Chapter 130

Chapter 130 He wanted to know if Su Bei hid anything in the text and details like Feng Ling’s allegiance, the Feng Family’s defenses, and crucially, whether Su Bei knew the Open Day guest list. They needed it to estimate losses and notify their factions for joint rescue, easing the Academy’s burden. Su Bei answered the first questions honestly but said he didn’t know the guest list. With his Destiny organization, finding out wasn’t hard, but it was time-consuming and thankless—he wouldn’t bother. But he knew one: “Si Zhaohua’s father is a guest. Notify the Si Family first.” Meng Huai promptly sent someone to contact them. As an Ability clan, their help would ease things. After answering, Su Bei asked curiously: “Teachers, aren’t you going to rescue them now?” “Rescue? How?” Meng Huai smirked. “Think the Feng Family’s that easy to enter?” Clearly, it wasn’t simple. Infiltrating required long planning. Their mountain, refined over generations, was nearly impregnable. Understanding, Su Bei asked: “What about flying in?” Meng Huai shook his head, then nodded: “The mountain’s under a Barrier. Flying isn’t easy. But it’s the easiest route—we’re studying how to breach it.” Su Bei got it—a classic reason rescues were late: bureaucratic delays, unknown locations, or inaccessible entry. None concerned him now. Stretching, he turned: “I’ll stay in the dorm a day. Good luck, Teachers.” “Hold it!” Meng Huai sneered. “Too late to stay out. You brought the news—how can you not go?” “I brought it, so why do I still need to go?” Su Bei countered. Lei Ze’en, entering, overheard and laughed: “You do. I studied the Barrier—fully breaching takes ten days, too long for the students. A small, one-person gap is easier. We need someone to set my Teleportation array inside for us to teleport in.” Couldn’t anybody do it? Su Bei was about to refuse, but Lei Ze’en added: “Setting a Teleportation array in the Feng Family is tricky. The mountain’s magnetic field quickly dissipates the array’s Mental Energy, making it fail fast. You, having been there, know the best spot to place it.” Too solid a reason—Su Bei had to agree. He knew the ideal spot. Sending someone else risked delays, and he’d take the blame if it failed. Sighing, he said: “Fine, call me at the dorm when ready. I’ll rest.” After he left, Lei Ze’en looked at Meng Huai: “Why him?” He hadn’t lied—the array needed quick setup, but time wasn’t that tight. Anyone could do it, not just Su Bei, a student. Meng Huai knew this, gazing at Su Bei’s retreating figure: “He’s too solitary. Needs tempering.” “Every class has lone wolves. Never saw you care this much,” Lei Ze’en said, puzzled. Meng Huai shook his head: “He’s different. His Ability requires dealing with people—he can’t lack teammates.” Indeed, Su Bei’s [Destiny Gear], though unclear in specifics, tied to people most times. He couldn’t only deal with Nightmare Beasts—enemies meant needing friends, or he’d suffer alone. A lone wolf was most self-sufficient in attack and defense, only struggling when facing Nightmare Beasts. Even if strong, Su Bei wasn’t invincible yet. Better to build connections now. “Makes sense,” Lei Ze’en agreed. “Student years are best for bonds. Unless he leaves the Ability world, he needs a friend or two.” He chuckled, nudging Meng Huai: “You were a classic lone wolf back then.” Young and reckless, Meng Huai felt embarrassed recalling: “So I’m learning, keeping students from repeating my mistakes.” “But...” Lei Ze’en rubbed his chin. “Su Bei doesn’t seem friendless.” Every encounter, Su Bei was surrounded, often the group’s backbone. In Class S, full of prodigies, they respected him—that’s friendless? As homeroom teacher, Meng Huai saw clearer: “He has no heart for friends. Others want to, but can’t.” Classmates wanted to befriend him, but Su Bei’s cynical, detached air—like he was separated from the world—blocked them. Meng Huai attributed this to losing his parents, lacking an anchor. This disconnect was in Feng Lan too, but differently. Feng Lan sought an anchor; Su Bei enjoyed his state. Meng Huai wasn’t sure if this was