Chapter 155: 149, Group 19 of Mediocre Players (Seeking Subscription and Monthly Tickets)
Fang Gang glanced at Chen Xiran, then at Lu Lin, before indifferently lowering his head.
Long Qianli chuckled. "Alright, but Lu Lin, do you agree?"
Lu Lin pondered for a moment. This young woman, Chen Xiran, is a bit too feisty. Her usual antics are one thing; I can just chalk it up to her still being immature. But what if she causes trouble during a mission? Perhaps... I should teach her a small lesson? I don’t think I can’t defeat Chen Xiran, a Level 3 Peak Martial Artist. She’s just a girl who hasn’t experienced the harsh realities of life. Even if her abilities are slightly stronger, what difference would it make?
"I’ll follow Director Long’s arrangements."
Long Qianli found Lu Lin increasingly intriguing. Though he was just an eighteen-year-old, he always acted so mature in her presence. He spoke in officialese like a pro and always deferred to his superiors when faced with choices.
"Very well. Since you have no objections, go downstairs and have a match with Chen Xiran."
"Fang Gang, don’t you slack off either. You’ll all be in the same team from now on. It’s better to get to know each other."
"Mm-hm," Fang Gang nodded.
Chen Xiran flashed a ’yes’ sign with her hand, then shot Lu Lin a provocative glance.
"Director Long, please grant access to the battle arena downstairs."
"Go on," Long Qianli waved them away.
On the way, Chen Xiran walked ahead, while Lu Lin and Fang Gang strolled side by side.
"Dude, how did you manage to provoke her?" Fang Gang asked. "She seems so on edge. Don’t tell me she’s going through menopause already?"
Lu Lin smiled and shrugged. "How would I know? Kids will be kids. We adults can’t stoop to their level, can we? Just let her throw her tantrum. She’ll stop when she’s had enough."
Fang Gang gave Lu Lin a thumbs-up. Those words were surprisingly profound.
They descended the stairs, and Chen Xiran pushed open a large door.
Once inside, the lights flickered on, revealing a vast, open area with rubber flooring. Various pieces of training equipment lined the edges. Lu Lin also spotted an assortment of weapons; clearly, this was where the Star Investigation Office investigators usually sparred.
"Director Long, could you raise the arena, please?" Chen Xiran called out to the camera on the ceiling. "It’ll make the match feel more official."
No one replied, but the flat rubber floor began to rise and then split down the middle. A circular platform slowly ascended from below.
"Thank you, Director Long," Chen Xiran said, then leaped onto the rising platform before it fully settled. She tilted her head back, looking down her nose at Lu Lin.
Lu Lin walked to the edge of the arena and jumped onto it as well.
"Alright, kid, prepare to taste your big sister Xiran’s iron fist!" Chen Xiran declared. "You can’t handle the position of team leader. If you can’t take it later, remember to beg for mercy. I’ll let you off easy. Little... brat!"
Today, Chen Xiran was dressed much more normally than the day before. She wore white sneakers, a matching three-striped tracksuit, and her hair was tied in a ponytail. The strange makeup was gone.
Looking at her now, I’d give her an 80 for appearance, Lu Lin thought. But if I factor in her temper, even a 30 would be generous.
"Alright, you may begin," Director Long’s voice came through the speakers. "Xiran, Lu Lin, this is just a friendly spar. No intentional harm."
Lu Lin and Chen Xiran both nodded.
After that, Director Long’s voice fell silent, leaving the match to the two of them.
Chen Xiran cupped her fist towards Lu Lin. "Chen Xiran, Level 3 Peak. Please guide me."
Lu Lin mirrored the gesture. "Lu Lin, Third Level. Please guide me."
「In the office」
Long Qianli was shocked when she heard Lu Lin state he was Third Level. How is that possible? He was only at Level 2 Peak a few days ago, and now he’s Third Level? Lu Lin’s cultivation speed is a bit too fast. It’s as if he skipped the stabilization period after his promotion entirely.
