"Principal, we really did everything we could. It wasn't just your place that came under attack. First Intermediate Academy and the others were attacked too. We rushed over to provide support because we were nearby, and quite a few of our brothers even died tonight."
"I don't care. Either way, you're all responsible. I'm reporting every last one of you!"
Principal Luoken steeled his heart and spoke unreasonable words.
In truth, Principal Luoken wasn't trying to make things difficult for them. It was just that too many students had died in this attack. Never mind the blame that would come from above—even the fury of the dead students' parents was more than he could bear.
After all, those people weren't pushovers. Quite a few of them were government officials and members of financial conglomerates.
Seeing Luoken say that, Xima replied helplessly.
"Looks like you're determined to dump this blame on us, huh?"
After hearing Xima's words, Luoken's entire old face flushed bright red. In anger, he pointed at Xima's mech.
"You—you..."
At that moment, Han Le reprimanded Xima in a deep voice.
"Xima, how can you speak to Principal Luoken like that? Apologize now!"
Though Luoken was only a principal, this was a key school in the Thirteenth District, so his position was not insignificant. Although they belonged to different systems, Luoken could still be considered their superior in general.
Han Le didn't want Xima to be reported. She might even end up with a disciplinary mark.
"I'm sorry."
Xima apologized helplessly.
"Hmph! This matter isn't over."
Principal Luoken's expression eased slightly, but he still stubbornly refused to back down.
Su Ming, who had been watching the farce from the side, helplessly shook his head and sighed.
"Sigh!"
Chen Tong snorted coldly over the communications channel.
"What a joke. We risked our lives to carry out the rescue, and instead of being grateful, they blamed us from start to finish."
"Exactly. That's seriously too much."
Minke chimed in.
"Minke, Chen Tong, stop talking. If someone reports you, you're both finished."
Tang Yan walked over in his mech and reminded them over the communications channel. He didn't want his students getting dragged into this.
The three of them, Su Ming included, immediately fell silent.
At that moment, the guards at the scene began the cleanup. Before long, body after body was neatly laid out in an open area of the sports field.
Captain Han Le waved his hand, and one Iron Wing after another began spraying flames from oversized flamethrowers, burning and disposing of the bodies on the spot.
Of course, it wasn't that they were heartless or unwilling to leave the bodies intact so their families could see them one last time. The problem was that after being parasitized by Chilami, they were ticking time bombs even after being killed. They had to be dealt with immediately.
Su Ming and the others watched the scene, their hearts filled with mixed emotions and sorrow.
"Wah..."
Many students couldn't help sobbing as they watched their classmates' bodies burn.
After all, people weren't machines. Their hearts were made of flesh. Even when they understood the reasoning, they still felt terrible and anguished.
At that moment, Teacher Tang Yan and the others gathered around Principal Luoken to ask questions.
"Principal, what do we do next?"
"What else can we do? Wait for instructions from above, of course. Have everyone rest where they are and wait for instructions. Comfort those who need comforting."
Principal Luoken replied irritably.
"Understood."
Tang Yan and the others answered with heavy hearts.
Time passed little by little, and soon morning arrived.
Just then, Principal Luoken's phone vibrated, and a message popped up. After carefully reading it, he picked up a loudspeaker and shouted to everyone.
"Everyone, look over here!"
Swish, swish~
All the students who had been sitting and resting turned toward Principal Luoken.
Luoken cleared his throat before addressing the crowd.
"My dear students, I'm sorry you were frightened. This principal is also deeply heartbroken—"
"..."
"Just now, I received the latest news. The outbreak of Chilami occurred in the Lower City. Our academy was affected because it was close to the Lower City, while most areas of the Upper City were not attacked. In other words, your homes are safe. I'll mobilize a fleet of vehicles to send everyone home to rest."
"That's great! We can go home!"
"It's over!"
The many students spoke happily.
At that moment, Han Le controlled his Iron Wing mech and walked up to Su Ming and the others.
"You can return our weapons now."
"Okay."
Su Ming quickly handed the firearms in his hands over to Han Le's subordinates.
Han Le saluted them, then headed off to keep watch around the area.
Immediately afterward, the four of them, Su Ming included, controlled their mechs to crouch down. They opened the cockpits and carefully climbed out.
After landing, Lin Chuyu noticed that the other three people who had climbed out were Su Ming and the others. She was rather surprised, so she nodded at them and revealed a warm smile.
"Hey, Su Ming, did you see that? Lin Chuyu is waving at us."
Minke spoke to Su Ming with great excitement.
"Mm."
Su Ming gave Lin Chuyu a slight nod.
Several hours later, a luxurious bus stopped at the entrance of the Deep Blue Villa District, and Su Ming got off with empty hands.
Although the Chilami invasion had more or less been resolved, Chilami had tenacious vitality and was exceptionally good at hiding.
As a result, the school had to be sealed off for a thorough cleanup. Every blind spot and sewer pipe had to be inspected. It was a massive undertaking, so all the students were sent home to study on their own.
And that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was that they weren't allowed to take their books with them. They could only wait for the school to deliver them later.
Su Ming walked home with his head lowered. He had never expected that after attending school for only a few days, the school would close down.
The problem was that the upcoming City Exam was unaffected and would still be held as scheduled.
"This is troublesome."
Su Ming was extremely frustrated. With his current knowledge, he would probably have a hard time getting a good score.
Just then, Su Ming reached his front door and stopped in astonishment.
His home had been placed under control. Three armored transport vehicles were parked outside, while more than a dozen guards in combat uniforms stood in the yard. There were also several stern-looking inspectors dressed in black pinstriped suits.
At that moment, Su Yuan followed the inspectors onto a transport vehicle with a dejected expression, while Zhao Ning stood red-eyed at the doorway watching him.
"Move!"
A tall-nosed man with a cold gaze issued the order in a chilly voice.
The guards and inspectors at the scene boarded the transport vehicles one after another and left.
Seeing Su Yuan being taken away, Su Ming's brows furrowed tightly. It really was one disaster after another. The school had run into trouble, and now something had happened at home too.
He immediately entered the yard and walked toward Zhao Ning, who was shedding tears.
When Zhao Ning saw Su Ming return, she burst into tears of joy. She hurried over, took his hand, and looked him over.
"Son, you're back! That's wonderful. Are you all right? How did you get hurt so badly?"
"I'm fine. I just fell by accident. They're only superficial injuries. What happened to Father? What's going on?"
Su Ming asked with concern. No matter what, Su Yuan and Zhao Ning had always treated him sincerely well.
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