Don't underestimate the poor and elderly; I was thrilled to refuse the class beauty's adva

Noon on the first day of military training.

The scorching sun of late summer showed no mercy, hanging high overhead and making the entire playground scorching hot.

The plastic floor was steaming with heat, and even the wind felt warm. The camouflage uniform was repeatedly soaked and dried with sweat, clinging tightly to the back, making it hard to breathe.

After a morning of standing at attention and marching, all the new students on the training field were exhausted.

At the instructor's command, everyone immediately collapsed onto the edge of the shade. No one had the energy to play around anymore; only the sounds of panting and soft groans remained.

The kettles were scalding hot from the sun. Everyone was chugging water while rubbing their aching legs and pinching their sunburned necks, their faces filled with utter despair.

The only topic of conversation throughout the entire event has remained unchanged since this morning.

Basil's large-scale empty social death scene.

In a corner of the boys' line, Wang Hao, Lin Zhe, and Zhao Peng leaned against a tree trunk for shade, wiping their sweat as they recounted the memorable moments of the morning, finding them increasingly hilarious.

The three exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with the smug satisfaction of watching the drama unfold.

On the girls' side, the situation was equally tense.

Xia Ran and Liu Fei rested side by side, quietly browsing the school forum. Their eyes were wide open as they looked at the hot posts that were full of jokes about basil.

"Basil has completely lost face today."

"He can't control Shen Zhiyi and Zhang Yifan through open military training, so he definitely won't let it go so easily."

Both of them knew exactly what was going on.

People who can climb to high positions in the student council and have family connections are never the type to give up after suffering a loss once.

With the explicit rules no longer effective, the next step will likely involve playing the game of social circles, leveraging resources, and employing covert strategies.

But they weren't flustered at all.

Those who have the strength to back up their losses are never afraid of others playing dirty tricks.

In contrast, Su Man's face had been gloomy all morning.

Ever since she missed out on watching the play that morning, the frustration in her heart had never dissipated.

Originally, people were waiting to see Zhang Yifan targeted and Shen Zhiyi implicated and embarrassed, but instead of seeing that, they watched the couple get away with it thanks to their privileges, and the whole internet was envious of their top-tier start.

Everyone else is suffering, but the two of them are carefree and relaxed. Why?

The more I thought about it, the more sour I felt, and the more sour I felt, the more suffocated I became. The imbalance that had been building up all morning finally broke down during my lunch break.

Several freshmen nearby were chatting quietly, their tone full of envy.

"I'm so envious of Shen Zhiyi and the others. They're so lucky to not have to do military training."

"The privileges of the top provincial scorer are really strong. The school gives them the green light directly, and even the student council can't do anything about it."

"They skipped levels right from the start; their four years of university education are already way ahead of ours."

These words, which sound like words of envy to others, were grating to Su Man's ears.

She couldn't help but speak in a sarcastic tone, her voice not loud, just loud enough for the people around her to hear clearly.

"What's there to envy?"

Making an exception for someone right after entering school might seem glamorous, but it's also the easiest way to get isolated by the whole class.

The student council already harbors resentment towards them. They only got away with skipping military training temporarily; they'll face serious consequences later. Taking shortcuts through privilege will inevitably lead to their downfall!

She deliberately raised her voice, trying to influence public opinion and distort the two men's "privileges of power" into "opportunism, being unsociable, and posing a great threat."

He was trying to salvage the frustration and disappointment he had felt all morning by doing this.

But as soon as she finished speaking, Xia Ran and Liu Fei frowned and immediately retorted, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Liu Fei, with her straightforward personality, spoke first, her logic clear and her words cutting: "Their privileges were earned through the college entrance examination, and were legally and compliantly stipulated in a written agreement with the admissions office. Why is that considered taking a shortcut?"

Xia Ran followed up with a sharp retort, her tone calm yet forceful: "This morning, Basil personally went to cause trouble but returned empty-handed. The whole internet saw it. If the student council really wanted to retaliate, they would have done it on the spot. Why wait until now?"

"As for being isolated?"

"Shen Zhiyi has excellent character, personality, and looks. She is also generous and sincere. Who would isolate her? It's just that some people have an unbalanced mentality and can't stand seeing others succeed."

