Conflict

Swish!

Inside the cafeteria, after finishing his roast meat, Lu Zhan casually polished off another five boiled eggs the size of marbles.

Then a feeling of fullness rose from his stomach.

At that point, Lu Zhan had reached the limit of how much he could eat.

My appetite has clearly shrunk.

A few days ago, I could still polish off five chicken eggs after the roast meat!

My appetite isn't shrinking because my stomach is protesting. My body is starting to get sick of this high-energy diet.

If Basic Combat didn't burn so much energy, the Training Center would probably have turned into a gathering place for fat people.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Lu Zhan glanced at his abdomen. The outlines of his eight-pack were clearly visible.

If he took off his clothes, the definition of the muscles all over his body would look worlds apart from a month ago.

Combined with his already handsome face, he absolutely deserved the title of the Training Center's most handsome bald guy.

Perhaps because he hadn't been sleeping well, a month had passed without any of Lu Zhan's hair growing back.

In his previous life, Lu Zhan would certainly have worried himself into sleeplessness.

But in this world, even a gutted belly could heal in two days. A little baldness was hardly a serious problem.

Lu Zhan simply put it down to studying too hard—he was so brilliant that even his hair had given up.

"Did you hear? That Lu Zhan isn't actually a District 13 native. He was born in District 9!"

"Really? Then it was kind of unfair of us to ostracize him before!"

"Unfair, my ass. He chose this himself."

"Heh, there's going to be a good show in a minute."

"Two senior students from the Wutu Gang are waiting for him outside the cafeteria!"

Unlike usual, an especially large number of Basic Class students had come for breakfast at this hour today.

Not only that, they had abandoned their usual diet of bread and vegetables and started desperately stuffing meat into their mouths.

The way they ate until their eyes nearly rolled back made even Lu Zhan feel a little embarrassed for them.

Yet even with their mouths stuffed full, these fellows still hadn't forgotten to gossip.

The subject of their gossip was, naturally, Lu Zhan.

To Lu Zhan, who possessed "super hearing," the supposedly secret whispers of his fellow students were nothing more than an exercise in fooling themselves.

Has the Wutu Gang finally come looking for me?

I thought they'd already forgotten about me!

Thanks to the gossipers, Lu Zhan had learned an important piece of information in advance.

Although the people coming for him were senior students, Lu Zhan remained completely unafraid.

Lu Zhan knew perfectly well why it was senior students coming to cause trouble for him.

There wasn't a single student in the current Basic Class who had signed an agreement with the Wutu Gang.

The Wutu Gang had been rather unlucky lately. They had come away empty-handed from the last Talent Assessment.

Lu Zhan's "good buddy" Lin Kexian had been one of the unlucky ones from that assessment.

Although trouble lay ahead, Lu Zhan had no intention of avoiding it.

He gritted his teeth and forced down another three boiled eggs, then walked toward the door.

To the students around him, there was something tragically heroic about his bearing.

"You're Lu Zhan, right?"

"You've got some nerve, kid, betraying our Wutu Gang!"

"Tell us, how are you going to compensate our Wutu Gang?"

Lu Zhan had barely stepped out of the cafeteria when two burly figures blocked his path like bears.

The next moment, a large hand landed heavily on his shoulder.

If Lu Zhan hadn't grown considerably stronger lately, that hand would definitely have forced him into a submissive stoop.

"Article seven of the Training Center Disciplinary Code: fighting between students is prohibited. Violators will receive fifteen days of solitary confinement."

"In serious cases, their eligibility for training will be revoked outright."

"With the difference in strength between us, seniors, I can certainly take your punches at the cost of broken bones and torn tendons."

"Then you'll be kicked out of the Training Center with your tails between your legs."

"Even if you only make my gums bleed, one mouthful of bloody spit in your faces will leave you without a single friend in the Intermediate Class."

"After all, I'm currently wearing the title of District 13's top student!"

Facing the two hulking men's threat of violence, Lu Zhan recited the disciplinary code without either groveling or backing down.

Only in Yeluo City could this happen. In his previous life, the instant that hand had landed on his shoulder, Lu Zhan could have made those two pay until they were bankrupt.

With that much force, the slap could easily have caused a concussion.

"Lu Zhan, we're not street thugs anymore. Don't try that street-corner injury scam on us."

"We only came to say hello this time."

"Just a reminder not to forget the gang. Branch Leader Ma won't forget you either."

"If we really wanted to deal with you, we'd have plenty of ways once you move up to the Intermediate Class."

Lu Zhan's complete lack of fear darkened the faces of the two Wutu Gang students.

According to the information the gang had provided, hadn't Lu Zhan always been a meek, obedient sort?

Since when had a meek, obedient sort learned to exploit the rules?

Seeing that they couldn't make Lu Zhan submit, the two gang students simply left without dragging things out.

They hadn't intended to use violence against Lu Zhan in public this time anyway.

They were just physically stronger, not brainless.

"Baluk, won't it look like we're just going through the motions if we leave like this?"

"Branch Leader Ma is still waiting for our good news!"

The two gang students muttered to each other as they made their "strategic retreat."

They had put on an imposing display this time, but ultimately, they had accomplished nothing.

"Li Dakui, what else could we do if we didn't leave? Actually beat that guy up?"

"I don't want to get expelled from the Training Center over something this trivial."

"We came to the Training Center to study, not to be hired muscle."

"The gang only has itself to blame for getting the information to us so late. It's been almost a month. Even an idiot would have learned his way around the Training Center by now."

Baluk didn't care in the slightest about Branch Leader Ma's assignment.

He had already become an Armored Warrior Apprentice. Although he was the lowest kind, he was still on the same tier as Ma Yancheng.

If he wanted to show him respect, he could call him branch leader. If not, what was wrong with calling him Old Ma?

Baluk was shrewd. In all likelihood, dealing with Lu Zhan wasn't the gang's idea at all. Ma Yancheng was probably abusing his position to settle a personal grudge and regain some dignity.

Lu Zhan now had Military status. How could the gang possibly be foolish enough to act over such a trivial matter?

Going through the motions was already enough of a courtesy to Old Ma.

Tsk, sure enough, nobody who manages to claw their way up from the bottom is a complete idiot!

Looks like I won't have to worry about those two causing trouble for me anytime soon!

Choosing to enlist back then really was the right decision.

The only thing I didn't expect was how slowly the Wutu Gang would react.

It took them a whole month to come looking for me.

With efficiency this low, you deserve to decline!

Although several dozen meters now separated them, Lu Zhan, who had been listening with full concentration, still heard Baluk and his companion's conversation perfectly clearly.

Only after confirming there would be no further developments did Lu Zhan finally stop using the "eavesdropping" ability he had activated the moment they met.