"You jumped to first overall. Over Senior Bai. Over Senior Xie." He said. "Senior Xie has held second place in this academy for over a year. She worked for that position." He paused. "And you walk in as a first-year, one expedition, and take first like it's nothing."
"The ranking system calculated it," Lin Yi said. "I didn't set the weights."
"That's not the point." The student's tone was sharpening. Behind him, the other three had the body language of people who had come prepared for escalation and were waiting for the signal that it had been authorized. "The point is that Senior Xie extended you an invitation. Twice. Personally. She doesn't do that." He paused for emphasis. "And you turned her down both times like it meant nothing."
"I gave her a reason both times," Lin Yi said.
