The Ultra-Alpha School Hunk Has Transmigrated into a Cannon Fodder Omega! - Chapter 24

After school on Monday, Li Tianrui caught all the track athletes on the playground to give everyone extra training.

The athletes did not complain much; they began their training as soon as they arrived at the field.

Bai Yu was a 200-meter sprinter. While warming up, he suddenly noticed a person reading under the shade of a tree who looked somewhat like Ji Cenzhou. He ran over, and it was indeed him.

“Why are you here?” Bai Yu asked.

“Jiang Mosen is training and does not have time to explain problems to me, so I am just doing my schoolwork here while waiting for him,” Ji Cenzhou replied casually.

“There is nearly a month left until midterms. Why are you working so hard already?” Bai Yu was puzzled. “Besides, missing just one day would not matter!”

Ji Cenzhou put down his pen and said, “I thought so too, but Jiang Mosen has such a strong sense of responsibility and planning. He insists on helping me resolve the day’s problems before he is finished.”

Jiang Mosen was truly stubborn. Starting from the time he insisted Ji Cenzhou wear a coat and a scarf, Ji Cenzhou realized that Jiang Mosen was exceptionally serious about certain inexplicable details.

“All right, do not worry about me. Go train. I will cheer for you from here,” Ji Cenzhou said.

“Okay, I am off to train then,” Bai Yu said as he ran toward the track.

Ji Cenzhou worked on his problems for a while, then gazed at the playground to rest his eyes. He happened to see Jiang Mosen walking over after finishing his 3,000-meter run.

Ji Cenzhou did not stand up; he simply handed a bottle of water to Jiang Mosen. Jiang Mosen did not take it, only saying, “My hands are covered in sweat and I cannot unscrew the cap. Help me open it.”

Ji Cenzhou did not waste words and unscrewed the cap for him. Seeing this, Jiang Mosen’s eyes filled with a smile.

Even though Jiang Mosen was sweating, his breathing was steady. It was clear that the 3,000-meter run was not much of a challenge for him.

He sat down next to Ji Cenzhou and asked, “Are the problems finished?”

“Basically. I did not know how to do the last big question, so I left it blank,” Ji Cenzhou replied.

“Let me take a look.” Jiang Mosen did not take the test booklet. Instead, he leaned his head closer, sitting very near to Ji Cenzhou. He could feel that Ji Cenzhou did not pull away.

Jiang Mosen straightened his back and said, “This question is indeed a bit difficult. I will explain it to you later.”

Ji Cenzhou nodded and asked, “How is your training going?”

Jiang Mosen smiled. “Sharpening the spear right before battle does not do much, but it is better than nothing.”

Then, he changed the subject and asked, “If someone you do not like confessed to you, would you reject them directly?”

Ji Cenzhou laughed immediately upon hearing this. “Monitor, this transition is a bit forced. Why ask this all of a sudden?”

“Someone asked me, and it suddenly came to mind, so I asked you casually.”

Ji Cenzhou did not think much of it and said directly, “I would probably reject them very decisively. I remember telling you before that I do not like being ambiguous or dragging things out. Furthermore, if you do not like them, you should not give them hope. An ambiguous attitude will make someone pour their whole heart into you, only for you to eventually say, ‘I am sorry, I do not like you.’ That would be too cruel.”

Jiang Mosen turned to look at Ji Cenzhou and said, “It is indeed quite cruel.”

He sighed in his heart.

He could see that Ji Cenzhou had no feelings for him at all. If he confessed now, he would likely be rejected decisively. Rather than that, it was better to wait until Ji Cenzhou felt something for him before making a bold move.

Jiang Mosen intentionally changed the subject. “Besides the last one, which other question do you not understand?”

Ji Cenzhou suspected nothing and said, “There is a multiple-choice question earlier that I do not quite get…”

On the day of the sports meet, the students were exceptionally excited.

People like Wang Hao, who usually arrived at school at the last possible second, arrived at the classroom before six in the morning.

Those participating in the formation were lining up outside, while the girls were in the classroom applying makeup for Li Tianrui.

The people in the formation could hear the girls’ laughter coming from the classroom. The more Wang Hao listened, the more it sounded like the cackling of witches.

