Chapter 152
Translator’s Notes: magazine -> publication
Chapter 152: Three Years Time of Man and Things [Part 1]
Logically speaking, fighting or having a brawl at Eternal Square was a serious incident. Moreover, Sector H’s iconic government building – the twin towers – was not far away from Eternal Square. Wasn’t fighting in front of the government building’s doorsteps purely an act of looking down on the Sector’s political power?
Right now the time was midday, and there weren’t many people on the public square. However, there were still occasional pa.s.sers-by, and they all stayed far, far away from the fight. No one was stupid enough to do something like mediate the quarrel, and even more people preferred to find a cool spot and watch the show. They believed that it would not take long before public security would arrive and arrest this people.
Unfortunately for these people, they were fated to be disappointed.
One minute pa.s.sed, two minutes pa.s.sed&h.e.l.lip; more than five minutes had pa.s.sed since then. The fight continued fiercely and in high fighting spirits no less, but not even the shadow of the security team could be seen at all. Even the so-called ‘one-track minded’ environmental robots did not react to the commotion.
In the past, anyone who acted rough or swore profanities on Eternal Square would draw the environmental robot’s violation ticket, and anyone who refused to pay would be electrocuted as punishment and forced to cough up.
But what’s with the current situation right now?
Two hundred meters away, an environmental robot gave a person who broke into a profanity just now and refused to pay a violation ticket, all the while pointing at Cillin and Lung and defending himself noisily a ruthless electric shock. The dark blue light of the electricity caused some of the bystanders watching the show to shudder involuntarily. After all, most of the people here had similar experiences, and they literally felt as if they were reliving their past, man!
Inside the security building beside the public square, a squad of soldiers watched the scene unfolding on the display.
"Captain, do we really need not to deal with that fight? Would it be a bad influence?"
"No need." the public security captain pointed at Lung wearing a pair of beach pants and flip-flops, dragging around two pumpkin-sized boxing gloves and getting busy, saying, "This person. As long as he doesn’t bombard the coalition government’s twin towers (EN: too soon), just let him do whatever he wants."
"Oh~" the rest of the squad evidently understood what he meant, "The Outer Circle Plan!"
The reason the environmental robots looked like they were completely oblivious to Cillin and Lung’s brawling incident was because Lung was a member of the ‘Outer Circle Plan’.
There were several types of setup within the environmental robots program settings. On Planet Ouroke, a small number of people were considered under a different set of rules beyond the standard programming. As long as these people did not do anything that threatened the planet itself, then every other action they took could be overlooked. This was the ‘Outer Circle Plan’. Since this small number of people did not fall under Planet Ouroke’s normal jurisdiction, therefore they were called people ‘outside the plan’, so to speak. They were personages who enjoyed special privileges beyond regular jurisdiction.
Obviously, Lung Andrea was a member of the ‘Outer Circle Plan’ himself.
"After entering public security for so long, this is the first time I saw someone of the Outer Circle Plan brawling and fighting on Eternal Square. How arrogant." a public security squad member said.
Normally, a personage of the ‘Outer Circle Plan’ wielded high status and enormous influence. Why would anyone like that come to blows with someone else in public for no particular reason? Plus, look at his attire. What self-restraint, what poise, what etiquette? They had all been G.o.dd.a.m.n tossed into the sea. Who could possibly relate such a person to a member of the ‘Outer Circle Plan’?
Meanwhile, Cillin and Lung were fighting each other enthusiastically. They looked like they want to brawl out all three years worth of brawls.
The gray cat did not pay them any intention. It jumped onto the statue and began to climb. Mm, it would sit on top of the ‘Sea G.o.d’s’ head and overlook all life in a moment!
An hour later.
On the stairs beside the public square’s fountain, Cillin and Lung sat there while holding a large cup of red wine ice cream each in their hand. The bill was footed by Cillin.
Both men’s faces were blue and black, and their hair was a total mess. Lung’s tawny-colored spectacles had long since died a horrible death and was currently lying inside the the robot cleaner’s ‘stomach’.
The pair of pumpkin-sized boxing gloves were set at a side and looking tattered. Lung’s slippers had also turned into something that looked like cotton wadding.
"You sonuvab.i.t.c.h&h.e.l.lip; How dare you fight back!" Lung licked his ice cream very vulgarly while speaking.
"You said it yourself that you would represent Knight, Ci Jincheng, BPT, Hard, Sird, Pride, Sir Mo and everyone in Seven Lights&h.e.l.lip; I pinched a count, and there were just eight representatives. So I conceded eight hits in total."
"f.u.c.k! You’re just as sc.u.mbaggery as ever."
