Shen Ye’s face showed a strange expression as he glanced at Qian Rushan.
Qian Rushan didn’t even lift his head.
“Fine, if you want to eat, go ahead.” Shen Ye pushed the plate of barbecue toward him.
The boy’s face instantly lit up with joy. He took the plate with both hands and immediately started eating the skewers.
He was so thin—nothing but skin and bones.
With every large bite of meat he chewed, Shen Ye could see his temples moving.
“The corporation doesn’t even provide a full meal? That can’t be right.”
Shen Ye glanced at Qian Rushan.
This time, Qian Rushan spoke:
“Don’t look down on our corporation—there are selection candidates from eleven provinces on this shuttle. Besides our corporation, there’s also the Colonial Hunting Equipment Research Institute and the Immortal Technology Federation.”
Shen Ye looked back at the dark-skinned, skinny boy.
The boy had a good temperament. He raised one hand and said, “I’m from the Immortal Technology Federation.”
“Where’s your leader?” Shen Ye asked.
“He’s here,” the boy replied.
Suddenly, someone patted Qian Rushan on the shoulder and laughed.
“Well, if it isn’t old Qian. What’s this? Got lucky this year and managed to recruit a newbie?”
Shen Ye looked up and saw a skinny old man speaking, a teasing smile on his face.
Beside the old man stood seven or eight middle schoolers, seemingly around Shen Ye’s age.
“Yu Sihai, you recruited seven people at once?”
Qian Rushan was surprised.
The skinny old man’s face twitched slightly, and a trace of sadness flashed in his eyes.
Qian Rushan immediately stopped asking questions and waved to Shen Ye.
“Go have fun. The adults need to talk.”
“That’s right. Who knows, you all might end up as classmates in the future,” the skinny old man added.
Shen Ye was speechless.
—It was obvious they had something to say but didn’t want him to hear.
He glanced at the boy, who had just finished eating his skewer and was now waving at him.
“Come with me. There’s a fun place on this shuttle. I’ll take you there.”
“Ah, okay,” Shen Ye responded.
The boy walked ahead, and Shen Ye followed. They quickly passed through several cabins and arrived at a venue with wooden flooring.
It was a bowling alley.
“You want to play this?” Shen Ye asked.
“Of course not.” The boy shook his head repeatedly. “The seats are too cramped, and there’s nowhere else to go. This is the only place where we can move around freely.”
“True. Sitting for over twenty hours… just thinking about it is exhausting.” Shen Ye sighed.
He looked around.
There were already several teenagers gathered here.
They were all preparing for the specialized entrance exams of the three major high schools. Not wanting to sit still, they had gathered here, chatting quietly about the exams.
“I’m Guo Yunye. What’s your name?” the boy asked.
“Shen Ye,” Shen Ye replied.
Guo Yunye grinned. “Earlier, when I asked you for food, I was actually doing this.”
He pulled a card from his pocket and showed it to Shen Ye.
On the card, “Guo Yunye” was clearly displayed, along with three lines of small text below:
“To obtain a unique card in the ‘Newcomer’ deck, complete the following tasks:”
“Eat food from seven different examinees for free.”
“Current task progress: 3/7.”
Shen Ye asked curiously, “What is this?”
“You don’t know? Looks like your parents aren’t professionals. No worries, I’ll explain.”
Guo Yunye placed the card in Shen Ye’s hand, then pulled it back.
Shen Ye instinctively looked down—only to find that a card had appeared in his own hand.
Yet, Guo Yunye still had one in his!
“Nice magic trick,” Shen Ye complimented.
Guo Yunye shook his head. “It’s not magic. This is a ‘Three Major High Schools Newcomer’ deck produced by the Tower of Tarot. Since you helped me complete a task, I decided to tell you—”
“Look at your card.”
Shen Ye lifted the card and saw lines of small text appear on it:
“Shen Ye.”
“To establish yourself in the ‘Newcomer’ deck and become one of its cards, complete the following tasks:”
“1. Without making any announcements, get at least six examinees to voluntarily participate in an event you organize.”
“2. Get at least twelve examinees to voluntarily participate in another event you organize.”
…The text had appeared automatically.
It knew his name!
If this wasn’t magic, what was it?
“Hey, why do I have a task too?” Shen Ye asked.
“If you complete it, you can become a reserve card in the ‘Newcomer’ deck—I’m working on it myself,” Guo Yunye said, leaning closer.
