Chapter 114: A Multitude of Talents Among the Stars

"He asked me to write something for his autobiography. I didn't know what to write; after all, I'm not a great writer like him. If he really wanted me to come up with some flowery prose, he might as well have killed me. Come to think of it, shouldn't this be his autobiography? Why ask me to write something? He replied: 'You are the meaning of my life. Without your involvement, life is bland and tasteless, so my autobiography must include you.' It was truly cheesy, yet it made me so happy. All these years, he has kept saying that he has made me suffer, but I always tell him, 'Being with you is the greatest happiness of all.' I love him, so I spared no effort to make him fall in love with me—no hesitation, the kind of passionate, earth-shattering love. Back then, I was waiting. I was waiting for his confession because I knew that unrequited love isn't really love, but a form of self-torture. Fortunately, I waited, and my love told me, 'I love you.'" — *Records of Old Affairs*, Shangguan Yudie

"What's wrong with the President today? Why does he look so nervous?" Luo Jiajia whispered to Jiang Feng beside her. Huo Ye was more than just nervous; he was practically restless. He sat in his office, occasionally loosening his collar, then picking up his ice-filled water glass for a sip. Despite autumn having already arrived, he picked up the documents on his desk to fan himself, as if feeling stifled by the heat.

Jiang Feng glanced at the transparent walls of the President's office and remarked casually, "Oh, that? The Boss received some news yesterday, and he's been like this ever since. It seems the Boss's old man is coming."

"The President's father? That isn't..."

"Yes, that's him," Jiang Feng nodded.

There were only the three of them in the clubroom at that moment. The quieter it was, the more it felt like one could hear the sound of Huo Ye's anxious heartbeat. Huo Ye had never spoken to anyone about his relationship with his father, but in his current state, it was obvious to anyone that he was terrified of Eddie.

And could he blame him? Eddie was the kind of man who would ruthlessly break Huo Ye's ribs, banking on his son's healing ability. If Huo Ye hadn't been mature beyond his years since childhood, he would have likely run away long ago under the guise of what could only be called domestic abuse training.

Yesterday, Ke Zhen had told Huo Ye after class that Eddie would arrive at Bancroft today. Huo Ye's first reaction was a chill down his spine, followed immediately by a cold sweat. As his son, how could he not know what Eddie was thinking? Wasn't it agreed that family training was only for the holidays? Why occupy his precious school time? Is there any justice? Any humanity? Mom, aren't you going to do something about this?

Huo Ye felt he really needed stomach medicine to get through this. Besides, why hadn't his dad arrived yet? If you're going to kill me, just get it over with! But anxiety aside, Huo Ye still had club business to attend to. Three days from now, this coming Monday, was the first monthly exam of the semester. It was also the first round of student eliminations; if one were judged to have failed, there was only one outcome: immediate, forced expulsion.

It isn't that one graduates to become an elite, but that only the elite are worthy of graduation.

Such was the motto of Bancroft. As it was the fiftieth anniversary of the academy, there seemed to be a grand celebration at the end of the semester. To add luster to the festivities, the academy had announced yesterday that the Club Wars would be moved to the anniversary date as the finale performance.

This decision brought Huo Ye some relief. Extending the time from one month to three months at the end of the semester gave the "Stars" a chance to breathe. With more time, there was more room for development, though he still had to keep his "Dark Compatibility" a secret. After a while, even he felt like he was forgetting how to use those abilities.

If possible, Huo Ye hoped the monthly exam would involve them facing disasters alone. That way, he might have a chance to properly satisfy his cravings, let the seven-element ability roulette rotate, and finally... take a bite. No, no! Focus on the mission! Those disasters are so tempting—no, cruel—how could he just eat them? He couldn't just devour them!

He swallowed his saliva and went back to business.

Eddie had said he would come straight to the Stars' office. To show respect, Huo Ye had gathered everyone, and the eight of them stood in two lines at the elevator entrance, ready to welcome Eddie.

The elevator arrived, and a man and a woman stepped out. The man's appearance was unremarkable, save for a pair of dead-fish eyes that were remarkably memorable. The woman was elegant and noble, and one look at her features revealed her deep blood connection to Alice.

The Holts.

"Son!"

"Dad!"

Upon seeing the man approaching, Vivian and Alice didn't hesitate to rush forward and hug him, instantly disrupting the aura of the two men.

Eddie, who had been stern-faced, couldn't help but show a doting expression once his daughter hugged him, reaching out to gently ruffle Alice's hair without a word.

Huo Ye, however, subconsciously wanted to hide, but how could he escape from Vivian? After being tightly embraced, he struggled weakly: "Mom, let go! There are outsiders here! Give me some face!"

The others looked away. They couldn't look, they couldn't laugh, or they’d have a miserable time in the club later! They were professionals; they absolutely could not break character, unless they couldn't help it... Hahaha!

Everyone burst into laughter, though they stifled the sound. It turned out their usually high-and-mighty President had this side to him—completely helpless against his mother!

Jiang Feng laughed the loudest of them all. While everyone else was holding their breath, his "hahaha" was particularly noticeable. Huo Ye turned and glared fiercely at Jiang Feng, his look saying, "You're done for, kid."

Huo Ye hurriedly pushed Vivian away and said to his parents, "Mom, Dad, let me introduce you to the members of our Stars." As soon as he started talking business, Alice stopped clinging to Eddie and stood back in line properly.

Eddie remained expressionless, while Vivian was full of joy, urging Huo Ye to continue.

Huo Ye first pointed to Jiang Feng and said, "This is Jiang Feng, the academy's biggest information broker. He possesses top-tier intelligence capabilities and talent, and he handles all external affairs for the Stars."

"Hello, Uncle, Auntie!" Jiang Feng greeted.

"This is Kazama Ruri, the second daughter of the Yamato Kazama family."

"Greetings, Uncle and Auntie," Kazama Ruri said with a bow.

"Lu Dingyuan. We call him Xiaoliu. He’s the academy's top fire-element user!"

"Boss, I heard you are the strongest ability user. Can I spar with him?" Xiaoliu was as airheaded as ever.

"Fine. Later," Eddie replied, ignoring the shocked expressions of some of the others.

"Luo Jiajia, a first-year student. A non-attribute esper. Her individual ability is 'Quantum Construction'."

"H-hello, Club Leader Holt, Instructor Vivian." Luo Jiajia was the most nervous of all and instinctively addressed them by their professional titles.

"Rerimi, the Stars' logistics." The Holts obviously already knew Rerimi, so Huo Ye didn't need to introduce her.

"Hello, Uncle and Auntie!"

"Little Ai."

"Huh? Why do I only get my name mentioned? Brother, you're biased!" Alice puffed out her cheeks.

Huo Ye ignored her and walked over to the girl at the end of the line. He pulled her out to stand before his parents and said, "Xiaoyu, the Vice President of our Stars. My right-hand woman."

Shangguan Yudie was too nervous to speak, only nodding like a chick pecking at rice.

Seeing this, Vivian's eyes glinted with amusement, but she only offered a faint smile.

Eddie looked at the small group of only eight members and nodded, offering a four-word assessment: "Full of talent."