Chapter Seventy-Seven: Gentle Heart, Grand Presence

"Ding dong..."

The bell signaling the start of morning study rang out. At the school gate, two security guards were preparing to close the main entrance, leaving only the side door for students to come and go. Suddenly, the sharp sound of hooves echoed—clop, clop, clop.

"Oh, wow! Now that's something you don't see every day!" one of the guards exclaimed, his face full of astonishment. The other seemed to turn to stone, both of them staring as a striking young man rode up on a tall, magnificent horse—schoolbag slung over his back. Was he actually a student?

Under their bewildered gazes, Yan Luo galloped into the campus, swept across the square in front of the main building, then veered off toward the parking area.

This was the bicycle lot, but since the morning bus route for Class 2 was popular, there weren’t many bikes here—just wide, empty spaces. Yan Luo picked a spot, tied up his horse, and left it there as casually as if it were nothing. After all, that steed was worth twenty thousand units of bio-energy, and as its registered owner, Yan Luo could track its location in real time through the World Modulation System. Besides, the campus had walls, iron gates, security guards, and teachers patrolling inside.

After securing his horse, Yan Luo made his way quietly to his classroom. When he entered, Teacher Wu was already there. Noting Yan Luo’s tardiness, the head teacher frowned and said, “Late to morning study again. You’ll stay after school today and sweep the floor as punishment.”

“Yes, sir.” Yan Luo’s response was polite and subdued as he headed to his seat.

He took out a book and pretended to read, though with his current powers of comprehension and memory, these lessons were trivial. Outwardly, he appeared absorbed in study; in reality, he was reviewing the Heartless Marionette’s emotional tally for the morning—now at eighty-six points, the vast majority of which were shock.

Just fourteen points left...

After the homeroom teacher left, a low hum of conversation began to fill the room. Yan Luo’s desk mate, Zheng Hong, leaned closer and whispered, “Yan Luo, be careful. I heard someone’s out to get you.”

Yan Luo was silent.

What a sensational piece of news to hear first thing upon arriving! In real life, he was the most low-key, ordinary person you could meet—kind, friendly, approachable. Who could possibly be bold enough to pick a fight? His thoughts wandered to the world of ancient Greece, to Agiadamos II skewered by a discus, and the Spartans who could take on twenty men bare-handed.

Could it be his desk mate, still bearing a grudge over that bowl of braised pork Yan Luo ate last time, just trying to spook him?

“It’s An Zixuan.”

“An Zixuan?” Yan Luo searched his memory for a few seconds before recalling the name—it sounded like the protagonist of a third-rate romance novel or a Korean drama. A student from another class, perhaps... rumored to be from a wealthy family that owned a nightclub? Good-looking, with a baby face?

A pretty boy.

“Prince Charming An Zixuan! Don’t tell me you’re in your third year of high school and still don’t know the school’s heartthrob.” Zheng Hong pulled an exaggerated face.

Yan Luo’s expression remained impassive. He wasn’t about to dignify that nickname with a response.

“Honestly, I think the title of heartthrob fits you better these days,” Zheng Hong added.

Yan Luo replied calmly and courteously, “I have no interest in being the school’s heartthrob. The title I want most right now is Silver-ranked General—or even better, Gold-ranked General.”

Zheng Hong blinked in confusion.

You sense a powerful emotion: Bewilderment +1

Yan Luo’s composure unshaken, Zheng Hong continued, “An Zixuan likes Chen Beixue. Don’t tell me you don’t know the school’s beauty either.”

As for this so-called school beauty, Yan Luo did know a little.

Chen Beixue.

A celebrity at this high school.

Nickname: The 170 Girl.

Rumor had it, her height was 170 centimeters; her IQ, also 170. She once joined the school basketball championship as the only female player and, in the finals, threw down a dunk from the free-throw line, ending the match—supposedly, her jump height was also 170. From freshman to senior year, she’d rejected 170 boys. Her winning streak in Honor of Kings was said to be 170 games as well...

