Chapter 87: Chapter 57: Excuse Me, Senior Brother

If even the leadership was speechless, what could the remaining coaches and students possibly say? And so, the exchange meet quietly drew to a close in utter silence.

Early the next morning, Wang Zhanshan, along with a few assistant coaches and some team members, hurried to the university hospital to visit the recuperating Li Xinran and Zhang Kui.

He also brought condolences from the institute’s leadership—especially from Dean Zhang—along with a two-thousand-yuan stipend.

The loss in the competition had been brutal, but certain gestures still had to be made. This was especially true for Zhang Kui; if not for his shameless tactics, the exchange meet would have very likely ended in a complete shutout.

In that sense, his contribution was significant.

“The school has already started the recruitment process. The tryouts for first-year students will begin next Monday.”

After Wang Zhanshan and the others left, Zhao Rui, Qin Rui, and the rest of the group gathered in Li Xinran’s hospital room.

Even Zhang Kui, his face covered in stitches, snuck over from his own room.

“Whether they start recruitment or not doesn’t really have anything to do with us anymore. We sophomores lost so badly this time, our chances of getting a direct recommendation for grad school are probably shot.”

A sorrowful look crossed Qin Rui’s pretty face, giving her a delicate and pitiable air.

“I asked Coach Wang to let me quit the team!”

Just then, Zhang Kui suddenly announced.

“Huh?”

“Already?”

Everyone froze. They’d heard him talk about it many times, but they never thought he wouldn’t even finish the first semester of their sophomore year.

“Too bad the coach didn’t approve it! Hiss—”

“If I’d known… I wouldn’t have won!”

Zhang Kui’s cheek twitched as he spoke.

Everyone couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, while also rolling their eyes at him, completely exasperated.

’Now he’s saying he didn’t want to win.’

’That’s not what you were saying yesterday when that girl from the Eastern Martial Body came to the hospital to visit you.’

“Coach Wang told me not to be discouraged… ouch, ow… something about the path of the Martial Dao being like rowing a boat upstream… you get the gist, ouch!”

“What he said… wasn’t just for me, it was for all of you, too…”

Zhang Kui said, grimacing.

“I think you should just shut up. Anyone who didn’t know better would think you have hemorrhoids!!”

Cao Guannan, finding it exhausting to listen to him, couldn’t help but taunt.

“You’re the one with hemorrhoids! I’m trying to be nice here!”

Zhang Kui snorted, then said, “Anyway, I can’t let this beating be for nothing!”

“Senior, you just can’t bear to leave that girl from the Eastern Martial Body, can you!”

Zhao Rui chimed in, seeing right through him.

“Damn it, what kind of person do you take me for?!”

“Yep, you are!”

everyone said in unison.

Thanks to Zhang Kui’s antics, the helpless and dejected mood that had settled over Qin Rui instantly dissipated.

“Seniors, we’ve fought side-by-side. Let’s all keep our spirits up!”

“Yeah!”

“Hiss!”

“You should get back to your bed. Maybe that girl will bring you a special dinner after her classes are over!”

Li Xinran said with a laugh from her bed, teasing Zhang Kui.

“Right, I should get back to bed!”

With that, Zhang Kui flashed an “OK” sign and quickly darted back to his room.

“We should go too. You get some rest, Senior. We’ll come see you again tomorrow!”

Zhao Rui said.

“Okay.”

Li Xinran smiled and nodded. Even though Zhao Rui was a grade below them, he was clearly much more mature than the other guys.

He was also better at bringing everyone together.

’Otherwise, would someone with Cao Guannan’s personality have even come to visit her in the hospital?’

…

The days of rest flew by, and Monday arrived in no time.

It was still early morning. The nascent sun hung in the sky, half-hidden behind layers of clouds, its rays suddenly bursting forth in a breathtaking, rosy-hued display.

Some fifty or sixty students, walking in small groups or in pairs, were making their way toward the entrance of Mingcan Courtyard.

“So this is the Martial Arts Institute! It’s beautiful!”

“Yeah, I hear the weakest people in there are at least Level 7 masters. I wonder if we’ll make the cut.”

“They say our year is the strongest one in a decade. Don’t you be the one to drag us down.”

“Hey, I’m a solid Level 6! That’s upper-tier, all right?”

“I wonder if there are any pretty upperclasswomen. I heard there’s a senior named Ye Jingqiu who’s supposed to be super cold and ethereal.”

“You’re describing a refrigerator.”

“Tch. You’ll get it when you see her.”

The bustling crowd soon passed through the gates of Mingcan Courtyard and followed the stone-paved path toward its main hall.

“Everyone, come over here and register your information.”

As they neared the entrance to the main hall, a wooden desk came into view.

Two students, a young man and a young woman, were sitting behind it. The man’s face was still bruised and cut.

Who else could it be with that look but Zhang Kui? He and Qin Rui were paired up to handle registration at the entrance.

“Alright everyone, form a line and register one by one.”

Zhang Kui stood up, walked over to the line of freshmen, and began to direct them.

Once everyone was in an orderly line, he returned to the desk and began registering the aspiring students with Qin Rui.

“I hear there are a lot of pretty girls in this new class. Finally, you won’t have to be so lonely anymore.”

Zhang Kui said with a grin, his eyes following a pretty freshman who had just finished signing up.

“What do you mean, ’lonely’?”

“You’re the lone flower in a garden! All by yourself!”

“Pah! Save your sweet talk for that girl from Dongyi and stop messing with me. You’re not even on my radar!”

“Damn, I’m trying to compliment you and you just put me down. But seriously, this class…”

Just as Zhang Kui was about to speak, Qin Rui cut in, “Look, here comes another one!”

Zhang Kui quickly looked up and saw a graceful figure slowly approaching the registration desk from the entrance of the hall.

When she arrived, the previously orderly line seemed to part automatically, letting her through to the front. Not only that, but the students behind her kept a distance of nearly two meters, as if she were some kind of man-eating tiger.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep