“The Peerless Dragon King” is a martial arts fanatic, extremely devoted to the “Dragon King” Chris Brooks, so Eric Dawson could only reply, “Just a shabby little school, please don’t mention it.”

Last year, he was “addicted” to studying for the college entrance exam, and all his limited free time was spent on “professional martial arts tournaments” and the five major title matches. He never paid any attention to the “National University Martial Arts Tournament,” and names like Laura Perry and Amy Reed were a complete blank to him.

“Selling Wontons” is a lively and gentle girl, only a sophomore in high school this year, and is very popular among the forum’s big brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunts. Naturally, Eric Dawson replied with a beaming smile, “Why not wish me to dominate the university martial arts scene?”

At this moment, his earlier replies also received responses.

The witty “Plumber Eats Mushrooms” said, “If you can’t beat the coach, then as Schrödinger’s tiger, you can only do the ‘Falling Tiger Pose’!”

The “Falling Tiger Pose” is a meme, meaning to get down on all fours and beg for mercy.

And “Consistently Pure-Love Jun Okamoto” said, “A guy? Then you can only offer up your chrysanthemum!”

While browsing other forum threads, learning about the gossip and various martial arts rumors in the community, Eric Dawson kept a mysterious smile and paid close attention to his own thread, replying promptly.

Of course, he was selective in his replies, subconsciously favoring those IDs who were on good terms with the moderator “Pig-Riding Hero,” the so-called small circle, such as “Plumber Eats Mushrooms,” “Above the Sky,” “Peerless Dragon King,” and “Selling Wontons.”

Because his family was poor before high school, he didn’t have a personal computer. Even after things improved in high school, he had to “immerse” himself in studying and rarely went online. It wasn’t until after the college entrance exam that Eric Dawson truly entered the online world, finding great interest in forums and QQ chats, especially when sharing the same hobbies.

In a cheerful mood, as dusk fell, he saw the latest reply from “Selling Wontons”: “I’m still young, don’t trick me. Little tiger, you’re not even an amateur ninth rank, how can you dominate the university martial arts scene? Little tiger, you’d better focus on being a cheerleader—it’s a very promising job!”

Just as he smiled and was about to reply, a gentle knock came from behind. Turning his head, he saw Brian Carter standing at the half-open door, chuckling awkwardly, “Orange, go eat by yourself. I have a few fellow townsmen coming over, need to entertain them.”

Eric Dawson spread his index fingers and thumbs wide, then pointed both index fingers downward, making a gesture of disdain.

By now, dusk had arrived and the last class of the afternoon was about to end. Worried about lining up at the cafeteria, he didn’t have time to thoroughly despise Brian Carter, so he quickly shut down his computer, left the dorm, and headed straight for the nearest cafeteria.

The cafeteria wasn’t crowded yet. Eric Dawson went to the rice bowl window and pointed at the iron tray on the left:

“Potato and beef over rice, extra gravy.”

With government subsidies, university cafeterias were quite affordable. Eric Dawson spent less than twenty yuan a day for three meals, and if he was frugal and ate less meat, he could even keep it under ten. Of course, cheapness came at a price: the taste, quality, and portion sizes fluctuated wildly, and every now and then he had to accept the chefs’ bizarre creations—commonly known as the “ninth major cuisine: cafeteria food.”

Potato and beef stew in Song City was different from elsewhere, usually with lots of gravy, almost drowning the dish. But when the potatoes were stewed until soft and nearly melted into the sauce, combined with the rich aroma of beef, you didn’t need any other dishes—just pour it over rice and you could eat a big bowl. As for the beef in the stew, Eric Dawson especially liked the fatty, greasy parts. Stewed this way, the juices overflowed and the meat was tender and flavorful, unlike pure lean meat, which was dry and tasteless.

After finishing his meal with satisfaction, Eric Dawson originally planned to return to the dorm to play on the computer and chat with Grace Bennett on QQ, but suddenly remembered the earlier reply from “Blunt and Straightforward” in his thread.

“My stamina really has gotten worse lately, I need to work out. Can’t embarrass myself in the martial arts club in front of Grace Bennett…” Eric Dawson muttered to himself, deciding to take a walk by “Micro Water Lake” and run a lap or two after digesting.

Sharpening your spear at the last minute is better than nothing!

Song City University was originally located in the city, but as student numbers soared, a new campus was built in the suburbs a couple of years ago, claiming to create a “landscape garden-style school.” As a result, an existing “Micro Water Lake” was enclosed within the campus. The lake wasn’t large, but its rippling waters and the lush grass and singing birds all around made it truly picturesque.

Eric Dawson walked halfway around the lake, gradually reaching the undeveloped, desolate area of the new campus. By now, it was dark, a chilly wind was blowing, and the surroundings were empty and silent, with only dense vegetation. It was enough to give anyone the creeps, instinctively bringing to mind all sorts of ghost stories.

Pulling his thin jacket tighter, Eric Dawson decided to start running and get out of there quickly. He wasn’t afraid of ghosts, but you never know when a mugger might jump out.

He jogged along the lakeside path for a while, soon gasping for breath, acutely aware of his declining fitness and stamina, and had to slow down, taking deep breaths in and out.

Just then, Eric Dawson suddenly heard a splash in the water. Focusing his gaze, he saw a wriggling green carp by the lakeshore. It was about twenty centimeters long, its scales dry and covered in scorch marks, as if it had been burned.

Pa!