"Young Master Ge... This... Haha..." Radam let out an awkward laugh, though genuine delight shone through the corners of his eyes. That arrogant voice, tinged with a condescending lesson, sounded as if he were lecturing Radam, but it was actually a veiled jab at Qin Fen.

The others nearby watched Qin Fen with mischievous grins. Ge Bing's family background was different from theirs; in terms of pedigree alone, it was in no way inferior to a family like Lin Liqiang's, meaning he absolutely did not need to defer to Lin Liqiang's moods.

Lin Liqiang and Yin Zaluota stood rooted to the spot, their faces grim.

Qin Fen offered them a slight smile. Men possessed dignity, and he appreciated his two friends for not overstepping to defend him and thus wounding his pride.

Song Jia, however, was not thinking as deeply as Lin Liqiang or Yin Zaluota. Her expression darkened, and she spoke with extreme annoyance, "Ge Bing..."

"Song Jia," Qin Fen interrupted her gently, waving a hand. "I came here to see you, Young Master Lin, and Young Master Yin. Let's not get entangled with the riff-raff."

"Old Qin!"

Lin Liqiang and Yin Zaluota both gave him a thumbs-up. Qin Fen's character remained the same as ever: regardless of someone's background, if you hold me in esteem, we can connect well. If you look down on me? Well, I might look down on you too!

That single phrase—"riff-raff"—instantly chilled Ge Bing's expression. He sneered coldly but did not press the issue.

"Young Master Ge..." Radam tried to stir the pot from the side. Ge Bing was not just supported by his background; his own strength was astonishing. His genius was in no way inferior to Lin Liqiang and the others. If such a person could battle Qin Fen in an area where he excelled, victory would be effortless.

"Damu," Ge Bing slowly shook his index finger. "What is my identity? What is my status? And who am I? He is fundamentally unqualified to speak to me as an equal. Have you ever seen an adult seriously engage with the provocations of a three-year-old child? If he wishes to provoke me? He must first elevate his own qualifications sufficiently."

The faint words and arrogant tone drifted into everyone's ears without missing a beat.

"Song Jia," Ge Bing spoke again, preempting Song Jia's response. "I don't care what you are doing now. But remember one thing: the Song family patriarch once promised that once I passed the trials, you would become my fiancée. At that time, I expect you to be more restrained. Before then, it's best you avoid certain actions. I dislike things that have been used by others."

"You..." Song Jia stood there, bristling with anger, glaring venomously at Ge Bing. "I would rather die than marry you! Furthermore, you think you can pass my grandfather's trials!"

"Is that so?" Ge Bing laughed dismissively. "It seems you've forgotten that the Song patriarch once said that among the geniuses of our younger generation, I am outstanding. I am among those with the highest chance of passing the trial to become the Song family son-in-law."

Qin Fen turned questioning eyes toward Lin Liqiang and Yin Zaluota. As good friends, they should certainly know the details well.

Lin Liqiang pursed his lips, placed a hand on Qin Fen's shoulder, and said with a touch of dejection, "Brother, I was planning to tell you about this later to avoid putting too much pressure on you. Now it seems I have to."

Qin Fen nodded silently, listening as Lin Liqiang continued, "Old Master Song is very... how should I put it? Simply put, everything in the Song family is decided by him, including the important matters of his children's marriages. Song Jia is his granddaughter, so naturally, she must accept this arrangement. I heard he devised a major trial. Whoever among the younger generation passes that trial first will become his grandson-in-law. So..."

Qin Fen smiled. A trial? So what? If it truly required it, he could simply take that trial ahead of all the younger challengers.

"Old Qin..." Lin Liqiang understood the implication of Qin Fen's smile. He patted Qin Fen's shoulder with great sympathy. "Old Master Song also set a basic prerequisite for those participating in the trial, which you currently do not qualify for..."

"Oh?" Qin Fen felt a degree of surprise. The top tier of high society seemed far more intricate than he had imagined.

"Status, wealth, and reputation all have assessment standards," Lin Liqiang said with a wry smile. "Old Master Song doesn't want to shortchange his granddaughter, so he established these baseline conditions."

Qin Fen frowned. Song Wensong was truly quite feudal, maintaining a dynastic family structure even in the interstellar age.

"Brother, actually, it's the same for every major family," Lin Liqiang sighed with deep feeling. "No matter the era, truly large clans haven't changed much."

Qin Fen noticed Song Jia looking at him with an expression of pitiable vulnerability, her usual queenly aura completely gone. He shrugged and smiled, then sighed again. So, dating someone from a grand family was much more complicated than everyone made it out to be.

