Ling Wu’s gaze swept past M01, pausing briefly before shifting to Wan Tong, who was panting heavily. The stiffness at the corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly into a subtle arc.
The track was surrounded by an overly lively crowd, completely shattering the usual cold and silent atmosphere of the training base.
Especially the group gathered around the three delicate girls was impossible to ignore.
Some instructors, who usually maintained stern faces before the boys and resorted to physical punishment at the slightest mistake, were now ingratiating themselves with the fragile yet beautiful long-haired girls, showering them with concern.
The sight made several nearby boys stop in their tracks, staring in disbelief. Their expressions remained blank, but their eyes reflected sheer shock, as if their worldview was being forcibly twisted.
Soon, their sharp gazes landed on the three girls trailing at the back of the run. Aside from being a bit more delicate, a bit fairer, and having slightly more graceful running postures, there was nothing particularly special about them.
So, why did they deserve such preferential treatment?
After adjusting her breathing, Wan Tong gradually caught up with 003 and 010, though the three of them were still far behind.
Noticing the silent boys watching from the sidelines, Wan Tong turned to look at them.
They had no concept of subtlety. Their emotionless eyes fixed on her, scrutinizing as if trying to decipher something.
003, still running, couldn’t resist suddenly waving her hand toward the boys.
Her action, however, startled them. Mistaking it for an attempted sneak attack, they instantly assumed defensive stances and took a synchronized step back.
Wan Tong happened to catch this scene and burst into laughter, only for her foot to slip, sending her tumbling toward the ground.
Luckily, Ling Wu reacted swiftly. He caught her mid-fall, effortlessly lifting her by the waist and steadying her back on the ground.
His movements were fluid, textbook-perfect in their execution, but to Wan Tong, it felt as if he were handling a toy. It was utterly humiliating.
Judging from the dazed stares around her, she knew exactly how embarrassing that had been.
“Ling Wu, you—” Wan Tong ground her teeth but ultimately said nothing. With a stomp, she turned and ran forward.
Ling Wu watched her huffy retreat for a while, genuinely unsure of what he had done wrong.
Wan Tong, despite always being at the back, managed to finish both laps, but her legs were so weak she was nearly collapsing.
Both Teacher Bai and Ling Wu reached out to support her. She hesitated for a moment, then instinctively moved toward Ling Wu’s arms.
But before she could reach him, 003 suddenly lunged forward, latching onto his arm. Her eyes sparkled as she spoke in a sugary voice, “Teacher Ling Wu, I’m so tired~ Can you carry me back~~?”
Wan Tong froze. She had been beaten to it!
She hadn’t paid much attention to 003 before. The girl always acted like an innocent little rabbit, seemingly harmless. But now, it was clear as day. The girl’s intentions toward Ling Wu were blatant!
And with her rank at number three, it was no surprise that she was good-looking—curly hair, straight bangs, big eyes, a small mouth. Most importantly, her figure was… impressive. A textbook example of a ‘big-busted loli.’
Just as Teacher Bai was about to support Wan Tong, Ling Wu swiftly and naturally shook off 003, then picked Wan Tong up in a princess carry instead.
Teacher Bai, having reached out in vain, paused awkwardly before turning to steady the swaying 003. “003, let me take you back. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
003’s lips stiffened slightly, but she still obediently nodded. “Alright, thank you, Teacher Bai.”
Peeking out from Ling Wu’s arms, Wan Tong caught sight of 017 talking to M01. However, M01 paid her no attention, even frowning slightly in rare annoyance, revealing a trace of distaste.
If you looked closely, M01 actually only resembled the big boss about eighty percent. The biggest difference was his eyes—not deep and sharp, but gentle and kind, shaped like apricot blossoms. When he looked up at people, the intense coldness and lifelessness on his face would fade significantly.
Both 017 and M01 were highly sensitive. The moment they sensed Wan Tong’s gaze, they turned to her in unison.
Wan Tong blinked and gave them a bright, innocent smile—the purest she could muster.
017 frowned, while M01 simply turned and walked away.
Wan Tong: “……”
She sighed, then looked up at Ling Wu’s exceptionally handsome face and asked with a hint of vanity, “Ling Wu, does my smile not look good?”
Ling Wu tilted his head slightly, his green eyes locking onto her face. After a moment, he slowly said two words, “It does.”
His tone and expression were utterly sincere.
Wan Tong nodded in satisfaction, though there was still a hint of helplessness.
She was supposed to be the most beautiful girl in the entire Paradise, yet somehow, the boys and girls here seemed completely oblivious. What could she do? No one seemed to appreciate her charm.
It was worth mentioning, though, that after that day, all the girls in the Natural Women Growth Division had an additional physical training class added to their schedule. Surprisingly, none of them protested.
A quiet period followed, but soon, the poisoning incident, which had seemed to die down, suddenly surged back into chaos.
A girl from Wan Tong’s dormitory had been poisoned to death.
