Chapter 24: Lightning Fiber (Part 2/2)
Li Mingde’s face darkened: “Do you know how important the society activities of Acumen College are? It’s understandable that you all didn’t realize it before, but on the 24th was the society promotional event. Can you still say that you don’t understand? During the event, I asked that you all must put an importance on seeking a society you admire as fast as possible. Apply and enter to avoid being punished by having course credit removed. So many days have passed and most of the hundred people who had participated in the event already have results. But what about all of you?”
He pounded his table. Then a sensor activated a simple AR installation that displayed a profile: “Xue Lei. Entered the Traditional Martial Arts Society on the 25th, then resigned?”
“Their skills were too crude……” Xue Lei tried to explain, but he was met with a fierce glare from Li Mingde. Luo Nan casted a glance and felt deep admiration for Xue Lei.
Then it came to be his turn: “And there’s also you Luo Nan. You said you would participate in the interviews for the Mystic Arts Research Society on the 27th, but you didn’t go. Hehe, you skipped classes for the whole day on that day!”
Luo Nan opened his lips. He wanted to explain, but he closed his mouth in the end. He just stood there silently.
Li Mingde pointed out the failings of all the other people, of their empty society experiences. He sneered in the end: “You guys are quite easy going. I explained during the society promotional event that the society series of school credit requirements take up a total of 24 units in three years according to the school provisions. Each year you get 8 units for participating. If you don’t participate, you lose 8 units. Forget it then. How many courses do you guys have to do to make up this gap?”
This was the most realistic question from his speech aimed at this crowd of people. Afterall, a typical main course in a school year would only offer 4 units of school credit. Missing two main courses was sufficient to wipe practically a year’s worth of effort.
The office room immediately turned into an uproar of restlessness. It seemed that the school was serious? This was far different than the schools they were in before.
And at this moment, Li Mingde made another heavy attack: “September 30th is the final cut off date for entering into a society. Today is the 28th. You think there’s still time right? But I need to remind all of you that tomorrow is the weekend break. The overwhelming majority of societies won’t be open to accept new society members!”
A mass of people lowered their heads to look at the time, then their expressions turned ashen. The end of society activities was at 6 o’clock, yet it was already 5:20 right now. In other words, they had not-even 40 minutes to go look for a society, apply for membership, handle procedures even if they were to turn around and leave now……And this is only if the society accepts them!
There were people who screeched at once: “Aren’t we screwed!?”
Xue Lei and Luo Nan glanced at each other. They realized the situation was extremely similar to that mentioned by Chen Xiaolin. They then lowered their heads to play dead.
Seeing the group of people being lifeless or having expressions of being violently disturbed, Li Mingde waved his hand: “The school is a good school. I am also a good advisor. We’ve already fulfilled our duties of informing you. But the freedom of choice you made was to undertake personal consequences…… Fine then. Time is of the essence. Do your best to seize the time to save your school credit.”
Oi oi oi. What was he playing at?
Xue Lei was the type to resign from a society. Luo Nan had a special situation in not attending an interview. The vast majority of the others had introverted personalities; it was because of this that they dilly-dallied until the last moment when it came to selecting societies. They were indecisive. Also these were inexperienced 15~16 year olds. They were scared out of their wits early on from a few rounds of bombarding words. What freedom of choice did they have!?
The group of people looked at each other, not one daring to move. The students who lacked in guts were already on the verge of crying. Luo Nan and Xue Lei originally wanted to withdraw back, but now they found it too awkward to move.
Things continued like this until someone with a bit of a flexible brain opened his mouth with a stammer: “Then Advisor Li, things are already this far along. It’s too late whether we rush for it or take our time. Can the school make some sort of arrangements…….”
“The school won’t meddle with the freedom of choice of students.” Li Mingde continued to emphasize the wording “freedom of choice”, loving to ignore them.
The youthful students began to worry. They began to speak without thinking: “But you’re the advisor! When a student has difficulties, shouldn’t you help handle them?”
“You ignorant children. This time you’ll listen to me?” Though Li Mingde spoke as such, his grave expression somewhat softened a bit. He leaned back in his chair and muttered to himself for a moment. “How about this. I’ll give you all a proposal. Just a proposal!”
It didn’t matter what would spew from Li Mingde’s mouth. The anxiety ridden students would all listen: “A proposal is fine. A proposal is fine.”
