Study Monster Cultivation System

Chapter 167: The Queen’s Decision at 166

Once the conversation started, Li Zheng and Shi Yang felt the last bit of gloom lift from their hearts. The two walked back to the sofa in the lobby, both completely relaxed.

But in Wu Shu’s eyes, it seemed very eerie.

"I know that boys’ fun is generally quite simple..." Wu Shu looked from one to the other and asked in a hushed voice with a raised eyebrow, "So you two just now... were competing to see who could... who could... pee farther?"

"Ah!" Shi Yang exclaimed, "Queen, how can you say such a thing!"

"What’s wrong with that?" Wu Shu chuckled, "Shall I translate for you? Men derive pleasure from proving the strength of their urinary muscles?"

"Enough, don’t talk about it anymore."

Li Zheng, however, stood to the side, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "Indeed... peeing far does make one happy. When I was younger, I would intentionally try to pee further... It turns out a man’s happiness is really that simple. Queen, you understand men well, All hail."

"Don’t All hail this," Shi Yang retorted before suddenly looking at Ou Xingzhuo with bright eyes, "Speaking of which, when we went to the bathroom at the train station, you seemed to have dripped on your shoes. I was actually pretty happy about it."

"???"

"Pfft..." Wu Shu covered his face and turned away.

"Cough..." Ou Xingzhuo, forced to respond, raised his hand and said, "How far one pees is only related to the health of the urinary system and has nothing to do with a man’s other abilities. Besides, you saw wrongly; my shoes are clean."

"Clean, clean." Shi Yang rolled up his sleeves and forcibly changed the subject, initiating a conversation with Wu Shu and Ou Xingzhuo about the joint petition.

Before Li Zheng could get involved, he was pulled aside by Yu Hong and reluctantly got to know the teachers from the Chemistry Department at Fudan University.

Li Zheng had just realized that the recruitment teams from several major universities had already arrived before most of the representative teams had checked in.

After all, the strongest 300-plus Chemistry students in the country were all here.

At this moment, staff from various university recruitment teams were posting their respective dorm room numbers on the bulletin board.

Ji University was in 2093, Jinghua was in 2021, Fudan was in 2036...

At a glance, it was evident that the entire 20th floor was almost like a scene of university recruitment.

What Li Zheng didn’t know was that he had already been targeted.

For example, this female teacher from Fudan’s Chemistry Department, who had a connection with Yu Hong as alumni, had been waiting near the registration area since the afternoon. As soon as the Jijing Team arrived, she promptly began reminiscing with Yu Hong.

The reminiscing was genuine, but recruiting students was more earnest.

Fudan’s strategy was different. Instead of picking up the leftovers from Jinghua Jida, they preferred to strike early and offer more generous contracts, thus securing the best student resources.

Even though Yu Hong had hinted to her that Li Zheng had already declined Ji University, she did not give up hope and at the very least wanted to leave an impression on Li Zheng.

Thus, this awkward conversation ensued.

Teacher: "Li Zheng, you see, our Fudan really isn’t inferior to Jinghua Jida, and the environment in Shanghai is freer. You could really consider that."

Li Zheng: "Oh..."

Teacher: "I understand, people from Jijing tend to think that Jijing is the only good place in the country. I won’t argue with that, but I strongly suggest you take a trip to Shanghai if you get the chance. It’s a completely different, international city."

Li Zheng: "Alright..."

Teacher: "Hey, don’t feel pressured. I’ll be blunt, I’ve been old classmates with Teacher Yu Hong for many years. I trust Teacher Yu’s judgment. For you and Shi Yang, our Fudan Chemistry Department is willing to offer a contract before the official exams, the best contract."

Li Zheng: "I’ll think about it..."

Teacher: "You know, anyone can make mistakes. What if you don’t do well in the finals? Then it’ll be too late to feel anxious."

Li Zheng: "Understood..."

Teacher: "How about this, then? You bring Shi Yang over to 2036, and we can talk in detail."

Li Zheng: "No need."

By this point, Yu Hong could no longer stand by and said to Li Zheng, "Go ask Shi Yang. If he’s interested, he can come over."

"Okay."

Li Zheng finally managed to slip away and returned to the others on the sofa, wiping his sweat as he told them about his encounter.

"Haha, you two have finally started," Wu Shu laughed, shaking her finger, "When I was at Yongyaka, MIT, Stanford, East University and others came by. We had pretty enjoyable conversations, and there are still a few schools waiting for me to reply."

