Chapter 154: The Plan
Chapter 154: The Plan
The next day, Chen Chuan left the company and walked to the designated location. He made a call from a nearby phone booth and waited.
Soon, a car pulled up, and he got into the passenger seat. After closing the door, he greeted Cheng Zitong in the driver's seat, "Good morning, Teacher."
Cheng Zitong looked at him for a while, hesitated, and asked, "Are you done with the exam?"
Chen Chuan nodded and took out the Infinite Defense Certificate from his pocket, handing it to Cheng Zitong. The latter quickly removed his sunglasses, took it carefully, and examined it several times before finally confirming, "It's real. You always surprise me, student."
Chen Chuan glanced at Cheng Zitong and thought, 'Teacher, as long as it's not a shock, that's good.'
Cheng Zitong returned the certificate and cautioned, "Keep it safe, don't lose it." But he still felt incredulous and asked, "Tell me, how did you finish so quickly?"
Chen Chuan humbly replied, "Maybe because I went to take the exam earlier than others."
He briefly recounted the key points of the event. Since it only took two days in total—arriving on the first day, taking action on the second, and then finishing—the process wasn't complicated, so he finished the story in a few minutes.
After listening, Cheng Zitong leaned back in his seat, his gaze unfocused as if digesting the information. After a while, he looked ahead and said, "This time, to avoid familiar people, I deliberately went to a remote place. I had just settled down when I received your call, so I hurried back overnight, thinking you might have encountered some difficulties."
He couldn't blame himself for being anxious. The students who left for the Gamma License exam a few days ago would probably take a few days to return. But you, taking the Beta License exam, finished first? If I didn't know you were reliable, I might have doubted if you went at all."
At this point, he couldn't help but laugh, patting the steering wheel and sighing, "It's truly wonderful."
After a while, he straightened up and looked at Chen Chuan, "We, as teacher and student, need to get our stories straight. Don't slip up later. You've obtained the certificate in your first year, and now you have a chance to compete for that spot in Central City."
Chen Chuan nodded in agreement.
Cheng Zitong then coordinated their stories, his excitement palpable. He was genuinely thrilled because Chen Chuan was his student, whom he had watched grow from knowing almost nothing to obtaining the Infinite Defense Certificate.
He felt a sense of pride and accomplishment as a teacher, for what could be more joyous than seeing one's student succeed?
Finally, Cheng Zitong reminded him, "But don't be too hasty. You still have a month left in Wu Yi Academy to complete your first year. Moreover, applying for Central City requires a process, and there's not enough time now. After this semester, we can carefully plan your next steps."
"I'm eager to go to Central City, but I'm not fully prepared yet. I'll use these months to try and improve," Chen Chuan agreed.
Cheng Zitong started the car and said, "You haven't had breakfast yet, right? Let's go, and I'll treat you to a good meal to celebrate your certificate."
Chen Chuan followed Cheng Zitong and enjoyed a hearty breakfast before they returned to school.
Their return was uneventful, attracting little attention, seemingly just like any other day. But both of them knew that some things had already changed.
Upon returning to his room, Chen Chuan headed to the bathroom to freshen up. Without bothering to organize his belongings, he went to the living room and picked up the phone to call Gao Ming first.
"Hello, Gao Ming, it's me," Chen Chuan said.
Gao Ming's voice came through the line, "Cousin, did you go on a martial arts retreat with your teacher?"
Chen Chuan replied slowly, "The retreat went well, and the process was smooth, so I'm back now."
This was a code they had agreed upon, using the retreat's success to signify obtaining the Infinite Defense Certificate. A brief pause followed Gao Ming's words, and then he spoke in a calm tone, "In that case, I must congratulate you, cousin."
"Gao Ming, we'll talk more when I see you," Chen Chuan said.
"Sure, cousin," Gao Ming replied, a hint of excitement in his voice. "It's been a while since I visited you and Aunt and Uncle. I should come see them during my summer break."
Both hung up, the click of the receiver echoing simultaneously. They both knew that with the Infinite Defense Certificate secured, the next steps were to plan their entry into Central City and compete for that coveted spot.
At that moment, in Wubian City, over three hundred kilometers away from Yangzhi City, Wei Jun was pondering the exam. The task was to apprehend or eliminate a group of death row inmates released into the wilderness before the exam.
The inmates would be provided with water, food, and weapons, and the examinee's task was to capture or kill them within the specified time.
The exam wasn't challenging for Wei Jun. He would obtain the prisoners' information from the guards beforehand and could even enlist help to track them down. In the end, he only needed to finish them off, and with his firearms, it would likely be a simple matter of firing a few shots.
Obtaining the Grade C Infinite Defense Certificate shouldn't be a problem. Although the two-year validity period left him slightly dissatisfied, he knew that after graduation, he could work on obtaining the Grade B certificate.
With no competition from his peers, he could look forward to going to Central City after graduation, where better training, more resources, and greater opportunities awaited him, all in preparation for serving his family's company.
At this moment, they still needed to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure no unexpected incidents occurred.
