Rong Xin sat in the study room, looking at Qin Siyang's post on the forum. His eyes were lowered, and a mix of emotions stirred in his heart.
After a long while, he finally sighed, "Qin Siyang really is a decent person."
Maybe the words "decent person" sounded a bit thin, but that was already the most fitting description Rong Xin could come up with.
In the safe zone, where people scheme and scrape for gain, there really aren't many who can be called "decent."
Beside him, Shi Tao patted Rong Xin on the back and said with a smile, "Rong Xin, I originally wanted you to apply my 'riding the coattails theory' to Zhao Sifang and Gu Yunpeng. Didn't expect you'd actually get Qin Siyang to recognize you like this. If you ask me, your good days are coming."
Rong Xin looked at Shi Tao seriously, "Brother Tao, you should know, I've never thought about riding on anyone else's coattails."
Shi Tao nodded, "Of course I know. But in the safe zone, aside from those once-in-a-generation prodigies, no one can carve out their own world alone and become some brilliant rising star."
"I'm just an ordinary person," Rong Xin said, "I stopped dreaming long ago about suddenly becoming someone exceptional. Right now, my goal is just to live this life in the apocalypse safe zone with a clear conscience."
Shi Tao strongly disagreed, "Rong Xin, you're way too pessimistic. You're already a top student at one of the top universities in the safe zone. So many people dream of reaching your level. Why do you always put yourself down?"
Rong Xin replied, "Brother Tao, it's because the world is different now. I admit, my aptitude is better than most people's. If it were a peaceful era, I believe I'd have plenty of chances to live the life I want."
"But now it's the apocalypse. An apocalypse where gods exist. The secrets of the gods haven't even fully been revealed, and yet they've already destroyed thousands of years of human order and civilization. If the gods make even a small move, humanity will split into something even more primitive and extreme. So the ones who can rise above the rest are those who already had extraordinary talent to begin with. There's no such thing as changing your fate through effort alone anymore."
"You and Ban Dingyuan have high talent, top-tier strength, and ambitious goals. You'll have a bright future, no problem. But if I tried to do the same, I'd just be wasting my time and my life chasing some empty dream."
"The uncertainty of the apocalypse is just too great, and it depends too much on individual talent and strength. I always tell others that after the top ten in our grade, everyone else is just an ordinary student. Honestly, that's already a conservative statement. Brother Tao, to be frank, I think in our South Glory cohort, maybe only you and Ban Dingyuan have a chance to keep advancing."
"Or maybe, even the two of you won't make it to the end. So there's no need to try to persuade me."
Rong Xin's gaze remained calm as he looked at Qin Siyang's post. Without really thinking, he poured out all these words in one go, like something he had already gone over countless times in his mind.
Shi Tao looked at Rong Xin, and his own feelings became just as complicated.
Rong Xin believed he couldn't make a name for himself in the apocalypse. But did Shi Tao really have the confidence to stand firm in it?
He used to be very confident.
But after seeing the next batch of juniors, each one more outstanding than the last, doubt had begun to creep into his heart.
Especially Qin Siyang. An orphan by background, yet he dared to directly confront the thesis review committee and even got four votes of support from the executive directors.
And him? He was still clashing head-on with Ban Dingyuan over a black market stall, and he'd feel pained over the damage of a few third-tier hunting-god items.
They were clearly from the same university, a senior and a junior, yet it felt like they lived in two completely separate worlds.
Shi Tao let out a soft sigh and said nothing more. The two of them sat there quietly, each lost in their own thoughts.
———
Qin Siyang had no idea that his existence had already left such a deep impact on the hearts of so many people his age.
At this moment, he was eating with Wen Shu.
Originally, Xu Lanzhi had planned to join them, but the old lady might have poor eyesight, yet her mind was sharp. After taking a couple of bites, she said she wasn't hungry and went back to her room to rest.
Only Qin Siyang and Wen Shu were left in the hall.
The table was filled with dishes, all cooked by Wen Shu herself.
Knowing that the food came from Chef Wen's hands, the smile on Qin Siyang's lips was even harder to suppress than Rong Xin getting first place in the grade.
Qin Siyang looked at Wen Shu, who wore a gentle smile, "Why did you cook today?"
"I wanted to make something nice for Grandma. And also to welcome you back. You've been going out one trip after another lately and haven't had a proper rest. With school about to start and you staying at the guesthouse these days, I thought I'd cook a meal to treat you a bit, and also thank you for arranging my accommodation."
"Thank me? No need, no need. It's a small thing. No need to get your hands dirty killing people, just spending a bit of money, nothing worth mentioning. Hehe, really nothing worth mentioning!"
Qin Siyang stared at the table full of dishes, practically drooling from the corners of his raised mouth, "Wen Shu, how do you know how to cook so many delicious things?"
Wen Shu's eyes remained clear, "I've been taking care of Grandma all these years, cooking all sorts of odd dishes. To make them taste better, I put in quite a bit of effort. Now that the guesthouse has better ingredients, cooking has become even easier. Let's eat."
"Yeah, okay, okay."
Qin Siyang ate together with Wen Shu. The warm atmosphere washed away the dust in his heart and the weariness on his shoulders from the past days.
"Qin Siyang, I saw that there are suddenly a lot more posts about you on the forum."
"Oh, I went out to attend a thesis hearing a couple of days ago, cough! cough!"
Qin Siyang was eating too fast and choked while speaking, thumping his chest with his hand.
Even when he ate god remains, he had never wolfed food down like this.
Wen Shu smiled and poured him a glass of water, "No need to rush."
Qin Siyang gulped down the whole glass of water, finally washing the food stuck in his throat into his stomach, and let out a long breath.
"It was that meeting. I got through it by luck. No one expected it, so it caused quite a stir."
He spoke casually, but his face couldn't hide a lively spark, and there was a hint of pride in his eyes.
"If both the school forum and the 'Sequence Education' forum are all discussing this, then you must have accomplished something truly shocking. Qin Siyang, I feel like in just half a year, you've become more and more impressive. When we first talked half a year ago, you had just awakened your sequence ability. Now you're already recognized as the number one among your peers in the safe zone. How did you improve so quickly?"
Qin Siyang wiped the oil from the corner of his mouth and said in a deliberately profound tone, "Actually, it's just my own strength, plus a bit of luck."
"Strength and luck? It seems like your luck has always been good."
Hearing that, Qin Siyang immediately added, "Uh, actually, my strength is far greater than my luck. Mainly… it's still strength."
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