A few people were tired and not taking the rehearsal seriously, so Wang Hao said, “We must always remember this day and the huge contribution Comrade Li Tianrui has made for our class. He is enduring such inhuman torture inside. How can we let him down by not training hard?”

As soon as Wang Hao finished speaking, Li Tianrui’s wail came from the classroom: “I do not want to wear fake eyelashes! And what is this thing? Why are there so many holes in it? Please, sisters, let me go!!!”

The tired people in the formation immediately perked up.

Ji Cenzhou was also a member of the formation. He had gone to sleep early the night before and was not tired at all. He was placed in the first row.

Yang Shu had said while they were lining up, “Let the other classes see that this is the face of our class. It is a pity the monitor has to give a speech on stage and cannot join our formation.”

Ji Cenzhou did not think it was a pity; Jiang Mosen was likely secretly enjoying himself.

The classroom door finally opened. When the girls came out, they were laughing so hard they could barely stand straight.

Their teammates in the formation leaned over, took one look, and went silent, turning their eyes away.

Ugh, it was an eyesore!

Li Tianrui wailed, “You guys do not even want to look at me now, do you?”

Naturally, they could not treat a hero this way, so they quickly said, “How could that be? Sports Rep, this outfit is too… beautiful!”

Li Tianrui: “…”

He instantly bristled. “At least look at me when you say that!! And do you even know how to give a compliment? Can I possibly be beautiful right now? Can you not say something from the heart?!”

Finally, Ji Cenzhou bravely stepped forward, patted his shoulder, and said, “With you made up like this, no one will recognize you. No one will know you have such a dark past. This way, you can still have a sweet romance.”

Wang Hao chimed in, “Exactly. Remember how we wondered what to do if we liked the same girl? Now we have a solution. I will just show her a photo of you like this, and she will leave the darkness for the light and fall into my arms. Look, it resolves things in the most peaceful way so we do not have to fight.”

Li Tianrui: “…”

Ritian, come over here. See if I do not kill you!!

The formation was ready, and Li Tianrui was finished. Wang Hao led everyone to the nearby basketball court to wait. Li Tianrui’s look was so visually damaging it was like a nuclear explosion. Passersby would take one look and immediately avert their eyes or avoid looking in his direction altogether.

Li Tianrui went to Ji Cenzhou to complain. “It is too hard. It is truly too hard for me. I feel like a pile of trash that no one wants to look at.”

“How can you say that about yourself?” Ji Cenzhou comforted him. “At most, you are just a patch of mosaics right now—and specifically, a ‘Death Barbie Pink’ mosaic.”

Li Tianrui: “…”

“Ji-ge, please at least look at my face when you talk to me.”

Ji Cenzhou sighed and said, “I am afraid that if I look at you, I will not be able to resist giving you a shoulder throw.”

Li Tianrui was stunned and asked, “Why would you give me a shoulder throw?”

Ji Cenzhou said, “Because you hurt my eyes. You hurt them deeply.”

Li Tianrui was on the verge of becoming a hermit.

Finally, it was their turn. Li Tianrui held the sign in front. As they passed the rostrum, the student reading the announcement paused before saying, “Approaching us now is Class 10 of the second year. They are heroic and valiant, showcasing the unique spirit of youth…”

Someone in the formation could not hold it in and let out a snort. The laughter seemed contagious; everyone wanted to laugh, but they could not be too reckless in front of the rostrum. They could only hold it in until their faces were puffed up like pufferfish. Li Tianrui, who had been depressed, somehow started laughing along and eventually saw the light.

After the formation came the long opening ceremony. School leaders went on stage one by one to speak. Ji Cenzhou almost fell asleep listening.

“Next, we invite the student representative, Jiang Mosen, to the stage to give a speech.”

As soon as the host finished speaking, the girls around them became restless.

Ji Cenzhou opened his eyes and saw Jiang Mosen standing on the platform. In a white shirt and black trousers, he was unfairly handsome. The girls nearby were taking secret photos with their phones while sighing, “I wonder who will be lucky enough to get Jiang Mosen’s love in the future.”

Ji Cenzhou thought to himself, It is my cousin, the designated protagonist of the novel. He has a distinguished status that us supporting characters and cannon fodder cannot compare to.