Shi Yang’s eyes widened in amazement, "Sis, are you that awesome? Those schools can easily outshine Ji University; why didn’t you go?"

"Um..." Wu Shu thought for a moment and smiled slightly, "Probably because I like being Queen, not a Princess."

"All Hail!" Shi Yang was instantly fired up, glaring at Li Zheng and said, "Got it? This is when you should All Hail!"

```

However, before Li Zheng could do anything, Ou Xingzhuo beside him couldn’t stand it anymore.

"All...All Hail..."

"Dog group owner?" Shi Yang said fiercely, "Weren’t you the one who said not to say that?"

"I banned myself from speaking..." Ou Xingzhuo fumbled with his phone in a flurry, "Ah, can’t ban… Well, it’s also time to abdicate and let the wise rule…"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Zheng’s phone suddenly rang.

He took it out and looked.

[Zhuo has transferred the Dragon Ball group ownership to Li Zheng]

As Li Zheng panicked, Ou Xingzhuo urged him, "Ban me for an hour."

"It’s not…"

"No buts." Ou Xingzhuo adjusted his glasses and said, "This is the last high school competition Wu Shu and I will participate in, and you still have four. It only makes sense to switch to you."

Meanwhile, the group had already started to stir.

[???]

[A change of leadership, a change of leadership!]

[Zhuo: I will simply rule from behind the curtain, come on, Li Zheng, ban them all for me.]

[System notice: Zhuo has been banned for one hour]

[Haha!]

[The reckoning begins, the reckoning!]

[System notice: Cobalt amino acid chelate has been promoted to an administrator]

[Cobalt amino acid chelate (Cobalt God): Hahaha, good brother.]

[Zhuo’s alt account: Li Zheng, the group will be ruined if you do this, keep them in check!]

[System notice: Zhuo’s alt account has been kicked out by administrator Cobalt amino acid chelate.]

...

After a series of operations had ended, Li Zheng put away his phone with a feeling of apprehension.

Without thinking, he promoted his own people.

Without thinking, he kicked out Ou Xingzhuo’s alt account.

Is this… the taste of power?

From checking in to the start of dinner, Shi Yang went on about drafting a joint proposal to change the rules. Wu Shu and Ou Xingzhuo were somewhat supportive, but Li Zheng himself wasn’t so radical; he suggested they first communicate with the teachers and then pass it on to the Chemical Society.

However, Shi Yang insisted, saying he had already discussed it with Teacher Yu Zhiqiang from his school and had written to the Chemical Society, all to no avail. For these issues, students need to unite and use their collective strength.

At the deadlock, Wei Dongyang suddenly approached to inform Shi Yang that he had already secured the support of half the Xiangnan team. This was like pouring fuel on the flames. The two of them skipped dinner and began drafting the joint letter.

With no alternative, Li Zheng reluctantly pulled Ou Xingzhuo with him to the teachers’ table of Jijing Team to offer drinks, casually grabbing a chair next to the team leader Sun Leyang. He candidly presented the request to cancel the policy that limited each province to one student in the national team to the teachers.

Of course, he omitted the part about what Shi Yang was up to.

On hearing this, Sun Leyang laughed heartily, "So audacious? Being audacious is good, very good."

Teacher Yu Zhiqiang from City First School also laughed along, "Isn’t it that little Shi Yang stirring you up? Can’t we talk about these things after the exams?"

"Exactly, Li Zheng, be more prudent," Yu Hong also reminded from the side, "We haven’t won the lottery yet. Why are we arguing over how to spend 5 million already?"

The other teachers echoed the sentiments.

"Teacher Yu makes sound arguments. With the big exam imminent, one mustn’t get impatient, Li Zheng."

"All participants here are the best of the best nationwide; it’s not as easy as you think."

"And Li Zheng, historically speaking, we in Jijing are beneficiaries of this policy. Without this rule, places like Xiangnan and Jibei simply can’t hold up."

After the teachers had voiced their perspectives, Li Zheng finally spoke up.

"Respected teachers, I believe that if we raise this suggestion before the results come out, it will be more persuasive than if we wait until afterwards. By proposing it now, people from chem competition power provinces like Xiangnan, Jibei, Xichuan, Xiangbei, and Zhejiang will support us. But once the results are out, they will only consider rankings and their own provincial interests, making it hard to gain their support," Li Zheng gestured as he argued.

"Hey!" Yu Zhiqiang laughed aloud, "You’re even more eager than Shi Yang. I get it; you and Shi Yang want to monopolize the top two spots to go to Prague together, right? But have you thought about what we’ll do if two or three of the top four are from Xiangnan?"

