Chapter 11: The Super Rookie

"After spraying me with orange juice and just leaving like that, don't you think that's a bit inappropriate?"
Chen Yufeng stood calmly in front of the car, arms crossed, utterly fearless. With the Divine Panel in his grasp, he brimmed with confidence.
With a boost from the Cautious Brother, he could easily take them down.
"Hmph, looks like we've run into a scammer."
Zhao Zijun grunted twice, seeming to grasp Chen's intentions. Without further ado, he dug out two hundred yuan from his bag and tossed it toward Chen Yufeng, barking impatiently,
"Take it and get out of my way."
"Thank you!"
Money was not to be wasted. Chen accepted the cash but showed no intention of moving.
Zhao Zijun naturally assumed the amount was too little, so, cursing under his breath, he threw out another two hundred and raised his fist in warning,
"I'm telling you, kid, take what you're given and don't push your luck."
Chen Yufeng pocketed the four hundred yuan, then noticed the car's license plate began with 'Ning,' likely from Ninghai. Grinning, he said,
"This car's headed to Ninghai, isn't it? What a coincidence, so am I. I'm hitching a ride."
"Are you blind? This is a BMW, not a taxi."
Zhao Zijun was fuming. Was this guy an idiot?
"That little girl just sprayed me with orange juice. If you don't let me in, you're not going anywhere."
Chen Yufeng was determined to get in.
"Hey, you annoying guy, not only are you ugly, you're also insufferable! You're truly something else. I'll show you what 'fairy mist' means—take this!"
He Xiaoying took another deep gulp of orange juice and tried to spray him again, but only managed to splash her own face.
"Little miss, you've already had your shot." Chen Yufeng grinned teasingly.
"Ugh, you... you're too much!"
He Xiaoying seemed to realize something, glared at him, and refrained from spraying again. Instead, she turned to Zhao Zijun for help, her tone pleading,
"Zijun, he's bullying me!"
"Don't be afraid, Xiaoying. I'm here."
Zhao Zijun reassured the girl, then shot a fierce glare at Chen Yufeng, roaring,
"Kid, you looking for a beating? Move or I'll send you straight to the ER."
But Chen Yufeng remained unmoved, still blocking the car with a brilliant smile on his face.

To Zhao Zijun, this expression was pure provocation. He was just about to get out and teach Chen a lesson when a clear, melodious voice rang out,
"Let him in."
"Meixuan, this clown..."
Clearly, Zhao Zijun had no desire to take on a stranger, especially one this annoying.
"I said let him in."
The voice, pleasant yet tinged with impatience, continued,
"Hurry up. Stop wasting time. Don't you know we need to get back to Ninghai as soon as possible?"
"Fine!"
Though reluctant, Zhao Zijun obeyed He Meixuan, opened the passenger door, and shot Chen Yufeng a venomous look,
"Get in, kid. Consider yourself lucky."
"I'm not sitting next to you. I want the back seat."
Chen Yufeng strode to the rear door, his intentions clear—he wanted to sit by the beauty.
"You really need a beating..."
Zhao Zijun was furious and about to lash out.
But He Meixuan, obviously pressed for time, stopped him and opened the back door herself. Chen Yufeng slipped inside.
Sitting inside the BMW, shielded from the rain, was infinitely more comfortable than standing outside.
A cheerful smile spread across his face.
He Xiaoying, however, was not pleased. She shot him a disdainful look and said,
"Hey, shameless! The moment you got in, the car's class just dropped. Do you realize how annoying you are? I bet you're here for me, aren't you? Got some kind of wicked ideas?"
"I know I'm beautiful and cute, but you have no chance. It's not my fault you're so ugly."
As she spoke, she instinctively covered her budding chest, eyeing him warily.
Chen Yufeng glanced at her so-called assets, shook his head, and replied,
"You're overthinking it. I'm not interested in little girls. But don't feel bad, you’re still young, there's time to develop. Come find me when you're grown."
"You... you're talking nonsense! This is my pride—there's nothing small about it!"
Her cheeks puffed with anger, He Xiaoying thrust her chest out in an attempt to create an impressive effect, but failed.
She pouted and glared at Chen Yufeng, then continued,
"So you're after my sister Meixuan, huh? Let me tell you, you have even less chance. My Zijun is a Taekwondo black belt, eighth dan—super strong! With your scrawny frame, one punch and you'd be picking your teeth off the floor. Scared yet?"

"Xiaoying, quiet. I'm not in the mood!"
He Meixuan seemed troubled, her brows knitted tightly together. Obediently, He Xiaoying stuck her tongue out at Chen Yufeng, felt a bit better, and sensibly fell silent, absorbed in her phone.
Chen Yufeng had no desire to argue with such a brat. Bored, he too pulled out his phone.
At the moment, the hottest topic online was the explosive open auditions for "Strongest Male and Female: Super Rookie," a major talent show co-hosted by Jiangzhe TV and Nanhu TV.
This was the largest talent show ever, seamlessly combining the best of "The Voice of Huaxia," "Happy Boys," and "Super Girls."
Contestants were required to sing, dance, and showcase a range of talents.
Ninghai City’s Culture Square was one of the audition venues.
The rules were simple: first, record a video showcasing your talents and upload it to the official website. If approved, you could perform live at an audition site before the judges.
If the judges approved, you passed the preliminary round.
Then, it was a series of knockout challenges, advancing round by round. If you made Ninghai’s top ten, you’d go on to compete with the top ten from around the country in SH.
Chen Yufeng had followed shows like "The Voice" and "Super Girls" before, so he was familiar with the process.
Ordinarily, with his tone-deaf voice and lack of any real talent, he’d have never dared enter. But now, if he wanted to be a singing god, he could. If he wanted to be a dance god, he could.
He could flaunt any talent he wished.
All it took was some reward points.
It didn’t even cost much—for example, spending one or two points to become a dancer would make it easy to pass the auditions.
And if he performed impressively enough, he’d earn massive admiration and reward points from the audience. So he was ready to give it a try.
"Haha, you’re killing me! Don’t tell me you actually plan to enter Strongest Male and Female?"
He Xiaoying noticed him browsing the show’s official site and burst out laughing, her face full of contempt.
"Why can’t I enter?"
Chen Yufeng was annoyed. This little girl’s constant mockery made him want to spank her.
"With your looks? Who gave you that confidence? Don’t you know nowadays these shows are all about looks? No looks, no connections—what have you got? Talent alone is useless. You need looks, connections, and talent. Without any one of them, you’ve no chance. Get it?"
She eyed him as if she saw right through him, her words full of scorn.