The Little Wretch Differentiated into an Alpha - Chapter 7

According to Rule 13 of Kaina First Experimental Middle School, any form of fighting on campus is strictly prohibited. Violators will receive a demerit on their permanent record and a school-wide public announcement.

Gasps erupted from the crowd as both Lu Ye and Noel failed to make it to the opening ceremony.

With only a few students missing from the vast audience, Gu Yanxiu, standing under the blinding spotlights, didn’t notice a thing. He delivered his speech flawlessly. On his way out of the auditorium, he received several love letters as per usual, declining each one with polite indifference.

Upon returning to the classroom, he was immediately greeted by an excited Brandon.

“There was a fight at school today.  Have you heard?”

In Kaina First, this was indeed massive news. After all, it was the year 2325; people weren’t exactly savages who had just evolved their second genders.

Gu Yanxiu was slightly surprised. “I haven’t. Was there an announcement?”

Brandon looked mysterious. “That’s the thing no.”

Gu Yanxiu frowned. “Aren’t demerit punishments always made public?”

“Exactly!” Brandon exclaimed. “The issue is that the school hasn’t handled it at all. No one got a demerit! If people hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, no one would even know it happened.”

This was strange. The Inner Port District operated on a set of unspoken rules known as “high society etiquette.” To many traditional families, savage behavior like brawling was considered a profound disgrace.

The last time a fight broke out at Kaina First was eight years ago. Back then, a third-year Alpha triggered his secondary differentiation on campus. The pheromone explosion sent him into a pheromone-induced frenzy, causing him to assault two classmates who were trying to bring him suppressants.

The incident had a terrible impact on the school’s reputation. That Alpha received a major demerit and a school-wide announcement. Because of that stain, his family immediately withdrew him and reportedly moved the entire household to the American continent.

Why was the school being so casual this time?

Sensing Gu Yanxiu’s confusion, Brandon lowered his voice. “I heard it’s because the person who got hit was the one who provoked the fight. Apparently, the provocation was so severe that they waived the punishment at their discretion.”

“Provocation? To what extent?” Gu Yanxiu was even more puzzled.

“Right? I’m wondering the same thing. How ridiculous does a provocation have to be to be considered ‘exceptionally severe’?”

Gu Yanxiu noted, “There’s no such clause in the supplementary school rules.”

“Exactly! So now, everyone on the campus forum is guessing.”

“Guessing what?”

Brandon held up one finger. “Option one: the person who did the hitting is so powerful they forced the school to change the rules just for them.”

Gu Yanxiu laughed. “Impossible.” This wasn’t some melodramatic soap opera; a public school wouldn’t be that frivolous.

Brandon raised a second finger. “Option two: the person who got hit has absolutely no background, so the school didn’t bother dealing with it.”

Noel sauntered back into the classroom. He hadn’t expected his impulsive decision to turn out so well.

Seeing the mix of confusion, shock, and awe in his classmates’ eyes, Noel knew that punch had been the right move. Legend of his deed was already spreading through the school, and his classmates had seen him land that hit on Lu Ye’s face with their own eyes.

Yet, after a trip to the Dean’s office, he had walked away scot-free. This gave him more “face” than his father being elected Speaker of the House!

Even Yuan Lingying, who usually ignored him, came over to ask, “Are you okay? What did the school say?”

Noel gave a smug smile, basking in the inquisitive gazes around him. “They didn’t say anything,” he replied. “Just told me to come back.”

He was telling the truth, but he omitted the part where his legs had turned to jelly the moment he was led into the office. He had hit someone, and everyone saw it. His father had just been transferred to G-City and hadn’t found his footing yet. If this got out, not only would his father break his legs, but his father’s political career would be over.

Lu Ye had stood quietly beside him. At the time, Noel was so scared he had started babbling.

“Teacher, I was wrong, I didn’t mean to hit him.” Noel had stammered. “It was him… yes! He provoked me! I just couldn’t hold back, so I.”

Even Noel felt his excuses were weak. Eight years ago, even a “frenzy” couldn’t save that other student. What did his simple claim of provocation matter?

The teachers in the Dean’s office also looked solemn. “Student Lu Ye is currently with the Gu family. Call the Gu residence first,” the Dean finally decided.

Noel’s knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed. It was over. Why were they only calling the Gu family and not his father? Because in this matter, his father had no standing. The school was worried a simple demerit was too light and wanted to gauge the Gu family’s stance first. If the Gu family felt a demerit wasn’t enough to appease them.  then he might be packing his bags today, and his father’s career would be measured in days.

Thinking of this now, Noel felt even more triumphant. Amidst his classmates’ admiring looks, he glanced at Lu Ye’s empty desk.

If not for that phone call, his punishment would have been set in stone. But the school did make that call, and as luck would have it, Lu Ye’s biological mother the Beta who had remarried into the Gu family answered.

She didn’t just apologize repeatedly; she harshly scolded her own son for being “unruly” and practically begged the school not to make the matter public. She was willing to waive all responsibility.

