5.7

After the physicals, the base tested the cadets on their power intensity index. In order to hide his current capabilities, Qiao Chen only used a few of his abilities for this examination. Everyone else, however, exerted their maximum efforts and showed all the cards in their hands.

Au Luo stared at Qiao Chen as he went through the tests. Qiao Chen was a little frustrated by Au Luo's observation. He knew that he couldn't hide his abilities from Au Luo.

The test results were published:

Danny

Chad

…

…

…

Qiao Chen

Dick

…

Harold

Danny ranked first and Chad followed close behind in second. Qiao Chen ranked an astounding sixth and the recently stabilized Dick followed behind him in seventh. Harold ranked ninth. Even though Harold scored higher than Dick overall, he still couldn't believe that he actually scored lower than Dick on the power intensity test. Other cadets also couldn't accept the results.

Qiao Chen had hidden most of his abilities, but still ranked fairly high; therein, surprising the other cadets once again. However, no one dared to question the Lion Corps base's results. Even if Harold believed it was impossible for Qiao Chen or Dick to surpass him, he could only grit his teeth and bear it. He believed that it didn't matter anyways because there was still more of the candidacy test to do. He had ample opportunity that he was far stronger than Qiao Chen and Dick combined.

After the abilities test, all the cadets had to undergo a half month intensive training regimen. This was a group exercise that everyone was required to attend. Additionally, each cadet had a specialized training plan designed and customized based on their characteristics and deficiencies. If they failed to complete their daily training assignments or do not complete their training regimen, then points would be deducted from their scores.

Au Luo helped Qiao Chen by personally supervising his specialized training plan. The main objective was for Qiao Chen to improve his physical ability and gain a variety of combat skills.

Qiao Chen had to see Au Luo everyday for his specialized training plan. Au Luo was a strict supervisor, and his requirements were very high. This meant that Qiao Chen would return to his dorm exhausted. The only thoughts on Qiao Chen's mind were lie down and sleep. He would even shower as the quickest speed, just so he could sleep more.

Qiao Chen had to go through close combat training with Au Luo as a part of his specialized regimen. Each time they sparred, Qiao Chen would be quickly suppressed within a few moves. He had been wanting to use the system to help him deal with Au Luo, however, his couldn't. His body's physical capabilities weren't as strong as Au Luo. Therefore, Qiao Chen was forced to lose spar after spar. Even though Qiao Chen was consistently and constantly suppressed, he still made rapid progress due to Au Luo's guidance.

Au Luo subdued both of Qiao Chen's arms, so he couldn't move. Au Luo gripped tightly and pushed Qiao Chen back. Qiao Chen had to comply until his back hit the wall. Without a chance to gain his bearings, Au Luo stopped Qiao Chen with a kiss. Au Luo's tongue slipped into Qiao Chen's mouth while they kissed.

Qiao Chen became very accustomed to this way of training where Au Luo took advantage of him during their spars. He would pin Qiao Chen against the wall and enjoy the spoils of victory. This wasn't even considered very excessive since Au Luo had done far more before.

The most excessive and annoying thing Au Luo had done would usually take place during Qiao Chen's next training objective. It was the muscle strengthening training. Au Luo sat on the equipment and had Qiao Chen strip until he was naked. Then Qiao Chen had to sit on top of Au Luo, as if he was the seat, and begin his strength training. Au Luo would constantly bother him during his reps. His naughty hands would continually run up and down and all around Qiao Chen's body. If Qiao Chen made any extra or unnecessary movements, then he'd be punished.

After Au Luo agreed to finally let Qiao Chen go, Qiao Chen was panting in gasps. Au Luo pinched, touched, and squeezed Qiao Chen's arms, chest, waits, and thighs. He was quite satisfied with Qiao Chen's progress and praised, "Not bad. If you were to compare your body now to the level you had when we first met: it's much better now."

Qiao Chen was a gher, so his body was inherently limited to what he could do. He couldn't bulk up like a strongman with rough muscles. What could do was constantly improve the strength and tenacity of the muscles.

"Haven't you touched enough yet? Let me go. I'm going back to wash up and sleep." Qiao Chen complained. He tried to push Au Luo away, but Au Luo didn't budge.

