"What? Is there a problem with Class Seven?" Zhang Chen asked in surprise.
"Nothing, you've already chosen your class and can't change it. Since it's your first day, you can rest in the dormitory and formally meet your classmates tomorrow!" Hong Lian said with a smile.
"Mm!" Zhang Chen and Zhou Leiting nodded in unison, then headed towards the faculty dormitory.
Along the way, Zhou Leiting, who was usually talkative, remained silent. It was as if he was afraid that as soon as he spoke, Zhang Chen would switch classes with him. However, considering they were both handling new students, what difference could there be between classes?
Soon, the two arrived at the entrance of the faculty dormitory.
"Who is Zhou Leiting?" the dormitory manager, an old man with gray hair and reading glasses, asked in a cold tone.
"I, I am Zhou Leiting!" Zhou Leiting replied with a deferential smile.
"You're the assistant for Class Three, right? Go to the old dormitory building, room 305, shared room!"
"Got it, thank you!" Zhou Leiting left happily with his key.
"What's your name?" the dormitory manager asked without looking up.
"My name is Zhang Chen, and I'm the assistant for Class Seven," Zhang Chen replied.
"What?" The dormitory manager jolted up from his seat upon hearing "Class Seven." He readjusted his glasses and looked Zhang Chen up and down, then cautiously reconfirmed, "Is it the new student Class Seven?"
"Yes!" Zhang Chen nodded.
"Good, good, good! Come, come, come! I'll take you to your dormitory!" The old dormitory manager suddenly became exceptionally attentive, leading the way himself towards a new dormitory building.
"You're different from him. You're the assistant for Class Seven, so you naturally get better accommodation. After all, you won't be living here for long, so enjoy it!" The old dormitory manager said with a smile, seemingly having read Zhang Chen's mind.
"Didn't the director say that assistants would be promoted along with the class until the students completely graduate?"
"Since it's a new student class, even if they are all strong learners, it should take at least 2-3 years for them to graduate!"
"Why would you say I won't be living here for long?" Zhang Chen asked, looking puzzled.
"You don't know yet?" The old dormitory manager stopped in surprise, staring at Zhang Chen's face for a while before sighing and shaking his head helplessly. "It seems Zhou Leiting chose Class Three first and left Class Seven for you!"
"Heh, no wonder that guy was so obsequious earlier. So he was feeling guilty!" Zhang Chen paused. The old man hadn't revealed the core issue after all this time, so he couldn't help but prompt, "So...?"
"I only know about Class Seven through hearsay, so I can't guarantee it's entirely true, and there might be exaggerations!"
"Many people say that the students in Class Seven appear well-behaved and sensible, but they are actually very troublesome. They are truly a devil class!"
"This class has the most esper geniuses in history. Even the Bureau of Esper Control has to deploy individuals at the rank of Captain or higher to barely ensure these individuals don't cause chaos!"
"Although they are usually respectful to teachers who are espers, they are not so friendly to assistants with weaker abilities!" The old dormitory manager sighed and continued.
"For espers with great power, strength is power. It can break through all worldly restrictions!"
"It allows them to disregard any laws, rules, and even transcend morality!"
"Precisely because no one can restrain them, it has led to their arrogance."
"Furthermore, many countries, in order to win over these esper geniuses, are willing to offer them exceptional conditions and grant them special privileges. This further fuels their belief that with strength, they can do whatever they please!"
"Therefore, they have no sympathy for the weak."
"Class Seven is not only the class with the most fights and the highest rate of injuries in outdoor combat, but it is also the class with the most frequent turnover of assistants, bar none!"
"Your first fifteen assistants have gone mad, committed suicide, become vegetative – even esper healers were helpless. Some simply vanished without a trace. Only two managed to resign alive."
"Now, you are the sixteenth assistant."
"And before you, no one has applied for the assistant position for Class Seven for a full three months!"
"Therefore, for such a high-risk job, I must arrange a comfortable room for you, as compensation from the school!"
As he spoke, the old dormitory manager pushed open the door to a dormitory on the top floor.
"Duplex, with an attic and a balcony, one hundred square meters, for you alone!"
"This is the standard accommodation for outstanding teachers. Enjoy it while you can, because starting tomorrow, you'll be suffering!" The old dormitory manager finished his explanation and turned to leave.
"Thank you, Grandpa. May I know how to address you?" Zhang Chen felt that the old man was rather kind. At least he had told him the truth. This was much better than Hong Lian and Zhou Leiting, who knew everything but refused to say, acting mysterious instead.
"If you can survive for three days, we can talk. I'm old, and I don't like people I know. Walk ahead of me!" the old dormitory manager said with a sigh.
"They're just a bunch of unworldly kids, a little lesson will suffice," Zhang Chen said with a smile.
"Little brats? If you think that, then I'll probably have to pack your bags for you tomorrow!" The old dormitory manager shook his head and walked away without looking back.
"Alright..." Zhang Chen said nonchalantly. He opened the assistant handbook, which detailed the main responsibilities of an assistant.
"Check homework, lead outdoor practice, assist in combat drills, maintain class order, rectify class atmosphere and discipline, unite classmates..." Zhang Chen skimmed through it. It didn't seem particularly complex. Moreover, assistants were different from teachers; they didn't need to prepare lessons or understand all espers. Their tasks were mostly administrative.
"No way, you're really going to lead kids? I hate children the most!" The voice of the Underworld Mushroom slowly entered Zhang Chen's mind.
"I'm leading them, not you! But you need to be careful, you can't eat any of these students, understand?"
"Although I have another purpose for being here, I'm nominally an assistant, and I was introduced by Shirley."
"Don't cause trouble for me. I just want to live peacefully in this world and, at the same time, track an important clue. Do you understand?" Zhang Chen warned.
"Got it, got it. You're the boss, you call the shots. But I can still eat the consciousness of a few monsters, right?" the Underworld Mushroom mumbled.