Chapter 225: On Both Ends of the Balance 06
Kui Xin rolled down the car window, looking at the grand entrance of the university and the bustling scene, and couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of discomfort.
There were too many people, crowding together, parents dropping off their children, and compact cars everywhere. She felt a tingling sensation on her scalp.
Fortunately, parents’ cars were allowed on campus, with several designated areas serving as temporary parking lots. At the intersection outside the school gate, traffic police were present, and student volunteers were directing vehicles into the campus.
Kui Xin’s senior brother, Liu Boyi, was in his fourth year and busy preparing for his postgraduate entrance examination.
He chatted with Kui Xin in the car, giving her plenty of advice.
“I’ll take you to register first,” Liu Boyi said. “Do you see the little tents on campus? The banners will indicate which college they belong to; our major falls under the Information Engineering College.”
He turned to the middle-aged man in the driver’s seat, who had a friendly appearance, and said, “Dad, can you drop the luggage off downstairs at my dorm building? I’ll take Kui Xin to register.”
“Sure,” the man nodded.
The senior students’ volunteer services during the school’s orientation could be described as comprehensive. As soon as their compact car stopped in the parking lot, a senior in a red volunteer vest came over to guide them, telling her which direction to walk and where to turn to reach the registration point.
Kui Xin pulled her luggage, repeatedly thanking the senior, and politely declined their offer to help carry the suitcase, following her brother instead.
The words “Information Engineering College” on the tent were quite conspicuous, with several students responsible for registering information sitting behind small tables. Nearby, some volunteers handed out free bottled water to the arriving students and parents.
“Name?” The senior girl adjusted her glasses.
“Kui Xin.”
“I remember you; you’re in Class Three. This surname is quite rare. Fill out the form and then scan to register your personal information. Don’t forget to scan to join the class group and note it in your remarks,” the senior instructed Kui Xin to complete her information, then said, “Let me check your dorm… Hmm…”
Her expression suddenly turned sympathetic as she looked at Kui Xin. “Your dorm number is 6026…”
“What’s wrong with this dorm?” Kui Xin instinctively asked.
“In your grade, there’s an odd number of girls in your class, so the dorm is for six people, and your name is the seventh one in alphabetical order,” the senior explained. “You’ve been assigned to stay with new students from other departments.”
Kui Xin paused, casually saying, “It’s fine; getting to know friends from other colleges is also good.”
For an ordinary freshman, not being able to attend classes with classmates and get familiar with the environment could feel quite uncomfortable, especially since students from other departments have different schedules. The senior’s implication was concern that Kui Xin might feel alone being placed in a dorm with students from other departments.
Liu Boyi was familiar with a few other students volunteering nearby. After chatting for a while, he said when he saw Kui Xin finishing her registration, “I’ll take her over; you guys can welcome the new students here. I’m off!”
At that moment, a female student rushed over, panting, “Xiang Liang hurt his back helping a new student move luggage and is lying on the stairs in pain. We need a couple of strong guys to help carry him back to his dorm!”
“At such a young age, he hurt his back,” a boy commented as he walked out.
“Getting those credits isn’t easy; the orientation gives two practice credits,” another boy followed suit, sounding resigned.
Liu Boyi muttered, “That guy Xiang Liang is so careless… Never mind, I’ll drop you off at the dorm before checking on him.”
He took a few steps forward but noticed Kui Xin didn’t follow, seeming frozen in place.
“What’s wrong? Is your luggage too heavy? You carried it all this way; let me help you for a bit,” Liu Boyi said, returning to pat her head.
“I’m fine; my legs just went numb during registration,” Kui Xin covered with a smile. “I can manage; it’s not heavy. Brother, the Xiang Liang you mentioned is your friend, right? Why don’t you go check on him first? There are volunteers all the way; I can find my dorm myself.”
“It’s fine; didn’t someone already go?” Liu Boyi replied.
“Alright…” Kui Xin responded absently, pulling her luggage while following him.
She heard the familiar name and thought she had misheard for a moment, so she had just taken the opportunity to confirm with Liu Boyi.
Xiang Liang, that name felt distant… The first player Kui Xin met in the Second World was Xiang Liang. He witnessed her take down two robbers in a rainy alley, knowing she was a security officer from the Investigation Bureau. Kui Xin had died and escaped from Hei Hai City; on the Investigation Bureau’s list, she should be classified as KIA… Could this Xiang Liang be the same player Xiang Liang?
“Brother, what major is your friend?” Kui Xin pretended to be curious.
“Mechanical Engineering, not our college,” Liu Boyi replied. “They have it tough; I heard they have to go into factories for internships… But we’re not much better off; our courses are complex, and many fail every year.”
Mechanical Engineering, Kui Xin vaguely remembered Xiang Liang being admitted to Black Sea Academy for that very major… these two points seemed to overlap.
She had a foreboding feeling, and when she spotted Xiang Liang, that feeling shifted from suspicion to certainty.
During the school orientation, dorm entry for boys and girls wasn’t strictly regulated. As Kui Xin climbed the steps, she saw a boy in a volunteer vest being supported down the stairs by two male students. As she entered the dormitory, their eyes met for a fleeting second, leaving them both stunned.
