Ch 89: Rebirth of the Tool Man in a Pampered Protagonist Novel

Jin Yu didn’t know if she was awakened by Yang Qilong’s words.

Finally, she remembered that even if Fang Ziyang was incapable, his older brother was here, and he was an officially confirmed team member. It was highly inappropriate for her to openly provoke him. In the next two days, she didn’t show her spoiled attitude towards others. However, whenever she saw Fang Ziyang, she couldn’t help but show anger and glare at him, as if that would allow her to maintain her status as the young miss of the Jin family.

This childish behavior amused Fang Ziyang. As long as Jin Yu didn’t approach him, he couldn’t be bothered with this foolish girl and focused on communicating and building rapport with the B group members to cultivate teamwork. This was necessary so that once the spots were finalized, everyone could quickly coordinate and enter the state of preparation for the competition.

However, there was something about Yang Qilong in the A group that caught Fang Ziyang’s attention.

To put it this way, perhaps it was because he had experienced so much malice in his previous life that he was more sensitive to the hostility of those around him than ordinary people.

Although Yang Qilong disguised it well and seemed to have no issues other than a bit of flattery towards Jin Yu, Fang Ziyang couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about this person. He found it difficult to get close to him.

Especially when he encountered Yang Qilong together with his brother, the feeling of discomfort from him was the strongest.

Fang Ziyang never minded using the greatest malice to speculate about everyone around him. He didn’t want to find himself in a situation where he would repeat the circumstances of his past life due to a small mistake.

So he quietly kept an eye on Yang Qilong.

And this attention actually made him notice that something was amiss.

On several occasions when Yang Qilong spoke to Jin Yu, the others didn’t notice anything, but Fang Ziyang sensed that Yang Qilong seemed to be subtly instigating Jin Yu to cause trouble at the base.

Moreover, he was unknowingly tarnishing Jin Yu’s image in the eyes of others.

To be honest, his impression of Jin Yu was already quite negative. This young miss of the Jin family’s temperament was truly difficult to describe; she was haughty and domineering.

However, from his perspective, although Jin Yu was arrogant and domineering, she wasn’t completely foolish. She hadn’t been foolish enough to throw tantrums and cause a scene in the official base. Aside from occasionally saying offensive things, she behaved properly.

Even when she came to provoke him, it was merely a verbal spat, like a childish argument between preschoolers.

Apart from her arrogant temperament and her tendency to offend people with her words, Jin Yu wasn’t actually a bad person; she was quite naive.

However, in just two days, he noticed a significant decline in Jin Yu’s reputation among the team members. Those who previously described her as haughty now looked at her as if she were a malicious supporting female character who loved to do evil deeds.

Fang Ziyang carefully observed the changes in everyone’s gaze, all of which occurred after Yang Qilong said a few words.

For example:

“Hey, don’t mind Jin Yu too much. After all, she is the young miss of the Jin family, and her personality tends to be haughty. She’s a young girl, so let’s be more tolerant. She’s just like this in our group too. It really wasn’t intentional when she bumped into Wang Xue’s tray earlier.”

“Jin Yu is young, and her character is arrogant. Let’s give her some leeway and see how things go. I’m really worried that after she provoked Fang Ziyang like that, it might lead to trouble. As teammates, we should take care of and advise each other.”

And so on. These words seemed normal on the surface but seemed dubious upon closer examination. Unconsciously, they caused the team members’ perception of Jin Yu, who was originally described as haughty, to plummet.

However, this foolish girl, Jin Yu, herself didn’t sense any of it. Seeing that people looked at her with some wariness, she thought it was due to her identity as the young miss of the Jin family, which made people respect and fear her. She was incredibly proud and incredibly naive.

Fang Ziyang didn’t like to meddle in other people’s business, but when he sensed the hostility from Yang Qilong towards him and his brother, he had to pay attention.

So he found Tang Xun privately.