Once one person would take the lead, several other people would follow. The office room soon turned into a chaotic rumble.
Li Mingde shook his head. He extended his finger towards the crowd of students: “In fact I have some words. The difficulties are more realistic than you expect this time. Don’t even think of the societies with great reputation and good resources. Your individual interests also need to take a back seat. Your goal now is to enter into a society. First guarantee yourself a place to stay at……”
The crowd of students somewhat came to. They suddenly realized the rationality behind those words and said: “That’s true. That’s true.”
“Then you can only select the more obscure societies, the ones with lower popularity. These societies possess limits with the scope of their activities and resources. You all probably just skimmed through their information before, but now you have no choice this time.”
Li Mingde sighed a breath: “Frankly speaking, saving your school units and guaranteeing your learning quality is of number one importance. This is my proposal and you all have heard it. Now then, go and handle things at godspeed.”
A dozen or so young students looked at each other in dismay. They heard the logic behind Li Mingde’s words, but those words were also unavoidably vague and generalized.
Li Mingde saw that most of the people had idle expressions and couldn’t help laughing: “I’ve already spoken to this juncture. What else are you all to do? Do you feel that you don’t have enough time? If that’s the case, I’ll open a backdoor for you. If you feel that half an hour is not enough to choose, then I’ll add an extra night. Tomorrow at 8 o’clock in the morning. Contact me with your decision then. I’ll try to make contact with those societies and arrange a reply or an interview for you. I can’t give anymore time. Things won’t be able to be arranged later than that time…… And, I won’t be able to guarantee the success.”
Of course it was good to have an extra night to consider things, but the problem was that things were not guaranteed. Some people revealed bitter expressions: “Advisor. There are over four thousand societies in the school. Can you narrow down the scope of them or something?”
“You think this is the final exams?”
Li Mingde gave a sweeping glaring glance. Then he pondered for a moment before pounding against the desk once more. The AI Business System switched to a different interface in accordance to his allocated conditions. It displayed a stream of society names, thirty four of them to be exact: “I’ve just searched in the administrative system. You guys can refer to it…….”
The flock of people squeezed their way forward. But Xue Lei at the very front gave a laugh when he swept his eyes across the information:
Art of Growing Carnivorous Plants Interest Society?
Obscure Female Poetry Psychological Research Society?
Telepathy with Higher Lifeforms in Nebula M31 Society?
What the f*ck?
Luo Nan didn’t join the fun. He was being squeezed dizzy by the other people. He braced himself against the advancing flock of people, retreating in their opposite direction to hide temporarily in peace.
The matter with school units and societies was admittedly important, but right now the majority of his brain consisted of the stirring of that lightning fiber. He unconsciously took out the sealed bag and stared at it lost in thought.
And at this time he saw that the lightning fiber had already pierced a small hole in the sealed bag. Half of it was already exposed outside. It appeared to be sharper than he imagined.
“The material properties are indeed special…… But how could the issue lie in its material properties?” Luo Nan pinched the long thread in his hand. Then in the next moment he was stupefied.
This was the first time he touched the long thread bare. The long thread had an exceptionally tender sensation to it. But Luo Nan also felt an incomprehensible “temperature” seeping into him. He savored it for a moment. It was not cold, yet not hot. Instead seemed the tingly energy of an electric current had channeled into him through his fingertips, proliferating throughout his entire body in an instant.
His body didn’t really do anything, but the long thread floating in the light breeze within the room suddenly stiffened straight. Its toughness was a hundred percent of that of a sharp needle. It vibrated back and forth.
Luo Nan starred with a stunned eye, not understanding the principle behind it. But during his moment of puzzlement and confusion, his wristband vibrated. A call was coming through.
He was going to extend his hand to answer, but he had forgotten about the vibrating long thread in his hand. His hand moved forward and the long thread fell directly forward to touch the side of the wristband. Unexpectedly, not a single noise was made. The thread pierced directly inside. Seven, eight centimeters of length, practically half the total length had entered inside.
And at this moment, Luo Nan’s hand had an electric current run through it. His fingers felt numb and he was unable to hold onto the thread any longer. His eyes stared blankly at the remaining length of the thread boring its way inside. It seemed alive, and it disappeared in the blink of an eye.
