Newbie Guardians

Chapter 2 The Mysterious Lecturer

At seven o'clock in the morning, the alarm clock rang on time. Huang Xin sat up and went downstairs, still sleepy.

A large bowl of hot soy milk, five steamed buns, and two boiled eggs were already laid out on the table.

Huang Xin reached out and grabbed the steamed bun.

"Wash your hands first!" Grandpa's voice rang out from behind.

"Okay." Huang Xin shrank his neck, washed up, and felt much more energetic. Looking at the slightly thin young man who was just over 1.7 meters tall in the mirror, Huang Xin shook his head and secretly vowed to eat more and grow a few more centimeters taller.

"Grandpa, I dreamt about a snowman last night. Its feet were as big as washbasins!"

"Look how smug you are! Is this snowman actually a woman?!"

"It's true! That snowman is really female—no, a mother! And there's a little snowman too!"

"Haha! You're dreaming! You even have a child?" Grandpa scoffed. "Hurry up and eat, or you'll be late!"

"I'm telling the truth!" After finishing the last sip of soy milk, Huang Xin stuffed a steamed bun into her mouth, grabbed her schoolbag, and mumbled, "Grandpa, I'm off to school!"

"Don't run too fast, watch out for your front teeth!"

Watching Huang Xin's departing figure, Grandpa stroked his beard smugly and muttered to himself, "Of course it's true. I also know that you almost wet your pants when you scared off the snow wolf leader!"

Huang Xin ran into the classroom, panting, and before she could even sit down, the homeroom teacher walked in.

Huang Xin's deskmate, Li Hao, a chubby guy with glasses, lowered his voice and said, "Huang Xin, you've maxed out your timing skills!"

"Mouse! Did you have meat buns for breakfast?" Huang Xin asked instead of answering.

How did you know?

Huang Xin first put on a mysterious and infuriating look, then pulled out a tissue, tore it in half, and wiped it on Li Hao's chin—a piece of meat stuck to the tissue.

"Bang! Bang!"

The homeroom teacher tapped on the podium: "Quiet!"

The classroom was completely silent.

Huang Xin is in Class 3 of Senior Three. This is a rural school where classes are divided according to academic performance: Class 1 consists of top students, Class 2 is for promising students, and Class 3 is euphemistically called the Poverty Alleviation Office.

Our homeroom teacher, Li Xiayi, is in her early forties. She has a kind smile, but when she's serious, she exudes a chilling aura, like she does now. The students secretly call her "the Abbess Miejue, who can obliterate everything in a snap of her fingers."

The abbess cleared her throat: "Students, today the school has invited a special lecturer to give a lecture on new knowledge. Please go downstairs in an orderly manner and line up on the playground."

After saying that, she looked at class monitor Li Minmin, gave her a "I'm leaving it to you" look, and turned to leave.

The classroom instantly buzzed with excitement. "Guess what topic it is?"

"It's probably just highlighting key points!"

"Very good, very hypnotic—have some sunflower seeds to perk yourself up!" The fat man winked and handed over a small bag of sunflower seeds. Huang Xin glanced at it and thought, "Not bad, mint flavor."

Huang Xin strolled leisurely to the playground, deliberately standing at the back. Class monitor Li Minmin yelled, "Huang Xin, come stand at the front!"

Huang Xin frowned – this is really unfair; he's short, and they don't even give him a chance to eat sunflower seeds.

"Quiet--"

The principal's voice came through the loudspeaker. The noise on the playground subsided somewhat.

The principal's name was Wang Youfu. He was in his fifties, slightly overweight, and his sparse hair shone brightly in the sunlight. As soon as he stepped onto the stage, he was full of energy, as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

"Students, our school is very honored to have invited Ms. Mu Qingxue. She has conducted in-depth research in some entirely new fields, and she is here today to explain new knowledge to you."

The playground became noisy again.

"You students may have never been exposed to this field before, but its importance cannot be overstated." Principal Wang paused, "This is a rare opportunity, so you must cherish it."

He turned around and gestured towards the side of the stage: "Let's welcome Ms. Mu Qingxue with warm applause!"

Sparse applause broke out. Huang Xin clapped along listlessly, wondering how to safely eat sunflower seeds later.

Suddenly, the applause grew louder and louder, until it was almost deafening.

A young woman with long, flowing hair, a cool demeanor, and fair skin slowly walked out from the side of the stage. Her dark blue sportswear couldn't hide her curvaceous figure. So that's why the sudden burst of enthusiastic applause came from.

She turned slightly to the side and nodded to the principal, then gracefully raised her hand to the audience.

The playground fell silent instantly.

"Hello everyone."

The voice wasn't loud, but it was clear, pleasant, and magnetic; every word was heard clearly.

"My name is Mu Qingxue." Her smile was beautiful and very approachable, her gaze sweeping over every young face in the audience.

"Before we officially begin, I'd like to ask you a question—have you ever heard of anything that science still can't explain?"

Someone in the audience muttered quietly, "A savage?" "A sea monster?" "The Bermuda Triangle?"

Mu Qingxue nodded, but did not reply: "Mysterious events are emerging one after another, and the scientific community has given explanations, but upon closer examination, they are full of loopholes."

She paused, lowering her voice slightly: "In recent years, more mysterious events have occurred around the world. Some remote towns and villages have been attacked by unidentified creatures. They are enormous, incredibly strong, and their behavior completely defies common biological knowledge. Some people have witnessed them firsthand and even filmed them, but the posts were quickly deleted. The reason is obvious—governments around the world have chosen to suppress the news."

The playground was completely silent.

"The lockdown is to avoid unnecessary panic. Imagine what society would be like if the news were reporting monster attacks on humans every day?"

"However, not spreading the word does not mean not valuing it."

Her voice suddenly rose a few decibels: "On the contrary, precisely because these threats are real, they could appear around us at any time, and even threaten the lives of our families."

"Many years ago, the United Nations launched a secret project. They searched the country for people with special qualifications, such as outstanding physical fitness, strong will, or quick reflexes. These people were selected through a series of screenings and formed into a special team."

"This team is called the 'Guardians Alliance'."

A glint flashed in Mu Qingxue's eyes: "They are like special forces, but the enemy they face is more dangerous than any terrorist. They use their own flesh and blood to build a defense line that ordinary people cannot see."

Many people in the audience held their breath.

"Now, the government has decided to expand the selection process. All young people who are 18 years of age or older will receive one free test opportunity."

"By passing the test, you will receive the most professional and systematic training. You will learn things that ordinary people will never encounter in their entire lives—how to identify monsters, how to deal with their attacks, and how to use your talents and weapons to fight them."

"Your life will be completely changed. You may face danger, and you may even lose your life."

"But if you succeed—"

Mu Qingxue's gaze swept across the entire room again, her voice carrying a burning power:

"You will become a hero of this world."

"You will stand at the crossroads of darkness and light, protecting your family, your friends, and the millions of ordinary people behind you."

"You will have a truly proud identity—a guardian!"

The playground was silent for three seconds.

Then, someone started clapping. Soon, the applause spread like a tide, growing more and more enthusiastic and louder until the entire playground was in an uproar.