Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Want to Take It a Step Further?
"You’re pretty good."
"Yeah, I know," Chen Yu nodded.
Meng Li: "..."
"You’ve got a thick skin, I see."
Chen Yu: "That’s one of my strengths."
"..."
"...Uncle Li, please have a seat. Uncle Xu will be down in a moment," Meng Li said, looking at Li Qing.
Li Qing nodded and sat down as well.
Chen Yu also plopped down into a seat.
"What would you like to drink?"
"Green tea is fine," Li Qing said with a smile.
"And you?" Meng Li looked at Chen Yu.
"Do you have any Longjing?"
"Yes!"
"Do you have any Biluochun?"
"Yes!"
"Do you have any Tieguanyin?"
"We have that too!"
"In that case, I’ll have a cup of flower tea."
"...?"
"Just you wait!" Glaring at Chen Yu, Meng Li turned and left.
"Is there some bad blood between you two?" Li Qing, who was sitting to the side, couldn’t help but ask as he looked at Chen Yu.
Chen Yu shook his head.
"Be more polite. She’s from the Superpower Academy. It’s best to get on her good side," Li Qing said.
Chen Yu didn’t say anything.
A short while later, Meng Li returned with two cups of tea and placed them in front of them.
Chen Yu looked at the tea in his cup, which had already turned black, then back at Meng Li.
"This is... flower tea?"
"It’s just aged. It won’t kill you." Meng Li tossed out the remark and walked toward the hall restroom.
Chen Yu: "..."
"Boss, why don’t you have it? I’m suddenly not thirsty anymore." Chen Yu pushed the cup toward Li Qing.
Li Qing glanced at the blackened "flower tea" and decisively picked up his own cup.
"I prefer green tea."
"..."
"Boss, do you know that Meng Li girl well?" Chen Yu set the cup aside and asked Li Qing.
Li Qing: "I wouldn’t say we know each other well, but we’ve met a few times."
Chen Yu nodded. Just as he was about to ask another question, footsteps sounded on the stairs, and an old man in a Zhongshan suit descended from the upper floor.
Chen Yu looked at the old man in the Zhongshan suit.
He had a head of silver hair, but his Spirit, Essence, and Qi were excellent. His face was ruddy, and his eyes were full of life!
Seeing the old man in the Zhongshan suit come downstairs, Li Qing quickly stood up from the sofa. Chen Yu stood up as well.
"Captain Xu, I’ve brought him," Li Qing said.
The old man in the Zhongshan suit came over and looked Chen Yu up and down.
"Greetings, Captain Xu," Chen Yu also spoke up.
"You must be Chen Yu, the one who Awakened the Ice Ability?" the old man in the Zhongshan suit asked, his voice deep and powerful.
"I am." Chen Yu nodded.
"A fine young man." A smile appeared on the old man’s face.
"You’re too kind, Captain Xu."
"Sit, sit. Don’t be so formal. Just make yourself at home," the old man said.
Chen Yu nodded and sat down.
The old man in the Zhongshan suit sat opposite him and looked at Chen Yu. "You’re from Crane City?"
Chen Yu nodded. "Yes, my hometown is Crane City."
"It’s not easy to have survived," the old man sighed.
"I guess I was lucky," Chen Yu said with a forced smile.
The old man nodded. "As the saying goes, to survive a great catastrophe is to be blessed with good fortune in the future. By Awakening an ability, you could say your misfortune has turned into a blessing."
Chen Yu didn’t say anything.
The old man continued, "How do you feel about being in the Twelfth Mercenary Team?"
"I think it’s great," Chen Yu replied.
"Don’t you find it exhausting?" the old man asked, looking at him.
Chen Yu shook his head. "Just being alive isn’t easy. This is much better than being on the run."
"Do you want to take the next step?" the old man asked with a wide smile.
’The next step...’
Hearing this, Chen Yu immediately thought of the Superpower Academy.
As the General Captain of Qing City’s Mercenary Teams, Chen Yu had no doubt he had the authority to make recommendations.
However, he wasn’t particularly interested in the Superpower Academy.
Even if it was a world-class, top-tier academy.
’The kind of progress I need can’t be achieved in an academy.’
"Of course it’s good to be able to advance, but I think the Mercenary Team is a great place to be."
The old man smiled. "An Awakened staying in a Mercenary Team is a waste. Let me be blunt: do you want to go to the Superpower Academy?"
"Well... I’m afraid my strength isn’t sufficient. It wouldn’t be good if I ended up embarrassing you," Chen Yu said hesitantly.
"Oh? I thought your ’strength’ was being thick-skinned? Since when did you learn humility?" At that moment, Meng Li’s voice came from the side.
"..."
"Xiaoli, we’re discussing serious matters. Don’t talk nonsense," the old man said with a stern face.
"Uncle Xu, he admitted himself that he has a thick skin," Meng Li said with a wide grin as she walked over.
"..."
