Xia Wen felt as if the world had come crashing down!
Only now did she recall Chen Nian's kindness—how he'd hand her bottled water after gym class, or rush over with an umbrella when it rained.
A rich kid might offer fleeting satisfaction, but an honest, homebody guy would give you a genuine heart.
She stood rooted to the spot, watching most of her classmates finish forming teams.
Yet Chen Nian's team still had only two members.
A flicker of hope suddenly ignited within Xia Wen...
Could this last spot be one Chen Nian deliberately saved for her?
He used to be her loyal puppy dog. Even if he had a new girlfriend now, he shouldn't be this heartless, right?
Lost in thought, Xia Wen suddenly saw Chen Nian walking straight toward her!
Perfect!
He still cares about me.
She'd even rehearsed the expression she'd wear when accepting his invitation, but then a gust of wind brushed past her ear.
Chen Nian sailed right past her, approaching the instructor and declaring, "Instructor, just two people in my group is fine. That's enough."
"!!!"
Xia Wen nearly exploded with rage on the spot.
He'd rather have one less person than invite me?!
This man is such a jerk! How could someone be so petty and unforgiving? A narrow-minded little rat!
She mentally cursed Chen Nian with every derogatory term she could think of, but that didn't change the fact she'd been abandoned.
"Agreed." Jiang Lie nodded with a smile.
He'd been planning to target Chen Nian anyway. Since Chen Nian volunteered to challenge with just two people, he naturally wouldn't refuse.
The other trainees were stunned.
"Chen Nian is way too cocky... challenging us before the team's even assembled?"
"That's disrespectful to the instructor. He'll get his comeuppance later."
"Exactly! He's still the instructor—basic respect is required. This is blatant provocation!"
Even Qin Yu felt Chen Nian was being reckless.
A flicker of unease crossed her mind... .
"Chen Nian, are you sure it's just us two?"
"What else?"
"Hmph, then you better perform well later. Don't end up being dragged along by your girlfriend!"
Qin Yu wrinkled her little nose, muttering a playful scolding.
To the other boys, it looked like nothing but flirtatious banter. They were green with envy. What kind of dog shit luck did Chen Nian have to land such an adorable girlfriend?
Just as everyone finished pairing up, a neatly uniformed squad suddenly marched onto the field.
They were official enforcement officers in camouflage!
Leading them was a female officer in black leather boots, her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. Her sleeves were casually rolled up, radiating a fierce, feminine aura.
She strode straight to the spectator stands, pulled out a chair, and plopped down, casually crossing her legs.
The other officers lined up behind her.
"Holy shit... it's Li Yunwei!"
The students' shock at seeing this officer rivaled their reaction to Qin Yu.
"Isn't she that powerhouse woman always on TV? They say she's nearly Level 40—stronger than our instructor!"
"I know! She's probably the strongest enforcer in Linhai City. She led the team that wiped out so many monsters in the city."
"Oh my god, she's so cool..."
A woman this strong and fierce was undeniably appealing to both men and women.
"If she's here, she must be scouting talent! I've got to make a great impression this time."
"I'll give it my all! If I could work under Sister Li, I'd be smiling in my sleep!"
Regardless of gender, everyone was brimming with 200% motivation at that moment.
The test officially began!
"We'll go first!"
A three-person team stepped forward to compete.
"Heard that guy's level 20, pretty solid strength. Looks like he wants to make a splash!" someone murmured.
But the outcome of the battle left everyone speechless!
For the first thirty seconds, Jiang Lie focused solely on defense, dodging attacks with his agility and emerging unscathed.
Then, with a single move, he stunned them all.
He unleashed a punch through the air, sending a terrifying shockwave that hurled the trio several meters away!
The qigong master's "Breaking Void Fist"...
Chen Nian instantly recognized the technique.
"Holy shit, that's insane!" the students gasped in unison.
Jiang Lie cracked his neck. "Next group."
And that was merely a taste—the real show was yet to come.
The second group stepped forward.
"You have thirty seconds to demonstrate. Go ahead." Jiang Lie beckoned with a hand gesture.
Thirty seconds later, the second group was similarly blown away by a violent gust of air, crashing to the ground in a humiliating faceplant.
"Damn, the instructor really doesn't hold back at all..."
"This is what a true master looks like! At least he gave us thirty seconds to show what we've got."
Everyone felt a tinge of fear toward the instructor.
Especially the girls!
Girls care about beauty, and they care even more about saving face.
If they all ended up face-planting like that, how humiliating would it be!
With roughly twenty groups, everyone's ratings varied widely.
Only three managed to exchange more than ten moves with the instructor, earning an A-grade. Most fell below B-grade, and not a single S-grade was awarded.
Xia Wen took her turn. The instructor showed no mercy to women, attacking relentlessly.
There was one exception: Sun Jing!
He actually exchanged blows with the instructor for dozens of moves before finally losing, though not in a disgraceful manner.
"Sun Jing, Grade A!"
"Wow, Brother Sun is still awesome! The first one to trade blows with the instructor!"
"Brother Sun is amazing! Truly deserving of Grade A!"
Amidst the praise, Sun Jing grew a bit cocky, glancing toward the female enforcer in hopes of her approval.
But unexpectedly, Li Yunwei sat calmly sipping her tea, utterly unmoved.
The principal couldn't help asking, "Team Leader Li, Sun Jing shows real talent. Would you be interested in taking him under your wing?"
"No interest."
Li Yunwei set her teacup down with a faint smile.
With her strength, how could she not see the instructor deliberately going easy on him?
Such second-rate talent wasn't worth her glance.
"Where's that kid who acted heroically today?"
"Team Leader Li, you mean Chen Nian? Look, it's his turn to step up now!"
Indeed, Chen Nian and Qin Yu had already arrived at the center of the field.
They were the only two-person team!
"Finally..."
Jiang Lie cracked his knuckles, producing crisp popping sounds.
He'd been waiting for this moment for ages!
Everything before was just warm-ups. Qigong might look impressive, but it couldn't inflict real damage.
If he really wanted to get serious, qigong could directly shatter internal organs—not just cause a simple fall!
And there wouldn't be a trace of it on the surface.
Only after some time would the qi currents forced into the body begin to destroy it, and by then, no one could pin it on him.
"Good, good, good. Finally, it's your turn." Sun Jing watched intently.
"I'll see just how much of a big shot you really are!" Xia Wen seethed inwardly.
In the investor section, Liu Xingchen finally perked up, removing his sunglasses to stare intently ahead.
"Little brother, make sure you put on a good show. Don't let your big brother down."
In that moment, Chen Nian became the center of everyone's attention!