bookrandom Chapter 90 Meng Rui prepares to take action personally!
Chapter 90 Meng Rui prepares to take action personally!
Old town area, next to stormwater pumping station number 17.
Inside an unfinished building with exposed concrete and steel bars pointing skyward like withered bones, the air was filled with the stench of stagnant water and decay.
"Useless! A complete ingrate!"
Chen Mo kicked the rough cement pillar. His face, which was already somewhat stiff due to the distorted nerve connections, was now twisted into a demon-like shape due to extreme anger.
"How many resources did we spend? One 'Bone-Splitting Dog' gene-modifying agent, plus high-polymer recombinant materials, to literally push a bottom-tier Xuan Turtle-type to level 20! And the result?!"
Chen Mo gasped for breath: "He actually used underhanded means to tip off Wang Xing at the most crucial moment! What's even more hateful is that the spatial abyss artifact he used to escape was a contraband item that the organization had painstakingly acquired from the black market overseas! He ruined everything! Our plan, our encirclement of Wang Xing, has all become a joke!"
In the deepest shadow of the unfinished building, a large figure sat in front of the abandoned floor-to-ceiling window.
It was Meng Rui.
"Alright, stop barking like a deformed dog whose tail has been stepped on."
Meng Rui's voice was eerily calm, revealing no emotional fluctuation whatsoever.
"An Tuo has personally led his men to capture Sun Donglai... The organization's higher-ups are furious about his disloyalty, but given his Xuan Turtle-style mecha and extremely high fusion synchronization rate, killing him now is impossible. He has been sent to 'Green Mother Star' overnight."
"Green Mother Planet?"
Upon hearing this name, Chen Mo involuntarily shuddered.
That was one of the most notorious warp settlements under the control of the Black Armor Alliance.
The entire space is covered by a mutated forest with highly corrosive acidic spores, and the ground is inhabited by countless "mechanical green-skinned" beings that are intellectually inferior but physically strong.
In the pioneering efforts there, the survival rate was less than 30%, and even the bones of the dead were used as nutrients by mutated plants.
"That kid got off easy."
Chen Mo spat, gritting his teeth, "I really don't understand. The bone-splitting dog's gene chain has clearly locked down his limbic system. Logically, his emotions should have been assimilated by bloodlust and rage long ago. How could he still retain such disgusting classmate feelings for that poor bastard Wang Xing?"
Meng Rui stopped wielding his knife, raised his head, and his hawk-like gaze appeared exceptionally cold in the darkness.
"Affection? Bonds?"
A mocking smile curled at the corners of Meng Rui's lips, and a deep, painful memory flashed in the depths of his eyes.
"The cheapest and most useless thing in this world is so-called 'emotion.' Back then, in order to cross the threshold of Tian Shu, I personally cut off my critically ill wife's life support system and used the last of her insurance money to exchange for my second-generation mecha... Chen Mo, when your most trusted captain pushed you into the abyss to take a bullet for you, didn't that make you see the true face of this world?"
Chen Mo's expression stiffened slightly, and he finally fell silent.
Every member of the Black Armor Alliance has a story, and every member of the Black Armor Alliance is an emotional loser.
"Sun Donglai is just an immature child."
Meng Rui continued, his tone icy: "He is insecure and sensitive, so he took Wang Xing's tiny bit of charity as a lifeline... People who are loyal and righteous often die the fastest in the organization... He will soon understand in the spore rain of Green Mother Star that everything is illusory except for pure power."
"So what do we do now?"
Chen Mo paced anxiously. "Wang Xing was attacked at the New Mart shopping mall, so the defense level must have been raised to the highest level. Not only is our money at the old power plant useless, but we're also at extremely high risk of being exposed... I'm afraid we can't stay in Chengdu any longer."
"Can't stand it here? Then find another place."
Meng Rui stood up and patted the dust off his trousers.
The approachable demeanor he usually displayed as the owner of the mecha modification shop vanished. A dignified air of authority, long accustomed to high positions, and the ferocious aura of an Abyss modder merged perfectly in that moment.
