SCOM - Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Ever since Zuo Luohuan returned, Jiang Hong had noticed something different about her. She had never smoked before, but after coming back to the capital, she carried a pack of cigarettes in her pocket all day, looking for all the world like an old chain-smoker.
Jiang Hong had never asked. With Zuo Luohuan's personality, she had to try every new thing she came across, so he figured smoking was just a whim. But he often found he couldn't get through to her optical computer.
This was very strange.
The two had known each other since childhood. With Zuo Luohuan's foul temper, she would either answer the call or hang up immediately. She wouldn't let it ring until it went to auto-reply, because she found other people annoying.
On Friday afternoon, Jiang Hong, shocked by the course Ji Yuezhi had chosen, called Zuo Luohuan and found she wasn't at school. She was at a crossroads teeming with people. The capital was vast, with countless similar intersections.
Normally, Jiang Hong wouldn't have noticed anything amiss, but by a stroke of bad luck, there was a small restaurant behind and to the side of Zuo Luohuan that he had just visited at the beginning of the year. He immediately knew which area Zuo Luohuan was in.
There wasn't much in that area. The only thing worth noting on the information network was that a doctor who had nearly lost his license had opened a private clinic there and had some ties to the black market.
Jiang Hong hung up. When he returned on Saturday, he thought about the people coming and going from that clinic and the deals being made behind the scenes. He couldn't rest easy. In the end, he used the Jiang family's information network to find out what Zuo Luohuan had been doing at that clinic.
The next day, he rushed straight to the Zuo residence to confront her. "What have you been doing at Fang Yong's clinic?"
"Keep your voice down." Zuo Luohuan leaned against the bay window, a cigarette still between her fingers. She glanced at Jiang Hong. "My parents are still downstairs."
Seeing Zuo Luohuan's disheveled clothes and her lazy, degenerate appearance, Jiang Hong's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. "You're still afraid of being heard? Zuo Luohuan, you've been running wild outside these past few years. You even dare to touch addictive drugs!"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Zuo Luohuan slowly stood up, stubbed out the cigarette, and threw it away. "Staying for lunch?"
“…”
Jiang Hong suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Zuo Luohuan's arms and pinning her against the wall. His anger intensified. "In your current state, you can't even dodge me!"
Thinking about the information he had found, Jiang Hong even began to suspect Zuo Luohuan's purpose for going to the Military Armaments Database building. He feared she might have stolen data for someone with ill intentions.
Zuo Luohuan's face was pressed against the wall. She said helplessly, "Let go first."
Jiang Hong didn't let go, cursing, "You waste!"
Any louder, and the people downstairs would have heard everything clearly.
Zuo Luohuan pressed her tongue against the inside of her cheek and scoffed. "I warned you."
Then, she abruptly twisted free, swept Jiang Hong's legs out from under him, and bent down to press on him with both hands. Their positions were instantly reversed.
"Even as a waste, I can still beat you," Zuo Luohuan said before letting go and getting up. Seeing Jiang Hong lying motionless on the floor, she nudged him with her foot. "Get up. Stop playing dead."
Jiang Hong simply spread his limbs out and lay on the floor without moving or acknowledging her.
Zuo Luohuan watched as Jiang Hong covered his eyes with his arm and asked, "...Are you about to cry?"
"Get lost!" Jiang Hong cursed under his breath. "Don't talk to me."
Zuo Luohuan sat back down on the bay window. "I went to the clinic to see a doctor. Why are you reacting so strongly?"
To Jiang Hong, it sounded like a lie. People who got hooked on addictive drugs were all liars. He rolled over and sat up on the floor, his eyes red with anger. "Do you take me for a fool? Fang Yong bought a batch of addictive drugs from the black market last month and another batch last week. I checked. During this time, only ordinary people have been in and out of his clinic. You're the only exception. Zuo Luohuan, look at yourself in the mirror. Your face is as pale as a ghost."
...It was indeed hard to explain in that moment.
Zuo Luohuan raised a hand and pressed hard on her temple. She then lifted her shirt, revealing her bandaged abdomen. "I really was seeing a doctor."
Jiang Hong stared blankly at the bandage, which was already seeping a little blood. He then stood up in front of Zuo Luohuan and asked with a frown, "You're injured? Why didn't you go to a hospital? Why go to Fang Yong's clinic?"
"Fang Yong is skilled, and I didn't want anyone else to know," Zuo Luohuan said, pulling her shirt down.
"That's not right. You first went there in early September, and it's already October. How is your wound still bleeding?" Jiang Hong belatedly realized something was wrong.
"The wound was poisoned, making it difficult to heal on its own," Zuo Luohuan said nonchalantly. Fang Yong had been preparing an antidote for some time. "But it's almost healed. It should be fine by next month."
"The addictive drugs were for..."
"Not for this wound." Zuo Luohuan pointed to her head. "This part is sick."
Jiang Hong was silent for a long time before suddenly asking, "Zuo Luohuan, are you dying?"
Zuo Luohuan shot him a glance. "What kind of nonsense is that? Say something nice."
"Then tell me what happened, if you still consider me a friend." Jiang Hong had always known Zuo Luohuan presented a false face to the world, but he never thought he would be deceived for so long.
"It's nothing. I ran into some trouble on Xijiang Star and was captured and interrogated," Zuo Luohuan said casually. "They used drugs to torture me, and I was left with some aftereffects. Fang Yong got the addictive drugs to extract a few components from them."
The more nonchalantly she spoke, the heavier Jiang Hong's heart became.
