Early the next morning.
Chen Shu announced, "Teacher Shen, I'd like to request a week off!"
"Absolutely no problem!"
Shen Wushuang agreed immediately, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
Chen Shu had been completely distracted for the past five days, spending his free time picking on classmates for no reason.
Tang Lie had already become a recluse. If Chen Shu stayed any longer, the Special Training Class wouldn't be able to function.
That evening. School dorms.
"Chen Pi, you'd better put on a good show. I bet on you winning!"
"What do you mean you bet on me winning?"
Chen Shu was busy organizing his urea bag—polishing the spear before battle, as they said. Last-minute prep never hurt.
"You don't know? You're a celebrity in Nanjiang City now. Someone's already opened an underground gambling ring for your challenge tour!"
"A gambling ring? How do you know about this?"
"Come on, I spent years doing reconnaissance work. Everyone in Nanjiang knows my name—Xie Sunan!"
Xie Sunan cleared his throat. "People are betting on whether you'll demolish all six schools or not. The odds are sitting at 1:1 right now."
Chen Shu raised an eyebrow. "1:1? They think that highly of me?"
He'd expected the odds to be absurd, given that an F-rank Slime was challenging every major high school.
"Surprised? It's mainly because you already crushed Nanjiang First High—last year's number one school. That was enough to make a lot of people believers."
Chen Shu stroked his chin. Suddenly, system options materialized before his eyes.
[Option 1: Bet on yourself to win and bring glory to your school! Completion reward: Large amount of Beast Taming Power]
[Option 2: Bet on yourself to lose and seize the opportunity to score big. Completion reward: Charge skill +1]
[Option 3: As a righteous citizen, report the gambling ring to the Spirit Suppression Bureau. Completion reward: Slime's speed +10%]
Chen Shu blinked. Then a sly grin spread across his face.
Xie Sunan jumped in immediately. "Holy crap, what's that smile supposed to mean?"
"I'm betting on myself to lose!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Xie Sunan and Xu Xingxing froze, then stared at him unblinking.
Xie Sunan's eyes went wide. "You're match-fixing?!"
Chen Shu put on his most innocent face. "What do you mean, match-fixing? I'm fighting this many matches in a row—getting careless for one is perfectly reasonable, right?"
Xu Xingxing's mouth twitched. "What about school honor?"
Both of them were stunned. This guy doesn't play by any script whatsoever.
Chen Shu looked genuinely confused. "School what?"
"School honor!"
"What honor?!"
"...Forget I asked."
They understood now. Talking to Chen Shu about things like this was completely pointless.
Chen Shu's expression turned dead serious. "Underground gambling is illegal. As a guardian of justice in Nanjiang City, I absolutely cannot stand for it!"
Looking at the righteous conviction on Chen Shu's face, they were both speechless.
Did you pick up the wrong script? Is this even your line?
Greed flashed in Chen Shu's eyes. "When's the deadline for placing bets?"
"Tomorrow night, after your first match."
"Good! Then tomorrow, I'll drive those odds up a little higher first."
Chen Shu lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "Whether it's black market money or legit money—I want it all!"[1]
The other two couldn't help muttering, "You really are a goddamn bandit..."
...
Early the next morning, Chen Shu slung on his backpack and left Nanjiang Second High.
The principal was waiting by the gate. "Give it your all out there!"
Chen Shu flashed a grin. "Relax, Principal. I've got this."
A black commercial van was already parked at the school entrance.
"You're Chen Shu from Nanjiang Second High, right? We're from Nanjiang TV! Before you head out, anything you'd like to say?"
A reporter and a cameraman stood beside the van. They looked like they'd been waiting a while.
"Hello, everyone! Over the next week, you'll witness a battle worthy of the Nanjiang City history books. Don't miss it!"
Chen Shu flashed a brilliant smile, radiating youthful energy.
One couldn't help but think: What a model citizen through and through!
"Also, a message to the six schools in the city: I, Chen Shu, am coming for you!"
Chen Shu turned to the reporter. "That okay to say?"
"It's... fine. This isn't live—we'll edit in post."
"Good."
Chen Shu nodded and climbed into the van.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the gates of Nanjiang Third High.
Chen Shu was wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the 666 Potion Company logo. So far, only Xu Xiaoyu's family company had offered sponsorship.
The price: 200,000 yuan. All he had to do was wear the branded shirt during his matches.
Third High's principal was already waiting at the entrance—not out of respect for Chen Shu, but out of respect for the Nanjiang City public.
If the footage aired and the school looked inhospitable, it'd be a bad look.
Besides the official welcoming party, dozens of people had gathered at the school gate, phones out, recording everything.
They were all spectators—locals from Nanjiang City and surrounding areas.
The school didn't stop them. They weren't worried about bandits sneaking in.
The Special Training Class teacher and the principal were both Black Iron rank—they could handle any crisis.
"Let's begin."
A middle-aged woman spoke coldly.
She was Third High's Special Training Class teacher. Having someone roll up to her school this brazenly didn't exactly put her in a good mood.
Even Fang Si hadn't made this big a spectacle back in the day.
Everyone filed into the school's Beast Taming Arena.
"Brother Wang Teng, long time no see!"
Chen Shu's eyes immediately locked onto Wang Teng in the crowd.
"So it is you."
Wang Teng's expression was calm, but inside he was seething.
He never would have imagined that in just a few months, the weakling he'd once looked down on had grown this powerful.
Chen Shu grinned. "I wonder how long Brother Wang Teng can last against me?"
Everyone else stayed silent. Right out of the gate, Chen Shu had set his sights on Third High's strongest fighter.
Wang Teng spoke with confidence. "I won't lose to you. I, Wang Teng, have never been inferior to anyone in my life!"
Just then—
The middle-aged woman spoke. "Li Xuan, you go first."
A bespectacled male student stepped forward, simultaneously summoning his contract spirit.
A humanoid shadow materialized instantly on the battle platform—not a Shadow Beast, but an A-rank Dark Element Spirit!
Chen Shu raised an eyebrow. This batch of students was no joke.
Every school was gunning for the top spot.
"After you."
Li Xuan was extremely polite, his gaze fixed on Chen Shu.
BOOM!
A massive creature roughly three meters tall appeared on the battle platform. But what was truly shocking—
This enormous yellow ball was wearing a white T-shirt. Printed across its front in bold letters: 666 POTION COMPANY...
The entire Beast Taming Arena went dead silent...
Chen Shu, wearing a matching shirt, scampered up in front of his Slime with a bounce in his step. The two of them posed together for the cameras.
Third High's principal twitched. "Are you sure you're here to compete...?"
Chen Shu grinned without a care in the world. "Making money—no shame in it!"[2]
Everyone was at a loss for words. The main issue was that the Slime looked absolutely bizarre in that shirt.
Because its body was a giant sphere, it looked like an oversized head. With the shirt draped over it—holes cut out for just the eyes and mouth—it looked exactly like a bank robber wearing a stocking over its head.
"Why not just put a stocking over it while you're at it?"