Reunion

Hao Shuai quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of which, boss, you're not young anymore. Now that you've achieved success, it's time to consider finding a girlfriend. You have so many beautiful and talented women around you, why not choose one?"

Si Ming hesitated, then said, "This is a bit difficult to say..."

"It's nothing, I understand. Boss, you want to have the best of both worlds. Men, you know, all have that thought. But sometimes, trying to have them all results in having none. That's not uncommon, especially since the beauties around you are all outstanding, practically extraordinary women. Such exceptional women are bound to be proud and unwilling to share. Based on my years of experience dealing with relationships, I suggest you choose one and settle down while you're ahead, lest you end up with nothing..."

Hao Shuai shut his mouth because he saw Murong Qing and Hongdou, and he understood the importance of keeping quiet in front of the parties involved.

It's Xiao Ming!

Hongdou's eyes lit up, and she quickly ran over and pounced into his arms.

"Hey, mind your manners, this isn't home."

Since they had become intimate, Si Ming felt that Hongdou had become even more clingy, but no matter what, it wasn't appropriate to be affectionate in public; it was indecent.

"I don't care! You guys are so mean! We agreed to go to school together, but you left me at home."

Murong Qing walked over, grabbed Hongdou by the back of her collar, and lifted her up like a kitten, saying, "We were all supposed to wake you up on the day we set off, but you said you didn't need us and told us to go ahead."

"I was just half asleep, how could you take my sleep talking seriously?"

"I don't care about that," Murong Qing put the person aside, then took Hongdou's place and hugged Si Ming's right arm. "Also, this is my seat."

"Then I'll switch to this side."

Hongdou went around to Si Ming's left and hugged his left arm.

Si Ming said helplessly, "It's hard for me to walk like this."

"I don't care!"

"Don't pretend to be innocent after getting the benefit. Do you think I can't see you're secretly happy?"

Hao Shuai remained rooted to the spot, his mouth agape for a moment.

Chapter 757 Reunion

The Second Martial Arts Club's status is now vastly different from what it used to be. The club's classroom has been moved to a more spacious location, and it now has a dedicated training area and various equipment.

"You guys didn't actually take over the First Martial Arts Club's territory, did you?" Si Ming felt this place looked familiar; it seemed like it was just a different sign.

"Although that's what the higher-ups thought, the president didn't agree. He only took over some of the grounds that originally belonged to the First Martial Arts Club, but still left them a quarter of it. This is because Senior Brother Hu was worried that if we completely absorbed the First Martial Arts Club, the higher-ups might ask us to simply change our name and drop the 'Second.' It's better to keep the First Martial Arts Club to distinguish ourselves," Hao Shuai replied.

Si Ming nodded. Hu Jixian's concerns were reasonable. If the First Martial Arts Club no longer existed, there would only be one Martial Arts Club left in the whole school. The prefix "Second" would then be meaningless. At that time, the school leaders would use the pretext of protecting the school's honor to force the Second Martial Arts Club to change its name, and everyone would have no reason to object in terms of righteousness.

But the Second Martial Arts Club was renamed the Martial Arts Club. So, who actually absorbed whom?

If the members of the First Martial Arts Club were shameless enough, they could easily spread rumors that they had swallowed up the Second Martial Arts Club. After all, their original club name was "Linked Mountains University Martial Arts Club," and the prefix "First" was added to distinguish them from the Second Martial Arts Club.

That's secondary. The more troublesome thing is that if the First Martial Arts Club is annexed, its members will inevitably have to be taken in. Among them are some die-hards who resist the Second Martial Arts Club. These are old grudges that are not easy to resolve. If they are absorbed, they will definitely cause a lot of trouble in the future. Taking drastic measures will easily draw criticism, but not taking any action will feel frustrating.

Rather than getting caught in the dilemma of internal conflicts, it's better to maintain external conflicts, bring these opponents together, and have them compete fairly. If they lose, they can only blame their own inferior skills. There's no need to worry about those disgusting underhanded tactics, and they can also create pressure as competitors.

