Chương 30: The Widow and the Opening Ceremony

Forward base.

The military has built a luxurious and elegant floating theater on the sea, which will serve as a viewing platform for the social elites of the new sea.

The huge screen hung down, and if it weren't for the row of flying shuttles standing guard in the center, Lin Shuxuan would have thought he had arrived at some expensive theater.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. The base needs to flex its muscles, and if the students here graduate and apply to work here, they will definitely be the backbone of the team.

The large screen broadcasts the opening speech given by the current mayor of Xinhai City at the foot of the bronze statue in the square.

The mayor's appearance bears some resemblance to the bald old man from yesterday, suggesting they might be related by blood.

"On behalf of the Xinhai Municipal Government, I would like to..."

Could his hair be a wig? After all, Mu Ning is bald... Lin Shuxuan was lost in thought, bored.

The phone in my arms vibrated slightly.

It was my uncle on the phone; he sounded anxious.

"What have you been up to lately? Your aunt is furious and says she's going to kill you."

"Anyway, I've stopped you. You can explain it to yourself when you have time."

I've been preparing for a martial arts competition lately, how could I have offended her... Lin Shuxuan caught a glimpse of the camera floating in mid-air out of the corner of his eye.

My heart skipped a beat.

He nudged the beautiful, mature woman next to him with his elbow.

"How did you tell my family that white lie?"

Yu Xin thought for a moment and said, "I told you you were at the joint entrance exam training camp, so you couldn't go home."

The college entrance exam sprint has escalated to the point of martial arts competitions, huh... Lin Shuxuan silently put his phone on silent; it would be a while before he could go back to this house.

"Put your phone away and focus on the game later."

Yu Xin offered her advice.

She wore a black off-the-shoulder dress, her shoulders were fair and delicate, and her waist was cinched, outlining a captivating figure as ripe as a peach.

Below her snow-white calves were a pair of open-toe pointed high heels, showcasing the beautiful curve of her arches.

She exudes youthful energy while also radiating sexiness and beauty.

Most of the spectators today were dressed in formal attire to show respect for the competition. Lin Shuxuan glanced around and saw that they were all dressed in high-end suits and formal wear.

"Understood, Yu Xin..."

She was only halfway through her sentence when the beautiful older woman covered her mouth, and she looked flustered.

"Didn't I tell you? Don't call me by my name today, and definitely don't call me your teacher!"

But it was too late; a beautiful figure walked through the crowd and stood before them.

"Oh dear, I could see you two flirting from a distance. Would it be too much of an eyesore for me to come?"

It was Gong Shuang. The beauty mark at the corner of her eye swayed gently with every frown and smile, perfectly complementing her long-lashed eyes and exuding a captivating charm that evoked pity in me.

It's Mom here... no... it's that wicked woman Gong Shuang here... Lin Shuxuan kept Yu Xin's teachings in mind and glared at Gong Shuang with hatred.

But he quickly looked away from the other woman's curvaceous figure.

He was about to get a headache from looking at it any longer.

Gong Shuang wore a black fishtail dress, and the curves under the smooth fabric were even more exaggerated than Yu Xin's.

If Yu Xin is a mature older sister, then Gong Shuang is a wife who has just finished her honeymoon.

Knowing she couldn't escape any longer, Yu Xin raised her head and glared at Gong Shuang.

Gong Shuang didn't care at all, and instead smiled at Lin Shuxuan:

"Little one, is it so hard to admit that Yu Xin is a bad teacher? If you're willing, I can take you as my stepson..."

She finished speaking with those alluring eyes.

She stared at Lin Shuxuan, a smile playing on her lips.

This guy is too easy to manipulate; his thoughts are clearly written all over his eyes.

However, she didn't dislike Lin Shuxuan's gaze. Anyway, there were plenty of spots for stepsons, and if she could use this to dampen Yu Xin's spirits, that would be even better.

She could tell that their relationship was unusual.

"Thank you, Mom, but no need. Sister Yu Xin is a very good teacher. If I didn't get a ranking, it's my own fault."

Lin Shuxuan smiled calmly and spoke loudly.

Gong Shuang was taken aback by what she heard, but she wasn't angry. She just pouted, looking aggrieved.

"Okay~" She tapped her chin lightly with her finger, tilted her head, and added:

"Oh, right, little guy, you don't know this yet, do you?"

"The Yu Xin you're talking about is actually someone else's wife~"

"??????????????????????"

"But her husband died of illness two years ago, so you'd better keep your distance."

Gong Shuang turned and left.

Yu Xin could only look away, unable to meet Lin Shuxuan's gaze.

She thought this was a very shameful history, but she never expected that Gong Shuang would bring it up with just one sentence.

For a moment, I really didn't know how to face Lin Shuxuan.

But then the boy's excited voice rang out.

"Sister Yu Xin, you're actually a widow!"

Lin Shuxuan stared at Yu Xin with great interest. No wonder she always wore black clothes in public; it turned out she was a widow.

