133: Chapter 132 Wait two days! Is the country going to send me an opportunity?

Lin Feng stepped out of the meeting room, the sunlight in the corridor was just right.

It was warm and felt comfortable shining on his body.

As he walked down the corridor, his mind was still on what the general had just said—Li Weiguo, nineteen years old, died in the Yanjiao arena competition.

Li Mingze's older brother.

He sighed and quickened his pace.

Back in his room, Lin Feng began packing his things.

Actually, there wasn't much to pack; he had arrived with one backpack and was leaving with the same one.

The wanxiang ring held all his belongings; the backpack only contained a few changes of clothes and that hat—the hat left by the mysterious man.

He picked it up to look at it; a golden emblem was embroidered on the inside of the brim, showing a hand clutching a sword, with the words "Long Yuan" engraved on the blade.

He looked at it for a few seconds before putting the hat into his backpack.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Brother Lin Feng! Are you there?" Su Xiaoxiao's voice came from outside, crisp and loud, clearly audible even through the door panel.

Lin Feng walked over to open the door.

Su Xiaoxiao stood at the door, wearing a pink tracksuit with her hair in twin ponytails, her face flushed as if she had just finished a run.

Behind her stood Zhao Tiejun, dressed in military uniform, standing ramrod straight.

Xiao Yutong stood beside Zhao Tiejun, still in her white Explorer uniform, her hair tied in a high ponytail, her expression faint but with a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth.

Chen Zhixing stood at the very back, pushing up his glasses; the crack on the lens was still there.

Li Mo stood in the corner, leaning against the wall without saying a word.

"Brother Lin Feng, we're leaving." Su Xiaoxiao looked up at him, her eyes bright but her rims a bit red.

"Leaving?" Lin Feng was taken aback for a moment.

"Yeah." Su Xiaoxiao nodded. "The mission is complete, so it's time to go back. My grandfather said I should hurry home, saying he saved some delicious food for me."

She paused, her voice dropping slightly, "But I don't want to leave..."

Zhao Tiejun laughed. "Don't want to leave? Then stay in The Capital; I'll treat you to roast duck."

Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. "No. Roast duck can be eaten anytime, but once Brother Lin Feng goes back to Donghai, I won't see him anymore."

She looked at Lin Feng, her eyes growing even redder. "Brother Lin Feng, when will you come to The Capital again?"

Lin Feng thought for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe soon, maybe it'll be a long time."

Su Xiaoxiao sniffled. "Then remember to find me when you come! I'll take you to eat delicious food! The Capital has so much good food! Roast duck, instant-boiled mutton, fried bean sauce noodles, Douzhi'er..."

"Forget about the Douzhi'er," Zhao Tiejun interjected. "Out-of-towners can't get used to that stuff."

Su Xiaoxiao glared at him. "You've never even had it, how do you know they won't get used to it?"

Zhao Tiejun laughed. "I have had it. I spat it out after one sip."

Su Xiaoxiao burst out laughing, and tears fell along with her laughter.

She quickly wiped them away, not wanting Lin Feng to see.

Looking at her, a warm current welled up in Lin Feng's heart.

He had only met this young girl once in the Secret Realm and hadn't really spoken much to her then.

But during these few days of the arena competition, she had called him "Brother Lin Feng" more affectionately than anyone else.

"Alright, I'll find you when I come," Lin Feng said.

Su Xiaoxiao nodded vigorously. "It's a promise! Pinky swear!"

She extended her pinky finger; Lin Feng paused for a moment, then extended his as well.

Their pinkies hooked together, and Su Xiaoxiao gave them a shake. "Pinky swear, cross your heart, can't change it for a hundred years!"

Lin Feng smiled. "Can't change it for a hundred years."

Su Xiaoxiao let go, stepped back, and took a deep breath. "Then I'm going. Take care, Brother Lin Feng!"

Zhao Tiejun stepped forward and extended his hand.

Lin Feng shook it; Zhao Tiejun's hand was large and powerful, with thick calluses on the palm.

"Take care," Zhao Tiejun said.

"You too."

Zhao Tiejun let go and stepped aside.

Xiao Yutong stepped forward, looking at Lin Feng.

She didn't speak, just looked at him for several seconds.

Then she reached out. "Let's add each other."

Lin Feng was startled for a moment, then pulled out his phone.

The two scanned QR codes and added each other as friends.

Xiao Yutong's profile picture was a sword—simple and sharp.

She put away her phone and looked at Lin Feng. "Let's spar again if there's a chance."

"Alright."

Xiao Yutong nodded, turned, and left.

Zhao Tiejun waved at Lin Feng and followed her.

Su Xiaoxiao looked back every few steps, glancing back one last time when she reached the end of the corridor.

