The tactical class instructor, Mr. Xu, was actually qualified to attend such a meeting.
Mr. Xu was still dressed in his coarse tweed suit, the image of an old gentleman, but when he spoke, he lacked any semblance of grace. "A bunch of idiots! Babbling on and on without touching on the crux of the matter."
Teacher Dai did not lose his temper, and the Head of Education was scolded along with him, yet they dared not speak out. Mr. Xu had a special status. Even the principal handled buck-passing skillfully, knowing that those without "real power" couldn't bear such heavy responsibility.
Mr. Xu paid no mind to others' feelings, leisurely packed his tobacco pipe, lit it, and began to smoke. The Head of Education coughed repeatedly to show his discontent but dared not stop him.
"Did all of you watch the video of the combat exchange?" Mr. Xu finally said. "Chen Gu overwhelmed Zhao Junzhi in a messy brawl. Even if the school's protective gear is substandard, you can see how strong Chen Gu is!
"This is a fine seedling who should be nurtured carefully. With dedicated cultivation, our school could produce a top scorer admitted to the Tiangong Military Division next year!"
The principal's eyes lit up. "Mr. Xu is right! You truly live up to your reputation as a venerable senior enjoying special allowances from the Ministry of Education, seeing right through to the essence of the problem..."
Mr. Xu ignored his colorful flattery, took his pipe, and rose to leave. The Head of Education, having just stood up to argue with Teacher Dai, happened to be between Mr. Xu and the door. Mr. Xu unceremoniously blew a puff of smoke at him. "Out of my way!"
The Head of Education pinched his nose and stepped aside.
The "disciplinary meeting" thus concluded anticlimactically. After exiting, the Head of Education thought for a moment and sent a message to Zhao Zhenhuai with only eight characters: Tried my utmost, to no avail.
Zhao Zhenhuai glanced at it and closed it without reaction. He had already expected this outcome. The Lightning version of the Xuanwu III had already indicated Chen Gu's background was not simple.
Zhao Zhenhuai had originally planned to have his friends at the police station "visit" Chen Gu and give him a warning under the guise of an investigation. But now, it seemed such petty tactics were completely unnecessary and would only be embarrassing.
The aide-de-camp rushed in, his expression inexplicably excited. "Colonel, guess what I just found?"
Zhao Zhenhuai rubbed his temples. "I hope it's good news."
"Take a look." The aide-de-camp proudly displayed a series of documents before Zhao Zhenhuai. Upon seeing them, the colonel couldn't help but show surprise, then laughed strangely. "So it was Chen Jieye's father, hahaha!"
The aide-de-camp added, "We could leak his identity. Although Chen Gu's sentence has been served, this matter from forty years ago could still ruin his reputation, and it would greatly implicate Chen Jieye!"
However, Zhao Zhenhuai pondered for a moment, then wagged his finger at his aide-de-camp. "That's not wise. If it weren't for the previous... 'Infernal' incident, Chen Jieye would be far behind me, and we could certainly kick him while he's down.
"But now, our situation isn't too good either. If we release this news at this time, our superiors will definitely know I did it, and they don't approve of such tactics involving family members."
The aide-de-camp stiffened. Everyone had family, and those above enjoyed watching their subordinates compete to determine the most capable. But such tactics were indeed foolish and would lose points.
The aide-de-camp quickly apologized. "I got too carried away. Then... Colonel, how should we best utilize this weapon?"
Zhao Zhenhuai smiled inscrutably. "Think of a way to leak this through some channel not obviously connected to us. Get the news to Valkyrie Aviloya."
The aide-de-camp caught on, his thumb shooting up in praise. "Brilliant, truly brilliant!" After saying this, he practically swelled with pride, as if he'd gained thirty pounds and suddenly become fluent in some obscure foreign tongue.
He immediately said, "Rest assured, Colonel, I'll get right on it."
The aide-de-camp left. Zhao Zhenhuai no longer bothered with Chen Gu. After all, it was just kids' stuff. His eyebrows then furrowed gradually as he began to worry about himself.
Heartless 'Idol Actor'! Zhao Zhenhuai cursed inwardly. If it weren't for that bastard, his situation would be very favorable. How could he have ended up in such a predicament?
Zhao Zhenhuai had already received news that the decision had effectively been made to give up on both him and Chen Jieye, transferring them to local government positions.
"SIGH..." Zhao Zhenhuai heaved a sigh. This was the reality in the military. The status of soldiers had greatly improved, attracting many talented individuals to enlist. Military academies, both large and small, were popular choices in the college entrance exams every year, and the Tiangong Military Division was the institution with the highest admission scores in the entire Confederation. New, outstanding talents were constantly emerging. If Zhao Zhenhuai and Chen Jieye couldn't satisfy their superiors, they would naturally be replaced by these up-and-coming geniuses. But civilian positions also varied greatly. This time, it was truly a choice that would decide the rest of his life. He had to strategize carefully!
...
The next morning, Chen Gu proceeded with his usual pre-training as a Star Battle Instructor. The intense training over the past week had left him increasingly astonished by the physical capabilities of the original body; he had already completed the first phase of the entire pre-training program!
According to Griffin Wester's memories, the full pre-training was divided into three phases. After completing the first phase, one's physical capabilities would be triple that of an ordinary person!
In the history of the "Blue Blood Ruffian," its Star Battle Instructors typically completed this phase in a relatively short time, roughly between ten days and three weeks.
But such results were based on the extensive use of special medications.
Chen Gu had not only refrained from using any enhancement drugs but had also completed the phase in just over a week. From this point alone, his potential was higher than all the Star Battle Instructors of the "Blue Blood Ruffian."
This morning, Chen Gu began his second phase of training, which was more demanding and even more arduous. Yet, Chen Gu persevered, directly resulting in his food intake dramatically increasing—he was now eating double what he had before.
As Chen Gu ate, he began to doubt himself. Why am I improving so fast? Could it be that I'm naturally suited to become a Star Battle Instructor? Just charge ahead recklessly? Have I actually chosen the wrong profession? Am I best suited to be a stunt double? No, no! I am destined to become an award-winning actor! And since that's the case, I can portray a stunt double too. My logic is self-consistent, no problem there!
The bodyguards still drove the Lightning version of the Xuanwu III to pick up Chen Gu. On the way, the bodyguards were diligent and extremely alert. Chen Gu meditated in the car, contemplating matters related to Professionals.
As far as he could see, completing the pre-training wouldn't be difficult. The physical enhancement drugs he had searched for on the interstellar network might not even need to be purchased.
However, there was a major hurdle to becoming a Professional: the generator.
This device was crafted from the remains of super-lifeforms, using hyper-materials as catalysts, and each activation required nearly the entire electrical energy of a planet.
From the memories of Milna Katerina and Griffin Wester, such devices were exceedingly rare. Yet, if Chen Gu wanted to become a Professional, he had to enter a generator.
This gave Chen Gu a headache. What should he do? Where could he find a generator, and which organization would be willing to spend so much to cultivate him?