“Brother, how much do you know about a person named Yang Qilong? Have you had any interactions with him before?”

“Yang Qilong?” Tang Xun was a little surprised by his question but didn’t conceal anything and shared what he knew.

“I haven’t had much contact with Yang Qilong, but I know some things about him. He’s a genius who also graduated from the junior class. He has quite a reputation in the industry, and his teacher is the renowned mathematician, Professor Fan Jun…”

“Professor Fan Jun? The one who exposed the academic fraud of Yuan Zhuoting’s teacher?”

Fang Ziyang raised an eyebrow.

Tang Xun nodded. “Indeed, it’s the same Professor Fan Jun. I think the reason Yuan Zhuoting chose to be in the same group as you, besides being stimulated by Jin Yu’s words, may also be because Yang Qilong chose the A group… Yuan Zhuoting holds his teacher in high regard and may have some hostility towards Yang Qilong.”

“I haven’t personally interacted with Yang Qilong, so I can’t give a specific evaluation. But from what others say, he has great talent, and his character is quite humble. He hasn’t had any conflicts with anyone and is considered quite smooth in the industry. However, he’s a bit too eager and likes to befriend people from families like Jin Yu’s…”

“Of course, that can be seen as opportunistic, but it’s normal. There are many people like him in this circle, everyone wants to climb higher. Yang Qilong doesn’t have much background, so it’s understandable.”

“Ziyang, why are you paying attention to him? Is there something wrong with Yang Qilong?”

Tang Xun looked at his younger brother’s expression when talking about Yang Qilong and guessed his concerns.

Fang Ziyang nodded and didn’t hide anything. “Hmm, I can’t pinpoint what’s wrong, but I just feel that something is off about Yang Qilong. I sense some hostility from him towards me and you, even though he disguises it well. I’m more sensitive to these things.”

“Moreover, haven’t you noticed that Yang Qilong is deliberately tarnishing Jin Yu’s image? Although I don’t like Jin Yu, I can still see what kind of person she is. If it wasn’t for someone intentionally guiding it, Jin Yu wouldn’t have become disliked by everyone in just two days. Unfortunately, Jin Yu herself doesn’t realize it…”

But once Tang Xun carefully recalled the way everyone looked at Jin Yu and the discussions behind her back these past two days, it indeed seemed off.

Jin Yu was someone people didn’t like, but it was just because she was haughty and domineering. However, the discussions about Jin Yu behind her back made it seem as if she had done something malicious.

Bad people weren’t scary; it was the hidden dangers that were frightening.

Tang Xun’s expression became serious. “I’ll privately report this matter to the higher-ups…”

If Yang Qilong knew how to restrain himself, then it was fine. But if he didn’t know how to restrain himself, having such a person in the team could lead to unforeseen consequences. One must not underestimate the influence of even the smallest rat droppings.

“Well, let’s continue to keep an eye on him. We’ll be staying at the training base for over a year, so there will be plenty of matters to deal with.”

Fang Ziyang agreed, as that was his intention as well.

After all, they would be staying at the base for such a long time, and he didn’t want too many scheming people around him, especially those who harbored hostility towards him and his brother.

With caution in mind, Fang Ziyang felt more at ease.

For the time being, he didn’t go to remind Jin Yu. Given Jin Yu’s personality, if he warned her, it might raise Yang Qilong’s suspicion. Moreover, Jin Yu currently had a dislike for him, so she wouldn’t listen to his advice. He would observe the situation for now. If she could learn a lesson from this, it would be good for her.

…

After two days, the results of the previous assessment were released, and the final spots for the official team members and assistants were confirmed.

Tang Xun, being an internally designated team member, didn’t participate in the assessment or ranking.

As expected, Fang Ziyang took the first place in the individual performance assessment. Zhao Kairui ranked second, and Yuan Zhuoting ranked third.

Meanwhile, the confident Jin Yu was ranked fourth, closely followed by Yang Qilong in fifth place.

