Chapter 10

White asked in a daze: "Principal, have you seen it?"

White still wants to get to the bottom of it: "What things are prohibited from trading?"

Having taken his seat in the car, Fourth Brother suddenly said to Zhan Lu: "Please scan Lu Bixing's genes for me once more."

As a freak, if one cannot be a little heartless, how can one go on with life

At that time, in Beijing, Black Hole was not yet the sole dominant force. Lin chose Black Hole, and thus it became the sole dominant entity. The brother was too capable, causing the former leader to be restless, and he began to sharpen his knife for a betrayal. Unexpectedly, a trusted subordinate rebelled, colluding from within and without, leading to the knife being turned against his own neck.

Hmm? Penny was taken aback, as it had been five years since she met Fourth Brother, and she had not seen him go to outer space. She only knew that he was quite familiar with that runaway young master, Lu Bixing, and no one knew that he also knew the One-Eyed Eagle. "Do we still have contact with the Black Hole and the One-Eyed Eagle?"

The smuggling trade in the Eighth Star System has a long history, with the most commonly traded items being arms and electronic equipment, although occasionally some individuals engage in minor dealings involving food and daily necessities. As Lu Bixing spoke, he pointed out the smuggling routes on the large map erected behind him for the students, stating, "The routes are so winding mainly to evade the border garrison of the Seventh Star System. Here, however, there is no one to oversee, as long as you do not encroach on the routes and goods of the big players.

At this moment, a girl with a sullen expression in the corner interjected—she was the one who had made the laser gun: "Trade people, you fool. There are plenty of idiots like you in the Eighth Galaxy, just perfect for being sold to extraterrestrial beings for experiments, or to be taken away to do their forbidden tasks."

I owe his father a favor

It is true that human trafficking is a very important aspect of interstellar smuggling, accounting for more than seventy percent of all transaction volume—Classmate Bohe receives an additional point for classroom performance, with a total of sixty points. I hope everyone can achieve full marks before the end of the semester, as this will make it easier for you to pass the final exam. Lu Bixing seamlessly transitions between the topics of final exams, human trafficking, smuggling, and sweatshops. "In addition, there are prohibited items in the transactions, such as private arms from the Eighth Star System, goods from out-of-bounds pirates, or items that are banned from trading in civilized areas..." "In addition, there are prohibited items in the transactions, such as private arms from the Eighth Star System, goods from out-of-bounds pirates, or items that are banned from trading in civilized areas..."

Lu Bixing had a considerable lung capacity, and he sighed for a full half minute. After finishing his breath, he decided to adopt a more open-minded perspective

Today, the entire building belonged to him alone. Lu Bixing had the central computer lock the front and back doors, leaving no one to watch him. He completely let himself go, shedding his coat, yet still feeling constrained, so he decided to remove his shoes and socks as well, liberating his ten toes that had been confined. The teacup on the table vibrated with a buzzing sound from the electronic dance music. The principal, resembling a bandit, placed one foot on the chair and swiftly issued a new recruitment notice, while effectively formulating "Plan B".

Penny gathered a few people and transported this big fellow to the teaching building under the Star Sea. It is rumored that Penny was the mistress of the former boss of the black hole, but that is not the case. The former boss was a womanizer, with so many lovers that he couldn't even remember them all, and no one seemed to have benefited from it. Penny became "Sister Penny" entirely through hard work, having taken control of the former boss's armory and becoming his trusted confidante.

Three small steps combined to form a small step. Lu Bixing found this quite reasonable. He summarized his periodic failures as taking too big steps that led to setbacks. Having understood this point, Lu Bixing quickly set the matter aside. Amidst the loud music, he hummed a tune off-key, tinkering with the chip that Lin had given him, intending to get a rough idea of the situation and make a budget before seeking funds from Zhanlu.

After a while, White's voice dropped an octave: "You... didn't you let her go?"

Lu Bixing turned around a few times, feeling that it was too quiet, so he activated the office's automatic cleaning system, allowing the buzzing sound of the cleaning to add a bit of liveliness, while he fed himself a box of compressed nutritional meal

Fourth Brother sighed and leaned his head back against the seat's backrest

Lu Bixing claims to be a "genius," but he also knows that this kind of genius is merely another way of saying he is an oddity

This year, a total of 105 admission notices were issued, with 90 students reporting. Among them, many are local residents of Beijing, drawn to observe the fourth brother. After the observation, it was time to leave, and 40 students withdrew in one day. At this moment, this number continues to fluctuate from time to time, as if it were a game.

Once the laboratory was established, Lu Bixing thought that it would be just right to teach through practice and conveniently trick Zhan Lu into substituting for him

Zhan Lu said: "Principal Lu's technical skills are exceptionally high, and with a bit of luck, it is not entirely impossible for him to unlock the encrypted lock."

The students were captivated, and on the first day of school, White, who had hacked into the auditorium system, was quite active, interjecting with the question: "Principal, how much can be earned from back-and-forth transactions, and what is the approximate price difference for smuggled goods?"