The beautiful widow, unable to bear the gaze, pleaded softly:

"Don't look at me like that..."

Alright... Lin Shuxuan respected her idea, turned his head to stare at the screen, and waited for the competition to begin.

After a long while, someone gently tugged at his sleeve, the voice barely audible.

"I... I wasn't even married into the family yet..."

Turning my head, I saw that the beautiful mature woman's face was flushed, with the blush spreading all the way to her shoulders.

So Sister Yu Xin is still... Lin Shuxuan chuckled inwardly and said:

"What did you say? Speak louder, I didn't hear you."

"roll!"

......

After a lengthy opening speech, Lin Shuxuan led Hai Lanlan and Ye Lingyue onto the flying shuttle.

Amid cheers and applause, the martial arts competition commenced.

In mid-air, Lin Shuxuan looked back at the observation deck.

As a contestant, he had the right to allow his relatives and friends to attend the ceremony, but he did not do so.

Even from this distance, the parents' earnest gazes and proud expressions in the stands were still clearly visible.

This is a martial arts extravaganza for the most outstanding high school students in Shinkai.

Years of hard work have finally paid off, and today I emerge from my cocoon like a butterfly.

The seven best individuals will be selected; they will be the pride of Shinkai, the future of Shinkai, and they are Shinkai's children.

The title is "New Seven Seas".

And he, under the watchful eyes of the new Hai, will use despicable and underhanded means to strip this honor from him.

Even if my skin is as thick as a city wall, I'm afraid it won't be able to stop me... Lin Shuxuan laughed self-deprecatingly.

But he quickly adjusted his mindset, thinking that since things had come to this, he might as well enjoy the pleasure of relying on others' power.

On the stands, Guan Yunyang smiled as he gazed at the shuttle that traversed the sky.

He was dressed in a white military uniform, his chest adorned with medals of merit. One can imagine that before becoming the director of the Public Security Bureau, he was a powerful general with numerous military achievements.

Is it worth it?

The sound of metal clashing rang out, and Gong Yuan's expression turned solemn.

"Compared to the honor of the Seven Sons of the New Sea, being admitted to the Federal Military Academy is a trivial matter."

He was also dressed in military uniform, while on the other side was Qin Feng, whose arms were covered by a military overcoat.

Centered around Guan Yunyang, this is a small circle within the federal army.

"There's no way around it. The municipal government and I don't get along. If I were to coordinate Lin Shuxuan's transition to martial arts, I would face countless obstacles."

"On the contrary, the fact that I have now lost my prestige is exactly what they want to see."

Gong Yuan shook his head again: "It's meaningless. Besides the Federal Military Academy, there are many other military academies he can go to."

"No," Guan Yunyang retorted, "He absolutely must go to the Federal Army."

"Could it be that you want to...?" Gong Yuan asked incredulously, seeing Guan Yunyang nod.

"Impossible, how could he do that?"

Guan Yunyang didn't speak again; his gaze fell on Gong Shuang, who had run over from the side.

She was in a good mood and gently took Gong Yuan's arm.

"Gong Yuan, would you mind reminding your sister to stop bullying Yu Xin?" Guan Yunyang's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for the two of them to hear.

Gong Shuang rolled her eyes and ignored him.

"Mm! I'll talk about her later." Gong Yuan's expression was indifferent, clearly just giving a perfunctory answer.

"..."

Guan Yunyang looked at Yu Xin's lonely figure not far away and could only shake his head helplessly.

......

On the other side of the stands, several elegantly dressed elderly men were watching the central screen.

If Lin Shuxuan were still alive, he would recognize one of the old men as his high school principal.

Principal He was distressed because Bai Shasha, the promising student he had recruited at great expense, was unable to participate in the joint entrance examination due to the case.

Now, it's too late to recruit another liberal arts student with grades high enough to be the top scorer.

After this year, Yinshan Middle School's college entrance examination results will be very poor.

Unless a student performs exceptionally well.

His gaze fell on Jiang Yu's name on the screen. He remembered this student; his talent and character were impeccable.

If Jiang Yu can advance, Yinshan High School's performance will undoubtedly be much better.

But then he shook his head. Martial arts is a money pit, and Jiang Yu's talent wasn't good enough to compete with truly top-notch martial arts students.

"Old He, is that student also from your school?"

Principal He followed the gaze and saw the logo of Yinshan High School prominently displayed after Lin Shuxuan's name.

He guessed it was some rich young master who bought a spot, he thought, but then he suddenly saw Ye Lingyue's name in the teammate list.

He jumped to his feet and shouted excitedly:

"Yes! Yes! That's a student from my Yinshan High School, I'm rooting for him!"

He had heard of Ye Lingyue's fearsome reputation. When he entered high school, he challenged all the martial arts students from six high schools in a row without being defeated, and once even beat a senior martial arts student to the point of shattering his Dao heart.

Now that he's in his final year of high school, he should be able to easily help his students advance to the next level.

