Chapter 561: Isn’t It Good to Live Well?
"You, you..." Professor Feng looked at Lin Mu in disbelief, his face flushing red with anger as he began to cough violently.
"Professor Feng!" The imposing woman behind Professor Feng steadied him and quickly took some medicine from her bag for him to take.
After taking the medication, Professor Feng’s emotions finally stabilized.
"How could you do that?" the imposing woman demanded angrily. "Do you have any idea who Professor Feng is? If anything were to happen to him, not even a Divine Machine Camp Instructor like you could bear the responsibility!"
"Xiao Tian, see them out!" Lin Mu commanded, having no interest in dealing with them. He lay back down on the lounger.
"Instructor Lin, please don’t blame me for speaking out of turn," Monkey said, crouching behind Lin Mu. "Professor Feng is the Deputy Instructor of our Divine Machine Camp, responsible for pharmaceutical development. To be frank, although none of us are a match for you, out in the field, we’re all experts capable of taking on a hundred enemies. Why? It’s all because of this man, Professor Feng."
Monkey’s expression grew grave. "The higher-ups brought him in at great expense to oversee drug development. The reason our strength improved so quickly after joining the Divine Machine Camp is that we were injected with potions he developed, unlocking our human potential. Otherwise, I’d only be slightly stronger than Zhu Tao."
"You know him?" Lin Mu asked, referring to Zhu Tao.
Monkey paused, then gave a wry smile. "Instructor Lin, were you even listening to me? Of course I know Professor Feng, and our Divine Machine Camp..."
"Do you know Zhu Tao?"
Monkey finally understood. So that’s what the instructor was asking about.
Slightly startled, he answered honestly, "Yes, I know him. We were in the same combat team, but he enlisted later than I did."
Lin Mu said flatly, "He once tried to kill me."
"What?" Monkey’s face hardened with fury. "Instructor Lin, I, Monkey, am firmly on your side!"
"Good." Lin Mu offered a faint smile. "You have a promising future."
"Thank you for the compliment, Instructor Lin." Monkey chuckled. "So, about Captain Jiaolong..."
"He is no longer your captain. He is." Lin Mu pointed at Shi Potian. "Of course, if any of you object, you can challenge him. I’m sure he’d welcome it."
Challenge Shi Potian? You’ve got to be kidding! Don’t let his dopey look fool you; his strength probably isn’t far off from the captain’s.
So, Monkey kept his mouth shut.
This, of course, was also why Jiaolong hadn’t said a word in protest when Lin Mu publicly suggested making Shi Potian the new captain.
"Hey, I’m talking to you!" Seeing that Lin Mu was ignoring her, the imposing woman’s cheeks puffed out. She stomped toward him in her boots, raising a hand to strike.
Suddenly, a deep thrumming sound echoed as the entire island seemed to fill with a suffocating Evil Qi, pressing down on the imposing woman.
This aura emanated from Shi Potian. The pressure alone was enough to make an entire army quail, let alone an ordinary woman. It wasn’t just her; the faces of all the Divine Machine Camp members changed dramatically.
"Such terrifying Evil Qi!" Monkey gasped, horrified. "How many blood-soaked battles must one endure, how many people must one kill, to cultivate such a fearsome aura?"
The imposing woman fared even worse. She screamed, stumbling backward and collapsing onto the ground.
"You... you people..." Her eyes reddened instantly. She had never been so humiliated. "You’re bullying me!"
She scrambled to her feet and ran off.
"Xiao Ying!" Professor Feng called after her before turning to give Lin Mu a cold glare. "Young man, you’ve gone too far!"
"Shut up!" Lin Mu snapped, turning his attention to Zhu Tao. "You just said you were unconvinced? That it’s unfair?"
Although Zhu Tao was apprehensive, the presence of Zhang Ze and Professor Feng gave him the courage to stand his ground. "That’s right, I object! You eliminated me without even an assessment. That’s unfair!"
He spoke with resounding force, framing himself as the underdog being oppressed by Lin Mu’s authority.
"Fine," Lin Mu said indifferently. "If you feel you’ve been treated unfairly, then I’ll give you a chance. The Divine Machine Camp currently has ninety-eight members. You can pick any one of them for a one-on-one fight. If you win, I’ll let you join.
"But if you lose," Lin Mu added, his expression cold, "don’t blame me for being heartless."
"Fine!" Zhu Tao said through gritted teeth. "I agree!"
"Zhu Tao, don’t be impulsive!" Zhang Ze said, his face etched with anxiety. "These people in the Divine Machine Camp are all monsters! How could you possibly win? Just forget it. We’ll find another way."
"Instructor Zhang, thank you for your concern, but there’s no need." Zhu Tao took a deep breath, his eyes filled with resolve. "I’ve waited too long for this day. By all rights, I must prove my strength! Besides, I refuse to believe that I, Zhu Tao, am weaker than anyone!"
His words were firm and resolute, stirring the hearts of those who heard them.
"Well said!" Professor Feng exclaimed in admiration. "Zhu Tao, you are the perfect candidate for the Divine Machine Camp. As its vice instructor, I promise you that no matter what, I will ensure you get in! You have my word."
Zhu Tao was overjoyed at Professor Feng’s words. With the professor’s support, how could he fail to get into the Divine Machine Camp?
Professor Feng patted Zhu Tao on the shoulder and whispered, "Zhu Tao, in a moment, go and challenge that Lin fellow."
"What?" Zhu Tao’s expression faltered.
He’d witnessed Lin Mu’s strength firsthand. The man was stronger than him by an unknown margin. And yet, Professor Feng was telling him to challenge Lin Mu? This...
"Rest assured," Professor Feng said, producing a blue pill, "I’m confident you’ll win! This is the latest drug I’ve developed. It’s even more potent than what the others in the Divine Machine Camp were given. It has fewer side effects and can unlock twenty percent of your body’s potential.
"And don’t underestimate that twenty percent. The injections the others received only enhanced their potential by fifteen percent."
As a lieutenant, Zhu Tao knew exactly what unlocking twenty percent of his potential meant. It promised a complete metamorphosis.
"Yes! Thank you, Professor Feng!" A look of wild joy lit up Zhu Tao’s eyes. The professor was treating him far too well!
Professor Feng discreetly slipped the pill to Zhu Tao and glanced at Lin Mu, a cold smile forming in his mind. Kid, you dared to disrespect me earlier. I’ll show you what happens when you cross me.
"You, Lin! I challenge you!"
As expected, with Professor Feng’s assurance, Zhu Tao’s first move was to challenge Lin Mu.
Everyone else was stunned. They all stared at Zhu Tao as if he were an idiot.
Challenging Instructor Lin? That’s just asking to die!
Lin Mu himself was a little surprised. He shook his head and said, "You’re no match for me. Pick someone else."
"Are you scared?" Zhu Tao stared at Lin Mu, his eyes bloodshot as if he wanted to eat him alive. "You’re the one who said I could challenge anyone. Are you going to go back on your word?"
"Sigh." Lin Mu slowly rose to his feet. "Isn’t it nice to be alive?" he said with a sigh. "Why are you so determined to die?
"Very well. Since that’s what you want, I’ll grant your wish."