SCOM - Chapter 21
Chapter 21
On Saturday, Yan Yan finally received a notification from Zuo Luohuan: 10 PM, old building of the Weapons Development Department.
The First Military Academy had many old buildings, no longer used for teaching. The school hadn't demolished them, only using them to store teaching materials. The old Weapons Development building was one of them.
Yan Yan received the message at 9 PM. He had just come out of the Challenge Hall. After earning credits diligently during this period, he had finally pulled himself back from the brink of expulsion.
Originally heading back to the dorm, he turned and walked towards the old Weapons Development building.
Normally, few students came here. On a Saturday night, it was even more deserted. Even the streetlights on both sides flickered, casting an overly dim yellow glow. Yan Yan wasn't afraid, though. Xijiang Exile Star at night, pitch black without a speck of light, was much scarier than this, especially since this was the First Military Academy.
He arrived just after 9 PM, saw no one, and waited until nearly 10 PM when Zuo Luohuan slowly approached from the other end.
Seeing Yan Yan at the entrance, she narrowed her eyes and asked, "Why didn't you go in?"
"10 PM, old Weapons Development building. Didn't say which classroom," Yan Yan replied gruffly.
Zuo Luohuan raised an eyebrow. "You didn't know to go in and look first?"
This Yan Yan was interesting. At first glance, at the school gate, he was arrogant and defiant, attacking a senior student, seeming like a brainless Alpha with developed limbs. But looking at the details, he wasn't rough or wild.
The crumpled invitation card returned to her smoothed out; clearly, he paid more attention to details than imagined. And he was cautious, not entering the old building rashly, just waiting here for her.
Yet, he would provoke the Disciplinary Committee and challenge Zuo Luohuan in the Challenge Hall under everyone's watch. Judging by his expression then, it wasn't fake; he genuinely thought that way.
...This was a smart person.
The two entered the old building one after the other. Inside, it was merely outdated, not much different from ordinary teaching buildings. However, after Zuo Luohuan led Yan Yan into a classroom on the first floor, this perception instantly changed.
Zuo Luohuan pressed a spot on the wall, revealing a screen. Placing her palm on it, the ground in the center of the classroom suddenly opened, revealing stairs leading down.
"Come here." Zuo Luohuan stepped aside slightly. "Press your hand on it. You can come in by yourself next time."
This was for fingerprint input.
Yan Yan did as told. Within a minute, his fingerprint was recorded, and his name entered.
"Let's go." Zuo Luohuan turned and walked down the stairs.
Yan Yan followed, observing the surroundings. The underground stairs were made of ordinary steel, the paint worn off the surface. After less than two minutes, they reached the bottom.
Another door.
This time, it wasn't just fingerprints but also facial recognition.
As the door opened, various sounds drifted out, along with flashing red and green lights. For a moment, Yan Yan thought he had stumbled into a bar.
As they entered, the door closed behind them, sealing off the inside from the outside.
"Oh, another newbie!"
"Did Zuo Luohuan bring him?"
...
Only after entering did Yan Yan realize it wasn't some bar party. Someone was buried in repairing something, the source of the red and green lights. Another group was gathered around, cheering and heckling a fight.
Most crucially, there was currently a single-person shoulder cannon pointed right at his face.
Yan Yan carefully shifted sideways, but the cannon muzzle followed him closely. "..."
"Don't be nervous. Today is our Disciplinary Committee's welcoming party. There are many other newbies like you," the person behind the cannon said enthusiastically. Yan Yan would have been happier if it wasn't aimed at his face.
Zuo Luohuan casually pulled over a dilapidated chair and sat down. "Guan Xue, put that thing down before talking."
"Oh, almost forgot. Don't worry, it's not loaded." Guan Xue tossed the cannon onto the ground and smiled warmly at Yan Yan. "Since you're here, experience our welcoming tradition."
Yan Yan was waiting for her to continue, but instead found himself surrounded and beaten up by a group of people.
"!"
...
Over half an hour later, a dozen bruised and swollen newbies stood lined up together.
"Tsk, you guys are no good," someone criticized. "Last year, Zuo Luohuan beat us all up when she came in. You're lacking."
The newbies wanted to speak but held back. They came here just wanting to know what this so-called 'Disciplinary Committee' was. Now it seemed more like the 'Madness Committee'!
Although Yan Yan ached all over from the beating, the process allowed him to get a good look around. The place was piled high with chaotically dismantled weapons, resembling someone's workshop.
Guan Xue sat on her cannon, resting her chin on her hand. "Stop looking around. Since you're here, you're part of our Disciplinary Committee. You should know what we do."
Initially, there was only one Disciplinary Committee, selected by teachers from capable military students to suppress other unruly ones. But often, the most unruly ones were within the Disciplinary Committee itself. The strongest yet most unruly – to appease them, the school granted some privileges. However, this group was too useful and too conspicuous, easily causing student dissatisfaction. Gradually, they were separated and moved underground.
The current public Disciplinary Committee managed the daily regulations of military students. As for their group...
"Although the Gashro Empire hasn't launched major wars these years, they've constantly infiltrated our Federation, especially the military academies." Guan Xue picked up a knife from somewhere and carefully trimmed her nails. "Our mission is to root out these people from the military student body."
