章節 161: Test of the Elite

When lunchtime arrived, Jingliu rounded up both Bhaqui and Alicia, leading them to a secluded corner of the school. She had also brought Yunxue and Yasushi along, her expression a mixture of determination and curiosity.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush," Jingliu began, her voice firm. "What are you two doing here? And why wasn't I informed about this beforehand?" Her tone was direct, reflecting her concern for her family's reputation and interests.

Bhaqui and Alicia exchanged glances before nodding in silent agreement. Alicia, slightly shorter than Bhaqui at five feet seven inches, had medium-length red hair and striking blue eyes with unusual cross-shaped pupils.

"It's your parents who arranged this, Lady Jingliu," Bhaqui explained, his voice steady. "It's essentially a test. A test for both Alicia and myself, and..." He paused, turning his gaze to Yasushi with a knowing smile. "A test for the future son-in-law of the Yang family."

All three of them were taken aback by the revelation, but Yasushi's reaction was the most intense. His eyes locked with Bhaqui's, who responded with a reassuring smile. Yasushi couldn't quite grasp the nature of this test, but he hoped Liang Yang had a sense of reason and wouldn't subject him to anything absurd or unreasonable.

Alicia, noticing their concern, spoke up with a calming tone. "Please don't worry. The tests won't be conducted by us directly. Our role is to observe you over the course of the final year and then provide a report to Master Liang Yang. So, just be yourself and go about your usual routine. I was asked to join Bhaqui to support him, as he was originally the only one assigned to this task." She offered a warm smile, hoping to ease their apprehensions.

Yasushi took a moment, closing his eyes briefly before reopening them. "So, I won't have to be concerned about you two suddenly deciding to challenge me or anything like that?" he asked, his tone tinged with a hint of unease.

Bhaqui chuckled softly and shook his head, dismissing Yasushi's concern with a hint of amusement. "No, you won't need to worry about any unexpected challenges from us. Just to clear up a few details, we'll be living in a separate location from you. Rest assured, it's in a nearby neighborhood that's a notch above middle-class standards, something I'm quite accustomed to. Alicia and I will be sharing that space, so it's not anything out of the ordinary for either of us," he explained, his tone relaxed and reassuring.

Alicia, adjusting her hair with a gentle touch, added, "Initially, the plan was for both of us to be placed in your class. However, Lady Yuhan intervened and persuaded Master Liang to assign us to different classrooms. The reasons behind that decision aren't entirely clear to us. In any case, we'll be operating independently during our free time. If you and your friends ever need assistance with anything, don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to help however we can."

The trio fell into a thoughtful silence for a moment, each person absorbed in their own thoughts. Alicia then shifted her attention to Yunxue, her tone becoming more serious. "There's also a component of this situation that involves you, Yunxue. Both Anfeng and Heinz have expressed a desire to see certain developments in you. They'll be observing your progress closely, as they expect to see growth and improvement. This will also apply to Lady Jingliu," she added, her attention turning toward Jingliu.

Jingliu blinked in confusion. "Me?" she asked, her voice tinged with surprise.

"Yes, indeed," Alicia responded with a measured nod. "Your father is aware of your ambitions for the future, and he's set high expectations for you this year. He wants you to not only excel in your tasks but also to maintain a healthy balance between your responsibilities and personal life. Your future career will be demanding, especially as you transition through college and beyond. Therefore, he's eager for you to find that balance now. While it's a considerable request, he has confidence in your ability to achieve it," Alicia explained with a clear, supportive tone.

Jingliu listened attentively, absorbing Alicia's words. She nodded slowly in agreement, acknowledging the practicality behind the challenge. Though the news was unexpected, she understood the logic and necessity of such a test given her future career path, and she was prepared to face it head-on.

Bhaqui, eager to wrap up their conversation, interjected, "We should probably stop this discussion for now. If we keep talking about it, we won't have enough time to enjoy our lunch. Let's take a break from this topic and revisit it later. We can head over to your residence after school to continue our conversation. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a solid plan," Yasushi agreed, his tone pragmatic. "Let's pause this for now and focus on lunch."

With no further objections from the group, they proceeded toward the cafeteria. Along the way, Yasushi and Yunxue took the opportunity to give Bhaqui and Alicia a brief tour of the school, showing them the key areas and helping them get acquainted with their new environment.

+-+

As the final bell rang and school ended, Yasushi and his now expanded group made their way out of the building. With their friend group now in the loop, thanks to a quick update through their group chat, they received a mixture of surprise and curiosity from their peers. Although their initial shock was evident, they accepted the news without too much fuss.

Once outside the school gates, Xinyi offered to show them around the city with a brief tour. The offer was met with enthusiastic agreement, and the group set off together. As they walked, Furuya, keeping pace beside Yasushi, voiced a concern. "You're sure they won't just suddenly try to challenge you?" he asked, his tone laced with skepticism.

Yasushi shook his head and chuckled softly. "No chance of that. I really doubt Jingliu's father would send them here just to stir up trouble with me. It would be a rather pointless move, don't you think?"

"Maybe," Furuya replied, his gaze still lingering cautiously on Bhaqui and Alicia. "But I'm keeping my guard up. After what went down in China, I'm not taking any chances."

With that, the group continued their stroll, the vibrant city around them providing a lively backdrop to their growing curiosity about the new arrivals and the potential implications of their presence.

+-+

"Welcome back, Lady Jingliu, Lord Yasushi, everyone — and... I trust you're finding your time here enjoyable so far, Bhaqui, Alicia," Yinhaie greeted them warmly as she bowed gracefully.