“What’s the benefit of becoming part of the deck?” Shen Ye asked.
“The Tower of Tarot is the judging body for this exam. If you get listed, you’ll not only gain extra evaluation points but also attract attention from major organizations, giving you an edge in future exams and school applications. Plus—”
“You’ll get access to exclusive exam-related information through the deck.”
“If your image is positive and you stand out enough, you might even land sponsorship deals and earn commissions!”
Guo Yunye’s eyes sparkled at the mention of commissions.
Shen Ye hesitated.
The Tower of Tarot…
It did seem to exist.
But it was too mysterious. In the past, Shen Ye had never come into contact with this level of existence.
Still, with so many benefits, he had to give it a try.
Shen Ye became serious.
“Without making any requests, at least six examinees must voluntarily participate in an event I organize.”
That was definitely tricky.
How should he do it?
He glanced around, thought for a moment, then pointed toward the top of the wall.
“Hey, do you see that air vent?”
“I see it,” Guo Yunye replied, looking up.
“It’s boring just standing around—can you reach that vent?” Shen Ye asked.
“It’s a bit high.” Guo Yunye estimated in his mind. “I’d probably have to go all out to touch it.”
“Really? I don’t believe you,” Shen Ye said.
Guo Yunye’s interest was piqued.
“What do I get if I touch it?” he asked.
“Then I’ll admit defeat.” Shen Ye gave him a thumbs-up.
“Watch this, I’ll get a running start,” Guo Yunye said.
He took a few steps back, sprinted forward, and leaped high into the air.
His fingertips brushed just below the vent.
“So close—still this much to go.” Shen Ye gestured.
“That was just a warm-up. I’m going again.” Guo Yunye was unwilling to accept defeat.
“Hold on, it’s my turn now,” Shen Ye said.
“Alright, one at a time.” Guo Yunye stopped.
Shen Ye took a few steps back, got a running start, and jumped—
He missed, too!
“Haha, now that was way off! My turn again.” Guo Yunye laughed.
Their actions drew the attention of others.
A girl chatting with three boys noticed that they had all turned their heads.
“What’s up?” she asked, confused.
“Look over there, they’re trying to touch the ceiling,” one of the boys said.
“Jumping to reach?” The girl chuckled. “How childish.”
But the three boys didn’t respond.
They were all seriously sizing up the vent.
“That’s pretty high up,” one of them remarked.
“It’s a bit high for you guys, but if I take a longer running start, I think I can reach it,” another boy said.
“Just touching the bottom edge doesn’t count. You have to hit the middle of the vent—only then does it really count,” the third boy said.
“I know that. What I’m saying is, I can touch the top edge,” the second boy replied.
“Heh.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“If you said you could reach the bottom edge, I’d buy it. But the top? That’s just unrealistic.”
“You underestimate me. I used to train for this, you know.”
As they spoke, the first boy was already heading toward Shen Ye.
The other two followed.
The girl was left standing there, eyes wide with disbelief.
“Seriously? What’s so fun about this?” she muttered.
Suddenly, someone responded, “It’s a challenge.”
She spun around.
Another boy walked past her, flashing a smile.
“Zhao Ming, you’re going too?” she asked.
“Watch closely. I’ll jump higher than any of them,” he said.
“But what’s the point? It’s not like you get a reward for jumping high.” The girl spread her hands, completely baffled.
Zhao Ming shot her a glare.
“Can’t I just have fun?”
Beneath the vent.
A group of boys had gathered, chattering excitedly as they took turns trying to touch the vent.
Each time someone jumped but failed to reach it, the attempt was met with laughter and whistles.
But no one was angry.
Everyone stood around in high spirits, analysing the jump technique, estimating how much higher they needed to reach, and confidently claiming how easily they could do it.
The ones being critiqued naturally refused to back down, insisting they weren’t ready, that they’d definitely reach it next time.
Then they all turned to watch the next challenger warming up, urging him to jump.
Shen Ye jumped a few more times before stepping aside, watching with a smile.
Boys were simple like this.
And their happiness was pure.
Shen Ye lowered his gaze to the card in his hand.
“Without making any requests, you have successfully gathered six middle school students to participate in an activity you initiated.”
“Now, complete the second challenge:”
“Gather at least twelve candidates to take part in another activity you initiate.”
This one was going to be tougher.
The only advantage was that this time, the condition about “no promotion” had been removed.
Alright then…
What else could bring all the boys together?
