Commendation

Li Feng briefly explained the reason for their visit, then signaled to the accompanying female officer to take a red-covered certificate and an envelope from her briefcase.

"The formal commendation process should have been more public and grand, but given that you're a student, we didn't want to disrupt your studies and daily life too much. So we've chosen to present it this way, here at school. We hope you understand, and continue to spread this positive energy by helping maintain social stability."

At that, Chen Mochuan immediately gave Li Feng a standard martial salute and replied firmly, "Thank you for the police force's recognition!"

Then he solemnly accepted the certificate and envelope with both hands.

The whole process was simple yet dignified.

Principal Wang chimed in with a smile. "This is the first city-level commendation No. 8 High School has received in years. We'll certainly take this opportunity to actively promote this exemplary act throughout the school, set an example, and encourage the students to learn from it."

After the handover, Li Feng and his colleague exchanged a few more pleasantries with everyone before rising to take their leave.

Principal Wang personally walked them to the office door, while Han Zhen patted Chen Mochuan on the shoulder, his eyes filled with pride.

Only then did Chen Mochuan have time to examine the two things in his hands.

The words "Advanced Individual for Bravery" gleamed faintly in the sunlight on the red-and-gold cover of the certificate, standing out vividly.

The other item was a thick envelope bearing a police badge. He could feel the substantial weight of the money inside as he held it.

The Boiling Blood Beast Jerky had been Liang Wenbin's personal token of gratitude; this five-thousand-yuan reward was the police's formal material recognition of a citizen's act of bravery.

After seeing the two officers off, Principal Wang returned, already beaming with delight.

For a high school student to receive a city-level individual honor like this was a tremendous source of pride for both the student and the school.

And when he thought of their rival, Antu First High School, which had always kept No. 8 High School at a disadvantage but hadn't had a student receive an honor of the same level in recent years, Principal Wang felt even more proud.

What's more, the student being commended was a promising young man he thought highly of, one who might have awakened a Mysterious-Grade Spirit Talent. The more he looked at Chen Mochuan, the more satisfied he felt.

The only thing that gave him some concern was that Chen Mochuan had fallen behind because of his previous health problems. His current Blood-Qi Value was indeed a long way from that of the very top students, and the road to catching up was bound to be difficult.

Remembering that Chen Mochuan came from an ordinary family, Principal Wang pondered briefly, then made up his mind to give him another helping hand.

"Student Chen Mochuan," Principal Wang said warmly. "In view of your outstanding performance and the honor you've brought to the school, we've decided to support the government's call to promote positive energy by giving you a matching reward of five thousand yuan in scholarship money, as encouragement!"

Chen Mochuan hadn't expected to receive an additional reward on top of the police's commendation. He immediately thanked the principal sincerely. "Thank you, Principal. I'll keep working hard and won't let the school or my teachers down."

Then, as if remembering something, he held out the bright-red certificate of honor to Principal Wang with both hands.

"Principal, I was able to respond properly because of the school's long-standing training in Ferocious Beast alerts and safety education. This honor belongs to me, but it also belongs to the school. So I believe the certificate would mean more if I left it here for the school to preserve."

Principal Wang was taken aback, then couldn't help smiling. He hadn't expected this student to be so thoughtful and gracious in his dealings with others, on top of his talent and good character.

He refused twice, but when he saw that Chen Mochuan was determined, he finally accepted the certificate "reluctantly." He planned to have someone frame it carefully and display it on the school's Wall of Honor.

By the time they left the principal's office, lunch break was already halfway over. Han Zhen took the opportunity to invite Chen Mochuan to eat lunch with him in the teachers' cafeteria.

Since the Martial Arts Department teachers at No. 8 High School were all at least Martial Artists in the Mortal Shedding Realm, having broken through the limits of the body's Essence Gate, they expended a great deal of energy each day. As a result, the teachers' cafeteria served much better food, with ingredients and nutrition far beyond what the students' cafeteria could offer.

Han Zhen naturally picked up the bill. Knowing that Chen Mochuan had a huge appetite, he specifically ordered plenty of high-energy food.

Midway through the meal, Han Zhen put down his chopsticks and spoke to Chen Mochuan with a serious expression.

"You stayed calm in a crisis this time and handled things well. You earned a commendation, and I'm happy for you, too."

"But remember, when you encounter a Ferocious Beast, your first priority must always be to ensure your own safety. You mustn't take even the slightest chance."

"If you run into a situation like this again, get away from danger as quickly as possible. Don't ever rush into it recklessly. You won't always be this lucky."

Unlike Principal Wang, who was more concerned with the school's reputation, Han Zhen cared more about his student's safety.

Chen Mochuan could feel the concern in Han Zhen's words, and warmth surged through his heart. He immediately assured him, "Don't worry, Teacher. I'll never risk my life just to prove myself."

Seeing that Chen Mochuan had taken his advice to heart, Han Zhen nodded in relief.

By the end of lunch, it was nearly time for afternoon classes.

Chen Mochuan said goodbye to Han Zhen and headed to the teaching building alone.

He opened his Personal Terminal and saw several unread messages from Li Biao. The messages were full of concern and anxiety, and Li Biao had asked if he needed any help.

Chen Mochuan told him the truth about encountering the Ferocious Rat and receiving a commendation from the police.

Li Biao replied almost instantly: Holy crap, Brother Chuan! You ran into a Ferocious Rat and came away unscathed, and you even did a good deed! That's awesome!

Chen Mochuan replied helplessly: It was the Special Situation Brigade's special police who killed the Ferocious Rat. I just called the police and kept pedestrians from wandering into the area.

Li Biao: That's still awesome! Who knows what kind of mess there would've been if you hadn't been there!

Chen Mochuan replied with a [smiley face] emoji.

Li Biao immediately sent another message: By the way, right after they called you out this morning, Lu Ren started making snide remarks in class and led everyone in saying you must've gotten into trouble. That guy never learns.

Chen Mochuan didn't care about it and replied, "Ignore him." He was just about to close the terminal when Li Biao sent two more messages in a row.

Li Biao: [image]

Li Biao: Brother Chuan, look! The school moved fast—your certificate has already been framed and hung on the Wall of Honor! That's insanely awesome!

Before Chen Mochuan could open the full-size image for a closer look, the loudspeakers installed throughout the campus all blared at once.

"Chen Mochuan, a student in the senior-year key class of the Martial Arts Department, discovered a Ferocious Beast in the urban area on the evening of October 25. He promptly reported it and provided key information, assisting the police in successfully eliminating the threat. His calm and composed response, and his concern for public safety, have earned him the title of 'Advanced Individual for Bravery' from the Antu City Police Department, reflecting the results of our school's educational efforts. We hereby commend him publicly and hope that all teachers and students will take Chen Mochuan as their example, uphold what is right, and bravely shoulder their responsibilities!"

"Chen Mochuan, a student in the senior-year key class of the Martial Arts Department..."

The commendation announcement swept across the campus, repeating three times in the usual clear and solemn tone before finally stopping.