Chapter 55: Sounds Like a Class Monitor

“Uh… maybe you shouldn’t say it after all.”

Ji Laili was afraid of hearing something weird.

The usually agreeable and accommodating little pup now showed a strong unwillingness.

This unusual reaction caught the system’s attention.

【Will what this Alpha says affect your mission?】

Ji Laili: “…Brother System, you’re really dedicated.”

His first words already gave off ‘class monitor’ energy.

【Thanks for the compliment.】

Alright then. The system was just an AI, after all.

Ji Laili shared his suspicions with it, but the system simply fell silent.

He didn’t mind and instead kept his guard up against the buff Alpha in front of him.

The Alpha, of course, wasn’t going to let him off the hook. Sticking to his plan, he started, “Listen, brother, here’s the deal.”

“You—good looks, decent strength. Me? Even better. Flawless face, top-tier skills. Alphas like me are rare in this entire training ground.”

“So why don’t you consider teaming up with me?”

Ji Laili almost jumped out of his skin. “No way! I can’t agree to that!“

“What’s stopping you?”

The Alpha hadn’t expected such an immediate rejection. He frowned.

“The instructors never said we couldn’t form teams.”

“Huh?” Ji Laili’s eyes widened. “T-Teaming up?“

“That’s right.”

The buff Alpha radiated confidence. The key to completing his mission was right in front of him.

“You’ve got skills. I’ve got a gun. If we work together, we can eliminate more people before parting ways. It’s way more efficient than fighting solo.“

He was absolutely certain that this curly-haired kid wouldn’t refuse him.

However, Ji Laili scratched his head, his expression turning strangely complicated.

“…What’s with that look?”

Ji Laili’s crescent-shaped eyes curved into an awkward smile. “I… misunderstood something.“

【Looks like I don’t need to roast you myself.】

Ji Laili mentally grumbled at the system. “Come on, in this HHH world, anything is possible!“

The system dismissed his worries.

【Analysis complete. While A-bros do exist in this world, the probability is extremely low. You don’t need to worry—it’s highly unlikely.】

“What do you mean ‘highly unlikely’? I literally just—!”

【What?】

“Nothing…” Ji Laili bit his lip, muttering, “I just… had a dumb moment.“

To others, his moment of silence looked like he was seriously considering the offer.

The instructors watching felt a wave of regret.

That Alpha was definitely one of the top performers this year.

What a shame that he’d be eliminated like this.

Little did they know…

The Alpha in the blue-screen simulation was an absolute oddball.

“So? Have you decided?”

Ji Laili regained his composure and grinned.

“Yeah. You should find someone else, bro.“

“What? You actually dare to reject me?!”

“No one’s ever dared to reject me before! You’re the first one—you… huh?“

His anger shot up halfway before getting completely thrown off.

The curly-haired Alpha had casually called him ‘bro.’

The buff Alpha scowled. “You think calling me ‘bro’ makes this okay?“

“You look down on me, don’t you? That’s why you won’t team up with me?”

He had completely forgotten about his mission.

Right now, all he could think was— “Someone actually dares to look down on me. Fine. He has my full attention now.”

Watching from the monitors, Aiger sneered. “Who picked this dumb Alpha?“

Shen Yu’s voice was cold. “My patience for idiots is running out.“

Instructor Xishan held his breath.

He had a feeling that if he took another deep breath, this master-disciple duo would kill him with their words.

He turned to the most even-tempered person present—Filo—for help.

But Filo simply smiled, his eyes locked onto the curly-haired Alpha on the blue screen.

His expression was serious.

Xishan sighed internally.

Looks like Filo has taken an interest in this cadet too.

Another competitor…

---

Inside the simulated forest, Ji Laili studied the Alpha’s annoyed expression and flexed his wrists.

“I totally believe in your strength.”

“But, teaming up should be done with sincerity, don’t you think?“

“Right, senior?“

As expected, the unnamed ‘senior’ widened his eyes, completely dumbfounded.

Ji Laili’s smiling expression remained unchanged. “What’s with that look, senior?”

The buff Alpha barely managed to suppress his shock and awkwardly tried to recover.

“Senior? What are you talking about? This is a freshman assessment, not an upperclassman exam! Don’t joke around.”

“I’m not joking.”

Ji Laili studied his face. “You say you’re a freshman.”

His brow arched slightly.

“And yet, I don’t recall seeing you at all.”

“What?! That’s nonsense! How could you possibly recognize every student here?!”

There were over 400 freshmen!

There was no way he could have memorized every single Alpha’s face!

The instructors shared the same thoughts.

Ji Laili’s eyes curved playfully as he clasped his hands behind his head.

“We’ve been training together for half a month.”

“Do I really need to make a special effort to remember?”

His tone was completely natural, as if he had no idea how shocking his words were.

“Just 400 people, training at the same time, finishing at the same time.”

“Is that so hard?”

The boy’s tone was utterly sincere, without a trace of mockery or arrogance.

As a criminal investigator, observing and analyzing were essential skills. Four hundred people in half a month—Ji Laili didn’t think it was anything remarkable.

The Alpha looked dazed.

And it wasn’t just him—the instructors in the monitoring room also hesitated for a moment.

That level of observation and memory…

Philo murmured, “Those are some remarkable eyes…”

Ji Laili, however, didn’t give them time to stay amazed. His objective was clear—the gun.

He had already wasted enough time here. The situation in the city was still unknown.

Without further delay, he released his hands from behind his head.

His sharp gaze flashed, and without warning, he attacked—his kick landing squarely on the opponent’s chest, forcing him to retreat step by step under the onslaught.

“Damn! Didn’t you say you wouldn’t launch a sneak attack?”

“Eh? But just now, wasn’t that how you attacked, senior? So, it doesn’t really count as a sneak attack, right?”

Sending his opponent flying backward, Ji Laili smoothly kicked his own backpack toward him, hitting the Alpha square in the chest.

“Well, blame it on…”

A small quantum gun tumbled to the ground.

With a swift kick of his boot, the gun flipped into the air and landed neatly in his firm, slender hand.

He grinned, revealing his sharp little canine teeth, utterly infuriating. “Blame it on yourself for not blinking away in time.”

Having secured his supplies, Ji Laili was satisfied.

He even made sure to politely thank the Alpha glaring at him from the ground. “Thanks, senior. The trade is complete~”

He twirled the gun between his fingers, his smile natural and earnest—yet incredibly provoking.

Damn!

This kid was born to piss people off.

Watching the scene unfold, Philo suddenly spoke. “If I recall correctly, the rules stated that touching a mutant was forbidden.”

“Yes, that rule exists,” Xishan nodded.

Then, after a moment of hesitation, he added, “But taking an object shouldn’t count, right?”

They hadn’t initially considered this possibility—mainly because they never expected anyone to actually obtain those supplies.

It was meant to be just another elimination method.

Who would’ve thought…

A gruff voice rang out in the monitoring room. “Physical contact is what matters. If objects could transmit the infection, then we might as well all wait for death if real mutants show up.”

“So, what you’re saying…”

Aiger shot him a sidelong glance. “You’re not thinking of eliminating this kid, are you, Philo?”