Chapter 8 – Talent: You’ve Gone Bald, But You Haven’t Gotten Stronger?
by spirapiraVoluntarily withdraw? Better for everyone?
Su Xing sneered inwardly. Better for everyone? More like better for your performance metrics as a homeroom teacher.
As Su Xing’s homeroom teacher, Liu Xiaodong was naturally responsible for student assessment indicators and post-graduation employment rates.
And since Su Xing was currently so far from the Gold rank benchmark, Liu Xiaodong clearly intended to push Su Xing out of the school.
Of course, forcing a student to withdraw didn’t sound good on paper.
But a student voluntarily withdrawing due to special circumstances? That was a completely different story!
But would Su Xing grant his wish? Of course not!
Su Xing shook his head and said:
“Teacher Liu, I have no intention of voluntarily withdrawing. After all, the school environment suits me quite well!”
Liu Xiaodong’s expression shifted slightly at these words, but he pressed on:
“Su Xing! I know things aren’t easy for you right now. As long as you’re willing to voluntarily withdraw, I’m prepared to offer you compensation on behalf of the academy—five hundred thousand Yuan. What do you think?”
“On top of that, I’m also willing to help you find a job! The security team at my residential complex happens to be short-handed. With your abilities, you could give it a try!”
Su Xing’s expression darkened after hearing this.
A measly five hundred thousand, and he thinks that’s enough to get rid of me?
And kindly offering to set me up as a security guard? This was nothing but an insult!
Su Xing stared hard at Liu Xiaodong, his mind flashing back to three years ago—to the man’s groveling expression as he humbly begged Su Xing to become his student.
The bastard had even promised three million in annual scholarship funds back then.
Of course, not a single coin had been paid to this day.
Su Xing took a deep breath and said firmly:
“Teacher Liu, I have no intention of withdrawing. I think the atmosphere at Capital Vocational Academy is quite nice—it’s ideal for my cultivation!”
Hearing Su Xing’s words, Teacher Liu dropped the pretense entirely and said with a cold laugh:
“Su Xing! You still haven’t grasped your situation? You’re not the genius you were three years ago!”
“Right now, you’re the dead weight of our department—a complete liability dragging everyone down!”
“Capital Vocational Academy is a prestigious institution with centuries of history. Should we let a parasite like you tarnish our school’s reputation? Can your conscience handle that?”
Liu Xiaodong slammed the desk with a series of loud bangs, then added mockingly:
“If you withdraw voluntarily now, you can at least save some face. Otherwise, when you’re forcibly expelled, you’ll be a laughingstock for the entire school!”
Hearing Liu Xiaodong’s words only deepened the contempt in Su Xing’s heart.
Capital Vocational Academy was the nation’s top institution. They naturally wouldn’t care whether he could graduate or not—even if he couldn’t, it wouldn’t necessarily tarnish the school’s reputation.
As for Liu Xiaodong, at the end of the day, he only wanted to make his own performance reviews look better.
So Su Xing ignored him entirely, saying coolly:
“Is there anything else, Teacher Liu? If not, I’ll be heading back.”
With that, Su Xing didn’t give him the slightest bit of face and turned to leave.
Liu Xiaodong was left fuming in the office, practically jumping with rage.
Su Xing had simulated the future—he knew full well that Capital Vocational Academy had no intention of forcing him to withdraw anytime soon.
Even if withdrawal did happen, it wouldn’t be for another five years.
And during that time, staying in school was obviously the better choice.
After all, the outside world was dangerous, and Capital Vocational Academy was teeming with experts. Su Xing would be much safer here.
Moreover, the school’s resources could help him rapidly acquire the energy needed for simulations.
After leaving the office, Su Xing spent every last coin of his savings, including the five million Yuan Fatty Yu had lent him.
He used the money to purchase nearly four thousand pieces of white-grade equipment.
He then converted all of it into energy. With that, Su Xing’s energy reached an astonishing 22,040 points!
Over twenty thousand energy points—for Su Xing, this was an absolute fortune.
Over the following week, Su Xing continued his routine of power-leveling in dungeons for clients.
Occasionally, he’d check in on his junior schoolmate Wang Qingxuan.
Finally, the day came when his simulator usage count refreshed once more.
In his dormitory, Su Xing chose to simulate without the slightest hesitation.
“Whether I can set foot on the path of immortal cultivation all depends on this!”
“Begin simulation!”
【500 energy points consumed. Remaining energy: 21,540 points. Remaining simulation attempts: none.】
【Simulation begins!】
【Drawing a white talent costs 100 energy points. Drawing a green talent costs 1,000 energy points. Would you like to draw?】
“Draw a white talent!”
Although Su Xing had enough energy to draw a green talent, his goal this time was to bring out Spirit Stones. A white talent would suffice.
【Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained white talent: You’ve Gone Bald, But You Haven’t Gotten Stronger.】
【You’ve Gone Bald, But You Haven’t Gotten Stronger】: White talent. You experience premature hair loss, losing hair far more easily than your peers. However, your bald appearance bears a striking resemblance to a venerable monk at a temple, making it easier to earn the trust and goodwill of others.
Su Xing: ???
What kind of garbage talent is this!
Su Xing glanced at his own hair. Still fine—thick and full as ever.
【You ran your fingers through your hair. Over a dozen strands fell out.】
【Sensing something was terribly wrong, you immediately went online and ordered Bawang anti-hair-loss shampoo and minoxidil solution, hoping to treat the hair loss.】
【You continued leading freshmen through power-leveling runs as usual, earning handsomely each time.】
【Half a year passed. Your hair grew thinner by the day, but your wallet grew ever fatter.】
【Your thinning hair took a toll on your appearance, costing you many opportunities for deeper interactions with freshman girls.】
【But Wang Qingxuan didn’t mind in the least. She remained as warm and enthusiastic toward you as ever.】
【Another half year passed. With your hair increasingly sparse, you decided to just shave it all off and go completely bald.】
【For reasons unknown, after going bald you developed a preference for crushing dungeon monsters with your bare fists. And thanks to your powerful physique, you could often kill them in a single blow.】
【Your approachable appearance made freshmen at the school more willing to hire you for power-leveling. In just one year, you amassed a fortune of thirty million.】
【You gained a modest reputation at Capital Vocational Academy, earning the campus nickname: One Punch Man.】
【One day, Wang Qingxuan came to find you. She told you about the mysterious organization.】
Su Xing instinctively touched his own hair at this point and fell into deep thought.
Honestly, now that he had obtained the first half of the Eternal Spring Art, he wasn’t particularly keen on getting further entangled with that organization.
But the problem was that he only had the first half. Su Xing needed to plan ahead for what came next.
And the Eternal Spring Art had originated from this mysterious organization. Perhaps they had the second half!
Su Xing took a deep breath and continued the simulation.
【Guided by some deep intuition, you felt that Wang Qingxuan joining this mysterious organization would ultimately be more beneficial to you. So you proceeded according to plan and once again tried to dissuade her from joining.】
【The next morning, you found yourself alone in the hotel bed. Wang Qingxuan had withdrawn from school again.】
【You knew that Wang Qingxuan had once again joined that mysterious organization, so you weren’t overly worried.】
Su Xing frowned slightly at this, a thought forming in his mind.
“Could it be… that my thoughts in reality are being fed back into the simulator in real time?”