"See me?"
Evan Lin glanced at him. "In what capacity does he want to see me?"
Evan's tone was indifferent. Martin Wu stood there, stunned. He tried to force himself to meet Evan's gaze, but lasted less than a second before giving up and lowering his head slightly. "Just as a regular person. The old master wanted to meet you a while ago, but you weren't in Capitalview then."
Mentioning this, Martin Wu looked a bit embarrassed.
Not long ago, Butcher Tu—the Tiger-Leopard Butcher—descended on Capitalview twice, bringing a murderous aura so intense it seemed to tear through the city, all intent on erasing Evan Lin from existence.
The Wu family never made any statement about this. They just watched from the sidelines, staying unmoved. Old Master Wu forbade anyone from revealing Evan Lin's appearance or identity, but also never tried to stop Butcher Tu's various searches.
Later, when Butcher Tu returned to Oceanport empty-handed, with no further news, the Wu family figured Evan Lin had just gotten lucky and escaped.
Seeing Evan Lin remain silent and not getting in the car, Martin Wu quickly added, "The old master said this time it's not about anything else. He's meeting you simply as Selina Wu's grandfather."
"It's just a simple home-cooked meal."
Martin Wu held back, waiting for a response.
He was never much of a talker. If he hadn't witnessed Evan Lin's methods and realized the gap between them, he might've just shoved Evan into the car by force.
"Alright."
Evan Lin thought for a moment. Since he had nothing going on tonight, he simply got in the car and decided to check out the Wu family.
"Lynn, what are you looking at?"
At the school gate, Eric Yu followed Lynn Chen out. Over winter break, he'd called and texted her plenty, but Lynn always said she was busy studying and hung up, eventually just refusing to answer. That left Eric pretty heartbroken.
On the first day back, Eric clung to Lynn, telling her all sorts of winter-break stories, finally managing to get a little closer to her.
Eric followed Lynn's gaze and saw Evan Lin getting into a Volkswagen. His eyes darkened, but then he quickly forced a smile, looked at Lynn's slightly furrowed brow, and said, "Lynn, I've got some good news. Over break I went to Beijing with my dad and met the president of Beijing Film Academy. I even submitted my application for direct admission. Should get a result soon."
"I think my chances are pretty good. Plus, I've landed a role in a summer movie—maybe I'll even get famous."
Eric looked proud as he talked about it.
"Congrats, then."
Lynn Chen only snapped out of it once the Volkswagen disappeared down the street. She nodded, "You might get a recommendation, but no matter what, you still have to work hard this last semester."
"What you learn is always yours. Don't slack off just because you might get in early."
After saying her piece, Lynn didn't give Eric a chance to reply. She strode off and got into Lucy Lu's car, leaving Eric feeling pretty frustrated.
The Volkswagen headed onto the main road. Martin Wu barely spoke the whole way, and Evan Lin didn't bother asking questions. Only when the car stopped did Evan get out and saw Wu Zhihan waiting at the door.
"You're here."
Wu Zhihan looked at Evan Lin and spoke. "Come on in."
Wu Zhihan led the way. For the director of the Capitalview Political-Legal Committee to personally greet someone showed just how seriously the Wu family took Evan Lin.
"Where did you spend the New Year?"
As they walked inside, Wu Zhihan glanced at Evan and asked in a neutral tone.
"Oceanport."
Evan Lin's answer made Wu Zhihan pause for a moment, though his expression didn't change. "I heard from Zehao Guan that he saw you in Oceanport. At first, I thought he was mistaken, but I guess I underestimated you."
"To go to Oceanport for Selina Wu—takes real guts." Wu Zhihan's voice was clear and loud. Evan Lin didn't bother explaining.
They reached the main hall, which wasn't crowded.
Old Master Wu sat in a chair, sipping tea. Wendy Guan stood nearby; when she saw Evan Lin arrive, her expression was a bit strange.
"Evan Lin, right? Have a seat."
Old Master Wu glanced at Evan. As he spoke, Wendy Guan poured Evan a cup of tea without being told.
Martin Wu stood at the door, not planning to come in. Seeing Evan Lin remain calm in front of both Old Master Wu and Wu Zhihan, he was full of respect.
"So, let's talk. What did you want to say to me?"
Evan Lin sat there, neither humble nor arrogant, his tone indifferent.
"The reason I asked you here today is simple." Old Master Wu looked at Evan Lin and nodded slightly. "I did my research. Last time at the Jinnan Military District, you helped Deputy Commander Su train five elite soldiers, and they managed to defeat the instructors of the Flying Eagle Company. That was you."
"You also defeated Grant Yuan, the former instructor of the Tiger Special Forces, on the Jinnan Military District arena, showing extraordinary strength."
"To achieve all this before the age of twenty is truly beyond my expectations."
Old Master Wu's tone was calm. As he spoke, Wu Zhihan—who'd been trying to stay composed—couldn't help his face twitching a little.
When he first heard the news, Wu Zhihan had been so shocked he was speechless. As a martial artist himself, learning about Evan Lin's strength made him feel a lot more favorably toward Evan.
"So?"
Evan Lin set down his teacup and glanced at Old Master Wu. "You went out of your way to summon me here. Don't tell me it's just for empty flattery."
Hearing Evan Lin's words, Old Master Wu paused, then nodded seriously. "The reason I asked you here is to see if you'd be willing to join the army and serve the country."
"You may not realize it, but the trouble you stirred up with Zehao Guan—his family's Butcher Tu is far stronger than you think. A first-grade Vajra master is terrifying, and you were lucky not to run into him while you were out of town. But sooner or later, he'll come looking for you."
If you agree, the Wu family will stand behind you—we'll make sure Butcher Tu's rage never touches you.
On top of that, I'll give my blessing for you and Selina Wu. Every connection at my disposal, I'll use to pave your way—no doors closed, no obstacles left.
If you want, you can see it as marrying into the Wu family. From now on, everything the Wu clan owns—could be yours.