Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation

Chapter 1686 - 919: Origins

Bai Yuxia fell silent.

Chen Siyu was heartbroken and furious. She was heartbroken because she had never shared such resources, yet her deskmate secretly understood these things...

Isn’t this another form of betrayal?

With a sorrowful look and a sigh in her voice, she said, "Yuxia, what are you watching all day long? Let me check your phone!"

At this moment, Bai Yuxia sat obediently in her seat, her lemon-yellow plush jacket seemingly warm and soft, yet it felt as if it had dyed her pure soul.

"Why do you want to look at my phone?" Bai Yuxia’s ears burned, yet she managed to remain calm; this was her self-control, never losing it!

Chen Siyu pressed aggressively, "Will you give it or not?"

To prove her innocence, Bai Yuxia chose to give her the phone.

Xue Yuantong hurriedly leaned over, ready to peek at Bai Yuxia’s little secrets, but Bai Yuxia’s browser search history was completely empty, with no records.

Unlike Tongtong, who was always searching for tips on how to grow taller in the browser.

Chen Siyu couldn’t believe it, "How can that be?"

Seeing the astonishment on the faces of the two girls, Bai Yuxia remained silent, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor.

Putting aside her doubts, Chen Siyu stated confidently, "A clean browser doesn’t mean you’re clean."

A faint smile appeared on Bai Yuxia’s face, "Slander."

Jiang Ning chimed in, "Si Yu is right because you opened incognito mode."

Bai Yuxia: "..."

Their little corner of the world laughed as if detached from reality, while the other classmates voiced their doubts.

"Mr. Shan, you must be joking, right, Africa?" Tang Jing covered her nose, showing disdain.

Most people’s impression of Africa is dark, dirty, smelly, chaotic, and plagued with disease. Tang Jing didn’t want them to associate with Class 8.

Emphasizing, Meng Gui added, "Mostly dark!"

Cui Yu leaned back and chuckled, "What’s dark about it? Haven’t they been like this for so many years?"

Hu Jun studied it, "Not entirely dark, there must be some whites."

Duan Shigang shouted across the room, "Then here’s the question, what’s the whitest thing about them?"

Lu Qiqi, thinking of department store products, responded, "Teeth?"

Cui Yu chimed in, "Wrong! It’s the owner!"

Chen Qian pushed up his glasses, replying in a cultured and research-minded spirit, "Strictly speaking, it should be the cotton in their hands."

Ma Shicheng countered, "Chen Qian, you’re wrong, the cotton doesn’t belong to them."

"So I was right, wasn’t I?" Cui Yu struggled to hide his reaction, finding it all too hellish.

The class burst into laughter.

At that moment, the current class monitor, Xin Youling, raised his hand to speak, "Mr. Shan, if it’s a new student from our country, we’re more than happy to welcome them. But for the international students you mentioned, I believe most students in the class won’t be willing, whether due to language barriers or cultural differences. If conflicts arise, it could not only hinder friendly exchanges but also affect the friendship between the two countries."

After being forced to agree to Mr. Yan’s arrangement, Shan Qingrong had anticipated such a situation.

He had already prepared his argument, so he asked aloud, "Students, why do you think we should accept international students from non-African countries?"

Guo Kunnan eagerly responded, "Because having international students demonstrates our school’s inclusiveness, making the school appear prestigious, and gives the leadership prestige!"

Duan Shigang and Liu Chuandao applauded him, "Well said, well said!"

Gong Jin, the new student, hearing such comments, simply smiled and ranked their intelligence at the lowest level.

Dong Qingfeng was the second to speak, first denying, "Guo Kunnan, your mindset is too shallow."

Then, he elaborated eloquently, "Let me first discuss their background. Many who come for studies often come from influential and powerful families from their local areas. When they receive an education in our country and later return to theirs, they’ll grow closer to us. Not only will they support us internationally, but we’ll also find it easier to do business locally."

"In the past two years, there were international students who studied in our country for over a decade, then returned to Ai Country and became leading figures. So, this is about following a top-down approach, nurturing people who can lead the way. After all, they might study abroad, so better they come to us than be transformed in the West."

Finally, Dong Qingfeng concluded, "Generally speaking, I’m neutral. However, after hearing what the class monitor said, I choose to support the class monitor."

With that, he turned back and gave Xin Youling a smile.

Cui Yu muttered softly, "Bastard."

From the sidelines, Meng Ziyun chimed in, "Bastard!"

Gong Jin, hearing Dong Qingfeng’s remarks, quite admired them: ’He’s got some level of skill, but only to a certain extent.’

Chen Qian put down the English test paper in hand and adjusted his black-framed glasses, "Qingfeng, what you describe is the ideal state. However, many haven’t returned; instead, they chose to stay here. Moreover, due to those lenient introduction plans, they receive extremely high incomes and, in the end, marry domestically."

"In addition, you frequently see negative news about them in the media. How do you evaluate such extraordinary treatment?"

Dong Qingfeng didn’t argue. He couldn’t refute it and merely responded nonchalantly, "An insignificant sacrifice in the grand scheme."

