Wen Zhi'an (Part 1)

Chen Lian turned to look at Jia Yan. Where was that furious expression now? He was sitting in his chair, putting on a show of flipping through a book.

Chen Lian's face went dark.

So they were putting on a Strange Tales act for me!

He gritted his teeth and looked at the others. Chu Wei stood with his hands behind his back, looking every bit like an old cadre. He walked over and said earnestly, "Little Chen, this is the organization giving you an opportunity to temper yourself. You need to work hard."

"Look at Vice Captain Jia. His grades weren't very good back then. The college entrance exam was out of 750, and he only scored 250. But even after leaving school and becoming a Warrior, he never forgot to study. He kept reading. What an outstanding quality that is."

"This is your role model!"

"Only by doing this can you improve and become an outstanding soldier."

He walked over to Jia Yan, picked up the book in front of him, and glanced at the cover. "Happy Planet? What kind of book is this?"

Jia Yan snatched the book back. "Chu Wei, screw your uncle! When did I ever score 250 on the college entrance exam? You're spreading rumors right in front of me?"

Chu Wei froze for a moment, then his expression turned slightly burdened. "Seeing you like this, I almost thought I remembered wrong. You got 248 points on the college entrance exam. Did you think I didn't know?"

Jia Yan thought about it, and the righteous expression on his face suddenly vanished. How could he have remembered his college entrance exam score from over a decade ago? He had merely retorted casually, but Chu Wei's reminder suddenly brought it back to him.

It did seem like it had been 248.

This was awkward.

But he still stubbornly argued, "248 isn't 250! How do you know my college entrance exam score? Did you sneak a look at my file? I'm telling you, that's a violation of discipline. I can report you to the higher-ups!"

Chu Wei smugly replied, "Go ahead and report me. I support notifying the entire military of the vile incident in which I publicized Comrade Jia Yan's college entrance exam score of 248, and giving me a demerit!"

"Stop it, all of you!" Seeing that they had gone wildly off topic, Chen Lian immediately called a halt. "What we're discussing now is who's writing the operation report!"

The moment he finished speaking.

The display screen in the meeting room immediately showed footage of Chen Lian covering Lin Yan's mouth and declaring with resounding force, "I'll write the operation report!"

The footage paused.

Bu Wenxing immediately stood up and gestured. "Everyone, applause!"

Warm applause erupted in the meeting room.

Chen Lian was instantly speechless. They had really arranged all Thirty-Six Stratagems against him.

My workhorse brothers were united as one!

"Forget it, forget it. I'll write it, then. You bunch of bastards!"

Hearing this, Lin Yan beamed. "Go, Little Chen. I'm heading out to visit some friends. I'll come back to see you tonight."

With that, he vanished at once.

He ran off insanely fast!

It wasn't that they weren't being loyal brothers. Liu Mingxuan had required this operation report to be no fewer than ten thousand words. Who could take that?

Even the donkeys of Qidian's production team wouldn't dare work like that!

Using his communication watch, he separately called Wang Bing and Wei Xinran, telling them he wanted to treat them to dinner.

Then, after they gathered, Lin Yan brought them to the cafeteria.

"Wait, you said you were treating us to dinner, and you're treating us to cafeteria food?!"

"Cafeteria food doesn't cost money either!"

Wang Bing looked at the cafeteria entrance and immediately lost the desire to go inside.

Lin Yan smiled. "Second Lieutenant, that's not the right thing to say. You're lacking ideological awareness."

Only after Wang Bing rolled his eyes at him did he speak properly. "It's not a holiday. How am I supposed to take you out for some grand feast? I can't exactly lead you over the wall and out, can I?"

"Later, later. Put it on my tab, all right?"

Wang Bing grinned. "You said that yourself. Don't you dare go back on it!"

Lin Yan patted his chest. "Who am I? I'm a Warrior now. I'm brimming with martial virtue. Would I cheat you out of one meal?"

Wei Xinran tugged the two of them forward. "All right, all right, we know you're amazing. Get inside already. We can't even miss out on hot cafeteria food, can we?"

After the three finished eating and walked out of the cafeteria, the sky had yet to darken. They chatted as they walked down the road.

