After Flender posed the question, Oscar and Ma Hongjun fell silent. Tang San, standing off to the side, couldn't say a single word. He couldn't possibly admit that the other seven Shrek students openly disliked him, could he? The thought was far too embarrassing.
At that moment, Yu Xiaogang's expression was almost unbearable to look at. His face was so dark with anger it nearly blended into the night. Dressed in all black, he was practically invisible in the dim light. He had witnessed the entire team selection process, and the contrast between the popular Huo Feng and the shunned Tang San was painfully obvious. While it was the students' own choice, and he couldn't interfere, the current stalemate was unacceptable. If Flender couldn't arrange things properly, Yu Xiaogang was prepared to have a serious talk with him.
No matter what, his disciple was now an official student of the academy. When the younger generation was being bullied, it was the duty of the elder to speak up. Tang San was his only disciple, the one he was relying on to prove his theories to the world. If he didn't stand up for him, who would?
Finally, Dai Mubai stepped forward with an embarrassed look on his face. He couldn't make the decision himself, so he had no choice but to ask Dean Flender for help. This way, no matter how the teams were divided, no one could complain. The one paired with Tang San might still be reluctant, but they would have to accept it.
"Dean, given the situation, how about you divide us into pairs?" Dai Mubai shrugged helplessly, glancing at Oscar and Ma Hongjun before gesturing to Flender.
Flender nodded. The situation wasn't complicated, and he had understood it at a glance. Dai Mubai was very strong, so teaming up with him guaranteed a high win rate and easy battles. Naturally, both Oscar and Ma Hongjun wanted to be his partner. On the other hand, Tang San was not only perceived as weak but also had a bad reputation. Teaming up with him meant likely losses and immense psychological pressure. Therefore, both Oscar and Ma Hongjun were desperate to avoid him.
"Alright, since you can't decide for yourselves, I'll make the decision for you," Flender announced. "Once the results are out, there will be no objections. Do you understand?"
"Understood, Dean!" Dai Mubai nodded immediately. He was fine with either Oscar or Ma Hongjun as his partner. This way, he wouldn't have to offend either of his friends. He was relieved that the difficult choice was out of his hands.
Behind him, Oscar and Ma Hongjun also nodded. Now, it was just a competition of luck. Whoever got the short end of the stick could only blame their own misfortune for being paired with Tang San.
Tang San also nodded in agreement. He felt this was the fairest approach. If the dean made the assignment, no one could complain. Besides, Tang San didn't believe he was as weak as they thought. As a control-type spirit master, his greatest strength was control. While he was at a disadvantage in a one-on-one fight, adding a teammate would change everything. Of course, this was just his own perspective. No one else seemed to share this view—except, perhaps, for Yu Xiaogang.
Flender pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and then spoke.
"The four of you will be divided into two groups," he declared. "Ma Hongjun and Oscar will be in one group. Dai Mubai and Tang San will be in the other! Is that clear?"
He had made this decision after careful consideration. Dai Mubai and Tang San were polar opposites—one was extremely strong, the other perceived as very weak. Pairing either Ma Hongjun or Oscar with Dai Mubai would create a team that was too powerful, leaving the other pair at a disadvantage. Instead, by pairing Ma Hongjun's powerful mutated spirit, the Evil Fire Phoenix, with Oscar's support abilities, he created a balanced and formidable team. At the same time, Dai Mubai's powerful combat abilities could complement Tang San's control skills. Of course, the advantage was clearly Tang San's, while for Dai Mubai, it felt like he was being saddled with dead weight. Against an average team, it might be manageable, but against a stronger opponent, it would essentially be a one-on-three fight. Still, under the circumstances, it was the best solution Flender could come up with.
"Huh?"
"What?!"
After hearing Flender's announcement, all four students were stunned. This was a combination none of them had ever imagined. It seemed completely outrageous. Even Huo Feng, who was watching from the sidelines, was a little surprised. Putting Dai Mubai and Tang San in the same group was a bold move.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun looked at each other, both feeling a sense of relief. But they knew Boss Dai wouldn't be happy. The reluctance on his face was obvious. Teaming up with Tang San was no different from carrying a burden into a fight. He had personally witnessed how weak the boy was. Forcing him to carry Tang San to victory, effectively handing points to his rival, felt more painful than losing himself. He secretly made up his mind: that disgusting brat would not get a single point through him. It was impossible.
Flender was not surprised by their gloomy expressions. It was all within his expectations. The happiest person in the field was undoubtedly Yu Xiaogang. With this arrangement, he shouldn't have any reason to complain, right? Flender thought.
He turned to look and, sure enough, Yu Xiaogang was grinning from ear to ear, clearly satisfied with the result. When he noticed Flender looking at him, he quickly schooled his features back into a calm expression.
But when Flender looked at Tang San, he found that the boy didn't seem happy at all. The smile on his face was clearly forced.
And how could he be happy? The smile was for his teacher's benefit, a silent reassurance that he was fine. In reality, Tang San wanted to die. This was absurd. Putting him in the same group as Dai Mubai felt like putting two enemies on the same side. He had dreamed of the day he would become stronger and defeat Dai Mubai honorably. He had no desire to leech points off his rival.
"What's wrong? Do you have a problem with this grouping?" Flender's voice boomed, his eyes scanning the four of them.
"No problem, Dean!" Oscar and Ma Hongjun replied in unison.
"No problem," Dai Mubai bit out, though a dangerous light glinted in his eyes.
When it was his turn, Tang San could only force the words out. "No problem."
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