Chapter 9: CH 9

Zong Yan didn’t see He Yuan again until three days later.

No one scheduled Zong Yan’s time. He was happy on his own. He worked on his summer homework in the apartment from morning until night and went downstairs to eat when it was time. But since he was concentrating so much on homework problems, he frequently missed meals. By the time he looked up, it was deep into the night. Zong Yan could only scratch his head, take out a few crumpled bank notes from his bag and go downstairs to find food.

By eleven PM, the restaurants in the shopping mall downstairs were basically closed. Only the bars were still open this late. The only thing Zong Yan could do was find a convenience store in the dark and buy a big bag of instant noodles and snacks. That way he was prepared for a long-term war of attrition against his summer homework.

This proved to be the right decision.

Zong Yan missed the noon meal again the next day. He was drawing a graph with a ruler, trying to evaluate the range of values for function F(x) at value a.

While he was mulling about the interval of decrease, the phone by bed the suddenly rang.

This phone was provided by the Dragon Group. Naturally, Zong Yan himself didn’t have any spare money to buy a cell phone. When he needed to look up information or do online assignments, he usually went to the second-hand bookstore to borrow Grandpa Zeng’s old computer.

Zong Yan hadn’t fiddled much with his new phone. He’d only connected to the WiFi and downloaded some software updates. There was just one contact in the address book, He Yuan. But now the phone was suddenly ringing. Zong Yan reached for the phone and tucked it into his shoulder while continuing to work on the graph.

“Oh, okay. Well, all right. That’s fine. Thank you.”

Zong Yan was focused on the math exercise, so he answered somewhat perfunctorily. It was only after he hung up, threw the phone back on the bed, and finished the last question on the current worksheet that he remembered it as an afterthought.

Ah, it seemed that the dining hall downstairs had just called.

So the question was, how did the downstairs dining hall get his phone number?

Ding dong—

While he was contemplating this, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Zong Yan jumped up from the low table on the carpet and stepped into his slippers to answer the door.

A waiter in a tuxedo was already standing at the door, pushing a gleaming silver dining cart in front of him. When Zong Yan opened the door, the waiter bowed slightly. “Mr. Zong, your lunch is here.”

“The appetizer is Brittany blue lobster just airlifted from France and Burgundy red wine poached eggs. The main course is a medium-rare Australian M4 sirloin with sea bass fillet. The dessert is chocolate ganache topped with sliced mango. The table wine today is white wine from Astrolabe Wines in New Zealand.”

Zong Yan felt dizzy when he heard this string of fancy dish names.

It was like the scene of a butler in an English manor saying, Young master, it’s time for your dinner, but the young master was confused and forced to say, You’re right, I was just about to put the water on and make some instant noodles.

“… I don’t remember ordering a meal.”

“This lunch was delivered to your room by name, courtesy of Captain Si.” The smile on the waiter’s face remained unchanged. “Pardon me for saying so, but you’re still a minor. Boys at your age need to supplement their nutrition the most. Please make sure to eat on time, or you might develop one of those little stomach problems like many members of the Dragon Team.”

“Ah, okay, thank you.”

Zong Yan hunched his shoulders, took a few steps back, and watched the waiter push the dining cart into his apartment. The waiter skillfully laid the tablecloth and set the wine on the table.

Such a ceremonial way of eating lunch, it was oddly nerve-wracking.

Zong Yan really didn’t expect the savage-looking captain to be concerned about his diet.

He touched his nose, gave himself a bit of a mental pep talk, and knocked on the opposite door.

Knock knock knock.

He rapped three times politely. After waiting a while, he didn’t hear a response. As he was about to turn around, the door behind him suddenly went “Bang—” and opened.

“What’s up?”

There was a foul expression on Si Yan’s face and his hair was like a chicken nest.

The man was a full one meter eight in height and he had bulging muscles. Compared to him, Zong Yan, who was still growing and didn’t have any meat at all on his frame, looked like a primary school chicken.

As luck would have it, just then Zong Yan heard a game voice announce, “You have been killed by the enemy” from behind the captain.

Zong Yan: …

It’s over, it’s over. I interrupted his game, heaven strike me down with lightning ah.

“Um, thank you.”

He turned sideways with some nervousness to reveal his room. The dining cart was still parked at the door in the corridor.

“Humph.”

Zong Yan thought Si Yan was going to punch him because he’d ruined his game. He didn’t expect the other person to just give him a condescending look and produce a short grunt. “Thud—” The door slammed shut.

Captain Si looked ferocious. Zong Yan didn’t think he’d turn out to be such a kind person.

Zong Yan sighed to himself and reflected on his misunderstanding of Si Yan. When he turned around to go back to his meal, the elevator door at the end of the corridor opened.

The adjutant of Team 7 walked out of the elevator, looking down at his phone. As it turned out, before he took two steps, he found the person he needed right in the middle of the corridor.

“Little Monarch, what are you doing at the captain’s door?”

