Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1711 - 933: Technology and Ruthlessness_2

"Tasty, bursting with flavor!" Xue Yuantong exclaimed, snatching a morsel of crispy fried fish and gobbling it up.

Xue Yuantong winced from the scalding heat and pressed Jiang Ning, "Eat up, Jiang Ning, it all tastes amazing."

...

Xin Youling polished off her food right outside the school.

A fashionable pink electric scooter carried her along at a leisurely pace. Her mother had gotten it from her uncle's dealership in Nan City, complete with a fancy LCD display that screamed cutting-edge tech.

Xin Youling struggled to come to terms with her loss in the election. It wasn't merely a lowly class monitor spot she'd forfeited, but years of hard-earned self-assurance as well.

Material comforts had never been an issue in her upbringing, so she'd chased after loftier, more intangible successes.

Confidence had always defined her, thanks to her knack for reading people's feelings and chatting them up effortlessly. She thrived as the focal point, basking in admiration and esteem.

Naturally, maturity taught her that universal approval was impossible—jealousy existed—so she mastered the art of wielding influence.

Yet this defeat came at the hands of an opponent she'd dismissed entirely.

Chen Siyu whispered that Yu Wen had swayed classmates with bribes, slashing her vote count dramatically.

Rumors also swirled that Yu Wen struck gold with a 300,000 yuan lottery win...

300,000 yuan... almost matching the red envelope savings Xin Youling had squirreled away from New Years past.

Truth be told, Xin Youling wouldn't dream of dipping into her red envelope stash; she remained an innocent soul.

Heading home, a lottery outlet caught her eye, prompting an abrupt stop.

She stepped in and grabbed a 20-yuan scratch-off ticket.

Once scratched, Xin Youling let out a sigh, 'What a waste, shouldn't have bothered.'

True enough, she favored gripping the reins over gambling with chance.

Remounting her scooter, she rode onward, deep in reverie, oblivious to the path ahead.

...

Worried about leftovers yet determined, Xue Yuantong cleared her plate completely.

Dong Qingfeng and his crew had already departed.

Belly full to bursting, she slumped against the table and announced, "Back to school for some ping pong!"

"Hey, what about your nap?" Jiang Ning remarked.

"No sweat," Xue Yuantong replied. "Jiang Ning, ease up, I feel bloated!"

Considering her plea, Jiang Ning dialed back his pace a touch.

En route to school, a commotion drew them to a roadside cluster of spectators, buzzing with chatter.

Xue Yuantong waddled to the crowd's fringe, rose on her toes, and spotted an old tricycle tangled with a stylish pink electric scooter.

The sweater-clad auntie's voice cut through, sharp and convincing: "I stood still right here when she plowed straight into me!"

Clutching a traffic cop with one hand and waving the other wildly, she added, "The road's smooth as can be—my ride couldn't just roll off, right? Everyone, weigh in: who's to blame?"

Onlookers: 'Wow, you sure can talk, that's something!'

"Yeah, spot on."

"Seems like she collided with you."

The auntie eyed the scooter's busted front, then her own tricycle's dented back, scolding, "Missy, see the harm to my vehicle's tail? Settle it out of pocket for 2,000 yuan—no shakedown intended!"

Xin Youling flushed crimson, retorting, "I never hit you—you backed into me!"

The auntie's face toughened: "I drove straight and steady—why back up? Girl, youth's no excuse to dodge responsibility, is it?"

"I always speak the truth!" the auntie insisted fiercely.

The traffic cop watched the heated exchange; absent nearby footage, fault stayed murky.

Loath to linger longer, the traffic cop sought a quick exit.

Xin Youling fretted helplessly. Suddenly, a crisp voice pierced from the crowd's edge: "Pull up the dashcam video."

Heads turned toward a black trench coat-clad youth approaching with a girl in tow.

Hearing this, the sweater auntie puffed up bolder: "Got dashcam? Check it then! I fear no scrutiny—she rammed me, no way out!"

Dead certain, she demanded: "2,000 yuan today, no less!"

Xue Yuantong, backing the ex-class monitor, chimed in brashly, "200,000!"

The auntie's eyes widened in shock, "For real?"

Xue Yuantong: "Nah, just messing with you."

The auntie's expression soured, duped at last.

As Jiang Ning advanced, gratitude washed over Xin Youling, though she knew real-world squabbles dwarfed schoolyard simplicity.

Jiang Ning strode straight to the scooter, voicing his admiration, "Nice scooter."

Xue Yuantong let out a sigh, "Indeed, indeed."

Regrettably, the front end showed a crack.

Jiang Ning gestured toward the LCD screen on the dashboard, "Your scooter has a dashcam."

Xin Youling: "Huh, really? I thought it was just a screen."

Jiang Ning pressed the screen, delved into a sub-menu with a few taps, and soon a surveillance-style video started rolling.

The traffic cop stood stunned too; despite handling countless modded "Ghost Fire" scooters, this marked his first brush with an electric ride so cutting-edge.

He locked eyes on the display, revealing the old tricycle ahead slamming to a halt, then backing up, complete with the crash sound.

The Sweater Auntie froze in shock, "How does your scooter have this!"

Technology turns my stomach!

Her once-calm front crumbled in a flash—legs buckled, she dropped to her knees, clutching her chest while faking agony, "It hurts, it hurts, I can’t take it! Help me!"

The traffic cop brushed her off, stating firmly, "The vehicle reversed, causing damage to both vehicles... violating the Yuzhou City road traffic safety regulations... responsible for the entirety of the accident..."

The Sweater Auntie utterly broke down, shrieking, "I can’t take it, I can’t take it!"

Xue Yuantong poked Jiang Ning, "Help her out, or Xin Youling ends up footing medical bills!"

"You’re a handful," Jiang Ning shook his head, then stomped his right foot lightly on the concrete, firing off a sizzling bolt of "Thunder Method".

The Sweater Auntie, rolling on the ground in her tantrum, jolted like struck by lightning and leaped up at once.

Jiang Ning declared coolly, "Cured."

Xue Yuantong snickered, "Divine Doctor."

Xin Youling gaped in astonishment.

All the while, a twinge of envy hit her—she figured if Jiang Ning vied for class monitor, no bribe could sway Xue Yuantong from his side.

Evidence solid, the traffic cop wrapped things up quick. Xin Youling demanded little: just an apology from Auntie plus one hundred yuan, done deal.

With the crowd gone, only the three lingered,

Xue Yuantong showed her wits. "No need to sulk, it’s only a class monitor gig!"

Such a petty post—she didn’t give it a second thought!

"Alright," Xin Youling smiled, her worries ran deeper than class monitor... Never mind, some heartaches heal in silence.

Jiang Ning noted, "Your scooter’s awesome—I checked it out, got dashcam plus GPS and route logs—super safe."

In 2015, such perks were rare gems; everyday e-scooters skipped them, smart ones popping up only later.

Xin Youling said, "Ah, my mom bought it, I thought it was just good-looking."

Jiang Ning shot back, "Your mom loves you, all these features were added later with a lot of thought."

Xin Youling had zero idea, since her parents shuttled her to school before; once she craved a scooter, one swiftly appeared at home.

Matter settled, Jiang Ning didn’t hang around, waving goodbye, "So, don’t get absent-minded again, your mom is still waiting for you to come home."

Xin Youling paused, rooted in place as she tilted her head.

That poised, easygoing form slowly receded.

Xin Youling’s sharp gaze melted, clashing with the sweet, drowsy vibe underneath.

Gentler, yet fiercer she turned.