https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-20-The-Evolutionist-Association-A-Chance-Encounter/12529706/
Chapter 21: Warning
Chapter 21: Warning
Lin Yuan turned his head and saw a tall and burly young man running towards him.
It was Du Quan, Lin Yuan's deskmate and friend from school.
Du Quan jogged over and draped an arm around Lin Yuan's shoulder. "Where have you been, kid? I asked Aunt Lu, and she said you were busy."
Lin Yuan smiled but remained silent.
Du Quan didn't seem to mind. Suddenly, he looked at Lin Yuan with a surprised expression and reached out to touch his shoulder and chest.
"In the past half month that I haven't seen you, your body has become much stronger, brother!" Du Quan exclaimed in admiration.
"Oh?" Lin Yuan was not surprised.
After all, he had recently refined twenty-one bottles of 'Advanced Nutrient Solution'.
Even though most of the energy from the solution had been transformed into 'yuan qi' and spiritual power, his physical body had still been affected to some extent.
And this was considering that Lin Yuan's martial arts evolution path focused on subtlety and concealment. If it had been an evolutionary path that was more overt, the sudden absorption of so much energy would have resulted in a drastic increase in height and muscle mass.
But Lin Yuan's changes were more subtle, making him appear only slightly stronger.
After expressing his amazement, Du Quan pointed towards a group of people approaching them. "Look who's here."
Lin Yuan glanced over and recognized several of his classmates.
"Since we just graduated, I thought we could hang out," Du Quan explained.
He had originally intended to invite Lin Yuan as well, but since he hadn't been home, Du Quan had no choice but to leave him out.
By then, the group had drawn closer.
"Lin Yuan, what are you doing here? Are you waiting for someone?" asked a bespectacled, refined-looking young man.
"You're Lin Yuan, aren't you? You seem so different after just a few days," said a girl, looking Lin Yuan up and down with a hint of surprise.
"Hello, everyone," Lin Yuan greeted them symbolically now that everyone had arrived.
To be honest, his original body had been a very quiet person. If it weren't for Du Quan, he wouldn't have been hanging out with these people at all.
There were two main groups among them.
One group was led by the bespectacled young man, Chu Shi Yu.
Chu Shi Yu came from a good family, did well in his studies, and was well-liked by his classmates.
The other group was led by Huo Qing Yao, who had an extraordinary background and had elders serving in the military. He had been fearless when they were in school.
As for Du Quan, he was skilled at socializing and maintaining relationships, so he got along well with both groups. Additionally, he was righteous, which earned him the respect of both Chu Shi Yu and Huo Qing Yao.
There were also several girls present.
"Lin Yuan, look who's here. She's the class flower of our class, and she's been accepted into a prestigious academy. I invited her, so you can thank me, bro!" Du Quan proudly pointed to a tall girl.
This girl had a well-proportioned face and was wearing simple jeans that accentuated her curvy hips and legs.
It was Zhao Qi Wen.
"Lin Yuan?" Zhao Qi Wen's heart was filled with turmoil.
Ever since she had seen with her own eyes how the ordinary Lin Yuan had been respectfully ushered into the VIP room at the Shuiyue Residential District sales office and had directly purchased an independent house worth over 10 million yuan, with even Manager Wang treating him respectfully, Zhao Qi Wen had realized that Lin Yuan's identity was not ordinary.
Everyone in the class, no, the entire school, had been deceived by Lin Yuan.
The reason she had agreed to Du Quan's invitation this time was because he usually got along best with Lin Yuan.
Perhaps Lin Yuan would also attend, otherwise, with her personality, how could she possibly participate in such a meaningless gathering? But after arriving and not finding Lin Yuan, she felt disappointed. Seeing him now, this sudden turn of events left her mind in a mess.
"Hello, Lin Yuan," Zhao Qi Wen said, taking a deep breath and extending her right hand to him.
This surprised Du Quan. Zhao Qi Wen was usually cold and distant, and she didn't give face even to second-generation heirs like Huo Qing Yao and Chu Shi Yu. So why was she taking the initiative to shake hands with Lin Yuan?