Chen Zhixing stepped forward and pushed up his glasses. "Lin Feng, I'm very interested in your Chaos Power. Let's research it together if there's a chance."

Lin Feng nodded. "Alright."

Chen Zhixing pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to him. "This is my contact information. Contact me anytime if you need anything."

The business card was simple, black text on a white background, containing only a name and a string of numbers.

Lin Feng tucked it away.

Chen Zhixing nodded, turned, and left.

Li Mo stepped out from the corner and stood before Lin Feng.

He didn't speak, just stood there like a shadow.

Then he extended his hand, and Lin Feng shook it.

Li Mo's hand was very cold and thin, with distinct knuckles.

He let go, glanced at Lin Feng, and turned to walk away, his footsteps light and quickly vanishing at the end of the corridor.

The corridor fell silent.

Lin Feng stood at the door, looking at the empty corridor, an indescribable feeling welling up in his heart.

A few days ago, they hadn't even known each other.

Now, they had fought in the arena together, bled together, and cried and laughed together.

He turned and went back into his room.

A knock sounded again.

"Come in."

The door opened, and alternate character name stood at the entrance.

He was wearing ordinary sportswear and carrying a plastic bag.

He walked in and placed the plastic bag on the table. "Brought you some food. Local specialties from The Capital, take them back and try them."

Lin Feng opened the bag; inside were several bags of packaged snacks—Poria cakes, Rolling donkeys, Pea yellow, and a bag of Preserved fruits.

"Thanks."

alternate character name sat down in a chair and looked at Lin Feng. "You're going back to Donghai?"

"Yeah."

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

alternate character name nodded and was silent for a while. "Lin Feng, there's something I want to ask you."

"What is it?"

alternate character name looked at him. "That Chaos Power of yours, how did you train it?"

Lin Feng thought for a moment. "I don't know either. I just mixed several elements together, and I learned it while fighting."

alternate character name fell silent.

He looked at Lin Feng with a complex gaze. "Mixing several elements together... you make it sound so simple."

He gave a bitter smile. "It took me three years of training just to achieve Fusion with two elements. You, on the other hand, mixed eight elements together and just learned it while fighting."

Lin Feng scratched his head. "Maybe it's just Talent."

alternate character name looked at him for several seconds.

Then he laughed. "An F-Rank Talent being able to fuse eight elements into Chaos Power. Who would believe that if it was said aloud?"

He stood up. "Alright, I won't disturb you anymore. Be careful on the road."

He walked to the door and then looked back. "Lin Feng, let's spar again when there's an Opportunity."

Lin Feng nodded. "Alright."

alternate character name left.

The room became quiet again.

Lin Feng put the snacks into his backpack and continued packing.

Actually, there wasn't much to pack; there wasn't much in the backpack to begin with.

He zipped it up and placed the backpack on the table.

The knock sounded again.

Lin Feng walked over to open the door.

This time it was Zhou Tianyu.

He stood at the door, wearing that magnificent brocade robe, fiddling with that jade pendant in his hand.

He looked at Lin Feng, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something, but the words didn't come out.

After a silence of several seconds, he finally spoke. "Lin Feng, you are very strong. I admit, I underestimated you before."

Lin Feng looked at him without speaking.

Zhou Tianyu lowered his head. "I know about the Zhou Family's affairs. I also know what my brother did. I'm not asking for your forgiveness, but I want to say—not everyone in the Zhou Family is like that."

He raised his head and looked at Lin Feng. "I will prove it to you."

Lin Feng looked at him and remained silent for a few seconds. "Alright."

Zhou Tianyu nodded, turned, and left.

His footsteps were heavy and quickly vanished at the end of the corridor.

Lin Feng closed the door, leaned against the door panel, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Zhou Tianyu, Zhou Tianhao's younger brother.

The number one individual of the Zhou Family's younger generation.

He was different from Zhou Tianhao.

At least, he dared to stand on the arena stage.

Even though he was knocked down after only standing there for a second.

But he did stand up there.

Lin Feng remembered on the arena, when Zhou Tianyu was sent flying by a palm strike from Iron Bone Tribe Warrior No. 5, he climbed up from the ground, his face pale and his lips trembling.

But he didn't run; he stood his ground.

Based on that alone, he was different from Zhou Tianhao.

Lin Feng walked back to the bed and sat down.

His phone rang.

He pulled it out and saw it was a message from Su Xiaoxiao.

[Su Xiaoxiao: Brother Lin Feng, I've reached the station! When are you heading back to Donghai? Stay safe on the road! Message me when you arrive!]

It was followed by a string of emojis—smiling faces, crying faces, little stars, and a little rabbit holding a heart.