She was only thirteen, the youngest in their room. She wasn’t in the same age group as Wan Tong, so they didn’t have classes together and rarely interacted.
Her death sent a wave of fear through the girls. During class, 003 and 010 clung to Wan Tong, too scared to even glance at the Paradise girls, as if one wrong look could get them killed.
Yes, at this point, all suspicion had fallen on 017 and the other girls in her group.
Even 017 and 034 had been taken for questioning, but they returned unharmed.
As they passed by Wan Tong’s desk, 017 suddenly stopped, placed both hands on the desk, and leaned in slightly. “You all… better be careful.”
003 and 010 were so frightened that they each clung tightly to Wan Tong’s arms. Wan Tong met 017’s gaze, pressed her lips together, and said, “Mm, thanks for the warning.”
017 hadn’t expected Wan Tong to respond. She hesitated for a second, her gaze lingered on Wan Tong’s face before she withdrew.
As 017 stepped away, 034 emerged from behind her.
As if to add to 017’s words, 034 tapped on the desk and spoke with a cryptic tone, “That wasn’t a warning. It was a threat.”
“What are you all doing? Get back to your seats!”
The voice of Lin Qi, the ideology teacher, rang out as he entered the room. His expression was stern, and his tone carried no warmth.
Lin Qi had been a teacher in Paradise for many years. He was used to keeping a cold face. It was said that he preferred solitude and had never had a single close friend. To all the children in Paradise, he was like the King of Hell.
Currently, he taught assassination in the West District, but here, he was responsible for teaching the girls how to be positive and develop the right moral values.
It had taken 017 and her group a long time to adjust to his classes.
Now, at the sight of Lin Qi, they immediately returned to their seats without hesitation.
Lin Qi, too, had an undeniably handsome face, but his cold, expressionless demeanor made him seem distant and unapproachable.
As the class began, Lin Qi played today’s top news headline.
The researcher in charge of the cloning project made a breakthrough. The cloned baby’s physical examination showed no differences from a normal person, with all indicators normal. This news caused nationwide celebration.
Wan Tong had already learned of this from Ling Wu in advance, but she didn’t feel much about it. No matter what, they were still among the few natural women, and they still had to play the biggest role.
However, there was one thing she couldn’t understand. There had been two deaths, two precious women, and the authorities had investigated and sent more personnel to protect them, but it didn’t seem to have made a difference.
Were the girls raised in the Paradise training really that powerful? They had killed someone, yet left no trace at all?
Or perhaps the authorities were actually turning a blind eye?
Thinking about this, Wan Tong couldn’t help but feel a chill rise in her heart.
She couldn’t help but think that this Paradise was nothing but a huge trap.
In the afternoon, it was time for the monthly health check. Wan Tong noticed that 017 sneaked out midway, so she immediately followed her.
All the girls were here, but it wasn’t quiet, so no one noticed when the two of them left.
017 easily dodged the cameras. Wan Tong wasn’t as fast as her and soon lost sight of her at the hallway intersection.
This area was connected to the medical department. Wan Tong guessed that 017 had gone in that direction.
The medical department held various drugs, and investigations had shown that the poison that killed the two girls was something that 017 and the others had once studied. Could it be that 017 was the one who did it?
As Wan Tong thought this, she hadn’t yet reached the medical department but saw Lin Qi’s figure turning a corner. He was alone, but he was speaking in a low voice.
She felt something was wrong and quickly avoided him. However, Lin Qi’s hearing was unnaturally sharp. She only made a slight noise with her footsteps, and she was immediately discovered!
“Who’s there?!”
With that, hurried footsteps approached.
Wan Tong instantly felt a sense of danger. She reflexively tried to run, but after a few steps, an arm suddenly reached out, pulling her into a small alley. She was almost choked by the arm around her body and was pulled through the alley, eventually being safely brought back into the crowd in the health check hall.
When Wan Tong regained her composure, she noticed all the girls around her had short hair. 034 was staring at her, and then her gaze shifted behind her.
Wan Tong turned her head in a daze. 017 was standing behind her. She was half a head taller, so Wan Tong had to tilt her head to look up at her.
017 didn’t even break a sweat. She gave Wan Tong a cold glance and shut her down before she could speak, saying, “Shut up.”
Wan Tong’s heart pounded, “…”
It was 017 who had brought her back.
Before she could even calm her breath, Lin Qi walked in. His sharp eyes scanned the group of girls like a hawk, lingering for a moment before he turned and left.
After he left, 017 suddenly leaned against Wan Tong’s back. Her voice came from above her head. “Did you hear anything?”
Wan Tong knew what she was asking. Lin Qi seemed to have been very concerned. What he had said must have been important.
But it had been too far, and her hearing was only average, so she could only vaguely make out some of the sounds.
Who had Lin Qi been talking to? His voice sounded strange, almost like he was reporting something to someone in a calm tone. It was a bit like… a robot.