Chapter Twelve: The Arrival of the Fifth Physical Fitness Test

After Nangong Yuchen changed his clothes, he headed to the field, arriving just as Class 8 of the first-year finished their training. Seeing dozens of students sprawled on the ground like dead dogs, he guessed that Mo Liwei had intensified their training yet again!

Without pausing, he walked toward his own class, already standing in orderly lines.

Mo Liwei was also rather exhausted today. After nearly a whole day's worth of training, even as a teacher, he found it hard to endure. Yet the thought of the monstrous beasts rekindled his energy. Striding forward, he shouted at the students of Class 12, "Is everyone here?"

"Mr. Mo, everyone is present except for our class president, Angel, who has taken leave!" The response came from Tan Jian, the class vice-president.

Mo Liwei nodded in acknowledgment, then spoke with grave seriousness: "Everyone! I'm sure you all saw last Saturday's news report? Our human world—once again, the monstrous beasts have sounded the horn of invasion, and right now, your seniors are fighting them in bloody battle to protect our city, to safeguard the land of humanity!"

"And just this Monday, our own city of Ruxia was invaded by a horde of beasts on the outskirts! So you should feel fortunate for the peace you currently enjoy!"

"Starting from this week's physical training class, all previous requirements will be doubled—double the intensity, double the duration! First, secure your splints, forty laps around the field, and after two hours, combat training will begin!" This was already the third time today he had given this speech—starting with Class 3 in the morning, now he was almost numb to it himself.

"Forty laps? Mr. Mo, that's impossible!"

The students were on the verge of mutiny. Even the previous requirement of twenty laps every week left them half dead, and with combat training to follow, doubling it now was beyond their endurance.

Even Nangong Yuchen, standing at the back, was taken aback. For students of average fitness, forty laps was indeed too much to ask.

Mo Liwei had expected this reaction. "Can't do it? The previous two classes all ran forty laps, and every single one of them finished. You can't do it?" He continued, "Anyone who raises any more objections will get a zero for this month's physical training!"

Dozens of eyes widened in protest, but it was pointless. The threat of failing PE left none of them with the courage to argue. All they could do was adopt miserable expressions and begin the slow, reluctant circuit around the track.

"Are you taking a stroll, or did you skip lunch? Pick up the pace!" Mo Liwei bellowed from behind.

The students could only quicken their steps, but with thirty-nine laps still ahead, they couldn't help but feel despair.

Unbeknownst to them, half an hour had passed and they had only managed twenty-three laps. Their legs felt filled with lead, refusing to move, and one by one they staggered to a halt, unable to continue.

Except for the few students with exceptional speed, everyone else, no matter how loudly Mo Liwei roared, simply flopped onto the grass, muttering to themselves that they'd rather take the zero than keep running.

Among the handful still persevering, Nangong Yuchen was clearly in the best shape. Though tired, he felt he could complete all forty laps if he pushed himself.

Mo Liwei, noticing this, shouted, "Look at this! The weakest in your class, Nangong Yuchen, is still going strong. Aren't you ashamed, lying there like dead dogs? You, Lu Ling and the rest of the top athletes, get up and keep running—or don't bother coming home tonight!"

"Nangong Yuchen, the weakest?" The thirty or so students lying on the ground nearly fainted with outrage. "The guy's first in all three categories—he's a complete freak! Who can compare to him?"

Especially Lu Ling, who was gasping for breath on the ground, his face darkened by the comparison. The incident from a while ago had been the greatest humiliation of his life, and now being singled out against Nangong Yuchen made him feel even worse. If not for the academy's strict rule against using family influence to resolve student disputes, he would have already found a way to cripple Nangong Yuchen. What’s more, he understood better than most the relationship between Mu Ningxue and Nangong Yuchen, which left him unable to retaliate after being humiliated. As the days went by, his resentment toward Nangong Yuchen only grew.

"Mr. Mo, when was the last time you checked our fitness scores?" asked a female student, unable to hold back as Mo Liwei approached.

Mo Liwei looked puzzled, but before he could answer, the girl, pouting in grievance, said, "Nangong Yuchen is a total monster in our class. We were all fooled before—he's actually the best, but you always use him as an example to scold us!"

"Fooled?" Mo Liwei grew even more confused. At that moment, the other students began reporting Nangong Yuchen's scores in each category. "So you see, Mr. Mo, it's only right that Nangong Yuchen can finish. The rest of us really can't do it!"

Mo Liwei flushed with embarrassment and felt an urge to chase after Nangong Yuchen and kick him. He had thought the boy was hardworking and diligent, but it was all an act!

Without another word, he barked, "Nangong Yuchen, you run sixty laps. Fail to finish and you get a zero with the rest!"

"What? Sixty laps?" Nangong Yuchen, who had been running steadily, nearly stumbled to the ground. What had he done to deserve this? He was just following orders—how did it suddenly become twenty more laps?

The other students were secretly delighted. Usually, it was because of Nangong Yuchen that they were punished. Now the tables had finally turned. "Serves you right this time!"

...

5:30 p.m. The school day ended at Luo'an High.

As usual, Nangong Kexin said goodbye to her friends Lily and Huiyan, and left the classroom for the school gates.

Just then, a boy hurried up behind her, saying eagerly, "Kexin! You were amazing today—forty whole laps! How did you manage it?"

"Gao Jianming, how many times have I told you? Use my full name!" Nangong Kexin frowned, irritation flaring at the boy blocking her path.

If it weren't for Huiyan last Friday insisting on introducing her to a boyfriend, she would never have been bothered by this persistent pest. Now he was driving her mad.

Gao Jianming, tall and skinny with unremarkable looks, was unfazed by her cold tone. Instead, he invited, "How about dinner together tonight?"

"I'm busy. Move." Her voice, already unfriendly, turned icy. This was typical for her; apart from Xia Ruli and Chu Huiyan, she had no other friends at school.

Gao Jianming wanted to say more, but her frosty expression made him swallow his words and step aside obediently.

Nangong Kexin hurried her pace, relaxing only when she saw that he hadn't followed her out of the school gates.

Ever since training ended at noon, she had been puzzled—when did her stamina improve so much? She'd actually managed to finish all forty laps, something she couldn't explain.

By the time she got home, she still hadn't figured it out, so she simply put it out of her mind.

Nangong Yuchen returned home after seven. Quietly, he slipped inside, glanced around, and sneaked into his room like a thief. Just as he was about to collapse on the bed, Nangong Kexin walked in.

Without a word, she grabbed him and dragged him outside, angrily threatening, "Don't think I won't kill you, Nangong Yuchen! The next time I catch you, you'll be dead!"

"Kexin, I'm really tired—just let me sleep, okay?"

"No way. Bang!"

Staring at the tightly shut door, Nangong Yuchen could only squat outside, waiting until Kexin fell asleep before sneaking back in.

Unbeknownst to them, this scene had played out nearly twenty times already.

Every evening at precisely seven thirty, Nangong Kexin would drag Nangong Yuchen out of his room and toss him outside. Every night, after nine, he would sneak back in, get up at six in the morning to make her breakfast, and secretly add a nutrient solution to her milk.

Thus, the two went on, tirelessly repeating this routine!

Soon, the last day of November passed. Nangong Yuchen had finished all his own nutrient solutions, and he had successfully slipped the speed-enhancing one into his sister's milk nearly every day.

As the sky grew brighter, the morning of December first arrived.

And with it, the final physical fitness test of the year 2560 of the Seven Islands Era was about to begin!