Chapter Four: Romantic Affairs Lead to Trouble
Seeing the resolute attitude of the crowd, Liao Lang burst into laughter.
"Haha, why bother? We just need to make way for a runway, and everyone can pass through, right?"
"Enough nonsense." A disdainful slap followed by a harsh rebuke landed on his face without mercy.
Liao Lang staggered back a step, clutching onto Li Mo's arm for support. Anger flashed in his eyes for a moment, but as he lifted his head, all signs of it vanished, replaced by a disheveled appearance as he blocked the attacks from behind.
He swatted away the subtle gesture from Gao Ying, indicating "no need to say more," and continued to wear a fierce smile amidst the hostile crowd.
"Don't be hostile, remember President Huang's emphasis on teamwork? There's only about four minutes left until this stepping board disappears. I can be the last one to pass through and help everyone," he commanded, but before he could finish his sentence, he was ambushed by four shots.
The simulated pain sent through his training suit reached his central nervous system, causing Liao Lang to grunt, his mind pausing for a few seconds as his breathing grew heavier.
The sound of the trigger being pulled on his right forced his attention back, but it was too late to turn around.
People often describe bullets as too fast to see, especially in the New Era, where firearms have been upgraded several times to increase both power and speed.
With resignation, Liao Lang closed his eyes, but all he heard was the clang of metal hitting metal.
Drawing and sheathing his sword crisply, he bluntly expressed his disdain, "You're out of your mind! Hurry up and fight, don't waste our time."
His flirty and charming tone almost melted Liao Lang's heart, but as he glanced back at Lu Anru behind him, Liao Lang suppressed any romantic notions.
After a brief hesitation, he burst into hearty laughter, giving up his persuasion efforts and pulling out a heavy cannon from his storage bag.
The cannon, nearly as tall as a person, was hoisted onto his shoulder, causing those surrounding him to instinctively retreat.
Contrary to popular belief, the members of the Combat Club were not all brawn and no brains. No one would foolishly charge into certain death without good reason.
Within the Combat Club, there were very few users of heavy artillery mechs, with Liao Lang being the only one among the new students this year. In the previous classes, there were only three, and among them, only Lin Zitong, the trusted assistant of President Huang Qizhe, had mastered it to perfection.
To make an inappropriate comparison, heavy artillery was like the major in music in a regular university. It required both practice equipment and talent; one couldn't do without the other.
Heavy artillery was indeed extremely powerful, and in the New Era, its shortcomings had been adjusted to allow for both long and short-range firing.
Only those from influential and wealthy families could access heavy artillery. If used properly, it could wreak havoc, but if mishandled, it could harm allies. In the current situation, even if Liao Lang was incompetent, he could still aim in the right direction, potentially harming only those opposing him.
With a smug smile, Liao Lang fired several shots, taking down most of those besieging him and forcing the rest to retreat.
With a flourish, he flicked his shoulder-length brown-green hair and pulled it behind his ears.
But at the critical moment, he realized he had chosen the wrong audience for his showmanship. Most of those in the distance were burly men, and they only regarded him with disdain.
With a dissatisfied snort, he turned back to the future prince he vowed to serve, seeking approval, "Your Highness, you see, I haven't acted yet, but as soon as I do, it has a decisive effect, right?"
Before he could finish his triumphant words, he turned beet red with embarrassment as there were hardly any people left in front of Ning Guang. If it weren't for him lagging behind, failing to clear the path sooner, his companions would have already jumped to the next stepping board.
"Clear the field earlier next time, don't dawdle," commanded Ning Guang, prompting Liao Lang to launch two more attacks hastily.
Once the persistent stragglers who had been secretly observing were cleared, Liao Lang replied, "Yes, sir," and withdrew his gaze, pausing deliberately on Lu Anru for a few seconds before throwing her a flirtatious glance.
Lu Anru met his gaze with a look of disdain and a harsh tone, "So oily, pure gutter oil."
Only Lu Anru dared to make such a comment about him. But just a glance at her adorable face, which was almost irresistibly cute, made it difficult for most men to feel angry.
Although Liao Lang had once harbored improper thoughts about her, he realized after getting to know her that teasing her for fun was fine, but he had no intention of actively pursuing trouble.
Compared to the witch who enjoyed manipulating others, he preferred the obedient and considerate kitten.
Thinking of the person he liked, his heart swelled with sweetness, and he decided to finish training early and go video chat with his little kitten.
With the buff of excitement, Liao Lang quickly cleared the remaining enemies in front of him, then turned to assist Li Mo.
The two seamlessly coordinated, finally clearing a space in three minutes and seventeen seconds.
"Girl, you go first, we'll cover the rear," Ning Guang said, playfully tugging at the high bun of Lu Anru's black hair.
The indulgent tone appeared abruptly, drawing more attention than Liao Lang's heavy artillery. Everyone had heard about how Ning Guang had favored Lu Anru throughout the entrance exam, even going so far as to let her take the top honors.
Some people had suspected that Ning Guang had chosen the Combat Club for Lu Anru, but the thought of Ning Guang's father, the Emperor Xuantian, and his ruthless and bloody deeds, sent shivers down the spines of the eleven nations of the New Era.
Surely, it was impossible for such a prince to cultivate a romantic interest!?
Once again, everyone felt incredulous.
Seizing the moment when Gao Ying was lost in infatuation, Li Yilan rushed past the position guarded by Gao Ying and caught up with Lu Anru, who was about to jump from the edge of the platform.
In the blink of an eye, his right hand, like an eagle's claw, grabbed her shoulder from above, while his left hand exerted force on her back.
Lu Anru's body, halfway in the air, was pushed down by the force, unbalanced and weightless. She fell heavily into the sandpit, her mind unable to react as quickly as the speed at which the sand covered her.
Within seconds, she heard the almost piercing screams.
"Ning Guang, are you crazy? What's the use of knocking me down?"
"Haha, you deserve it for letting me catch you. Unless you pull me up, don't expect me to let go.
Let's wait until this stepping board disappears, shall we? We'll go down together!"
The roar shattered Lu Anru's last shred of consciousness, and once again, she fell into the dark punishment room.
After a few moments of silence, she tried to calm herself down and prioritize getting out.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried to persuade herself to stay calm, her frustration overwhelmed her.
When she heard a very faint 'ding,' she hurriedly opened her eyes and saw a faint silver dot in the distance, ready to disappear at any moment.
Without thinking too much, she pushed herself up with her arms and ran towards the light.
Arriving at the light, she felt no burning heat, so she cautiously touched it with her fingertips.
A blinding light burst from the dot, making Lu Anru shed tears involuntarily. But she dared not close her eyes, fearing she might miss a clue.
In her heart, she cursed Gao Ying: 'Romantic affairs lead to trouble! When she gets out, I'll definitely give Gao Ying a good education!'
Her storage bag had been confiscated by the system just before entering the punishment room, and she would only be able to retrieve it at the exit after successfully completing the trial.
The punishment room was designed with individual chambers to prevent cheating, and without the tools in her storage bag, Lu Anru was left with only her Silver Cang sword.
Struggling until the last second before the light dissipated, Lu Anru received three pieces of information from it:
Find plk. Rescue lk. Kill k.
Lu Anru once again bitterly cursed Gao Ying's deceitful actions, sighing deeply at her misfortune. Dealing with hints in full abbreviations was bad enough, but based on her experience as a frequent visitor to the punishment room, she knew that this task would seriously test her ability to discern.
If she chose the wrong side in the relationship between good and evil, the consequences would be dire. She feared that the punishment time would be indefinitely extended, making for a very long and unpleasant night.