Seeing Feng Qi pull out his teaching badge from Star City Academy, Fang Zhiyou was completely stunned.
To him, Feng Qi seemed only a few years older, so how could he already have a teaching qualification?
Just as he was grappling with this disbelief, the "Outstanding Contribution to Humanity Silver Medal" Feng Qi revealed next left him utterly dumbfounded.
"Is this real?"
Seeing Fang Zhiyou's incredulous expression, Feng Qi nodded.
"Who would joke about something like this?"
Hearing Feng Qi's confirmation, Fang Zhiyou was completely convinced.
He had initially thought Feng Qi was just an eccentric dreamer with wild ideas, but now he realized how little he actually knew about him.
To earn a silver medal for outstanding contributions to humanity and become a teacher at Star City Academy at such a young age, Feng Qi clearly had extraordinary abilities.
"Do you believe me now? Let's hear your thoughts," Feng Qi asked with a smile, watching Fang Zhiyou, who was still reeling from the revelation.
[I was wondering earlier why you made a point to return to your dorm to grab your teaching badge and the silver medal. Turns out you had this all planned. Tsk, tsk, classic show-off.]
Faced with Feng Qi's invitation once again, Fang Zhiyou remained silent for a while before finally nodding firmly.
"I believe you, and I believe in the silver medal. I'm willing to work with you on developing the virtual game."
"You won't regret it," Feng Qi promised with a smile.
"But my parents… they might not agree," Fang Zhiyou said hesitantly.
"That's an easy fix. I'll handle it."
"How?" Fang Zhiyou asked, surprised.
"You'll find out tomorrow. For now, just eat. Don't let the food go to waste," Feng Qi said with a grin before turning his attention back to his meal.
A few moments later, with his hunger partially sated, Feng Qi finally put down his chopsticks.
Looking toward the owner of the skewer stall, who was busy grilling more food, Feng Qi called out, "Boss, the bill!"
The skewer stall owner, a slightly chubby man with a receding hairline, came over with a friendly smile. His thin strands of hair barely clung to his scalp, looking like they might take off with the slightest breeze.
He approached the table and said, "That'll be 3,089. Let's round it down to an even 3,000."
Fang Zhiyou's face turned awkward. It was clear that his bank account balance wouldn't cover such an expensive meal.
Having no intention of actually letting Fang Zhiyou pay, Feng Qi smiled and stood up to settle the bill himself.
But just as Feng Qi reached for his phone, the stall owner's eyes fell on the silver medal on the table. His expression changed dramatically.
"Is that the Outstanding Contribution to Humanity Silver Medal?"
After scrutinizing it for a moment, the stall owner suddenly withdrew the QR code payment sign and said to Feng Qi, "This meal is on me."
Feng Qi shook his head immediately.
"Boss, don't misunderstand. The medal isn't for show, and we're not here to freeload. Charge us what you should."
"This medal… it's yours?"
"Yes," Feng Qi nodded.
"My father was a frontline domain warrior. His greatest dream was to earn an honorary medal like this. I deeply understand the significance of this medal. Your contributions to humanity make you deserving of this meal on the house. If you don't mind, any time you come here, your meals are free," the stall owner said sincerely.
[Perhaps this is what you strive for: in the vast imperfection of humanity, there still exists a beauty worth preserving.]
Hearing the narrator's words, Feng Qi felt a warmth spread in his heart.
However, he still politely declined the stall owner's offer.
"Boss, if you understand the honor behind this medal, you should also understand that it's not meant to be used to settle bills. Using it to freeload would tarnish its significance. Please charge us the proper amount."
The stall owner looked a bit ashamed but nodded.
"Alright, I'll charge you, but I insist on giving you a discount. Let's call it… half off."
"That's too generous. I'll accept a small discount, but you shouldn't lose money. How about 10% off?" Feng Qi suggested.
"Let's compromise—30% off."
After some back-and-forth bargaining, Feng Qi finally paid the bill at an 80% rate, leaving the stall owner reluctantly accepting the payment.
