Chapter 36: The Longevity Society

Su Xi watched Lu Mingfei lunge forward and land half-reclined on the ground. She tried hard to maintain her usual indifferent expression, which made her look somewhat peculiar.

"Are... are you alright?"

Just yesterday, she had seen a post on the forum claiming that the "S"-class student was mentally unstable. She had originally thought Lu Mingfei was simply cowardly, but now, he really seemed to have something wrong with him.

Lu Mingfei was the only one in the entire school capable of using a Spirit Voice, and it was the exceptionally powerful "Time Zero" at that. If he were mentally unstable, wouldn't she be in great danger staying by his side?

Realizing her situation, Su Xi suddenly felt restless and uneasy.

"I'm fine," Lu Mingfei said, climbing up from the floor with a blank expression and brushing off non-existent dust from his clothes.

"The Freshman Association is having a club event soon at Norton Hall. Would you like to go and see?"

What kind of sane person holds a club event at one in the morning?

Sensing something amiss, Su Xi shook her head cautiously and declined.

"Maybe next time. It’s too late today; I’m going back to my dorm to rest."

As expected, he received the reply he anticipated. Lu Mingfei said goodbye to Su Xi and arrived at Norton Hall alone ahead of schedule. Using the key he had just received today, he unlocked the front doors and waited for the members of the Freshman Association to arrive.

The first floor of Norton Hall was a spacious lobby. Because Lu Mingfei had only won the rights to use it the day before, the previous occupant, Caesar, had not yet had time to move all of his personal belongings out.

In fact, almost all the furniture in Norton Hall was Caesar’s private property. The wealthy and extravagant Caesar had looked down upon the original furniture provided by the hall, so he had tossed it out as junk and paid out of his own pocket to purchase a brand-new set.

Lu Mingfei enjoyed the luxury furniture Caesar had purchased without any psychological burden; after all, he had already shared his girlfriend, so a few pieces of furniture were nothing.

He found a corner and sat down, letting the darkness consume him, and waited quietly for the participants of the gathering.

***

The first member to arrive was Chilan, a student with distinct Indian features. He saw the doors of the dark Norton Hall standing wide open and stood at the entrance, knocking cautiously.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

A deep, hollow voice drifted from inside the hall.

"Please come in, Chilan. Take a seat."

***

"President Lu Mingfei? Why... why aren't you turning on the lights?"

Chilan used the faint moonlight to navigate around obstacles, feeling his way through the dark until he found Lu Mingfei’s location. He steadied himself, feeling that the slight, thin boy in front of him had a vastly different aura than he did during the day.

In Chilan's eyes, the Lu Mingfei before him was not the confident individual who had aced the 3E exam, nor the spirited youth who had single-handedly snatched the laurels from two major clubs during "Liberty Day."

He was half-reclined on a leather sofa, his body relaxed, with half of him hidden in the darkness. The fragmented moonlight, filtered through the windows, illuminated Lu Mingfei’s expressionless face, casting a strange, ghostly pallor.

His pupils were a murky, abyssal black, as if countless sinister, filthy things were peering maliciously into the peaceful human world through his eyes.

Lu Mingfei’s gaze was hollow and his body listless, as if he were mourning something. He remained silent. Chilan, who admired him, was also swayed by the eerie atmosphere, sitting uncomfortably and not knowing how to break the silence.

Chilan sat upright on the leather sofa, his hands gripping his knees. After hesitating for a while, he finally asked:

"President Lu Mingfei, should I go and turn on the lights in Norton Hall? If the other members see that there are no lights from afar, they might just head back to their dorms."

Lu Mingfei rolled his eyes to glance at him and shook his head.

"No need. I forgot to pay the electricity bill in advance. The lights won't turn on."

He truly hadn't expected that the usually generous Caesar hadn't prepaid the electricity for Norton Hall for a few years, or perhaps the billing method for such a large venue was different. Regardless, none of the lights on the first floor would turn on.

This sentence instantly dispelled the terrifying atmosphere of Norton Hall. Chilan couldn't help but chuckle, letting out a long sigh of relief.

As time passed, the members of the Freshman Association arrived at Norton Hall one after another, finding seats next to Chilan and Lu Mingfei.

There were eleven in total—seven men and four women—every face of whom Lu Mingfei had seen during the 3E exam.

Of course, among the men, the ones who left the deepest impression on him were the petite, ice-like girl and the charming girl who had danced alone during the spiritual vision.

There were nearly twenty members in the Freshman Association, but most were just using it as a temporary stepping stone. That more than half had shown up for the impromptu, "underworld-style" gathering Lu Mingfei had organized was already a pleasant surprise.

Seeing that no one else was coming, he stopped waiting, took out his phone, and checked the time: exactly 1:00 AM.

"Does everyone here know each other?"

Lu Mingfei stood up, scanned the room, and asked in a soft tone.

Except for the petite girl who looked like an ice sculpture and sat motionless, everyone present exchanged glances and nodded at Lu Mingfei, with no one speaking to break the quiet atmosphere.

"Alright. You all should know who I am, and I have reviewed your files, so let's skip the self-introduction phase."

Lu Mingfei cut straight to the chase.

"Those who know me should be aware that I mentioned at the start of the semester my intention to establish a society focused on exploring hidden history and knowledge. If you wish to withdraw, you may leave now or send me an email after today's gathering ends."

At this point, the charming girl who had danced alone during the 3E exam raised her hand.

"Lily, do you have a question?"

The girl’s demeanor was not as charming and outgoing as her appearance suggested; her voice carried a hint of shyness as she asked softly:

"President, does joining the society mean we cannot join other clubs? I received an invitation from Caesar’s 'Lace-White-Dress Girl Group'..."

Lu Mingfei thought the girl was refreshingly, foolishly honest, and shook his head.

"The society is primarily for communication between like-minded individuals and will not interfere with members' daily activities. There is only one requirement: you must attend when the society holds special events."

Chilan asked at the perfect moment:

"President, does this count as a special event?"

"No. Special events will begin only after we have exchanged sufficient knowledge. Does anyone else have any questions?"

A boy raised his hand and asked:

"What is the format of the exchange, and how do you define 'hidden'? I don't have enough confidence that my current knowledge is sufficient."

"After some study, you will naturally be able to distinguish what true hidden knowledge is. Until your knowledge is sufficient for exchange, I will share my knowledge with you."

Being on good terms with a "S"-class freshman who appeared once every few decades was already a rare opportunity, let alone one that came with additional knowledge.

The members secretly exchanged looks; none doubted the source of Lu Mingfei’s knowledge, and no one stood up to leave the gathering.

Lu Mingfei nodded in satisfaction and continued:

"The name of our Freshman Association will be retained, but the society we have formed shall be named—The Longevity Society."