Wang Lan sat on a street bench and submitted his task, earning a hundred points. To many Star Martial Warriors, this was a significant inco. But for Wang Lan, it was just a trivial way to pass the ti.
There were still two days left until the end of the vacation. Forget it, I won’t look for more tasks in these two days.
"I really envy you students, with over a hundred days of vacation every year," a voice sounded. Wang Lan had just completed his task submission when, looking up, he saw Xu Shiyun in casual attire appearing before him.
"Xu? Are you looking for ? Is there a mission?" Suddenly, Wang Lan’s eyes lit up.
"Why are you like Lige? The mont you hear ’mission,’ your eyes glow green. I’m off today, just bored and walking around. By chance, I saw you..."
"This... what a coincidence," Wang Lan replied, his face full of black lines. "In Greater Su City, with at least ten million people, you just walk around and run into randomly? Bullcrap!"
"Stop whining. I’m frustrated, can’t I ask you out for a drink?"
"I’m only sixteen, I can’t drink."
"Can you drink milk then?" Xu Shiyun reached out, slinging an arm around Wang Lan’s shoulders. And thus, Wang Lan was coaxed by Xu Shiyun into the restaurant across the street.
In the private room, Xu Shiyun efficiently ordered about twenty to thirty dishes, then asked for two bottles of white liquor and got five cans of Red Bull for Wang Lan.
"Xu, are you trying to get hyped up all night?"
"Pfft, you think it really has any effect? It’s all a lie."
Wang Lan could tell that Xu Shiyun was indeed troubled. After a mont of silence, he played with a toothpick and, with a smile, looked at Xu Shiyun. "Xu, feeling down? Had a fight with your wife?"
"Possible? My wife and I never fight," Xu Shiyun said, raising his head proudly. "We prefer action over pointless chatter."
"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH—" Wang Lan almost spat out his water. "Where are you hurt? Let check."
"No! It’s about work." The dishes quickly arrived one by one, and Xu Shiyun poured himself a drink. Good heavens, a forty-five percent alcohol white liquor, downed in one gulp—how aggrieved must he have been?
"Wang Lan, do you think our Director Wang is stupid?" Xu Shiyun said, his cheeks slightly flushed after finishing his drink. "How have we, his subordinates, failed to satisfy him? Is he elbowing us out?"
"Because of the incident at Red Maple Forest Park?" Wang Lan instantly understood.
Wang Qianfeng’s explanation to Wang Lan was that, from his perspective, he had to consider the interests of the entire Intelligence Departnt and make concessions for the departnt’s relationship with other fraternal departnts. But to Xu Shiyun, it looked like Director Wang was indeed giving away credit that rightfully belonged to the Intelligence Departnt.
"Exactly! You discovered the Demon Clan, you called Director Wang. This A-class mission was at on a plate for our Intelligence Departnt. Why give it to the Action Departnt?"
"Maybe Director Wang had his reasons."
"I know he has other considerations. He says we can’t hog all the credit. We’re the Intelligence Departnt; providing intelligence is our duty. Capturing and fighting are the Action Departnt’s tasks. But then... what’s the point of having an action team in the Intelligence Departnt?"
"Xu, didn’t Director Wang leave you the task of rounding up and capturing them?"
"Those guys all committed suicide as soon as we started the roundup. Not a single survivor was caught, and we got a scolding from Director Wang. Anyone can talk big. If he’s so capable, let him do it."
Wang Lan lowered his head and said nothing.
"Forget it, there’s no use complaining now; what’s done is done. By the way, next ti you co across sothing good, don’t just call Director Wang. Director Wang is too magnanimous; he doesn’t need a promotion himself, so he’s unaware of how hard it is for us brothers to get one. If you co across new intelligence, rember to give the brothers in the Intelligence Departnt a call."
"This... is that okay? To take action without reporting to Director Wang?"
"It’s not about taking unilateral action. This ti, you had confird the Demon Clan’s whereabouts, so you had to report to Director Wang. But it’s not always possible to locate the Demon Clan so smoothly. As long as you have a hunch, even a slight suspicion, you can ask our brothers in the Intelligence Departnt for assistance. As long as the brothers get a piece of the action in such good opportunities, Director Wang can’t then offer up the credit they’ve already earned to curry favor elsewhere."
Wang Lan looked at the red-eyed Xu Shiyun with a disgusted expression. "Such things are rare and unpredictable; they’re not easy to co by..."
"For soone else, perhaps, but you’re different. You’re the lucky charm of our Intelligence Departnt... you step in dog shit without even stopping."
The chicken tender on Wang Lan’s chopsticks dropped with a PLUNK.
"We have an agreent, alright? This isn’t just my idea; it’s the collective wish of the brothers in the Intelligence Group."
"Understood, understood. By the way, any new developnts in that case?"
"Of course there are developnts," Xu Shiyun leaned closer and whispered. "Do you know whose skull was found in the forest park?"
"Whose?"
"Chang Yu!"
"Her! What are the odds?" Wang Lan’s eyes glead with insight. "Now I get it! Chang Shuangyue underwent Demonization during the competition because of Chang Yu. Chang Yu had a direct connection with Magical Martial Artists. Not good!"
Suddenly, Wang Lan exclaid in a low voice.
"What’s the matter?"
"Chang Yu can’t be touched right now. Taking action against her would an severing all the lines we have to follow. We don’t know how many Magical Martial Artists are still out there in Suzhou City... She’s our only lead right now, and we should play the long ga to catch the big fish."
Xu Shiyun looked at Wang Lan in a daze, an expression of astonishnt on his face.
"What’s wrong, Xu? Is there a problem with what I said?"
"To think of all this in such a short ti... You’ve made see you in a new light. It seems I was wrong about you. Director Wang said you were a koi, and we all took you for one. Who in the world really has such good luck? You rely on real strength. You picked up on all this so quickly; even Director Wang didn’t react as fast as you. But he has thought of it as well... Speaking of this, brother, it’s tough for !"
"What happened again?"
"Not even the task of surveilling Chang Yu fell to the brothers; it was snatched up by Lige of the Action Departnt."
"Is he Director Wang’s actual son?"
"No, this ti it was Director Lu who designated him."
"Then he’s Director Lu’s actual son."
After having dinner with Xu Shiyun, Wang Lan went straight ho. The next day, Jiang Xinyu and the others returned from Modu City and invited Wang Lan out to dine together. Wang Lan, having nothing better to do, naturally did not refuse.
During the al, Jiang Xinchen asked about Wang Lan’s relationship with Li Xiaoqin. Wang Lan did not hide anything and candidly explained it was due to a protection mission. Wang Lan had an enriching five days, and they too had a fantastic ti during these days.
Ti always flies especially fast when you wish it could stay a little longer. Wang Lan had just begun to relax when the holiday ca to an end.
The main academic focus before the National Day holiday was improvent, but after the holiday, it was all about preparing for the end-of-term tests. The end-of-term tests involved both academics and martial combat, with rankings for the whole school.
In Suzhou City’s Star Martial Arts Campus, the fight for the new top ten spots among senior year students always led to a fierce battle at the end of each year. Academic subjects just ant endless practice tests. Starting from the first day after the holidays, there was almost a test paper every day, four in total. For the afternoon practical combat classes, Liu Jie first arranged students of equal caliber to spar in pairs, followed by two hours of high-intensity physical training.
「Ten days passed quietly.」
Under such an intensive study rhythm, Wang Lan’s fear of his strength being inadequate was effectively relieved.
Exhausted in both body and mind after school each day, he only needed to train briefly in the Training Room before he could fall asleep the mont his head touched the pillow.
Thanks to the rigorous training, Wang Lan was able to earn seven or eight skill points every afternoon. His practical combat strength had already far surpassed Liu Jie’s. In the class, only Jiang Xinyu and Mingyue Wucheng could give Wang Lan a challenge.
Most of the ti, Wang Lan was grouped with Mingyue Wucheng. His initial wish to beat Song Bo eight or ten tis a day wasn’t fulfilled, but he got to beat Mingyue Wucheng seven or eight tis a day instead.
And Mingyue Wucheng, truly worthy of being a scion of a Star Martial family, was well-educated. Each ti he was knocked down by Wang Lan, far from getting angry or frustrated, he would earnestly grasp Wang Lan’s arm and say, "Thank you for the lesson!"
Once, Wang Lan spotted an opening in Mingyue Wucheng’s defense and considered pressing his advantage. However, not wanting Mingyue Wucheng to lose too badly, he held back. Mingyue Wucheng, however, wasn’t pleased and repeatedly asked Wang Lan not to hold back.
Faced with such a request, Wang Lan thought to himself, you asked for this!
From that day on, instead of earning just seven or eight skill points each day, he could earn at least twelve.
While reaping the benefits of improvent, Wang Lan also noticed that Mingyue Wucheng’s clothes hung looser and his face grew increasingly haggard. After a week, his cheeks had sunk in deeply.
To prevent Mingyue Wucheng from being crushed by Wang Lan, Liu Jie eventually changed the groups. Jiang Xinyu, Mingyue Wucheng, and Wang Lan were put in one group, aning Wang Lan would rotate sparring with the two of them.
Actually, Liu Jie had also realized Wang Lan was far stronger than he was, which was why he ca up with the idea of letting Wang Lan take his place to give intense training to the two top-seeded students. As for Wang Lan, he accepted all challenges and even went to Liu Jie’s office once to suggest, "How about I take on the entire class by myself?"
You’d even suggest such a thing? Should I just quit my job then? Liu Jie was so infuriated he nearly kicked Wang Lan out of his office.
Every ti Wang Lan sparred with Mingyue Wucheng and Jiang Xinyu, a girl, Xie Sisi, would stand on the sidelines, staring intently at Wang Lan.
Wang Lan simply thought Xie Sisi was observing their battles to learn from their experience.
「Before he realized it, half a month had gone by, and there were less than two months left until the winter break.」
Wang Lan leisurely packed his school bag. His movents were always slow when he wasn’t in combat.
"Wang Lan, do you have any plans for this winter break?" Jiang Xinyu suddenly asked indifferently.
"Ah? Are we going out to have fun again? I’ve already made a training plan. After all, there’s still such a big gap between and you all. If I don’t work hard, I’m afraid I won’t catch up before next year’s college entrance examination," replied Wang Lan.
"Is that so? Today, an announcent was posted at the trial facility, saying that all three trial areas will open on December 1st. I was planning to go to the interdiate trial area during the winter break, but if you have other plans, then never mind..."
"Other plans? What other plans?" Wang Lan imdiately looked at Jiang Xinyu in confusion.
Jiang Xinyu’s lips twitched slightly, struggling to suppress a smile.
"Um..." Xie Sisi, who was sitting next to Wang Lan and overheard the conversation, quickly moved closer and looked at Jiang Xinyu. "Can I co with you?"
During this ti, Xie Sisi had grown quite close to Jiang Xinyu, although not quite to the level of best friends. Xie Sisi’s Cultivation Level was at the peak of Starlight. Although she might break through to the Star Shine Stage soon, her current strength was barely enough for the beginner trial area, let alone the interdiate one.
Jiang Xinyu, not wanting to dampen her spirits too much, could only say regretfully, "The interdiate trial area costs a hundred thousand a day, and we plan to go for ten days."
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