Although Si Ming was not interested in politics, his status had changed, and his perspective on issues had also changed. He would naturally understand this kind of thing after experiencing more, but most people did not have the opportunity to be tempered by it.

As Si Ming stepped into the Second Martial Arts Hall, he saw a bustling scene of activity. People were practicing in all the training areas, exuding a spirit of striving for excellence. After all, anyone with eyes could see that the Second Martial Arts Club was stronger than ever this year and had a chance to win the championship. No one wanted to be a part of winning the honor, even if it meant just being carried to victory.

Looking around, Si Ming saw a long queue at one of the training grounds. The students in line had expressions of either anticipation or nervousness on their faces. They would go up on stage in pairs to compete.

At the other end of the training ground was a table where Si Jingyu, Si Huaruo, and Si Shuiyun, three members of the Si Clan, sat like judges on a variety show, writing something on paper.

"... Your final average scores are 72 and 77 respectively. Each of you will receive a 'C' card. Next group." Si Jingyu announced the result in front of everyone.

The two who had just finished sparring in the arena had contrasting expressions. One shook his head with a helpless expression and obediently accepted a token, while the other complained indignantly, "I clearly won against him, so why am I only 5 points ahead? This isn't fair!"

The third-tier team is not even considered a reserve team. Being assigned to this group means he has no chance of winning the National Martial Dao League. If he can get the second-tier team and become a reserve team, he will still have a glimmer of hope. However, the second-tier team requires 80 points, which is why he is so unwilling to accept defeat.

Si Huaruo patiently explained, "First, you only won by a narrow margin and didn't gain a clear advantage; second, your opponent specializes in swordsmanship, but the fight just now was unarmed; third..."

Si Jingyu interrupted impatiently, "Why bother explaining to this good-for-nothing who's all talk and no action? You want fairness, right? Shuiyun, give him fairness."

"Yes."

Si Shuiyun suddenly stood up, leaped over the table, and lunged forward, reaching out to grab him. The boy seemed to have anticipated this, remaining calm despite his surprise. He circulated his palms, tightly protecting all vital points on his front, leaving no opening.

However, the expected frontal attack did not occur. Just as he was wondering what was going on, the boy caught a glimpse of a figure suddenly leaping out from below, bypassing his palm strike, grabbing his chest with a claw, and releasing his inner force. Instantly, his meridians were restricted, his whole body became weak, and before he could react, he was uncontrollably thrown out and crashed out of the martial arts arena.

"Now you understand why you could only get a C-grade card, right? Okay, time is precious, next."

Si Jingyu, too lazy to say more, quickly waved for the next person to take the stage.

The boy got up from the ground, hearing the mocking laughter around him. Ashamed and angry, he shouted, "The National Martial Dao League is our Su State's Martial Dao League! What does it have to do with you Nation of Beauty? Why should a few foreign students like you decide who will participate? I'm going to report this to the leadership!"

A sharp glint flashed in Si Shuiyun's eyes, and she was about to teach the other party a lesson when suddenly a hand grabbed the boy's neck from behind and lifted him up.

"The Nation of Beauty is a friendly ally of our Su State. The two countries are as close as brothers, pursuing mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. Close exchanges in various fields such as culture and economy are a current national policy. The three people on stage are the legitimate heirs of the Nation of Beauty Shaman School, and can be regarded as honored guests of our friendly nation. Your noisy shouting and outrageous remarks are surely an attempt to undermine the diplomacy between our two countries and to astonish our friendly nation!"

Si Ming immediately accused the other party of undermining international relations, which extinguished the motives of some students who were also unwilling to accept the accusation. After all, this accusation was too heavy for most people to bear.

"Who are you? Let me go!"

The boy kicked his legs and struggled desperately, like a fish that had been pulled ashore.

"Turn right after you exit, and you'll find the First Martial Arts Club. Goodbye, and don't bother"

Si Ming casually tossed the person out of the martial arts hall with precision, without injuring them. This exquisite skill shocked many people, and soon someone recognized him as a veteran of the Second Martial Arts Club.

"Why are you all doing the work of judges?" Si Ming came to the side of the judges' table.