He Yuan had been running ragged. The reason he wasn’t released by the Logistics Department until this afternoon was very simple. It was because tomorrow night was the entrance ceremony for Miskatonic University. As the guide for the new tenth Monarch, He Yuan had to deliver him to the plane.

“I forgot to eat. Captain Si ordered lunch for me. I was just thanking him.”

“Pfft—”

He Yuan didn’t hold back. “That’s just like the captain, hard-spoken but soft-hearted. He looks so ferocious most of the time, but in private he’s actually pretty—”

“He Yuan.”

The door that was just closed had opened again. Si Yan walked out from inside with a black face and a golden arc of electricity jumping between his fingers. “You just got on break, but you’re still so jumpy. You must be panicking because you have too much free time. Let’s go do some moves in the training room.”

""

“No thank you, captain!!!” He Yuan showed a frightened look. “I just got back from the Psychology and Logistics Department. My whole body’s drained. I’m not in condition, captain!”

“I think you have enough energy to talk nonsense.”

Si Yan sneered a bit. With his attitude he couldn’t be refused.

He Yuan was originally playing games, but now he was kneeling inside. He’d really shot himself in the foot.

He Yuan was well aware of the captain’s temper, so all he could do was make an expression like a man about to go to his grave. Before he left, he suddenly turned to Zong Yan. “Little Monarch, when you’re done eating, make sure to pack your bags and go downstairs to buy some essentials you want to bring to school. Your flight’s at three AM tonight, so I’ll pick you up at about nine. Remember to have supper.

“By the way, because you’re still a minor and in special circumstances, the Logistics Department arranged some living expenses for you. This card’s been activated. You can swipe it when you’re abroad.”

He Yuan took out a Visa debit card from his pocket and handed it over to Zong Yan. “MU’s Gate of Truth opens in London this year. The cost of living is higher than at home, and you can only go out on weekends. If you want to buy anything, you’d better buy it all here.”

“Ah…?” Zong Yan froze. “Captain Si already gave me a card. By the way, those clothes in my bedroom closet…”

Huh?!

He Yuan was also surprised for a moment. He automatically looked back at Si Yan. “The clothes are a little token from the sisters in the Dragon Group’s Logistics Department. You can just wear them. You should take this card too.”

He Yuan really wasn’t lying about this. The profiling team had sorted out Zong Yan’s dossier a few days ago. After the Logistics Department found out there was an Awakened minor in the Dragon Group Reserves, they took it on themselves in the spirit of caregiving to buy him some things. This included the home furnishings of his apartment, which the senior designers of the team set up overnight. He Yuan was at most a supervisor.

As for the other card, well…

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“Don’t fcking give me that crap. Get on with it!”

Si Yan gave him a savage glare, turned his head, and left. He Yuan immediately understood. After squinting at Zong Yan, he followed suit, leaving Zong Yan standing where he was, holding two bank cards in his hand and feeling a bit of warmth inside.

—

At nine PM, He Yuan arrived as promised to drive the car directly to the terminal in front of the Jiangzhou International Airport, checking in through the priority lane.

“Here’s your passport, ID card, and tickets. After you enter, you have to go through customs. When you’re done, go to the gate listed on your boarding pass. If there’s anything you don’t understand along the way, just ask the airport staff. British Airways has a VIP channel for first class, so you’ll get priority boarding. Just ask when you get through customs.

“This is the last flight before school begins. A lot of students enrolled at MU this year are your senior brothers and sisters. If you have any questions, you can ask them. After all, they’re your fellow classmates and countrymen, so everyone will be very friendly.”

He Yuan recited, “It takes more than ten hours to fly from Jiangzhou to London. There’s a bed in first class, so you can just about get a good night’s sleep. Once you arrive in London, there will be investigators who come to pick up the new students. After your land, the local time will be noon. Remember to order food and eat before you get off the plane, otherwise you’ll have to wait until after the opening ceremony in the evening to have dinner.”

“Honestly, why did MU open the Gate of Truth in London this year? It’s more than ten freaking hours by plane. People have to sit around so long they go insane.”

Zong Yan was a little wobbly after this barrage of mother-like nagging. “What’s the Gate of Truth?”

“An alchemical spatial portal.”

He Yuan tugged at his hair. “You can understand it as a node between one location and another. When you pass through the Gate of Truth, it’s only then that you really arrive at MU.”

Zong Yan heard the implication. “Can the door be moved to different places?”

“Yes, it’s in a different location every year. It was in Bern two years ago, Toronto last year, and it moved to London this year. In September, I heard it might move to Jiangzhou. You’re in your senior year of high school, right? When the time comes, school won’t be such a hassle.”

Zong Yan: dumbfounded.jpg

“Okay, well, this is nothing. After you enter MU there are far more amazing things waiting for you. After all, it’s a magical school with a survival rate at graduation of only seventy percent…”

He Yuan met the little Monarch’s puzzled eyes and in the end, still didn’t tell him the cruel facts. “It’ll be okay. You’re the youngest Monarch-level. Someday the future of the occult world will depend on you. Keep a low profile along the way and remember not to expose your talent. The Dragon Group notified the Spire Council about your specific situation, and some of the top leaders at MU will know. Just be aware they may pay extra attention to you.”

