Chapter 44

The off-road vehicle of the unfamiliar team drove away, effectively ending the tension that had seemed on the verge of igniting.

Sun Fushan had expected his teammates to share some thoughts after nearly having a confrontation with the opposing team. However, Meng Li went straight to dissect the crystal cores of the two gray wolves she had killed, while Xu Qiao followed to help, and Qin Chi merely stood still without moving.

Sun Fushan: “……”

If he had initially named the team “Lively and Bustling,” would the atmosphere have been different?

Since no one wanted to talk, Sun Fushan had no choice but to join in the dissection of the crystal cores. Once they finished processing the five wolves, Meng Li set their bodies on fire.

As the flames died down, Sun Fushan finally found an opportunity to type on his communication bracelet: [The Snow Wolf team is quite rule-abiding.]

With no owner, the beasts belonged to whoever killed them, unless one party had already seriously injured the beast, in which case the other party taking advantage would be deemed unethical.

He extended his arm toward Xu Qiao, who looked at him and analyzed, “It might be that they abide by the rules, or it might be that they are wary of our strength.”

Zhao Feng did not have a good temper, and he probably hesitated to provoke them since all four of them were wearing A-level battle armor and had quickly killed five B-level wolves.

Meng Li glanced at her.

She felt even more strongly that Zhao Feng recognized Xu Qiao through the snow wolf spirit and refrained from arguing out of respect for Xu Qiao.

During her three years at military school, Meng Li rarely paid attention to matters unrelated to her, but there were a few instances when she saw the snow wolf following a beautiful girl. The onlooking girls mostly expressed envy, while the beautiful girl followed by the snow wolf appeared indifferent and refused to accept anything it brought.

It was only during graduation practice that Meng Li learned the girl was named Xu Qiao.

Qin Chi stood on Sun Fushan’s other side, his dark eyes reflecting the flames consuming the wolf corpses. Suddenly, a memory of Aunt Liu from room 202 popped into his mind: “There was a B-level classmate pursuing her back in military school, but she never agreed…”

That snow wolf clearly paid special attention to Xu Qiao.

Wolves can recognize familiar people by scent.

It seemed the courses at the Third Military School were still too easy, allowing the young cadets the energy to engage in activities outside their studies.

The return trip went smoothly. Upon arriving at the base and lining up to submit their tasks, Sun Fushan commented in the group chat: [My grandfather said we can train in B-level danger zones, but we can’t accept B-level missions. One reason is to maintain a low profile, and the other is to prevent us from earning too many contribution points.]

C-level teams undertake basic tasks of the same level and can earn one contribution point for each completed task. B-level teams taking on B-level tasks also earn only one contribution point.

However, if a C-level team takes on basic tasks at the B-level, they can earn ten contribution points for each completed task.

By concealing their strength and opting for a low profile, the four of them shouldn’t exploit loopholes in the contribution point rules.

Contribution points are harder to accumulate than points and are worth more; for example, the cheapest C-level battle armor costs a million points to purchase, but mercenaries can exchange it for free with one hundred contribution points.

The base encourages a wide range of part-time mercenaries to go out and train to enhance the overall combat power of the population.

Meng Li: [I just want to improve my strength, I don’t need ten times the contribution points.]

Xu Qiao: [What he said makes sense; the captain doesn’t need to feel burdened.]

Qin Chi: [I have enough points; contribution points aren’t very meaningful to me.]

The three teammates: [……]
—-
In the two days that Xu Qiao was out, Lu Yang had also made significant progress in using his mental power—he learned to control a kitchen knife to chop vegetables.

Although he was slow and far from being as skilled as someone accustomed to handling a knife, it was indeed harder for beginners to master precise movements, so Lu Yang showed promise.

At this stage, ability users often struggled to control their powers, which could lead to danger. While maintaining Lu Yang’s physical fitness and close combat training, Qin Chi set simple, practical goals for Lu Yang in terms of mental power during the summer break: to prepare a meal of acceptable quality using only his ability to control metal kitchen utensils.

After a comfortable nap, on Monday morning, Xu Qiao tidied up the small courtyard and leaned against the kitchen door, enjoying watching Lu Yang practice.

Lu Yang was sweating, saying, “With you watching like this, I feel the pressure of having a teacher overseeing the exam.”