Principal Chen felt relieved; the joint examination results for Yinshan High School next year were now secured.

at home.

Aunt gripped Uncle's arm tightly.

If it weren't for the fact that there were outsiders in the house, she would have really wanted to cry.

She genuinely believed that her relationship with Lin Shuxuan had improved significantly, and that Lin Shuxuan had been studying diligently all these days.

Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable!

He actually made up such a huge lie to deceive her!

My aunt held her phone in her other hand. She hadn't called Lin Shuxuan in a long time; she had tried a few times just now, but all the calls went unanswered.

This feeling of pent-up frustration left her with nowhere to vent.

Yes, she didn't treat Lin Shuxuan well, but she hasn't lacked food or clothing all these years.

If it weren't for this little brat getting a serious illness at fifteen and then having to start high school...

Why would she need to ask her sisters for money?

She never asks for favors...

"It's okay, learning martial arts is a good thing."

Her aunt's voice trembled; she dared not imagine what methods Lin Shuxuan had used to obtain a spot in the martial arts competition.

What if it's a loan...

The thought that Chen Yi's life might be ruined by this almost made her faint.

Aunt Yang, who was standing to the side, didn't dare to speak. Ever since her sister Li Ping saw Lin Shuxuan on TV, she had been acting strangely.

She initially thought Li Ping was deliberately trying to show off, since the martial arts competition was highly prestigious, but this reaction just didn't seem right.

The shuttle landed.

Lin Shuxuan stepped onto the ground, quickly recalling the map he had previously explored and the rules of the competition.

The team competition consists of forty teams competing for points on the island over three days, with the top ten teams advancing.

During the competition, teams can leave the field midway and convert their points into equipment supplements.

The points consumed will not be included in the final score.

Defeating other teams earns you points; a team that is defeated twice is eliminated.

Resource points are arranged in a ring, with fewer resource points closer to the center; however, the points you can get will be higher.

This is actually a strategy game.

Planning the timing of the team's entry and exit is particularly important.

In a normal match, with Ye Lingyue as their trump card, they only need to charge into the core area and rack up points.

However, the competition lasts for three days, and all teams enter the field without supplies.

Even if they use points to buy food and supplies, they still have to evacuate once.

Otherwise, if they encounter a strong team that has purchased equipment at the end of the third day, all their points from the three days will be used to benefit others.

This competition format offers a lot of room for maneuver; it's not impossible for the weak to defeat the strong... Lin Shuxuan thought to himself.

Therefore, the most profitable strategy seems to be... blocking the evacuation point...

The island only has two evacuation points, one on the east and one on the west. Since all the teams urgently need supplies, we just need to block the way to the evacuation points.

They are like fishermen who have spread out a giant net, waiting for the fish to fall into it.

Those teams, lacking supplies and having already engaged in fierce fighting in the core area, were in poor condition. By blocking the evacuation point, they could gain the advantage of terrain and manpower.

But Lin Shuxuan quickly dismissed the idea, realizing that such a plan would harm family relationships... He still had a family.

His reputation might be ruined after this match, and he doesn't want to bear the infamy any longer.

"Let's go to the core area."

Lin Shuxuan commanded Ye Lingyue; since they had the combat power of 301 Lin Shuxuans plus 1 Hai Lanlan, there was no reason not to just crush them.

But Ye Lingyue just tilted her head when she heard this, without any intention of taking action.

Oh no, I've been so busy getting close to Yu Xin lately that I forgot to maintain Ye Lingyue's favorability. Will she even listen to me now...? Lin Shuxuan was contemplating whether or not to relinquish his command.

Then Ye Lingyue tilted her head and asked:

"Which direction should we go in the core area?"

"Oh, do you see that thick tree with heart-shaped leaves? Go that way."

......

Lin Shuxuan felt a burning pain in his lungs, as if someone had punched him in the chest.

Why... My physique is already pretty good, so why is running so difficult... Lin Shuxuan tried his best to keep up with Ye Lingyue and Hai Lanlan.

"Wait a minute, you two, let's take a break first."

He gasped for breath and sat down, leaning against the tree trunk beside him.

Ye Lingyue approached and bent down, her long, silvery-white hair falling over her shoulders. She placed her hand on Lin Shuxuan's heart.

"It's the ecological zone eroding you. Try circulating the Dragon Fist Heart Sutra."

Lin Shuxuan dared not slack off and began to circulate his inner energy.

Sure enough, the discomfort subsided rapidly, and he asked in bewilderment:

"Why was everything alright yesterday?"

"Without strenuous physical exertion, the symptoms will not be obvious."

Ye Lingyue explained, then reached out her small hand to help him up.

"Can it still run?"

Lin Shuxuan shook his head. In just a moment, he sadly discovered that the "qi" generated by the Dragon Fist Heart Sutra had been exhausted. Due to the opening, his martial arts cultivation could not be improved.

"Then I'll carry you on my back."

......

In the stands, everyone stared at the large screen in the center, and all was silent.