Then they happened to run into someone head-on.

Her long hair was tied into a high ponytail, making her look neat and capable. Her features were exquisite, her figure graceful, and the military uniform added a touch more heroic spirit to her.

Even the passing soldiers could not help looking at her.

She stopped several meters in front of the three of them. Her clear, pure deer-like eyes fixed on Lin Yan as she said in surprise:

"Huh, Lin Yan."

"Why are you here?"

Wang Bing and Wei Xinran did not react at first. After a moment, they looked at Lin Yan in confusion.

Who was this?

Lin Yan's gaze flickered slightly, and an indescribable feeling rose in his heart. He smiled softly. "Long time no see."

This girl was called Wen Zhi'an.

How should he put it? To the former "Lin Yan," she had been a very special existence.

Perhaps she had been someone like a dream.

Back then, Lin Yan had attended Tianjing City Sheng'an District First High School. During the first semester of their senior year, Wen Zhi'an had transferred there as well because of her father's job reassignment, becoming his classmate.

At the time, Wen Zhi'an was strikingly beautiful, gentle in temperament, and highly talented. She had been adored by everyone.

She had even passed the Quasi-Warrior test before the college entrance exam.

What did that mean?

In the history of First High, there had only been two or three such cases.

At sixteen or seventeen, full of youthful vigor, with the breeze drifting in through the window and the restless hearts of boys in midsummer—perhaps it had only been because of one radiant smile, or perhaps the bright red bow in her hair. He could not remember clearly, but "Lin Yan" had quickly developed feelings for Wen Zhi'an that were different from the rest.

He had not been an insecure or introverted person, but faced with someone as dazzling as her, he could not help feeling inferior.

So he had merely liked her, simply and quietly.

He had studied diligently and worked hard at his training at the martial arts center.

Because the way to overcome inferiority was never to retreat. He had still wanted to draw closer to her light.

But after the college entrance exam, both of them had achieved excellent results. "Lin Yan" had thought they could continue attending National Defense University together, but on the day they filled out their applications, she did not come. Or rather, he had not seen her again after the college entrance exam.

The female classmates who were close to her said that her father was a renowned domestic biologist working within the military system. Wen Zhi'an had therefore been arranged by her family to enlist, directly entering the laboratory headed by her father to study.

In the memories belonging to "him" that Lin Yan had seen, he had not been especially heartbroken. It did not amount to that, but he had still felt somewhat disappointed from the bottom of his heart.

As time passed, he had let go of that youthful admiration.

During summer vacation, Wang Bing had suggested taking advantage of the break to gain experience in the military. Lin Yan normally had not been very enthusiastic about such things, but this time, he had suddenly thought of her. Without much consideration, he had gone along with Wang Bing's suggestion.

It might not have been because he wanted to see her.

But he had missed her, after all.

He had not expected to run into her here by chance.

He had not inherited "Lin Yan's" feelings, nor did he particularly like or admire the girl before him. Yet this story had suddenly entered his life, leaving him somewhat at a loss.

The girl smiled. "Yes, it's been a long time."

"But shouldn't you be a freshman in college right now? Why are you here?"

Lin Yan answered, "I came to get an early feel for the military and the battlefield atmosphere. Once school starts, I'll still be going back."

As Wang Bing watched them talk, his eyes lit up slightly. His male intuition told him this was some major gossip about Lin Yan. With a little thought, he had even imagined an entire youth romance movie.

He felt he could not remain silent any longer and suddenly said, "Lin Yan, you're really planning to go back and continue studying? You're already a Warrior. Enlisting directly and joining the military is the best choice. You'd receive better training."

There was some truth to that. Many people did exactly this, such as Liu Mingxuan, though anyone who could not pass the school's graduation assessment would not be allowed to graduate.

But hearing that out of the blue nearly made Lin Yan laugh. This guy had always said that once Lin Yan became a Warrior, he had to show off properly at school. Otherwise, it would be a waste of such a perfect opportunity to act cool.

How could Lin Yan fail to understand why Wang Bing had said that now? It was really something that he still had the mind for this.

Sure enough.

Wen Zhi'an stared at him in surprise. "You're already a Warrior?"