Inside the bar, as everyone was chatting, chimes rang out across their boundary credentials—the individual scores were out.
Chen Chuan took a look. It was a ten-point scale this time. He didn't know the exact grading criteria, but his score was nine points. Looking around at the others seated there, some seemed glad, some breathed a sigh of relief, while others looked thoroughly vexed.
The young officer known as Lao Yan looked at his score and let out a rueful sigh; evidently, his self-assessment had been quite accurate. He picked up his drink. "Everyone, the scores are out. I hope all of you will make it through smoothly."
Just as he was about to take a drink, a companion beside him grabbed his arm with a chuckle. "Hold on, don't drink yet. Come on, Lao Yan, tell us what you got!"
Lao Yan said helplessly, "Rubbing salt in wounds isn't very ethical."
Laughter rippled through the table, easing the atmosphere a bit.
The man asked again, "Seriously, Lao Yan, tell us what problems you ran into so we can try to avoid them later." He patted him on the back. "We won't ask for free. This round's on us, and next time any of us run into you, we'll each buy you a meal. Deal?"
As he spoke, he glanced around at the others at the table.
Ding Mai and the rest loudly agreed, and Chen Chuan had no objection either.
Lao Yan thought for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. "Honestly, it's mainly the activation index. I just can't keep it steady."
He sighed. "About five years ago, right after I became a third limit fighter and had just arrived in the Confluence, I was assigned to a six-man squad for a field mission.
"The mission had gone very smoothly. We were on the verge of heading back, and a rendezvous team had come to escort us, so everyone was completely relaxed. We were chatting and laughing, and then one teammate told a joke. We couldn't stop laughing. And that's when I saw..."
He paused. "...white tendrils sprouting out of the ear of the teammate sitting across from me, trembling and twitching there, as if they were happy too."
Hearing this, a shudder went through everyone present.
"We all noticed it right then. My mind went completely blank. Then I heard a gunshot. Right in front of our eyes, the squad leader blew his head apart. Gore splattered across all our faces."
He said in a heavy voice, "We didn't know when he had activated. We had clearly been keeping watch on the way back, but it must have happened in just a brief window of time.
"To be honest, if the instructor hadn't shot him then, the rest of us might have ended up just like him."
He gulped down some liquor, set the glass down, and continued, "After I got back, I had nightmares for months on end. Every few minutes I had to check my activation index, and I'd panic if it rose even slightly.
"I know that with medicine and breathing techniques you're generally fine, but even so, I couldn't stop checking it every so often. The moment the number ticked up, I was consumed by anxiety.
"Just now in the simulated environment, I was constantly watching it. The more obsessed I was, the harder it was to rein it in. Hardly any of the things Teacher Chen demonstrated were executed properly by me..."
The other two felt a chill of empathy and offered a few comforting words, remarking that as long as you mastered the breathing technique and kept your medicine on hand, usually nothing would go wrong.
Listening to them, Chen Chuan realized that Chen Bitong didn't seem to have taught them the technique for stabilizing mental frequencies. On second thought, though, Chen Bitong likely tailored his teaching to each person's specific traits.
Ding Mai didn't care much about this. He was particularly gifted in this regard, his index consistently rising the slowest. He figured that if he ever succumbed, he wouldn't need someone else to look after him—he'd just put a bullet through himself, no big deal.
At that point, one trainee changed the subject, asking, "From what Teacher Chen implied earlier, our scores will be sent to the Defense Department?"
Ding Mai said, "I know about that. Since I'm only staying three days anyway, I didn't mind asking around. I just used my boundary credential to ask Fang Zhixin. These scores are mainly for scouting talent for the pioneer teams. Don't stress too much over it—it won't hurt your record or anything. Otherwise, if joining a training class lowered your evaluation, why the hell would anyone come?"
Hearing this, the others felt somewhat relieved, though looks of yearning also crossed their faces.
Only the elite among elites were selected for pioneer teams. Though exceedingly perilous—with personnel replacements historically happening at the fastest rate—it was a true honor as well as a stellar record of service.
Anyone with that experience who managed to survive was promoted much faster than ordinary personnel—far faster.
Take Chen Bitong himself: he had once served in a pioneer team, and it was said that several former comrades of his had now risen to very prominent positions.
Ding Mai turned to look at Chen Chuan and said, "Captain Chen, among all of us, you're the strongest. In my opinion, you're the most likely to join a pioneer team."
Lao Yan and the other two looked over as well, agreeing with this assessment in their hearts.
They had seen Chen Chuan defeat Ding Mai in a single exchange with their own eyes and respected him deeply. If any among them had a shot at joining a pioneer team, it could only be Chen Chuan.
Although Chen Chuan had heard Chen Bitong suggest this earlier, he had no such plans for the time being.
His squad had just been formed, and he felt his skills were still far from fully polished. Crucially, he was currently in an upward growth phase. Joining a pioneer team would take him away for an unknown stretch of time, which would hinder his cultivation.
