The next day, Chen Chuan left the company building and walked to the prearranged meeting spot. He dialed a number from a nearby phone booth, then simply waited.

Before long, a car pulled up in front of him. He opened the passenger-side door, got in, and shut it behind him. "Morning, Teacher," he said, greeting Cheng Zitong in the driver’s seat.

Cheng Zitong stared at him for a long moment, then asked hesitantly, "It’s over?"

Chen Chuan nodded. He pulled the Unlimited Defense Certificate from his pocket and handed it to Cheng Zitong. "Here’s the certificate." Cheng Zitong snatched off his sunglasses and took it carefully. He examined it over and over before finally confirming, "It’s really real... Xiaochuan, you... sigh. You always manage to surprise me."

Chen Chuan glanced at Cheng Zitong. ’As long as it’s a surprise and not a scare, Teacher,’ he thought.

Cheng Zitong handed the Defense Certificate back. "Keep this safe," he urged. "Don’t lose it." Still finding it hard to believe, he asked, "Tell me, how did you finish so quickly?"

"Maybe it was just because I got there early," Chen Chuan said modestly.

He gave a summary of what happened. The entire affair had only lasted two days—he arrived on the first, took action on the second, and it was over. The process wasn’t complicated, so he finished his explanation in a few minutes.

After listening, Cheng Zitong leaned back against his seat. His gaze was unfocused as if he were trying to digest the information. After a long moment, he stared straight ahead and said,

"To avoid running into anyone I knew, I purposely went somewhere remote this time. I had barely settled in when I got your call. I rushed back overnight, thinking you must have run into some kind of trouble."

"And you can’t blame me for being anxious. The students who left a few days ago to take the C Certificate exam probably won’t be back for another month or so. Yet you, who went for a B Certificate, finished even before them? If I didn’t know how reliable you are, Xiaochuan, I’d have suspected you never even went."

At this, he couldn’t help but laugh. He patted the steering wheel and sighed emotionally, "This is great. Just great."

After a moment, he sat up straight and looked at Chen Chuan. "We need to get our story straight. We can’t have any slip-ups. Now that you have the certificate in your first year, you’ll have a chance to secure a spot for Central City."

Chen Chuan nodded.

Cheng Zitong then went over their cover story with him. He was in high spirits, genuinely overjoyed. This was a student he had personally taught. He had watched Chen Chuan grow from a student who knew next to nothing into the young man who now held an Unlimited Defense Certificate. He had seen him take every single step along the way.

He was sincerely happy for his student, and he also felt the pride and sense of accomplishment that came with being a teacher. What could bring a teacher more joy than seeing their student achieve something great?

Finally, he added a reminder, "Don’t be too hasty, though. You’re still one month shy of completing your first full year at Wuyi Academy. Besides, the application process for Central City takes time, so it’s too late for this round. Once this semester is over and you’re a second-year, we can go over the details and plan it out."

Chen Chuan nodded. "I’m eager to get to Central City, but I’m not fully prepared yet. I plan on using the next few months to improve myself further."

Cheng Zitong started the car. "You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? Let’s go. I’ll treat you to a good meal to celebrate you getting the Defense Certificate."

Chen Chuan went with Cheng Zitong for a hearty breakfast, after which the two of them returned to the academy together.

Their return was quiet and didn’t attract much attention, just like any other day. But both of them knew that something had fundamentally changed.

Back in his dorm, Chen Chuan took a quick shower. Without even unpacking, he walked into the common area, picked up the phone, and called Gao Ming.

When the call connected, he said, "Hello? Gao Ming, it’s me."

Gao Ming’s voice came through the receiver. "Cousin? Didn’t you go off to train with your teacher?"

Chen Chuan said slowly, "The training was fruitful. The whole process went very smoothly, so I’m back now."

This was a code phrase. He and Gao Ming had previously agreed to use the term "fruitful training" as a stand-in for the Unlimited Defense Certificate. By saying this, he was signaling that he had obtained it.

There was a brief pause on Gao Ming’s end. Then, in a voice that seemed deliberately calm, he said, "In that case, congratulations, Cousin."

"Gao Ming," Chen Chuan said, "we can talk more when you get back."

"Right, Cousin."

A hint of excitement, barely perceptible, colored Gao Ming’s voice. "It’s been a while since I’ve seen my aunt and uncle anyway. With your summer break coming up, it’s about time I paid them a visit."

CLICK. They both hung up.

Both of them knew that since he had successfully obtained the Unlimited Defense Certificate, the next step was to plan how to get into Central City and how to secure one of the coveted spots.

Meanwhile, in Wubian City, over three hundred kilometers from Yangzhi City, Wei Jun was mulling over the details of his exam. The test required the candidates to deal with a group of death-row inmates.

Before the exam, these prisoners would be released into the wilderness with some water, food, and weapons. The candidates would be required to either capture or kill them within a set time limit.

The test wouldn’t be difficult for him. He planned to buy detailed information on the inmates from the prison guards beforehand. He could also use his own men to track them down. In the end, all he’d have to do was show up and finish the job. Since he was carrying a firearm, it would likely just be a matter of firing a few shots.

Getting the Level C Unlimited Defense Certificate should be no problem. The two-year validity period was annoying, but after graduation, he could just train for another year or two and then go for the B Certificate.

There were no other Recommended Students in his year who could compete with him. After graduation next month, he would be off to Central City. There, he’d have access to more advanced training methods, more resources, and better instructors. He could also expand his network in preparation for joining the corporation his family served.

