Chapter 72: A VIP

"He has a crazed, murderous aura, similar to the Saints of the Great Xia martial lineage from years ago." A glint of excitement appeared in Tsukiha Yaiba's eyes. "If we can subdue him as a servant, it would be worth the trip to Great Xia, even if we fail in our other objectives."

Mizutani Hikaru's eyes lit up, eager to try. "Sister Tsukiha, why don't I go test him for you?"

"Be careful not to get yourself in trouble," Tsukiha Yaiba warned, not entirely trusting her impulsive friend.

"So what if I do?" Mizutani Hikaru's eyes narrowed with anticipation. "He's very handsome, after all. I wouldn't be at a loss. I'd prefer to have some fun with someone I find appealing rather than returning home and dealing with those old men."

A cold gleam flashed through Tsukiha Yaiba's eyes as she looked at the sword in her hand.

Can it cut through enemies and also the rigid customs of my empire?

She resumed sharpening her blade with renewed determination.

***

The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, and Li Xiaofei logged out of the light core mainframe. It was time to go home for dinner. As soon as he stepped out of the mainframe room, Grandpa Qin Dewei blocked his way.

"Let's go," Grandpa Qin said succinctly.

"Where to?" Li Xiaofei asked.

"You'll know when we get there," replied Grandpa Qin.

When they got downstairs, Principal Chen Fei was already waiting in the car.

"No time to explain, get in," Chen Fei beckoned him urgently.

Li Xiaofei didn’t know how to respond. The car left Red Flag High School and sped toward the city center. Half an hour later, the car stopped at the entrance of the city government compound. This was Li Xiaofei’s first time visiting a government office since his transmigration.

Fully armed star martial artists stood guard at the gate. There was also a squad of power armor soldiers patrolling the area. Li Xiaofei's eyes lit up. His gaze fixed firmly on the patrol squad as they passed by the car.

Power armor was one of humanity's greatest technological inventions, second only to power mechs. It was a formidable weapon against star beasts. The earliest power armor sets were created by the Saints of the Star Council.

The two-meter-tall power armor gleamed with a faint gray metallic sheen, and the chest plate bore the scarlet graffiti of the Longya Group. It relied on the starforce qi of the armor master to activate the engine, ultimately using electricity to drive the mechanical skeleton and generate kinetic energy.

At first glance, it resembled the full-body armor of ancient generals. The exoskeleton covered the armor master’s entire body, emitting a faint noise with each movement. It could enhance the wearer’s attack power five times over. It also featured a lightweight energy shield and metal plates as dual defense mechanisms.

Power armor was also equipped with various types of powered chainsaw swords, chainsaw knives, and thermal weapons with significant ammunition capacity. This meant that the armor master needed to have a high level of personal cultivation. The minimum requirement for an armor master was the Limit Breaking Realm. Only adults who reached that minimum cultivation level could apply for a license. Once they obtained a license, they would then be qualified to operate power armor.

A Limit Breaking Realm armor master equipped with power armor could single-handedly take on Grade Three star beasts. They could also contend with masters in the Acupoint Opening Realm who were not wearing armor.

Li Xiaofei watched the power armor patrol squad leave with a mix of envy and admiration. Five hundred years ago, most men's two main interests were beautiful women and cars. Nowadays, those interests had shifted to beautiful women and power armor. It was evident that men were truly consistent creatures. They always liked eighteen-year-olds and always liked machinery.

"Do you like it?" Chen Fei smiled.

Li Xiaofei nodded.

Chen Fei raised an eyebrow and said, "Then work hard on your cultivation. Once you reach the Limit Breaking Realm, I'll help you apply for a driving test in advance. Maybe you can get your armor master qualification before entering university. Impressing girls would be a piece of cake."

Li Xiaofei was speechless.

Is this really how you educate people? I'm going to be led astray by you sooner or later.

"Do you mean it?" asked Li Xiaofei/

"Absolutely," replied Chen Fei.

At that moment, the two like-minded men reached an agreement.

The guards at the government compound carefully checked the vehicle and their electronic IDs before letting them in. Grandpa Qin then drove to the parking lot to wait. Chen Fei led Li Xiaofei to the office of the city leader, where they waited outside.

"We're here to see the city leader?" Li Xiaofei asked in surprise.