"Thank you for the praise, I feel just the same."
Lung raised his leg and rocked the cotton wadding thing hanging off his legs and said, "This pair of slippers is my precious treasure, you know. I bought it from a babe with a super hot body. When I bought it she had even pressed a fiery red kiss on it. I went to get it back tirelessly even when Berzett tossed it into the sea. Look at what you did to it. How are you going to repay this, huh?"
Cillin gave it a moment’s thought before finis.h.i.+ng up the remaining ice cream in his cup. Then, he tore the box that held the ice cream made of degradable fiber into a slipper-shaped thing and tossed it to Lung, "Here. There’s even the fragrance of red wine."
Lung: "&h.e.l.lip;"
Bing bang boom. Another spell of fighting noises followed.
"How are Knight and Ci Jincheng doing?" Cillin washed his face using the water from the fountain and asked.
"You have the nerve to ask that question. Knight nearly took apart the hospital back then&h.e.l.lip;"
Lung slowly told Cillin what happened in the past three years.
When Cillin faked his death and left Seven Lights, Lung and Knight finished all of their credits in half a year and applied for graduation directly.
Knight was dragged back home by his father. He had joined the army and would often partic.i.p.ate in certain missions, although Lung did not know about the details. The level of secrecy within the army was too high. However, during the last time they talked Lung learned that Knight had already risen to the rank of first lieutenant this year. He wasn’t satisfied though; Pride’s brother Ji Feihang had already risen to the rank of captain.
Rank promotions within the GAL army were not easy, and Knight had obviously paid a lot of effort to rise to become a first lieutenant so quickly. Knight’s plan was to become a ranked officer in two years, and in most people’s view this plan was extremely difficult to achieve. However, Cillin believed that with his abilities Knight could definitely achieve his expected goal.
And this was to say nothing of Ci Jincheng’s achievements. He was already a specially recruited student in the first place, and from the moment he entered Seven Lights he had already owned a research topic of his own and often ran back and forth between all sorts of research bases. In comparison, he enjoyed a larger degree of freedom since a specially recruited student like him was judged by different standards and was not limited by credits.
Although he had a deep background, Ci Jincheng had relied on his own abilities and completed several research achievements of more than seventy contribution points. One could see Ci Jincheng’s image in academic publications above seventy contribution points, and due to splendid results Ci Jincheng now held a post in GAL Research Inst.i.tute under the combined recommendation of several scholars.
Exactly what Ci Jincheng was researching, Lung did not know. However, he heard that his achievement could be published in ‘Code’ if it was successfully researched. This meant that the achievement was worth at least ninety GAL
Seven Lights senior mentors and upper level practically treated Ci Jincheng like a treasure. If he needed anything, Ci Jincheng only needed to ask verbally before the permission was given directly by the university’s upper level. There was no need for him to go through the application process. Research funds, experiment equipment, base access. As long as Ci Jincheng asks, there shall be no obstacles.
"If the research finishes smoothly, I believe that guy can rise immediately as a one star scholar on the side of science and technology. In my impression scholars are normally small old men, but that guy is an exception." Lung said while smiling.
A scholar was looked upon as the most excellent elites of science and academic authority. GAL Research Inst.i.tute was the only body in the entire GAL that had the qualifications to confer the t.i.tle of a ‘scholar’.
Translator’s Notes: Missed it before, but thank you to Alex for the birthday card at SRH Chapter 144!
Chapter 152: Three Years Time of Man and Things [Part 2]
GAL Research Inst.i.tute was the highest academic inst.i.tution in terms of science and engineering in GAL, and it was the integrated research and development center of the latest and most high-end technologies in the entire GAL. It was also the academic inst.i.tution with the highest reputation and consultation rate. In academic terms, they were the absolute authority and magnate.
Mo Heng himself was one of them. As a senior authority in academia who had been immersed in engineering technology for many years, Mo Heng was already a four star engineering scholar. This was also why so many people were respectful and in awe of Mo Heng.
The scholarly t.i.tles conferred by GAL Research Inst.i.tute were differentiated into five ranks from the initial one star scholar to a five star scholar. As the people continue to contribute to GAL, they would acc.u.mulate contribution points and increase their star rank.
Only those who possessed the t.i.tle ‘scholar’ could be said to have truly set foot into this circle of authority. At twenty years old or so, Ci Jincheng was already taking a shot at the t.i.tle of ‘scholar’. Such a case was extremely rare.
"That fellow truly is impressive." Cillin agreed.
"Tsk, it was exactly because there was Knight and Ci Jincheng to make a comparison with that I was forcefully captured back home by my father to manage businesses. He even froze my private accounts. I’m poor now man, don’t you see that this is the only attire I can afford now?"