As he walked away, Feng Qi felt a twinge of regret. He wished he hadn't let the stall owner see the silver medal in the first place.
Using such an honor as a bargaining chip left a bitter taste in his mouth.
[Tsk, tsk, the silver medal of respect—it's a show-off's ultimate tool. Perfect for flexing in any situation.]
Ignoring the narrator's commentary, Feng Qi turned to Fang Zhiyou.
"Head home. I'll handle things with your parents. Just wait for my update."
"Qi-ge, this meal should've been on me," Fang Zhiyou said, looking embarrassed.
"I ate most of it. How could I let you pay? Besides, you don't have an income yet. That money is your parents', isn't it?" Feng Qi replied, patting Fang Zhiyou on the shoulder with a laugh.
"Thank you. I promise to treat you to a meal when I have the money."
"Better start earning a lot, then. I might bring along an even bigger eater next time," Feng Qi joked.
"No problem." Thinking Feng Qi was joking, Fang Zhiyou nodded earnestly.
After seeing Fang Zhiyou off, Feng Qi hailed a cab amidst the stall owner's enthusiastic invitation to return anytime.
By the time he returned to his dorm, it was already 7:30 in the evening.
Sitting at his desk, Feng Qi began browsing the latest updates on the academy's forum.
One post quickly caught his attention:
[Freshmen Team Battle to Begin in One Month—Where Do You Think Star City Academy Will Rank in the Eastern Region?]
The post was authored by a user named "Star City Academy Little Overlord."
The content began with the usual: a summary of the latest gathered intelligence.
There were ten freshmen combat classes, and it was certain that each class would participate in the competition.
The post then introduced the most promising classes and individuals.
"First, the class I think has the best chance: Combat Class Six.
"The class has 82 students, most of whom already have experience in cultivation studies or spell techniques. The rest are proficient in physical refining exercises. Overall, they're incredibly strong.
"Notable members include Shen Zhecheng, Bi Caiying, and Min Xingwen, all of whom performed exceptionally during special training sessions.
"Next are Combat Class Two and Combat Class Eight… (3,000 words omitted)
"I'm also optimistic about Combat Class Three, which boasts the strongest freshman, Lü Yue."
Feng Qi leaned back in his chair, his interest piqued.
The rest included the Xia family trio—Xia Long, Xia Hu, and Xia Bao—as well as Yan Yue. Their performance during the special training sessions was nothing short of impressive, and all of them hailed from domain combat squads, giving them formidable practical combat abilities.
As for the other freshmen in Combat Class Three, their combat abilities were relatively average.
Especially Xu Hongyun, whose combat performance was utterly unimpressive—he was purely there to make up the numbers.
The only significant drawback for Combat Class Three was the number of participants.
The freshmen team battle was a group event, where numerical superiority mattered greatly.
Each class could have a maximum of 60 participants, but Combat Class Three only had 11 freshmen. Achieving a strong result in the team competition with such a disadvantage seemed unlikely.
Considering all the factors, the author of the post maintained their confidence in Combat Class Six.
Finally, the author predicted that Star City Academy's overall rank in this year's freshmen team battle would be fourth place.
"All the data here comes from intelligence I gathered during the special training sessions. My conclusions are based on analysis, so there might be some discrepancies. Thanks for understanding."
The post continued:
"Now, let me explain why I believe Star City Academy will likely rank fourth.
"Before writing this post, I reviewed the performance of other academies' freshmen combat classes in the Eastern Region.
"I believe the strongest class this year is undoubtedly Combat Class One from Winterfell Academy.
"This class includes several descendants of high-ranking members of S-Rank domain combat squads. From a young age, they were nurtured with spiritual plants grown in domain fields, allowing them to surpass their peers in physical development. They also had early exposure to cultivation studies and were guided by a team of elite instructors. Some even underwent practical training in domain fields. Their combat abilities are terrifying.
"In my opinion, Combat Class One from Winterfell Academy is the top contender for the championship.
