The Legendary Supernatural Student

The Luxembourg Gardens, nestled in the heart of Paris's Latin Quarter in the 6th arrondissement, epitomize the elegance of French formal gardens. They exude a refined charm intertwined with the opulent grandeur of European courtly aesthetics, adorned throughout with statues and floral artistry. To the east lies Boulevard Saint-Michel, the Latin Quarter's main thoroughfare, running perpendicular to the Seine and linking Place Saint-Michel with the gardens. The famed University of Paris resides along this iconic avenue.

Of course, all this was merely an outline provided by the Black woman bodyguard accompanying Xiang Ri. His grasp of the area was limited, as he was unfamiliar with the streets and dared not approach passersby for directions. After all, should an incident arise nearby the following day, any witness might immediately recall his presence. To ensure secrecy, he had entrusted the dependable bodyguard to escort him as he sought to settle a score with a certain "Prince of Fools."

"Mr. Xiang, the villa ahead is where Prince Sorx resides," the bodyguard informed him as the car halted roughly 200 meters away, a precaution Xiang Ri had insisted upon to avoid drawing undue attention.

"I truly appreciate it, Miss Susan, but I believe I can handle it from here," Xiang Ri said, stepping out of the vehicle.

Lowering her window, the bodyguard called out, "Are you certain you don't need me to accompany you, Mr. Xiang?"

"Haha, no need. Surely Miss Susan has confidence in my capabilities?" Xiang Ri replied with a smile before striding purposefully toward his destination.

The bodyguard shook her head lightly. Having witnessed his skills firsthand, she harbored no concerns for his safety. Watching his figure fade into the distance, she rolled up the window and drove off.

Xiang Ri avoided lingering near the villa gates, aware that, as night had just fallen and the streets remained lively, his East Asian features rendered him conspicuously out of place. Though passersby exhibited no overt suspicion, their lingering gazes made him uneasy. 

To avoid drawing further attention, Xiang Ri dressed in loose attire, discreetly tucking his bandaged right hand into his sleeve to minimize noticeable peculiarities. With ample time before his confrontation with the "Prince of Fools," he decided to sate his appetite at a nearby traditional eatery, ensuring he'd have the energy for the task ahead.

To his surprise, he encountered the "Cheese Girl," whom he had previously seen working part-time at the chubby chef Old Rudd's bistro. Her presence here confirmed his suspicion that she was likely a student at the University of Paris.

Spotting him, the Cheese Girl stood up and waved enthusiastically. "Mr. Xiang, over here!"

Smiling wryly, Xiang Ri approached. "What a coincidence to see you here."

"Yes, such a coincidence," she replied sweetly before introducing her companions—a group of fellow students, three men and two women, evenly split by gender. Among them, only one was of East Asian descent, while the rest were Caucasian.

After the introductions, the Cheese Girl beamed. "Mr. Xiang, I see you're here to eat as well. Why not join us?"

The other students turned their gazes toward him, with the East Asian male student in particular looking at him with barely concealed excitement, as if afraid he might decline. Left with little choice, Xiang Ri obliged and took a seat.

One freckled girl beside him asked curiously, "Are you also from China?"

"Yes," Xiang Ri replied with a smile. The words seemed to electrify the East Asian male student, who could hardly contain his enthusiasm.

"Haha, I knew it—you're a fellow countryman!" The student grabbed Xiang Ri's shoulder and switched to Mandarin. "I'm from Shandong. Where are you from?"

"I'm from Beihai," Xiang Ri responded in kind, understanding the thrill of encountering a compatriot in a foreign land. He had seen the same emotion earlier in the Cheese Girl.

"Beihai, huh?" The student's face lit up with admiration. "That's a big city! I've always wanted to visit, but I've never had the chance."

"You'll have your opportunity. Perhaps during your next trip back home," Xiang Ri suggested.

"Yes, I'll make it happen during winter break!" The student, introduced as Wang Xiaoxiang, seemed eager to continue the conversation, but the Cheese Girl interjected impatiently. "Wang Xiaoxiang, could you please not speak in Mandarin? We have other students here from different countries, and they can't understand you. Don't you think that's rather rude?"

Her remark garnered immediate support from the others at the table.

Wang Xiaoxiang smiled wryly. "Zhang Ting, you make it sound like I'm a class enemy."

This quip sent the group into peals of laughter.

Xiang Ri wanted to laugh along but found nothing amusing in the situation. However, since everyone else at the table was laughing, he felt compelled to join in, lest he appear out of place. 

