Yang Guangzhao hurried to the entrance of the cordoned-off area to receive the vehicle.
The moment he saw that young man, he recognized him—Ma Ran.
It would be more accurate to say that, at this stage, there was no extraordinary being in all of China who did not know Ma Ran.
Whether it was the Black Rock Guidance Technique or Limited Precognition, both had made Ma Ran shine brilliantly, turning him into the focus of attention for all the major academies during this period.
"Mr. Ma Ran, it's a pleasure to meet you!"
Yang Guangzhao enthusiastically shook Ma Ran's hand, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the white hair above Ma Ran's forehead. "I've heard all about you."
"Here, as a veteran, I'd like to represent my comrades and thank you for your help!"
He had no ulterior motives and was rather straightforward.
If he liked someone, he liked them, and he would wish to bring out every good thing he had to share with them.
If he disliked someone, he would not waste half a word on them. Even a cold glare counted as lenient treatment.
Ma Ran's prophetic ability had saved more than six hundred of his comrades!
Therefore, Yang Guangzhao showed no awkwardness whatsoever, displaying the utmost importance and respect toward Ma Ran, who was much younger than him.
"Hello, Senior Yang from Yingchuan Academy."
Ma Ran smiled at Yang Guangzhao. "We're both support-type superpowered individuals. Let's exchange pointers whenever we have the time."
That was what he said, but in reality, Ma Ran still had to keep a certain distance from him.
He had to avoid letting the secrets of his rebirth and his acting be discovered.
Ma Ran had a very deep impression of this man, who had the dual identities of a veteran and a senior from Yingchuan Academy.
Yang Guangzhao, the Pain Devourer ability user—as long as he touched another person's head with both hands for more than ten seconds, he could erase that person's painful memories.
The price was...
The other person's painful memories would appear in Yang Guangzhao's mind.
It was an extremely torturous superpower, and one that could very easily lead to mental fragmentation.
However, this older brother was extraordinarily tough.
Until he was blasted into charcoal by artillery fire, he had shown no signs of a mental breakdown.
In his previous life, Ma Ran had met Yang Guangzhao once.
He had always remembered something Yang Guangzhao said: "Man, no matter what happens, clench your fists, grit your teeth, hold on a little longer, and you'll make it through."
That was what Yang Guangzhao had said, and that was also how he had lived.
He had spent his entire life putting his beliefs into practice.
Ma Ran stared intently at him for a while before suddenly saying, "I've admired soldiers ever since I was a child."
"My dream is to protect our country and people, guard the borders, and defend civilization just like you do."
These heartfelt words sounded somewhat strange to Yang Guangzhao.
According to the information he had obtained, Ma Ran was not someone with high emotional intelligence.
Could he be speaking from the heart?
Shaking his head, Yang Guangzhao cast his tangled thoughts aside and waved. Someone immediately came over to help move the luggage.
"Tired from the journey?"
"Go rest in the dormitory for a while. I'll give you a proper welcome tonight!"
"I happen to have a few bottles of Moutai and Wuliangye here. Let's drink to our heart's content tonight!"
Caolu Academy was not far from Area A3, so the journey had hardly been tiring.
Even so, Ma Ran readily accepted his goodwill.
Ma Ran had never been to Area A3 before.
When he had joined Caolu Academy in his previous life, this place had already become a dead zone and had been completely sealed off as an extremely dangerous red-and-black area.
Led by several handsome young soldiers in uniform, Ma Ran hurried along the unfamiliar concrete road.
Occasional murmurs came from both sides of the street.
"That guy's hair is half black and half white. That's such a big shot's hair color! It's dyed pretty well, too!"
"Get lost! You don't know a damn thing! He used his superpower to change the future and burned through his own lifespan! Do you think saving more than six hundred lives comes without a price, and that he could just save them because he felt like it?"
"He looks pretty aloof, but after hearing you say that, I feel like he's definitely worth getting to know..."
"Bullshit. Who can't tell that Ma Ran has good character? Do you even qualify to become friends with him?"
"Hey! Why don't I qualify? I haven't cultivated Inner Qi yet, but I'm a martial arts champion!"
"Give it up! You? A county champion, and you're actually proud of that?"
"Whatever! I'm going to drink with Ma Ran tonight!"