Bulls.h.i.+t, the reason you’re dressed like this is completely due to your own twisted taste. Cillin knew that this was just Lung making a grumble. If he really did object to the act, who on earth could freeze all of Lung’s private accounts so easily?
"What about you, Cillin? How does it feel to be a Hunter?" Lung never planned to hide the fact that he had investigated Cillin.
"It’s not bad. What did you find out about me?"
"There was too little time. I only knew that you’re a Hunter and that you’ve accepted a mission from the Feniers Family."
"I did not accept a mission from them. The one who accepted it is the kid who’s with me. I was just earning some leisure cash along the way."
"It seems that your treatment of that little girl is pretty well. I wonder what Linglung would think if she knew this." Lung said while rubbing his chin.
Cillin raised a leg and kicked him once, "Get out, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d. So much nonsense coming from you."
Lung chuckled and dodged out of the way, "Hey, speaking of which, your strength has gone up again. You’re rank A now, right?"
"Mm." Cillin nodded.
"No wonder you were able to find out Pascado. Oh, I forgot to tell you, but I am the one who sent the men to stir the pot at Planet Zafia. The person you found out is called Pascado. Before this, he had never been found out when he partic.i.p.ates in the action, but he didn’t expect that he would capsize* in front of you this time. Hehe." Contrary to one might expect, Lung did not feel any embarra.s.sment and thus voiced the matter on his own accord.
*capsize in a drain, also means to fail when one least expects it or in their most confident task
"So that’s how it is!"
Cillin abruptly recalled the true nature of the familiarity he felt when he saw the tamer back then. Back then, when they had partic.i.p.ated in the Sector Champions.h.i.+p’s integrated warfare compet.i.tion, Lung had caught and knocked out the Second Military Academy’s Boen inside the lake. When Lung lifted Boen in front of Cillin, he had given him a tamer-like feeling back then. However, Lung didn’t manage to completely conceal his presence probably because he had just exited the lake. Still, that feeling had lasted for only a fraction of a second, so the impression it left Cillin was both short and blurry.
"You’re a tamer of the legends!"
"Surprised, aren’t you? Your young master is a legendary tamer who inherited the legacy of the sea G.o.d!" Lung said proudly before coming to a pause. Then, he asked in an exaggeratedly mysterious manner, "Which Hunter regiment are you in right now?"
"Vanguard Sixth B Squadron, Lieutenant Commander."
"Holy s.h.i.+t! That’s one of the big fours, hmm? Wait a second, the Sixth B Squadron&h.e.l.lip;" Lung’s mouth turned into an O shape, "The squadron that took out the largest terrorist organisation ‘Poison Fang’ in Sector V?"
Cillin nodded.
Lung lifted a thumb. When he heard of the news back then he already thought highly of the Sixth B Squadron. Perhaps in the not-so-far future, the Sixth B Squadron could become the number one squadron in Vanguard.
After stretching his back and moving his arms around for a bit, he raised his eyes and saw a certain cat above the statue. The cat was standing on top of the statue of the ‘Sea G.o.d’s’ head and looked to be reveling in the emotion where it was looking down arrogantly at the entire world.
"What’s going on with that cat?"
"It’s undergoing self-enlightenment at the moment."
The reason Lung and Cillin could chat here without the slightest scruple was not without reason. There was a device developed by the Andrea Family in Lung’s pocket that ensured that no one beyond two meters of range could hear any content of their conversation. This was because the sound waves were put through distortion processing beyond two meters so other people could only hear some static noises.
"Come and take a seat at my place? I’ll show you my dearest sofa!" Lung stood up and pulled Cillin towards outside the public square.
Cillin beckoned for the gray cat to come back.
While Lung was pulling Cillin towards outside the public square, an extra long flying car was slowly driving towards the Sector government’s twin towers behind them. Suddenly, it came to a stop.
Inside the flying car, a girl wearing a fas.h.i.+onable sungla.s.ses looked outside the window.
"What is it, miss?" a bodyguard beside the girl asked.
"Nothing. I just saw an old friend." the corner of the girl’s lips curled beautifully.
She did not need to see the front. She only needed to watch his back – even if that back was completely different from the back in her mind – to know, that it was that person.
Lung pulled Cillin all the way to the suspended parking area beside the plaza. He then summoned his hot dog* of a car in sea blue color and headlights that looked like red phoenix eyes.
*picked up from urban dictionary as a slang for show off. Correct me if I’m wrong.
After driving out of the public square, Cillin asked, "Why were we in such a hurry to leave just now?"
