CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 47: BLUFF, BLUFF LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT

"Star Cloud Sword Dance, maneuvering Star Power to complement martial skills for unpredictable and elegant movements, creating illusions and afterimages to catch the enemy off guard and deliver a lethal blow."

Wang Lan quietly perused the introduction to the Star Martial Skill in the system, while across from him, Wang Qianfeng watched with a smile, believing that Wang Lan was grasping the mysteries of the Star Cloud Sword Dance.

"Wang Lan, you have all the time in the world to slowly read and learn this Star Martial Skill, but there’s something else I need to discuss with you."

"Oh," Wang Lan exited the system, his eyes clear once again.

Wang Qianfeng then pulled out another form from his briefcase and pushed it in front of Wang Lan.

"This is... an application for the Tianjian Bureau? Director Wang, I’m still a student..."

"Before you decide to refuse, let me introduce the Tianjian Bureau. You may have heard of this department; it’s shrouded in mystery among the common folk, akin to an espionage organization. The rumors are somewhat exaggerated, but not far off. The Tianjian Bureau falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense, part of but independent from intelligence services. The Tianjian Bureau has branches in various municipalities with the primary responsibilities of maintaining regional security, defense, stability... Uh, like what you said in the phone call, strategic defense and offense, as well as logistics support. To go into detail, it involves handling criminal cases involving Star Martial Warriors, dealing with outlaws who threaten social security and stability, tracking Demon Clan spy activities and foreign espionage, handling emergencies, and so on..."

"I’m... still a student."

Although the Tianjian Bureau seemed genuinely mysterious and powerful as described by Wang Qianfeng, Wang Lan was still reluctant to be easily enticed. In a nutshell, I’m still a student—you surely wouldn’t hire child labor, right?

"A student? Indeed!" Wang Qianfeng nodded. "You are a student, only sixteen years old. But you are also a Star Martial Warrior, a guardian of human civilization, aren’t you?"

"That’s true, but there are so many student Star Martial Warriors in the country, why choose me?"

"Because you’re outstanding," Wang Qianfeng said earnestly, words that even made Wang Lan feel embarrassed. Outstanding? With such poor vision, one simply shouldn’t be out selling stories, right?

Even if I don’t lack self-confidence, I still have my limits. Having awakened for just fifteen days, as a Star Shine Stage Star Martial Warrior—if ranked by days since awakening, I would certainly stand out. But compared to my peers, in Suzhou City alone, there are at least two hundred people more outstanding than me. You bypass Jiang Xinyu, a true prodigy, and choose me? You might be blind, but I’m not foolish.

"Do you think I’m flattering you? Indeed, your strength doesn’t warrant the term ’outstanding.’ But you’ve only awakened a half month ago. If we talk about the rate of growth and potential, not just the entire Suzhou City, but even the entire Jade Country doesn’t have many who can compare with you. But what I truly value in you is not your rate of growth or your talent. It’s your ideological awareness. A Star Martial Warrior, even if they reach the Star Cloud Stage or the Galaxy Stage before the age of twenty, if they lack the resolve fitting of a Star Martial Warrior, if they do not view themselves from the standpoint of human civilization, they are no more than infants in my eyes. I’m not pretending to be noble, nor am I the saint that young people speak of. Self-interest is human nature. If someone claims to be great enough to act selflessly for the good of all, I would rather suspect that person harbors grand ambitions. True awareness lies in making informed choices. When faced with the greater good of the nation, making the right decision is what constitutes awareness. If we have nowhere else to retreat to and human civilization is at the brink of survival, if no one stands up, who will protect human civilization?"

"But why me? There are so many outstanding students in Suzhou City. And besides, isn’t there the military, the Pioneering Legion, and the likes of you?"

"This is where awareness comes in." Wang Qianfeng smiled softly. "The reluctance to proactively seek change is in human nature. If everyone thought how you do now, then we would face the dilemma I just mentioned. When the Demon Clan invades, and the executioner’s blade hangs over human civilization, who will protect humanity?"

"Doesn’t that prove that I lack the awareness you’re talking about?"

"No! You have it. Awareness is not something that can be talked about; it’s shown through actions. In the Different Dimensional Space opened by the Demon Clan, behind you were twenty-five terrified, weeping children, and before you were the ferocious Demon Soldiers. At that time, you were only a Starlight Stage beginner Star Martial Warrior, who had awakened merely three days prior. In terms of strength, not to mention killing nine Demon Soldiers, one could have taken your life. Had it not been for your protective resolve, you couldn’t have slain nine Biochemical Demon Soldiers before our rescue arrived. That battle, in my eyes, was a miracle. Later on, in the primary trial field. Defending the trial field is the job of the Star Martial Army stationed there. Even if you were a Medical Attribute Star Martial Warrior, even if you possessed powerful Star Martial Skills like the Phoenix Form, as long as you decided to retreat, no one would fault you. It was a war, and people died. Had the Star Martial Army failed, you would have had no chance of surviving—crushed in the vortex of space-time along with the trial field. Yet, you chose to stay, believing that our Star Martial Army warriors could win."

What the hell! Wu Changfeng never said it to me like this!

Wang Lan’s face was serious, but his heart already roared.

"You already possess the awareness of being a human warrior; this is what I value the most."