Xu Qiao laughed, “If you’re under pressure, then I’m having fun.”

Stimulated by her teasing, Lu Yang’s concentration slipped, and he ended up cutting a three-centimeter thick slice of cucumber.

Joking aside, Xu Qiao finished teasing the high school student and walked away.

During the day, she worked at the clinic, and in the evening, Xu Qiao began a new training regimen.

She first created a training ground of ice, two meters long, two meters high, and twenty centimeters wide, on the wall opposite her bed. Then, she and her lotus spirit entity each controlled a sphere of water, with her pursuing the sphere controlled by the lotus spirit. During the pursuit, the water sphere could not touch the surrounding ice walls or the obstacles in the middle; touching either would count as a loss.

This method not only improved the proficiency of her abilities and her spirit entity but also trained her reaction speed.
—-
After four hours of playful antics, the lotus spirit entity was exhausted and disappeared. Xu Qiao forced herself to take a shower and almost fell asleep as soon as she got into bed.

On Tuesday, after finishing work, Xu Qiao rode her bike away from the clinic. In the bustling second ring road, where every inch of land is precious, the cement roads could barely accommodate two cars side by side, and there weren’t many low-level mercenaries willing to spend their points on vehicles.

Thus, a black vehicle parked by the roadside was hard to ignore.

Xu Qiao glanced over casually and was surprised to quickly recognize Jiang Rui sitting in the driver’s seat.

He just stared at her silently without getting out of the car, and even as Xu Qiao rode past at her original speed, he didn’t greet her.

When she reached the end of the road and turned, Xu Qiao looked back and noticed the black vehicle was still there.

She thought Jiang Rui looked foolish for just sitting there to catch a glimpse of her—was it really worth it?

But since Jiang Rui was willing and it didn’t affect her life, Xu Qiao didn’t want to interfere too much.

Upon returning to the Ping’an community, as she approached Building 5, Xu Qiao first glanced at Aunt Liu’s balcony.

Aunt Liu was hanging up clothes. Seeing that Xu Qiao had returned alone, she smiled and greeted her, wondering in her heart if Jiang Rui had given up. After all, he had lost face in front of Xu Qiao last time, and it was normal for him to end a pursuit that had received no response out of frustration.

While Aunt Liu could only speculate, Lu Yang directly asked, “Why didn’t that cow come today?”

Xu Qiao replied, “He has a proper name; don’t just make up nicknames. Be polite.”

Lu Yang corrected himself: “Why didn’t Jiang Rui come today?”

Xu Qiao replied, “There are too many people here; he probably changed places to wait.”

Lu Yang said, “…He knows I’m home, so at least he wouldn’t dare to cause trouble at the door. Now that he’s changed locations, what if he kidnaps you one day?”

Xu Qiao responded, “Do you think all the surveillance cameras on the street are just for decoration? Besides, he’s a bodyguard; breaking the law would make his punishment even harsher.”

For ordinary people, a fight would only affect the two parties involved, but if an ability user were to impulsively get into a fight, nearby pedestrians or buildings could easily be harmed. So if an ability user were to erupt into conflict within the base, the monitored footage would immediately report to the nearby patrol officers or guards, striving to suppress the offenders as quickly as possible to minimize personal and economic damage.

On the weekend, the team went directly to the eastern part of Huang City for training, gradually exploring deeper and even spending the night there.

This time, they were lucky; they didn’t encounter any A-level beasts or any swarms of beasts. Even without Qin Chi intervening, Xu Qiao and the others had an exhilarating time without any major dangers.
—-
On July 17, Wednesday afternoon, while Xu Qiao was chatting with her colleagues on the sofa in the break room, the small group for the military academy dormitory suddenly became lively after a long absence.

Jiang Zhuying: 【Long time no see, what’s everyone been up to? 】

Dandelion: 【Busy with work, spending time with family after hours—it’s boring. 】

Little Mint: 【Dating, hehe.】

Familiar nicknames pulled Xu Qiao back into her dorm life, and she replied.

Little Lotus: 【Working, gardening, and binge-watching dramas. 】

All four roommates in the healing department had spirit entities that could be used for medicine, so when the group was created, they used their respective spirit entities as nicknames.