```

```

"That’s nothing special; allowing the strong to represent the country in world competitions is only natural," Li Zheng nodded.

"Oh, you’re still too green," Yu Zhiqiang waved his hand and laughed, "The ins and outs here are very complicated. Just review well and don’t think too much."

Seeing that Li Zheng had said all he had to say, Ou Xingzhuo then took over the conversation.

"Teachers, Li Zheng and I are actually not in a hurry to make such suggestions, but the current situation is quite complex, and we choose to respect the teachers and the official stance of the Chemical Society, hoping to go through the proper channels to reflect our concerns upwards."

"Alright, Xingzhuo..." Sun Leyang gently patted Ou Xingzhuo, "Do this, first draft a list of demands and submit it, we’ll talk about details later."

"Teacher Sun." Ou Xingzhuo wasn’t so easily fooled, "As Li Zheng said, we can’t delay this matter. Once the results come out, our proposal won’t be about ’making Chem Competitions fairer’ anymore, but rather maximizing ’the interests of our own province,’ which won’t stand."

"It’s not that... Xingzhuo, you’re usually very steady, how come..."

"Let me do it, Teacher Sun. It’s not convenient for you to speak on behalf of your student," Yu Zhiqiang interjected, "Not to mention Ou Xingzhuo, just Li Zheng and Shi Yang alone. Indeed, you two are very excellent, but looking nationwide, you could at best secure a spot in the top ten. A policy change could mean you, who might have had a chance to make the national team, end up not getting in at all. If that happens, we teachers will be the sinners of Jijing. Please consider our position."

Li Zheng and Ou Xingzhuo exchanged a look, speechless.

So this was the reason all the teachers were rejecting the proposal.

The proposal had not only failed but might even have backfired.

To allow this rule to continue for another year without risk was indeed the prudent course of action.

Seeing that the two were silent, Sun Leyang hastened to smile and say, "Alright, if Li Zheng and Shi Yang truly have the ability to rank first and second, us teachers on the Jijing Team will fight with all our might to support you, alright?"

"Agreed," Yu Zhiqiang nodded as well, "Don’t rush to make grand statements. Convince us with facts."

With the situation having progressed to this point, there wasn’t much else Li Zheng and Ou Xingzhuo could say. After respectfully finishing their tea, they returned to their own table.

Shi Yang didn’t need to ask to know that they had hit a snag.

"I told you, it’s up to us students," Shi Yang said, presenting the co-authored letter from his phone to the two of them, "Come on, here’s Queen’s draft. Take a look."

The draft, titled "Suggestions for Changing the Selection Rules for the Chemistry Olympiad National Team," was very formal.

In the content, the first few dozen characters praise the Chemical Society for its wisdom.

The middle section describes the current situation, which is that each province is strong and evenly matched in strength, without an absolute leading province, thus no need for balancing the number of spots.

The conclusion looks ahead to Prague, where the sons and daughters of China should unite more than ever, aiming to win four gold medals, and selecting the strongest team to compete.

The whole text is only four or five hundred words, clearly articulated and seemingly self-evident; Wu Shu’s essay must also be excellent.

Having read the draft, Li Zheng wished to continue persuading Shi Yang not to cause trouble, which would complicate things for the teachers.

But Wei Dongyang was in the way, holding onto Shi Yang and speaking his mind grandly.

"Don’t chicken out, Li Zheng. There won’t be any problems. It’s all for fairness, right? It’s rare for us in Ji Xiang to be united like this. There’s no harm in writing a suggestion. Everyone just signs it and submits it; it’s all for the sake of fairness. I really don’t understand what there is to be afraid of," he said.

"Exactly," Shi Yang, who was never that well-behaved, was already fully encouraged by Wei Dongyang, "We’re not saying anything bad about the Chemical Society, just making a suggestion. Everyone signs it, submits it, it’s all for fairness. I simply don’t see what there is to be afraid of."

Li Zheng exchanged another look with Ou Xingzhuo, both giving a wry smile.

Setting aside Shi Yang for a moment.

This Wei Dongyang was clearly using the naïve Shi Yang as a pawn.

His Xiangnan would, of course, want the rules changed. Seeing a competitor like Shi Yang emerge from Jijing was more than welcome news to him.

Moreover, in terms of the order of signatures, Shi Yang was the first, which was tantamount to a student from the Jijing Team leading the charge. If there was a need for accountability later, Wei Dongyang and the teachers from Xiangnan would all be in the back.

The two didn’t point this out to his face but just smiled wryly at Shi Yang.

However, Shi Yang raised an eyebrow, revealing a very shrewd look in his eyes.

Wait a second...

The situation wasn’t as simple as it seemed...

Wei Dongyang thought he was using Shi Yang as a pawn...

But wasn’t Shi Yang also using Wei Dongyang as a pawn?

Wei Dongyang was sure that Xiangnan would definitely be the strongest.

Didn’t Shi Yang have the confidence to be number one in the country?

On the contrary, in front of Wei Dongyang, Shi Yang put in great effort to play the role of an indignant and foolish young man.

Wasn’t this playing the fool to catch the wise, using Xiangnan’s strength for Jijing’s interests?