Fourth brother has become deaf again, and at the same time feels that Zhanlu, despite being intelligent, sometimes talks a bit too much

White's expression changed suddenly

In interstellar smuggling, there is no concept of 'price difference', my dear. They are not engaged in wholesale of small goods, Lu Bixing replied. 'Over there, they do not accept currency from the Eighth Star System; receiving it is useless. They won't come to the Eighth Star System to import goods. Generally, it is a barter system. As for how a specific transaction is conducted, it depends on the negotiations between the buyer and the seller, and it varies each time. How much profit you make depends on your capabilities.

Lu Bixing instructed the central computer to play an electronic dance track capable of lifting the building to the sky—previously, in consideration of the elderly gentlemen's hearts, only soft classical music was played in the office building

When he poured coffee, when he sat down to write his research plan, and when he followed along with the wailing song, shaking his hands and feet to exercise... Lin's eyes were always fixed on the back of his head, making Lu Bixing feel embarrassed to continue running around half-naked, and he carefully put on his clothes neatly.

The former dean clearly articulated his aspirations in his speech, stating that those who gaze at the starry sky, even when pursuing profit, do so with principles, and that dreams and dignity cannot be trampled upon by money

Lu Bixing asked the girl: "What is your name?"

Zhan Lu fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked: "Last time you said 'if you can't find it, then forget it', was that actually a case of saying one thing and meaning another?"

It is a difficult journey. The young principal sighed

Lu Bixing had been running around all day without a drop of water, his front pressed against his back, with no results to show for it. He had no choice but to return alone to the faculty office building.

The compressed nutritional meal is a square block, lacking any aesthetic appeal. Its hardness is similar to that of hawthorn cake, and it is a block of artificial nutrients compressed according to the various nutritional components required by the human body. It serves as an emergency food source, saving time, being convenient and inexpensive, though its taste is not particularly refined—after all, even high-end cats and dogs are now eating natural food.

The classroom is enveloped in silence

Thinking of Zhanlu, Lu Bixing's thoughts leaped for a moment, and following that magical artificial intelligence, he climbed onto the master of the artificial intelligence. While analyzing the interface of the biological chip, Lu Bixing became lost in thought, unexpectedly recalling the look in Lin's eyes in the auditorium.

Lu Bixing spoke eloquently and with great clarity, catching the lively monkeys off guard with such a stimulating first day of class; each one listened with considerable rapt attention

Fourth Brother no longer argued, he simply responded with a "mm"

Lu Bixing gazed deeply at him, did not respond, and retorted, "Does anyone know?"

However, this former leader is not very clear-headed; seeing someone beautiful, he always wants to make advances on his trusted subordinates. Isn't this just a case of being overly indulgent? As expected, he inadvertently got himself into trouble.

If we cannot recruit a teacher, it does not matter; after all, he does not have that many students at the moment, and I can teach them myself if necessary. Given the current dropout rate, it won't be long before there is only a small class left in the entire Xinghai. The first and second grades and the three colleges can easily be merged into one—after all, based solely on last year's report cards, there is really no need to separate this group of outstanding individuals by grade and college.

Zhanlu responded immediately, and moments later, a cold mechanical voice informed him of the result: "Third test, genetic mismatch"

Fourth Brother had Zhan Lu repair the mech named "Spider". Since it was of no use to him, he thought for a moment and simply decided to donate it to Star Sea Academy

The office building is empty, with chairs and tables arranged neatly, unoccupied. The teachers are quite well-mannered, having tidied up their belongings before leaving, making the place appear as if no one has ever been here.

White is quite adept at playing computer games, hailing from the Eighth Galaxy, and is considered to come from a relatively affluent family. He is also one of the few students who genuinely holds a primary education diploma. It is said that his family is already preparing to immigrate to the Seventh Galaxy. He attends Star Sea Academy purely out of curiosity to pass the time, exhibiting a touch of mischievous innocence. Unable to contain himself, he asks again: "Principal, didn't you just say that they do not import goods from the Eighth Galaxy? Then what will they use to trade?"

"Sir, General Lu Xin encountered an incident, and his wife went missing thirty-three years ago. Principal Lu's bone age is only twenty-eight, which does not match. Since five years ago, you have raised suspicions three times, prompting me to conduct genetic scans on Principal Lu, and all three scan results have been inconsistent." Zhan Lu said, "General Lu Xin had a close relationship with the One-Eyed Eagle during his lifetime. Thirty-three years ago, the One-Eyed Eagle changed his surname to Lu in memory of him. If it is solely based on this surname, your suspicion that Principal Lu is the person you are looking for lacks basis. You cannot assume that just because the One-Eyed Eagle returned one relic, another 'relic' is also in his possession."

Penny is a bit suspicious. Although the Fourth Brother is a cold and indifferent person who does not like to engage with others, it is hard to guarantee that there won't be other young men like Zhan Lu, who used to surround him and "fawn over" him. Thus, she tentatively remarked, "You are really nice to Mr. Lu"

Zhan Lu, who had been silently following beside, raised his head, but Fourth Brother merely smiled and refused to say anything further

The times are advancing, civilization is progressing, the old "freaks" are continuously fighting for their rights, achieving equality, and transforming into normal individuals, yet the era will inevitably give rise to new freaks.