"Hello," Lin Yuan replied, reaching out to shake her hand in a perfunctory manner.
After some small talk, they found a place to sit down.
Chu Shi Yu called over a staff member and ordered a cup of the cafe's signature coffee for each of them.
"Brother Yu is so generous!" Du Quan flattered.
The signature coffee at this cafe was not cheap, costing nearly 30 yuan per cup. For the group of them, it would cost over 200 yuan, which was equivalent to half a month's living expenses at school.
Once they were seated, they began to chat casually.
"I didn't do well on the college entrance exam, so I ended up choosing a third-rate university. I don't know what I'll do after I graduate," a girl sighed.
"That's simple. Aren't you close to Brother Yu? Just go work for his family's company after you graduate," Du Quan teased.
"You!" The girl pretended to be angry, but she was actually delighted and kept stealing glances at Chu Shi Yu.
"What Du Quan said makes sense. Come work for my family's company after you graduate, and I'll make sure your treatment is good," Chu Shi Yu said with a grand wave of his hand.
He wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to show off in front of his classmates. Besides, university graduation was still a long way off, and he could always figure out the details later.
"Then thank you, Brother Yu," the girl said hastily.
As they drank their coffee and chatted, the conversation eventually turned to Lin Yuan.
"Speaking of which, Lin Yuan, didn't you make it onto the military recruitment list?" Huo Qing Yao asked, as if he had just remembered something.
As soon as he said this, the surrounding area fell silent.
Everyone's gaze fell on Lin Yuan.
Ordinarily, being recruited for military service wouldn't be a bad thing, and veterans were even helped with job placement after their service.
For normal people, this would be considered a pretty good outcome.
However, this time, the military recruitment was targeted at the alien race. For confidentiality reasons, those who were recruited were highly unlikely to return, even if they didn't die in battle. They would likely never see their loved ones again.
Although the government would provide compensation and ensure the families of the recruits were taken care of, those who were recruited would essentially be sacrificing themselves.
"It's all just hearsay and rumors about some alien race. I think these are just unfounded speculations," Du Quan quickly spoke up.
"Yeah."
"The government hasn't made any official statements, so it's probably just a regular military recruitment."
"Right, Lin Yuan, don't take it to heart. Maybe after you're discharged, you'll be able to get a position in the military region," a few of them said, trying to comfort Lin Yuan.
Of course, their words were just meant to console him.
In reality, none of them held much hope for this military recruitment.
Although the government hadn't explicitly stated the purpose of this recruitment drive, all those who had been recruited had already received their compensation.
This was not a secret; anyone with a bit of curiosity could find out with a little effort.
"If it were just a regular military recruitment drive, would they offer so much compensation?" Huo Qingyao asked. "There might be a way out, actually. My uncle works in the military region. I'll ask him about it when I get home tonight and see if there's any flexibility to make adjustments."
Huo Qingyao, the only one in the group with military connections, was also the most confident in making such a statement.
"Then we'll have to trouble you, Qingyao," Du Quan said immediately, genuinely grateful.
As classmates and friends for many years, he didn't want Lin Yuan to embark on a path of no return.
Upon hearing this, the girls in the group, especially, lit up with excitement.
Huo Qingyao's words implied a lot, most notably that he might be able to influence the draft list, which would be an incredible display of connections and influence.
Compared to this, Chu Shiyu's earlier promise to help with job placements now seemed insignificant.
What was a mere job offer compared to having connections to the military region?
For a moment, aside from Zhao Qiwen, the girls in the group, including the one who had wanted Chu Shiyu's help with employment, all gravitated towards Huo Qingyao.
Lin Yuan, sitting beside them, did not feel repulsed by Huo Qingyao's bravado; instead, he found it slightly amusing.
The draft list was approved by the Wisdom Goddess herself; how could it be altered so easily? Nonetheless, since Huo Qingyao was trying to help, Lin Yuan didn't mind, even if the underlying motive was to outdo Chu Shiyu.
At Lin Yuan's level, the rivalry between Huo Qingyao and Chu Shiyu seemed as laughable as children playing house.
"It's getting late," Lin Yuan said as he glanced at the time. "I should be going. Someone's waiting for me."
