The Frenzied Savior - Chapter 19

Once Fu Qingya sank into the world of scientific research, he found it difficult to control himself. To create and develop the things he envisioned, he would stay in the basement working day and night, refusing to give up even when utterly exhausted.

This meant that once he was away from the care and supervision of others, he easily lost track of time, working until the task was complete or his body sounded an alarm so loud he could no longer function.

Although he had the smart robot, Xiao Yuan, to look after his daily life, a robot was, after all, just a robot. It couldn’t force its stubborn master to do something he was unwilling to do, even if it meant he might go hungry or fall ill.

Thus, the willful and obstinate Fu Qingya had once again worked himself to the point of total exhaustion.

If the principal of No. 2 High School hadn’t made that phone call, Fu Qingya probably would have pushed himself until he collapsed into a sleep that lasted for days.

He hadn’t felt the fatigue while he was pulling an all-nighter, but now that he had relaxed, his eyelids felt like they were glued shut.

After a second of internal conflict, Fu Qingya decisively chose to fall into a peaceful slumber in the somewhat unfamiliar classroom.

The students of Class 1, Grade 12 at No. 2 High School looked on in bewilderment as Fu Qingya fell fast asleep, completely indifferent to the burning gazes of everyone around him.

“Is your Fu Qingya always this reckless back at your school?”

“Class is about to start, and he’s just out cold. Isn’t he worried he won’t be able to keep up with the teacher’s pace if he’s groggy?”

The curriculum for senior year was dense and complex. If you weren’t careful, you’d miss a key point and lose track of half the lesson. Most students didn’t even dare to let their minds wander, fearing they’d fall behind and lose their competitive edge.

A behavior like Fu Qingya’s, choosing to sleep instead of reviewing his textbook in the minutes before class, left them utterly stunned and confused.

A student from No. 1 High School pushed up his glasses, clearly used to the sight. “Since the start of this semester, Student Fu has always been like this.”

“He’s slept through as many days of class as he’s attended, but his grades are always rock solid. He’s consistently ranked first in the entire grade at No. 1 High.”

Thinking back to a few days ago, when Fu Qingya had dismantled the bomb with techniques so fast they left afterimages, the student from No. 1 High was full of admiration.

They rarely saw him studying, so how was he this brilliant?

It was one thing to always be ranked first, but to have such mastery over specialized, high-difficulty technology… it was enough to make anyone feel inadequate.

He stared at Fu Qingya with a look of near-fanaticism, which only served to make the eavesdropping students from No. 2 High more curious.

Was Fu Qingya really that amazing? Could he really take the top spot while sleeping through class every day?

The crowd remained skeptical.

They had never seen someone who didn’t work hard yet managed to occupy the throne year after year. The top student at their school was also brilliant, but she worked incredibly hard.

After all, the world was never short of people who were both smart and diligent. If she slacked off even a little, the rivals breathing down her neck would immediately overtake her.

If their top student had to work that hard to stay number one, did Fu Qingya really only need to sleep?

Sensing the skepticism, the student from No. 1 High felt a flash of annoyance. He rummaged through his desk and pulled out a file folder.

“I collect the data for the top ten students of every exam. This is the spreadsheet for this semester.”

This student was ranked third at No. 1 High and was famous for his love of data and charts. Faced with doubt, he couldn’t help but slap down the exam records.

Fu Qingya’s temporary deskmate flipped through it. Good grief, through dozens of exams over several months, Fu Qingya had sat firmly in the top spot every single time.

What was even more shocking was how severely lopsided his grades were. He got perfect scores in every other subject, but in Physics, he consistently scored only forty or fifty points.

Yet, even with that, he remained the undisputed number one.

His deskmate’s words were true! Fu Qingya really was that incredible!

The students of No. 2 High couldn’t help but look at Fu Qingya with newfound respect. Some even wanted to go up and strike up a conversation with the super-scholar, but at that moment, the bell rang. The head teacher of Class 1, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, walked into the room.

As soon as the teacher set down his lesson plan, he looked up and saw the cold-faced youth who had become unforgettable over the past few days.

Fu Qingya, the genius who had dismantled that strange bomb, had actually come to school for class!

The teacher’s eyes lit up instantly.

This was the eighteen-year-old genius capable of dismantling a holographic bomb that none of them could even understand, something clearly far beyond current technology!

He was dying to know how Fu Qingya had discovered the bomb and how he had dismantled it.

Having already signed a non-disclosure agreement with the state, the head teacher wanted nothing more than to grill Fu Qingya, but seeing the deep exhaustion in the boy’s eyes and the paleness of his face, he ultimately decided not to disturb him.

He had heard that several other locations had been rigged with those special bombs, and Fu Qingya had been invited by the police to dismantle them.