The old man shot a glare at Meng Li before turning back to Chen Yu. "As long as you have the ability, that’s enough. The Superpower Academy doesn’t care about a Martial Artist’s cultivation level, but rather their innate ability. Strength can be improved over time. No one is born powerful. That’s not what’s important."
"I think being a Mercenary is just fine," Chen Yu said.
"You’re actually refusing?" Meng Li looked at him, astonished.
Chen Yu’s expression turned serious. "Captain Li showed me great kindness by recognizing my potential. Right now, I just want to do my job well and not let down his faith in me."
’This kid... I wasn’t wrong about him. So young, yet he already understands how to repay a kindness.’
Hearing Chen Yu’s words, Li Qing, who was listening at the side, felt a secret thrill of satisfaction.
It proved that he hadn’t misjudged the young man.
Having ability is one thing, but knowing how to conduct oneself was also a major plus.
"Hahaha, you certainly know what to say. I was just asking. It’s not that easy to get into the Superpower Academy, you know," the old man said with a hearty laugh.
"Being a good Mercenary is good enough for me," Chen Yu said with a serious expression.
"Tsk, tsk. You’re a real weirdo. You probably have no idea what kind of benefits the Superpower Academy offers, do you?" Meng Li said, looking at him from the side.
"My current situation isn’t bad either," Chen Yu replied.
Meng Li: "..."
"Young man, I’m gratified that you think this way, but talent should not be wasted. If you have the chance, the Superpower Academy is your best option," the old man said to Chen Yu.
"Kid, not every Awakened gets an opportunity like this," Li Qing finally spoke up, looking at Chen Yu.
Although he wanted to keep Chen Yu, the higher-ups would never agree to it.
A well-trained Awakened was far more valuable than a mere Mercenary.
Based on the abilities Chen Yu had shown, he was, by any measure, a very promising prospect.
"By being a good Mercenary, I believe my future will also be bright," Chen Yu said earnestly.
’Is this guy really not tempted?’
Looking at Chen Yu, the same thought surfaced in all three of their minds.
’He’s just young and doesn’t understand. Once he learns more, he’ll get it...’
"Alright, let’s drop this topic. It’s getting late. Why don’t you two stay for dinner?" the old man said, rising to his feet.
Li Qing nodded. Seeing this, Chen Yu also nodded in agreement.
...
「Two hours later.」
Chen Yu and Li Qing left the villa by car.
For Chen Yu, the meal had not been a relaxing one.
Li Qing had relentlessly tried to convince him to go to the Superpower Academy, and while Captain Xu hadn’t said it outright, he seemed to have already approved of the idea.
It gave Chen Yu a headache, but he couldn’t just come out and say no.
"You should be a shoo-in for the Superpower Academy," Li Qing said while driving.
Chen Yu lowered his head and said nothing.
"Kid, what’s with that look? What? You really don’t want to go to the Superpower Academy?" Li Qing glanced at Chen Yu and couldn’t help but ask.
"I think being a good Mercenary is enough," Chen Yu replied.
Hearing this, Li Qing couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
"Bullshit. How can being a Mercenary compare to the Superpower Academy? I’m not an Awakened. If I were, I’d go myself."
Chen Yu lowered his head.
Li Qing continued as he drove, "Right, don’t go out for the next few days. Stay home, rest up, and build your strength. You might be going to the Crane Ridge Anomaly."
"I’m going to the Crane Ridge Anomaly?!" Chen Yu stared at Li Qing, stunned.
The Crane Ridge Anomaly was the new Abyssal Realm. Chen Yu had learned about it during dinner.
He just never thought he would be going.
Li Qing nodded. "Yes, Captain Xu is planning on it. It’s also a good opportunity for you to get some training."
"You’ve got good abilities, kid. Even though your cultivation is lacking, your power is strong. From what I gathered from Captain Xu, you should have a solid chance. You don’t need to go on patrol outside the city for the next few days. Just stay home and train hard. Wait for my notice."
"Is... is that appropriate?" Chen Yu couldn’t help but ask.
"It’s an order," Li Qing said with a serious expression.
Chen Yu: "..."
"Don’t worry, if you go, you won’t be alone. There will be others," Li Qing said, looking at Chen Yu.
"Will Meng Li from the Superpower Academy be going too?" Chen Yu asked Li Qing.
Li Qing nodded. "Yes, she has to. The Superpower Academy sent three people this time. Meng Li, who you’ve met, is just one of them. There are two others."
’Three of them...’
A glint flashed in Chen Yu’s eyes.
"In any case, you’ll be notified. Just wait at home for news over the next few days. If it turns out you’re not going, then you can come back to the Mercenary Team," Li Qing said.
Chen Yu nodded.
"Don’t you go running off, kid. If something happens to you, I’ll be held responsible," Li Qing added, looking at Chen Yu.
Chen Yu: "..."
’And here I was, planning to sneak out tonight...’