Without waiting for a response, he got up and left the cafe, heading towards the road outside.
"Huh?" The group frowned at Lin Yuan's abrupt departure, especially Huo Qingyao. He had just promised to ask his uncle, and while he hadn't guaranteed anything, Lin Yuan could have at least expressed his gratitude.
Instead, Lin Yuan had sat there silently, and now he was leaving without so much as a proper farewell.
Such impolite behavior left a bitter taste in Huo Qingyao's mouth.
"This guy," Huo Qingyao muttered, watching Lin Yuan's retreating figure through the cafe window. He was about to say something more when— A sleek, black, streamlined hovering car pulled up by the roadside.
More accurately, it stopped right in front of Lin Yuan.
"What's the license plate on that hovering car?" Chu Shiyu, who had also noticed the vehicle, immediately focused on the license plate.
His family didn't have a military background, but they often dealt with the government, and he instantly recognized the black hovering car's license plate as a government exclusive.
Vehicles with such plates could access special roads, making trips shorter and avoiding potential traffic jams.
However, these special supply hovering cars were usually only used to transport important figures. Why was one picking up Lin Yuan, a mere student?
"It's a coincidence, it has to be," Chu Shiyu thought to himself.
But then, right before their eyes, a tall man emerged from the black hovering car and respectfully ushered Lin Yuan inside.
The group fell silent once more. They had thought Lin Yuan was just making an excuse about someone waiting for him, but it seemed he had been telling the truth. And the person waiting for him had sent a government vehicle to pick him up! "That license plate belongs to the Evolvers' Association," Chu Shiyu said, remembering something. "I saw a similar one before when I went to the association with my uncle."
The Evolvers' Association.
Huo Qingyao's expression changed slightly.
Among the various government departments, the Evolvers' Association was undoubtedly the most formidable and influential. They managed the Evolvers, a powerful and influential group in their own right.
But why would the formidable Evolvers' Association send a special car to pick up a student like Lin Yuan? Everyone was perplexed.
It made no sense.
"Hahaha, maybe the military region and the Evolvers' Association are collaborating on something," Huo Qingyao suggested, racking his brains for a plausible explanation.
"Probably," the others murmured in agreement.
Although this explanation was far-fetched—the military region and the Evolvers' Association were typically separate systems with little overlap—it was the only way to make sense of what they had just witnessed.
After all, Lin Yuan's name was on the military draft list, and the only connection to the Evolvers' Association could be through the various military regions behind the draft.
"By the way, I checked the draft list again a few days ago, and Lin Yuan's name is no longer on it," Zhao Qiwen suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence.
Upon hearing this, everyone froze, especially Huo Qingyao, whose face turned rigid.
He wasn't foolish; he understood how difficult it was to be removed from the draft list, especially in the case of a mandatory recruitment drive.
While he had confidently offered to ask his uncle earlier, he knew that it was mostly a token gesture. He didn't expect his uncle to have much sway in the matter, and even if he did, the cost would be astronomical, not something one would do for an outsider.
And yet, Lin Yuan's name had been removed from the list?
"Impossible," Huo Qingyao muttered. He immediately connected to the network and, upon confirming that Lin Yuan's name was indeed absent from the list, proceeded to query the Wisdom Goddess about Lin Yuan's exemption from military service.
The next moment, a solemn and majestic female voice sounded in Huo Qingyao's ear.
"Warning, First-Class Citizen Huo Qingyao. You are attempting to access content beyond your authorization, violating Article 560 of the Charter. This is your first warning. Continuing this line of inquiry will result in your case being sent to the Supreme Court for judgment."
Hearing the icy warning from the Wisdom Goddess, Huo Qingyao turned pale, so shocked that he sat down on the spot.
The Supreme Court of the Cosmic Human Alliance only dealt with the most heinous and influential criminals. Those who were brought before the Supreme Court were invariably implicated in significant cases with far-reaching consequences.
What had he, Huo Qingyao, done to warrant the attention of the Supreme Court? His teeth chattered, and his legs trembled uncontrollably.
(End of Chapter)
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