Chapter 560: I am the Boss in My Own Territory!
The others stay. He gets kicked out?
This means... I wasn’t selected?
Zhu Tao’s face flushed red, then turned deathly pale, his expression twisting with fury. The others, however, were ecstatic. They were actually being kept.
Before coming, they knew there were only three spots available. Choosing just three people from a group of over a dozen was an incredibly brutal selection process. Furthermore, they were all aware that among them, Zhu Tao was the strongest. He was supposed to be a shoo-in. That meant there were really only two spots up for grabs.
Originally, they had all been worried. If they weren’t selected and got sent back to their original units, it would be utterly humiliating. But now, with a single sentence, Instructor Lin had dismissed the one person who seemed like a sure thing, Zhu Tao, while the rest of them got to stay.
This was a truly pleasant surprise.
"Instructor Lin, I don’t quite understand..." Zhang Ze’s expression was grim. He had personally assured Zhu Tao that he would definitely get him into the Divine Machine Camp. And Zhu Tao certainly had the strength for it.
"Instructor Lin, twelve o’clock, behind that rock! There’s a guy proning!"
"Damn, a one-tap headshot?!"
"Nice one, Instructor Lin! You’re amazing!"
"Winner, winner, chicken dinner!"
Monkey’s voice, full of worship, came through the phone. "Instructor Lin, you’re incredible! You got over thirty kills! You’re my idol! My admiration for you is like a—"
"Monkey, shut your trap!"
Listening to the voice from the microphone, Lin Mu cracked a small smile. He put down his phone, looked at Zhang Ze, and said, "You only need to understand one thing."
He paused for effect.
"This is my turf. I call the shots!"
That was what Lin Mu meant. On his turf, he made the rules.
Zhang Ze’s face darkened. "Instructor Lin, even if you are an instructor for the Divine Machine Camp, you can’t just..."
"What? Do you need me to repeat myself?" Lin Mu raised an eyebrow and shouted, "Jiaolong!"
"Sir!" Jiaolong rushed to stand before Lin Mu, his eyes filled with respect.
"Handle the others." Pointing at Zhu Tao, Lin Mu ordered, "As for this one, throw him out."
"Instructor, this..." Jiaolong glanced at Zhu Tao, his face etched with hesitation.
"What now?" Lin Mu’s eyes narrowed. "Are you going to disobey my orders?"
A shiver went down Jiaolong’s spine, and he immediately barked, "I wouldn’t dare!"
"Then what are you standing around for? Throw him out!"
Hearing the command, Jiaolong looked at Zhu Tao with resigned helplessness. "Sorry about this, brother."
"Instructor Lin, aren’t you going a bit too far?" Zhang Ze spoke up, his face dark with displeasure. "You dismissed Zhu Tao without even conducting an assessment! This is completely unfair to him!"
Logically, even if Lin Mu disliked Zhu Tao, he should at least have him go through the assessment before making a decision, right? How could he make such a judgment after just a single glance? It was totally unfair and would surely invite criticism.
"You want to talk to me about fairness?" Lin Mu said coolly. "Is he worthy?"
Hearing such a blunt dismissal, Zhang Ze’s expression grew uglier. Zhu Tao’s face turned ashen, and he could no longer contain the rage blazing in his eyes.
"I refuse to accept this!" Zhu Tao stared daggers at Lin Mu. "Instructor Lin, I admit I’ve offended you in the past, but there’s no need for personal revenge, is there? You can make me leave, but at least give me a convincing reason! Otherwise, I won’t accept it!"
Originally, Zhu Tao saw this as his final opportunity. He believed that as long as he made it into the Divine Machine Camp, his hard work and strength would allow him to secure a firm position. It wouldn’t even be impossible to eventually replace the captain. When that time came, he would take his revenge on Lin Mu. It was Lin Mu who had killed his grandfather and caused his brother’s death. And so, Zhu Tao craved revenge. But he could never have imagined that the instructor for the Divine Machine Camp, the very unit he yearned to join, was none other than Lin Mu himself.
This threw Zhu Tao into a panic, even a state of fear. He had no idea how this had come to be, and he certainly never expected Lin Mu to publicly tell him to get lost. This wasn’t just simple disdain; it was a blatant, naked humiliation, grinding his dignity into the dust. Naturally, Zhu Tao refused to submit.
"Instructor Lin, although Zhu Tao’s words were a bit disrespectful, I think he has a point," Zhang Ze said. "I don’t know what kind of grudge you two have, but you don’t have the final say on who gets into the Divine Machine Camp."
"Oh?" Lin Mu raised an eyebrow. "If I don’t have the final say, then who does?"
"I do, of course!"
Just then, a thin, reedy voice cut in. A white-haired elder with a grim expression on his face walked over. He wore a pair of reading glasses and carried the faint scent of Chinese herbs. Following behind him was a tall, stunning girl with short hair, which, far from diminishing her beauty, gave her a unique and spirited aura.
"Professor Feng, you’ve finally arrived." Upon seeing the elder, a smile touched Zhang Ze’s lips, as if the professor’s presence gave him a surge of confidence. Zhu Tao was also ecstatic, so thrilled he almost shouted for joy. Even Jiaolong’s expression shifted slightly, a troubled look in his eyes.
"Did I just hear someone say that he alone calls the shots in the Divine Machine Camp?" Professor Feng appeared and immediately fixed Lin Mu with a hostile stare. "I’ve been in the Divine Machine Camp for many years, and I’ve never heard of such a rule. Or has someone gotten it into their head that they can act tyrannically just because they have a little bit of strength?"
The professor’s words were blunt, carrying a scolding tone that made the faces of the Divine Machine Camp members darken.
"Professor Feng, Instructor Lin didn’t mean it that way, you..."
Jiaolong was about to explain when Lin Mu spoke coolly, "I meant exactly what I said, old guy. You got a problem with it?"
Old guy? Did Instructor Lin just call Professor Feng an old guy? It’s over! It’s all over! Instructor Lin is really done for this time!
This professor was of critical importance to the Divine Machine Camp. If they offended him, Instructor Lin might really be the one getting kicked out. At this thought, Jiaolong shot frantic, meaningful glances at Lin Mu.
But Lin Mu acted as if he hadn’t seen a thing. Instead, he called out, "Xiao Tian!"
"Present!" Shi Potian instantly appeared behind Lin Mu.
"As of now, you will temporarily serve as the captain of the Divine Machine Camp," Lin Mu said with a wave of his hand. "Next, throw out all irrelevant people. If anyone dares to resist, kill them!"
A murderous intent laced his words, sending a chill through everyone present.
"Teacher Lin, this..." Zhang Ze panicked.
Although he knew Lin Mu wouldn’t dare do anything to him, Zhang Ze had witnessed what happened yesterday. One man against the entire Divine Machine Camp. That level of combat prowess proved that Lin Mu wasn’t just some scapegoat. In fact, Zhang Ze had already personally asked the commander about him. They had gone to great lengths to recruit this instructor. He was not to be offended.
And so, faced with Lin Mu’s overwhelming dominance, Zhang Ze found himself unable to speak.
"Hmph!" At that moment, Professor Feng snorted coldly. "In all my years, I have never seen such an arrogant and presumptuous young man! How utterly audacious!"
"Well, now you have," Lin Mu said flatly. "Get lost. Don’t make me do it myself."