novelnext Chapter 122 : Chapter 122
Chapter 122 : Chapter 122
Chapter 122: Neither Will I Let This Go
Once the order from Bloodsea Military District came down, Liang Huajun and Wang Longcheng immediately summoned Li Mu to the Command Headquarters of Pearl Military District.
They explained the situation to him and asked whether he was willing to take up this command post.
Li Mu, however, asked several questions first.
“How many troops will be stationed at the camp, and how many people can it hold in total?”
Liang Huajun and Wang Longcheng exchanged a glance, and both saw the same trace of admiration in each other’s eyes.
Li Mu’s calmness exceeded their expectations.
He did not puff out his chest and arrogantly accept, nor did he show any panic. Instead, he immediately began thinking from the perspective of a leader.
That left them deeply gratified.
“The other military districts are sending nearly five thousand men in support to our district.”
“But considering that you’ll be operating independently over there, you’ll need a force with strong discipline and obedience.”
“You are allowed to select up to twelve hundred men from Pearl Military District itself.”
“That will be the total military strength of your border defense camp.”
“In addition, you’ll have three Martial Artists above the Profound Rank.”
“As for total population, once the Research Institute and some production personnel are included, it should come to around twenty-five hundred people.”
Liang Huajun gave Li Mu the figures.
After thinking for a moment, Li Mu asked again, “What about resources?”
Liang Huajun then gave him another set of figures.
Spirit herbs, Spirit Treasures, weapons, and a large quantity of electronic equipment.
It was more than enough to support a force of over two thousand people.
And a good portion of those resources could also be used as rewards for the camp soldiers’ meritorious service.
“On top of that, the Cultivation Art Research Bureau has specially provided a Rare-Grade Spirit Treasure called the Heaven-Shaking Compass.”
“This compass can detect any expert of Profound Rank Fifth Grade or above within a hundred li.”
“It will give an immediate warning.”
The moment Wang Longcheng finished, Li Mu’s eyes lit up.
With that thing, the camp’s level of safety would increase tremendously.
There were so many soldiers in the camp. If the other side dared send an Earth Rank expert, the casualties would be horrifying.
Still, Earth Rank experts were not so casually deployed.
Every Martial Artist above the Earth Rank carried strategic significance. They were trump cards.
Exposing a trump card recklessly and letting others understand its depth would only lead to even greater losses.
“I accept the assignment. When do I leave?”
Li Mu rose and stood straight, formally accepting the identity of “border defense camp commander.”
This command post was not the same as being a military district commander.
But within that camp, he would be the highest authority.
Even those Profound Rank Martial Artists would be subject to his command.
“For the next two days, the Research Institute and the Construction Department will deploy the basic infrastructure plan according to the blueprint.”
“You should go home and get some proper rest first. Come back the afternoon after tomorrow to take part in the final planning session.”
“If there are no issues, you can begin selecting the soldiers for your camp from the district.”
“At the latest, by the day after that, you can all begin heading to the camp and start taking up your posts.”
Li Mu nodded in acknowledgment and did not linger.
The real scripture he needed to collect would have to wait until that evening, when he went to see Wang Longcheng.
Right now, he truly did need to hurry home.
He had to arrange things at home and also let Yin Changming know.
He walked out of the Command Headquarters and headed toward the Abyss elevator.
But as he passed Base One, he caught sight of a lone, broad-shouldered figure sitting on a tall flight of steps in a deserted corner by the side of the base.
It was Ma Jun.
A dim look came over Li Mu’s face as he slowly walked over.
Ma Jun looked dazed and hollow at the moment, staring blankly at the Technological Watch in his palm.
He did not even notice Li Mu approaching.
Li Mu said nothing either. He simply sat down beside Ma Jun in silence.
Only after a long while did Ma Jun say in a trembling voice, “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” Li Mu asked.
Ma Jun’s eyes suddenly reddened.
“The people you once risked your life to protect...”
“I couldn’t protect them...”
Li Mu said nothing.
He did not offer comfort.
He certainly did not say any of that nonsense like “It wasn’t your fault” or “I understand the situation you were in.”
As a man, this was something Ma Jun had to carry.
No one could ease it for him.
Li Mu took out his wine gourd, uncorked it, and tilted his head back for a long swallow. The wine was soft and mellow, yet somehow tasted burning and harsh.
Then he handed the gourd to Ma Jun.
Ma Jun rubbed his eyes hard with his sleeve and took several heavy gulps with his head tipped back.
Then Li Mu spoke directly.
“The military district is sending me to garrison the border camp. I agreed.”
