Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1705 - 929: New Seats (Part 2)

Zhang Chi sneered, "What does it have to do with me? I won’t hold back against a foreign friend!"

"However, she’s dressed in the newest Versace worth tens of thousands, and girls from abroad tend to be naive," Dan Xiao explained the exchange student’s background to him.

Zhang Chi froze in place, his face twisting through a storm of expressions—is she truly that wealthy?

He had already let go of the ultra-wealthy Qi Tianheng, filled with deep regret. Now, the heavens granted him a fresh opportunity.

Zhang Chi returned to Huang Xingyue and offered a proper apology, "Huang Xingyue, even ignoring your outfit, you’re the prettiest foreign girl I’ve laid eyes on."

With utmost sincerity, he added, "I’m truly sorry for earlier; I’d kneel and kiss your shoes if I could!"

Huang Xingyue forgave him graciously, handing over a chocolate candy as a token of goodwill.

Thrilled beyond measure, Zhang Chi unwrapped it and popped it in his mouth right away, but its bitterness hit him hard, contorting his features like he’d swallowed poison, on the verge of spitting it out.

Dan Xiao warned from the side, "Hold it in, that candy cost dozens!"

Forced to gulp it down, Zhang Chi felt death creeping in, his face turning ashen, yet he forced out, "Thanks for the chocolate; it’s so rich and smooth, I love it!"

Noticing his apparent delight, Huang Xingyue reached for more chocolate, but Zhang Chi excused himself with urgent business and bolted.

Feeling lost in the unfamiliar surroundings, Huang Xingyue spotted a boy with a basketball and walked up to him, "Hi, I’ve heard folks in your country adore basketball but shun soccer."

Wu Xiaoqi glanced at her and replied, "Spot on, basketball’s the greatest sport ever—things like soccer ought to vanish entirely."

Huang Xingyue nodded in realization, "That explains why our king claims China bans kids from soccer, letting their tech soar; it’s a Western ploy to sidetrack the Third World so their youth never turn into scientists."

Wu Xiaoqi stood there baffled, "Huh?"

While they chatted, Shan Qingrong yelled out with the ranking list in hand, "Xue Yuantong, Jiang Ning!"

Seating assignments kicked off.

Jiang Ning entered the classroom and glanced about; after a year and a half of high school, he’d apparently never claimed the class’s central spot.

Though he’d always deemed that seat subpar, he couldn’t deny its prime location in the room’s heart.

Jiang Ning took the second row’s dead-center seat.

Xue Yuantong trailed him faithfully, claiming the spot right beside without hesitation.

Shan Qingrong mused: ’Excellent, they’ll inspire the rest of the class!’

"Chen Qian!"

Chen Qian advanced, book still clutched in one hand, heading straight to the front row nearest the blackboard.

Dong Qingfeng cautioned, "Front row catches all the chalk dust—not ideal."

"Ha!" Chen Qian laughed lightly, "Without bathing in dust, how else will the world see I’ve severed worldly ties as the golden sea dries up?"

He eased into his seat and resumed his reading.

’Idiot, knew better than to bother,’ Dong Qingfeng conceded inwardly; this fellow sure knew drama.

"Up next, Gong Jin, fourth in class rankings," Shan Qingrong announced.

Hearing that, many heads swiveled toward Gong Jin, shocked by his strong showing.

Gong Jin surveyed the room, with most chairs vacant, leaving his choice tricky.

Gong Jin strode to the penultimate row, claiming the south window seat—’back row window, king’s domain,’ a truth he grasped perfectly.

Shan Qingrong called, "Fifth, Song Sheng."

’Cage, farewell!’ Song Sheng dashed ahead eagerly, snatching the solo seat by the podium—what had once been Yang Sheng’s turf.

"Smart move from this kid!"

Liu Chuan Dao and Duan Shigang, among the lower performers, stared daggers wide-eyed; by energy conservation rules, Song Sheng’s freedom spelled doom for them!

"Bai Yuxia," Shan Qingrong pressed on.

’Yuxia, Yuxia, front row!’ Chen Siyu pleaded silently; her poor scores meant leaching off Jiang Ning required concessions!

She resolved to offer up Yuxia upfront, making amends with extra perks down the line!

Bai Yuxia had no choice, opting for the first-row aisle spot.

Seventh, Miao Zhe.

