By the time they finished going over the entire match, night had fallen completely.
Deep darkness shrouded all of Suotuo City, and lights flickered on along the roadside, bathing the streets in a warm yellow glow.
The evening breeze swept away the heat accumulated during the day, but it could not disperse the tangled thoughts in Lin Chen's mind.
Everyone gathered themselves and headed outside, the mood among the group relaxed and lively.
His teammates clustered in twos and threes, chatting about the highlights, what they had learned from the review, and the little jokes shared in the private room. They laughed and roughhoused, utterly at ease.
Only Lin Chen lagged at the very back, looking thoroughly wilted, his gaze unfocused and his steps dragging. His mind kept circling the same private matter he had concealed for so long—whale rubber.
His thoughts were a complete mess. He wrestled with the decision over and over, unable to make up his mind.
Should I honestly tell Teacher Mo Yuan about whale rubber's true effects and its real value?
Lin Chen understood the advantages and disadvantages perfectly well.
He had weighed it all clearly. Handing the whale rubber over to the academy for internal use within Spirit Hall would mean turning his private trump card into a shared resource the team could use.
Developing it with Spirit Hall's immense capabilities would yield far greater returns than keeping it clutched in his own hands.
There was only one sticking point, and it was simple.
Once he handed it over, he would no longer have complete control over it. How it would be distributed and who would use it would all depend on decisions from above. He would lose a trump card reserved solely for himself.
But keeping it hidden and unused, leaving it to