Chapter 28: The Heir of Ancient Martial Arts in the Boxing Gym
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Procedures are not a reason! Regulations are not a reason! There is only one true reason: during this operation, Lin Xiaosu displayed abilities so astonishing that they provoked apprehension among certain members within Hidden Dragon. That is why they rejected his admission with the most absolute stance, not even granting him a chance to appeal.
Where there are people, there will be intrigue, even in the holiest of places. Those who commit deeds best kept in the shadows are like moles draped in resplendent garments. Are they most afraid of cats? No. Even if a cat stands beside them, unable to see through their disguise and mistaking them for humans, it could never capture them.
What they truly fear is a discerning gaze. Should such eyes enter, they cannot be sure their secrets will remain hidden. Once exposed, the cat’s claws will be upon them! The best solution is, of course, to keep those eyes outside, forever distant.
If Lin Xiaosu were still an innocent youth who had never stepped out into the world, he would simply be disheartened by the closed path ahead. But he is not! He possesses the heart of human virtue and orchid wisdom, his mind ever turning. He has immersed himself in countless espionage cases, each one echoing in his heart, revealing the treacherous currents of the world...
Though he is at an age where he has yet to grow another year, his mindset has long since changed. He once told Changye: some things are done, not spoken. Changye understood...
So they did not discuss it, each went their own way...
Lin Xiaosu descended Tashan, drew a deep breath, hailed a taxi, and sped home.
Upon returning, his gaze immediately fell upon his mother working in the vegetable garden. From afar, Lin Xiaosu’s face blossomed with a smile, and he called out affectionately, “Mom!”
His mother’s hand trembled as she looked up slowly, staring at him in surprise.
Lin Xiaosu approached her from behind. “Hey, the purple seaweed I planted last time has grown so big. This is the fruit of my own labor...”
“You... I’ve called you so many times, and each time, you were out of service! What happened?” His mother’s chest rose and fell gently.
“We went to an underground city—no signal down there.”
“An underground city? Is there really such a place?”
“Mm, it’s full of games, movie theaters, and bars. Many people spend years playing down there. I was pretty well-behaved, only spent a week, just to relieve the tension from long-term studying,” Lin Xiaosu replied.
“You, always needing to relieve the tension from studying... You better straighten up for me now!” his mother said. “This time, you failed the exam again...”
Lin Xiaosu’s expression changed. “The results are out?”
“I just had your cousin check before I left. Your name’s not on the interview list!”
“Failed the second attempt... Is there any hope left?” Lin Xiaosu smacked his forehead.
His mother’s heart ached at his mournful expression. She grabbed his hand. “Son, don’t be like this. You’re capable, you definitely are! Isn’t there another national exam in half a year? We’ll try again. If the second attempt fails, we’ll try a third or fourth!”
She left the vegetables unpicked and went inside to cook for her son.
Watching his mother busy in the kitchen, Lin Xiaosu felt a small sense of triumph—he’d passed the first hurdle!
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If his mother knew he had willingly given up the civil service exam, she would grab the paddle and deliver a sound beating without hesitation. But seeing only the final interview list, she took a different approach. Her son had failed, he felt bad, how could a mother punish him? She cooked comforting food instead!
Yet, his mother’s fervor for the civil service was still a challenge to overcome. Lin Xiaosu tapped his fingers lightly on the table, pondering how best to sever this obsession...
Once the meal was served, Lin Xiaosu devoured it ravenously. His mother sipped tea and finally asked, cautiously, “Have you checked if your girlfriend passed?”
“Is it necessary?”
“What do you mean ‘is it necessary’? Of course it is!” his mother insisted. “If she passed, you need to guard against her abandoning you once she’s ‘ashore’.”
Good heavens...
“Mom, where did you learn these trendy phrases?”
“From short videos! Everyone says so. Civil service is a moat. If the man succeeds and the woman doesn’t, the future is promising. If the man fails and the woman succeeds, most likely she’ll cut ties... That’s human nature!”
“Mom, think of it this way—if she’s that kind of person, it’s better to part ways. If she isn’t, she won’t do such a thing. Adversity reveals character, time reveals hearts...”
“That makes sense, but call her just in case!”
Lin Xiaosu had no choice but to take his phone outside, pretending to make a call. He returned, beaming, “She didn’t pass either...”
His mother was puzzled. “Why are you so radiant if she didn’t pass?”
“She suggested a new direction. I thought it was pretty good. She said, why not give up the exams and go into business together to make big money.”
What?
His mother’s brows drew together in anger—her reverse scale had been touched!
Lin Xiaosu quickly added, “That was Xiaoye’s idea.”
His mother’s expression softened, her brows relaxing.
Seeing this, Lin Xiaosu began to test the waters, daring to prod her sensitive spot...