Cui Yu rubbed his chin, "Hey, missed him over winter break—notice how Zhe got handsome, maybe a tenth my level!"

Miao Zhe played it smart, picking the front row beside Chen Qian, across the aisle.

Eighth, Huang Zhongfei chose the end of the four-seat block.

Wang Longlong groaned, "Awesome, home base snatched again!"

Ma Shicheng noted, "Silver lining, half’s still ours."

Strictly speaking, Xin Youling claimed ninth place, rising two spots yet surrendering her class president role.

Xin Youling looked utterly vacant, propelled by sheer instinct, picked a spot in the second row next to Jiang Ning's other side, selecting the one who had aided her earlier.

Tenth place went to goalkeeper Dan Kaiquan.

He had gotten past it ages ago, opting for the second-last row on the north side to link up again with his close pal Guo Kunnan.

Now came the seat picks from the mid-tier students.

The timid Song Sheng snatched Yang Sheng’s spot, left with no option, she grabbed the lone seat of Dan Xiao from the podium's opposite side.

Bai Yuxia offered a faint smile, calm like still water, "Long time no see."

Chen Siyu exclaimed, "Little Yang Sheng!"

Wang Yong strode straight to the second-last row, plopping down next to Gong Jin, as if to shield him.

Gong Jin's eyebrow jerked, he had been anticipating Huang Xingyue to take the initiative on seating, but Wang Yong beat her to it.

Wang Yong, the class's trusty cornerstone, expert at judging looks since childhood, quickly vowed, "Brother Jin, give it five minutes, and you'll be thanking me!"

He was jumping right in!

Gong Jin remained skeptical.

Seat selection pressed on.

In the hallway outside, Liu Chuan Dao abruptly jabbed a finger at Duan Shigang and barked, "Did you pull this stunt on purpose to sabotage me?"

Duan Shigang feigned ignorance, "What do you mean?"

"During last semester's finals, you dragged me to net cafes, billiards, and late-night Thai massages, leaving me exhausted and handing in a blank sheet. Now I'm dead last—your doing for sure!"

Duan Shigang declared gravely, "Impossible, I treated Wu Xiaoqi too, and see how lively he is?"

He clapped Chuan Dao on the shoulder with genuine warmth, "How could I sabotage a friend like you?"

Liu Chuan Dao refused to buy it; regret gnawed at him deeply now—his usual grades hovered near the top ten, he never should have plummeted this far!

He spotted the sly grin tugging at Duan Shigang's lips amid the consolation.

He loathed it.

He noticed Pang Jiao munching a seaweed stick, her crooked tooth smeared with big green globs of grime.

He felt terror.

He shut his eyes.

Liu Chuan Dao: ’Don’t dare to open eyes, hope it’s just an illusion...’

Fewer seats left to choose, the four-seat block had just two spots open, taken by Wang Longlong and Ma Shicheng, right by Yu Wen.

Yu Wen felt deep thanks toward Wang Longlong—he had locked in her class president position, and his usual vibe was solid, not like Cui Yu's trashy bunch.

’45th, 46th...’ Shan Qingrong’s voice rang like a funeral bell, shattering Liu Chuan Dao’s spirit!

"Wang Yanyan, Zhang Yifei, Pang Jiao..."

"Liu Chuan Dao!" By this point, Shan Qingrong’s tone iced over—no homeroom teacher greets the bottom ranker warmly.

’Is this how it finishes? Am I really this worthless?’ Liu Chuan Dao wailed inwardly, prying his eyes open.

He shuffled to the front entrance and spotted an empty seat beside Zhang Chi.

Ecstatic, Liu Chuan Dao dashed ahead eagerly.

At the same time, Pang Jiao twisted her bulky frame, thrusting her cheap-makeup-caked face at the transfer student:

"Handsome guy, hello!"

Gong Jin recoiled, forced to narrow and seal his eyes.

That stench—a blend of sweat, rotten scraps, and harsh chemicals—assaulted his nose fiercely, leaving him gradually dazed.

Gong Jin, "Don’t dare to open eyes, hope it’s just an illusion."

Wang Yong rued his meddling too, wishing he hadn't stepped in.

He clamped his nose and yelled, "Brother Jin, your letter."

"Read it."

"Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get. —Written by Liu Chuan Dao."

Gong Jin’s agony intensified twofold.