Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Milton Su was the first to recover, looking at Cheng Jiu and bringing his legs together, saluting with a serious expression, “General Cheng!”

Cheng Jiu greeted him informally, “Hey~ Long time no see.”

Milton Su nodded respectfully, “Indeed, my father mentioned you recently, hoping you would find time to meet.”

Cheng Jiu responded, “I’ll visit when I have the chance. What were you all discussing just now?”

Milton Su explained, “The people from the Royal Military Academy were insulting Lin Fu’s status as a guide from the Artemis Military Academy. Lin Fu was defending himself.”

Milton Su summarized the situation with a dignified and straightforward statement.

Luo Lin: “…”

Lin Fu, who had been standing at the front edge of the group, found himself at the back after turning around, now inconspicuous and swallowed by the crowd.

While assessing Milton Su's demeanor, he failed to notice Cheng Jiu looking at him.

After hearing Milton Su's account, Cheng Jiu asked curiously, “Did he win?”

Milton Su, weighing his response carefully, replied after a moment, “He likely did.”

Cheng Jiu’s smile widened, “Good to hear. Otherwise, Principal Karl might have led a charge over there, and injuries would be regrettable. Now, given that a score has been settled, the principal might at most catch the culprit for a beating and perhaps expel them?”

With a smug expression reminiscent of a Royal Military Academy cadet who had just snagged a bargain, he enthusiastically shared, "I too was on the receiving end of Principal Karl's beatings once. Hurt like hell. You guys are in for some real luck."

Lin Fu listened to his brief account, silently exclaiming "wow" in his heart.

This was truly the most agreeable he had ever found Cheng Jiu to be.

Karl was intimidating enough when he wasn't smiling, but with his face darkened, he was even more unsettling. The murderous aura and scent of blood honed through years on the battlefield weren't something a few years as a principal could erase.

His gaze swept over the people from the Royal Military Academy, several of whom were trembling uncontrollably in fear.

As the team leader, Luo Lin broke out in a cold sweat. Merely thinking of Karl's brutal wartime records made his throat tighten with fear. With a dry voice, he admitted their fault, "Principal Karl, it's their fault, but these are just minor frictions between students..."

Cheng Jiu suddenly asked, "When do you graduate?"

Luo Lin: "...Next year."

Cheng Jiu: "Which means you'll be an official soldier in a year. I remember getting beaten by Principal Karl just after I turned eighteen."

He nodded affirmatively after speaking.

Luo Lin's following words were stuck in his throat.

This situation was beyond salvaging, unless their families or the royal household intervened.

But the visitors were just a few ordinary students, albeit relatively outstanding ones. Even Luo Lin himself was just an ordinary direct descendant, not within the core members of his family.

If he begged further, even he would be doomed.

Luo Lin immediately shut his mouth, ignoring the pleading looks from his classmates.

With such an incident, having seen most of the military school already, continuing the tour was pointless.

After proposing their departure, Milton Su was the first to lead his group away, followed by the people from Saint Mountain Military Academy, with the attendees from Karlton Academy trailing close behind.

The people from the Royal Military Academy waited dejectedly to return and face the school's accountability.

Once the crowd had cleared, Karl's face brightened considerably.

Every school anniversary brought its share of issues; it had been a long time since he felt this relaxed.

With their mission accomplished, Yan Yan and his two companions prepared to head back to their dormitory, but Lin Fu was called to stay.

The two turned around in confusion, watching a young Major General they didn't recognize leaning forward with a smile, striking up a conversation with Lin Fu.

Do they know each other?

*

"Did you sign up for the competition?"

Lin Fu nodded, remaining silent.

It wasn't proper to be too unrestrained with their words in front of the principal, Cheng Jiu reasoned.

Sensing his self-restraint, Cheng Jiu considerately bid farewell to Principal Karl and took him to a more secluded spot, "Alright, speak your mind."

Lin Fu: "...” Is this guy a bit of a... what's it called, a tease?

Is he uncomfortable if he's not verbally sparring?

Jing Cun glanced between his superior and Lin Fu, who seemed on the verge of speaking but held back. Wisely, he pulled his colleague away to a distance where they could neither hear their conversation nor see their figures, granting them privacy.

Now they were completely alone.

Cheng Jiu's gaze drifted downward, landing on the pinky ring on Lin Fu's right hand.

The cold, white, slender fingers encased in the black and gold ring contrasted sharply, rendering the patch of skin in contact with the metal exceptionally soft and delicate to the eye.

He was tempted to touch it, to see if it felt as it appeared.

Before Lin Fu could notice, he shifted his gaze, "You've held back for so long, what makes you lose control now?"

Although Lin Fu used to be at Artemis, and those with a mind to investigate could catch wind of it, nobody cared enough, so the matter could be concealed. The Lin family had to operate in the shadows.

Lin Fu's actions now had essentially put him under the public eye, exposed to everyone's scrutiny.