A vivid scene took shape in Yan Luo’s mind: bathed in bright sunlight, a delicate and graceful girl hugged her books to her chest, walking beneath the cherry blossoms as a refreshing breeze scattered pink petals. Her long hair unfurled in the wind...

Could she be a Modulator, too? The thought suddenly struck Yan Luo.

He realized that, as an ordinary person who had lost all emotions, he’d never paid attention to this girl—she was practically a stranger. Now, as a Modulator, he instantly sensed that something was off. Never mind the rest; a high school girl leaping a meter seventy in a basketball game? That kind of athleticism was downright unnatural.

His pimpled desk mate, Zheng Hong, pressed on, “Yesterday, someone carved ‘I love you’ into your desk. Do you remember?”

Was it just yesterday? It felt like ages ago...

But on reflection, it was indeed only yesterday. It just seemed longer because, from eight to ten last night, he’d traveled to ancient Greece—debated with the wise, competed in the Olympics, casually dispatched the King of Sparta with a discus, and averted the ‘Great Greek War.’

Hence, the sense of distance.

Yan Luo moved his book aside to reveal the words beneath:

I love you—
Snow of the Northern Frontier

“You wrote ‘Snow of the Northern Frontier’... Someone took that as a reference to Chen Beixue. Yesterday, someone told the school beauty about it. Chen Beixue just smiled and said nothing, but when Prince Charming An Zixuan heard, he got angry and announced he’d teach you a lesson.”

Despite Zheng Hong’s gossipy, opportunistic nature and his acne, he was quite helpful. After hearing this, Yan Luo replied evenly, “Thanks for telling me. It’s nothing.”

“How can it be nothing!” Zheng Hong tried to keep his voice low, as it was still study period. “Don’t you know An Zixuan’s dad owns a nightclub? An Zixuan hangs out with all sorts of people—rumor is he’s connected to the notorious Azure Dragon Gang.”

“Azure Dragon Gang?” Yan Luo had never heard the name before.

“You don’t know the Azure Dragon Gang? The government cracked down on them not long ago, put the boss in jail. The past two years they’ve been rebuilding in secret—the boss, Big Brother Fei, just got out of labor camp and he’s more arrogant than ever. There’s a saying: ‘On the streets, Brother Fei doesn’t talk much, but he’s ruthless’—that’s about him.”

“Azure Dragon Gang, Brother Fei? Are they as fearsome as the Spartans?” Yan Luo asked.

You sense a powerful emotion: Bewilderment +1

“You mean the ‘300 Underwear Guys’?” Zheng Hong couldn’t understand how Yan Luo’s mind leapt from gangs to Spartans. After a pause, he replied, “That’s... not really comparable. Brother Fei is just ruthless, but those 300 are straight-up maniacs...”

Yan Luo responded with a calm “Oh.” Noticing his desk mate was still itching to gossip, he decided to cut things short—if the teacher returned and caught them talking, it’d be more than just sweeping duty. So he said, “Zheng Hong, there’s something I’m not sure I should say.”

“Hm?”

“Your acne looks especially radiant today.”

“...”

You sense a powerful emotion: Bewilderment +1
Sorrow +2

The Heartless Marionette’s points hit ninety.

Choked into silence, Zheng Hong said no more, and soon self-study ended.

Yan Luo checked his phone. On the modulation app’s mini-map, his “chocolate” was still in the parking lot. Next was the first math class. When it ended, Yan Luo glanced out the window and saw a girl walking across the sports field.

“Chen Beixue?”

He hadn’t had a strong impression of the school beauty before, but now her distinguishing feature was instantly obvious—her chest! Even Cornelius of Arcadia couldn’t compare. For a high school senior, it was probably two, even three or four times the norm—an accumulation of all available fat, resulting in such an effect.

Was that an F-cup, or G?

They looked like two gigantic papayas, prominent before her!

Of course, that was what ordinary people would notice. As a World Modulator, Yan Luo’s gaze glanced over her chest and quickly moved to the top of her head, where a Level 5 World Modulator badge gleamed, along with a title:

"Kind-hearted, Mighty-bosomed"