"Alright, let me formally introduce this gentleman to you," the Cheese Girl, Zhang Ting, began, drawing everyone's attention. She cleared her throat dramatically, as though about to deliver an important speech. "You must be wondering why I call him 'mister' instead of 'classmate,' right? Well, don't assume he's just another student at our university. Let me tell you, he's the owner of a company! He's here in Paris to inspect one of his branch offices!" 

Xiang Ri silently cursed a certain secretary for her loose tongue at lunch. If not for her, his identity wouldn't have been revealed, let alone overheard by the gossip-prone Cheese Girl. 

Xiang Ri himself didn't see being the hidden owner of a company as something worth boasting about. In fact, he found it slightly distasteful, perhaps due to an innate desire to avoid being the center of attention. 

"What?" The students around the table exclaimed in unison, their gazes now filled with astonishment. Even Wang Xiaoxiang, the male student, looked utterly incredulous. 

"Unbelievable, isn't it?" The Cheese Girl basked in their reactions. "And there's more! Don't be fooled by his slim build. Did you know that Xiang Mister here once single-handedly defeated over a dozen thugs? And he even lifted a man taller and heavier than himself by the neck with just one hand!" 

If her earlier claims seemed plausible, this new anecdote left the students skeptical. It was hard to imagine someone their age, and even slimmer than most of them, accomplishing such feats. 

"Xiang Mister, look at them—they don't believe me! You have to back me up!" The Cheese Girl puffed her cheeks indignantly, clearly upset by the disbelief on her friends' faces. 

"And how exactly should I do that?" Xiang Ri's smile turned wry. 

"Simple! Just pick one of the boys here and lift him by the neck," she declared, pointing to the three male students. 

Cold sweat broke out on Xiang Ri's forehead. He couldn't fathom the Cheese Girl's boldness. Lift someone at random? Did she think people were steamed buns or dumplings? 

"Xiang Mister, please!" Misinterpreting his expression, the Cheese Girl assumed he was reluctant and resorted to pleading. She wasn't ready to let her reputation be tarnished by being labeled a braggart. 

"Alright, but let's try something different," Xiang Ri relented, softening at the pleading look in her eyes. 

"Wonderful! So, what do you plan to do?" she asked eagerly, her face lighting up with excitement. 

The other students, too, leaned in with interest, curious to witness this supposed display of prowess. 

Xiang Ri picked up a stainless steel spoon from the table. "How about this?" 

"Huh?" The group looked puzzled. Did he intend to prove his strength with a spoon? 

The Cheese Girl's face fell. "Xiang Mister, you're not..." But before she could finish, she gasped in astonishment. The solid metal spoon in Xiang Ri's hand twisted and crumpled like dough, bending effortlessly under his grip. 

"Oh, my God!" The students cried out, their voices filled with disbelief. Was this sorcery? 

An attractive male student grabbed the deformed spoon, attempting to manipulate it in the same way. Despite exerting all his strength, the spoon refused to budge even slightly. 

"Xiang Mister, how is this possible?" The students' eyes, once skeptical, now brimmed with awe—and a touch of suspicion. 

Without a word, Xiang Ri subtly exerted pressure with his left hand under the table. Suddenly, the chair of a nearby male student rose several inches into the air as though lifted by an invisible force. 

"Ah!" The student yelped, flailing to regain his balance. Thankfully, Xiang Ri's steady hand kept him from falling. 

The others, noticing the strange occurrence, bent down to inspect the seat. There, they saw Xiang Ri's hand firmly supporting the chair with an ease that made the feat seem trivial. 

"Is this kung fu?" the attractive student asked, his voice tinged with admiration. 

"Indeed, it is," Xiang Ri replied, seizing the opportunity to adopt this convenient explanation. Inwardly, he felt a surge of gratitude for the legendary master who had popularized kung fu worldwide. 

"Now, do you believe me?" The Cheese Girl's confidence soared, her head held high with pride. She cast a smug glance at her companions, daring them to doubt her now. 

"Yes, we believe you!" The students nodded fervently, their skepticism replaced by unrestrained awe. The attractive student, in particular, was so moved that he suddenly clasped Xiang Ri's hand. "Xiang Mister, please, I beg you—accept me as your disciple!" 

"That might be difficult," Xiang Ri said, preempting the plea he knew was coming. "However, I can recommend a place where you can learn." 

The initially disheartened student's eyes lit up with renewed hope. "Really? Where is it?" 

"Shaolin Temple," Xiang Ri replied.