Bhaqui responded with a light-hearted chuckle. "Well, this place is certainly more vibrant than I anticipated. My new classmates have proven to be quite... entertaining, to put it mildly."

Alicia joined in, her curiosity evident. "I'm eager to explore more of this city. It's quite fascinating, especially considering what we've been told, like the snow. It's something I've never experienced before." As they spoke, they began making their way towards the dining room.

Furuya was about to ask something when a butler appeared almost out of nowhere and handed him a bag of chips, cutting off his question. "Never mind, and thanks…" Furuya muttered, somewhat taken aback.

Xinyi couldn't help but tease him. "You were pretty obvious with what you wanted. You might as well just accept what was offered to you," she said with a grin.

As everyone settled into their seats, the conversation from lunchtime picked up where it left off.

"So, could you clarify why Liang Yang asked you to take on this role?" Yasushi asked, looking intently at Alicia and Bhaqui.

Both Alicia and Bhaqui nodded in acknowledgment, with Bhaqui taking the lead in explaining. "Master Liang Yang wants to gain a deeper understanding of you. He's already supportive of your relationship with Lady Jingliu and doesn't have any objections to it. However, given the various incidents involving you over the past year, he's understandably concerned."

Alicia picked up where Bhaqui left off, adding, "Our purpose here is to observe various aspects of your behavior. This includes evaluating your decision-making skills, your ability to form and maintain relationships, and several other factors, particularly your leadership qualities. But remember, as we mentioned earlier, don't overthink it. Just continue with your usual routines and activities."

Yasushi listened carefully to their explanations, his expression thoughtful. "That makes sense," he said, nodding. "It seems like trouble has been following me around wherever I went over the past year, so I can understand why he'd be concerned." After a brief pause, as if mulling over the information, he added, "How often will you be reporting to him about my actions and behavior?"

Alicia answered, "We'll be sending updates about once a month. Yinhaie has already been doing this to some extent, but Master Liang Yang wants reports from a different perspective. He's observed that Yinhaie has developed a certain fondness for you, Lord Yasushi, and he's seeking a more objective viewpoint."

Yasushi glanced over at Yinhaie, who offered him a reassuring smile. He had suspected that she might have been involved in some form of reporting or oversight, though he never had a reason to bring it up. The idea made sense to him, even though it was a bit unsettling to think about. He figured that Liang Yang's insistence on this additional layer of observation was just a measure to ensure he had a comprehensive understanding of the situation, regardless of personal connections.

Furuya looked up from his meal, a fork paused mid-air as he glanced between Alicia and Bhaqui. "Hey, what about the rest of us? We're close to Yasushi. Are we going to be evaluated as well?"

Alicia offered him a reassuring smile. "Yes, you will be, but it's all tied to Yasushi's evaluation. However, there's no need for concern. Just continue to act naturally. The key is to maintain your usual behavior, not just for our benefit but for yours too. If you start acting out of character, it could impact Yasushi, and how it affects him — positively or negatively — will be something we'll have to see."

Furuya gave a nervous laugh. "Oh, no pressure at all, right? So, will you be actively involved in either supporting him, getting in his way, or just staying neutral?"

Bhaqui shook his head, a hint of amusement in his expression. "We'll be conducting ourselves like any regular individuals. Our role is to assist him and everyone else as needed. We won't be trying to hinder him. That would be counterproductive and goes against the purpose of our presence here."

As the discussion progressed, the group explored the situation from various angles, examining every detail and its potential consequences. By the end of their conversation, most of them had come to terms with the new arrangements. The more pragmatic members of the group — Furuya, Laura, and Reina — still harbored some doubts, but they chose to place their trust in their friends and decided to go along with the plan.

After they wrapped up their discussion, Bhaqui and Alicia went home. Xinyi also called for her ride, making stops at her friends' places before heading off. As the night settled, Yasushi retreated to his office, where he quietly considered the day's events and their potential implications for the future.

The soft creak of the office door interrupted his thoughts as Yunxue entered, carrying a steaming cup of tea. She set the tea down on a small table next to his desk and asked gently, "Are you thinking about what happened today?"

"What made you think that?" Yasushi said, lifting his eyes to meet Yunxue's gaze. She responded with a warm smile. "You're right, though. I'm thinking about how things might change for us and how our lives could be impacted. Although, I'm not expecting any major disruptions. I have a feeling it will turn out to be beneficial."

"Beneficial? What makes you think so?" Yunxue asked, clearly intrigued by his optimistic outlook.

"Well, for starters, we're gaining more trained observers and reliable people. If we find ourselves facing similar situations as before, we'll have a stronger support network. We used to have staff here, but now we've got what I'd call 'special units,' kind of like in a video game. You, Yinhaie, Bhaqui, Alicia, Jingliu, Xinyi, Furuya, Catherine, Layena, and I are the top-tier SSR units, while the staff here would be SR. The rest of the people are a mix of Common, Uncommon, and Rare units," Yasushi explained with a self-satisfied grin. Yunxue chuckled at his analogy, amused by his comparison.

"Well, you make a good point, but what about Laura and Reina?" Yunxue asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.

"Oh, right," Yasushi responded, tilting his head thoughtfully. "I'd categorize them as SR as well, but they're on the verge of advancing to SSR. Their level of support can be somewhat inconsistent, varying with different situations. You could think of them as having special or seasonal boosts. That's how I see things. Anyway," he said, rising from his seat, "I'm going to grab some dinner, take a bath, and head to bed."

He picked up the coffee he had set aside and drank it quickly before setting the cup back down. "I'm looking forward to working with you this year and in the years to come, Yunxue."

Yunxue's smile widened as she hugged the tray close to her chest. "I'm looking forward to it too, Yasushi."