good ,but hoped they’d find their anchors. Seeing his responsibility, Lei Ze’en patted him: “Friendship needs sincerity. Create chances, but the rest is on them.” Su Bei returned to his dorm, lying on his single bed. Though not physically active, reading was draining. His mind swirled with today’s information, but pondering now would be fragmented. He planned to clear his mind, sleep, and solve issues after everything settled. But trouble kept coming. As he drifted off, urgent knocking sounded. Sighing, he got up: “Who is it?” Called at this hour, could he sleep again? Rest was hopeless. “It’s us, open quick,” Meng Huai’s voice came. Opening the door, Su Bei saw Ye Lin, with Meng Huai and Lei Ze’en. Their expressions signaled bad news, as expected. Ye Lin’s face was apologetic, brows furrowed: “Sorry, Su Bei... A Black Flash member infiltrated the government’s medical team, destroyed your wine sample, and suicided. Do you... have a backup?” She didn’t think he would, looking deeply sorry: “This is entirely our and the government’s fault, wasting your hard-earned sample. Regardless of a backup, you won’t bear responsibility. We’ll find more wine in the Feng Family—don’t worry. On behalf of the medical team, I apologize.” She stepped back, bowing 90 degrees, full of sincerity. Su Bei wasn’t unforgiving, and truthfully, he didn’t care much. The author wouldn’t let things spiral—protagonists would find wine in some corner. If all big shots were controlled by Black Flash, the main plot would derail wildly. Most importantly—“Who said I don’t have a backup?” The three froze. Ye Lin, excited, asked: “You have one? Where? We’ll protect it this time!” Lei Ze’en gave a thumbs-up: “Your caution—impressive.” Su Bei pulled another wine-filled mineral water bottle from his Storage Bag. Yes, he had another backup. Since long ago, he’d suspected another spy besides Mo Xiaotian at school. Though subtle, nearly flawless, Su Bei stayed vigilant. This backup was for spy sabotage—and it paid off. “Well done,” Meng Huai praised, a truly rare occurence. “We’ll have multiple teachers guard it—no more accidents.” With that settled, Su Bei couldn’t sleep. Sitting at his desk, he pondered who was behind it. Teachers said a government doctor was a Black Flash spy, but Su Bei’s manga knowledge screamed internal spy involvement. Without one, how’d Black Flash know about the wine so fast and send someone to destroy it? But the wine’s report went through many hands—too many knew. Even if Su Bei suspected someone, he couldn’t accuse without proof. Sighing, he wrote down today’s clear Nightmare Beast intel. Memory could fade or distort—paper was reliable. Finishing at 11 p.m., four hours had passed since descending at 7 p.m. The Barrier-breaking item was ready. Meng Huai called Su Bei to the office, handing him a palm-sized diagram with an array and a man-sized kite. “This diagram needs placing on the ground within ten minutes of entering the Feng Family. After ten, the array forms. It can’t move during this,” Meng Huai explained the Teleportation array. Then the second item: “This is a glider. We’ll take you to the mountain opposite the Feng Family’s. Wind Ability Users will keep wind blowing—you control the kite. The breached gap has fluorescent edges—you’ll see it. Enter, place the array, and we’ll teleport in when it forms.” Su Bei gave an “OK” gesture: “Got it. Do we leave now?” “Now.” Meng Huai led him to Lei Ze’en’s Teleportation array, connecting to the opposite mountain. Su Bei marveled at Lei Ze’en’s Ability. So convenient, saving travel time. From uses, Lei Ze’en’s Teleportation had minimal range limits, reaching even unvisited places quickly, with savable arrays. Only an Endless Ability Academy teacher could have such strength. Via the array, they reached the opposite mountain. Far below, Su Bei saw a fluorescent-edged, one-person gap. It’d close after entry—only one could go. Tying the kite to his back, facing the cliff, he asked: “Do I jump?” “Jump. If you’re scared, I can...” Lei Ze’en began, but Su Bei leapt. Just bungee jumping—he wasn’t fazed. A gust lifted