Ossosa didn't understand why Chen Gu was so resolute, nor did he inquire further. Instead, he shared what he knew with Chen Gu. "There's a special department within the Confederation called the Bureau of Mystic Security—the full name is the Bureau of Mysterious Creature Safety. Most of its members are professionals. They control over fifty percent of the Confederation's generators and supermatter. The quickest way to become a professional is to join the Bureau of Mystic Security. Empire River Star also has a Bureau of Mystic Security, but I have no idea where it is. I just heard that Empire River Star's Bureau doesn't have generators; if you want to become a professional, you probably have to go to another planet."
Having finished speaking, he patted Chen Gu on the shoulder and left.
This was the first time Chen Gu had heard of the "Bureau of Mystic Security." Neither Milna Katerina nor Griffin Wester's memories mentioned it, possibly because the Confederation hadn't established the Bureau during their time.
As Chen Gu was speaking with Ossosa, the bodyguards sent by Zhao Ji faithfully guarded the perimeter. Only after Chen Gu entered his room did they leave—secretly leaving one behind, concealed downstairs to protect him.
However, the bodyguard was somewhat negligent, failing to notice a pair of eyes in the dark hallway of the building across the street, coldly observing Chen Gu's room. Through the window that Griffin had once complained about, one could clearly see everything inside the room.
A moment later, those eyes suddenly blinked vertically and vanished into thin air.
…
The next day, when Chen Gu ran into Chen Zili on campus, he found the kid with a swollen, bruised face. Grandpa's a bit curious, Chen Gu thought. Zhao Junzhi isn't out of the hospital yet, so who could have beaten him up this time?
With a mournful expression, Chen Zili approached. "Liu Shichan asked me to give you a message. She wants to 'do it' with you."
Chen Gu was startled. Are the girls of this era so bold? The image of Liu Shichan's enticingly long legs involuntarily surfaced in his mind, and he couldn't help thinking: This request... might not be impossible to fulfill...
Pointing to his own bruised eyes, Chen Zili said pitifully, "She did this. That woman's not human! She stormed into the men's bathroom to hit me!"
At that moment, Chen Zili's internal monologue was: Grandpa, someone has hit me again! It's time for you, the elder one, to take action!
But Chen Gu tilted his head to look at him and with a wave of his hand, punched Chen Zili's other eye, causing it to swell as well.
"AH—" Chen Zili exclaimed angrily, "What are you doing!"
Chen Gu assessed him again and exhaled. "It didn't look quite symmetrical just now, and I found it odd. Now it's better..."
Chen Zili: "..."
Damn it, am I even your real grandson?
Fuming, he stormed off, but then he suddenly remembered, "My mom's inviting you for dinner at our place tonight. I'll come to pick you up after school."
Chen Gu was startled. So, the 'ugly daughter-in-law' is finally going to meet the parents-in-law, is that it?
The news that Chen Gu would have a match with Liu Shichan during the afternoon's combat exchange class spread quickly through the campus.
Even the Lubei dark web, which "has to stick its nose into any mischief," opened a betting pool for this afternoon's match!
Chen Gu winning pays 1 to 1.3.
Liu Shichan winning pays 1 to 0.3.
Bets are only taken in Gold Shields—the virtual currency of the Lubei dark web. Since the dark web can issue as much as it wants, there's no need to calculate anything like the betting pool's balance. The odds are simply there to declare the Lubei dark web's unreserved confidence in Liu Shichan's victory.
And the administrator of Lubei's dark web apparently wasn't satisfied yet. To express his unwavering support for Liu Shichan in a clean and decisive manner, he actually put up a banner on the homepage of the dark web: "Full support for Goddess Liu Liu to beat Chen Gu! Seeking signatures in a big way!"
As long as you sign, you can get a Gold Shield!
Chen Gu was quite puzzled about why Liu Shichan wanted to fight him. During lunch, there was much chattering around him, and only after listening in did he understand: Big Sis Liu had ambitious plans to expand the "Dead Phoenix Gang" into the number one gang of Lubei Middle School. Chen Gu had defeated Zhao Junzhi; by defeating Chen Gu, she would prove the strength of the Dead Phoenix Gang.
Chen Gu felt conflicted. His memories from his past life made him reluctant to raise a hand against a girl, even in the ring.
But come afternoon, during the first physical techniques class, Teachers Zhou and Ouyang actually brought him a brand new set of protective gear.
"Quick, try this on. You'll wear this later. The school's protective gear isn't up to standard; it won't hold up against Liu Shichan's leg techniques."
Chen Gu was exasperated. "Seriously? Do you all have that little faith in me?"
The two teachers chuckled. But after all, Chen Gu was their beloved direct disciple, so Teacher Ouyang offered an explanation: "Your potential is immense, but fighting... isn't just about who's stronger. You still need to hone your techniques. Defeating Zhao Junzhi last time was an accident."
However, the four from Darkray had changed into a new outfit, tying white bands around their heads bearing the words "Brother Chen will win." They were completely bowled over by that signed, limited-edition vinyl record; after all, this was a close friend of their idol, Bo Le!
"Brother Chen, don't fear, to be defeated under the Jade Legs of Liu Liu is an honor in itself!"
"Boss Liu has her girl squad, and you have us, your loyal crew! We may not be as good-looking, but we're strong."
"Even death under the Dominant Flower is a romantic notion!"
"Whoever yells that rubbish slogan again, I'm going to be pissed!"
"Liu Goddess is extremely rich. Maybe she'll just enjoy beating you and won't want to fight anyone else afterward, and you could even marry into her wealthy family because of this..."
Chen Gu almost cursed out loud. Are you guys here to back me up or not?
During the second physical techniques class, Chen Gu arrived at the combat classroom. The physical techniques teacher from Class Four was already there, waiting. Still holding a grudge from when Chen Gu had knocked him out with a single punch, he glared at Chen Gu with a gloomy face, eager to see him get thrashed by Liu Shichan.
Liu Shichan also entered, followed by a large group of girls. Although none of them were as devastatingly beautiful as Liu Shichan, they were all good-looking, each scoring at least eighty points.
Chen Gu turned back to look at his "loyal crew." God, is this a zoo? Gorillas, gibbons, sloths... Good thing this Movie King is here as our visual anchor; otherwise, we'd have been instantly overshadowed!
Today, many people had come to watch the fight. Chen Gu looked around and saw Chen Zili, shrinking his neck among the crowd.
Chen Gu had originally felt that losing a duel wasn't a big deal. But with so many people watching, This Movie King can't afford to lose face like this!
After some thought, Chen Gu went straight to Chen Zili. "Do you have any combat techniques to pass on to me?"
"Huh?"
In this era, various martial arts were immensely popular. Boxing gyms and martial arts dojos had replaced the fitness gyms of Chen Gu's previous life and could be seen everywhere on the streets. But truly sophisticated martial arts were still passed on as secrets, hard to learn without paying a hefty price.
Liu Shichan, for example, practiced the Liu Family's secret "Dragon's Backbone Whip." The key to these secret combat arts was not in the moves, which were obvious at a glance, but in the breathing and the techniques of exerting force. Without a master's verbal and physical guidance, the essence could never be learned.