"But before I leave, I am still Rongcheng's representative in the alliance. I must eliminate Wang Xing, Rongcheng's biggest rising star, before I leave."
"You mean...we should do it now?"
Chen Mo was somewhat shocked. "Wang Xing is already a nervous wreck. There are likely hunters from Tian Shu secretly protecting him. Going there now would be like walking into a trap, wouldn't it?"
"The mountain does not welcome me, yet I come of my own accord."
Meng Rui chuckled coldly and plunged the bone knife in his hand into the cement pillar in front of him, all the way down to the hilt.
"Wang Xing is a smart guy, but he's still too young. He just escaped death and received a warning from Sun Donglai, so he must be extremely nervous right now. And the people protecting him will definitely be a level above their current level."
"But I'm going to do the opposite. Everyone knows that the security measures around Wang Xing will be further strengthened today. And tonight, I'll take action myself."
A cruel glint flashed in Meng Rui's eyes:
"Chengdu is my jurisdiction. A 'seed of light energy' that could threaten the future of the alliance has emerged here. It is only right that I, a commoner deacon, should nip it in the bud."
"So what are you going to do?" Chen Mo asked.
"That's not a question you should be asking."
Meng Rui sneered, "As a Black Armor Alliance expert at the Quasi-Six Armor Diagram level, I have 100 ways to kill Wang Xing."
……
That afternoon, at Rongcheng No. 2 Middle School.
The setting sun bathed the alloy exterior of the teaching building in a warm orange-red hue, while soothing, relaxing music played over the loudspeaker.
Wang Xing returned to school amidst dappled sunlight and shadows. Just as he reached the corner of the training building, he saw his homeroom teacher, Ms. Lü Yun, walking towards him.
"Wang Xing?"
Upon seeing Wang Xing, Lü Yun immediately smiled warmly: "You brat, where have you been all day? You missed the Qi and Blood class this morning. Although you've reached level eight in both areas now, which gives you a 30-point bonus on the mecha college entrance exam, you can't be too careless with your academic subjects. How's your study routine lately? Your current grades are fine, but you need to study more mecha theory; there's still a lot of room for improvement there..."
Listening to Lü Yun's mundane chatter, the tense killing intent in Wang Xing's heart quietly melted away a little.
In this world filled with abysses and steel behemoths, a kind teacher like Lü Yun is like a safe haven, the only one lit by a dim streetlamp in the storm.
"Teacher Lü, I'm fine. I just went for a few laps outside to stretch my muscles."
The Yuanfang Bureau has already blocked the news, so Teacher Lü probably doesn't know about Sun Donglai's matter... Wang Xing smiled and greeted him naturally:
Then, his gaze shifted slightly, and he asked, seemingly casually, "By the way, Teacher Lü, did Sun Donglai... come to school today?"
Upon hearing this name, Teacher Lü Yun's originally gentle expression visibly darkened.
He sighed, hugged the documents in his hand closer to his chest, and shook his head helplessly.
"No. His device has been offline since this morning. I called his family, and his dad said that the kid left a message saying 'going out for special training' last night and hasn't come home since. This kid... has definitely been acting strange lately."
Lu Yun looked at Wang Xing, her eyes filled with worry: "Wang Xing, you and Dong Lai are the closest. His mecha and health inexplicably surged to level ten a while ago. Although the school's medical report shows his genes are normal, we've always been concerned about his mutation and modifications..."
Wang Xing remained silent for a moment.
Looking at the genuine anxiety and self-blame in Lü Yun's eyes, he sighed... Some things no longer needed to be hidden.
"Teacher Lü."
"What was bound to happen has finally happened. Donglai... he has indeed been corrupted by the Black Armor Alliance."
"boom--!!"
Lu Yun's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What...what did you say? The Black Armor Alliance?"
"Yes."
Wang Xing nodded: "As for where he is now, I don't know. But what is certain is that he won't be able to return to school before the provincial exam, and even for a long time to come."
Lu Yun couldn't help but sigh, her eyes reddening slightly.