him. Balancing in the air, he mastered the kite, diving toward the gap. He slapped on an Invisibility Charm. It didn’t hide the kite, but a lone kite drifting in was less noticeable than with a person. Back in the Feng Family, he landed near the library’s bushes. Under night’s cover, it wasn’t conspicuous, but guards noticed. Approaching, they saw only the kite. “Where’s this kite from?” one scratched his head. “The Barrier doesn’t let anything in, right?” Not from the main family, but a guest elder with the cousin, he knew little. The other was similar: “Dunno... Maybe it blocks living things, but a kite’s fine?” They exchanged looks, unsure. The first waved: “Destroy it—it can’t cause trouble.” Unbeknownst, Su Bei had slipped away with the Invisibility Charm. Reaching the library, it was as unguarded as before. No one expected visitors, and with outer surveillance, they wouldn’t think anyone was inside. After consideration, Su Bei placed the array on the ninth floor. If someone came, reaching it would take time. He’d considered the secret room but realized its small size would delay a large group. Better to place it outside—ten minutes was manageable. Just as he set the array, the bookshelf moved mechanically—the secret room opened. Alarmed, Su Bei grabbed the array, retreating to a corner behind shelves, able to observe without easy detection. The array was fine—he’d taken five minutes from entry to setup. Picking it up was okay; he’d restart the timer. Five minutes was enough to handle one person. Unexpectedly, Wu Jin emerged. They’d entered the room together, so his return made sense. Relieved, Su Bei called: “Wu Jin.” Unsurprised, Wu Jin had sensed him, or he wouldn’t have left the room: “You’re back?” Casually, he said: “Here to prep for support?” His attitude suggested he expected Su Bei’s return. Surprised, Su Bei nodded, resetting the array: “And you? Why’re you back?” “Feng Lan foresaw you’d return and sent me to meet you,” Wu Jin replied. “He didn’t predict where, but I guessed the library.” Su Bei smiled: “Congrats, you guessed right.” He mentioned the teachers’ arrival, sat, and asked about events since he left. He’d see it in the manga, but asking helped to pass the time. Wu Jin recounted honestly: “After you left, we dug more from Feng Ling. She answered truthfully, and since you untied her, we trusted her.” Seeing his grim expression, Su Bei showed rare surprise: “So she’s the enemy?” “Probably,” Wu Jin hesitated, nodding. Su Bei laughed, exasperated: “Is she or not?” “She returned to her parents, and her tracker exposed our location. We’d just met Feng Lan when her parents and a group ambushed us, calling her back, then attacked.” “But?” Su Bei sensed more. As expected, Wu Jin continued: “I felt she was shocked seeing her parents, and went back reluctantly.” His emotion-sensing was unique. Unless Feng Ling had an emotion-disrupting item, there was more to this. “So you think she might not be with her parents?” Su Bei pondered, still believing she wasn’t bad. After a pause, Wu Jin said: “Yeah... I think her parents set her up, unaware of the tracker, and she went back to play along.” They dropped the topic—further discussion wouldn’t clarify. Feng Ling’s allegiance didn’t affect them now. “What happened in the end?” Su Bei asked the key question. “Was Feng Lan caught?” If caught, it’d be trouble. His [Prophecy] was coveted by Black Flash. Even if the family wasn’t taken, their gain would be significant, and rescuing him would be hard, as Black Flash would guard him tightly. Wu Jin shook his head, a faint smile in his gray eyes: “Of course not. He foresaw it, prepared to escape, and vanished. They tried using our lives to threaten him, but we all escaped with our skills. I was told to meet you just before leaving.” Su Bei chuckled softly. He could imagine their fury when Jiang Tianming’s group escaped, none caught. A perfect trap, yet empty-handed. Casually conjuring a Gear, he leaned back, playing with it: “Stay ten minutes. When the teachers arrive, it’ll be over.” A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga