"You'll find out after you enroll," NoNo said coldly.
"Oh..." Lu Mingfei shrank his head. Even as a so-called straight man, he could tell NoNo's mood was bad. "Then I'll go wait for the interview."
Morin felt a slight sense of relief.
There had been some minor accidents, but the objective was still achieved. Chen Wenwen and the rest were never a real threat. It was impossible for her to end up with Lu Mingfei. Otherwise, even if Morin didn't interfere, the "Boss" lurking in the shadows would eventually step in, crush Lu Mingfei's hopes, and force him onto the path of dragon slaying.
What Morin needed to do was cut off the ill-fated connection between Lu Mingfei and NoNo at the source.
But things weren't completely stable yet.
He still had to guard against interference.
Morin turned toward the window. Under the blazing sunlight, everything looked clear and transparent. But even the strongest sun couldn't erase all shadows. The brighter the light, the deeper the darkness it cast.
And around Lu Mingfei, those shadows concealed the thickest, most turbulent currents.
The Principal. The Boss. The organization Lu Mingfei's father once belonged to.
They had all been using Lu Mingfei, arranging his life through countless means, pushing him along a predetermined path. Now that Morin was trying to alter that path at its origin, how could the masterminds behind the scenes remain still?
And at present, Morin only planned to rely on intellect.
The difficulty was immense.
IQ was a kind of strength, but compared to the combined power and resources of those people, it was fragile. Those forces were enough to alter the course of the entire world.
In such a situation, strategy could easily be crushed by brute force.
But...
That was exactly what made it interesting.
With that thought, Morin shifted his attention.
Helping Lu Mingfei had come at a high cost.
His persona had nearly collapsed.
He'd need compensation later.
Morin thought calmly that using Lu Mingfei as an experimental subject would be a good option.
...
When Lu Mingfei returned to the waiting area beside Chen Wenwen, he saw Liu Miaomiao walk out. She turned back to thank Ye Sheng. She was clearly trying to hide her disappointment, but her expression control wasn't good enough.
"Su Xiaoqiang already left... next, Zhao Menghua," Ye Sheng said, checking the list.
Zhao Menghua stood abruptly and strode toward Ye Sheng. Each step carried the air of someone betting everything. Repeated blows had only stirred his fighting spirit.
As Lu Mingfei sat down, he suddenly felt a chill.
Chen Wenwen asked softly if he'd caught a cold.
Lu Mingfei immediately denied it with exaggerated seriousness, claiming his body was as strong as an ox and immune to such things. His physique offered no supporting evidence.
"You still need to take care of yourself," Chen Wenwen said gently. "You went out to the hallway without air conditioning and came back in. The temperature difference makes it easy to catch a cold."
"Hahaha, it's fine," Lu Mingfei scratched the back of his head.
It felt like happiness had fallen from the sky.
Chen Wenwen was actually concerned about him.
Then he remembered his earlier conversation with Morin and NoNo.
"By the way, I asked Morin just now. He said Cassell College recruits based on individual qualities and some special conditions. That probably includes things like grades. Don't worry, you're definitely better than me. You'll surely get selected."
"Mm..." Chen Wenwen nodded lightly. She looked obedient and fragile.
Lu Mingfei felt the atmosphere was perfect.
His favorability rating must be skyrocketing.
Once it filled up, he'd confess.
The waiting area fell quiet again.
Just as Lu Mingfei was thinking of finding another topic-like Literature Club activities-Zhao Menghua came out.
It hadn't even been three minutes.
His face was blank.
What kind of questions could reduce Zhao Menghua-former number one in senior English-to this state?
Lu Mingfei couldn't help but wonder.
"Chen Wenwen," Ye Sheng called.
"Good luck," Lu Mingfei said quietly as she stood.
Chen Wenwen turned back, nodded slightly, then walked toward the conference room.
That nod felt like a game sound effect.
Favorability +1.
Amazing.
If interviews like this happened a few more times, his confession success rate would definitely reach one hundred percent.
...
"What are you looking at?" NoNo asked.
"I'm looking at the shadows that are about to surge," Morin replied softly. "It's a very interesting challenge."
"Only at moments like this do you feel like a teenager," NoNo said, licking a lollipop she'd found somewhere.
One of the Little Witch's strengths was her ability to quickly discard unnecessary emotions-at least on the surface. Her tomboyish personality was sometimes more boyish than most boys.
In the original story, her ill-fated connection with Lu Mingfei likely started as a whim, then just happened to run into a dog-like person who refused to let go.
"You make me sound old."
"Didn't you say it yourself to Lu Mingfei?" NoNo thought for a moment. "'When a mask is worn too long, you forget you're wearing it.' Pretty philosophical. So, do you realize you've been wearing a mask the whole time?"
"Everyone wears masks," Morin said calmly. "I just have more than most. The most important thing is knowing yourself and holding your bottom line. Anything above it is negotiable."
"What's your bottom line?" NoNo asked.
"..."
Morin didn't answer. He turned and stared at her.
"..."
NoNo silently moved two meters away.
"Did you break up with Big Chest Bro?" Morin asked casually.
"Get lost!"
In anger, NoNo kicked out again. This time it was low, and light. More venting than attacking.
She realized she always lost composure around Morin.
Damn it.
She was supposed to be the one playing others.
When did she become the one being played?
"A bottom line is a person's truest face," Morin said slowly. "That face is only shown to those closest to them. I don't mind, but with your current status, it's not appropriate for you to know."
"So some questions should be weighed carefully before being asked."
"I get it!" NoNo snapped. "You sound like an eighty-year-old man."
Her tone was sharp, but her confidence was lacking. She clearly realized she'd crossed a line.
"People who think too much age quickly. I tried to blend in, but it was unrealistic. Today I finally understood why."