He smiled slightly. "We'll see how things go."
"True enough. Even if you get into a pioneer team, it's terribly dangerous. And it's not like you can't get promoted without joining one."
Just then, Lao Yan remembered something. "Have you heard? Apparently Yu Lie is coming. When he gets here, you'd best not clash with him. When that kid stirs up trouble, it's no joke."
"That troublemaker?"
The people at the table wore expressions of headaches and distaste.
Ding Mai stared wide-eyed. "How can that punk come too? How did he pass vetting? Didn't they say he got into so much trouble that he was barred from participating in all kinds of programs?"
"Someone up top thinks highly of him, that's what."
"Heh, with Teacher Chen here, how could he miss it? It was bound to happen."
Lao Yan said, "Setting character aside, his abilities are undeniable." He chuckled. "Anyway, I reckon I'll be leaving tomorrow, so you guys take care of yourselves."
Chen Chuan asked around and learned that this Yu Lie was an ardent admirer of Chen Bitong; wherever Chen Bitong went to teach students, Yu Lie was sure to follow.
However, he was notorious in the military for flouting rules—avoiding major crimes while committing an endless stream of minor infractions. A total thorn in the side. Yet because he genuinely had skill and came from a solid background, nobody had been able to do anything about him.
Ding Mai said, "Captain Chen, keep an eye out for that punk. He has zero regard for rules. When he wanted to be an assistant before, he went behind everyone's back to cause trouble for Fang Zhixin. If Fang Zhixin didn't have decent backing himself, he might really have been shoved aside by him. If that had happened, all of us would have suffered. Now that he's coming again, who knows what stunt he's going to pull."
Chen Chuan smiled and nodded. "Thanks for the heads-up."
After lingering for a little while and seeing everyone begin to dance, he took his leave. He went down to the activity room below, where Chen Xiaojin was diligently training by himself.
Seeing him walk in, the boy's eyes lit up, and he stopped. "Captain Chen."
Chen Chuan walked over, gestured for him to sit down, and took a seat in a chair himself. He asked, "Xiaojin, what was your original intention in learning martial arts?"
Chen Xiaojin was taken aback. He lowered his head in thought for a moment, then looked up, clenching his fist. "I want to prove to them that whatever they can do, I, Chen Xiaojin, can do too."
His voice still held the cracked quality typical of an adolescent going through puberty, but it sounded exceptionally resolute.
Chen Chuan asked, "And in your expectations, what height do you think you can reach?"
Chen Xiaojin thought about it and said, "The same as him..." Then he asked with anticipation, "Captain Chen, do you think I can do it?"
Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "What I think isn't important. What matters is what you think. If you possess the firm will to keep moving forward, no matter how far away the goal is, you will always be drawing a little closer."
Chen Xiaojin thought it over and said loudly, "Then I want to be just like him—no, I want to surpass him!"
Chen Chuan said, "That isn't something achieved by words alone. It requires overcoming countless obstacles. I hope you'll keep this goal in your heart and give everything you have to achieve it."
Chen Xiaojin nodded vigorously.
Chen Chuan said, "You want to learn jin. While this stage is suitable for it, martial cultivation doesn't end with learning jin. There is far more involved—especially the need for substantial resources."
Chen Xiaojin said, "Mama left me a lot of things. I'm not lacking."
Chen Chuan nodded. "That solves half the problem. But there's another issue: I can instruct you in some essential methods, but I cannot stay by your side forever to guide you. If you want to rise higher, you need a teacher who can take charge of instructing you anytime, anywhere.
"Furthermore, training alone is useless. Working behind closed doors without sparring and exchanging insights with others will only produce hollow results."
Chen Xiaojin said a bit dejectedly, "But besides you, Captain Chen, no one is willing to teach me..."
Chen Chuan said, "That issue can be solved. Do you have time to go out?"
Chen Xiaojin said, "Yes, no one keeps tabs on me."
Chen Chuan stood up. "Then pack your things, change your clothes, and come with me to a place."
"Okay!" Chen Xiaojin answered excitedly and ran off to gather his things.
Chen Chuan waited for him to finish getting ready, brought him downstairs, and drove off in the Jiade.
Almost at that very moment, Fang Zhixin received notification. He immediately instructed someone to follow to ensure Xiaojin's safety, then whispered to Chen Bitong beside him, "Teacher, Captain Chen took Xiaojin out."
Chen Bitong merely grunted in acknowledgment, making no other reaction.
At this moment, his gaze was fixed on the dozens of other trainees who had come to receive his instruction. These people didn't have field resources at their disposal.
After all, they weren't third limit fighters.
Even so, these were all seeds. Some among them were bound to become third limit fighters in the near future. He could help them make the right judgments and avoid many detours.
He didn't have much time left, and he needed to seize every moment to nurture those worth nurturing.
Chapter 494