Chen Xiran, however, showed no reaction upon hearing Lu Lin was also Third Level. In her mind, only someone of the same rank could defeat three Third Level Star Core Warriors. Even if those three were independent Star Core Warriors, whose inheritance and cultivation conditions were subpar, resulting in weaker combat abilities. But she had heard that these independent Star Core Warriors fought with reckless abandon. Most novices would try to avoid a direct confrontation with such opponents and strategize slowly. However, she, Chen Xiran, was no novice. At Hua Xia Police Officer College, she was undefeated among her peers, even the male students. And this time, under her teacher’s guidance, she had gone to the Exotic Battlefield and killed two Black Silk Tribe soldiers. She, Chen Xiran, was invincible.
"You go first," Chen Xiran said. "Otherwise, once I make my move, you might not get a chance."
Lu Lin nodded. He wouldn’t hold back in a fight. Because he wanted to win.
Inch Step! He threw a punch.
The moment Chen Xiran finished speaking, Lu Lin flashed in front of her.
Chen Xiran had clearly never seen anyone move that fast and hastily tried to retreat. But she had only managed half a step back when Lu Lin’s fist slammed into her stomach.
The force was immense.
Chen Xiran felt as if she’d been rammed by a Jin Ding Kui Niu from the Exotic Battlefield. She clutched her stomach and doubled over, tears instantly welling in her eyes.
Lu Lin was about to press his attack but stopped when he saw Chen Xiran’s state.
She talked such a big game, but her true colors showed as soon as the match started. Did this girl get in through connections? Besides, even if she did, shouldn’t a Star Investigation Office investigator have some backbone? What’s with collapsing after one punch?
Right now, Chen Xiran had no other thoughts. Team leader, Lu Lin, star-level evaluations, better benefits—all of it vanished from her mind. She felt only one thing: pain.
Lu Lin, seeing she was a girl and that this was just a spar, naturally hadn’t aimed for sensitive or vital areas. After some consideration, her stomach seemed like the most suitable target.
But now, Chen Xiran felt as if her stomach had ceased to exist. The pain made it hard to breathe.
How could Lu Lin be so strong? That punch... did it perforate her stomach?
"Are you alright?" Lu Lin asked. "I only used less than ten percent of my strength in that punch. You’re not faking it, are you? Or perhaps you’ve never undergone any impact resistance training?" he taunted.
Yes, he was that petty. With the right people, Lu Lin could be open and generous, like when he drank with Xia Jinwu yesterday and didn’t even charge for the Guiding Star Skills. But for a troublemaker like Chen Xiran, who had nothing going for her besides her looks, Lu Lin wouldn’t indulge her. Besides, if you act like this at work, you might only get yourself killed, but if you drag down your colleagues, you’re a real liability. So, Lu Lin had to teach her a lesson this time.
Hearing Lu Lin’s words, Chen Xiran’s tears flowed even more freely. First, it was the physical pain in her stomach. Now, she realized her heart ached even more. Faking it? Impact resistance training? What nonsense about ten percent strength! Chen Xiran felt Lu Lin was purely out for revenge. That punch probably had one hundred and twenty percent of his power behind it!
After a moment, the pain in Chen Xiran’s stomach subsided somewhat. She forced herself to stand. "That didn’t count! I want to compete with Star Skills!"
"Star Skills?" Lu Lin mused. It was almost laughable. He didn’t want to sound like he was humblebragging, but physical prowess was actually his least-used conventional weapon. If it came to strength, someone at his level might possibly beat him. But with Star Skills? He wouldn’t break a sweat against three or even five opponents of the same level.
"Fine, Star Skills it is," Lu Lin agreed. "But don’t cry if you lose this time. You look decent, but when you cry... TSK, TSK... you’re just too ugly."