Those were life-threatening explosives. Fu Qingya must be physically and mentally drained. He would just continue with the lesson and let the boy rest.

Recalling that Fu Qingya frequently slept in class at No. 1 High yet maintained his top rank, the teacher dismissed the idea of sending him to the infirmary. He picked up his chalk and began to lecture with great eloquence.

The students of Class 1 watched in shock as their usually rigorous and strict head teacher, a man comparable to a temple abbot enforcing discipline, completely ignored the fact that Fu Qingya was sleeping and began class as if nothing were wrong.

That wasn’t even the most absurd part. The most ridiculous thing was that when the teacher walked past Fu Qingya’s desk, he intentionally lowered his voice, as if terrified of waking him from his dream.

Every gesture was so considerate that he didn’t look like their head teacher, but rather like he had been possessed by a Fu Qingya fanboy, treating him with a kindness that bypassed all his usual principles.

This was “Supreme VIP” treatment that even their school’s top student had never enjoyed.

Was Fu Qingya really that charming? Had he conquered their stubborn, cold-hearted head teacher in just a few days?

The students were full of questions but had no way of knowing the truth, so they gave up and dived back into the sea of knowledge.

The dense and fulfilling lesson soon ended. As the crisp bell rang, the teacher packed his things and gave a final instruction to the student sitting next to Fu Qingya.

“Student Fu hasn’t fully recovered from his illness and might be feeling unwell. Xingchi, please look after him for me. If anything happens, come to the office and let me know immediately.”

So Fu Qingya’s illness hadn’t fully cleared up yet!

That’s why their impartial head teacher was looking after him with such meticulous care!

The realization dawned on everyone. Their teacher, Old Luo, was impartial and strict, but he was always exceptionally kind to students who were unwell or injured.

Knowing Fu Qingya wasn’t fully recovered, they instantly understood Old Luo’s behavior.

“But I still think Old Luo is acting a bit weird toward Fu Qingya, like the care is a bit over the top.”

The black-haired boy tasked with looking after Fu Qingya, Xingchi, muttered under his breath as he looked at the sleeping youth.

As a fellow exchange student, the student from No. 1 High, who had coincidentally been at the orientation meeting with the head teacher, wore a knowing smile. He looked silently at Fu Qingya’s confused deskmate.

He desperately wanted to spill the beans, but he had signed a top-tier non-disclosure agreement with the state regarding that day. He wasn’t going to ruin his bright future and end up in a jail cell just for a moment of gossip.

He could only let the students of No. 2 High continue to suffer in their confusion.

The exchange student thought this way, his face unconsciously taking on a look of smugness and pity.

That punchable expression made it clear he knew the inside story.

However, everyone else was so immersed in the fact that Fu Qingya was still sick that they didn’t notice his shifting expression.

And so, the truth, while right in front of them, slipped past them once again.

Most of the children in Class 1 were quiet and well-behaved. Hearing that Fu Qingya was still sick, they consciously lowered their voices, afraid to disturb his rest.

The classroom was quiet for a while, until a tall, burly boy walked in.

“Is the exchange student from No. 1 High, Fu Qingya, here? The principal wants to see him in the office.”

The boy seemed to be going through puberty, his voice sounding both booming and shrill, like a drum being beaten right in one’s ear. It made people want to cover their ears.

Fu Qingya’s deskmate looked up and pointed at the sleeping boy.

“Fu Qingya is sleeping right here,” he mouthed silently.

The tall student strode over and, before anyone in Class 1 could react, shouted directly at Fu Qingya.

The careful students of Class 1: “…”

Fu Qingya’s deskmate: “…What are you doing? I said he was sleeping!”

The tall boy looked puzzled. “The principal called for him, right? If he’s sleeping, of course I have to wake him up.”

“We can’t exactly have the principal waiting for him to wake up on his own, can we?”

The tall boy looked at the Class 1 students, who were all staring at him with unnerving, almost murderous glares, and he couldn’t help but shiver.

Isn’t this just common sense? Why was Class 1 looking at him like they were about to beat him up?

He was actually getting a bit scared.

The students of Class 1, who viewed Fu Qingya as someone fragile and beyond reach: “…”

Well, well, it seemed he was actually right…

Why had they instinctively felt that they couldn’t disturb Fu Qingya’s sleep? After all, it was the principal calling for him…

The students froze, looking at each other in bewilderment, standing still like a flock of stunned geese.

It was at this moment that Fu Qingya slowly opened his eyes.

No matter how exhausted he was, he was going to wake up with that much commotion.

He looked up, smoothed his hair and clothes, and then stood up slowly with his eyes downcast.

