Chapter 31: The Humiliation of Twenty Rounds
In less than two days after Cillin had planted the BPT, Lung returned on his flying car and nearly drove straight into the accommodation while he was entering the courtyard. After parking his car in haste, he ran circles around the accommodation and looked all over the plant, clicking his tongue in amazement.
“Cillin, you have to sell me the cultivation method for this plant!” Lung said with bright eyes.
Cillin shook his head, “The growing conditions of this plant is nothing special. Moreover, I’ve only used a single common nutrient solution worth 100 galactic credits.”
“Bullshit, even if you used only a bottle of common nutrient solution, there must be some special way or something. Otherwise, why the heck would those people at the research division come up with nothing despite such a long time?” Lung said while fiddling with the leaves of the vines that had climbed up the accommodation’s walls. This plant sure grows pretty well alright.
Cillin shrugged as a sign of his own helplessness and said, “Perhaps they need to be soothed.”
Lung wore a look of suspicion, but then he smiled and replied, “You may actually be right.”
There were certain things that need not be said. They were all smart people; they all kept secrets that were best left unspoken. However, Lung really did pay heed to Cillin’s words. Cillin was not one to waste his words on random things. He might deceive someone else but not him, because Cillin had promised to sell him the cultivation technique before anyone else long ago.
Seeing Lung fiddling with the leaves and examining them, Cillin continued, “A child forcefully separated from its parents was threatened to eat by a stranger at knife point. Even if they did acquiesce and eat, how can they possibly grow well? Much less those that are rigorous by nature.”
Lung took it to heart, “You have a point.”
What happened afterwards was also clear proof of Cillin’s words.
The plant was going to be exposed to the public sooner or later, so when Cillin had withdrawn the preset light screen altogether, the news of this mutated BPT was quickly known by the people of the Science and Research Division.
The people of the Institute of Botany had doubtfully cut and propagated the BPT back at the research division, and after less than two days of intensive care, the specimens were all dead. The instrument had shown that the specimen at Cillin’s accommodation was identical to the one at the institute, and the result of the soil analysis was inconclusive either. It was as Cillin had said; there was only the composition of that 100 galactic credits common nutrient solution.
Coincidentally, the person who went to acquire a sample at the planet where the vine’s parents were grown had returned with a small but complete version of the BPT. After much care, the small specimen finally managed to survive, but its growth was obviously completely incomparable to Cillin’s.
But this was a problem the people of the Institute of Botany should worry about. Cillin had not the time to deal with them; he had plenty of other courses that required his attention elsewhere.
Cillin’s military class could be said to be at its initial phase and was carried out within the school zone only. Every class had emphasized on exercising one’s fitness; if their fitness wasn’t up to par, then they would be nothing more but a punching bag at the training zone. Only after their fitness had been improved would a student be allowed to continue to the next step of the course at the training division.
In a rare occasion, Knight had shown up after skipping three classes. He even wore a ‘I so don’t want to be here’ scowl while standing. The instructor ignored him right away; everyone here knew about the man’s identity and abilities anyway. He can do whatever he wants to do.
“Today’s training will be weight running, laps with 100 kg weights. The cutoff is 10 laps. Those who can run 15 laps are exempt from weight running and can proceed directly to the next training. If you can run 20 laps, then you can head to the training division. There’s no need for you to continue wasting time here.”
The instructor had said this in a very easy tone, but there were plenty of students who were gulping already after after hearing his words. The field was 1 km long per lap, and ten laps would be the equivalent of 10 km. Would they not be as exhausted as a panting dog if they ran the whole length while carrying 100 kg of weight?
Both Cillin arms’ and legs’ were tied with 25 kg of weights. After some thought, he added yet another 50 kg on his back, or it seriously would not contribute much improvement his physical fitness.
Knight grinned immediately after seeing this, “Cillin, you’re a true man!” while saying, he also added 50 kg on his own back. Originally he had planned to get to the training division sooner, but it wasn’t a bad idea either to add a bit of challenge to the exercise.
Not far away, the instructor and assistant instructors had also turned interested after seeing Cillin’s actions. Although Cillin’s performance was pretty good during the past three classes, he always stopped when he had fulfilled his quota. They wondered if running with Knight today would force out this kid’s abilities.
Everyone knew that they should maintain their own pace, but in reality, when so many people started running at once – competitiveness triggered and heads turned hot – some people began to lose control and ran faster than they originally planned to. It was a chain reaction; the moment the people at the back saw that they were about to be left behind, they too began to speed up.
Not far away, the instructors sat there leisurely while chatting. One of them pointed at the running students and said, “Most of these fellows are B rank genotypes, but are incomparable even against a C rank army. They’re purely wasting their genetic resources.”
“That’s why I say they needed to get fucked up. Even if we don’t judge them by military academy standards, we can’t shame our reputation either. After all, people like us who are sent to non-military universities have our names singled out at the GAL headquarters. If these bastards got out and got their asses kicked by the other universities, just imagine how embarrassing it’ll be when we return to the army.”