Ma Shicheng shook his head, "Whose interests are being sacrificed?"

Without beating around the bush, Dan Kaiquan stood up and stated his stance clearly, "I oppose!"

Seeing his good brother’s state, Guo Kunnan impulsively stood up and raised his hand: "I also oppose!"

Shan Qingrong stood at the podium, listening to the students’ arguments. He didn’t speak but opened the multimedia computer and plugged in the prepared USB.

He found the USB in ’My Computer’, clicked on a video file, and hit play.

The screen started playing, showing a video of a girl introducing herself. She spoke in broken but somewhat understandable Chinese: "Hello, friends from China..."

The girl appeared on screen. Her facial structure was distinct, similar to a Uyghur. She had thick, long lashes, blue eyes that radiated cheerfulness, and surprisingly, her skin was a yellowish-white.

Dan Kaiquan, who had just been arguing, was dumbfounded: "No way, from the video, she seems whiter than Brother Nan?"

The dark and roguishly handsome Guo Kunnan was in shock. He took out a mirror, questioning, "So who really is the black one?"

Chen Qian explained: "Actually, it’s normal. We usually think all people from India are black, but in reality, the high caste people can have fair skin."

"However, this girl should be mixed, right? She has Asian blood," Chen Qian questioned.

After the video finished playing, Shan Qingrong waited for a while before asking, "Who approves, who opposes?"

The beautiful foreign student made Guo Kunnan choose to sit down.

Shan Qingrong didn’t pay attention to the insignificant ordinary students. Instead, he gazed at Xue Yuantong, seeking her opinion.

Xue Yuantong stayed silent. If she were really dark, she’d definitely be unwilling; it’d be so scary.

Shan Qingrong understood.

According to the information he reviewed, the girl’s grandfather was once a national, later went to Singapore for business, settled there, and married a woman from Ma Country, producing two sons. One of them went to Africa for business and married a local warlord’s daughter, leading to her birth.

Shan Qingrong thought: ’According to Old Yan, she grew up in a war-torn area. On her way here, the car she was in was reportedly hit by shelling. I hope she can restrain herself after joining Class 8.’

’It’s a pity that Yu Zhou Fourth Middle School is just an ordinary high school, not a military academy. Otherwise, after learning, she could return to join the fight...’

Before, seeing news about military academy students returning to lead battles in small countries was not uncommon for Shan Qingrong.

Having dealt with the foreign student issue, Shan Qingrong gave some advice on studies: "Second semester of sophomore year is crucial. It’s the bridging year between high school, and is akin to a middle-distance run compared to the starting point..."

Shan Qingrong said: "You need to focus. Your batch had the longest winter break I’ve ever supervised."

Cui Yu felt greatly satisfied: "It feels awesome, finally enjoying some benefits."

After giving instructions, Shan Qingrong left the classroom—there was a lot to handle at the start of the term.

...

As the bell rang for the end of class, the students came to life again.

Yu Wen shouted loudly from the back row: "Why should I give in to her? If she’s not afraid of offending me, why should I be afraid of offending her?"

Hearing her thinly veiled criticism, Lu Qiqi was secretly angry and vowed to sit next to the new student Gong Jin in the next class, aiming to win him over quickly.

In the front row, Pang Jiao used her fierce glare to intimidate Song Sheng.

Song Sheng unhesitatingly glared back. Having battled Pang Jiao, his heart has been purified. He felt invincible now!

Song Sheng swaggered out to the corridor.

Feeling the cold wind, his heart surged with heroic passion, longing to express his dominance.

Looking around, there was no one to confide in.

His workout buddy Qiang Li had betrayed him when he needed him most.

Song Sheng vowed to crush him next time they met in the gym!

However, the future couldn’t solve his current loneliness.

Song Sheng felt lonely, akin to winning a championship only to find no audience around.

In that case, does victory still hold meaning?

Just as he was bored, a simple and honest figure quietly appeared.

Song Sheng realized it was the honest student Dan Xiao from Class 8.

Before he could speak, Dan Xiao gave a thumbs-up: "Song Sheng, you’re amazing, actually daring to face Pang Jiao. Most people wouldn’t dare!"

Dan Xiao instantly filled the emptiness in Song Sheng’s heart.

His chubby face with small eyes squinted even more smugly: "Her? Just a paper tiger!"

Dan Xiao was solemn: "No, Pang Jiao is terrifying, but courage is the greatest tribute to humanity. Congratulations, Song Sheng!"

His praise made Song Sheng’s vanity soar; he was even happier: "Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. I thought about giving up, haha. If I had, I’d probably face ridicule."

At this point, Song Sheng shuddered at the thought; luckily, he didn’t back down.

Dan Xiao was earnest, his tone sincere: "No matter what choice you make, I won’t ridicule you. Dare to confront Pang Jiao shows courage; admitting you can’t face her is also a demonstration of courage!"

Listening to this, Song Sheng gave Dan Xiao a long look, immediately upgrading him from a classmate to a friend.

Song Sheng patted his shoulder, saying affectionately: "Dan Xiao, how about I take you to the gym on weekends from now on!"