"What if Gashro people infiltrate us?" a newbie asked.
"Good question." Guan Xue tucked the knife into her military boot, stretched, and tried to lean against Zuo Luohuan's leg nearby.
Before she could get close, Zuo Luohuan blocked her with her foot, smiling faintly at Guan Xue. "Get lost."
"I know I'm just a Beta, unworthy of you." Guan Xue acted pitiful, still trying to get closer.
Zuo Luohuan ignored her, addressing the newbies, "We are a mechanism within the school, but the Federation also has the Purifier Corps."
"There are weapons here; you can use them in emergencies." Guan Xue stopped trying to stick to Zuo Luohuan, becoming serious. "There's another level below, a training ground. You can come practice when you have time."
...
Before leaving, Yan Yan asked Zuo Luohuan, "Are we Purifier Corps reservists?"
Zuo Luohuan raised an eyebrow. "We are just students of the First Military Academy, unrelated to the Purifier Corps."
After the newbies left, Guan Xue hugged her cannon. "Exhausting, talking my mouth dry every day."
"Are you being a bit too paranoid?" The person who had been tinkering with the red and green things earlier looked up at Zuo Luohuan.
If Ji Yuezhi were here now, seeing this person, he would definitely recognize him as the flyer distributing brother from the school gate on the first day.
"Recruiting so many newbies, splitting them into different gathering points, making sure newbies don't know each other." Qian Mao thought Zuo Luohuan's actions were overly cautious. Plus, she recruited many people who clearly weren't combat-focused in the future, like him.
In Qian Mao's view, the original nature of just rooting out Gashro spies had changed. Zuo Luohuan seemed more like preparing for other situations. Perhaps they would only stay at the First Military Academy for four years and graduate, but once started, someone would naturally take over.
"The history of Yundong Military Academy almost being destroyed still exists." Zuo Luohuan lowered her eyes. "If they could have resisted back then, the Winter Army wouldn't have needed to come."
Many only knew Yundong Military Academy was saved that year, the Eastern Region defense line re-secured, but didn't know how many lives the Winter Army lost by diverting forces for support.
Since she took over, she naturally had to do it well, especially since the school allowed her free rein.
"Heading back first, have things tomorrow." Zuo Luohuan stood up.
"Oh, right, heard Commissioner Zuo is returning to the Northern Region." Guan Xue intimately hugged her cannon, asking Zuo Luohuan, "They're holding a farewell banquet tomorrow. Can I go freeload?"
"I want to go too!" Qian Mao immediately raised his hand, none of his earlier seriousness remaining.
"Up to you."
...
The Zuo family held a farewell banquet. Many people attended, most 'sincerely' seeing him off. Zuo Dihong staying in the Capital was like a low pressure hanging overhead; no one knew when they might fall into his hands. With him returning to the Northern Region, many were just short of setting off firecrackers at home.
Zuo Luohuan was dragged up early by her mother today, standing at the door to greet guests. By the time morning almost passed, her face was stiff from smiling.
Tsk, even had a rose pinned to her chest. Anyone who didn't know better might think she was getting married today.
When Ji Yuezhi arrived with his parents, the guests had almost all arrived. He saw the person standing at the door, impatiently fiddling with the rose on her chest.
Madam Zuo loved roses; every banquet featured various rose arrangements. Naturally, she wouldn't miss the chance to decorate her daughter.
Ji Yuezhi followed behind his parents, slowly walked to the entrance, paused slightly, his gaze landing unabashedly on the rose on Zuo Luohuan's chest in front of her. In that clear, cold voice, he said, "Nice flower. Suits you."
The perfectly fine words, paired with his indifferent face, somehow made Zuo Luohuan hear a hint of mockery.
"I think this flower suits you better."
When it came to provoking people, Ji Yuezhi's level was still lacking.
Zuo Luohuan pulled the rose from her chest, leaned forward slightly. The moment she raised her hand, Ji Yuezhi reacted, reaching out to block, but she firmly held his hand with her other, successfully pinning the rose beside Ji Yuezhi's ear. She whispered, "How about giving this flower to our Yuezhi?"
Ji Yuezhi's hand was held by her. To prevent him from raising his other hand to remove the flower, Zuo Luohuan half-pressed, half-embraced him.
"Oh, my god!" Qian Mao saw the ambiguous embrace between the two at the entrance from afar, covering his eyes with splayed fingers. "What are they doing?"
Guan Xue clutched her chest. "I didn't expect my rival to be an Alpha!"
"Just a reminder, Ji Yuezhi has now differentiated into an Omega," Qian Mao kindly said.
"I see!" Guan Xue looked even more 'heartbroken'. "Zuo Luohuan really does prefer sweet, soft Omegas."
Qian Mao squinted at Ji Yuezhi in the distance: Sweet and soft? Doesn't look like it.
"Let go." Ji Yuezhi hadn't expected her to do this. After a moment of shock, he spoke.
Zuo Luohuan drew closer, seeming to smell the iris scent again. At this moment, she somewhat regretted her actions, but looking closely at Ji Yuezhi with the flower by his ear, she didn't really want him to take it off.
"Indeed, very beautiful." Zuo Luohuan finished speaking, slowly released him, but just before letting go, her fingertips inadvertently brushed past Ji Yuezhi's ear tip.
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