This road was much like a town market. In the morning, when the temperature was cool, it bustled with extraordinary liveliness. But after noon, the sun grew so intense it was hard to keep one's eyes open, and the number of people on the road dropped sharply. Most new students probably retreated to their cooler dorms, and even the number of senior students sitting under the tents diminished significantly.
On the right of the Probability Society was the Supernatural Society, and on the left was the Literature Society.
This morning, the Supernatural Society had three people on duty, but now only two remained: a boy and a girl. The boy was sitting and playing with his phone, while the girl was lying down, taking a nap.
The Literature Society had three girls in the morning, and it still had three girls now, just not the sa ones. The girls were chatty, huddling together and whispering, occasionally sneaking glances to their right.
The sun was scorching on the road, and there were few pedestrians.
The Probability Society likely had the fewest registered mbers in the entire school. Other societies, no matter how poorly they fared, could still trick a good number of new students into joining during the two-day recruitnt period. Yet, right now, the Probability Society was the liveliest and most active of them all.
"Did you have any friends like you before?" Zhou Li pinched a fan of cards, ignoring Tuanzi's curious peeks, and drew two cards. "A pair of Jacks."
"No," Junior Sister Xiao Xiong said quietly. "Pass."
"Did you think you were the most special person in the whole world?" Xiao Hua laughed heartily, also tossing out two cards. "A pair of Kings."
"Maybe…" Junior Sister Xiao Xiong said.
"Then, have you made friends with a demon before?" Xiao Hua asked. "Like and Doudou."
"A pair of Aces," Brother Nan said.
"A pair of Twos," Zhou Li said.
"I haven't. I was always scared of demons when I was little. It wasn't until I got a little older that I wasn't so afraid anymore, but I still didn't dare make friends with them," Junior Sister Xiao Xiong said ekly. She then looked at the cards scattered on the table with a pained expression. "Pass."
"That's too bad," Xiao Hua said. "I pass too."
"Indeed, too bad," Huai Xu nodded towards Junior Sister Xiao Xiong. "She has to pass on everything."
"Four Queens," Brother Nan said.
"Pass," Zhou Li said, then looked towards Junior Sister Xiao Xiong. "Having a friend would be better; otherwise, it's too lonely."
"HMPH..." The Great Devil King rolled his eyes skyward.
"Yes... pass," Junior Sister Xiao Xiong said.
"Do your parents know?" Xiao Hua asked. "Pass."
"A pair of Aces," Brother Nan drew two more cards and glanced at them. "If you don't play now, you won't get another chance."
"How do you still have a pair of Aces?" Zhou Li asked incredulously, then laid down four Fives. "Bomb!"
"Pass," Junior Sister Xiao Xiong said, distressed. "My parents knew when I was little, but they didn't believe . They thought I was just pretending to get their attention. In the last couple of years, as rumors beca more prevalent, they gradually ca to believe. They took to temples, but the monks there generally didn't understand these things and would just chant sutras to try and exorcise spirits for . Later, we found a small Taoist temple with so books that recorded these matters, and that's how I roughly figured out what was going on."
"So that's how it was. No wonder you're quite cheerful," Xiao Hua nodded, gathering her cards. "This hand is over for ."
"HAHAHA! The Jokers! A pair of Sixes! I'm out!" Brother Nan triumphantly threw down all his cards. He then picked up a registration form and, humming a tune, tore it into small strips of paper, waiting for the others to determine the loser so he could put them to use.
"Club President, how do you get so many bombs?" Xiao Hua asked curiously.
"A Seven," Zhou Li said calmly. "You get used to it."
"An Eight," Junior Sister Xiao Xiong finally played a card, deeply moved by the act. "Seniors, did you all et after starting college?"
"A Ten," Xiao Hua said. "I only t everyone when I joined the club last year."
"Brother Nan and I knew each other in high school, and I t Huai Xu in my senior year of high school," Zhou Li said softly. "I was very withdrawn back then. I only beca more outgoing after starting college. Later, we discussed creating the Probability Society to make more friends. However, our society also has ordinary people, like Baozi and two of Brother Nan's roommates. They don't know about... this, so please don't talk about these things in front of them."
"HUH?" Junior Sister Xiao Xiong's eyes widened adorably. "Can't they guess?"
"They're just a bit dense, I suppose," Zhou Li said. "A Jack. Last card!"
"Oh, I thought everyone in the club was... Pass."
"At first, there were very few Gifted Ones. Over ti, their numbers started to increase slowly. If we had only wanted Gifted Ones, we wouldn't have had enough people to et the minimum standard for forming a club, so we had to recruit so just to make up the numbers." Zhou Li glanced at Junior Sister Xiao Xiong's expression. Noticing her particular interest in such matters, he continued, "We are basically the first generation of Gifted Ones in this era.