"Yoho, you found out?" Lung shrugged, "Do you want to meet up with Linglung?"
Cillin smiled bitterly, "I actually am not prepared for that."
After Cillin had faked his death and left Seven Lights, the Galois Family had suffered a little bit of hards.h.i.+ps. Aiflon told him that Linglung was the one responsible for it.
"Therefore, let’s avoid her for now. But Cillin, Linglung really is a remarkable woman, but you know, she really seems to be interested in you." Lung said while making winky eyes.
Cillin threw a slap right over, "Drive your car!"
Lung’s flying car was driven directly into the floor where Lung’s office was in the Andrea’s building. It wasn’t far away from the door to the office, and the bodyguards outside the door were currently standing still with a serious expression. The fierce light in their eyes were in full display, and they appeared incredibly intimidating.
The gray cat crouching on top of Cillin’s shoulder glanced at the bodyguards with a c.o.c.ked head. Then, it raised a hind leg and scratched its ears before letting out a sigh, "They look even stupider than the dolphin statues beside the sea G.o.d!"
Lung echoed with profound understanding, "Yeah, they look stupid as h.e.l.l!"
The bodyguards’ faces twisted, and they roared in their hearts while wis.h.i.+ng that they could flip a table: We know this looks stupid, but what can we do, Grandpa Ber is the one issuing our salaries!
Lung showed off his dearest sh.e.l.l sofa to Cillin. Cillin expressed his extreme disdain towards it.
Meanwhile, the gray cat was now transfixed by the aquarium within Lung’s office and scooped the fishes while it crouched above the aquarium. Feeling that it hadn’t enjoyed itself fully, the gray cat jumped directly into the aquarium and teased the fishes, causing the poor things to all holed up at a corner and tremble like a leaf.
Lung exclaimed repeatedly at the sight, "This cat is truly outrageous."
Now that he knew that Cillin was in Vanguard Sixth B Squadron, it would be a lot easier to find him when it was necessary.
"Before you return to the Sixth Squad, you can seek out the manager of any company under the Andrea Family if you need to contact me or get help. Just pa.s.s this to them and it’ll work." Lung took out a card and pa.s.sed it to Cillin. The word ‘Lung’ was written in twenty or so languages on the card.
Cillin accepted the card. With this card, Cillin would be able to seek help in any places where the Andrea Family was involved. This was a sizable help for a Hunter who travelled and drifted between the line of life and death often.
"This is for you." Cillin raised a hand and tossed Lung a green, round ball. It was one of the five huge green pearls he had acquired from Sector Z.
"This is good stuff!" Lung held it in his hand and exclaimed. With his observation skills, naturally he could deduce the green pearl’s value, "This is too valuable."
That’s what he said, but Lung’s expression was something else: You better don’t turn back on your word, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d! I’ll never return it even if I die!
Cillin couldn’t hold himself back from giving the b.a.s.t.a.r.d another kick.
When Cillin and the gray cat had left the Andrea Family’s building, Berzett walked over and watched his young master staring at the green pearl in his hands like he was staring at a treasure. He frowned and asked, "Why?"
Berzett was asking why had Lung brawled with Cillin at a public area like the Eternal Square. With Lung’s intelligence, he shouldn’t have so recklessly created an embarra.s.sing commotion like that.
"Nothing much. i’m just telling certain people that I know this guy and we’re quite well acquainted with each other, and that they should moderate the dirty tricks they have in their minds."
"You’re not afraid that he will expose us to the Feniers Family?"
"Nope, I am not afraid. He won’t."
Seeing that Berzett’s frown hadn’t dropped, Lung gave him a smile and said, "Berzett, do you know that back at Seven Lights University, our accommodation was called the sickest accommodation in Seven Lights?"
Lung Andrea, Knight Feigler, Ci Jincheng and now Cillin. How could a person who was thought highly by the first three people be weak?
"Is it worth it?" Berzett asked.
"It’s worth it!" Lung turned around and looked at Berzett, "What, you don’t believe me?"
Berzett smiled and shook his head, "I believe you. Everyone of you Andreas are a bunch of weirdos. But you guys haven’t met each other for three years. Shouldn’t you chat a little more with him? If you’re willing, young master, you can invite him a couple more times as a guest. Our negotiations with the Feniers Family will last another two days."
"It’s fine. He has his own matters to deal with, and I do not want that woman Linglung to knock on my door either. Plus, I believe that we will be cooperating with each other very soon after this."
Berzett’s eyes flashed, "Young master, you mean&h.e.l.lip; the matter at Sector S?"
"Yeah, it’s been fifty years. It is time to begin."