The call was on speakerphone. Noel and Lu Ye had stood right there listening.

Noel was stunned. When he turned to look at Lu Ye, the boy was expressionless, his tongue poking the wound inside his mouth, looking like a dead man walking who couldn’t care less.

Then, Noel heard a bombshell over the phone.

“Lu Ye, are you listening?! Don’t forget you don’t have official residency in the Inner Port District! If you do anything out of line, you’ll be thrown into a detention center!”

On the other end of the line, Zhu Xinyou’s voice was shrill. “Causing trouble on your first day of school? Who taught you your manners? Apologize to the teachers and your classmate right now!”

Noel’s eyes widened. Holy crap, a mother this terrible actually exists?

In the end, the Dean didn’t make the victim, Lu Ye, apologize. Seeing him stand there in silence, the Dean sighed and waved them off. “Alright, that’s enough. Let this be a one-time thing. You may both go back.”

Noel had floated back to the teaching building, feeling like he’d won the lottery.

Lu Ye didn’t even have official residency? The Gu family sure was “impartial” they had brushed him off with nothing but a temporary residence permit. From the sound of his mother, his identity in the Lower District had been canceled too. He had nothing but that one ID card.

Since he was a minor, he couldn’t re-apply for residency on his own. Temporary residents in the Inner Port were strictly monitored. If they committed a crime, they didn’t even have the “privilege” of becoming a vagrant, they went straight to a detention center.

What kind of place was an Inner Port detention center? It was essentially a prison for minors. While they provided education and decent living conditions for “humanitarian reasons,” the inmates had zero freedom and were locked up until they reached adulthood, at which point they were exiled from the port.

No wonder this kid didn’t fight back! A kid without official status was a walking punching bag. Noel could mess with him however he wanted. Better yet, no one in the Gu family cared about him!

The more Noel thought about it, the more excited he became. He wished Lu Ye would show up right now so he could display his “Alpha prowess” in front of Yuan Lingying.

Just then, Lu Ye appeared at the classroom door.

The room fell silent as everyone turned to look at him. His face was already bruised, but it looked worse now. His cheeks and the corner of his mouth were a mess of scrapes and purple welts, making him look even more somber.

However, everyone stared at him openly now. No one was afraid. He was just a stray living under someone else’s roof, and clearly, the Gu family didn’t give a damn about him.

Feeling the weight of their gazes, Lu Ye acted as if he didn’t notice. He walked naturally to his seat.

The opening ceremony was over, but there were still classes to attend. Lu Ye’s attitude was as calm as his expression. The histrionics of these students were like a cheap play to him.

Behind his old school in Sector IV, there was an alley where lethal brawls were common. Occasionally, a body or two would be dragged out, and even then, it didn’t draw a crowd as big as this. He didn’t understand their definition of a “punch.” All he knew was that while the Inner Port had too many rules, it was safe enough that he didn’t have to worry. These people couldn’t kill him. Their occasional strikes were like scratches that bothered the onlookers more than the victim.

It was boring. It made him sleepy.

He didn’t care, but his indifference seemed to provoke Noel all over again. As Noel passed his desk, he reached out to block Lu Ye’s path.

“You actually dared to come back?” Noel sneered.

Lu Ye felt like yawning. Why wouldn’t he? Class started in ten minutes. He tilted his head, too lazy to acknowledge him. Just like the fake beggars back at the repair shop he usually ignored them until they got tired of their act and left.

As he turned his head, he caught sight of the giant screen outside the window. The screen, suspended from a nearby building, was replaying highlights from the opening ceremony. It happened to be showing the student representative’s speech.

“No one can predict the future of Planet Blue, but humanity’s footsteps will not stop here, counting down the days trapped on an aging planet.”

In front of him, Noel was still barking. “Lost your voice? Good. Remember this: when you’re in front of me, keep your tail between your legs.”

Lu Ye looked out the window with an empty expression. In the holographic projection, all the spotlights were focused on Gu Yanxiu. The harsh overhead lighting didn’t expose any flaws in his features; instead, it made him look like a star in the vast universe.

“We do our best to preserve our mountains and seas while attempting to explore the stars, so that one day, all of humanity can exist in a broader world freer and more eternal.”

Lu Ye never believed in such high-sounding nonsense. Planet Blue was doomed; that was a global consensus. Experts on TV argued incessantly about whether extinction would come in three hundred years or five hundred. Was there a difference? When the time came for everyone to die together, the question would answer itself.

Lu Ye usually wouldn’t spare a second glance, but this time, he didn’t look away immediately.

Perhaps the scene was simply too absurd.

Privileged students were picking fights in a classroom like a bunch of unevolved monkeys. In the courtyard, students walking by were whispering about Senior Gu’s striking features and long eyelashes. Nearby, Yuan Lingying was staring at Gu Yanxiu’s image through the window, her eyes burning with the ambition of marrying into a prestigious family.

And there, in the hologram, Gu Yanxiu stood under the spotlight, his expression cold and his voice steady.

He was telling them that to extend the life of Planet Blue, they should all try to study a little harder.

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