"A dragon can't play with ordinary people."
Morin lowered his gaze to his hands.
"..."
NoNo didn't respond.
She felt cold.
Her profiling ability activated, flooding her with images. This had happened before, but those were always fabricated or disguised.
This time was different.
Flesh and blood. Authority and power. A man walking a path among the stars, leaving behind mountains of corpses and seas of blood, all to reach-
"Hey. Want to grab something to eat?"
The vision shattered.
In its place was a warm, sunny smile.
The expression NoNo had seen most often.
"...I know I'm handsome," Morin added. "You don't need to express it by staring."
"Do you have any shame?" NoNo took a deep breath, regaining composure. She realized she was drenched in cold sweat. "Where are we eating? Not waiting for Lu Mingfei?"
"Why?" Morin shook his head and turned away. "He's probably eager to leave with Chen Wenwen, maybe even fantasizing about a date."
"In this heat... coconut milk dessert soup?"
"That's all you're treating me to?"
"I'm poor. Can't help it."
NoNo didn't answer.
She recalled what she'd just seen.
Was that one of Morin's masks?
Or his true face, accidentally revealed?
She'd never seen anything like it.
Not even from the Principal.
Magnificent.
Grand.
Terrifying.
If it was real, then who was Morin?
And why had he entered Cassell College?
NoNo felt a twinge of regret.
She only wanted to dig up overlooked geniuses.
How did she end up uncovering something this dangerous?
...
"Lu Mingfei."
Time passed.
After a long wait, Chen Wenwen finally came out. The expression Lu Mingfei feared-confusion or disappointment-never appeared. She walked out with her head lowered, face calm.
Lu Mingfei stepped forward. He heard her whisper, "They'll ask..."
Joy surged-
Then someone called his name.
Lu Mingfei froze.
Ye Sheng was looking at him.
He didn't dare listen to the interview questions in front of the examiner. He hurried over obediently.
The conference room was large.
Ye Sheng closed the door, cutting off all sound.
After introductions, the interview officially began.
Lu Mingfei took a deep breath.
This was it.
"Do you believe in aliens?" Aki Shisuzu asked gently.
Lu Mingfei was stunned.
A Chinese interview was one thing. The fluent Chinese and Morin's warning had prepared him.
But what kind of question was this?
Shouldn't it be "Please introduce yourself"?
Or "Why did you choose our school?"
Not that he chose it.
They invited him.
Believing in aliens?
Was this a last-minute change because they suspected the questions had leaked?
Did it have to be this ridiculous?
Lu Mingfei stammered out a "yes," then struggled through an explanation.
Then came:
"Do you believe in superpowers?"
"Do you believe the foundation of human existence is idealistic or materialistic?"
He collapsed completely.
What kind of ghost interview was this?
Just as he was about to give up, Ye Sheng hesitated.
"This is a personal question. It won't be used for scoring. Do you mind answering?"
Lu Mingfei perked up instantly.
Here it was.
This was the real question.
The rest must've been psychological warfare.
He'd seen through it.
Foreigners were foreigners.
When it came to tactics, they were amateurs.
"Of course!" Lu Mingfei answered loudly.
"It's like this," Ye Sheng said seriously. "I want to know... what does it mean when someone says 'tea artistry is very high'? And what exactly does 'straight man' mean?"
Lu Mingfei froze.
Again.
And again.
And again.
...
Late at night.
Ye Sheng sat at the conference table organizing materials with Aki Shisuzu.
"Where's NoNo?" he asked. "She was here this morning, then disappeared."
"She's probably with that freshman. She said she wanted to watch him write something," Aki Shisuzu said quietly. "What do you think is going on between those two?"
"How would I know?" Ye Sheng frowned. "Isn't NoNo's boyfriend Caesar? The Student Union President?"
The image of that proud lion appeared in his mind.
Compared to the boy from earlier...
"He won't be snatched away that easily, right?"
"Hard to say," Aki Shisuzu said. "Caesar is outstanding, but he has an entire ballet troupe. And he's an heir to a great family."
Her face screamed gossip.
"Isn't that even better?" Ye Sheng was confused.
"You don't get it. With that status, marriage isn't his choice. Everything is arranged. How could they end up together?"
"If it were me," she whispered, "I'd choose this one. Handsome, high IQ, orphan-no mother-in-law problems. With the Speech Spirit: Heavenly Calculation, money would be effortless. He's perfect."
Ye Sheng's expression stiffened.
Before he could respond, the door burst open.
"How were the interview results?" a voice came before the person entered.
A man rushed in carrying a briefcase.
"I took a red-eye flight straight here after landing."
He was an old man with thick glasses and wild white hair, wearing a wrinkled suit and baggy pants.
If Lu Mingfei were here, he'd say one word.
Einstein.
"Professor Guderian," Ye Sheng began, picking up the files. "We interviewed seventeen students-"
"Don't waste time. I only care about Lu Mingfei. And that young man Morin NoNo recommended. Lu Mingfei is the priority!"
"That's an S-Rank!"
"Is he really S-Rank?" Ye Sheng and Aki Shisuzu exchanged looks. "Honestly, that Morin seems more-"
"That's the Principal's evaluation!" Guderian snapped. "I fought hard to get him! My tenure depends on this S-Rank!"
So that's why you're so persistent.
They both thought it.
"There's just one small problem," Ye Sheng said.
"What?!" Guderian clutched his chest. "What happened to Lu Mingfei?"
"Strictly speaking, both had issues," Ye Sheng sighed. "Morin was too monstrous. He deduced our college's true nature from our badge, three questions, and our expressions."
"And Lu Mingfei..."
He handed over the files.
"The S-Rank you've been waiting for said he gave up after we finished asking questions."