Lynn Chen gripped the exam pouch—a clear rubber bag with brand-new ballpoint pens and 2B pencils, their tips shaved broad for easy bubbling on the answer sheet. Every detail showed how much care she’d put into it.
Her white skirt fluttered as she walked, sweet and charming enough to make the boys around sneak glances her way.
Lynn Chen shuffled over to the back window of Class 12, poking her head in and peeking inside, careful not to attract attention.
The boys in the classroom felt their hearts skip as Lynn Chen’s big, sparkling eyes slowly swept from the front row across the whole room.
After scanning the room, she didn’t find who she was looking for—just an empty desk, spotless and a bit lonely.
Lynn Chen’s brows pinched together, her mood sinking just a little.
"Are you looking for Evan Lin?"
The voice from behind startled Lynn Chen. She spun around in a panic and blushed when she saw Byron Yang standing there.
Byron Yang smiled, lowering his head as he noticed the blush on Lynn Chen’s face. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—he had to admit, that ‘problem student’ Evan Lin had somehow become the center of such a good girl’s attention.
"Um, is Evan Lin taking the exam in this classroom? Or is he absent again?" Lynn Chen nodded, her voice quickly regaining composure.
"He’s probably just running late," Byron Yang said after thinking it over. There was still half an hour to go before the exam.
Even though Byron was pretty sure Evan Lin wouldn’t bother showing up for this test, looking at Lynn Chen standing there, he just couldn’t say it straight to her face.
Most high school crushes fizzle out because guys are just too immature. Byron didn’t get what was happening between Lynn Chen and Evan Lin, but he definitely didn’t want Lynn thinking Evan was just some hopeless slacker.
"Could you give this exam pouch to him? He probably hasn’t had time to get all this stuff together." Lynn Chen handed the pouch over.
"I’ll make sure he gets it," Byron Yang nodded.
"Thank you, Teacher!" Lynn Chen dipped her head, glanced down the hallway for any sign of Evan Lin, then hurried upstairs to her own exam room.
Byron Yang clutched the exam pouch, watching Lynn Chen disappear up the stairs. He shook his head, sighing quietly to himself.
A black military jeep tore through the streets of Capitalview City.
Inside, Evan Lin sat in the passenger seat, eyes closed, while Blade drove—his nerves obvious from the way he gripped the wheel.
"First Blade and Second Blade are already out of the hospital. They bounced back crazy fast—the doctors are calling it a miracle. And get this: both of them say they’ve gotten way stronger."
"Especially First Blade—he used to barely squeeze out the third explosion with his Nine-Star Burst Fist, but now he’s blasting out the fourth like it’s nothing!"
Ever since Evan Lin left the military hospital, he hadn’t swung by the district at all these past few days.
Blade kept Evan Lin up to speed on everything—honestly, after a major illness, First and Second Blade should’ve been wiped out, but instead they’d leveled up. It blew everyone’s mind.
"I rebuilt their bones myself. They’re tougher than ever. Plus, those heavy injuries forced their bodies to soak up all the leftover Human Pill power," Evan Lin said calmly.
The best thing about Nine-Star Burst Fist? It’s not some crazy high-level technique. You don’t need to be a beast to train it—just put in the reps and have a little talent, and you’ll get stronger fast.
When Evan Lin used spiritual qi to fix their bones, it seeped into their muscles too, making them tougher and helping them absorb all that pill power. No wonder their strength shot up—it actually adds up.
"Also, the old dean at the military hospital wants to meet you—he’s hoping to pick up some medical tricks," Blade said, sounding a little unsure.
Evan Lin’s moves had flipped the doctors’ world upside down, even stirring up the hospital’s legendary retired dean.
A ton of people would kill for a meeting with the old dean, but right now, he’s only got eyes for Evan Lin.
It’s a big deal—the dean’s been running the place for decades and knows every top brass in the book. His connections are stacked, honestly on par with the Su family’s.
It’s a massive opportunity—if the old dean puts in a good word, you could end up at Beijing Military Hospital, rubbing shoulders with the real big shots.
"Not interested."
Evan Lin shot down the offer, no hesitation.
Even if Evan Lin wanted to teach his bone-setting skills, it’d never work—regular folks don’t have spiritual qi. Just doing it by hand? That’s a joke.
Blade opened his mouth, then just gave a helpless smile.
He was starting to admire Master Lin even more—so young, so strong, and couldn’t care less about money or fame.
Best part was, Blade could tell that even with Evan Lin’s cold, ‘don’t-care’ vibe, he never acted stuck-up or bossy. Compared to those rich kids, his class was on a whole other level.
The jeep rolled into a military parking lot. Blade parked and killed the engine. All around, military vehicles lined up in perfect rows.
Just looking at all those license plates, you could tell how big a deal the Single-Soldier Showdown was.
This time, a hundred fighters from different companies are going head-to-head. Last few showdowns, Flying Eagle’s Hawkeye always took the crown, but with Tiger Fang joining up, their squad’s stacked.
Honestly, most of the crowd’s here for Tiger Fang—he’s a legend, straight outta the Tiger Special Forces.
Blade led the way, Evan Lin following close behind.
The showdown was set in a plaza that looked like a fight club—Jinnan Military District called it the ‘training field.’ Right in the middle was a raised ring, surrounded by rows and rows of seats.
By the time they arrived, the place was packed. Soldiers from every company sat together in clusters.
Mixed in were female soldiers, brightening up the stands with their presence.
As Evan Lin and Blade made their way over, a dark-skinned, tough-looking guy leaned against the wall by the entrance—camouflage on, cigarette dangling, eyes sharp as knives locked on Evan Lin. No doubt about it: Tiger Fang.