After the opening ceremony ended, it was the perfect time for upperclassmen to form cliques.
No matter which squad it was, they all needed to bring in fresh blood—only then could the squad avoid withering away.
During this period after the ceremony, the new students were all just freshly awakened rookies who didn’t know anything, so it was the best time to trick or lure them in.
Besides, no one knew what these rookies would achieve in the future.
What if a squad accidentally recruited a future super powerhouse? That squad would definitely go down in the academy’s history books—well, at least within the academy.
But that didn’t stop the squad from becoming famous.
Just because a powerhouse once belonged to them, their future would be even brighter, and it’d be easier to attract new talent.
That would only make the squad stronger and stronger.
Of course, that was only if the people you recruited actually became famous in the future.
Bai Ling and her companion walked down the academy’s streets.
All around them, squads of three or five were pulling in unfamiliar faces, repeating all kinds of sweet talk about how great and powerful their squad was, trying to show off and tempt these “youngsters.”
Some people were even more shameless, directly flattering these “youngsters,” saying they’d definitely become big shots in the future.
Some praised their looks, calling them handsome and charming, and if it was a girl, then cute and beautiful.
Compared to these girls, Bai Ling’s looks were like a single flower among a field of weeds—so dazzling and alluring.
When people noticed Bai Ling, a bunch of guys immediately rushed over, trying to recruit her.
The girls, on the other hand, looked on with envy—and some with jealousy.
Just like a squad in a corner right now.
Seeing so many people crowding around Bai Ling, every one of them looked annoyed.
A short-haired girl spoke up.
“Hmph, what a slutty woman.”
That was obviously jealousy.
“Yeah, she just looks like the kind of girl who only attracts those men who think with their lower halves,” another girl with a ponytail chimed in.
“Wang Xin, go find out more about that woman,” the leader said.
She was taller than the other three, with long water-blue hair and matching eyes, her legs wrapped in black stockings all the way up to her thighs—enough to make anyone’s imagination run wild.
Her name was Shui Lan.
The short-haired girl was Wang Xin, the one with the ponytail was Xia Yu, and the quiet little girl who hadn’t spoken was He Lin.
She was called “little” because she was the shortest of the four.
“Fine!” Wang Xin grumbled, but she agreed anyway—after all, the boss is the boss.
Then she disappeared into the crowd.
When Bai Ling saw the crowd gathering around her, she immediately felt a headache coming on.
She just wanted to keep a low profile, but things never go as planned.
Maybe she should wear a mask next time she goes out? Listening to all the noise, Bai Ling didn’t want to stay any longer.
She whispered something to Lin Qiufeng, who agreed, and the two of them quickly escaped that “danger zone.”
After they got away, Lin Qiufeng looked at Bai Ling with a weird expression.
Bai Ling felt uncomfortable under her gaze.
“W-what is it?”
“Looks like you’re pretty popular, huh? You didn’t see those people—they were like a pack of hungry wolves, like they wanted to eat you up!” Lin Qiufeng grinned.
“Ugh, don’t say that.
I don’t want this at all.
It’s such a pain.”
“That’s just because my little Ling is too cute, right?”
“Yeah, right.
I’d rather not have this face.
It’s way too much trouble.”
“No, no, no, that’s the wrong way to think! You’re this good-looking and you want to ruin it? Seriously…” Lin Qiufeng trailed off, and now when she looked at Bai Ling, there was a hint of pity in her eyes.
“….” Bai Ling was at a loss for words.
She didn’t know what to say next—she’d lost this round.
Just then, a clear, pleasant female voice called out, “Hello, beautiful ladies!”
They turned to see a long-haired girl walking over.
She’d been watching them for a while, and when she saw them leave, she followed.
“And you are?” Bai Ling asked curiously.
“My name is Xu Wenjing.
May I ask your names?” Xu Wenjing said gracefully.
“Bai Ling.”
“Lin Qiufeng.”
“So it’s Miss Bai and Miss Lin.
I’ve been watching you two for a while.
I’m just curious—why did you run off?” She was genuinely puzzled.
There were some pretty strong squads in that crowd, so why didn’t they join? If they did, they could basically walk around like they owned the place.
“They were too annoying,” Bai Ling said, still a little shaken.
“Huh? Too… annoying?” Xu Wenjing was stunned.
Was that really the reason they turned down an invitation to join a strong squad? Didn’t they know that being in a strong squad would make missions way less dangerous? Sometimes things go wrong on missions, and you could lose your life.
If you’re in a strong squad, your safety is way more guaranteed.
Who wouldn’t want that? But these two just turned it down so easily? Interesting!
“Yeah, I don’t like noisy places.
Those people just kept talking and talking—it was driving me crazy.”
“Then do you want to join our Ling Ting Squad?”
“Ling Ting Squad?” Bai Ling was confused.
“Yeah, Ling Ting Squad was founded by the Ice Queen Bai Ting.
Right now, it’s ranked number one in the academy.
If you join, no one will dare bother you again.
How about it?”
When Lin Qiufeng heard “number one in the academy,” she was immediately tempted.
That would be awesome—no one would dare mess with them, especially with someone like Bai Ling around, who always seemed to attract trouble.
But Bai Ling was thinking something else.
When she heard it was Bai Ting’s squad, her first thought was, wouldn’t joining make it easier to see her? The two of them exchanged a glance, each with their own thoughts, and nodded in agreement.
“Okay, I’ll join.”
“Me too.”