After a round of casual chatting, Jiang Zhuying wrote: 【Actually, I’m getting married! The wedding is this Sunday, and I want to invite you all to the banquet. My maternal relatives aren’t many, so having you all come would really help me out. Those with family should bring them along too; the more, the merrier!】

Little Mint: 【Wow, I thought I was fast in dating, but you’re actually getting married! Come on, send us some photos to see.】

Xu Qiao joined in the excitement.

Soon, the group shared several couple photos. The female partner had striking features, while the male partner wasn’t very handsome but had a tall and robust build, exuding the aura of a professional mercenary.

Jiang Zhuying gave more details about her fiancé, who turned out to be a B-level professional mercenary living in the central district.

Setting aside the aspect of love, just considering their family backgrounds, this was a marriage that many would find enviable.

Xu Qiao and the others congratulated her one after another.

Jiang Zhuying: 【You all must come! It’s this Sunday, just bring a small gift; no need to spend too much. 】
—-
In the old era, it was customary to give red envelopes for happy events, but in the new era, there are only points instead of paper currency. Attending a wedding banquet means giving gifts, and if someone can’t attend, they can transfer points as a token of their intentions.

The other two roommates agreed, and Xu Qiao had no reason to refuse. Although she felt a bit hesitant about going to the unfamiliar central district, she was even happier for her roommate.

They hadn’t kept in touch much since graduation, but the memories of their three years of living and eating together were still vivid. There had been small disagreements, but overall, they had a harmonious relationship.

With plans set, Xu Qiao opened the “Silence is Golden” group.

Xu Qiao: 【I’m going to attend my military academy roommate’s wedding this Sunday, so I won’t be going for training this week.】

Meng Li: 【Are you not going on Saturday either? 】

Sun Fushan: 【Are you worried we’ll have to return to the base because of you on that day? No worries, I actually want to take a break on Sunday too; it’s quite tiring to keep going nonstop. 】

Among the four in the team, Xu Qiao was the most talkative. If she didn’t go, Sun Fushan wouldn’t know how to interact with Meng Li and Qin Chi.

Meng Li: 【That’s fine; I’ll take a day off too.】

Qin Chi: 【I’m fine with whatever; it’s up to you all.】

Xu Qiao smiled: 【Okay then, we’ll head out on Saturday.】

Sun Fushan: 【Is your roommate only twenty? Why is she getting married so early?】

Xu Qiao: 【When the time comes, it’s common to marry at twenty these days.】

Sun Fushan: 【My older brother is twenty-seven and still single. But he’s too busy in the military, unless he meets someone he likes in the army, like my dad did.】

Qin Chi: 【You all chat; I’m going to read.】

Sun Fushan: 【…Is Qin Ge really going to read, or did I accidentally say something wrong again? I really didn’t mean anything else! Qin Ge is so handsome and rich; delaying marriage is a personal choice. Otherwise, if Qin Ge wanted, he could have a line of girls wanting to be his girlfriend! 】

Qin Chi didn’t respond again.

Sun Fushan privately messaged Xu Qiao: 【Is he upset?】

Xu Qiao: 【Of course not. He doesn’t like small talk like Meng Li; it’s just the two of us who usually gossip a bit.】

Sun Fushan: 【That’s good.】

Xu Qiao: 【By the way, have you ever attended a wedding? What do the female friends and relatives of the bride usually wear? Do they have to be more formal? 】

Sun Fushan: 【I went to one when I was a kid, but I didn’t pay much attention. I just remember seeing a lot of dresses, or other types of formal wear. What’s your roommate’s family like? You should also consider her wedding rules. 】

Xu Qiao: 【A wedding held in the central district should be pretty good, right? 】

Sun Fushan: 【Then just buy a dress. You look so good that anything you wear will show off your elegance.】

Xu Qiao couldn’t help but smile, and her Lotus spirit happily emerged, condensing water to write: 【I like this teammate. 】

Xu Qiao replied helplessly, “You like whoever praises you.”

Lotus: 【That’s not true! I don’t like Zhao Feng; his compliments sound greasy. 】

Xu Qiao suddenly burst out laughing.

The fact that even her spirit entity could sense the greasiness shows just how much she had avoided Zhao Feng during those three years.