"But there are differences. The number of Gifted Ones born in the sa year as is the smallest. In our school, it's probably just and Su Jue. After that, each year has had more than the last…"
"Pass," Xiao Hua said.
"I win," Zhou Li tossed out his last card. "Now it's just the two of you."
"Oh."
Junior Sister Xiao Xiong looked dejectedly at Xiao Hua, then her gaze dropped to her own pitiful hand of cards.
Just forget about the cards.
Junior Sister Xiao Xiong pondered Zhou Li's words and asked in confusion, "Aren't the Club President and Vice President Huai Gifted Ones too?"
"Vice President Huai Xu is a demon," Xiao Hua replied first. "And she can change into myriad forms—sotis male, sotis female, there's no telling. But whenever you see soone near Brother Zhou Li or the Club President who's so beautiful they don't seem human, you can be sure it's Vice President Huai Xu."
"A very astute observation!" Huai Xu nodded.
"Yes..." Zhou Li agreed.
At this mont, Xiao Hua held her cards, her face calm, yet she was intently listening for what Zhou Li would say next. Baozi, who had been sitting quietly and obediently to the side, also discreetly pricked up her ears.
Both were very interested in Brother Nan's sudden change.
However, Zhou Li ignored Brother Nan, only glanced at Junior Sister Xiao Xiong's cards, and said to her, "Looks like you're going to lose."
Junior Sister Xiao Xiong nodded ekly.
Xiao Hua and Baozi were visibly disappointed.
anwhile, Brother Nan had already prepared a good number of paper strips.
Thus, Zhou Li ended up with one strip of paper on his face, Xiao Hua with two, and Junior Sister Xiao Xiong with three.
The ga was already sowhat unfair with Brother Nan playing, and it was especially so for Junior Sister Xiao Xiong. She was currently too distracted to focus on cards; besides, her luck was terrible. After losing, her palm-sized face couldn't hold many strips of paper, unlike Xiao Hua's slightly chubby, round face, which had plenty of space.
"The two who lost the worst switch out."
"OH, OH."
The sun gradually dipped towards the west, its light turning golden.
Having played the entire afternoon, Brother Nan checked his phone and said to them, "I've called the other two. We'll all have dinner together tonight."
Zhou Li nodded, a few strips of paper stuck to his face.
Baozi also had several strips of paper on her face. Combined with her usual expressionless look, it did a good job of hiding her excitent.
Junior Sister Xiao Xiong felt a bit nervous. She was about to et new friends—two friends who were, like her, complete newcors. So, she also nodded, the strips of paper nearly covering her entire face rustling. A few even hung from her arms.
"HAHAHA! You look like a zombie!" Brother Nan pointed at her and laughed. "And one of those old ones, covered in paper talismans but still moving!"
"She does look a bit like that," Xiao Hua agreed.
"Look who's talking! You're no different," Zhou Li said to her.
"ERM..." Xiao Hua looked away, attempting to change the subject. "They're here."
A young man and woman walked towards them from a distance, their faces showing youthful shyness and unease, making their steps a little awkward too.
Xiao Hua eagerly stood up, though she didn't dare remove the paper strips from her face, and greeted the two, "Let introduce you all. This is Chu Mo. Chu Mo joined the club this afternoon and, like you two, is a freshman from the Politics and History Academy..."
"MM-HMM..." The two newcors were very nervous, not sure where to look.
"My surna is Xiong," Junior Sister Xiao Xiong said. "It's nice to et you."
"Hello..."
"Hello..."
"Don't be nervous. Just be yourselves. A simple 'hello' is enough to get acquainted," Xiao Hua said. "There's no need to beco close right away; you'll have plenty of ti to get to know each other and eventually beco good friends." She then gestured towards the pair, but hesitated and lowered her hand. "Actually, why don't you introduce yourselves?"
"My na is Fei Yu. The 'Fei' has the grass radical and is the 'fei' from 'feichang,' aning extraordinary. The 'Yu' is from 'xia bu yan yu,' aning a flaw cannot hide the jade's beauty," the sweet-looking girl said with a deep bow. "I'm from the Chemical Engineering Academy. Hello."
"My na is Wei Yan. 'Wei' as in 'faint' or 'slight,' and 'Yan' as in 'speech' or 'words,'" the tall, skinny, bespectacled boy said. "I'm from the Literature Academy. My surna is Chang—the 'Chang' from 'feichang,' aning extraordinary. Hello."
"Hello..."
Baozi listened quietly, her eyes darting around. She looked like she had sothing to say but held back because it wouldn't fit her persona, clearly finding it difficult to restrain herself.
Just then, Huai Xu stepped forward and asked quizzically, "Why do you all introduce your given nas before your surnas? In your generation, isn't it customary to state your surna first?"
The three newcors imdiately looked extrely embarrassed, glancing at each other, unsure what to say.
Baozi, anwhile, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
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