His girlfriend Xiaoye was now single-minded about making money in business. They had discussed it many times in the underground city. Something had gotten into her head—she was convinced business was the way to wealth. She said, if he agreed to join her, they’d stay together; if not, they’d break up. Now, Lin Xiaosu thought, since his mother wanted him to find a wife, he’d find one; if she wanted him to ditch this ‘unambitious’ girl, he’d break up and prepare for a third attempt.
His mother paced the hall three times, drank two bowls of tea, then left without saying a word.
As the sun set, she returned, putting down her hoe and, weighed down with thought, went to wash clothes. Lin Xiaosu helped her hang them to dry. When the last garment was laid flat, she looked up, as if making a great decision. “Fine, your affairs are yours to decide.”
“Mom, you’re not forcing me to take the civil service exam anymore?” Lin Xiaosu was surprised. He thought such a momentous change would require days of gradual persuasion, but she had come around in a single afternoon.
She shook her head gently. “Why did I push you to take the exam? So it’d be easier for you to find a wife. If you and Xiaoye can make it work, and she doesn’t mind, what’s there for me to say?”
“Don’t worry, she won’t mind. She even has some money. When I came back, she wanted to give me three hundred thousand.”
“Stop teasing your mother! Is there really such a girl? If there is, I’ll sell this broken two-story house to marry her in!”
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Lin Xiaosu finally understood. In his mother’s heart, priorities were ranked: first was finding a wife, second came the civil service exam. Thus, he must not let the exam sabotage marriage prospects; if priorities are reversed, the loss outweighs the gain.
Back in his study, Lin Xiaosu felt as if he had shed a heavy winter coat. With a sweep of his hand, he tossed his reference books into a large cardboard box and slid it under the bed.
He tidied the bookshelf as well.
When all was done, he took out one thing.
A leaf.
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It was a leaf from the ‘Green Orchid’ of Laoshan, upon which Crescent had scratched a smiley face with her fingernail.
That girl had always been an adversary—stubborn like an ox, inscrutable as the mist over Laoshan.
Yet in the end, she gave him a leaf, drawing a smile to comfort him.
Was this the reward of this adventure?
He slipped the leaf between the pages of a book...
There was a knock at the gate. “Is Xiaosu home?” called the voice of the aunt next door.
Tiger Girl’s mother.
His own mother opened the door, and Lin Xiaosu went downstairs to greet her in the hall.
Half a month had passed since he last saw her. She looked wan and weary, and upon seeing Lin Xiaosu, she asked anxiously, “Xiaosu, have you seen Diandian?”
Yes, her daughter had been taken by the provincial police, and for half a month there had been no news. Her phone wouldn’t connect, and she was nearly frantic. That day she had gone to Qingyuan Temple on Tashan to pray for her daughter, and upon hearing that Lin Xiaosu was back, had rushed over.
“I have, Auntie. Don’t worry! Diandian is fine.”
At his words, color returned to her face with visible speed. “Then why hasn’t she come home? Her phone won’t connect.”
“She hasn’t? Oh, right, she mentioned it—she’s been recruited by the national team. They want her to bring glory to the country, so she’s probably in closed training!”
His mother laughed with joy. “Sister, I told you, Diandian is full of promise. Now she’s become a national team combat athlete—she’ll bring honor to the family.”
The aunt’s face glowed. “I just worry she’ll break the rules again, like last time...”
“She won’t!” Lin Xiaosu assured her. “Closed training builds the basics. When she comes out, she’ll be transformed, a whole new person.”
“That’s wonderful! Xiaosu, I always say, aside from me and your uncle, you treat her best...”
Warm conversation flowed, her worries melted away. As long as there was no mention of her uncle’s nights away or Widow Feng’s bathing habits, she was perfectly normal, and the chat was pleasant.
Lin Xiaosu smiled throughout, fully relaxed...
As for the national team, he hadn’t really lied to her.
Hidden Dragon was, after all, the national team.
Combat?
Indeed, real combat, utterly unbounded.
He had no idea of Tiger Girl’s current situation, but no news is good news. After her genetic mutation, her abilities had grown. She would surely carve out a place in Hidden Dragon.
Members of Hidden Dragon fight for the nation, and indeed, bring glory to it...
“Sister, do you think Diandian will reopen her combat gym when she’s part of the national team?” his mother changed the subject.
The aunt smiled. “That gym was just a pastime for her. She only invested a few ten thousand, drew half a year’s salary, and got her money back. Running it had no future. Now she’s on the right path! Since she left, her friend surnamed Miao has been covering for her. Tomorrow, I’ll tell her not to bother—Diandian may not return.”
“Surnamed Miao?” Lin Xiaosu’s heart stirred. “From the Miao family of Huashi Bridge?”