Chapter 148: 148, Barrier unrest

Neither the former classmates of Ren Xiaosu nor their parents had anticipated someone would step forward for him.

Honestly, if the roles were reversed, placing them in Ren Xiaosu's current predicament, they probably wouldn't have anyone to speak for them.

Yang Xiaomu, arms crossed, stood in the corridor watching with interest; she had guessed the beginning but not the ending.

The parents felt awkward, unsure how to proceed, while the students stared blankly at Ren Xiaosu, each wondering what depths of youth lay hidden beneath his surface.

Jiang Wu turned to Ren Xiaosu's former homeroom teacher and said, "Ren Xiaosu will go directly to our class. You should handle the school procedures."

The teacher, overjoyed, replied, "Alright, I'll take care of it shortly."

But before he could exhale in relief, Jiang Wu spoke coldly, "A teacher who cannot even protect their own student—I feel ashamed for you. You never once spoke up for him."

The teacher's face flushed purple with embarrassment, yet he found no words to counter Jiang Wu.

After returning to the classroom to retrieve his backpack, preparing to transfer classes, Ren Xiaosu approached Cao Yuqi, who suddenly sensed an ominous foreboding.

Ren Xiaosu took a deep breath and said earnestly, "I hope you recover soon."

"Pfft," Yang Xiaomu realized she hadn't laughed so heartily in years, as if all her laughter over the past few years had been reserved for Ren Xiaosu. Yet she hesitated not, gathering her things as well.

On the way to the classroom, Jiang Wu told Ren Xiaosu, "If you face any academic difficulties, feel free to ask me. I can tutor you in anything you don't understand."

Ren Xiaosu pondered and replied, "There are indeed subjects I need to consult you about, Teacher Jiang."

"Which subject?" Jiang Wu asked.

Ren Xiaosu paused: "Bicycle science?"

Jiang Wu halted, staring at him. She had expected him to ask for help with math or another subject, not cycling...

Truly, this was a youth who never ceased to surprise.

Yang Xiaomu walked beside Ren Xiaosu and asked, "Did you buy a bicycle?"

Ren Xiaosu glanced at her: "Why are you meddling in my affairs? Shouldn't we avoid being in the same class, Ren Xiaosu?"

Yang Xiaomu smiled warmly: "I don't mind."

"Who cares if you mind or not!?" Ren Xiaosu wanted to curse...

This class transfer incident resulted in Ren Xiaosu and Yang Xiaomu becoming desk mates, even Ren Xiaosu had to marvel—perhaps this was fate.

After school, Jiang Wu accompanied Ren Xiaosu and Yan Liuyuan on the tram home. Yan Liuyuan, having heard of the day's events, thanked Jiang Wu for defending his brother.

Honestly, Yan Liuyuan now found these barrier people increasingly distasteful, except for Jiang Wu and her students.

Oh, wait—Yang Xiaomu's sister should be excluded too.

Back at the shop, Ren Xiaosu eagerly asked Jiang Wu to teach everyone how to ride bicycles. He insisted everyone must master this skill—it was incredibly useful!

His reasoning was that traversing the wilderness beyond the barriers, cars would be the obvious choice.

But the problem was they couldn't obtain cars, and cars had fuel and other limitations, not to mention driving skills no one knew where to learn.

Thus, settling for second best, bicycles became their preferred mode of transport—easy to maintain, durable, and simple to learn!

Most importantly, they could acquire them immediately!

A bicycle in the barriers cost over three thousand yuan, a luxury item. It showed how determined Xiao Yu Jie was to gift Ren Xiaosu, for ordinary people couldn't afford such an expense—Xiao Yu Jie would haggle over two yuan for vegetables.

Everyone watched Jiang Wu effortlessly cycling back and forth outside the shop, even Chen Wudi crouched at the entrance, determined to master it.

Jiang Wu explained the techniques: "To ride a bicycle, you must master balance, keep your eyes forward, not on the handlebars, and overcome your fear..."

As the teacher demonstrated, she exuded a mature woman's charm.

After the demonstration, everyone tried their hand. To Ren Xiaosu's surprise, Yan Liuyuan learned it instantly—this kid had watched once and rode steadily.

Yet what stunned Ren Xiaosu more was that he himself hadn't learned...

To be precise, it wasn't that he hadn't learned, but rather that it was a matter of time. It would come eventually.

In reality, most people took days, even longer, to learn cycling, so Ren Xiaosu's experience was normal.

But what Ren Xiaosu couldn't accept was that Chen Wudi, the fool, had also mastered it!

This left Ren Xiaosu a bit flustered, but he absolutely couldn't admit it was his fault.

After a moment's contemplation, he turned to Xiao Yu Jie: "Is there something wrong with this bicycle you bought?"

Xiao Yu Jie pursed her lips, smiling without anger. If Yan Liuyuan and Chen Wudi could ride it, what problem could there be? Yet she noticed Ren Xiaosu's habit of deflecting blame...

Of course, she didn't know that Xu Xianchu, the previous target of Ren Xiaosu's deflection, was still trudging through the wilderness with an invisible, heavy burden.

Jiang Wu laughed: "Actually, learning to ride a bicycle takes days. You'll get it in a few days."

Just as Jiang Wu's words fell, a rumbling sound echoed in the distance, as if a bomb had exploded within the barriers—was it Yang Xiaomu's doing?

Ren Xiaosu instinctively thought Yang Xiaomu had detonated her own bomb, but upon closer listening, he realized it wasn't!

He told Chen Wudi and Yan Liuyuan, "Grab your guns and close the shop door. Don't open it until I return, Teacher Jiang—you hide here too, in case something happens, we can handle it."

With that, Ren Xiaosu left the shop. Now a transcendent being, he could no longer remain a bystander. He had to witness firsthand, hear firsthand, to make the most accurate judgment.

Only then could he lead everyone to survive.

The explosion site was likely several kilometers away, but at Ren Xiaosu's speed, it would take only minutes to arrive.

As he hurried, he spotted a ten-plus-story building—the tallest in the barriers, perfect for observing the battlefield.