Previously, Shen Zheng had almost obtained the recommendation to go to Central City after acquiring the Infinite Defense Certificate. At that time, no other student in the entire school could rival him, and he nearly took the spot of a senior student. Fortunately...
However, due to Shen Zheng's precedent, they attached great importance to this matter and would not allow any student to take the Infinite Defense Certificate examination without their arrangement! They had to nip this issue in the bud!
He called for his butler and instructed, "Teacher Tan had said that I could only go to Central City after mastering the Stance Power. I've almost achieved that now. I'm also about to obtain the Infinite Defense Certificate, but I can't afford any mishaps in the final step. Help me investigate if there are any students currently away from the school."
The butler confidently replied, "Young Master, I've been keeping an eye on this matter, and I have detailed records."
Wei Jun said, "Let me see them."
The butler agreed and searched through the records before respectfully handing over a set of documents.
"Since the start of the school year, only this many students have left the school in these few months, and the duration of their absence is roughly recorded."
Wei Jun flipped through the documents. He first looked at the third-year students, but he was aware that the Mutual Society suppressed the more outstanding commoner students in the third year. They either suppressed or absorbed them, keeping them all under their control. Now, almost none of them dared to disobey, so he skimmed through that section.
He mainly focused on the second-year students because they were also eligible to take the examination, especially since he had met several influential offspring from other cities who, like him, had the potential to go to Central City. They had even exchanged some words.
From them, he heard about an incident that supposedly occurred last year in Guanbi City. A second-year commoner student who had obtained the Weapon Permit had gone to take the Infinite Defense Certificate examination alone. With his strength, passing was almost guaranteed, but the news leaked out, and he was dealt with on the way there.
It seemed that he was knocked unconscious and then drowned in a cement-filled lake? Wei Jun couldn't tell if it was true or not, but if it was, he could only say they were bold, as such an act could be considered a provocation to the Review Team and might have serious consequences.
In a 619 book bar, there is a mistake-free version!
Even if they didn't take direct action, it would be challenging to implicate them. However, the companies they were affiliated with might attract attention from above.
Fortunately, he didn't have to worry about this issue. In Wu Yi Academy, the most talented student in the second year was Geng Zhen, who initially refused to join the Mutual Society. Still, they eventually managed to pull him in because his family's medicine for treating illnesses came from Central City, and only they could provide it. They weren't worried about him disobeying.
When he finished checking the second-year students, he didn't pay much attention to the first-year students because they were unlikely to pose a threat to him.
However, as he was flipping through the records, he took a few extra glances at the first-year students.
Undoubtedly, the most talented among the first-year students was Chen Chuan. Defeating Zhong Wu, that good-for-nothing dog, during the entrance examination had left a deep impression on him. Even Chen Chuan's departure from the academy seemed to be related to him, and the key was that Chen Chuan hadn't joined the Mutual Society.
Wei Jun noticed that Chen Chuan's whereabouts seemed uncertain, and he frowned, asking, "What's going on with this Chen Chuan? Is he never at school?"
The butler respectfully replied, "Young Master, we've checked, and although this student is often absent from the academy, the longest he's been away is seven or eight days. We can confirm that he's been at a practice hall in City South, training under Manager Cheng. He recently went out once but returned to school yesterday, probably to impart some unique skills."
After hearing this, Wei Jun didn't pay much attention, "Alright, you may go. I need to prepare for the upcoming examination."
Two miles away from his luxurious hotel, Deng Fu, Tai Dongwei, and Geng Zhen were arranged to stay in the same dormitory.
They also familiarized themselves with the exam content and found it quite challenging. Still, with their full effort, they believed they could pass without much difficulty.
However, they had to give up.
This time, giving up also meant they would never have another chance to take the Defense Certificate examination.
Tai Dongwei didn't know what Deng Fu and Geng Zhen were thinking, but for himself, although he had said he didn't care, when it came to actually giving up, he still felt a twinge of discomfort.
He thought to himself that perhaps he hadn't truly let go of everything.
He sighed inwardly, but this was the way of the world, and there was nothing he could change.
He looked at Geng Zhen, who sat on the bed with a defiant look on his face, and wondered if he would stir up any trouble.
Deng Fu, who was half-sitting on the bed, was engrossed in a collection of stories, seemed the most relaxed. Tai Dongwei believed that Deng Fu had probably seen through it all and didn't feel any loss; instead, he felt like he had gained something.
Deng Fu was perceptive and noticed Tai Dongwei's gaze. He looked at him, smiled playfully, then turned to Geng Zhen. Seeing the latter's silence, he smiled, closed his book, and said, "Little brother, what's on your mind? Let your senior teach you something today. Don't argue over temporary gains and losses, and don't take it to heart if you're wronged. Your life is long, and if you strive to live on, I tell you, you'll encounter all sorts of strange and unexpected things. The roles of host and guest can reverse, and the world can turn upside down; it's not impossible."
Tai Dongwei's thoughts suddenly stirred.
Geng Zhen couldn't help but ask, "Are you saying I should strive to live longer?"
Deng Fu smiled and said, "I'm just telling you to live a long life. Nothing more." As he spoke, he leaned back and continued reading his book.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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