"Tsk, then I'm going too!"
"I happen to be on leave these two days. What do you mean? You're not standing night watch?"
"Holy crap!"
That night, at half past eight.
Yang Guangzhao and his friends were all drunk, eating hot pot and singing.
After getting drunk, they became even more enthusiastic than they had been during the day, casually offering toasts and urging each other to drink cup after cup.
Ma Ran refused no one.
Unlike extreme superpowers, Inner Qi was a jack-of-all-trades with countless uses.
In fact, once someone reached the Second Stage of Inner Qi, they could use Inner Qi to force alcohol out through their pores.
That behavior was wasteful, to begin with, and its signs were fairly obvious.
Everyone else at the table would be drinking normally, while you alone would look as though you had bathed in liquor.
Even if no one noticed it now, once everyone broadened their horizons in the future, would they not understand what had happened after giving it a little thought?
Everyone would feel that such a person was insincere!
Ma Ran himself was unwilling to do that, either.
Not to mention that Yang Guangzhao and the others had brought out their treasured fine liquors—even a bottle of Erguotou worth three and a half yuan would be nectar and ambrosia to him.
During the final years before his rebirth, he had barely had enough to eat. Where would they have gotten the grain, fruits, and vegetables to brew alcohol?
Using Inner Qi to expel alcohol was simply squandering a precious resource!
Even so...
After reaching the Fifth Stage of Inner Qi, Ma Ran's physique was already worlds apart from what it had been when he had just been reborn.
Half a jin of liquor barely affected him.
It took a whole jin to make him slightly tipsy.
After getting drunk, Ma Ran did not like to speak.
He was very quiet.
Unusually quiet.
The more he drank, the quieter he became.
Ma Ran was an excellent listener.
A group of handsome young men in casual clothes drank and chatted, each expressing their own opinions.
"Ma Ran, you're cold on the outside but warm on the inside, with honest and proper features. Not bad! You're a good person!"
"You keep repeating the same few lines. Do you have anything else to say?"
"Hey! I won't stand for that! I've been studying the Book of Changes for several weeks. Ma Ran's features have a name for them: 'The Five Peaks Facing the Court'! Basically, they make him look pleasing to the eye. Extremely pleasing! Anyone who sees him will feel an instant sense of familiarity!"
"No wonder! I always feel like he's a long-lost brother of mine."
"Are you half as handsome as him? Stop flattering yourself!"
"Let's talk about something serious! You guys are always like this. Ma Ran can't even get a word in."
"Something serious? Then what a pity... If we could have preserved the equipment of those aliens from before, who knows how powerful China would become in the future!"
"Exactly! That white cuboid might have contained wormhole-jump technology."
"You say that as though you saw it yourself. Didn't you just hear it from someone else?"
"I heard it from my brother! My brother was there, so it's the same as me being there. What? What are you staring at?"
"I'm just staring at you while you talk."
"Oh... Then never mind! Brothers, keep drinking!"
"It still feels like such a shame! If we could get our hands on those aliens' technology... maybe in a few years, we could reverse-engineer it, master interstellar-jump capabilities, and build knockoffs of their technology!"
"You've read too many science-fiction novels!"
"Not necessarily. If you told people from several hundred years ago about airplanes, WeChat, and Alipay, they would think those things were impossible, too."
"You've all got me fired up! If we could really master interstellar-jump capabilities, that would be great. When that time came, we wouldn't just have to take hits anymore."
"The invaders can come, and so can we!"
"Anyone who dares to hit us, we'll hit them right back!"
--
Thanks to Despicable Salted Fish for rewarding Ma Ran with three chicken drumsticks (300)!
Thanks to Wine in the Morning for rewarding Ma Ran with one chicken drumstick (100)!
Thanks to Ink Rain Star Fate for the 100-point reward!
Thanks to Little Dried Fish for the 100-point reward!
Thanks to Like This Star, This River Runs East for the 100-point reward!
Thanks to Autumn Wind, One Drunken Dream, Awakening After a Thousand Years for the 100-point reward!
Thanks to Only One Faith for the 100-point reward!
Thanks to Me, Absolutely Terrible, for the 200-point reward!
Thanksies (▽)
Update complete!
A day full of positive energy has begun!
My dear friends, see you tomorrow!
Before you continue