harleyscars Chapter 31 Key Focus Areas
Chapter 31 Key Focus Areas
Conference room on the top floor of the administration building of Hangzhou Rongcheng No. 2 High School.
On the huge holographic projection screen, detailed data charts of the September college entrance exams are being displayed.
Overall, this year's graduating class is showing tremendous momentum.
Principal Li Zhengyuan sat in the main seat, his voice steady, his fingers lightly tapping the mahogany tabletop, his gaze sweeping over the grade directors and class teachers present.
"The average score of the top 100 students has increased by 12% compared to last time. The volatility of the top ten has decreased, indicating that the stability of top students is increasing. Two students from the Yuanpei Class have achieved a total score higher than the perfect score: Bai Lingxue and Lei Meng. Both of them performed exceptionally well, and if they maintain their scores, they will be able to secure a place in Mech University."
"In addition, two students from regular classes were admitted to the Yuanpei Class on their first attempt: Wang Xing and Lü Mufei from Class 13 of Grade 3. Wang Xing, in particular, ranked second in the entire school in raw scores and ninth in total scores, breaking the historical record of regular classes at Rongcheng No. 2 High School."
A low murmur of admiration rippled through the conference room.
"However, there is a special case that requires everyone's serious attention."
As he pressed the remote control, the image on the screen switched and froze on a report card.
On the dark green carapace, several stark white, bone-like modified parts stood out starkly, and some kind of dark red crystalline substance was embedded in the gaps of the carapace, as strange as blood.
"Sun Donglai."
Li Zhengyuan read out the name, his voice deepening, "Class 13, Grade 3. He scored 792 points in this school exam, an improvement of over 250 points, ranking 125th on the overall list. The results are impressive, but his Xuan Turtle-style mecha has undergone distorted modifications."
Switch the projection to zoom in and display the mecha details.
"The claws of the Bone-Splitter Hound are embedded in the joint between the shoulder armor and the carapace." Li Zhengyuan's fingers traced through the air. "The core of the Blood-Eyed Spider's compound eye is embedded in the center of the carapace, used to enhance night vision and heat tracking capabilities. The lower limb joints are also fitted with scale armor from the Rotten Swamp Crocodile, enhancing ground friction and corrosion resistance..."
There was silence in the conference room.
A mecha director wearing gold-rimmed glasses pushed up his glasses and frowned, saying, "Blood-Eyed Spiders and Rotten Swamp Crocodiles? Although these two types of abyssal monsters are not considered high-risk species, their risk factor is much higher than that of the Bone-Splittering Hounds."
"If the distortion modification only involves modifying the mecha, it is indeed not illegal in China. Every year, some high school seniors take this path."
Li Zhengyuan continued, "But the Xuan Turtle-type mech undergoing aberration modification is an unprecedented case. The Xuan Turtle is known for its defense and composure, which is completely at odds with the ferocity of the Bone-Splitting Hound, the venom of the Blood-Eyed Spider, and the corruption of the Rotten Swamp Crocodile. This forced fusion is like pouring ice water into boiling oil..."
"It will explode."
Lu Yun replied, his voice low.
Li Zhengyuan nodded: "What I'm worried about is his future path. The harm of the aberration modification is insidious; it lowers a person's threshold for accepting illegal monster parts. Today he might think the Bone-Splitting Dog is legal, tomorrow he might think the Blood-Eyed Spider is also okay, and the day after tomorrow..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone present understood.
A mecha director pondered, "The Bone-Splitter incident broke out in Rongcheng some time ago. Sun Donglai's modified parts are most likely related to that incident. Perhaps someone hunted down the Bone-Splitter and sold the body parts on the black market."
"That's possible, but that's not something we're considering."
Li Zhengyuan nodded. "As the school, our top priority is the safety and educational growth of our students... In Dragon Kingdom, residents can legally hunt ordinary abyssal monsters and possess their body parts, but anything involving toxicity, special characteristics, or genetic modification is absolutely prohibited. While modification itself is not illegal, its very existence is a form of inducement, leading students into a deeper abyss."
"I will pay close attention to Sun Donglai."
Sitting at the end of the conference table, Lü Yun spoke up: "Continue to guide and intervene promptly. If he shows any abnormal tendencies, I will report it immediately."
Li Zhengyuan nodded slightly: "Lü Yun, he is your student. If you find any signs that he is crossing the line, you must report it immediately."
"We cannot ruin this child's future, and we certainly cannot let him harm society."
……
Chengdu Defense Bureau, conference room on the third basement floor.
Meanwhile, at the Rongcheng Yuanfang Bureau, command center.
A huge holographic electronic monster activity thermal sandbox floated in the center of the conference table, and the scarlet spots that originally represented danger had faded by more than half.
"After a month of encirclement and suppression, with the assistance of the Tian Shu Mecha Hunter team, the Bone-Splitting Dog tide in Rongcheng has been basically quelled."
Zhou Zhengguo, the director of the Yuanfang Bureau, sat at the head of the table in a dark gray uniform. He was in his early fifties, with slightly graying temples, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's.
"No new signs of bone-cracked canine activity have been found in Chengdu over the past two weeks. Field teams 1, 2, and 3 have performed exceptionally well and are hereby commended."
"The second group, in particular, deserves much credit."
A round of applause erupted from the audience.
"Chief, these are all things our brothers risked their lives for." A middle-aged man with a buzz cut and a square face spoke loudly from below the stage.
The square-faced middle-aged man who spoke was Lei Zhen, the leader of the second field operations team!