“That’s why I asked big boss Huo to force that Knight brat over; it’s all to teach these usually arrogant bastards a lesson during this class.”
“Hehe, jokes aside, this Knight kid really is pretty good.”
“Of course, just look at his father, would he have taught a terrible son?”
While the instructors were chatting leisurely, the running Cillin and Knight on the other side were also chatting. They ran near the front of the center of the group. Since Knight was bored, he roped Cillin into chatting with him while running, and it caused everyone around them to stare at them like they’re exotic animals. Are they actually chatting during a weighted run?!
The duo paid no heed to things like breathing rhythm or whatever at all. It felt no different from walking and chatting!
Fuck, you’ll regret this when two laps are up! Some people thought on the inside.
Cillin knew that Knight was very impatient with the class, but still he underestimated the true depths of his annoyance. It was a waste of time for Knight to attend this kind of class.
“Then why have you come today?”
“I don’t have a choice, Attendance can only be taken by swiping the card, and the number of attendance is calculated into the final result. Uncle Huo… Um, that is the chief of training division said that he could help me, but I still gotta show my face once in awhile. Oh right, how are the vines at our accommodation doing? I heard that the people at the Institute of Botany are so frustrated they’re about to lose all their hair.”
When Cillin had sent both Ci Jincheng and Knight pictures of the vines, they were no less surprised.
“Not bad. Yesterday those people from the research division had come over to collect some soil again.”
“Tsk, absolutely disdainful. Those idiots have heads made out of rocks…”
And so the duo moved on from the topic of vines to the training division’s high grade training, and then to a military academy’s training. From the sound of it, the training here really couldn’t compare to a military academy’s training at all. No wonder Knight had looked down upon the people who were complaining about fatigue around them so much.
While the duo was chatting, they did not pay attention to the other students’ running speed, so before they knew it, the duo was beginning to lead at the front of the group. As the students breathing heavily behind them watched the duo chatting easily about nothing, they doubted from the bottom of their hearts if the duo’s weights were made of bubbles.
“That Cillin kid is pretty good, yeah?” The instructor pointed at their direction.
“It’s the seventh lap already and he looked just like he hadn’t run at all. He’s bearing the same 150 kg weight as Knight you know, and his genotype is only rank B.”
“He’s a good seed.”
Cillin and Knight only knew about running and chatting and did not care about the people behind them at all. Knight didn’t even bother remembering the number of laps he ran; in the past he stopped only when he had reached his limits.
Slowly, they had left the group behind by more than a lap. The weaker ones were more than 3 laps behind.
“We ran 10 laps already, right?” Cillin asked.
“Eh, who cares. Let’s talk some more. Where were we just now?”
“Sure, let’s chat a little more. Once we finished 20 laps we’ll go straight at the training division and register.”
“Haha, you’re a true brother!” Knight slapped Cillin’s shoulder and felt very satisfied with Cillin’s words. Then they continued to talk about the stories at the training division. When Knight talked about the ridicules Pride caused there, he grew even more excited. He was always happy to see Pride make a fool of himself.
And so, the entire large field was filled with Knight’s laughter alone.
“Oh my god, you have no idea how he looked at the time; I was about to laugh myself to death! Haha!”
The students who were gritting their teeth and hanging on felt their vision turn black and couldn’t wait to blackout. This fucker was trying to drive them to death, wasn’t he!? How was he still chatting and laughing after all that!? How were they going to look themselves in the mirror if he could laugh so powerfully even after so many laps?
Some of the students felt the duo running past them not long ago, before passing by them again after a short while, and again, and again…
When Cillin and Knight had finished their 20 laps, some of the students were still running their 10. The instructor had roared earlier that they either finish the 10 laps even if they had to crawl, or have their credits deducted.
Comparisons are odious.
This was the current thoughts of those students. A few people had personally inspected Cillin and Knight’s weights after they finished running, and not only were they the real deal, the weights had even exceeded their own. Those people who thought they were good felt so resentful they could spew blood.
After the 20 laps were done, and Knight pulled Cillin before the instructor to perform a standard salute, he said in a pleased manner, “See, my brother ain’t bad, eh? We’re brothers of the same accommodation! Now then, instructor, a promise is a promise, so we won’t be coming over next time. We’ll be training directly at the training division.”
After 20 laps were done, Knight and Cillin were only breathing a little heavier. However, their spirit were strong as ever, and they looked like they wouldn’t take long to recover.
The instructor did not mind Knight’s tone. This wasn’t the real army, and considering this kid’s terrible temper, that he saluted them and called them by their title were all the face they could want. The instructor waved his hands and smiled, “Go on, go on. Keep up the hard work after you reached there!”
Once the duo had gone far away, the assistant instructor at his side said, “I heard a long time ago from the police team about this Cillin kid. He may appear ordinary, but he definitely has some serious tricks up his sleeves. His stamina is easily a match for Knight’s.”