He Yuan didn’t even know what kind of facial expression to use to express his mood right now. The kid would receive extra attention from the senior investigators at MU, which could be regarded as… a good thing. At least the little Monarch’s personal safety would be guaranteed in the practical investigation class.

Because MU’s practical investigation class required all students to sign a death waiver. But over the years, thanks to continuous productivity improvements, the point of this agreement was more to scare the new investigators. But it was also enough to scare those fledgling investigators out of their wits.

As he thought of this, he couldn’t help but pat the little Monarch on the shoulder with compassion.

“Right, make sure to pin this to your chest.”

“What is it?” Zong Yan took it.

A little black dragon badge lay quietly in the palm of his hand.

“This is the symbol of Awakened in China. Although Awakened aren’t divided into factions, if you wear this badge you won’t have as much of a generation gap when you communicate with your fellow countrymen.”

Then He Yuan added one more sentence: “That’s all I have to say. Time to go. I’ll come pick you up in two months.”

“One last thing, make sure you keep your head down. There’s an old Chinese saying—the more beautiful the tree, the sooner the wind will cut it down. Always keep a low profile.”

Zong Yan nodded and picked up his schoolbag. He Yuan watched him pass the customs gate. He took out his lighter, smoked a cigarette in the night air, then got into the driver’s seat and left.

He Yuan had warned him many times, so it was a pity that some of Zong Yan’s information had already leaked out from other channels.

“Hi, are you a freshman in MU this year, too?”

Zong Yan followed the flight attendant onto the plane and came to his own first class cabin. Just after he put down his school bag, the door to the next cabin suddenly opened, revealing a chubby face.

This face really was fat. Zong Yan mentally compared Ye JingMing’s little follower and the face in front of him, and eventually decided the person before him was better.

“En.”

He’d already pinned on the dragon badge. Even if a discerning eye didn’t know whether he was a freshman, he could definitely tell Zong Yan was headed to MU.

“What a coincidence, me too. We’re all in first class. Let’s get to know each other. My name is Wang KeMing.”

The little chubby man was very familiar and extended his hand. After realizing Zong Yan had no intention of shaking it, he retracted his hand.

“Zong Yan.” The black-haired teenager nodded.

Apparently Zong Yan’s indifference didn’t deter him, but only made Wang KeMing even more enthusiastic.

""

“Did you hear, we seem to have a big shot in our class.”

“What big shot?”

Zong Yan had a sudden intuition. Sure enough, Wang KeMing glanced around, winked at him, and revealed a gossipy expression. “I’ve heard there’s an amazing freshman this year.

“The cousin of my aunt’s aunt’s brother-in-law’s brother knows the diplomatic advisor of the Spire Council and said that new student is from our country. As soon as he woke up, he shocked the top brass. If you can shock the commander as soon as you wake up, how terrible is that? Is it really possible to start at Level 6?

“How awesome, Level 6 means you can manipulate six elements.” The little chubby man smacked his lips. “I guess the school representative will have to change.”

Zong Yan: …

—

作者有话要说：

The author has something to say:

Zong Yan: I’m sorry, I’m afraid the person you’re talking about is me.jpg

The name of the dishes are borrowed from the menu of Maison Lameloise in Shanghai. I found that I really liked this restaurant, so I carried the protagonist of this story over to have a meal.

So why didn’t the author get to have any? It’s all because there’s no money!! Shedding tears of poverty.gif

TL Notes:

school representative – 学校首席 – Alternatively: school chief

Maison Lameloise is a French fine dining restaurant located on the 68th floor of the Shanghai Tower. It opened in 2018. One Michelin Star. (per Google). I’m a little surprised the author served white wine with sirloin, but I suppose it’s because of all the seafood. At any rate, an Australian wagyu M4 steak is quite a meal. ♡(˶╹̆◕ ▿◕˵)و✧♡

his own first class cabin – from 自己的头等舱 – Right, so, I’ve never heard of individual cabins with doors in British Airways First Class, and I can’t find any pictures of that online, so either the author is confused, or the author just upgraded British Airways to be almost as good as Emirates. Anyway Zong Yan, please enjoy your flight…. (๑◕﹏◕)⋆* ⁑⋆*?

Glossary of world terms—new in this chapter:

Spire Council – 尖顶议会 – Alternatively: Apex Council, Summit Parliament

Gate of Truth – 真理之门 – Alternatively: door of truth

Transliterated names, titles, and places—new in this chapter:

Mr. Zong – 宗先生 – Zōng xiānshēng

Wang KeMing – 王可鸣

Captain Si – 司队长 – Sī duìzhǎng – Si Yan (司彦) is captain of Dragon Team 7

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