It also gave those who wished to harm him a clear direction to strike.

He chuckled, "Young friend, you'll need better self-control."

Lin Fu: "Holding back for too long can lead to issues."

Cheng Jiu: "..."

After his casual retort, he added, "One must endure when necessary, but now is not the time. To hold back any longer would be retreat. Thank you for your concern, Major Cheng, but I'm well aware of the situation."

Seeing his demeanor, Cheng Jiu's flippant attitude subsided a bit as he asked, "Are you confident?"

Lin Fu's thoughts stirred, and he replied nonchalantly, "It's worth a shot."

Cheng Jiu suddenly burst into laughter, his voice deep and pleasant as it vibrated from his throat, "Lin student, are you thinking of using me for practice?"

Lin Fu, far from being embarrassed by the exposure, retorted provocatively, "Do you dare?"

A Major General would indeed make for an excellent sparring partner.

Moreover, he was quite curious to see how much substance there was to Major General Cheng Jiu.

Unfortunately, Cheng Jiu didn't agree.

With a smile in his eyes, he casually patted Lin Fu's head as if to ruffle his hair, but Lin Fu brushed him away.

"It's not out of the question, but I have other matters. If you make it through the preliminary round, I'll serve as your sparring partner for a day. Free of charge."

Lin Fu immediately accepted.

Such sparring opportunities were not to be missed.

Their conversation came to a close.

Lin Fu waved goodbye and turned to leave.

His hands were in his pockets, and his steps seemed leisurely.

He truly was fearless.

Cheng Jiu withdrew his gaze and took a few steps before noticing Jing Cun and the others hiding in a corner: "Let's head back."

*

After returning to school, Tang Qian learned about Lin Fu's encounter from Yan Lian and was somewhat worried.

He didn't believe Lin Fu had genuinely forgotten who Luo Lin was.

Lin Fu's mother was a member of the Luo family.

The relationship between the Lin family and Lin Fu was already strained, and now, even his maternal relatives were speaking ill of him. Such treatment would be hard for anyone to bear.

However, knowing Lin Fu's tendency to keep things bottled up, overt comfort wasn't an option.

He was riddled with self-reproach, believing that had he not been preoccupied that day, Lin Fu wouldn't have encountered Luo Lin, nor would he have suffered those insults and the ensuing distress.

During a simulation training session, Tang Qian's repeated blunders caused Lin Fu to frown.

He opened the simulation pod and called out to Tang Qian, "What's happened with your family?"

Tang Qian shook his head.

Lin Fu's frown deepened, and he could guess the reason: "Heard about the campus tour incident yesterday?"

In a low voice, Tang Qian said, "I'm sorry, if it weren't for..."

Raising an eyebrow, Lin Fu retorted, "What's there to apologize for? Did you make Luo Lin insult me, or did you incite those from the Royal Academy to spew nonsense? If you had that kind of clout, would you still be here?"

Tang Qian: "..."

Lin Fu knew he couldn't untangle Tang Qian's guilt. That sense of remorse was a hurdle Tang Qian couldn't overcome, hence his inability to bear seeing Lin Fu slighted, always eager to shoulder the blame himself.

If only his temperament could be tempered with that of Albert, Lin Fu wouldn't be so vexed.

Albert...

Lin Fu gathered his wandering thoughts and punched Tang Qian's shoulder playfully, half-jokingly threatening, "If you really don't want to irk me, then take this seriously, or else I'll drag you to the training field and give you a beating."

Tang Qian, rubbing his shoulder, nodded dazedly, "Okay."

This time, Tang Qian was much more earnest.

Three days passed in a flash.

Before the competition, the participants from the Artemis Military Academy gathered at the school gates and boarded a hover vehicle together, heading towards the Royal Military Academy.

Excitement was palpable on the StarNet, with discussions about the inter-academy festival competition visible everywhere.

The celebration match showcases the strength of the finest youths of the Empire, not only demonstrating the power of the Empire to the interstellar populace but also likely marking the debut of a rare Imperial dignitary.

Not only are certain seats made available for live viewing, but the entire event is also broadcast live on the official website.

Every year at this time, hordes of people emerge to place bets on which military academy will clinch the championship.

To capitalize on this buzz, the Royal Military Academy's official website has opened betting, with a stake of five star coins, prompting netizens to wager on the five major military academies.

Aboard the hovercar, several individuals are placing bets on their own academies using their light brains through the Royal Military Academy's official webpage.

Lin Fu also took a glance and saw that the betting numbers for the Hui Lion Military Academy and Artemis Military Academy were far ahead, with the Royal Military Academy at the bottom, hardly anyone betting on its victory.

This money is earned rather begrudgingly, probably collected with a green face.

He looked up at the co-driver’s seat, separated by a partition, a mischievous smile suddenly appearing at the corner of his mouth.