Every single gaze in the room landed on Fu Qingya’s open eyes.

“You’re awake! The principal is looking for you, let’s go!”

The tall boy, sensing the hostility from Class 1, quickly got back to the point and urged Fu Qingya toward the office.

Fu Qingya took everything in and let out a tired yawn.

“Let’s go.”

He was too tired to make any expression, so he simply got up and walked out with a deadpan face.

“Hey! Coming!”

The tall boy let out a massive sigh of relief, waved to the Class 1 students, and bolted.

The students watched Fu Qingya’s sluggish, departing back with worry.

Fu Qingya looked so frail, would something happen to him on the way?

The boy they were worrying about was practically escorted into the principal’s office by the very eager messenger.

“You old fossil, keep dreaming! Fu Qingya is a student of our school! Don’t even think about borrowing him and not giving him back!”

A robust voice laced with intentional anger met him at the door. Fu Qingya’s brow twitched.

That voice…

Why did it sound so familiar?

Fu Qingya looked toward the source and saw a middle-aged man in a floral shirt and suit trousers, wearing gold-rimmed glasses. He looked like a flashy scoundrel. He was standing on a chair in the office, pointing at the principal of No. 2 High and cursing.

Fu Qingya’s vision went dark, he wanted nothing more than to turn around and leave.

However, the moment his steps faltered, the man in the floral shirt charged over like a grizzly bear smelling honey. He put everything into it, even risking his own safety, just to grab Fu Qingya.

If Fu Qingya dodged, the man, who was rushing at full tilt, would have smashed his head against the wall.

So, Fu Qingya could only endure it with a dark face and stay put, letting the man grab his hand and drag him into the office.

“Fu Qingya, tell him yourself, which school do you belong to!”

He pulled at Fu Qingya while glaring at the other principal.

Fu Qingya looked silently at the principal of No. 2 High.

The principal of No. 2 High was an elegant, scholarly man who didn’t get angry even when being cursed at. He smiled at the man in the floral shirt, then looked at Fu Qingya with concern.

“Is Student Fu’s business all taken care of?”

Because the Hidden Mine incident had happened under his jurisdiction and had been effectively neutralized, the decisive and cooperative principal of No. 2 High had been tapped by the higher-ups to assist with certain matters. As a result, he knew a bit about what Fu Qingya was up to.

For instance, he knew the boy had taken some things home, supposedly to research special technological products for the state.

For these studies, Fu Qingya had been working without sleep, a level of workaholism that even worried the police officers stationed nearby.

That was the real reason for the principal’s “reminder” call to return to school.

In reality, the classes were optional for someone like Fu Qingya, who could dismantle futuristic tech and develop new inventions. But they needed an excuse to pull him away from his endless work before he accidentally worked himself to death.

Fu Qingya nodded slightly. “It’s handled for now.”

The most urgent and necessary items had been successfully modified. He could indeed afford a short rest.

The floral-shirt-wearing principal of No. 1 High wasn’t happy seeing the two of them chatting like no one else was there.

“Fu Qingya, it’s bad enough you won’t tell him you’re one of ours, but now you’re keeping secrets with him behind my back! Is this how you treat a simple, innocent old man like me?”

The principal of No. 1 High was fuming. They had agreed on a friendly exchange program, but his star student had fallen ill almost immediately, and now the other principal was singing Fu Qingya’s praises in every sentence. It was obvious the man was trying to keep him at No. 2 High.

Fu Qingya was the brightest, smartest prize of No. 1 High. He could be lent out to show off their strength, but he absolutely could not be mistreated or kidnapped so shamelessly!

Once he realized what was happening, he had jumped up and started cursing out the “shameless old fossil” who was eyeing someone else’s student.

He had been about to make the boy take a stand and declare his loyalty to No. 1 High, only to discover the two of them already had their own little secrets. In that moment, the principal’s face was filled with sorrow.

Fu Qingya’s back grew increasingly stiff.

Here it goes again! Here it goes again!

His habitually unreliable, drama-queen uncle was putting on a show for them again!

The principal of No. 2 High was used to playing these dramatic games with his counterpart and ignored the exaggerated emotions and expressions.

He spoke directly to Fu Qingya. “It’s good that it’s handled. If anything urgent comes up in the next two days, feel free to come to me for help.”

“The week-long exchange program ends the day after tomorrow. What are Student Fu’s plans after that?”

The principal of No. 2 High asked gently and sincerely.

“To go back to his original school, of course!” the principal of No. 1 High blurted out.

“It’s rare to visit No. 2 High. Why not stay a few extra days and experience the unique scenery here?” the principal of No. 2 High suggested with a smile.

The principal of No. 1 High glared at the hypocritical, silver-tongued man.

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