Cutting-Edge Technology R&D Center

Chapter 10: The Arrival

“That’s Wang Hao… Wang Hao’s here…” “Does that mean Ma Ye can be saved…?” As Wang Hao gradually emerged from the woods and began racing up the mountain again—Cao Mountain was so named precisely because there weren’t many trees to provide cover—his classmates slowly realized it was Wang Hao as he charged out of the woods at breakneck speed and headed up the mountain. “He’s here—hold him down.” Wang Hao calculated the time; by now, the poison must have already begun to rush to Ma Ye’s head. The slightest misstep in treatment could lead to incalculable consequences. “That’s way too fast…” “Is Wang Hao really that physically fit?” When Wang Hao emerged from the woods, he was initially just a tiny figure, but his blinding speed left his classmates staring in astonishment. Wang Hao was moving far too fast. Previously, the trees in the woods had obscured his speed, so they hadn’t fully grasped just how fast he was. But once he emerged from the woods, his speed was plain for all to see—he charged toward the summit of Caoshan as if walking on level ground, leaving them utterly stunned. Even from a great distance, they could sense the ease with which Wang Hao moved. “This…” A look of disbelief flashed across Ma Ling’s eyes. She and Wang Hao hadn’t been in the same class for just a day or two, but this was the first time she’d witnessed his terrifying speed. Teacher Zhou was the chaperone for this trip and also the homeroom teacher for Wang Hao’s class. While she wouldn’t go so far as to say she knew him inside and out—after all, she’d been teaching him since his freshman year—she had never imagined Wang Hao possessed such terrifying speed. “Could Wang Hao be planning to apply as an athletic student? But I haven’t heard of him taking any exams for that.” Watching Wang Hao’s astonishing speed, Ms. Zhou immediately thought of the college entrance exams, though as far as she could recall, Wang Hao didn’t seem to have participated in any athletic student entrance exams. “Hao Ge, come quick—I can’t hold on anymore.” Fang Bing felt his hands going numb; he’d been holding on for half an hour already. The strain on his two fingers had made his arms go numb, but he didn’t dare let go. Wang Hao was incredibly fast. Climbing up Caoshan Mountain would take others half an hour or even an hour, but he ran the entire way and made it from the base to the summit in about ten minutes. He glanced at the summit of Caoshan, said nothing, and quickly made his way toward Ma Ye, who was surrounded by several people. “Don’t let go yet…” Wang Hao immediately began pressing on Ma Ye’s body, targeting all her acupoints. Ma Ling didn’t intervene at this point. Wang Hao’s earlier words on the phone, combined with the speed he’d displayed upon arriving, left her with no reason to stop him. Moreover, she’d inexplicably developed confidence in him; the various extraordinary qualities he’d shown made her realize that Wang Hao wasn’t as simple as she’d imagined. At that moment, Teacher Zhou also looked at Wang Hao with a sense of wonder. She found herself suddenly unable to recognize this as the student she had taught for three years. After noticing all the ways Wang Hao was different, she recalled her previous interactions with him—and only then did she realize just how extraordinary he truly was. She had some knowledge of Wang Hao’s background. She had originally thought he was aloof, but now she realized that was actually maturity—she had simply jumped to the conclusion that he was aloof. “All right, Brother Bing, you can let go now,” Wang Hao said to Fang Bing after what looked like a series of haphazard pats on Ma Ye’s back. Hearing this, Fang Bing slowly released his tight grip. The other students were all watching Ma Ye intently; by now, a large patch of his back had turned black. However, as Fang Bing let go, the blackness surprisingly did not spread any further. “Hao Ge, you’re still the best,” Fang Bing said, giving Wang Hao a thumbs-up. Wang Hao had stopped the toxin from spreading further with just a few quick moves after arriving, though Fang Bing wasn’t surprised—in his mind, Wang Hao was practically an all-knowing figure; nothing could ever stump him. “Where’s that snake?” Wang Hao smiled and asked softly. “Over there…” Fang Bing pointed. He’d casually tossed the snake onto the grass earlier, and no one else had moved it since. Wang Hao picked up the green slender snake that Fang Bing had killed, examined it closely, and a look of gravity crossed his face as he glanced in the direction from which he had come. “Hao Ge, what’s wrong?” Fang Bing also sensed something was amiss and spoke up. “This is a Green Slender King Snake. Its venom is far more potent than that of an ordinary Green Slender Snake. If not dealt with promptly, the consequences would be unimaginable.” Wang Hao held the dead Green Slender King Snake in his hand. Seeing no obvious external injuries, he continued with a hint of surprise “Brother Bing, your technique has improved quite a bit—you actually know how to strike the vital point.” Wang Hao nodded and said. “Hao Ge, that’s all thanks to your great teaching,” Fang Bing chuckled upon hearing Wang Hao’s words, a look of pride spreading across his face. However, Wang Hao didn’t say anything else to Fang Bing; instead, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. “Lan Wei, you guys need to hurry up—this is a Green Slender King Snake,” Wang Hao said into the phone. “Okay…” Lan Wei’s expression tightened slightly on the other end of the line, and she immediately picked up the pace. Wang Hao’s words carried clearly through the silent woods, and the other four—including Zhang’s father—all heard them. “Hurry up. Don’t delay,” Mr. Zhang said sternly. “Mm-hmm.” Zhang Xin and Zhang Nan nodded through gritted teeth. As the sky gradually darkened, the woods grew even gloomier, taking on a sinister atmosphere that made both of them want to leave as soon as possible. “Wang… Hao, is Ma Ye okay?” Ma Ling hesitated for a moment before speaking. The image of Wang Hao rushing up the mountain from the foot of the hill was still fresh in her mind, and the series of actions he’d taken upon reaching the summit had instilled an inexplicable sense of trust in her. But his expression was still just as infuriating. She’d originally thought he had a legitimate reason for skipping the class activity, but now it seemed like nothing more than an excuse—he simply didn’t want to participate. She’d go so far as to say Wang Hao was the most unsociable person she’d ever encountered in her life. Teacher Zhou, who was leading the group, looked at Wang Hao with a touch of surprise. Wang Hao didn’t stand out at school; the only impression most teachers had of him was that his grades were decent—in the upper-middle range. Even Teacher Zhou, who had been his homeroom teacher for three years, shared this view. But now, seeing the confidence shining through his calm expression, Teacher Zhou felt she had never truly understood Wang Hao at all. “Wei’s back? That makes sense—I think summer break has already started at his university.” Fang Bing lowered his head and thought for a moment, recalling that when they took the college entrance exam, summer break was already approaching. Naturally, students from universities with earlier breaks had already returned home.