```

"If we wait until the results are out to do this, I’m afraid Wei Dongyang won’t dare to sign anymore."

Tricks, nothing but tricks.

At this moment, Wu Shu returned with a large piece of paper, apparently, he had just gone to print it out.

Li Zheng and Ou Xingzhuo once again exchanged intense gazes.

It seems Queen has already made a decision.

Seeing that success was at hand, Wei Dongyang immediately slapped his newly acknowledged brother on the back, "Come on, come on, sign here, sign here, Shi Yang, you’re the one who’s aiming for the championship, you lead the way."

"The championship has to be mine." Shi Yang was also giving his all in playing the fool, grabbing the pen to sign—

[Jijing Team: Shi Yang.]

After signing, he passed the pen to Wei Dongyang, "Brother Wei, please go ahead. Please start a new line a little lower down, leaving some space for our Jijing teammates."

"Sure!" Wei Dongyang rolled up his sleeves and quickly wrote down [Xiangnan Team: Wei Dongyang], and after signing, he reached out to take the joint letter, "I’ll take it back first for our people to sign."

"No hurry." Wu Shu raised his hand, "This letter is important, let’s keep it here first. Later, you organize everyone to come and sign together."

"Well... that works..." Wei Dongyang smoothly raised his glass, "Here’s a toast to Jijing Team securing the top four in advance."

"You’re too kind, too kind." Shi Yang enthusiastically clinked glasses, "Brother Wei also has a chance."

After the tea was drunk, Wei Dongyang didn’t forget to say, "I’m quite familiar with the people from Xiangbei and Zhejiang, so I’ll talk to them on that side. The rest of the provinces in the north, I’ll have to trouble the Jijing bigshots."

Having said that, he took off.

You have to admit, Wei Dongyang is really crafty.

Everyone knows that people from the south have good study habits...

The only strong provinces in the north are Jijing, Jibei, and Lu Dong.

And in the south, apart from the remote areas, they are basically all strong provinces...

Strong provinces are of course more willing to sign this name.

After sending Wei Dongyang off, dinner was coming to an end.

Only then did Shi Yang have time to eat, as he explained his thoughts and strategies while doing so.

"We really can’t delay this, if we do it we must make it quick and decisive."

"Before the written exam starts, we must make sure that everyone who can sign has signed."

"I’m telling you, if the Xiangnan people take the lead, the other provinces really won’t dare to sign."

"It has to be us from Jijing to do it, don’t they all think Jijing is weak, don’t they all look at me like I’m Zhu Zaizai? I’ll just be this Zhu Zaizai, let them all think I’m a fool.

"After dinner, I’ll continue to build up my identity, I’ll express some stupid opinions in the several Chem Competitions groups I’m in, to make them think I’m Zhu Zaizai."

"Then later, when the teachers go for the meeting, we’ll divide and persuade."

"The theoretical exam is the day after tomorrow morning."

"The time we can fight for is tonight and tomorrow."

"As long as we can get 200 signatures, we definitely have a chance."

Not to mention, Shi Yang’s planning was quite detailed.

This plan must have been in the works for quite some time now.

"You really are going all out..." Li Zheng sighed as he slurped his noodles, "What else can we do, let’s do it."

"Everything else is easy to say." Ou Xingzhuo glanced at Wu Shu, "Why are you so supportive of Shi Yang?"

"For fun." Wu Shu chuckled, "You see how excited that Wei Dongyang is, I want to see him cry, haha."

"Hmph, what an interesting woman." Ou Xingzhuo slapped his bowl down and vigorously wiped his mouth, "Ah! It looks like I’ve been pressured onto Mount Liang, let’s do this."

While the teachers were in a collective meeting, the Ji Xiang united team had already begun their plan.

In various groups, in different dormitories, undercurrents started to stir.

And so, the legend of the simple-minded Zhu Zaizai, Shi Yang, spread.