Chen Fei replied, "In order to get the most benefits from donating the clean water source, you need to meet him."

The long corridor was lined with rows of people of all kinds who were sitting and waiting. Every so often, someone would be called into the office. The scene reminded Li Xiaofei of the bustling queues at popular restaurants from five hundred years ago.

Time passed, and soon an hour had gone by. Chen Fei's expression gradually grew impatient. Just then, a young man who looked like a secretary came out and said, "Principal Chen, Li Xiaofei, City Leader Tan will see you now. Please follow me."

In the office, a stern-looking middle-aged man in a Chinese tunic suit was busy handling a mountain of electronic documents on his desk.

He looked somewhat peculiar. Though his face looked like he was in his thirties or forties, half of his hair had turned a striking silver. This was a clear sign of overwork and stress. He was Tan Zhenwei, the city leader of Liuhe Base City.

“Principal Chen, please sit down,” Tan Zhenwei smiled apologetically at the peach-blossom-eyed man and the young boy who had entered. “I apologize for the wait. I’ve been incredibly busy here.”

Chen Fei's expression softened slightly at the pile of electronic documents on the desk. He walked over to the window and said calmly, “There’s no Principal Chen here, just a struggling headmaster from a bottom-ranked high school.”

The young secretary glanced at Chen Fei, puzzled as to why this seemingly insignificant principal dared to speak so casually to the city leader. But the latter remained unfazed and even smiled back.

Curiosity aside, the secretary understood proper protocol and quietly left, closing the door behind him. Tan Zhenwei's gaze briefly lingered on Li Xiaofei. He had already reviewed this young man's background.

A figure who rose from the gang factions had ended the chaos caused by the seven major gangs in the slums and become the sole leader of the slums in Liuhe Base City. Under his governance, the slums, often referred to as the shadow where the light of law does not shine, had experienced unprecedented peace for the first time in a century.

Moreover, this young man had been the most outstanding student in Season 251’s first round. As the saying goes, one can see the whole from observing a part. The boy’s character was fully evident; he was an excellent prospect. However, these achievements alone were not enough for the busy Tan Zhenwei to personally meet him.

The only reason Tan Zhenwei wanted to see this boy was because Principal Chen had chosen him. Moreover, as Tan Zhenwei knew, Qin Dewei, whose talents had been mostly wasted due to mental illness, also agreed with Principal Chen's choice.

The last person to receive such treatment was Yan Chiyu. However, Yan Chiyu's development had clearly not met expectations. SInce they had already wasted an opportunity on Yan Chiyu, the fact that both Principal Chen and Qin Dewei were still willing to trust in Li Xiaofei showed just how highly they regarded him. This piqued Tan Zhenwei's curiosity.

At first glance...

Hmm, indeed full of vigor.

What was even more remarkable was that the young man had an ancient aura about him. However, Tan Zhenwei only nodded at Li Xiaofei without any intention of conversing with him.

Li Xiaofei remained silent.

Tan Zhenwei walked over to stand beside Chen Fei and asked in a low voice, "Still not considering coming back?"

Chen Fei snorted coldly.

Tan Zhenwei smiled helplessly. "Alright, being a principal and educating people is also a contribution to the country... The conditions you proposed have all been approved in the government meeting."

"Thank you." Chen Fei nodded.

Tan Zhenwei said, "There's no need for thanks between us."

Chen Fei snorted again, seemingly unwilling to say more. Li Xiaofei watched, feeling very puzzled.

This was the city leader, after all. In any part of the world, the city leader of a base city wielded significant power. Although Liuhe Base City was a low-level base city, the status of its city leader was still very high. This middle-aged man with half-white hair was easily in the top two hundred in the entire power hierarchy of the Great Xia nation.

He was undoubtedly one of the elite at the top of the pyramid. Yet, Principal Chen, who was just a small school principal, dared to be this cold toward such a significant figure? It also seemed like they knew each other well.

Hmm, there must be some secrets here. Should I leave? Knowing too much could get me silenced.

Li Xiaofei looked around aimlessly. At that moment, footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the door.

"You can't go in. The city leader is meeting an important guest. Hey?! You really can't go in..."

The secretary's helpless and urgent voice rang out from behind the door.

Bang.

The office door was abruptly yanked open.