At the edge of the arena, Fang Gang was vigorously giving Lu Lin a thumbs-up. Damn, finally, a ruthless one! Telling a woman she’s ugly to her face! Lu Lin was truly brave, truly fierce!
Chen Xiran almost lost her composure. How could Lu Lin’s words be so venomous, so foul? Revenge! When they competed with Star Skills, she absolutely had to get her revenge!
Chen Xiran took two steps back, putting some distance between herself and Lu Lin. "You attacked first last time. Now it’s my turn."
"Volcano! Explosion!" Chen Xiran shouted, immediately unleashing her prepared Star Skill.
It was actually a combination Star Skill: Volcano, then Explosion.
Volcano was a relatively rare Star Skill in the Fire System. At least, Lu Lin hadn’t yet recorded it in his Star Power Domain. It was a prerequisite Star Skill for Fire System Star Core Warriors, providing Star Power and helping to create a Fire System domain. Upon casting Volcano, the surrounding environment would heat up. Simultaneously, a small volcano would form from the ground behind the Star Core Warrior, emerging like a seed sprouting from the earth.
Explosion, on the other hand, was a Star Skill characterized by a frenzied output of rapid attacks, disregarding Star Power consumption. It was like instantly firing countless basic Fire System Star Skill fireballs, leaving the enemy with no place to hide and forcing them to face the onslaught directly.
Lu Lin watched the two Star Skills unfold, completely unfazed.
Evasion.
Inch Step.
Square Inch.
His continuous dodges were flawless, making him look less like he was in peril and more like a poet strolling leisurely through a Fire Rain, admiring the spectacle.
While evading the fireballs, Lu Lin kept up a running commentary.
"Nope, your training of this Star Skill is subpar."
"Look here, the Star Power in each fireball varies in size. Don’t tell me you did that intentionally."
"With Star Power dispersed like this, it’s clear you can’t unify the Star Power within the fireballs."
"Star Power control: F-minus."
"And these gaps here, leaving so much open space. Are you holding the door open for someone?"
"Oh, you patched it up, but that huge opening earlier? Someone could have hidden there for at least two, maybe even three seconds."
"You gave the enemy a window to recover and dodge."
"F-minus."
"And what is this supposed to be? A stream of fireballs like that, are you trying to warm them up or roast some meat?"
"TSK, TSK, your generation of kids is really something else."
"Director Long, are you listening? This team member is clearly undertrained. Perhaps you could provide some more guidance? If someone like Little Chen performs like this in actual combat, I’m afraid she’ll be the same. It’s no big deal if she drags the team down, but this is a disgrace to our Star Investigation Office!"
As he spoke, Lu Lin suddenly noticed the number of incoming fireballs had dwindled significantly. No, it wasn’t just fewer—they were gone completely.
Chen Xiran, battered by Lu Lin’s relentless verbal assault, couldn’t take it anymore. She forgot about unleashing her Star Skills and just squatted on the ground, sobbing.
She, Chen Xiran, the star student from Hua Xia Police Officer College, was reduced to nothing by Lu Lin’s words. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to continue attacking. In that short period, the sheer number of fireballs from Explosion, their speed, intensity, and duration had completely drained her Star Power. Even if she wanted to keep fighting, she had no Star Power left. Lu Lin... He was, without a doubt, the man with the foulest, most venomous mouth in the world.
Fang Gang watched, speechless. His team leader was too damn impressive. First, he made the girl cry with one punch. Then, he made her cry again with his verbal barrage Star Skill.
「Inside the office」
Long Qianli was also somewhat speechless. Truth be told, she had never seen Lu Lin’s true abilities. But after this exchange with Chen Xiran, she knew she had underestimated him. At his level, he could have been placed directly into one of the elite investigator teams, Groups One through Eight. He could even serve as a key member in the First or Second Group, which were led by supervisors. Why on earth did she create the Nineteenth Group, a gathering of rookies, for Lu Lin?
Long Qianli sighed.