Chapter 331: Defeating Him Is The Proof
Lin Chuxing held a bowl of tonic soup. "You've been so busy you've hardly come home. I was worried you were overworking yourself, so I had this made for you."
With that, she came over, swaying her hips.
As she set the soup down, she made sure to give him a flirtatious look.
Her godfather had arranged for her to be professionally trained for a time. She knew exactly which angles made her look her most beautiful.
Steam rose slowly from the bowl.
Xiao Ye immediately recognized the scent wafting from the soup.
It contained medicinal herbs; it was likely a medicated tonic.
Xiao Ye watched her. Though his face was expressionless, Lin Chuxing's heart still skipped a beat.
The sheer force of his presence was terrifying!
She bit her lip, feigning a look of vulnerability. "Xiao Ye, you're always so cold and distant with me."
"I can't help but worry... Has your heart changed?"
"I want to get married soon. Is that okay? You promised me we would get married this year!"
Xiao Ye looked away. "We'll talk about it later. You can leave now."
"You..."
He lifted his gaze again. The look was enough to silence Lin Chuxing, and she scurried out of the room.
Back in her room, she furiously smashed a vase. 'Damn it! How am I supposed to succeed now?'
Lin Chuxing had already undergone her restoration surgery. Since she hadn't been with many partners, the doctor had assured her the repair was excellent.
Not even the most experienced man would be able to tell it wasn't real; they'd think she was an innocent virgin.
Lin Chuxing took a small vial from under her pillow. Recalling her godfather's urging, she thought, 'If nothing else works, I guess I'll have to use this...'
「The next morning.」
Xiao Ye was up early. After his workout, he was just about to head back inside when his phone rang.
He took a look. It was a message from General He, inviting him to a meeting. The time and address were included.
General He wouldn't have reached out unless it was something important.
Xiao Ye hesitated for only two seconds before accepting.
「Imperial City, Third Ring Road.」
There was a very special place here.
Aside from the public parks, it was the only mountain located within the Imperial City's urban limits.
On the mountain, there was an area that ordinary people rarely entered, as it was a residential compound exclusively for military families.
This was Xiao Ye's first time here. As soon as he stepped out of his car, he saw two soldiers standing guard at the gate.
He took out his phone and scanned his digital pass.
A green light flashed on the scanner, and the two soldiers let him through.
Xiao Ye entered alone and found himself in a large, self-contained community.
In addition to the apartment buildings, it had everything: schools, supermarkets, bathhouses, shopping centers, and more.
After asking a few people for directions, Xiao Ye finally found the meeting place General He had specified—a small, very old-looking two-story teahouse.
In a place like this, age was a symbol of status.
Just as Xiao Ye was about to enter, a young man rushed out and blocked his path. "Stop! I don't recognize you. You're not from this compound."
"Outsiders are not allowed in!"
Xiao Ye could go anywhere else in the community, but this teahouse was off-limits.
Especially today. For whatever reason, several retired old generals were having a gathering here.
Under these circumstances, no outsiders could be allowed in.
「On the second floor.」
The windows were closed against the cold.
Nevertheless, someone had noticed the commotion downstairs.
An old man spoke with a grin. "An outsider shows up today, and at this out-of-the-way teahouse, no less. You don't suppose he's here for us, do you?"
"You never know. It's too much of a coincidence otherwise."
"Well, no need to worry. He won't be able to get in."
Xiao Ye knew this compound was special. He didn't get angry, just offered a faint smile. "I'm here to see General He."
The young man paused. "General He?"
Then he burst out laughing, his gaze filled with ridicule. "Are you kidding me?"
Hearing this, the others on the first floor chimed in.
"There's only one General He in our Dragon Country, and he's the number one general. And you say you're here to see him?"
"Putting aside the fact that General He isn't even here, just the fact that you're not from the compound means you're not qualified to even step inside this teahouse!"
Xiao Ye frowned slightly. He was certain the message had come from General He's number.
The general wouldn't play a prank on him, and it was impossible for his phone to be in someone else's possession.
Too much was at stake for a general of the country.
His communication device was so secure that not even his own wife and children were allowed to touch it, let alone an ordinary person.
'It seems General He must have concealed his identity,' Xiao Ye thought.
"Kid, are you just using that as an excuse for sneaking into the compound?"
"General He isn't even here! If you're trying to put yourself on his radar, you're daydreaming!"
"Oh, and another thing—General He would never come to a place like this."
Despite their taunts, Xiao Ye didn't get angry.
Their parents were soldiers who had shed blood and sacrificed for their country.
And judging by their faces, they weren't bad people—just sharp-tongued.
"I have to go in today. Step aside."
"I won't!" The young man sized him up. "Not unless you can prove you have a connection to this compound, or that you're one of us."
"Otherwise, don't even think about setting foot in here!"
The others on the first floor came over, clearly in agreement.
This teahouse held a special status within the compound. They would have done the same for anyone else.
'Prove myself?'
An idea suddenly occurred to Xiao Ye.
His gaze swept the room, finally landing on a man seated on the first floor.
"Have him come out. I'll fight him."
Xiao Ye could tell at a glance that this man was the strongest one there.
Everyone was stunned and turned to look.
"Kid, you're toast! You dare challenge our big brother? He could send you home flat on your back with a single punch!"
"Our big brother's on leave today. Otherwise, he'd be training new recruits right now!"
"He took first place in the last all-army competition!"
Xiao Ye was unfazed. "Didn't you want me to prove myself? Let him come over. If I defeat him, that will be all the proof I need."
Hearing this, the man who had been sitting inside got up and walked out of the teahouse.
He sized up Xiao Ye but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. "You don't look like you're in the military."
"Looks can be deceiving." Xiao Ye extended a hand and settled into a fighting stance. "Let's go."
The old-timers upstairs could no longer contain their curiosity at the scene below and pushed open a window.
"Looks like those two youngsters are about to fight!"
"I recognize that one. He took first place in this year's competition. I heard he was assigned to be an instructor."
"First place? That's quite impressive. To be number one in the Imperial City is no small feat. A post as an instructor is well-deserved!"
Seeing that Xiao Ye had already taken his stance, the man didn't refuse. "In that case, let's fight!"
He was a warrior at heart. When faced with a direct challenge, he would never back down!