A few words were uttered, clean and concise.

The freshmen who had been watching the spectacle suddenly realized what was happening and nodded in agreement.

Yes.

Benefits earned through hard work are perfectly legitimate; why should others have the right to interfere?

Su Man was instantly rendered speechless, her cheeks burning, and she was so embarrassed that she dug her toes into the ground.

She intended to lead the discussion and mock others, but instead exposed her own narrow-mindedness and sourness in public, causing a minor social backlash.

She could only purse her lips tightly, lower her head and pretend to tidy her clothes, not daring to utter another sound, but the resentment and jealousy in her heart only intensified.

……

At the same time, on the school streets, away from the sun-baked playground.

The dense shade and cool breeze created a completely different world from the sweltering and oppressive atmosphere of the training ground.

Zhang Yifan and Shen Zhiyi walked side by side, leisurely strolling through the campus. They had just finished lunch, their steps were relaxed, and their expressions were carefree.

There was no anxiety of rushing to training, no dishevelment of sweating under the scorching sun, and no exhaustion of standing at attention.

The entire campus road was quiet and peaceful, almost unbelievably so.

Shen Zhiyi scrolled through her phone, looking at the endless stream of new posts on the forum, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Basil is now completely famous throughout the school; the whole internet is laughing at him for being a 'broad-minded' person."

Zhang Yifan stared ahead, his expression calm, and casually uttered a lighthearted and overwhelming comment.

"That's normal."

"He's using the greatest power in his hands to deal with my most insignificant little things."

"They were never on the same level from the start, so it was a complete waste of effort."

Military training is the first lesson for ordinary freshmen and an inevitable ordeal.

For him, it was just an insignificant procedure that was casually included when he signed the enrollment agreement.

Basil saw this as a trump card he could use to his advantage, but little did he know that it was all just self-deception from beginning to end.

Shen Zhiyi turned her head to look at him, her eyes full of gentle smiles.

Other people's university experience begins with enduring hardship, adapting, and cautiously integrating into the rules.

Their university experience began with composure, a relaxed attitude, and freedom from worldly trivialities.

The difference is never in the surface wins and losses, but in the underlying levels of strength.

……

Student Union Office.

The midday sun shone through the glass window onto the table, but it couldn't dispel the oppressive and stifling atmosphere in the room.

Basil sat alone at her workstation, her phone screen still showing a trending post from the school forum.

The screen was filled with jokes, banter, and gossip, like fine needles repeatedly pricking his self-esteem.

In just one morning, he went from being a spirited student council president to being universally recognized as a scapegoat and clown.

But after his extreme anger subsided, he calmed down.

Being impulsive is useless, and getting angry is even more useless.

On the open field of military training, he lost completely, with absolutely no chance of a comeback.

With official privileges and in terms of rules, he couldn't even touch a hair on the other party's head.

But having cultivated his presence in the campus community for so long, he knows one thing very well.

Four years of university life are never limited to just military training.

He raised his hand to rub his temples, took out his phone, and quickly contacted the senior student union members and the counselors in charge of freshmen.

After a series of discussions, I finally secured my right to speak.

Freshman class committee elections, freshman school-level awards, preliminary credit review, application for campus resources...

He could get involved in all these subsequent channels that directly affected the interests of new students, and had priority in reviewing and recommending them.

Looking at the confirmation message on the screen, Basil's confidence rekindled, and his gloomy gaze deepened.

Military training won't get you anywhere.

We can't suppress you in public.

It's okay.

I play by the rules, I play within circles, and I play the long game.

You can avoid the sun for a while, but you can't escape the resource assessment during your four years of university.

"Zhang Yifan, Shen Zhiyi."

He murmured their names under his breath, his tone filled with a stubborn resentment.

"This is just the beginning."

"I'd like to see if you can rely on your privileges to have a smooth ride for four years."

At that moment, he was absolutely certain that he had found the key to turning the tide.

Little did he know that he was desperately fighting for and regarding the campus resources and social circles as his trump cards.

Compared to Zhang Yifan's true strength, it's still nothing.