He turned his head and happened to catch Jiang Mosen’s gaze. Jiang Mosen smiled at him. Ji Cenzhou was stunned.

The girls nearby went wild.

“Did you see that? Did you see that? The school hunk just smiled at me!” “When the speech started, I felt like he kept looking in this direction, as if he were looking for someone.” “Ahhh! That smile was so gentle and a bit doting. That is definitely the look of someone looking at a person they like!” “Does that mean Jiang Mosen likes me?” “Get out of here! Do you have no shame?”

The girls laughed together. Ji Cenzhou lowered his head. His reaction just now was a bit strange; his heart seemed to skip a beat, but the feeling disappeared too quickly for him to catch.

After the opening ceremony was the sports meet. Ji Cenzhou’s event was on the second day. On the first day, he had nothing to do and sat under the shade of a tree. Wang Hao saw him and came over. “Ji-ge, can you accompany Jiang-ge to check-in? I am short-handed here.”

Ji Cenzhou stood up. “Where is the check-in for the 3,000 meters?”

Wang Hao knew Ji Cenzhou had agreed and said quickly, “At the southwest corner of the playground. You can go straight there. Oh, and help bring a bottle of water for Jiang-ge.”

“Okay.” Ji Cenzhou took the water and walked toward the check-in area.

He was a bit late. Jiang Mosen was already prepared and waiting for the race to start. When Jiang Mosen looked over, Ji Cenzhou gave him a “fighting” gesture and pointed to the finish line, meaning he would wait for him there. Jiang Mosen smiled.

The 3,000-meter race was held only once, and the top three were determined immediately. One lap around the playground was 500 meters, requiring six laps to finish. After the race began, Jiang Mosen was not in first place, but he remained in the lead group. The person in first place was said to be the best long-distance runner among the sports students.

Ji Cenzhou stood at the finish line, watching Jiang Mosen pass him lap after lap. On the final lap, Jiang Mosen accelerated. He easily overtook the two students in front of him to take second place, and then he continuously closed the gap with the person in first. The sports student in first clearly felt it too and began to push, but his energy was nearly exhausted and his speed did not increase much. The gap between Jiang Mosen and him continued to shrink. With 200 meters left, Jiang Mosen overtook him and charged straight toward the finish line—toward the person waiting for him there.

The whistle blew, and the race ended. Jiang Mosen took first place!

The students of Class 10 ran toward the finish line like crazy, surrounding Jiang Mosen and praising him all at once.

“Holy crap, Monitor, you are amazing! I heard you broke the school record!” “The sports student from Class 20 looks so angry. He claimed he would definitely take first in the 3,000 meters, but you just slapped his face hard.” “Big boss, your speed is incredible. You ran the whole thing like a 200-meter sprint and still had so much energy left for the final lap. That is too powerful.”

Jiang Mosen caught his breath, smiled at his classmates, and then accurately found Ji Cenzhou’s location and opened his hands toward him. Ji Cenzhou froze for a moment before realizing Jiang Mosen wanted water. He was about to hand the bottle over when he remembered Jiang Mosen saying his palms would be sweaty and he would not be able to unscrew the cap. So, he opened the water first before handing it over. Upon noticing Ji Cenzhou’s action, the smile in Jiang Mosen’s eyes grew even deeper.

Someone asked Jiang Mosen, “Monitor, how can you run so fast?”

Jiang Mosen smiled. “For Class 10.”

The students of Class 10 screamed and shouted their slogan: “Class 10 forever! Class 10 invincible! Class 10 is number one!”

Jiang Mosen looked at Ji Cenzhou. He had not finished his sentence; he ran that fast for the person waiting for him at the finish line.

The broadcast happened to be reading the cheering scripts.

“The following letter is from a student of Class 10 for Jiang Mosen.” “To the 3,000-meter runner, Jiang Mosen. Jiang Mosen, run boldly! We will always support you from behind; we are your strong backer. Jiang-ge, you are the most amazing, the most handsome, and the forever pride of our Class 10! There is something I have wanted to say to you for a long time: You are the light, you are the electricity, you are the only myth…”

At this point, the style was quite normal. Wang Hao said excitedly, “I wrote that!”

However, for some reason, the broadcaster suddenly started singing: “You are the light, you are the electricity, you are the only myth! I only love you, you are my superstar!”

The students of Class 10 were speechless. The whole school was speechless.

Yang Shu gnashed her teeth. “Wang Hao, do you want to die? If you want to embarrass yourself, do not drag Jiang-ge into it!!”

Wang Hao’s face turned white. “No, I really did not write it like that! I wrote that Jiang-ge is the most dazzling star on the sports field. The broadcaster started singing on their own! I really did not write that!”

Wang Hao grew angrier as he spoke. “I have the copyright to this script! How can they change my script without my consent? No, I am going to find them and have a word!”

Li Tianrui quickly pulled him back. “That is enough. Have you not had enough embarrassment? Let’s go, let’s go. Let’s not stand here.”

Because of Wang Hao’s stunt, the passionate atmosphere vanished. The eyes of the entire school were on them. The students of Class 10 crossed the playground with their heads down, covering their faces like mice crossing the street. Perhaps because the broadcaster’s singing was so catchy, the song was still echoing in their ears. Someone finally could not hold it in and laughed, singing while they laughed, “You are the light, you are the electricity, you are the only myth! I only love you, you are my superstar! Damn, Wang Hao, you are a genius.”

Everyone lost it and laughed together on the playground.

After a short break at noon, the afternoon events began. Ji Cenzhou put down his stool and went to check-in.

The high jump was considered a minor event in high school; it was not very exciting, and not many students gathered to watch. The participants from each class were mostly there just to fill the numbers. During the jump, they used all sorts of postures. The bar was not high, but they just could not get over it. Ji Cenzhou had planned to just go through the motions, but this body’s bounciness and flexibility were amazing. He became the only person in his group to advance, and the referee even praised his form.

Ji Cenzhou waited for the next group to finish before the finals. During the wait, Bai Yu, Jiang Mosen, and Wang Hao walked over.

Bai Yu asked, “How is it going?”

Ji Cenzhou said casually, “I advanced to the finals.”

Bai Yu praised him, “Cenzhou, you are good! You are so amazing that you made it to the finals. Do you have the confidence to bring back a first-place trophy?”

Ji Cenzhou laughed. “It is a minor event. I am still waiting for people who can compete with me. I also advanced inexplicably. I expect the finals will just be a group of amateurs fumbling around.”

Wang Hao said, “Ji-ge, you cannot think like that. The point value for first place in the high jump is the same as other events. If you can bring back a first-place finish, Li Tianrui will kneel and call you ‘daddy.’ He has wanted the ‘Best Class’ title for a long time, but there is a class with a lot of sports students that is four points ahead of us. If you can get first place, that is five points, and our class will be one point ahead.”

Ji Cenzhou smiled. “Saying it like that gives me a lot of pressure.”

Jiang Mosen sat beside him. “You do not look like someone under a lot of pressure.” He glanced back and saw that one corner of the number plate on Ji Cenzhou’s back was not secured. “Turn around. Let me fix your number plate for you.”

Ji Cenzhou obediently turned around and said to Jiang Mosen, “Be careful. Do not prick my back with the pin.”

Jiang Mosen laughed. “Do not worry, I will be very careful.”

While re-pinning the number plate, Jiang Mosen accidentally touched Ji Cenzhou’s back. He whispered, “Sorry.”

Ji Cenzhou looked up, a bit puzzled. “Why are you apologizing?”

Jiang Mosen said, “I accidentally touched your back.”

Ji Cenzhou smiled and said, “It is fine. I did not even feel it.”

Jiang Mosen did not know what was wrong with him, but he reached out and stroked Ji Cenzhou’s back, his voice deep. “Do you feel it now?”

Ji Cenzhou rolled his eyes, thinking it would be strange if he did not feel that. He looked at Jiang Mosen, silently asking what he was trying to do. Jiang Mosen did not know what he wanted either; the move was honestly quite foolish. He withdrew his hand, his fingers uncontrollably rubbing together as he savored the sensation. He quickly finished the number plate and said, “There, it’s done.”

Ji Cenzhou never cared about such details and said casually, “Thanks.”

The other two groups finally produced finalists. Like his group, one person was selected from each. The three of them stood on the field without any pressure. They had no real skill and were there purely by luck. Even the worst among them would be in the top three, so the exact ranking was left to fate. Compared to the heat of other competitions, their side was practically in “retirement mode.”

Ji Cenzhou was the third to go. The first two contestants failed. He raised an eyebrow, thinking it was a bit troublesome. If all three of them failed, they would have to do a second round. When it was his turn, Ji Cenzhou waved to Bai Yu, who was cheering for him, then leaped. Only after he landed on the mat did he hear the cheers. He thought he must have cleared it. He sat up and saw the bar was still intact. His first thought was not happiness, but relief that he did not have to do a second round.

Bai Yu and Wang Hao rushed over to pull Ji Cenzhou up, showering him with praise. Ji Cenzhou smiled and modestly said it was nothing, that he just jumped casually and did not really aim for first. Bai Yu quickly covered his mouth, afraid the other contestants would hear and punch him.

The three walked to the edge of the field. Seeing Jiang Mosen still in a daze, Ji Cenzhou walked over and waved a hand in front of him. “What are you thinking about?”

Jiang Mosen had not yet returned to his senses and said subconsciously, “Your waist is quite…” He stopped himself just in time and smiled. “Do you want water?”

“No, I am not thirsty.”

After speaking, Ji Cenzhou was dragged away by Bai Yu, who said the first-place winner had to register at the rostrum. Jiang Mosen watched Ji Cenzhou’s departing figure; all he could see was the section of waist Ji Cenzhou had revealed during the high jump. It was fair, slender, and covered with a thin layer of muscle, as if he could wrap one hand around it. He wickedly thought about leaving a mark on it that belonged only to him.

The sports meet lasted for two days. The finals for most events were held on the afternoon of the second day. Near the end of the morning, Li Tianrui took a pen and squatted under a tree, calculating for a long time. His intensity was greater than when he was doing math problems. Wang Hao leaned over to calculate with him. The more they calculated, the more confused they became. In the end, it was Ji Cenzhou who finished the calculations for them.

Wang Hao and Li Tianrui waited anxiously for him to announce the result.

“Do not look at me like that. I am under a lot of pressure,” Ji Cenzhou said.

Li Tianrui comforted him, “It is fine. Say it boldly; I will not faint.”

Ji Cenzhou thought his standards were quite low. Class 10 was currently in second place, four points behind first place.

Li Tianrui scratched his head and pondered. “There are five finals this afternoon, but we can only participate in two. The class in first place can participate in one; they are competing against us in the 4×400 relay. At this rate, as long as we get first place, will we not beat them? Do not worry, it is easy.”

Ji Cenzhou sighed. “How did you learn math? If our class takes first and their class takes second, we gain five points and they gain three. Are we not still two points behind them? We would still end up in second place.”

Li Tianrui patted his head and said, “You are right. How about I draw a circle and curse them so they do not get second place? Ji-ge, do you think that would work?”

Ji Cenzhou gave him a “Are you stupid?” look. “Do we not have another event in the finals? As long as we can get second place in that event, we will get three points. Then, as long as we win the 4×400 championship, no matter what rank that class gets, we will definitely win.”

Li Tianrui nodded in realization and patted Yang Shu’s shoulder. “Sister Yang, Brother Yang, Ancestor Yang, whether our class takes first place depends on you.”

Yang Shu rolled her eyes. “How about you go in my place?”

Li Tianrui shook his head. “I would like to, but there is a gender difference between us. I have calculated it; there are five finalists in the girls’ shot put. Based on weight, you rank third, which is not very stable. How about I get you more food for lunch so you can ‘make up for a lack of talent with hard work’?”

“To hell with your ‘hard work’! Was your Chinese taught by a PE teacher? And you say I rank third in weight? Am I not the thinnest one in the crowd? You want me to take first? See if I do not beat you until you look like a first-place winner!”

Li Tianrui knelt and begged for mercy but still could not avoid Yang Shu’s slaps.

However, Yang Shu was only talking tough. She successfully brought back a second-place finish. Now the gap between Class 10 and Class 8 had narrowed to one point.

Boys are easily fired up. When Li Tianrui heard they were only one point behind, his eyes almost turned red. Wang Hao stepped forward, put an arm around his shoulder, and comforted him, “Sports Rep, do not put so much pressure on yourself. Is it not enough that everyone did their best?”