"Where are you going to sleep today?" Au Luo flirted. Then he sprinkled kissed on Qiao Chen's cheek and moved toward his ears.

"Where do you want me to going? Can I actually rest there? I'm not stupid. Don't think I don't know that you're a wolf in sheep's clothing." He had to go with this man since early in the morning until now to train. If he let Au Luo manipulated him into returning together, then he'd be dead the next day. Qiao Chen had sworn that he wouldn't let Au Luo reach home base so quickly. He needed to stay on his toes and guard the last step and prevent that man from succeeding.

"You're gonna regret it if you don't take me up on my offer~." Au Luo whispered in his ear.

"Puh-lease. Now let me go back to my room and regret my choice. I will definitely regret sleeping in my own bed so dearly." Qiao Chen rolled his eyes and sarcastically replied.

Au Luo chuckle, gave Qiao Chen's lips a quick peck, and then let him go. Au Luo exited the training room first.

Qiao Chen wiped his sweat with a towel. After putting his clothes back on, he walked to the door and pressed the button. The door opened, and he walked out.

"Qiao An?" Danny was very surprised to see Qiao Chen exit the training room right after General Au Luo had just exited the room right now. He'd greeted him too, so he knew General Au Luo had just been in that room.

Qiao Chen was exhausted and didn't have the energy to talk to him. He walked past Danny without even bothering to look at him.

"Qiao An, wait." Danny hurriedly stopped Qiao Chen from leaving.

"What?" Qiao Chen tilted his head to look at Danny and asked impatiently.

"I just saw General Au Luo exit from this training room. What were you guys doing in there?" Danny asked confused.

"It's a training room. What else do you think we'd do besides train? Please stop wasting my time with nonsensical questions, okay?" Qiao Chen turned his head back and quickly left.

"Are you both training inside or is he training you?" Danny asked hastily.

Qiao Chen stopped frustrated. He faced Danny and replied, "He's training me. Do you have anything else to ask?"

"He's training you?" Danny asked with wide eyes. Then he asked incredulously, "Why would the general personally train you?"

"How would I know why he would personally train me? Maybe I have the most potential out of everyone here. I don't know. If you really want to know what he's thinking, then why won't you ask him yourself?" Qiao Chen intentionally smiled at Danny with a proud expression. Then he quickly turned back so he could finally sleep in his own bed.

Danny watched Qiao Chen leave, his eye filled with envy and hatred.

Qiao Chen finally reached his dorm. He excitedly opened the door, but something was wrong. He slowly moved along the wall from the outer room to the bathroom. The water was running, so he heard splashing, but he also heard the sound of someone crying. At first, it sounded like sobbing, but Qiao Chen very quickly realized it sounded like someone was having… Qiao Chen put his ear closer and listened carefully.

"An~ Ahn~ Gently, gently. It hurts… Ah~ An~ …"

Qiao Chen recognized Dick's voice, so he immediately left the room with gloomy clouds over his head. That was definitely Dick's fiancé, Fred. He's the only one would be able to put Dick in that state.

Fred was the group training instructor and the Lion Corps' 2nd division captain.  He was highly valued in the military.

He was also in charge of personally training Dick. Over the course of the special training Dick would return every night with red eyes. He was probably trained harshly. However, Qiao Chen understood Fred's line of thought. The harder Dick trained now meant the better he'd be able to defend himself when he entered a real battlefield.

Qiao Chen was too tired. He really wanted to quickly find a place to rest, but he couldn't go back to his room. He had no choice but to drag his feet and ring Au Luo's doorbell.

Au Luo was the general of the Lion Corps, so he would naturally live in a luxurious home. It was a two story house to boot. Qiao Chen waited for the door to open. Once it did, he immediately walked in. He walked past Au Luo's knowing eyes, up the stairs to the second floor, and into a bathroom. Finally… a bath.

Qiao Chen finished washing up and then exited the bathroom. He dropped onto Au Luo's giant bed naked. He didn't care. He was almost always naked in front that man anyways.

"Don't touch me. Go to the living room and sleep on the sofa or I'll die in your bed today." Qiao Chen weakly threatened the Au Luo standing at the edge of the bed watching him.

