Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
New Students Dormitory Area.
Fang Ping went to the Management Office to borrow a table. As he was looking around, he saw a familiar face all of a sudden and called hastily, “That... hey, Chubby!”
Guo Sheng, who was dragging a large suitcase, raised his head. Upon noticing Fang Ping, he looked rather dazed.
“You are...Old Guo...Guo Sheng, that’s it!”
Fang Ping had almost forgotten the other party’s name, but at least did he manage to remember it at this moment.
After addressing him, Fang Ping beamed and asked, “Do you recognize me?”
Guo Sheng nodded blankly look. Of course, he recognized the young man speaking to him, how could he not!
He had been soundly beaten by Fang Ping before!
Of course, Guo Sheng had also gone to watch the championship a few days ago. How could he not be familiar with the MCMAU team leader?
“Come here,” Fang Ping invited, “Have you just come back to the university?”
“Yes.”
“You must have had a pretty good New Year, I see you’ve gotten a bit chubbier.”
“Chubbier?”
Guo Sheng looked slightly dismayed and mumbled, “I didn’t eat that much.”
Fang Ping did not really care whether Guo Sheng had put on weight or not. He grinned and said, “I’m a Rank-2 now.”
“Ah?”
Guo Sheng was still at a loss. Why was Fang Ping telling him that he was already a Rank-2?
After a semester, Guo Sheng’s Vitality had now surged to 150cal and above.
The MCMAU instructors, however, had recommended that students nourish their Vitality to maximum capacity. Guo Sheng now felt that he had not yet reached his limits, therefore he could not be considered a martial artist for now.
Guo Sheng was slightly envious nonetheless after hearing Fang Ping’s announcement of his new Rank-2.
“I’ll probably be a Peak Rank-2 by next month,” Fang Ping continued.
“Ah?”
“It’s possible I might be able to achieve Rank-3 or even Rank-4 by this semester. By the time I graduate in my final year, I would be at least Rank-5 to 6. Do you have any Grandmasters in your house?”
“No.”
“Your dad is only Rank-1, right? What about your grandfather?”
“My grandfather passed away,” Guo Sheng replied truthfully.
“If that’s the case, your dad is the strongest in your family?”
“No, my mom is a Rank-3 martial artist.”
Fang Ping was slightly stunned. He managed to compose himself and beamed, “Whatever it is, I have a very bright future ahead of me. Do you agree?”
Guo Sheng did not know why Fang Ping was showing off to him, yet he still nodded his head and answered truthfully, “Yes, our instructors all say that in our batch, you’re a prodigy who has both brains and brawn.”
“That’s why a prodigy like me has established a club. I’m currently recruiting like-minded comrades to strive together and make discoveries for the sake of our martial art. Would you like to join us?”
“A club?”
Guo Sheng was once more at a loss. He had only just returned to the university and now here he was, suddenly being recruited by Fang Ping to join a club
Was he really so outstanding?
There were plenty of clubs in MCMAU. However, very few new students were recruited into clubs like the Martial Arts Society.
Other clubs also recruited martial artists. Aspiring martial artists like Guo Sheng would not even be entertained if they had not twice-honed their bones.
Now, Fang Ping actually wanted to recruit him into a society!
Guo Sheng stood in a daze for a moment, before he ventured hesitantly, “Is there a fee? I... if it’s too expensive, I don’t have much money right now...”
Fang Ping was suddenly furious. “Am I, Fang Ping, this sort of person?” he berated Guo Sheng.
“Fellow students, passersby, stop right now and look here. Listen to me!”
The back-to-school season had been in full swing since yesterday, and most of the students returned to campus within these two days. Fang Ping’s words were directed to the new students.
At this moment, Fang Ping was blocking the main road to the New Students Area, which had already resulted in eight to nine people crowding around him.
When Fang Ping saw that there were more people, he raised his voice. “In MCMAU, only martial artists are valued and treated as true MCMAU students by everyone!
“It’s not easy for new students like us to become martial artists, however!
“Of nearly 1600 students in Grade 08, right now, less than 500 of them are martial artists!
“The road to becoming a martial artist is hard, and it’s even harder for the weaker students!
“Are aspiring martial artists weaker than martial artists?
“Not necessarily!
“Those who have succeeded in entering MCMAU who aren’t prodigies or favored by the gods, why do we progress so slowly?