"Alright, Lei Zhen, stop being modest."
The bureau chief waved his hand, then changed the subject, "By the way, Lei Zhen, there's something personal I need to mention to you."
"Li Zhengyuan, the principal of Rongcheng No. 2 High School, is an old friend of mine. He mentioned something to me."
"There's a student at their school whose mech underwent a mutated modification of the Bone-Splitter Dog. That student's name is Sun Donglai, a senior in high school, and he owns the Xuan Turtle-type mech."
"A modified 'Bone-Splitter Dog'?"
Lei Zhen frowned slightly; this was clearly a new discovery.
"Yes, if I remember correctly, your son Raymond also goes to Rongcheng No. 2 High School, right?"
"That's right." Lei Zhen nodded. "Lei Meng is a senior in the Yuanpei Class at Rongcheng No. 2 High School."
Zhou Zhengguo nodded, "But that's not what I wanted to say. Every year in the second semester of senior year, some students with mutated modifications emerge, which the Yuanfang Bureau has always paid close attention to. The Bone-Splitter Dog modification parts have appeared at your son's school. You have a chance... to subtly ask Raymond if he knows this student, without affecting Raymond's studies and cultivation."
"It's not a formal investigation, just... borrowing Raymond's eyes."
Lei Zhen nodded and said in a deep voice, "Understood, I will keep an eye on it."
"Modification of the Bone-Splitter Dog..."
He silently repeated it to himself, his brows furrowing unconsciously.
……
Classroom of Yuanpei Class, Rongcheng No. 2 High School.
The bell rang, signaling the end of get out of class.
"Ah Xing!"
Lu Mufei came to Wang Xing's side and started her usual gossip during break time: "Have you heard? Sun Donglai underwent a mutation modification. My uncle told me about it."
Wang Xing frowned immediately: "What's going on?"
"His mech has been modified with the claws and fangs of the Bonebreaker Hound, as well as other monster parts... The school's higher-ups have already held a meeting to discuss it, and my uncle said that the principal is very worried that he will go astray."
Wang Xing recalled Sun Donglai's recent appearance.
A gaunt face, a silent back, unfamiliar eyes—it turns out everything was foreshadowed all along…
"No wonder he's changed so much lately..."
Wang Xing said in a low voice, "I gave up the binge eating, I lost weight, and I talk less... I thought it was just because of the pressure."
"Although the distortion modification can boost scores in the short term, the side effects are significant," Wang Xing said after a moment's thought. "Hopefully, he can control himself."
Lu Mufei also sighed: "Some people will do anything for power."
He didn't continue.
At that moment, a figure swung up in front of their table in a scorpion-like motion.
"Student Lü Mufei."
Cheng Kai put his hands in his pockets, raised his chin slightly, and tried to look nonchalant. "Why do you always talk to Wang Xing? And you keep calling him 'Ah Xing,' it's quite affectionate."
He had just stood by their desks watching them chat animatedly, and his eyes were filled with a hint of jealousy.
During her time in the Yuanpei Class, Lü Mufei displayed a pleasant personality, which made many boys who were already attracted to her beauty even more fond of her.
However, Lu Mufei and Wang Xing were very close, which made many boys secretly jealous of Wang Xing.
Cheng Kai may not say he likes Lü Mufei, but he is one of the boys who secretly envy Wang Xing.
Lu Mufei raised her head, a polite but slightly distant smile on her lips: "Ah Xing and I are classmates in parallel classes, we're good friends, what's wrong?"
"Now that we're classmates, shouldn't you call me 'Kai'?"
Cheng Kai's eyes were filled with anticipation.
"Emmm..."
Lu Mufei tilted her head, pretending to think, then smiled sweetly:
"That depends on our relationship. For now... I can call you Kai Zi."
Cheng Kai: "..."
Wang Xing couldn't help but burst out laughing.
He knew Cheng Kai all too well. He was the kind of person who would try to strike up a conversation with Lü Mufei because she was pretty, but he was clumsy and ended up making things worse, just like a novice pressing the wrong button on a mecha control panel.
There are actually a lot of people like this in the class, they just have different ways of striking up conversations... Besides the type like Cheng Kai who just casually strikes up a conversation with his hands in his pockets, there's also the clown type who likes to act silly in front of female classmates and try to get their attention by making a fool of himself.
But in reality, no matter what kind of approach you take, it's not very effective.
Because most high school girls are very single-minded and only like handsome guys.
Cheng Kai, somewhat embarrassed and angry at the laughter, turned and glared at Wang Xing: "What are you laughing at! You two are so close, you can't be just ordinary classmates, right?"
"Wang Xing, now that you have a close female friend, you can't pursue Bai Lingxue anymore!"
"Cheng Kai, you can eat shit however you want, but you can't say whatever you want."
Wang Xing's smile faded slightly as he looked at the other person and said with a grin:
"If you want a one-on-one fight, I can accept your challenge now."
Cheng Kai shrank back, recalling the image of Wang Xing cleaving Bai Lingxue's head armor in the metaverse with a single strike, and his confidence vanished instantly: "I refuse! A gentleman uses words, not fists!"
"snort."
Lu Mufei also pursed her lips and said seriously, "Cheng Kai, don't talk nonsense. Ah Xing and Bai Lingxue only had a battle. It's all you spreading rumors. Rumors are like ferocious beasts; you can't spread them recklessly, do you understand?"
Cheng Kai was about to say something when he suddenly felt a chill creep up from behind.
Bai Lingxue walked over.