"Next is the combat class from Victory Academy.
"As the premier combat-focused elite academy in the Eastern Region, Victory Academy has consistently dominated the freshmen team battle championships year after year.
"Victory Academy only has one combat class, but it comprises 300 students. Selecting the top 60 participants from this pool of elite students ensures they are exceptionally strong.
"So, to the teachers leading Star City Academy's freshmen combat classes—please start training your students in teamwork immediately. The competition this year is fierce, and we cannot afford to lose face."
The post concluded with a final note:
"Lastly, here's the latest announcement from the Ministry of Education regarding the team battle rewards.
"This year's prize pool has been increased as follows:
Champion: 6 million cash prize (3 million for the leading teacher, 3 million for class funds)
Runner-up: 3 million cash prize (1.5 million for the leading teacher, 1.5 million for class funds)
Third place: 1 million cash prize (500,000 for the leading teacher, 500,000 for class funds)
"With both money and glory on the line, let's cheer for the teachers leading our freshmen combat classes—get your students ready and go for it!"
…
Below the post were numerous comments from teachers and students across different academies.
The team battle had garnered widespread interest, with many eagerly discussing the strength of various academies and classes while predicting their rankings.
As for the team battle itself, Feng Qi wasn't particularly interested.
What caught his attention was the lucrative prize pool for the top three teams.
Specifically, half of the prize money would go to the teacher leading the team.
If his class won the championship, he could pocket 3 million yuan.
That amount would be more than enough for him to brew Clear Mind Brew and access the future dream realm four more times.
The thought made Feng Qi's heart race.
In his estimation, leading Combat Class Three to victory might not be as challenging as others believed.
While Lin Ran and Mu Qing were technically part of Combat Class Three, they were unlikely to participate in the competition, as neither of them could be considered freshmen anymore.
Otherwise, just having Mu Qing participate would have ensured an easy victory, turning the team battle into her personal showcase.
Even without Lin Ran and Mu Qing, Combat Class Three still had the monstrous powerhouse, Lü Yue.
Feng Qi was confident that Lü Yue's performance during the freshmen special training didn't fully showcase his abilities.
As someone who had emerged from Path of Ascension, Lü Yue was recorded in future history as having single-handedly wiped out a top-tier domain combat squad.
That alone was proof of his terrifying strength.
Adding the Xia family trio and Yan Yue to the mix, the combined combat prowess of Combat Class Three's top members wouldn't be inferior to any other freshmen class.
As for the rest of the class, they were essentially there to fill slots and participate in name only.
After browsing the forum for a while longer, Feng Qi turned off his computer.
Sitting at his desk, he thought for a moment before picking up his phone and dialing Bai Fusheng's number.
After a few seconds, Bai Fusheng's elderly voice came through the line:
"Calling me this late—what's on your mind?"
"Shi-gong, I need your help."
"What is it this time?"
"It's like this: I've found someone with exceptional talent in virtual technology. However, his parents want him to study in the Cultivation Techniques Research Class at Star City Academy. But with his grades, he won't qualify for admission. So… I was hoping you could speak to his parents. With your status as the principal of Star City Academy, they're bound to listen."
After hearing Feng Qi's explanation, Bai Fusheng understood the situation.
After a brief pause, he replied, "Are you sure this won't ruin his future?"
"Even if he continues his studies, he'll likely end up at a second- or third-rate cultivation academy, with little chance of achieving anything significant in life. But if he works with me on virtual technology, his talent could reach its full potential."
"So, you're saying you're his talent scout now? And he's your hidden gem?" Bai Fusheng chuckled over the phone.
"Exactly."
…
After a bit more lighthearted banter, Bai Fusheng eventually agreed to Feng Qi's request.
He promised to contact Fang Zhiyou's parents the next day to persuade them.
Now, Feng Qi only had to wait for approval from the Ministry of Education and for Bai Fusheng to arrange the workspaces and accommodations.
Once those were in place, the development of Savior could officially begin.