He shot Song Jia a reassuring smile. If he let himself be scared off by a few words, he wouldn't be much of a man, would he? Qin Fen stretched his shoulders. After hearing Lin Liqiang's explanation, a stronger fighting spirit flared within him. Even if the Earth Martial God, Song Wensong, stood before him, he would feel no fear whatsoever.

As the fighting spirit ignited, a flicker of surprise crossed Ge Bing's perpetually haughty face. To hear the name of the Earth Martial God, Song Wensong, and show no fear, but instead ignite a will to fight—there weren't many like that on Earth, perhaps not even many in the entire Federation.

Among the younger generation, showing neither reverence nor dread, only raw fighting intent—Qin Fen was either the first, or one of the very few.

"Hmph..." Ge Bing sneered, full of disdain. "Just a frog in a well that doesn't know how vast the sky is."

Qin Fen ignored him, accompanying Lin Liqiang and the other two into the elevator. Issuing a challenge would be showing weakness; ignoring him was the best response.

Ge Bing likewise ignored Qin Fen's demeanor. As one of the candidates to inherit a top-tier major family, reacting fiercely to someone without status or standing would only be lowering his own value.

Those standing at the pinnacle would not voluntarily descend to challenge those below. They would only wait to accept the challenges thrown up by those climbing toward the summit!

"Young Master Ge..."

"Say nothing," Ge Bing told Radam, who was about to speak as they entered the elevator. "What do I possess, and what does he possess? Don't forget, identity is also a form of strength."

The eyes of the few young men following Ge Bing suddenly lit up, each gaining a different level of insight at that moment.

Entering the pre-arranged room, everyone took seats according to their preference. Qin Fen's mind, however, was still replaying the errors of spreading jam on bread. The Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill inside him circulated slowly. Compared to the rapid surging of the skill, this slow movement was extremely simple, yet achieving perfect uniformity even in this simplicity was exceedingly difficult.

Having spent the morning cultivating, Qin Fen knew his precision control was not as high as he imagined and he couldn't achieve precise control yet. He wasn't worried; as long as he had time, he could practice it.

Lin Liqiang watched Ge Bing with dissatisfaction. Qin Fen's counterattack didn't quite soothe his temper, yet a direct confrontation risked wounding Qin Fen’s pride.

Xue Tian then poked Lin Liqiang's waist with his finger and whispered something into his ear. The dissatisfaction on Lin Liqiang's face gradually shifted into a delighted smile.

"Worthy of being one of us."

Lin Liqiang and Xue Tian grinned mischievously, back to back, which sent a chill down Ge Bing's spine. Those who knew Young Master Lin understood that this particular smile was exceedingly ill-intentioned.

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."

Ge Bing bowed slightly and rose. Although he wasn't afraid of Lin Liqiang, there was no need to escalate the conflict here. Stepping away for a moment would also give him a chance to analyze and guess what Lin Liqiang was planning.

At this moment, Lin Liqiang's smile fully bloomed, and Xue Tian beside him was equally radiant.

"What a coincidence? We need to go too!" Xue Tian stood up.

Lin Liqiang grabbed Qin Fen's arm. "Old Qin, if I recall, you also have a habit of going to the restroom before eating, right?"

"Huh?" Qin Fen, looking bewildered, was pulled along by the two of them toward the restroom.

Ge Bing had already risen, so he couldn't sit back down. He walked toward the restroom with a look of confusion, constantly trying to guess what Lin Liqiang might be planning.

Could it be? He intended to make a move in the toilet? That was something done in elementary school. Now that they were in university, surely he wouldn't do such a thing?

Lost in speculation, Ge Bing entered the restroom, followed closely by a bewildered Qin Fen and Lin Liqiang, and Xue Tian, both wearing expressions of wicked amusement.

Ge Bing cautiously positioned himself at a urinal. Lin Liqiang and Xue Tian quickly pulled Qin Fen toward the urinals, and at that moment, Qin Fen finally understood what the two were planning.

He let out a weak laugh, shaking his head, and moved to the urinal next to Ge Bing.

The moment the sound of release began, Lin Liqiang and Xue Tian deliberately leaned their heads forward, widened their eyes in feigned surprise, and exclaimed in unison, "Young Master Ge, yours is so much smaller than Old Qin's! Is it underdeveloped?"

Hearing this, Ge Bing subconsciously glanced toward Qin Fen's vicinity. A hint of surprise blossomed in his eyes, and his haughty expression dimmed instantly. Lin Liqiang and Xue Tian’s laughter grew louder.