After a brief conversation with Ban Dingyuan, Qin Siyang also understood why all the second-year students spoke so highly of him.
Someone like Ban Dingyuan, who was strong, quick-witted, cheerful, and not arrogant at all, was impossible to dislike.
Ban Dingyuan, who ranked first, had no airs about him, and Shi Tao, who ranked second, was also a straightforward person.
With the two stars leading them, the atmosphere among the second-year students was relatively harmonious. At the very least, there weren't deadly fights breaking out at every turn.
Qin Siyang had heard that the third and fourth years were much more chaotic.
The people leading those grades all had bad tempers. None of them accepted the others, and they caused no end of trouble around the school. It was said that one death a month was nothing unusual.
The campus at South Glory looked peaceful now, but that was only because the third-years were busy with experiments and hunting gods, while the fourth-years were occupied with internships. Both grades were so busy they barely had time to spare, let alone stir up bloodshed on campus.
Take Duan Chongfang, for example. Last year, he seriously injured the third-ranked student in his grade, then crippled the second-ranked student. After that, no one in his year dared provoke him anymore, leaving Qin Siyang rather speechless.
Perhaps because he had lived two lives and experienced life in society, he didn't have much of a student's youthful spirit.
Qin Siyang always felt that throwing your weight around at school had a bit of a bullying-your-own kind of feel.
But without standing in someone else's shoes, he wasn't qualified to judge.
Who knew? Maybe the second- and third-ranked students had joined forces first to try to harm Duan Chongfang.
When you thought about it, the freshman class was still the most peaceful.
All the heroes under heaven are my brothers. Let's all make money together in harmony.
The other grades were split into many factions, but that simply didn't exist in Qin Siyang's year.
Among South Glory's freshmen, there was only one mountain, and that was "Mount Rushmore," carved with the portraits of the Five Prodigies.
Anyone else who wanted to rise first had to defeat Fu Wanli, who stood guard at the foot of the mountain.
So far, Fu Wanli, who came from the [Phantom Assassin] path, had guarded the gate with remarkable steadiness. He had accepted more than a dozen challenges, large and small, without a single defeat.
Moreover, even if someone managed to beat the sixth-ranked Fu Wanli by luck, the next person they had to challenge wasn't the fifth-ranked Zhao Sifang.
They still had to get past Rong Xin, the Prodigy Quality Inspector.
The gap between Rong Xin and Fu Wanli was at least seven or eight Fu Wanlis.
So in the eyes of the other freshmen, Qin Siyang and the others were like lofty immortals looking down upon ordinary mortals who resembled ants on the ground.
With things like this, all the freshmen buried themselves in training. Who had the leisure to cause trouble?
Without question, Qin Siyang had played a pivotal role in South Glory's current peace and stability.
Thinking of this, Qin Siyang smiled with satisfaction again.
Most of the time, Qin Siyang was very satisfied with himself, but that didn't stop him from admiring other people.
For example, Ban Dingyuan.
Yu Gu's phone received a new mission text. The bounty on Ban Dingyuan had increased.
Qin Siyang sighed.
It was probably because no one had accepted the mission. Those devils from Central Glory couldn't sit still anymore and had raised the price again.
"If they can't beat him themselves, they hire someone to assassinate him. That's really despicable."
But aside from grumbling to himself, there was nothing else he could do to help Ban Dingyuan.
He could only hope in his heart that everything would go smoothly for him.
———
Night Fell.
Qin Siyang and Zhao Longfei went to keep their appointment and attend the dinner banquet hosted by Kafu.
Although Kafu was hosting the banquet, he had chosen a private dining room in South Glory University's cafeteria as the venue.
Qin Siyang's opinion of Kafu rose another notch.
Choosing this location not only showed Kafu's complete goodwill and sincerity, but also took Qin Siyang's current inability to leave South Glory into consideration. It was very thoughtful.
Qin Siyang was certain that Kafu wanted to meet him this time because he intended to become friends.
Before they had even met, Kafu had already left Qin Siyang feeling pleasantly disposed toward him.
It had to be said that Kafu was much better at making friends than Olov.
At dusk, Qin Siyang went to the private dining room in the cafeteria.
Zhao Longfei and Kafu were already seated.
"Hello, Mr. Qin!"
"Hello, District Chief Kafu."
This was his first time meeting Kafu.
Kafu's appearance was completely different from what he had imagined.
Qin Siyang had originally thought that someone like Kafu, who could remain active amid such treacherous circumstances and stand against the Zhao family on equal footing, would have a powerful presence and a blade-like coldness.
Yet the Kafu before him looked ordinary. His features were gentle and well-proportioned, even carrying a trace of refinement. His hair was slightly messy, with faint streaks of gray at his temples. He looked like a researcher accustomed to working late into the night, rather than a master of political intrigue.
Seeing Qin Siyang arrive, Kafu smiled slightly, "Mr. Qin, I've long heard of your great reputation. It's an honor to finally meet you today."
"Thank you for your praise, District Chief Kafu. I didn't expect your language to be so good. I assume you didn't only start learning it after the apocalypse?"
"You're right, Mr. Qin. Before the apocalypse, I often did business with eastern people, so I studied the language with them for quite a few years."
Qin Siyang smiled, "The fact that your business partners taught you elegant idioms like these suggests they must have been people of considerable status."
Kafu nodded, "That's true. There were members of the Jiang family, the Gu family, and the Qi family."
Qin Siyang raised an eyebrow, "Oh? It sounds like District Chief Kafu had quite an extensive network in business. Why did you give up your old profession after the apocalypse and join the United Government instead?"
"For the family's sake. No family can put all its eggs in one basket. Compared to the others, I seemed better suited to dealing with Chinese people, so they arranged for me to become an official."
"That makes sense."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the banquet officially began.
Since the three people in the room were having a confidential discussion, no waiters came in to serve the dishes. All the food had been placed by the serving window.
As the youngest person present, Qin Siyang naturally took responsibility for carrying the dishes and pouring the wine. But Kafu took those trivial tasks from his hands instead, treating Qin Siyang like an honored guest, which made him rather uncomfortable.
After taking a sip of red wine, Zhao Longfei got straight to the point.
"District Chief Kafu, you've devoted yourself to your family for so many years. Now that the family is in trouble, they've abandoned you without hesitation. Are you angry?"
A flash of hatred passed through Kafu's eyes, "When I learned last night that they had withdrawn in advance and cut off all resources and support for me, I was trembling with rage."
"Now that disaster is upon us and everyone is looking out for themselves, I have to make plans in advance for my own future and my family's. That's why I invited you both to dinner."
Zhao Longfei gave him a thumbs-up.
"You got the news last night and made arrangements today. District Chief Kafu, your ability to act is impressive."
Kafu took a large gulp of red wine, smacked his lips, and said, "If I don't act quickly, I won't survive. Things inside the safe zone change in an instant. Move too slowly, and the wheels of history will crush you."
The look in Zhao Longfei's eyes was full of the confidence of a victor, "So, District Chief Kafu, the reason you invited us tonight is because you're arranging a way out for yourself?"
"Exactly."
Kafu looked at Qin Siyang.
"Mr. Qin, I hope you'll accept my surrender."
Zhao Longfei nodded.
"Our Zhao family would be more than happy to... Wait! Who did you say?"