“For one, we lack resources. Our families are poor. Even if we have managed to fight for a place in MCMAU out of thousands of students, we can only remain on the sidelines because of our impoverished situation. We have no choice but to put in extra effort!
“For another, we are late starters. We also don’t have high-ranking instructors and high-ranking elder generations to guide us as others do!
“It’s not my intention to belittle any instructors, but there are so many of us and they have to guide more than ten students each. Do you think that they have the time to explain everything in detail to us?
“Therefore, we must depend on ourselves!”
After Fang Ping’s loud proclamation, the number of spectators began to increase.
By now, quite a few people had opened their windows in the adjacent dormitory area. There were even people who came down from the buildings and started thronging towards him.
Upon seeing this, Fang Ping immediately jumped on the table and yelled, “My friends, let me ask you this: Are you content?
“Content to graduate as just a Rank-1 martial artist!
“Content to be one step behind others your entire life!
“Content to be less than others now, and less than others even in the future!”
“Are you content?”
Fang Ping’s impassioned shouts reverberated throughout the entire dormitory area.
By now, even some senior students had heard him and many people had started gathering around the windows of the dormitory area.
Fang Ping realized that no one was responding to him even after all his bold declarations, and suddenly felt that he might have been unwise. He could not stop himself from glaring at Guo Sheng nonetheless
Guo Sheng was not so slow on the uptake this time. Flushed with excitement, he roared, “No! Not content!”
“Not content!”
Some of the aspiring martial artists also took up the cry, unable to hold themselves in check any longer.
“If you’re not content, then what’s the answer?”
“We need to be self-reliant!”
“How can you be self-reliant? Learn to depend on yourself rather than on others!”
“I, Fang Ping, student of Grade 08, come from an ordinary family, but I relied on myself and worked hard, and now I have become the strongest of the new students!
“Does anyone deny this?
“Is anyone not convinced?
“Now I have achieved Rank-2. This term, I must achieve Rank-3 and strive for Rank-4!
New student or not, at the end of my freshman year, I aim to challenge the president of the Martial Arts Society. I’ll leave this here: I, Fang Ping, can also hold a post as president of the Martial Arts Society!”
As soon as these words were out of Fang Ping’s mouth, a senior suddenly mocked him with a smirk, “President Zhang is a Rank-4 right now...”
Fang Ping raised his head abruptly and roared, “Enough of this nonsense! Just because you can’t do it doesn’t mean that I, Fang Ping, won’t succeed!
“Stop being annoying. If you aren’t convinced, come down and we’ll have a duel on the Battle Stage!”
“You...”
Stung and humiliated by these words, the senior who had mocked Fang Ping had to be restrained by fellow students from rushing down from the upper floor of the dormitory to take up the challenge.
That freshman on the ground floor had achieved Rank-2 and honed an unknown number of bones.
Even though this senior was also a Rank-2, he was only an early-stage Rank-2. Not all Rank-2s were equal.
Fang Ping did not have a single rival during the championship, and it was not like there were no Rank-2 martial artists present then.
Fang Ping did not provoke his senior any further, but continued, “I was born into an ordinary family, yet I have never given up on my dreams!
“One day, I, Fang Ping will become a Grandmaster as well!
“I hope that one day, everyone can become Grandmasters, but this means we need to constantly strive for improvement.
“Today, I have founded the Ping Yuan Club, and I am recruiting talented individuals who are self-reliant, who are willing to work hard, and who aspire to follow the way of martial arts. Anyone will be accepted regardless of family background or status!
“Of course, due to the lack of manpower at such an early stage, we are limiting recruitment to new students only. The quota is 100 people!
“Don’t ask me what benefits there are in joining this club. There are no benefits—everyone will explore martial arts together, share our experiences, and strive toward a common goal!
“I will help provide some small opportunities for you to network with a few high-ranked seniors.
“Whether or not you learn anything from these seniors will depend entirely on your own capabilities!
“From now on, the Ping Yuan Club will officially open its door to new members. Those who are interested can come and fill-up the form to register; those who aren’t interested, I won’t force you!”
After this long speech, Fang Ping gave Guo Sheng a trenchant look. Would the chubby young man support him or not?
Actually, Guo Sheng was already all fired up and ready to stand with the rest to fight for their dreams!
Everyone could become a Grandmaster someday...
