Green Mountain Theological Seminary, Doctoral Residences.??

  Li Han sat in the hall with five new students, including Zhang Yunxi, waiting for about ten minutes before a woman in her forties hurried out.

  "Professor Li!"

  "Hello, Assistant Zhou!" Li Han stood up immediately.

  "Here's the thing—Dr. Liang An has an urgent meeting and must leave right away. He might not be able to meet the new students today," the woman said with a serious expression. "Take them to the dorm first. We'll arrange a meeting once the doctor returns."

  Li Han paused briefly. "Understood, no problem."

  "Damn, waited all this time for nothing," muttered the greasy man on the bench, clearly annoyed. "What a waste of time."

  No one paid him any attention as they stood to leave. Just then, the woman approached and asked softly, "Excuse me, which one of you is Zhang Yunxi?"

  "Hmm?" Zhang Yunxi turned around politely. "That's me. What is it, ma'am?"

  "Could you share your contact code with me? Dr. Liang An requested it," she replied quietly. "He'll reach out to you—he has some questions."

  "Oh, sure." Zhang Yunxi immediately pulled up his holographic phone projection and added her as a contact via face-to-face transfer. "May I ask what Dr. Liang An wants to discuss?"

  "I'm not sure," the woman said, accepting the request. "I'll forward your contact to him. That's all for now."

  With those brief words, she hurried off.

  Zhang Yunxi was a perceptive person. He could guess that Dr. Liang An's request likely had something to do with his father. This brought him one step closer to unraveling the mystery in his heart—perhaps Dr. Liang An could finally explain why so many people had pushed him to attend this school.

  With the meeting canceled, Li Han patiently escorted the group to the freshman dormitory.

  The scenery here wasn't much different from the rest of the campus. The area was surrounded by lawns, with solar-powered walls in certain sections supplying water and electricity to the dorm buildings with remarkable efficiency. To the right of the dormitory was a small natural lake—rare to find in such an urban setting.

  In short, the dormitory, like the rest of the campus, was desolate yet brimming with natural beauty.

  Among the five "least impressive freshmen," one was a girl, so Li Han escorted her to the female dorm first. This left the sleazy, overweight guy around twenty years old visibly disappointed. He sighed, "Society's so open now, why bother separating men and women?"

  The greasy man immediately chimed in, "Clearly, the school's afraid you'll arrive alone but leave with an entire platoon of kids."

  The sleazy guy laughed and extended a hand. "Uncle, I can tell we're cut from the same cloth. I'm Jing Tianran, nickname Kaka, studying traditional Chinese medicine."

  "Same cloth? Nah, I've got a four-year-old kid, and my wife's a freestyle fighter. Our marriage is rock-solid—at best, I'm your senior." The greasy man shook his hand. "Name's Wei Wu. As for my field… you'll find out soon enough."

  Not wanting to seem aloof, Zhang Yunxi stepped forward and introduced himself. "I'm Zhang Yunxi, 18, studying bio-genetics."

  "Nice to meet you, Brother Zhang!" Kaka grinned, shaking his hand.

  "Likewise." Zhang Yunxi nodded, then turned to Wei Wu.

  "I know you. I followed your family's case," Wei Wu said quietly. "Personally, I think Li Yun's transformation wasn't natural. We'll talk more when there's time."

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  Zhang Yunxi was baffled. "What do you mean, not natural?"

  "Plenty of chances later," Wei Wu replied cryptically.

  After the introductions, all three turned to the cold-faced young man, silently prompting him to share his name.

  The young man, no older than twenty, glanced at them and said flatly, "Tong Zhan."

  Four simple words, yet they created an instant distance. His aloof demeanor and expressionless face made the others lose interest in further conversation.

  We're all here to study. Maybe you're better than the rest, but what's there to act so superior about? Who's going to beg you for anything?

  And so, Zhang Yunxi, Kaka, and Wei Wu chatted casually while Tong Zhan stood apart, surveying the surroundings.

  Soon, Li Han returned and cheerfully announced, "Let's go, gentlemen. To the male dormitory."

  ??Half an hour later.??

  After distributing the school supplies and settling the four into Dorm 107, Li Han finally left. Throughout, he had been patient and thorough, even sharing a self-written dormitory and campus regulations guide.

  Inside the dorm, Zhang Yunxi looked around, pleased with the accommodations.

  Dorm 107 was standard for Green Mountain Seminary—a 160-square-meter space with four south-facing windows, ensuring ample sunlight despite being on the ground floor.

  Besides private bathrooms and a dining area, there was a study room and four bunk-style sleep pods.