"That, um... actually, in the primary trial field, Commander He Jinze invited me to join the Southeast Military Region Star Martial Army..."

"Old He? To hell with that! By the time you actually get into his Star Martial Army, the daylilies will have damn well withered." Wang Qianfeng, who had been maintaining a low and suppressed aura, broke his composure the moment Wang Lan uttered those words.

"COUGH, COUGH!" Wang Qianfeng, noticing Wang Lan’s bewildered expression, coughed lightly and regained his composure. "You sly kid, you didn’t agree to him, did you? Moreover, I know He Jinze. He’s not good at recruiting."

Are you suggesting... that you are especially good at it?

"Back to the main topic! I have my reasons for choosing you, and you have the right to refuse me. Although at your age, you should be innocently enthusiastic, for some reason, I don’t see a trace of that naivety in you. Hence, I know you won’t easily agree to him or me, nor will you rashly refuse. Since you were very young, you’ve struck me as a little grown-up. You possess a maturity far beyond your peers, which is why even though your IQ isn’t exceptionally high, you can still produce such an impeccable report card."

Wang Lan gave Wang Qianfeng a wary look. What do you mean? You doubt my IQ? My IQ is at least two hundred.

"Don’t get the wrong idea; when you were three, your mother realized you were exceptionally precocious, so she had a professional IQ test done for you. Your IQ is much higher than the average person’s; you’re a genius. But compared to those extraordinary high-IQ geniuses, there is still a gap. Take your good friend Jiang Xinyu, for example. Her memory, learning ability, and comprehension should all surpass yours. But she only utilizes seventy percent of her IQ, while you leverage one hundred percent. You don’t waste your experiences on trivial matters, which is why you became the ’Academic God’ of Suzhou City."

"Alright! Since you’ve put it that way... give me one reason to join," Wang Lan, leaning against the couch, spoke with resignation.

"War! Is that enough?" Wang Qianfeng leaned forward slightly, his eyes intently gazing into Wang Lan’s as he asked in a low tone.

"Based on the events at the Ring City National Highway and the primary trial field, you should have speculated that the Demon Clan is active around us. The purpose of their activity is self-evident: it’s war.

"The Demon Clan are not barbarians; they too possess a highly civilized society. They wouldn’t invade without preparation or on a whim.

"Every time the Demon Clan launches a major invasion, history only records the dates and times they started the war. But prior to that, the Demon Clan had already infiltrated the human world to gather intelligence, corrupting us from within and making countless preparations for their invasion.

"This preparation could take a long time, three years, five years, or even ten years!

"Have you seen a TV series recently called ’Star Martial Special Forces’?"

"No... I don’t follow dramas."

"There’s a scene where an instructor asks a soldier, ’In your eyes, what is the Star Martial Special Forces?’

"The soldier says, ’The Star Martial Special Forces are the first to step onto the battlefield and the last to retreat, undertaking the most dangerous missions and enduring the harshest battles.’

"But I tell you, it’s not the Star Martial Special Forces who first step onto the battlefield but our special agents from the intelligence front! We set foot on the battlefield many years before the Special Forces!

"Likewise, we’re also the last to leave the battlefield, because there are only two scenarios in which we withdraw. Either the Demon Clan is annihilated, or human civilization is destroyed.

"As far as you’re concerned, the war has not yet begun, but in my eyes, it has already started. If you choose to join the Star Martial Army in the future, by the time you’re on the field defending your homeland, it’ll mean our intelligence frontline has been defeated, and the Demon Clan have successfully launched a large-scale invasion.

"Our existence is to buy time for humanity to prepare, to delay the onset of full-scale war. The longer this time is, the better, and ideally, it would be forever!

"You’re still a student, but when the war truly starts, everyone in Jade Country, young and old, will fight together. What difference then between a student and a warrior? Being a student is no excuse to avoid battle.

"Is this reason enough?"

Wang Lan’s breathing grew heavy. He wasn’t swept away by Wang Qianfeng’s impassioned speech, itching to pick up arms and engage in three hundred rounds of battle against the Demon Clan.

Wang Lan analyzed several key points from Wang Qianfeng’s words: the war hadn’t started, but the spies from the Demon Clan were already active. And capturing these spies was the responsibility of the Tianjian Bureau. The actual war might not happen so soon. It could be in three years, five, or even ten.

Considering my own situation, why was I able to advance to the Star Shine Stage in just fifteen days? Why did I have a set of silver-level skills? It was all due to those two thrilling experiences.

Thus, to become stronger, I must stir up... no, I must endure experiences. If I couldn’t grow strong before the full-scale war erupted, I’d be nothing but cannon fodder when sent to the battlefield.

To gain strength quickly, I needed to face challenges, but experiences like those two incidents wouldn’t conveniently occur again. Therefore, if trouble didn’t come knocking, I’d have to go looking for it. Joining the Tianjian Bureau seemed to be the best choice. Only...

"Am I going to drop out of school now?" Wang Lan asked with a forlorn expression.

"No one can take away your right to education, even if you join the Tianjian Bureau. If I invite you in, you’d be at most an extramural member since you’re only sixteen. I told you from the beginning, I’m inviting you because I see potential in you. Until your studies are complete, the Tianjian Bureau won’t assign you any mandatory tasks."