After a long while, Jiang Hong spoke, his voice hoarse. "I'll help you find the antidote, and those people."
"No need." Zuo Luohuan seemed a little listless. She looked up at him. "A rash investigation will only alert the enemy. Besides... I don't think you'll find any information on your network."
Even the Jiang family's information network was useless?
Jiang Hong frowned at Zuo Luohuan. "Who are they?"
"I don't know." Zuo Luohuan changed the subject. "Are you staying for lunch? My dad is cooking personally. A meal made by the Chairman is a rare treat."
Jiang Hong took a deep breath and finally said without any backbone, "I'll eat." He could go back and brag about it afterward.
A weekend passed, and the military academy students began their classes again. The second-year students, having had their first taste of the courses last week, now had a general understanding of their respective instructors.
Today, the combat department students who came to class had all thoughtfully brought a change of clothes, just in case what happened last time occurred again. However, this time, Instructor Kang Guang didn't invite a former Fierce Shield Holder over; instead, he began teaching personally.
"It's been a week, and you all still look so..." Kang Guang grinned, the two scars on his face adding to his terrifying appearance, "...deserving of a beating."
The group of military students: "..."
Jiang Hong leaned closer to Zuo Luohuan and asked in a low voice, "Will your injury be a problem?"
"It's fine." Zuo Luohuan lowered her head and flexed her wrists. She had long since gotten used to it, but... remembering a certain person's sensitivity to pheromones, it was best if she didn't bleed.
"I'll fight you. The rest of you, watch from the side for now." Kang Guang randomly pointed to a row of people. Before the 'combat guidance' began, he adjusted the data for the classroom floor. "Today, we'll try the swamp mud mode."
To call it a swamp wasn't entirely accurate. It was just that when you stepped on it, you would slowly sink, and it was difficult to pull your body out quickly.
Kang Guang was clearly not satisfied with this 'swamp.' He stomped around and shook his head. "It's not enough. In the future, I'll take you to a real swamp to fight. A real swamp is one where you're mixed in with stinking water, unable to even open your eyes."
"..."
"You first." Kang Guang had the designated students come up. It was basically a beatdown. Whether they were Alphas or Omegas, he showed no mercy, hitting them wherever it hurt most.
Jiang Hong, watching from the side, felt a phantom pain all over his body. "This is just a one-sided beating."
After beating up four or five students, Kang Guang felt this batch was not durable enough. They were down and motionless after just a few hits. He clicked his tongue and turned to the remaining students. "I heard there's someone among you who challenged the entire top ten of the red list last year. Come out."
Everyone subconsciously looked at Zuo Luohuan. Jiang Hong frowned, worried about her injuries.
Zuo Luohuan, however, had no extraneous thoughts. She walked out from among the students. Having chosen the course, she was already prepared.
Kang Guang looked at the approaching Zuo Luohuan, sizing her up. "So you're the one who challenged the top ten on the red list and then skipped class for a year?"
Before Zuo Luohuan could answer, he suddenly attacked, aiming straight for her head.
Completely lacking any instructor's ethics!
Kang Guang's movements were fast. The so-called swamp mud mode had almost no effect on him. He could move as if on solid ground, his body unbelievably light, completely at odds with his Alpha physique.
In contrast, Zuo Luohuan was hindered by the sinking, foot-trapping ground, and her speed slowed considerably. She couldn't yet match Kang Guang's agility, so she chose to defend.
Once Kang Guang discerned her intention, his attack frequency increased again, leaving Zuo Luohuan no room to breathe. Every blow that landed on her felt like being struck by a steel rod.
The spectating students' faces twitched. The dull thud of the impacts was painful just to think about.
Yet both the one hitting and the one being hit remained expressionless, which made it even more terrifying.
Jiang Hong watched from the side, his eyes fixed on the fight. Sometimes he truly admired Zuo Luohuan's tolerance and control. A normal person, when injured, would subconsciously avoid their wound during a fight, but she showed no such sign from beginning to end, completely defying her own instincts.
If Zuo Luohuan could have explained at that moment, she would have told Jiang Hong that the more she tried to protect her abdomen, the more Kang Guang would attack it. So she had to control herself, to pretend she had no area she was afraid of being attacked.
Originally, Kang Guang's attacks on all the students who came up were mainly aimed at the head and heart, intending to teach them how to protect their vital spots in battle. But fighting Zuo Luohuan became interesting. She was exceptionally durable, and her defense was surprisingly good. He simply abandoned his teaching objective and attacked all over, giving her no chance, finally kicking her to the ground.
At that moment, Zuo Luohuan slightly turned her body and raised her leg, dodging the kick that Kang Guang had originally aimed at her abdomen, letting it land on her thigh bone instead as she fell with the momentum.
Kang Guang stared at her for a moment. ...Why do I feel like that kick went a little too smoothly?
However, he didn't dwell on it. He turned and began to point out the students' problems, instructing them on how to move in this swampy terrain.
Kang Guang was brutal, but when it came to practical combat instruction, he was impeccable. Every word he said hit upon the students' weaknesses.
"That's all for today. The classroom door is always open. When you don't have class, come here and practice more." Kang Guang's gaze swept over everyone. "If you don't show any improvement by next class, get the hell out."
After most of the people had left, Jiang Hong walked over to Zuo Luohuan. "Are you okay?"
Zuo Luohuan shook her head. "Don't you have another class? You go on ahead."
Jiang Hong could only leave first.
Zuo Luohuan took a moment to recover where she stood, then suddenly remembered something: Yan Yan still hadn't brought her the invitation letter.
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