He transitioned from the military to academia and had long since accepted the profession and identity of a teacher. His greatest achievement to date is sending a child from an ordinary family to a top university.
But now, the child he had cared for for three years had become one of the monsters in the Black Armor Alliance.
"This is my dereliction of duty..."
Lü Yun leaned weakly against the wall: "I'm his homeroom teacher. I clearly saw how anxious he's been lately, how much he craves power. If I had talked to him more, if I had noticed his abnormality sooner and pulled him back... maybe he wouldn't have come to this..."
"It's not your fault, Teacher Lü."
Wang Xing said gently, "In this era, some whirlpools are beyond the control of ordinary people like us. Donglai... has his own choices."
"Moreover, the corrupting power of those Black Armor Alliance members far exceeds imagination; it's not something you, as their teacher, can salvage with just a few words. He's made a firm decision, and he certainly knows the consequences; all of this is a choice he made following his heart..."
…………
Five minutes later, in the principal's office of No. 2 Middle School.
Principal Li Zhengyuan sat behind the mahogany desk, looking at the urgent report handed to him by Lü Yun, whose eyes were red with tears, and fell into an unprecedented silence.
The principal's office was dimly lit, with only a humidifier in the corner emitting wisps of white mist.
"Old Li, about this matter..."
Lu Yun stood in front of the desk, her voice still a little hoarse.
Principal Li Zhengyuan waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to continue.
The wrinkles on the principal's face seemed to deepen several times over, and his eyes revealed a deep weariness and regret.
"The school... has lost another student who achieved a perfect score of 10."
Li Zhengyuan sighed, rubbing his temples wearily. "Although Sun Donglai's advancement was due to mutation modifications, we checked his physical exam a few days ago, and his modifications were on the edge of the legal limits set by the Alliance Act. If—and I mean if—our school had given him more attention and allocated him more high-level reconstruction resources before he came into contact with the Black Armor Alliance, would things have been different?"
No one in the principal's office could answer that question.
In this era of advanced martial arts, resources are always skewed towards one another.
Geniuses get everything, while ordinary people can only struggle in the mire.
The school cannot deprive a genius like Wang Xing of resources just for the sake of a mediocre Sun Donglai.
This is the cruelty of the system, and the helplessness of reality.
Unfortunately, by the time Sun Donglai had reached the double level of ten, it was too late for the school to make up for it.
Everyone has their own destiny; wealth and status are determined by fate.
In the end, Li Zhengyuan could only let out a helpless sigh:
"What we can do now is protect the remaining children. Rongcheng No. 2 High School absolutely cannot afford any more mistakes before the college entrance examination. As for Wang Xing... from now until he officially steps into the gates of Tian Shu Academy, the school will arrange the top security forces to activate electromagnetic shielding and physical defense 24 hours a day."
Li Zhengyuan paused for a moment, then drafted a document:
"I plan to provide Sun Donglai's family with a 'special hardship allowance' in the name of the school. It will be 150,000 yuan, taken from the principal's fund, and given to his parents. The reason given will be 'family tragedy, student missing'. This is not hush money, but compensation. We have a responsibility to educate this child, and this money is a small token of our appreciation."
"This money may not make them feel any better, but at least it lets them know... that the school hasn't forgotten Sun Donglai."
"Furthermore," Li Zhengyuan took another document from the drawer, "I've submitted an application to the provincial admissions office to retain Sun Donglai's student status until after the college entrance examination. If he can return before the exam, he can still take it. If he can't return..."
He didn't continue.
Lü Yun nodded as well.
"Lu Yun, everyone has their own destiny. Sun Donglai chose this path, and we can't stop him. What we can do is prevent more children from following his path," Li Zhengyuan said.
He turned around and looked at Lü Yun.
"From now on, we need to focus on those promising students in the Yuanpei Class. Wang Xing, Bai Lingxue, Lei Meng, Lü Mufei... We need to keep a close eye on their mental state, training status, and family situation. We can't afford to have another Sun Donglai. Although you are only the Qi and Blood Mentor for the Yuanpei Class, you also need to play a role in helping them manage their mindset."
"clear."