“How is this possible! How can Fang Ziyang be the first? And I’m fourth…”

Jin Yu couldn’t believe that she had lost, and not just lost, but lost so miserably.

Not only did she fail to reach the top three, but she didn’t even make it into them! This result was unacceptable for the proud young miss of the Jin family.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Her disbelief and exclamation made the previously amiable professor unhappy. He put on a stern face and said, “Jin Yu, if you have doubts, you can apply to review your exam paper. Your abilities are indeed outstanding, but you are overly arrogant and careless. This time, your exam paper had numerous common knowledge mistakes, which is the reason why you ranked fourth.”

“I… this can’t be.”

Jin Yu couldn’t accept the reality. Even though she knew the professor couldn’t be lying, the reality was just too difficult for her to believe.

The professor couldn’t help but shake his head at her reaction. He had some understanding of the high-spirited granddaughter of his old friend, as the Jin family was a renowned scientific family on par with the Lu family in the field. However, he had never had close contact with her before and only saw her as a relatively proud kid with a bit of arrogance typical of young geniuses.

But now, it seemed that Jin Yu had become excessively arrogant, and she had already begun to belittle others. It was no wonder his old friend had called and asked him to keep an eye on her. This character was truly problematic.

Thinking about his friend’s request, the professor’s expression became serious once again.

“Jin Yu, as I said before, if you’re dissatisfied with your individual performance, you can apply to review your exam paper and compare it with others’. I know you have great talent, but that doesn’t mean you can look down on others. Jin Yu, your current behavior is bringing shame to your grandfather and your family.”

“Furthermore, your abilities are not as extraordinary as you think…”

“You… you’re talking nonsense! It’s not like that.”

Jin Yu was struck hard by the professor’s final words and couldn’t help but refute immediately, feeling indignant and on the verge of tears.

Her talent and abilities were her proud assets, and while others could criticize her temperament, they absolutely couldn’t belittle her talent. Even if her exam results were poor this time due to carelessness, her abilities couldn’t be demeaned. She was one of the most exceptional individuals here. Who among them could surpass her?

The professor didn’t mind her rudeness and smiled faintly.

“Jin Yu, you are indeed a genius, but you are not unique. The world is filled with geniuses. And your talent hasn’t reached the level where you can look down on everyone. Even if you have exceptional talent, if you continue to disregard others, you are destined to be surpassed by those who are not as talented as you.”

As he spoke, the professor pointed towards Tang Xun.

“Alright, Jin Yu, you think you’re a genius, but can your talent surpass Tang Xun’s? Tang Xun is only twenty-one years old, yet his achievements are already worthy of respect even from your grandfather. Moreover, before the age of thirteen, he didn’t receive any elite education. But you… you’ve been cultivated since birth. You are two years older than Tang Xun. So, what qualifications do you have to look down on others with your so-called genius status?”

Jin Yu’s face turned red with embarrassment and shame. Although she didn’t want to, she had to admit that the professor’s words were true.

However, she still refused to accept it and argued irrationally, “Tang Xun is just a freak!”

They were simply not on the same level and couldn’t be compared.

Everyone couldn’t help but shake their heads.

Seeing this, Yang Qilong pulled Jin Yu’s clothes and tried to persuade her, “Miss Jin, the matter is already settled. Let it go. Fang Ziyang is Tang Xun’s brother, and his talent is definitely not inferior to Tang Xun’s. This is an official examination, and it can’t be wrong…”

But instead of calming things down, his words further added fuel to the fire.

Jin Yu was completely overwhelmed by reality, and her anger was directed at Fang Ziyang. She spoke without restraint and exclaimed, “Fine, I want to review Fang Ziyang’s exam paper! Fang Ziyang had no prior experience in scientific research, and I don’t believe he can surpass everyone here on his own!”

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Sandy: On a side note, why is this camp thing taking like half a year? Isnt it a bit excessive?

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