Everyone returned to their rooms to drop off their belongings. Zhang Yang carried nothing, nor did he have much to pack; he merely glanced around before heading back to the lobby.

Long Feng had booked the best suite at the hotel, a significant upgrade from the standard room Zhang Yang occupied. Zhang Yang had considered switching but ultimately dismissed the idea.

Since he was traveling with classmates, there was no need to stand out. Moreover, the supervising teacher was required to conduct room checks every evening to prevent students from going out alone and encountering trouble; if Zhang Yang weren't present, it would make things difficult for the teacher.

"Squeak squeak!"

"Chirp chirp!"

Seeing Zhang Yang, Lightning and Shadow immediately leaped over, one on each side, climbing onto Zhang Yang's shoulders.

His appearance drew the attention of several others who were just entering. Quite a few students looked on with astonishment at the two small pets perched on Zhang Yang's shoulders.

Keeping a ferret as a pet wasn't common these days, and keeping a rat was even rarer. A person who kept both a ferret and a rat together was likely one of very few in the entire country.

"Stop fooling around; let's all rest for a bit!"

Zhang Yang chuckled as Lightning's tail tickled him, and he couldn't help but hold the ferret close. Hearing Zhang Yang's words, Shadow promptly burrowed into the canvas bag.

That was where it usually rested.

The teacher and classmates were busy organizing their rooms and unpacking their clothes first. This exchange conference was scheduled for ten days, and they had brought plenty of changes of clothes, finding Zhang Yang’s lack of luggage quite surprising.

They didn't know that Zhang Yang preferred not to bring too many things when traveling unless absolutely necessary. If something could be bought, he wouldn't bother packing it.

For things like clothes, if he ran out, he could just buy more. Shanghai was a bustling commercial hub, ensuring he could definitely find suitable attire, not to mention Long Feng was driving, and anything needed was already in the car.

"Has the group from Changjing University arrived yet?"

While Zhang Yang was leisurely surveying the surroundings, he suddenly heard someone at the reception desk ask a question.

"The Changjing University contingent just arrived; they've all gone to their rooms!"

Several students were managing the reception desk. They quickly checked the registration book and replied.

The person who asked was a middle-aged man, clearly one of the supervising teachers.

"Who is leading the delegation from Changjing University this time?" the middle-aged man inquired further.

The student lowered his gaze to the registration book and quietly responded, "Let me check for you. Found it—the supervising teacher for Changjing University is Teacher Zhu Daoqi!"

"Zhu Daoqi, it is him indeed!" the middle-aged man murmured to himself, a faint sneer touching the corner of his mouth.

"Excuse me, student, could you please help us register? We are from Jinling University; there are ten of us in total this time!" The man turned back, smiling slightly, and handed over his work ID along with the student IDs of his companions.

The organizers had advance knowledge of which schools were attending and had received the rosters. However, people from other universities wouldn't know until they arrived on site.

Hearing them announce their affiliation, Zhang Yang couldn't help but furrow his brow.

If these people were teachers and students from Jinling University, then their immediate inquiry about Changjing University's whereabouts was hardly surprising.

The cities of Jinling and Changjing were veritable rivals. In virtually every sector, they were adversarial. Such a profound conflict between two provincial capitals was virtually unparalleled in the country.

The disputes between Changjing University and Jinling University were endless, capable of filling a day and a night of recounting.

Both were prestigious universities within the same province and possessed considerable history. Their mutual antagonism had simmered for decades without cessation.

Fate, in its mischievous way, ensured that whenever there was a major university event nationally, these two rivals inevitably crossed paths.

More recently, in last year's national university rankings, Changjing University had managed to place just one spot above Jinling University, causing countless teachers and students at Jinling to cry foul about the unfairness of the evaluation.

Further back, at the Hundred Schools Alliance large-scale debate competition last year, Changjing University was eliminated by Jinling University in the preliminaries, leaving the entire Changjing contingent simmering with resentment.

Going back even further, to the University Games three years ago, seven students from Jinling University made it onto the representative team. Coincidentally, none of those seven managed to win a gold medal; the best result was a bronze.

The most striking coincidence was that all seven faced opponents who had members from Changjing University; each time they were suppressed by someone from Changjing, meaning their elimination was directly caused by a Changjing competitor. This fueled their anger further, leading them to believe Changjing was deliberately targeting them.

Moving on, seven years ago, Changjing University's basketball and soccer teams achieved great success. They managed to break out of the province to participate in the Southeast Regional University Basketball and Soccer competitions. Although not a national event, it represented the achievement of Changjing's two major teams. As a result, both were eliminated in the first round—by Jinling University.

It was precisely after that tournament that both the basketball and soccer programs at Changjing University went into decline, a state they remained in until today.

Mentioning that competition invariably leaves members of Changjing University's basketball and soccer clubs seething with hatred toward the people from Jinling.

Besides the students, friction between the faculty never ceased. Whether at academic seminars or participating in various representative activities, whenever Changjing University and Jinling University clashed, sparks were bound to fly.