Who would have thought that Fang Ping actually had such great and lofty aspirations!
The next second, Guo Sheng shrieked, “I want to join!”
“Good. I’ll count you in. I, Fang Ping, do not care about your family background. The martial artists of my generation should be self-reliant!”
...
Outside the crowd.
Fu Changding and a few others had only just arrived. Their faces betrayed their utter confusion at what they had witnessed.
What was going on?
It was fine for Fang Ping to suddenly establish a club. Now though, he was recruiting everyone who had an interest and would not turn anyone away. Judging from how he spoke, he was specifically recruiting aspiring martial artists. What on earth was he playing at?
If he was screening a future team for the Catacombs, he should have selected those from the special training classes.
Since that was not the case, then what was the whole thing for?
Was it really as Fang Ping had described, a genuine platform for helping others, where they could strive for constant self-improvement and band together for a common dream?
“Has Fang Ping gone crazy after the New Year?” Fu Changding muttered.
Zhao Xuemei, who had just arrived, was also astonished. “Isn’t he the one who’s most afraid of being inconvenienced? Why is he suddenly establishing a club?”
“Who knows.” Fu Changding gave a shrug.
Yang Xiaoman shook her head and lamented, “He is already a Rank-2.”
Fu Changding said smugly, “I am also a Rank-2 now.”
Yang Xiaoman snorted quietly. She had only just recovered from the injuries sustained during the exchange tournament, so Rank-2 was something that could only be achieved after a few days.
After exchanging some small talk, Fu Changding suddenly asked, “Are we joining?”
“Why should we?”
“I suspect Fang Ping has some purpose behind this. Who knows, there might be some benefits to it. Do you think he’d be part of anything that had no benefits whatsoever?”
Fu Changding’s words gave everyone food for thought.
Fang Ping was always low-key about things that carried no foreseeable benefits.
Beneficial things to him, for example, included the allocation of instructors at the beginning of the semester, class monitor selection for the special training classes, and rewards for first place during special training missions...
These were all things that Fang Ping did not ignore, and had kept up with.
He did not participate in any of the usual activities such as joining clubs and the selection of normal class monitors.
Would this brat be promoting his club if there were no benefits to it?
Right now he was recruiting members on a grand scale. It was impossible to believe that he did not have some scheme lined up!
Yang Xiaoman said suddenly, “Two days ago, he sold me a batch of pills worth about 20 million. I wonder if it has something to do with this?”
“What? He sold another 20 million?”
Fu Changding was stupefied. He regained his composure and said, “This brat is really capable. This semester alone, he’s probably sold about forty to fifty million worth of pills!”
“How can he still represent poverty-stricken students?” Yang Xiaoman pointed out critically. How could Fang Ping even be considered poor under such circumstances?
She had even foolishly believed his nonsense last time and finally forked out 19.3 million voluntarily. She must not have been in her right mind, and that was almost certainly due to her previous injuries not having healed completely.
...
MCMAU freshman Wang Fang Ping had established the Ping Yuan Club, which had no entry requirements, and was openly recruiting members.
This news spread across the dormitory area like wildfire.
Even instructors in the Educator Dormitory took note of the excitement. Was this grandstanding on Fang Ping’s part the prelude to something bigger?
In a shocking turn of events, Fang Ping had even declared that he would challenge the president of the Martial Arts Society, Zhang Yu, at the end of his freshman year.
Rank-4 martial artists were definitely not a dime a dozen.
In MCMAU, Rank-4 martial artists were not rare, but they were not so common either. Most of them were not at the university; on campus, there were no more than five Rank-4 students all told.
If Fang Ping was really able to defeat Zhang Yu during his freshman year, not only would he be ranked number one among MCMAU students, at the very least he would be in the top ranks of all the universities.
Dean’s office at the School of Weaponry.
Huang Jing received the news of Fang Ping’s doings in very short order. He broke into laughter, looked at Tang Feng and said, “Just when we think that he is not bold and radical enough, he suddenly proceeds to be so radical he shocks us all. Would you have dared to challenge the president of the Martial Arts Society in your freshman year?”
Tang Feng looked stunned and enquired curiously, “Why is he establishing a club?”
“No idea...” Right as he said that, Huang Jing suddenly remembered something and chuckled, “Did you know that he wants to create a platform to help service the logistics department?”
“Yes.”