“The Divine Elephant Nation won’t let this go.”
“Neither will I.”
Ma Jun immediately looked at Li Mu in shock and blurted out,
“I’m going too.”
Li Mu let his gaze drift into the distance, fixing on the boundless sky above the Abyss.
A tangible killing intent actually began to radiate from him unconsciously in waves.
In a low murmur, he said, “Of course you are...”
Ma Jun nodded hard.
His fingers rubbed over the Technological Watch Zhao Meiting had left behind.
The man who had once fought to protect them was still someone they could rely on.
...
That afternoon, in an old workers’ residential compound in the South District of Ironhand City, a pile of vegetables sat stacked in a heavily worn corridor, pressing down on a wooden cabinet until it had begun to warp.
Song Chuhe climbed to the second floor like a walking corpse and stopped in front of a door at the end of the corridor.
He drew in a deep breath and tried his best to drive the gloom from his face.
But the bitterness in his heart only grew heavier.
Today, he had been expelled from Golden Scale High School.
Under the condemnation of the entire school.
Under the curses of every school that had been pushed out of the top ten rankings by Golden Scale High School.
He had been expelled.
The reason was laughable.
Because Golden Scale High School needed a scapegoat.
In this year’s Four-District Elite Tournament in Ironhand City, aside from Blackwater High School, there had been no winner.
Every one of the top ten schools had been shoved down the rankings, leaving them without any chance to gain exposure.
And Golden Scale High School, after exhausting every scheme it had, had only ended up disgracing itself in public to the point that it would not be able to hold its head up for years!
Then there was the idol-fan protest incident involving that huge group of brain-dead fans from Golden Scale High School.
Golden Scale High School was on the verge of being cursed to death.
A school that had once stood proudly as the number one high school in the entire city had fallen just like that.
Under such crushing pressure, Golden Scale High School had pushed all the blame onto Song Chuhe.
They claimed that, without the school’s permission, Song Chuhe had organized the other students and launched that collective ranking-seizure plan.
They had also wanted to dump the blame for inciting the fans onto him while they were at it.
Unfortunately, the matter of inciting the fans was being investigated by the Law Enforcement Bureau.
If they tried to pin that charge on him without evidence, it could easily blow up into something bigger.
So Song Chuhe naturally became the target onto whom everything was focused.
Golden Scale High School’s complete lack of responsibility.
The students knowingly pretending to be clueless.
Public opinion insulting him and targeting him.
Yet Song Chuhe felt that it all made perfect sense.
That was how the world worked.
It should be like this.
Who told him he was weak? Who told him he had no voice?
Who told him he had been so desperate to show himself, jumping around like a clown to make this whole thing happen?
This was the price a weak person paid for failure.
After steadying his emotions, Song Chuhe took out his key and opened the door.
Steam and warmth filled the house. In one corner beside the small living room stood a dining table.
Several fragrant stir-fried dishes had already been set on it.
“Dad, Mom, why is dinner so fancy today? Are we having guests over?”
Song Chuhe forced a smile and walked toward the kitchen.
These past few days, his parents had been worrying over his affairs as well. They had been under enormous pressure.
Today, they were probably making something good to comfort him.
His tall, thin father came out carrying a dish.
His mother was still busy in the kitchen.
“Go wash your hands. There’s one more dish left, then we can eat!”
His father urged him with a smile.
“Okay!”
After Song Chuhe washed his hands, his parents also came to the table.
“Go on, eat. They’re all your favorites,” his father said with a smile.
Song Chuhe gave a quiet acknowledgment, picked up his chopsticks, and began eating.
He knew that only if he acted cheerful would his parents worry less.
But ever since she sat down, his mother’s smile had looked terribly forced.
His father kept smiling as he asked Song Chuhe how things were at school and whether anyone had bullied him over the past two days.
As father and son talked, his father even began asking about Song Chuhe’s plans for the future.
Song Chuhe immediately sensed that something was wrong.
He looked at his mother, only to find that as she sat there eating rice with her head lowered, tears were falling into her bowl one drop at a time.
“Mom! What’s wrong!?”
His mother put down her bowl and wiped her eyes. “Nothing.”
But her voice was obviously thick with tears.
His father also tried helplessly to comfort her, and even seemed to blame her a little for not managing to hold it in.
“Dad, Mom, what exactly happened?”
His father kept saying it was nothing.
But his mother could not hold back any longer, and in a choked voice she said, “Your father... someone framed your father. They accused him at the factory of embezzling public funds. They’re going to investigate him... he’ll probably end up in prison, sob...”