Over time, the animosity between the two institutions deepened, reaching a point where reconciliation seemed impossible.

It was rumored that at university presidential forums, the presidents of Changjing and Jinling barely exchanged a word upon meeting, illustrating the depth of their mutual antagonism.

Faced with this deep-seated conflict, Zhang Yang felt a sense of helplessness.

Changjing and Jinling, two cities not overly distant, yet harboring such immense animosity—a rivalry that manifested not just in academia but virtually across all industries.

Whenever people from Changjing and Jinling encountered each other, some trouble was bound to brew. Zhang Yang had already experienced this firsthand at a previous auto show.

"Teacher Wang, here are your room cards. We have completed the arrangements for you. Your rooms are on the sixth floor, 601 to 606. 606 is your individual room. It's on the east side after you exit the elevator!"

While Zhang Yang was contemplating, the student receptionists had already finished processing the Jinling University contingent and handed over their room keys.

Hearing the location they were assigned, Zhang Yang froze again.

Sixth floor, East side?

It seemed their group was housed on the West side of the sixth floor. Were these receptionists acting deliberately or accidentally by placing them together again?

Regardless of their intent, Zhang Yang had a strong premonition: this University Medical Student Exchange Conference certainly wouldn't be boring, and they were in for quite the eventful few days.

The Jinling supervising teacher, Teacher Wang, took the room cards and led his students away. They also carried their luggage toward the elevators. These people paid no mind to Zhang Yang, who was standing silently at a distance—if Zhang Yang hadn't possessed superior hearing, he wouldn't have caught their conversation.

At the elevator, after pressing the button, the few people stood waiting. The moment the elevator doors opened, the teacher standing closest, Teacher Wang, suddenly stiffened.

Zhang Yang also turned his head, shaking his own head with a look of resignation.

Changjing and Jinling truly were born rivals; they couldn't avoid meeting even here. Zhu Daoqi, the Vice Dean of the Medical School at Changjing University, was just stepping out with his students, planning to find somewhere to grab lunch. They hadn't stopped to eat on the road, and now they were hungry.

"Piiig~ Dean, why are you here?" Teacher Wang recovered quickly, chuckling as he called out, deliberately drawing out the sound of "pig" so long that anyone not completely dense would understand his intended meaning.

"Wang Jingwei, why are you everywhere I go?" Zhu Daoqi retorted immediately, glaring fiercely at Teacher Wang before spitting out the name.

When Teacher Wang heard the name Zhu Daoqi used, the students from both schools were momentarily stunned, but the Jinling University group quickly showed expressions of anger.

Teacher Wang's actual name was Wang Jinhui, but the sound of 'Jinhui' bore a slight similarity to 'Jingwei' when spoken quickly, making the insult land with cruel precision. However, Zhu Daoqi clearly intended to deliberately provoke the teacher by invoking the infamous historical figure, Wang Jingwei.

"Zhao Qiang?"

"Liu Kai?"

Two students exclaimed simultaneously. Zhang Yang, who had been watching the proceedings from afar, snapped out of his daze and rushed over.

The two students stared at each other in disbelief. Zhao Qiang was a student from Changjing University, the same classmate sharing a room with Zhang Yang. The one he called Liu Kai was a short, bespectacled student from Jinling University.

Zhao Qiang was academically excellent and frequently received scholarships at school; he was chosen when the university selected participants for the exchange. He was a local of Changjing, having attended Changjing No. 1 High School, a well-known institution locally. Zhao Qiang had a slight imbalance in his subjects; his chemistry was superb, and he had even participated in a national-level competition—that time he went to Beijing...

Liu Kai was also a local of Jinling. The rivalry between Changjing and Jinling wasn't confined to the universities; their high schools were also at odds.

Now, it turned out that after that incident four years ago, the two hadn't seen each other, only to meet again at a university exchange conference. This reunion brought back memories of their past encounters, and judging by the way both men gritted their teeth, those memories were far from pleasant.

"Dean Zhu, why are you still standing in the elevator?"

As the two groups faced off by the elevator entrance, Zhang Yang finally arrived, causing almost everyone to turn their heads toward him.

Many people then looked somewhat unnaturally at Lightning cradled in Zhang Yang's arms. Shi Yan’s eyes held a flicker of surprise. When they boarded the car, Zhang Yang had mentioned that Lightning was with someone else; she hadn't expected it to be back with him so soon. If she hadn't been certain Zhang Yang hadn't brought any baggage, she might have suspected he smuggled Lightning onto the vehicle earlier.

"I was disgusted by that man. Let's go eat!" Zhu Daoqi glanced back at Wang Jinhui and immediately said, then led his students out of the elevator. Standing in the doorway wasn't a good option for them.

"Students, head back and rest up. This time, stay sharp and show them the spirit of the Jinda Medical School. Don't just spend your days eating like pigs!" Wang Jinhui instructed his group while pressing the elevator button, though his final comment clearly carried a veiled jab.

When Zhu Daoqi turned back to respond, the elevator doors had already closed. He could only curse under his breath before leading his group away. (To be continued)