  These pods, produced by the Lingjing Group, were fully enclosed—shaped like giant loaves of bread, hence the nickname "bread pods." They featured one-touch sleep mode, complete temperature control, ventilation, and holographic systems for study, entertainment, and movies. They even supported neural interfaces for direct access to the virtual afterlife.

  Designed to enhance sleep quality and relieve fatigue, these pods were popular among middle-class families.

  (For couples, there were double pods—even equipped with "nightlife" assistance systems. Truly comprehensive.)

  Though the dorm was already clean, everyone still tidied up their corners. During this, something amusing happened.

  Wei Wu, the greasy man, immediately claimed a lower bunk, tossing his belongings onto it before announcing, "Gotta hit the bathroom, boys!"

  His bathroom trip lasted over forty minutes. By the time he returned, the others had finished cleaning. He flopped onto the lower bunk. "This spot's mine. Comfy."

  "...Lower bunks are more convenient. No climbing. Let's draw lots," Tong Zhan said coldly.

  "Only four of us—why bother?" Wei Wu grinned at Zhang Yunxi and Kaka. "You guys cool with this?"

  Zhang Yunxi shrugged. "I don't mind."

  "What about you? Want the lower bunk?" Tong Zhan frowned at Kaka.

  Kaka, easygoing and non-confrontational, smiled. "Sure, I'll take the upper one."

  Wei Wu smirked. "See? No need for lots among dormmates."

  Tong Zhan shot him a look but said nothing.

  Wei Wu patted his belly. "Let's grab lunch. It's almost 1 PM—I'm starving."

  "Sure," Kaka said, placing his things on the upper bunk before turning to Tong Zhan. "Coming?"

  "No. You go ahead." Tong Zhan removed his shoes, climbed into his pod, and hit the close button.

  Whoosh.

  The pod sealed shut, activating privacy mode—only a flowing starscape visible on the exterior panel.

  "Seriously? Gonna 'recharge' in broad daylight? Can your body handle that?" Wei Wu mocked before turning. "Let's go!"

  At the cafeteria, just as they were about to pay, Wei Wu excused himself to the bathroom—again.

  Zhang Yunxi gritted his teeth. "This guy's playing us for fools. Let's wait for him to pay his share."

  "Doesn't matter. I'll cover it," Kaka said, ready to scan his wristband.

  "It's not about the money."

  "Come on, he's got a kid and a fighter wife. Cut him some slack—let's treat him like a terminal patient." Kaka paid for all three. "Consider it charity."

  "Fine. I'll grab drinks and supplies then." Zhang Yunxi wasn't petty, but he wasn't overly familiar either—perhaps due to his past.

  And so, Wei Wu scored another free meal.

  That afternoon, the trio explored the campus, soaking in the atmosphere.

  ??Night, 9 PM.??

  Exhausted, Zhang Yunxi showered and settled into his sleep pod.

  Kaka was reviewing materials on his upper bunk, while Tong Zhan remained sealed in his pod like a recluse—not emerging all afternoon, not even to eat.

  Across the room, Wei Wu chatted with his wife and child via hologram. Zhang Yunxi peeked—his wife looked like a heavyweight fighter. Kaka was right. The guy's pitiful.

  Click.

  Zhang Yunxi stretched, closed his pod, and nestled into the confined space.

  The pod's starry ceiling shimmered beautifully. He searched for the temperature control off-switch—his migraines and biology background made him averse to humidifiers and air filters.

  But there was no standalone off switch. The sleep system required temperature control.

  "Ugh, terrible design." He stuffed the vents with tissues, adjusted the settings, and drifted off.

  ??12:30 AM.??

  Pshhh.

  A faint hiss came from Zhang Yunxi's pod as the tissues blocking the vents were dislodged. An invisible gas seeped in...

  Half an hour later, Dorm 107's door slid open.

  A masked figure in black entered, scanning the room before circling the pods.

  Knock. Knock.

  After testing all four pods and confirming no response, the intruder stopped at Zhang Yunxi's, input a code, and opened it.

  Inside, Zhang Yunxi breathed evenly, pale and deeply asleep.

  The figure lifted him effortlessly and carried him out.

  The door shut behind them.

  Moments later, Zhang Yunxi lay on a surgical bed under dim lights.

  The masked man smiled beneath his disguise.

  "...Student Zhang, I'm afraid you'll never solve your mystery."

  In the shadowy corridor, the masked figure wheeled the white-draped body toward a door labeled ??Dissection Room??, footsteps echoing ominously.