Li Tianrui did not speak for a long time. After a while, he said, “Do you remember what our class slogan is?”

Wang Hao froze for a moment before saying, “Class 10 forever, Class 10 invincible, Class 10 is number one.”

Li Tianrui wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and said, “I made up that slogan. Our class has shouted it countless times over these two days. I thought that no matter what, I had to bring back a first-place finish for everyone.”

Wang Hao had intended to comfort him, but his emotions were swept away by Li Tianrui. He decided they had to fight for first place. The boys in the class suddenly became passionate, huddling together to discuss their strategy.

The more they discussed, the more discouraged they became. What kind of strategy could they possibly have? The class in first place had two sports students who ran incredibly fast. Their class had no sports students at all. Their fastest runners compared to those sports students were like arms compared to legs; they had no chance of winning.

Their only trump card was Jiang Mosen. As long as Jiang Mosen could participate, they would be satisfied. Their Jiang-ge never slacked off; if he was on the field, he would give his all. The only thing they could do was run the first three legs well and try to narrow the gap so Jiang Mosen would not have to work so hard to catch up.

When Jiang Mosen heard about this, he smiled. “You guys really do believe in me.”

Wang Hao said, “Monitor, you are now the hope of the entire class. You must run well and perform at your normal level. Jiang-ge, do you have any requirements? For example, the speed of the first three legs? Just say the word, and we will do it even if it kills us.”

Jiang Mosen looked at the three runners for the first three legs and said, “I have no requirements. The three of them will give their all. That’s enough; do not put any more pressure on them.”

Then, he changed his tone. “However, I do have one requirement. I want someone to write a cheering script for me.”

Li Tianrui slapped his thigh and said, “No problem! Jiang-ge, how many do you want? What style? We can do literary, spicy, or passionate. If you want a customized dialect version, I can write that too. Just say the word and I will get it done. Not only will I write it, I will mobilize the entire class to write for you. Writing a hundred scripts is no problem at all. Plus, we have Old Xu. If the quality is not good enough, I will ask Old Xu to polish them for us.”

Jiang Mosen smiled. “It is not that much trouble. Just have Ji Cenzhou write one for me.”

Li Tianrui: “Why?”

Jiang Mosen said calmly, “Because his Chinese grades are good. If the whole class writes for me and I have to pick them one by one, it would be a waste of time and energy. It is better to have someone who knows how to write do it directly. This saves time and does not waste resources.”

“You’re right.” Li Tianrui patted his head. “As expected of Jiang-ge. No wonder your grades are so good; your brain really works well.”

He then went to find Ji Cenzhou. After hearing about it, Ji Cenzhou agreed without hesitation. He could not be on the field or help in other ways, so if he could contribute in such a small matter, he would definitely not refuse. When Li Tianrui brought the news to Jiang Mosen, Jiang Mosen patted his shoulder and said sincerely, “Thank you.”

Li Tianrui did not understand the underlying meaning at all and said foolishly, “It is all for Class 10.”

The athletes for the 4×400 had finished their check-in. Everyone in Class 10 stood up, each of them more nervous than the athletes. With a whistle, the race began. The first three athletes gave their all but still could not match the two sports students. When the baton reached Jiang Mosen’s hand, there was a 100-meter gap with the leader.

The final leg was for the best runner in each class. All the athletes ran for their lives, and every class cheered with all their might. Amidst the noise, a familiar voice entered Jiang Mosen’s mind.

“To the athlete Jiang Mosen.”

“Excited blood is boiling. Your vigorous figure is etched in my heart and in everyone’s hearts. Your confident smile, your strong physique, and your sweat are all remembered by me. Keep going! Jiang-ge, you are invincible! Victory is waiting for you ahead, and your classmates are also waiting for you ahead!”

Jiang Mosen froze for a moment, then uncontrollably curled his lips into a smile. This was Ji Cenzhou’s voice. A sudden surge of power flooded his limbs, as if hands were pushing him forward from behind. His speed became faster and faster, and the gap with the leader became smaller and smaller. Near the finish line, he overtook the leader and secured the victory!

First place belonged to Class 10!!

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