The moment Shen Liang arrived, every eye turned toward him.
As his foot crossed the threshold of the academy grounds, the bicycle beneath him dissolved into motes of light—recalled neatly into his System inventory. His gaze swept past the onlookers, coming to rest on the imposing sign ahead. It was forged of obsidian-black material, its edges gleaming with intertwined filaments of gold and silver.
Embossed upon it were two words that carried the weight of destiny:
[Spire Nexus]
As he wandered the halls in search of the assembly point, Shen Liang caught the hushed murmurs trailing in his wake. Every conversation seemed to circle around one thing—the seismic takeover by the mysterious "Shen L."
It was a carefully constructed anonymity.He had never publicly tied his full identity to the conglomerate's ownership. In a sector where "Shen L." could be anyone, the thought that the mastermind behind the economic upheaval was just another student at Spire Nexus seemed far too improbable.
The mask of ordinariness was his greatest disguise.
...
"Ah, there it is."
Shen Liang's eyes settled on the large assembly hall ahead, its doors thronged with students.
"Pardon me," he murmured, weaving through the crowd with practiced ease until he slipped inside. Near the entrance, an attendant was distributing wristbands. Once synced with the System, each would project a personal map guiding the wearer to their designated seat.
With thirty minutes until the seminar began, Shen Liang tuned out the chatter around him and turned his focus inward.
His sources were reliable: after the entrance assessments, the Hua family would host a public selection for their heir's guardian.
He didn't see it as an opportunity for servitude—but as the perfect cover.It would legitimize the advanced gear and immense wealth he planned to acquire. After all, no one questioned a guardian's resources.
This scenario was one of dozens he had simulated and approved.Within moments, his mind had mapped the variables, pruned the weak probabilities, and fixed upon a clear strategic path forward.
...
In the final minute before the seminar, a young woman took the seat beside him.
"Pardon me," she said softly.
Her hair was a striking silver-white, and her eyes—sharing the same pale hue as her sclera—seemed to shimmer with a faint inner light, as though reflecting a sky unseen by others.
"My apologies," Shen Liang said, smoothly pulling his arm from the back of her chair. His expression remained calm, though his thoughts sharpened with sudden recognition.
Hua Ruyan of the Hua family… Only four months older than me—and already her aura is this refined?
A faint, almost otherworldly smile curved her lips.Shen Liang met it with a calm nod, his gaze steady.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Hua Ruyan."
"Shen Liang," he replied, his tone composed yet warm. "Pleasure to meet you too."
For a heartbeat, their gazes lingered—silent recognition passing between two prodigies who had no idea how tightly fate would soon intertwine their paths.
...
Then a voice cut through the noise, deep and commanding.
"Settle down, children."
The words rippled through the air like a physical force, silencing every conversation at once.
An old, bearded man stepped onto the platform—his very presence bending the atmosphere around him. Even the ambient System energy seemed to tremble.
His power was immeasurable—an ocean hidden beneath calm waves.
"I've been waiting for you," he said, his gaze sweeping across the hall like a storm about to break.