Still, he needed to check for any potential loose ends. There could be no surprises.

The last time this happened, Shen Zheng had obtained an Unlimited Defense Certificate and nearly qualified for a recommendation to Central City. At the time, no other student in the entire academy was his match, and he almost squeezed out an upperclassman who was supposed to get the spot. Fortunately...

But because of the precedent Shen Zheng had set, they were now taking this matter very seriously. They would absolutely not allow another student to take the Unlimited Defense Certificate exam without their approval! The problem had to be nipped in the bud.

He summoned his butler. "Teacher Tan once said I had to master Pile Force before I could go to Central City, and I’ve more or less done that now. I’m about to get my Unlimited Defense Certificate, too. But there can’t be any mistakes in this final stage. Go and check for me—have any students been away from the academy recently?"

"Young Master," the butler said confidently, "I’ve been keeping a close watch on that. I have detailed records."

"Let me see them," Wei Jun said.

"Yes, sir," the butler replied. He went to retrieve a file and returned, respectfully handing it over.

"These are all the students who have been away from campus in the months since the semester began. The departure time for each of them is roughly recorded."

Wei Jun took the file and flipped through it, looking at the third-years first. He knew, however, that the Mutual Aid Association had already dealt with the talented commoner students in that year—suppressing those they could, absorbing those they couldn’t. They were all under control, with practically no one left who would disobey. He skimmed the section and moved on.

He focused on the second-years, as they were also eligible to take the certification exams. He had recently met several scions of powerful families from other cities who, like him, were hoping to go to Central City. They had exchanged some information.

He’d heard a story from one of them. Apparently, just last year in Guanbi City, a second-year commoner student who already had a Weapon Permit went to take the Unlimited Defense Certificate exam on his own. Given his strength, he almost certainly would have passed. But word got out, and someone arranged to have him... dealt with... on the way.

’Something about breaking his limbs and sinking him in a lake with concrete shoes? I don’t know if it’s true, but if it is, they were bold.’ Wei Jun thought. Such an act bordered on provoking the examination board and could have serious consequences.

’As long as they didn’t do it themselves, it would be difficult to trace it back to them, but the corporation backing them could easily come under scrutiny from the higher-ups.’

Luckily, he didn’t have to worry about that. The most talented second-year at Wuyi Academy was Geng Zheng. He had refused to join the Mutual Aid Association at first, but they eventually reeled him in. The medicine Geng Zheng’s family needed for treatment came from Central City, and only the Association could provide it. They weren’t worried about him stepping out of line.

After finishing with the second-years, he moved on to the first-years, though he wasn’t particularly concerned. It was virtually impossible for any of them to pose a threat to him.

But since he was already on the page, he gave it a cursory glance.

The most talented first-year was undoubtedly Chen Chuan. Beating Zhongwu—that loyal dog—during the entrance exams had left a strong impression on Wei Jun. Even his own decision to move out of the academy dorms seemed to be related to it. Crucially, Chen Chuan still hadn’t joined the Mutual Aid Association.

He noticed Chen Chuan’s movements seemed somewhat erratic. He frowned, pointed at the name, and asked, "What’s the deal with this Chen Chuan? Has he been off campus this whole time?"

The butler answered respectfully, "Young Master, we’ve investigated. While this student is often away from the academy, the longest he’s been gone at any one time is about a week. We confirmed that he was at a training hall in South City, studying under Manager Cheng. He did take a trip recently but returned to the academy yesterday. We suspect he was being taught some exclusive technique."

After hearing this, Wei Jun dismissed the matter. "Alright, you’re dismissed. I need to prepare for the upcoming assessment."

A short distance from his luxurious hotel, Deng Fu, Tai Dong, and Geng Zheng had been assigned to the same dorm room.

They had also learned about the exam’s content. It was certainly difficult, but they felt that if they gave it their all, they should be able to pass.

Except they had to give up.

And giving up this time meant they would never have another chance to test for a Defense Certificate.

Tai Dong didn’t know what Deng Fu and Geng Zheng were thinking, but as for himself, even though he’d claimed not to care long ago, a part of him still felt uneasy now that he actually had to give up.

’Maybe I haven’t really let it go,’ he thought.

He sighed to himself. ’But that’s just how the world works. There’s nothing I can do to change it.’

He glanced over at Geng Zheng, who was sitting with a look of pure defiance on his face. ’Maybe this kid will try to pull something.’

The only one who looked completely at ease was Deng Fu, who was half-sitting on his bed, engrossed in a book of stories. Tai Dong figured he must have seen through the futility of it all long ago. Since he didn’t care about anything, he didn’t feel like he was losing anything. In fact, he probably felt like he was coming out ahead.

Deng Fu was sharp. Sensing the gaze, he glanced over at Tai Dong with an amused smile, then turned to Geng Zheng. Seeing the younger student’s silent brooding, he chuckled, closed his book, and said, "What’s wrong, little bro? Still hung up on it?"

"Let your senior teach you a lesson today. Don’t sweat the small stuff. What’s a little humiliation in the grand scheme of things? Don’t beat yourself up over it. You’ve got a long life ahead of you. I’m telling you, if you just focus on staying alive, you’ll see all kinds of crazy things. The tables can turn. The mighty can fall. It’s not impossible."

A thought suddenly stirred in Tai Dong’s mind.

Geng Zheng couldn’t help but ask, "Are you saying...?"

Deng Fu chuckled. "I’m just saying you should try to live a long life. Nothing more." With that, he leaned back, propped his head on his arms, and went back to his book.

...

...