Chapter 2869 - 1090: No Choice

Chapter 2869: Chapter 1090: No Choice

"Not willing."

Xiao Xiao’s answer was very decisive.

There were still many rare manuscripts in the school library he hadn’t read, many interesting people and things at school worth observing and recording, not to mention Sima was still teaching at the school. What would be the point of graduating early and leaving school?

He definitely didn’t want to be a scumbag like Zheng Qing!

Apparently, the professor wasn’t surprised by the boy’s answer.

Without any hesitation, the professor offered Xiao Xiao another choice: "—The school can’t ignore the opinions of students’ parents, but at the same time, the school will also respect the students’ own wishes. So, I have another suggestion for you to consider: I think you and your father’s attitudes can compromise a little. For example, you agree to graduate early, but you can apply to stay at the school..."

This was indeed a solution.

Moreover, if he stayed at the school, the difference in status between himself and Sima would completely disappear, achieving multiple outcomes.

"You mean, I should start considering next year’s schedule now, right?" he nodded thoughtfully, as the early preparation for graduation would allow his schedule to be more relaxed than Zheng Qing’s, without needing to take up to thirty classes a week.

"No, I hope you graduate this semester." Professor Yi gave him an unexpected answer.

The boy was dumbfounded.

Even the glasses slipping from the bridge of his nose didn’t bring him back to his senses.

"But, but," he stammered, quickly calculating the time in his heart, and exclaimed, "There are only two weeks until the final exams this semester?!"

"Is there a problem with directly taking the finals?" Professor Yi asked with a smile: "Or rather, with your level, is earning enough credits to graduate difficult?"

Xiao Xiao pursed his lips and pushed his glasses back up.

Aside from courses like Star Signs Divination, which require several months of continuous star chart records as part of the final assessment, other courses like Blood Race Emblem Studies and Werewolf Totem Studies, he could earn full credits with his eyes closed.

Just like what his father mentioned in the letter to the professor, most of the school’s courses held no value for him.

"But my schedule this semester..." he hesitated and raised a rather weak objection.

"Submitting an additional schedule isn’t a difficult task. I’m sure the colleagues at the Professor Joint Meeting will happily accept your application."

The professor of Divination emphasized the word ’happily’ a little heavier, paused, and then added: "—Of course, if you think compliance is more important, I believe the school wouldn’t mind opening a ’special route’ for you, allowing you to return to three months ago to make up for this semester’s sessions... However, if you choose this method, you’d have to remain invisible the whole time during the three months back, strictly adhering to the movement lines set by the School Works Committee, without any deviation, to avoid any unnecessary impact on the timeline..."

Xiao Xiao opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Yet another Professor Joint Meeting, another School Works Committee, what special route! Just listening to this arrangement, he might end up confined to a small dark room for three months, with dozens of teachers taking turns to give him lessons.

The thought of such a dreadful scene sent a shiver down his spine.

"But there are only two weeks left, my graduation the..." The moment he tried to say ’thesis,’ Xiao Xiao wisely swallowed it back.

He recalled the thesis about Sprites that Professor Yi mentioned earlier.

As expected, Professor Yi nonchalantly solved another big problem for him: "If you don’t mind, I can simultaneously serve as your thesis advisor."

"Do I have any other choice?" the boy smiled wryly.

"You can also choose to listen to your dad." The professor answered humorously.

...

...

At night.

When Xiao Xiao returned to Dorm 403 with a gloomy face, he unexpectedly found someone in the dorm looked even more distressed than him.

"What are you doing?"

He approached the desk and flipped through the thick stack of reference books in front of Zheng Qing, raising his eyebrows: "—Aren’t these books in your schedule? With only two weeks until graduation, do you still have the mind to study these? Grut Giants? Why are you researching such an endangered fringe giant clan?"

Zheng Qing let out a deep sigh.

He glanced at the "Grut Giants Condition Overview" in Xiao Xiao’s hand, sighed again, and shifted his gaze back to the "Artu Groot Biography" he was studying, muttering: "—Do you think I’m like you? If I had a choice, who would waste precious rest time on these books!"

Xiao Xiao put down the "Overview" in his hand, picking up the following books one by one: "Wow, ’Mubawa Treemen Reproduction and Ecological Habits Survey’? Where did you find such niche books? And this one, ’The Dendritic Neural Network of Treemen—Kabbalah Life Magic Laboratory (Confidential),’ it’s actually confidential?"

He tried to open the cover, but couldn’t.

Below was another book, "A Taiyi Modified Based on CRISPR Technology—Monte High-level Magic Text and Bloodline Research Laboratory (Confidential)," which probably couldn’t be opened either; the young Diviner wisely gave up continuing to browse.

"Arranged by Old Yao."

Zheng Qing’s head slammed onto the pages of the "Artu Groot Biography." In the illustration, a giant who believed himself to be under attack began to rage, cursing and waving a thick wooden club madly at the boy’s head, but unfortunately, separated by a dimension, that club could only hit the air.

"Did Old Yao talk to you? What did he say?"

Xiao Xiao perceptively speculated that Professor Yi’s talk with him must be related to Old Yao’s conversation with Zheng Qing today—perhaps what Old Yao discussed with Zheng Qing was the ’certain matter’ Professor Yi mentioned.

Zheng Qing hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

Old Yao had arranged for him to read these reference books to deepen his understanding of ’Taiyi’—unlike the Edge One type, the special configuration had a higher rank and was more erosive to the driver, so understanding of the entire configuration needed to be enhanced to avoid unintentional erosion.

"Can’t say."

He mimicked a zipper action on his lips: "It’s not just a Silence Contract... It’s related to the Edge Academy project, you better not get involved."

Xiao Xiao opened his mouth—he wasn’t quite sure how many times he’d been about to speak tonight—he wanted to tell his roommate that he seemed to already be involved, but considering the school’s level of attention to this matter, the young Diviner ultimately remained silent.

"Good luck." He patted Zheng Qing on the shoulder, his tone carrying a bit of sympathy.

As an ’affected party’ who was forced to graduate two years early, he could hardly imagine what troubles someone at the center of the whirlwind was facing.