Volume Two: The Youth of a Thousand Faces, Truth Behind the Masquerade Chapter Sixty-three: The Club Meeting

Huo Ye had only invited members from the major clubs; all other outsiders were not qualified to attend the inauguration of the Starlight Society. But now, Huo Ye regretted this decision—it was far too quiet. Only two people showed up to support, while the rest were all club members.

Granted, these two were the top club presidents in the academy, but no one knew he had invited them, so the event lacked any sense of prestige.

Huo Ye, still a young man who cared about appearances, had planned for a grand opening ceremony. Yet, what he got was a sparse, lackluster gathering, and he couldn't help but feel disappointed.

With so few people present, Huo Ye kept his remarks brief, sticking to the usual platitudes about working together and striving for progress. Normally, the vice president would also give a speech, but the Starlight Society's vice president—Shangguan Jade Butterfly—was spared. Everyone tacitly agreed not to force her onstage, knowing well her tendency to tie her tongue in knots when nervous.

The reason Shangguan Jade Butterfly became vice president was simple: among the five members aside from Huo Ye, she was the strongest.

Her style was distinctly assassin-like, somewhat different from Huo Ye's own. Huo Ye was the ghost of the battlefield, weaving in and out, then unleashing a burst of power at a single point to end the fight—a core style he rarely changed, despite any tactical variations.

Shangguan Jade Butterfly, however, was a sprite of the night. She could slip behind someone silently and deliver a swift, elegant kill; by the time her presence was detected, it was already too late.

“Well, though there aren’t many people, this club truly lives up to its name—Starlight Society, shining brilliantly. It’s much more impressive than the club I led back in the day,” said Ke Zhen, the club’s advisor, who naturally attended the opening. He would guide the club’s future training, acting as a mentor to all members.

Ke Zhen had considered simply gathering all the members’ mentors and holding joint classes and training. With six people, unified learning and training might even enhance their teamwork.

But Huo Ye rejected the idea. Firstly, poaching students from other teachers was improper. Alice followed Ke Zhen because of Huo Ye, and Reili Mi because he had encountered a wayward mentor. The rest had their own capable teachers; there was no need to offend anyone.

Secondly, the club would surely grow in the future, and Ke Zhen could not possibly teach everyone alone. The cultivation of abilities required tailored instruction, and though Ke Zhen could handle six or seven, two or three dozen would be overwhelming.

Ke Zhen agreed.

Upon hearing Ke Zhen’s words, Alice interjected, “You led a club before? I bet that club folded in less than half a year.”

Huo Ye coughed awkwardly and muttered, “That was the club my father founded back then—now called the Dark Hall.”

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“Uh…” Alice was at a loss. How could he undermine his own sister like that? Annoying brother!

Huo Xia Lan and Feng Wu Ming had only come to show support. As major club presidents, they were busy with their own affairs and left after the ceremony.

Jiang Feng watched the two presidents as they entered the elevator and sighed, “Is our future goal to become a club like theirs? It seems impossible.”

“That’s precisely why it’s worth the challenge, isn’t it?” Huo Ye walked over, arms crossed, looking confident. “Besides, there are only two months left—it’s a tight schedule.”

Jiang Feng’s face darkened. “Boss, can’t we aim for first place next year? Why the rush?”

“I’ve already made big promises. Since you’ve joined Starlight Society, you should be ready to face everything with me,” Huo Ye replied calmly.

Reili Mi chimed in, “I’ll always follow the boss!”

Jiang Feng leaned back in shock. He could understand his handsome boss attracting admirers, but how did he also get fanboys?

He turned to Shangguan Jade Butterfly. “Vice president, the president’s gone mad—please talk some sense into her!”

But as soon as the words left his mouth, Jiang Feng regretted it. Shangguan Jade Butterfly gazed up, lost in thought, as if trying to find the right words. Clearly, it would be several hundred seconds before she spoke.

Unexpectedly, she said, “No!”

Huo Ye laughed heartily. “Jiang Feng, you’d better give up. In Starlight Society, words carry weight only with strength. If you want to persuade me, you’d need to reach the vice president’s level at least.”

Jiang Feng’s expression was lifeless. What a joke—his strength was the weakest in the club. How could he possibly compare with the vice president?

Currently, Starlight Society’s strength was skewed toward the female members. After internal competitions, the rough ranking was: Huo Ye, Shangguan Jade Butterfly, Fengjian Liuli, Alice, Reili Mi, and Jiang Feng.

Jiang Feng was utterly disheartened. Losing to the boss was one thing, but every girl in the club was fiercer than the last. Especially the vice president: in their match, he hadn’t even located her before she pierced his heart with a single stroke—the quickest defeat ever.

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Then there was Reili Mi. Jiang Feng still couldn’t gauge his strength. Although Reili Mi had only narrowly won, his combat skills were impressive. If not for several blunders, Jiang Feng might have lost much faster. How had the boss gathered such monsters, and why was he, an ordinary person, mixed in with them? Was his choice really the right one?

Jiang Feng began pondering the meaning of life.

Everyone was seated around the round table in the conference room, preparing to finalize the plan for the club’s future development.

Huo Ye spoke, “The round table meeting disregards rank; everyone’s opinion is equal. I hope you’ll all speak freely and offer suggestions that benefit our club.”

Reili Mi was first to speak. “I think our priority should be earning club points. Since we’ve founded the club, we need resources; otherwise, we’re not much of a club.”

“Agreed,” said Alice.

“Seconded,” Fengjian Liuli said lazily.

Shangguan Jade Butterfly said nothing but raised her hand in support.

At this moment, Jiang Feng spoke. “That’s true, but how do we earn points? Challenge the major clubs? Aside from the boss, none of us can claim over eighty percent chance of victory. And since we’re just starting out, our club points are zero. Relying on our personal points won’t attract any big clubs for a match.”

Jiang Feng had hit the nail on the head. Starlight Society was in a predicament: it had the status of a major club, but none of the foundation. They couldn’t compete with the big clubs, nor settle for less.

Huo Ye pondered and said, “I remember you have quite a lot of points—how about contributing some?”

“Uh…” Jiang Feng hesitated for a few seconds. “Alright!”

“I was joking,” Huo Ye said after a moment, genuinely startled by Jiang Feng’s decisiveness.

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