they were all exceptional students. To secure the top spot among tens of millions required immense strength.

Of those present, only Fei Liming and Liang Youyu were from Mingzhu Academy; everyone else was from other cities. The entire planet of Wuer did not have just one prestigious school; there were many others only a fraction behind Mingzhu Academy. These people had all been recommended to their respective elite schools due to their excellent grades.

Initially, these people had looked down on Zhong Yun due to his plain appearance, but upon learning that he was actually the top student from Mingzhu Academy, their feelings shifted significantly. No matter where one goes, talented individuals always command respect.

Zhong Yun gave a shy smile, his face obscured by the dim light. "Just good luck, that’s all."

Fei Liming was about to say something else when he saw the female instructor walking toward them. The half-hour had passed, and the bonfire party was about to begin.

The female instructor led them toward the plaza, saying, "The bonfire party is a tradition at our base, with a history of several hundred years. We hold one on the first day of every training session. The original intention was to let everyone gather before training begins to bond—singing songs and dancing. However, new content has been added over the years."

As she spoke, she arrived at the massive bonfire. The instructor had them sit in a circle around the fire. By now, the sky was completely dark, and the orange glow of the fire illuminated their young faces.

As soon as they sat down, the main group arrived and took their places around the fire in sequence. By coincidence, Zhang Xiao was sitting right across from him. When he looked up and saw him, he waved a greeting.

"Do you know him?" Fei Liming, sitting next to Zhong Yun, nudged his arm.

"Uh, yes." Zhong Yun nodded unnaturally, feeling helpless about the way Fei Liming had so familiarly taken a seat beside him.

What made him even more uncomfortable was that Fei Liming kept talking to him with great enthusiasm. Zhong Yun could only offer vague, hesitant replies while pretending to watch the performance in the open space nearby.

He truly couldn't understand why Fei Liming was so interested in him. Had he found some clue that made him suspicious? Yet, he couldn't detect a shred of hostility from him. It was a bizarre situation.

"I don't know why, but I felt a connection the moment I saw you. I have a feeling we’re going to be great friends," Fei Liming said suddenly, laughing at himself as he said it.

Zhong Yun thought to himself, *Rest assured, we will never be friends—if we end up as enemies, that would be another story.*

By then, the singing in the center had ended. A tall, bald instructor walked into the center of the clearing and pressed his hands down to signal for silence. The chatter stopped quickly, and everyone looked at the instructor.

"Today is the start of training at our base. Those selected to train here are the top talents in the country." The bald instructor spoke with great power; his voice was not only clear to everyone present but also echoed through the valley.

"Here, you will undergo the most grueling training. You must prepare yourselves mentally. If any of you cannot persist, come and tell me, and I will send you back to your comfortable nests. Do you understand?"

"We understand!" A synchronized, thunderous roar shot up into the sky and carried far into the distance.

"Very good." The bald instructor nodded with satisfaction. Even after such a long time, the students' spirit remained intact. "Now, let us invite the twelve new recruits forward to welcome them to our base."