“Previously the university denied permission for outsiders to come into the campus. Fang Ping didn’t bring that out, he just let it pass. Could it be that he’s delivering orders by himself?”
“Ah?” Tang Feng looked rather confused.
“You know what I mean,” Huang Jing said meaningfully.
“Oh, I say!” Tang Feng was rendered absolutely speechless for a while, not knowing whether to laugh or to cry. “That brat... the little brat said it with such a strong sense of righteousness, he even fooled me.
“I thought he was really doing it for the sake of aspiring martial artists...”
Huang Jing said thoughtfully, “How should I put it...no one can predict the future. If he achieves success, he may even return the favor to his club members.
“It’s best that we just wait and see. Besides, if anyone does get bamboozled by him, they only have themselves to blame for not being smart enough. Better to gain experience here in school than to get tricked by outsiders. Certainly better than getting tricked in the Catacombs and dying without knowing how that happened.”
“That’s true. A school does need to have some devious people around, just like the vice-principal...”
Huang Jing coughed. Was Lion Tang brain-addled?
If anyone overheard him, they would certainly give him a lesson in manners.
...
The news about Fang Ping establishing the Ping Yuan Club spread like wildfire.
Fang Ping was not done yet, however.
After observing quite a number of people registering, Fang Ping took the forms and counted them for a little before calling abruptly, “The membership slots have all been filled! My apologies to those who weren’t able to join this time around, as there won’t be any chance to do at this present moment!
“I hope that no one will regret their decision someday!
“For those who have filled up the registration form, I do not know how many of you will keep holding on and working hard to achieve your dreams.
“However, I must congratulate you on being brave enough to take the first step!”
This caused a minor commotion in the crowd.
At Fang Ping’s comment about not having any regrets, some students’ expressions were difficult to read while others looked on with contempt. The ones who had filled up the forms did not know whether they should be happy or feel differently.
“That’s all. Everyone can move along now,” Fang Ping instructed, “Everyone please pay attention to your mobile phone messages in the next two days, as we will be holding a get-together for the club.
“Get to know each other. Hopefully, the Ping Yuan Club can become the second-best club in the university very soon!
“Let’s show everyone that nothing is impossible as long as we hold onto our dreams!”
After another short session of brainwashing, Fang Ping sent the crowd away, his face wreathed in smiles.
Things had gone very smoothly; it had only taken a short time to recruit 100 members.
Even if only half of them could stay, he would have enough people. By dividing them into five shifts, working a shift once every five days should be more than sufficient.
He was looking through all the data on the forms when Fu Changding, who was at one side, said heatedly, “I signed up. Why didn’t you let me join?”
Fang Ping glanced at him, then turned his attention to Yang Xiaoman and a few others who were equally angry. Curling his lips, he explained, “All of you are from rich families; you can’t take hardship. I’m certainly not going to be your servant.”
“You!”
Fu Changding demanded angrily, “Are you looking down on us?”
“Cheh,” Fang Ping scoffed and offered, “How about this—you go beat up the senior who teased me just now, and I’ll accept you in the club.”
Fu Changding, Yang Xiaoman, and Zhao Xuemei were completely bereft of speech. How much more petty could this brat be?
The senior from earlier had only directed one sentence at Fang Ping, and Fang Ping had thrown it back at him. The young man had not dared to utter another word, yet here was Fang Ping trying to talk Fu Changding into assaulting him!
Upon seeing the shocked stares of the students around him, Fang Ping shook his head and sighed as he walked away, “Children of rich families are like that, which is precisely why I don’t want to recruit you. That will only ruin the atmosphere of the Ping Yuan Club.
“As president, I can’t even get you to do something as simple as this. How can I hand over the running of the club to you in future without worrying?
“Comrades, comrades. Regardless of right or wrong, you need to first stand alongside me to be counted as my comrades. What a pity you don’t meet my requirements...” Fang Ping mused regretfully. A new recruit nearby who had just joined the club overheard what he said, and was inspired to declare, “The president is right. This is how a martial artist of my generation should be!”
‘What bullsh’*t!’ Fu Changding and the rest raged mentally. How foolish could one be to believe the words of Stingy Fang!
How much in the way of benefits could he actually give to anyone?
The members would just have to wait and see, what belonged to them would be the president’s, but what belonged to the president would still be his. Sooner or later, the members would have nothing left!