Invasion - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

On a rainy night, most people had already gotten off work and gone home early.

Tan Shu put away his umbrella, carefully patted the raindrops off his shoulders, walked through the long corridor, and reached out to knock on the door of the Chief of the Public Security Bureau’s office.

“Come in.” Chief Cao Junmin, who was reviewing documents, sat behind his imposing desk.

With a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, and a smile around his mouth, he looked both dignified and refined.

“Teacher,” Tan Shu said as he stood by the desk.

Tan Shu had once been a student that he had taught when he was the principal of the Sentinel Academy.

After Cao Junmin was promoted to be the Chief of the Public Security Bureau, he had also promoted several of his personally cultivated students to his side.

As his confidante, when there were no outsiders around, Tan Shu always called Cao Junmin “Teacher” to show their closeness.

Cao Junmin’s pen moved swiftly, and he did not lift his head. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s about Ni Ji,” Tan Shu said as he moved closer to the table. “He’s been locked up in the military administration office for several days.”

“That child will have his day eventually. It would be good for him to suffer a little,” Cao Junmin picked up the documents he had signed, blew on them, carefully looked at them once, and only then lifted his head. “What is it? You were classmates back then, are you thinking of running around trying to help him?”

Tan Shu hastily said, “No, no, no. I’m doing everything as you instructed, Teacher.”

Cao Junmin sat behind his wide desk, crossed his hands, and watched him with a smile. He was like a kind and amiable principal, showing concern about a student who had been punished for copying the school rules.

Tan Shu turned the thoughts in his heart, trying to figure out what Cao Junmin was thinking and how to speak to please his teacher.

If it was up to his own private thoughts, he would be very unwilling to see Ni Ji appear again.

Ni Ji was almost like a huge shadow over his student life.

Back in school, Ni Ji had been so dazzling and outstanding. He could almost always bring back the single-combat champion title in every Sentinel Academy tournament. Wherever he existed, everyone else was overshadowed and dimmed.

For so many years, he had worked so hard, almost discarding his dignity, trying to please Cao Junmin like a dog to become Cao Junmin’s top confidante.

What if Ni Ji came back? Would he steal his current position?

He knew that in Cao Junmin’s heart, he both loved and hated Ni Ji, and he had always held a grudge over Ni Ji’s insubordination back then.

“It’s not that this Teacher is being heartless. After all, he is also my student, just like you.” Cao Junmin said slowly from behind the desk. His tone was that of a principal who was concerned about a student.

“People, especially young people, are always too arrogant. Especially people like Ni Ji, who have a little bit of ability. They always feel that there’s nothing in the world that’s worth bending over for. Only after they’ve suffered and broken their bones will they understand that living in this world isn’t that easy.”

He lowered his head to review the documents again. “Let him suffer for a few more days in the hands of the people in the military administration office. Let him know that he was wrong and think of coming to ask me for help. Then, I’ll get him out.”

Tan Shu carefully observed the subtle changes in his expression, and said quietly, “But I just heard that he was released without charge.”

Cao Junmin raised his eyelids from behind his desk, looking at him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

Tan Shu’s heart skipped a beat, and a cold sweat broke out on his back. He quickly waved his hands and explained, “Teacher, I really didn't know. I was following your instructions from the past few days and kept an eye on this. Today, I just happened to hear that someone proved he was framed. That evidence was even made public. The people in the military administration office had no choice but to release him.”

He had followed Cao Junmin for many years, and he knew that this teacher of his was a famous smiling tiger.

Although he always looked gentle and refined, and spoke with a smile, he was actually extremely narrow-minded.

He wanted to use Ni Ji, but he also wanted to break Ni Ji’s bones first. He wanted Ni Ji to drop his pride and be obedient like he was.

Therefore, even though he knew what kind of place the military administration office was, and how those people would manipulate a tough guy like Ni Ji.

He still pretended that he didn't know about this and waited for Ni Ji to be tortured to the end and have his will collapse, before appearing to show his grace.

Tan Shu understood his teacher's intentions and immediately said, “Although he was released, he has nowhere to go in the capital. Plus, he was tossed around in that place in the military administration office these past few days. He’s probably still sitting outside the military administration office right now.”

Cao Junmin stood up from behind his desk and patted Tan Shu’s shoulder. “Teacher did not mean to blame you. After all, you were classmates, and you were very close back then.”

“Since that’s the case, then go and bring Ni Ji back. Let him clean himself up, and tell him that Teacher has not forgotten about him. See what his thoughts are now.”

Tan Shu nodded in agreement, and he left the office with a sigh of relief and a sense of unwillingness in his heart.

Cao Junmin looked at his departing back and sneered inwardly.

He was still too young. His little thoughts were very obvious.

Back in the Sentinel Academy, this Tan Shu had always been running around after Ni Ji every day. Many of the tournament results had been achieved thanks to Ni Ji.

Now, it seemed like he had no more feelings for Ni Ji. He even didn’t want Ni Ji to survive this incident.

Otherwise, with Tan Shu’s slick and sophisticated character, how could he have not been able to do something for his former classmate in a place like the military administration office, where money could buy anything? It was hard to believe that Ni Ji would be so badly injured that he couldn’t even walk.

---

The rain outside was gradually getting heavier.

Ni Ji sat in the dark alley, looking up at the raindrops falling from the dusty sky.

The weather was still hot here in the capital. If it were in the northern region, it would be snowing by now.

If it was this time in previous years, they would have already built up the high walls, stored the winter supplies, and gathered around the fire.

He closed his eyes, no longer thinking about those people he would never see again.

The sound of footsteps splashing through the water came from outside the alley.

Ni Ji smiled inwardly. Finally, they had come.

A soldier in a neat military uniform, holding an umbrella, jogged over from the end of the road.

He had a look of disbelief on his face, along with worry and anxiety. “Ah Ji, is that really you?” Tan Shu bent down to help the person who was sitting in the rain, and he said with both anxiety and complaint, “I couldn't believe it when I just heard this news. Really, how could you not contact us in the first instance when something this big happened.”

Ni Ji remained silent, letting him help him up.

He listened as his former classmate from his student days, and his best friend, supported him with one arm and kept talking.

“You really should have looked for Teacher. No matter what, we’re all his students.”

“Although you and Teacher had some arguments back then, Teacher still cares about you.”

“Look, as soon as he heard the news, he immediately sent me to pick you up.”

“It’s too much, those people from the military administration office actually tormented you like this. One day, I’ll settle this with them.”

Ni Ji was severely injured and could barely stand on his own. He was almost entirely leaning on Tan Shu’s body.

He listened to these words in his ear and looked at the puddle that had formed from the rainwater at his feet.

His eyesight was exceptionally good. In the reflection of that puddle, he could see the face of the classmate who was expressing his concern clearly.

In the murky water, that face was looking down at his scarred and battered body.

Seeing him so disheveled, that former friend’s mouth curled upwards, revealing a twisted and unrestrained smile.

Ni Ji only felt that it was ridiculous. But he didn't expose it. He just leaned all his weight on the body of his former classmate.

“That's right. I was thinking that you and Teacher would definitely come and find me.”

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