Au Luo left the room, but for a bit. He soon returned with a bottle in his hand. He sat on his bed and put Qiao Chen's legs on his. Then he poured the liquid from the bottle out and massaged Qiao Chen's legs.

"Un~" Qiao Chen was half asleep, so he let out a groan from the comfortable massage.

Au Luo helped massage Qiao Chen's arms and waist with the medication too. Qiao Chen was on the brink of comfortable falling asleep after Au Luo had massaged him for quite some time. Right before he fell asleep, Qiao Chen vaguely thought, 'Sure enough, this asshole still loves me.'

Qiao Chen woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and energetic. His body wasn't even sore. He knew this was only due to Au Luo's massage and that medicine from last night. Too bad he was in danger of being done to death if he stayed in Au Luo's room every night. He wanted to have Au Luo massage him every night.

Qiao Chen returned to his room. Dick had already woken up. He looked as Qiao Chen and asked, "Why didn't you come back last night?"

"I did come back. I was afraid of disturbing you, so I left." Qiao Chen said with a knowing smile.

"M-me? What do you mean bothering me?" Dick sputtered. His face immediately turned red. He wanted to kick Fred out when they finished in the bathroom last night, but Fred said that Qiao Chen had already gone and gone. He refused to leave and told Dick that Qiao Chen would definitely not return anytime soon.

"Y-you shouldn't misunderstand." Dick defended. "I sprained my ankle yesterday and Fred helped me massage it while I was in the bathroom."

"Massaging you?" Qiao Chen replied in disbelief. Why can't I just believe that it was just a massage? Don't try to trick me. I'm too experienced in this department.

Dick knew he couldn't deceive Qiao Chen. He lowered his head and quietly said, "Well he just kept massaging and massaging- It's nothing. I'm sorry. I won't interrupt your rest time. It won't happen again."

"It's okay. Don't get all worked up in guilt. I didn't sleep in the hallway yesterday. I had a really good rest." Qiao Chen patted Dick's should and reassured. "Let's go to the canteen for breakfast. We still have the rest of the training ahead of us. We can't not eat."

When Qiao Chen and Dick walked into the canteen, all the cadets in training looked at Qiao Chen. Even Dick felt that there was something weird in the atmosphere. Qiao Chen could obviously feel it too, but he ignored their prying eyes, grabbed his food, and sat down for breakfast.

After Qiao Chen and Dick sat down to eat, Justin also came over. He asked Qiao Chen in a low voice, "I heard that General Au Luo is personally overseeing your specialized training. Is this true?"

"Yeah." Qiao Chen answered calmly.

Dick was surprised that Justin knew. He glanced around the room and asked in a lower voice, "Does everyone else know too?"

Justin nodded. He quickly looked over at Danny and Chad indicating that they were the ones who first spread it.

"I'll say it! How can someone who's ranked F in abilities be selected for this candidate test? It turned out that said person had a special relationship. Since there was such a relationship, then it's better just to join using their connections. Why would they still need to take spots away from hardworking and deserving cadets?" Harold said loudly and peculiarly.

Qiao Chen smiled and replied, "The person whose abilities index score is worse than mine shouldn't be talking. What score are you to be badmouthing my higher score and saying that I'm not relying on my own strength?"

Harold stood up abruptly, walked over to Qiao Chen's table, and said, "How would I know that that's your real abilities index score and not some fake one?"

"Are you trying to insult me or the Lion Corps? If you think that the Lion Corps acts in such a messy and unscrupulous manner, then why are you even bothering to try so hard to join them. Just quit if you don't like it." Qiao Chen stood up and goaded.

The Lion Corps was the largest and most powerful division in the entire country. Most of the country's main missions and tasks were carried out by the Lion Corps soldiers. Since they were the ones who were usually entrusted with so many tasks, there were more opportunities for the Lion Corps soldiers to be promoted or gain military achievements. This was the main reason why most students from the School of Military Combat desperately wanted to join the Lion Corps.

"Just you wait and see. I'll prove it with my strength. The one who should quit is you, not me." Harold promised with a glare.