Lin Feng smiled and typed a reply.

[Lin Feng: Leaving tomorrow. I'll let you know when I arrive.]

Su Xiaoxiao replied instantly.

[Su Xiaoxiao: Okay! Remember to come visit me! We pinky swore!]

[Lin Feng: Okay.]

After sending the message, Lin Feng was about to put his phone away when it rang again.

This time it was Zhao Tiejun.

[Zhao Tiejun: Lin Feng, take care. If you have a chance to come to The Capital, I'll treat you to a drink.]

Lin Feng replied.

[Lin Feng: Okay.]

Then it was Xiao Yutong.

[Xiao Yutong: Take care.]

Just two words.

Simple and sharp, just like her.

Lin Feng replied.

[Lin Feng: You too.]

Then it was Chen Zhixing.

[Chen Zhixing: Lin Feng, I've already started organizing the data on Chaos Power. Let's research it together if there's a chance.]

Attached was a document titled "Preliminary Analysis of Chaos Power."

Lin Feng clicked on it and took a look; the screen was full of formulas and data, and he couldn't understand a single word.

[Lin Feng: ...Okay.]

Then it was Li Mo.

[Li Mo: .]

Just a single period.

Lin Feng stared at that period for three seconds before replying with a period.

[Lin Feng: .]

Then he put away his phone.

He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

The circular light was still on, casting a warm yellow glow.

He closed his eyes, thinking of the faces of those people just now.

Su Xiaoxiao's smiling face, Zhao Tiejun's serious face, Xiao Yutong's cold face, Chen Zhixing's glasses, Li Mo's shadow, alternate character name's calmness, Zhou Tianyu's stubbornness.

And Li Mingze's lowered head, the general's military salute, and the words of that person from the Ministry of State Security.

And that desolate land in Yanjiao, that broken bridge, and those silver points of light floating in the air.

He opened his eyes and sat up.

He walked to the window and pushed it open.

The night wind blew in, carrying a chill.

The streetlights in the courtyard were on, casting a dim yellow light on the lawn.

In the distance, the lights of The Capital were spread out in patches, like a galaxy.

He looked at those lights and spaced out for a while.

His phone rang again.

He pulled it out and saw it was from the general.

[General: Lin Feng, don't leave tomorrow. I have something to discuss with you.]

Lin Feng was taken aback.

[Lin Feng: What is it?]

The general didn't reply immediately.

After quite a while, a message finally came.

[General: Something good. We'll talk about the specifics tomorrow. Get some rest.]

Lin Feng looked at that message, pondering in his heart.

Something good?

What kind of good thing?

He thought about it but couldn't figure it out.

Forget it, I'll know tomorrow.

He placed his phone on the nightstand, lay down, and closed his eyes.

The next morning, Lin Feng woke up very early.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, still a grayish-blue outside the window, with a few stars that hadn't yet set.

After washing up, he changed into clean clothes and sat by the bed to wait.

At exactly seven o'clock, a knock sounded at the door.

"Comrade Lin Feng, the general would like to see you in his office." Lieutenant Liu Yang's voice came from outside.

Lin Feng stood up and pushed the door open.

The corridor lights were bright, and Lieutenant Liu Yang stood at the door, still in his sharp military uniform, standing ramrod straight.

"What does the general want with me?" Lin Feng asked.

Lieutenant Liu Yang shook his head. "I don't know. The general only said to bring you over."

Lin Feng nodded and followed Lieutenant Liu Yang through the corridor to the door of the general's office.

Lieutenant Liu Yang knocked. "Reporting! Comrade Lin Feng has arrived."

"Come in," the general's voice came from inside.

Lieutenant Liu Yang pushed the door open and stepped aside.

Lin Feng walked in.

The general stood behind the desk, wearing his military uniform with the rank of Lieutenant General on his shoulders.

Before him lay a document with a red cover, stamped with an official seal.

"Sit." The general pointed to a chair.

Lin Feng sat down.

The general also sat and pushed the red-covered document toward Lin Feng.

"Take a look at this."

Lin Feng flipped open the document.

The first page had a line of large, gold-embossed characters—"Decision Regarding the Conferment of the Title 'National Hero' to Comrade Lin Feng."

Below were densely packed small characters recording his performance in the arena competition—single-handedly defeating seven warriors of the Iron Bone Clan and making a decisive contribution to the reclaiming of Yanjiao.

Page after page, it was written in great detail.

Lin Feng looked up. "General, this..."

The general waved his hand. "Don't be in a hurry to give thanks. This isn't what I wanted to talk about yet."

He pulled another document from his drawer, this one with a blue cover and much thinner than the previous one.

He pushed it toward Lin Feng. "Take a look at this."