Twoweeks until finals.
The campus had entered survival mode.
Libraries stayed full from morning till midnight.
Study rooms were booked days in advance.
Students carried coffee like life support.
And somehow—
Yè Yī and Qiū Huà Bǐ remained the center of every conversation.
"They're definitely taking first and second place again."
"Again?"
"When did they ever stop?"
"I heard Yè Yī got full marks on Professor Wáng's practice paper."
"I heard Qiū Huà Bǐ corrected the paper."
"No, seriously?"
"No idea."
Qiū Huà Bǐ sighed.
"I hate rumors."
Yè Yī kept reading.
"Then stop listening."
"They follow me."
---
Not everyone was amused.
Lú Zhèngyáng sat quietly in the library.
Textbook open.
Eyes unfocused.
Listening again.
Always listening.
Nobody talked about him anymore.
Not the scholarship students.
Not the professors.
Not even the freshmen.
Before Yè Yī and Qiū Huà Bǐ arrived—
He had been the name everyone knew.
The pride of the department.
The future graduate student.
The benchmark.
Now?
He was "thatothersmartguy."
His jaw tightened.
Across campus—
Huáng Nián Qīng smiled.
The manipulation had reached the easiest stage.
The stage where the victim finished the work himself.
A week earlier, Lú Zhèngyáng had needed guidance.
Now?
His resentment moved on its own.
Huáng Nián Qīng stirred his tea.
Across from him sat Lú Zhèngyáng.
Completely unaware.
"Still trying?"
Huáng Nián Qīng asked.
Lú Zhèngyáng groaned.
"They're impossible."
"Mm."
"I've never met people that antisocial."
Huáng Nián Qīng nearly laughed.
That part was true.
"Then stop approaching them directly."
Lú Zhèngyáng frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"People don't always accept invitations."
Huáng Nián Qīng smiled softly.
"They accept interests."
The sentence lingered.
---
A few days later—
Lú Zhèngyáng approached Yè Yī after class.
Yè Yī was packing his notes.
Preparing to leave as usual.
"Lú Zhèngyáng."
The older student blinked.
"You remember my name?"
"Yes."
The answer somehow felt colder than forgetting it.
Lú Zhèngyáng pushed onward.
"I heard you like physics."
Silence.
"...Yes."
Progress.
"The Historical Sciences Club is holding a special exhibition this Saturday."
Yè Yī looked up slightly.
"A private display."
"First-edition translated papers from Maxwell's original publications."
That got a reaction.
Tiny though. Barely visible. But still there.
Lú Zhèngyáng noticed immediately.
"You interested?"
Yè Yī thought for a moment.
"...What time?"
Inside—
Lú Zhèngyáng celebrated.
Outside—
He remained composed.
"Saturday afternoon."
Yè Yī nodded once.
"I'll consider it."
Then he walked away.
Lú Zhèngyáng grinned.
Finally.
What he didn't know—
Was that Violet had been sitting on the rooftop across from the building the entire time.
Watching.
She took another sip from her drink.
"...You really think you're leading him."
The wind carried the words away.
---
Meanwhile—
Qiū Huà Bǐ encountered a different trap.
A technology exhibition.
A large banner hung near the engineering building.
NEXUS DYNAMICS Launch Event AI-Assisted Development Systems First 40 Participants Eligible Five Winners Receive Free Prototype Laptops
Qiū Huà Bǐ stopped walking.
"...Free?"
Dangerous word.
Very dangerous.
His brain knows this is suspicious.
His wallet knows this is destiny.
He approached immediately.
A representative smiled.
"Interested?"
"No."
The representative blinked.
Qiū Huà Bǐ pointed at the banner.
"I'm interested in free things."
"Oh."
"Very different."
Twenty minutes later—
He had already registered.
---
That evening—
Yè Yī stared at him.
"You signed up?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"It's free."
"That's obviously suspicious."
Qiū Huà Bǐ looked offended.
"That's exactly what someone who doesn't want a free laptop would say."
"..."
"..."
Yè Yī gave up.
---
Elsewhere—
The Sì Faces Of Doom received confirmation.
Target One.
MOVING.
Target Two.
MOVING.
Excellent.
---
But another pair of eyes watched the operation unfold.
Nán Xuě stood atop a nearby rooftop.
Arms folded.
Expression unreadable.
Her phone buzzed.
YÈ YĪ ACCEPTED.
Silence.
She looked toward the distant university.
"...Interesting."
Unlike the others—
She wasn't interested in capturing him immediately.
She wanted answers first.
Answers about the Void.
About the Soul resonance.
About why Yè Yī kept surviving things that should have killed him.
---
Far below—
The city lights flickered.
And deeper in the city—
Inside an abandoned warehouse near the industrial district—
Huáng Nián Qīng sat calmly at a metal table.
A tablet glowed faintly before her.
Several files remained open.
Campus layouts.
Student schedules.
Surveillance reports.
Target profiles.
Yè Yī.
Qiū Huà Bǐ.
Both moving exactly where she wanted.
Exactly when she wanted.
She took a sip of tea satisfied.
"The fish are moving."
A figure leaned against one of the support pillars nearby.
Unlike Huáng Nián Qīng's composed appearance—
This person looked built for violence.
Quiet.
Patient.
Watching.
One of the other members of the Sì Faces Of Doom.
"The boy with the Void Arm registered?"
he asked.
Huáng Nián Qīng nodded.
"Yesterday."
"And the Ice wielder?"
"Saturday."
Silence.
The warehouse lights buzzed softly overhead.
Finally—
The figure crossed his arms.
"You should have taken them weeks ago."
Huáng Nián Qīng smiled faintly.
"And you would have failed."
The figure's eyes narrowed.
"You sound confident."
"I sound informed."
She tapped the tablet lightly.
"Yè Yī isn't the problem."
The figure frowned.
"Then what is?"
For the first time—
Huáng Nián Qīng's smile faded.
A single image remained displayed on the screen.
Violet.
Standing on a university rooftop.
Hands in her pockets.
Looking directly toward the camera.
Even though the photo had been taken from over a kilometer away.
The figure's expression darkened.
"...The Time & Space wielder."
Huáng Nián Qīng nodded slowly.
"Every operation we've attempted."
"Every prediction."
"Every route."
She leaned back in her chair.
"She was already there."
Silence filled the warehouse.
For the first time that night—
Neither member of the Sì Faces Of Doom looked particularly pleased.
Meanwhile—
On a rooftop several districts away—
Violet closed her notebook.
The wind stirred her hair.
And far below—
Thousands of people continued living their lives completely unaware—
That in less than a week—
Someone was going to make the first move.
And the board would finally tip over.