What happens next

"Mint." The girl glanced at him and nodded naturally when stating her name. Her name was quite unconventional, yet her demeanor was remarkably mature for her age, giving no indication of the violent temper that could lead her to draw a gun at the slightest disagreement

Fourth Brother did not disturb, allowing Penny to leave someone behind to hand over the mecha to Lu Bixing, and quietly took Zhanlu away.

However, before he could take the initiative to reach out, just a few days later, the "big financier" who had become a permanent resident in Principal Lu's mental world came on his own.

Many, for example, some artificial creatures, said Lu Bixing, "Have you ever seen something with a human head and a snake body? If a human brain is forcibly connected, it has some intellectual issues, with an IQ equivalent to that of an ordinary five or six-year-old. Although it may seem a bit foolish, its thinking and emotions are the same as those of a human. When grafted with a shiny, sparkling snake tail, it becomes a highly valuable exotic pet among some wealthy individuals.

Lu Bixing stared blankly as a screen popped up on his desk, displaying the school's roster. The section for faculty and staff was almost entirely gray, leaving only a solitary principal. Out of more than one hundred students admitted last year, fewer than thirty remained this year. In the time it took him to have a meal, half of those thirty had turned gray again—presumably having received their report cards and resigned to their fate.

The mermaids, along with some sirens, cannot even be considered as having genetic defects; they are entirely the product of a distorted aesthetic forcibly created. Without the harsh conditions of an incubator and a nutrient delivery system, they cannot survive at all. A person, if they truly have no other choice and have become a beast, should at least be a free beast. Lu Bixing's warm smile, which he usually wore, had disappeared without him noticing, and his face, which always seemed to carry a hint of jest, was now covered with a layer of cold frost. Upon reaching this point, he did not delve deeper, raising his hand to interrupt the students' curious inquiries, "Next question." A person, if they truly have no other choice and have become a beast, should at least be a free beast. Lu Bixing's warm smile, which he usually wore, had disappeared without him noticing, and his face, which always seemed to carry a hint of jest, was now covered with a layer of cold frost. Upon reaching this point, he did not delve deeper, raising his hand to interrupt the students' curious inquiries, "Next question."

At that moment, voices could be heard not far away. Penny looked up and realized that they had taken shelter behind the teaching building.

It could be that the lighting effects in the auditorium were too dreamy, or perhaps the entrance of those gangsters was too flamboyant. In any case, that scene, once recalled, began to swirl endlessly in Lu Bixing's mind

There is no need to put on a facade for anyone. In recent days, Fourth Brother has become somewhat unkempt again. Seeing her feeling cold, he took her to a sheltered spot: "If he wants to play, let him play."

Lu Bixing gathered all the students in a large classroom, where the students resembled a group of lively monkeys, each striking various poses. Principal Lu sat gracefully at the lectern, personally delivering the lesson. As they approached the window, they overheard that the main topic of this lesson was interstellar smuggling

He quickly resolved dinner, and the insulin in his bloodstream gradually thickened, leading to a certain physiological fatigue. In addition to this, he also felt a hint of loneliness

Dreams and dignity at the end of the road are also significant

Lin came from outer space. At that time, the former boss was cornered by enemies driving a fleet of mecha vehicles, nearly meeting his end. Lin, being new to the place, casually found a job sweeping the streets to make a living. While repairing the street sweeper, he happened to pass by and infiltrated the mecha vehicles through the network on the sweeper, directly transforming the attacking giant monster into a menacing model.

The cold wind howled as Penny wrapped herself in a windproof hooded jacket and looked up to ask her fourth brother: "I heard that all the teachers at their school have left, what are they sending them?"

The former leader acknowledged him as a biological brother, ranking him as the fourth in line—his second and third brothers have both become memorial tablets, having been discarded and then killed by the eldest brother after their usefulness was exhausted

Lu Bixing: "Then I shot her dead"

When I was young, I saw one," Lu Bixing paused, "It was given to my father by someone. I sneaked into the basement and found her, a girl—usually it is a girl, the girl's face is quite beautiful, but it is said that there are also some good-looking boys.

But he unlocked my encryption system," Fourth Brother said in a low voice, "besides myself, there is only ... ...

Not at all, the one-eyed eagle does not know I am here, Fourth Brother paused for a moment, it was something that happened many years ago, he returned a relic of an old friend to me

Lu Bixing quickly took crisis management measures, individually speaking with the resigning deans and teachers. ... Unfortunately, after this unprecedented opening ceremony, appealing to their emotions and reasoning with them ... . ... Even enticing them with benefits proved ineffective.

Lu Bixing has certainly eaten delicious food before, and it is not that he cannot afford it; rather, he simply does not crave it and is too lazy to put in the effort.

He can also make use of this laboratory, frequently reporting the research progress to the major benefactor. Thinking this way, Principal Lu felt that he had organized his work in an orderly manner, filled with a spirit of revolutionary optimism, igniting his fighting spirit