Xiang Liang’s head buzzed, his legs felt weak, and he nearly collapsed, a look of disbelief on his face.
Kui Xin’s eyebrows twitched, adjusting her glasses and looking down at Xiang Liang, who almost sat down on the ground, her expression neutral.
Liu Boyi rushed over in surprise to help Xiang Liang up. “Is it that serious? Can’t even stand? Should we take you to the hospital?”
“No, no, no, it’s fine!” Xiang Liang replied quickly.
Liu Boyi was puzzled, “Why are you stuttering? Look, you’re sweating cold from the pain.”
Xiang Liang stood upright, summoning strength, “It’s okay! A little rest will do.” He turned to Kui Xin, his tone unintentionally cautious and nervous, “This is…”
“Hello, I’m Kui Xin,” she introduced herself calmly.
Xiang Liang seemed to realize something again, his legs buckling slightly, as if he might kneel right there.
“Hello, Senior, I’m Xiang Liang, from the Mechanical Engineering department next door, here to help the freshmen move things.” He smiled earnestly, “I’m a junior this year and have known Liu Boyi for several years; we’re close buddies.”
His tone carried an awkwardness that was barely perceptible, like a mouse facing a cat or being suppressed by an invisible aura, dutifully introducing himself.
Liu Boyi was confused by Xiang Liang’s reaction. “What are you saying? This is my junior sister from the same major, a freshman.”
Xiang Liang reacted swiftly, “Oh, I thought she was an upperclassman who returned early; I mistook you, junior sister!”
“Hurry and rest; it looks pretty serious,” Liu Boyi was completely befuddled by Xiang Liang’s mysterious reaction and attributed it to the severity of his injury, urging him to go back and rest.
Kui Xin glanced at Xiang Liang’s departing figure, ignoring Liu Boyi’s outstretched hand offering to help carry her luggage. She hoisted her belongings and climbed straight to the sixth floor, the top floor.
Liu Boyi hurried up behind Kui Xin, gasping as he leaned on his knees, then saw Kui Xin calmly identifying door numbers in the hallway, feeling utterly useless, as he had no purpose other than to navigate.
Feeling embarrassed, he stammered, “It’s almost noon; should we eat first before organizing? I can take you to the cafeteria…”
“No, brother, you head back to your dorm; you haven’t unpacked your stuff either,” Kui Xin waved him off. “I can figure it out using the navigation map later; there should be campus navigation, right?”
“Yes, there is,” Liu Boyi, having lost all sense of usefulness, bid her goodbye as he left the dorm building.
Kui Xin was the first to arrive at their dorm, having reported two days in advance, while the other roommates were still not settled in.
In a dorm meant for six people, privacy was impossible to guarantee.
She couldn’t stay here; she had to move out. Kui Xin resolved firmly.
Before coming to university, she had already done her homework through various channels. Local students could live at home; if they lived off-campus, all that was needed was a written guarantee, or they could quietly live off-campus without informing school authorities.
Kui Xin was well-prepared. She had contacted several landlords of university community residences online and planned to check out some housing for rent off-campus.
As for Yu Qiwen’s suggestion of accepting Yuan Lu’s investment in the cat café and living in the staff dormitory there, while that was also a good plan, Kui Xin didn’t want to establish too deep a connection with them. Managing relationships was the most troublesome; it was better to maintain a distance without getting too close.
After tidying up the dorm a little, Kui Xin’s phone vibrated.
Liu Boyi sent a message: “Xiang Liang asked for your contact information; can I give it to him?”
Kui Xin quickly replied, “Sure.”
In less than a minute, a friend request popped up on her social media app, with the note: Xiang Liang.
Xiang Liang nervously typed: “Hello, senior, I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I didn’t expect to see you here either,” Kui Xin typed back, “Let’s meet up sometime to talk.”
“Sure, I’m free anytime,” Xiang Liang replied immediately.
At the moment she saw Xiang Liang, Kui Xin noticed an explanation of his extraordinary ability appearing above him.
Xiang Liang possessed extraordinary abilities, and his ability didn’t seem weak; in some regards, it could be considered a divine skill.
“Analysis Reconstruction,” was the name of his ability, with its description stating: “Can instantly analyze the structure of mechanical instruments and understand their principles of construction.”
In the Second World, where technology was highly advanced, Xiang Liang’s ability was definitely valuable. Even in the Mechanized Dawn, he would be an exceptional talent; if his ability could continue to upgrade, he might become a leading researcher in certain fields in the future.
Even in the First World, this skill would be extremely useful. For example, with the technology from the Second World… Xiang Liang could analyze and reconstruct all those high-end machines that condensed human wisdom and bring that knowledge back to the First World.
If used wisely, this ability could even propel a technological explosion in the First World.
If Kui Xin were Eve or from the Federation… even knowing that Xiang Liang was a player, she wouldn’t want to see him die.
Because this ability was simply too precious.
Perhaps this ability was Xiang Liang’s lifeline for surviving up till now in the Second World.
