Chapter 88: A Dinner with Ulterior Motives

The topic quickly shifted elsewhere, and before long, the homeroom teacher appeared at the classroom door.

Unlike her usual strict demeanor, today the homeroom teacher was all smiles, watching the students joke and play. “Alright, alright, you few in the front, come over and hand out the ranking lists to everyone.”

Lu Kuan soon saw the results: he was ranked sixth in his grade, and thirty-first among the four high schools in Donghai City that published their statistics.

Not bad at all. Getting into a top major at Donghai University shouldn't be a problem.

“Our class performed exceptionally well this time. Despite the pressure of the College Entrance Exam, you all delivered more than a hundred percent! This makes me very proud,” the teacher said.

She didn’t mention anyone by name, but everyone knew who she meant. They all turned to look at Lu Kuan and Dai Guang. Lu Kuan coughed lightly and turned his head away.

After that, the teacher explained the dates and important notes for filling out college applications, and then they all went to the sports field to take the senior graduation photo.

It was the same field, the same spot, and the photo captured the same fifty-five faces as in his previous life. The only difference was the touch of maturity and confidence in Lu Kuan’s smile.

Their brief gathering ended quickly. As noon approached, the students left the school in small groups, heading home.

Lu Kuan and Dai Guang were about to leave when someone called out, “Hey everyone, it’s rare for us to all be together. Who knows when we’ll get another chance like this? How about we grab a meal together?”

The one speaking was Wang Tao, a classmate known for organizing events and his outgoing personality. It wasn’t surprising that the suggestion came from him.

Lu Kuan didn’t particularly like Wang Tao; the guy was a bit too calculating. With the experience of two lifetimes, Lu Kuan knew that, at best, such a person could only be a drinking buddy.

Still, many responded to Wang Tao’s proposal. After all, as Wang Tao said, who knew when they’d all meet again?

“Shall we join in too?” Dai Guang asked tentatively, clearly interested.

Wang Tao, who seemed to have been watching them, immediately came over, slinging an arm around Lu Kuan’s shoulder and laughing, “You two have to come! You’re the stars today—especially you, Lu Kuan, our class’s top scorer! Honestly, you should be treating everyone this time, don’t you think? You’re not going to say no, right?”

Lu Kuan raised an eyebrow, glancing at him with a half-smile that made Wang Tao shiver.

After a few seconds, Lu Kuan finally smiled and said, “You’re right, we really should have a gathering. Wang Tao, you pick the place. I’ll cover all the expenses.”

Wang Tao was momentarily stunned; he hadn’t expected Lu Kuan to agree so readily. Everyone in the class knew that Lu Kuan’s family was one of the most financially challenged.

A kind-hearted classmate couldn’t help saying, “We can’t let Lu Kuan pay for everything. Let’s all chip in…”

“It’s fine,” Wang Tao was the first to speak up again, grinning, “It’s not like we’re going to eat Lu Kuan poor. He can handle it, right, Lu Kuan?”

Dai Guang couldn’t take it anymore and said coldly, “What kind of talk is that? You just like to hear yourself talk, don’t you…”

“It’s alright,” Lu Kuan patted Dai Guang on the shoulder and then turned to the others, speaking earnestly, “I’ll always remember the help you all gave me over the years, and also how you organized donations for my family in our second year. I’m forever grateful. Treating everyone to a meal is the least I can do.”

These words came from Lu Kuan’s heart, sincere and full of memories. The others were moved and didn’t protest further.

Only Wang Tao’s expression was hard to read, his eyes darting around, but Lu Kuan caught it all and simply smiled without commenting.

There were still more than twenty classmates left. Under Wang Tao’s arrangement, they booked a large private room with two tables at the nearby Spring and Autumn Hotel. The hotel was close to the school, so the group left through the back gate and walked over.

They had walked this road countless times. The snack shops and restaurants lining the street were all familiar. Yet, with the same people and the same place, everything felt different now.

Dai Guang sidled up to Lu Kuan and whispered, “Do you have enough money? I’ve got over three hundred here…”

A warm feeling rose in Lu Kuan’s heart. He made a reassuring gesture, “Don’t worry. I can sell a couple of items in the game and get a few thousand yuan. It’s fine.”

Hearing this, Dai Guang relaxed and added, “Just be careful with Wang Tao. I have a bad feeling about him today—something’s off.”

Lu Kuan smiled faintly. “Off” was putting it mildly—he was clearly up to something.

Once at the hotel, after ordering food, everyone gathered around, laughing and chatting. Soon, the conversation shifted to “Echoes of the Gods.”

As the most popular online game of the moment, it was only natural that this group of young people would be obsessed with it. “Echoes of the Gods” was far ahead of its competitors in terms of technology alone—the resolution of its virtual environments was unmatched.

“Have you all advanced yet?”

“Don’t mention it—advance? I play a warlock and wanted to become an Arcane Master, but the advancement quest sent me to find some meteorite from outer space. I checked the forums for days and found nothing…”

“Tell me about it! I tried to advance as a Barbarian Totem Warrior, and they made me climb the Frostfire Mountains’ ice wall as a test of courage. I died twice already!”

“You’re better off than me. At least you started in Lava Fort. I was born in Rapidstream Harbor and don’t know a soul there…”

As soon as the topic turned to the game, the atmosphere brightened. Most people were complaining about the difficulty, but their faces showed that the fun and excitement far outweighed the in-game challenges.

Listening to their complaints, Dai Guang grinned smugly, “See, that’s where you’re lacking. I’ve already advanced, thanks to Lu Kuan.”

“What? Really?” Many were surprised—among average players, successfully advancing was already a mark of an expert.

Someone nearby added, “Don’t you know? Lu Kuan is really famous now. Haven’t you seen the videos on the forum?”

Interest surged instantly; people grabbed their phones and pulled up the video Qian Duoduo had recorded.

The ranger’s extraordinary skills in the video made many “Echoes of the Gods” players gasp in disbelief.

“No way! That’s wild!”

“Does the game have some kind of aim-assist function I didn’t know about?” someone scratched his head, incredulous.

“Assist nothing—it’s just skill!”