Chapter 568: How about we make a bet?
"What? Cleaning toilets?"
When Kong Lin heard the news, he was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.
Zhang Ze looked at his commander with a wry expression. "Commander, should we give Instructor Lin a heads-up? After all, Advisor Kong is your..."
"No need." Kong Lin chuckled. "Since Kong Ying herself said a bet is a bet, she has to see it through. You don’t need to worry about this."
"But..."
Kong Lin waved his hand, cutting Zhang Ze off. "No buts. I’m not worried about Kong Ying; Instructor Lin is measured in his actions. I’m just concerned about that one from the Shen Family..."
"You mean Shen Cheng?" Zhang Ze’s expression changed.
"Correct." Kong Lin sighed. "After all, Shen Lian is Shen Cheng’s younger brother. He’s already heard that Shen Lian was injured and is on his way here now."
"Not only that, but people from the Bagua Sect have come as well."
Zhang Ze gasped. "What should we do? Neither Shen Cheng nor the Bagua Sect are to be trifled with. If they..."
"Commander, there isn’t much time left before the competition. We can’t afford any delays. Maybe... I should go talk to the Bagua Sect?"
Zhang Ze felt helpless. This Instructor Lin is truly domineering and ruthless. He broke Shen Lian’s leg without a second thought and even sent the commander’s own granddaughter to clean toilets. How vicious does someone have to be? Never mind the commander’s granddaughter—is Shen Lian someone you can just mess with? He’s the youngest disciple of the Bagua Sect Leader and the younger brother of the so-called Demon King Shen Cheng! But the big picture is more important. It’s better to deal with this after the competition.
Kong Lin shook his head. "There’s no need for that. We should have some faith in Instructor Lin."
"Commander, who exactly is Instructor Lin? Listening to you, why do you have so much confidence in him?" Zhang Ze was genuinely puzzled. He had never seen his commander, who was normally strict to the point of being harsh, be so... indulgent with a young man.
"His status is too high for me to say." Kong Lin chuckled and added, "You only need to remember one thing: with him here, the Southeast Military Region will be the champion of the competition!"
Besides, Kong Lin was thinking about something else. He had spoiled Kong Ying for years; it was good to have someone who could put her in her place.
* * *
"Ragged shoes, tattered hat, wearing a frayed cassock..."
Monkey hummed a tune as he sauntered into the restroom. Just as he was about to undo his pants to relieve himself, a hand suddenly grabbed him.
"Damn it, molester!"
A miserable cry escaped Monkey’s lips, followed by a slap to his head.
"Shut up!"
A crisp voice rang out. Was that a girl?
Monkey sighed in relief, but then his face turned pale. A girl? Had he walked into the wrong restroom? That couldn’t be right. The Divine Machine Camp didn’t have a women’s restroom.
Monkey stiffly turned around and saw a woman wearing a mask and holding a mop.
Even with the mask, Monkey immediately recognized the dark, gloomy face.
"Advisor Kong..." Monkey gulped.
Then he remembered. Advisor Kong was in charge of cleaning the toilets now, so running into her wasn’t so strange. But Old Huang, you actually went through with this? Instructor Lin might have just been bluffing, but you really dared to make the Military Region Commander’s granddaughter clean toilets?
"I ask, you answer!" Kong Ying grabbed Monkey by the collar, pinned him against the wall, and stared coldly into his eyes. "Who exactly is Instructor Lin?"
"Advisor Kong, can I pull my pants up first?" A smile uglier than a grimace spread across Monkey’s face. His pants were still down by his ankles.
"Cut the crap and talk!" Kong Ying’s glare was murderous.
Clenching his legs together, Monkey said with a pained expression, "Advisor Kong, please don’t ask. If you ask, the answer is I don’t know."
"It seems you have a death wish!" Kong Ying’s eyes widened as she thrust the mop straight down.
"OW!" Monkey yelled. "Stop, it’s coming out, it’s coming out!"
"Disgusting!" Kong Ying gave Monkey a look of disdain. "Did Instructor Lin really defeat all of you by himself?"
"Absolutely true!" Monkey’s face was twisted as if in extreme pain.
"Is your usual training really just sleeping?"
"One hundred percent true!" Beads of sweat dotted Monkey’s forehead.
"Is Instructor Lin really a Martial Arts Grandmaster?"
"I don’t know!"
Kong Ying was furious. "You’re useless! You don’t know anything!"
Tears streamed down Monkey’s face. "My lady, please, just let me go! I’ll help you clean the toilets from now on, alright? I really can’t hold it in anymore!"
"Scram!"
The moment he was free, Monkey dashed into a stall.
He had just squatted down when the door was kicked open. Kong Ying stood there and said, "One last question. Did my grandpa really try to set me up with Instructor Lin?"
Monkey burst into tears.
"Hmph, I don’t care if you’re a Martial Arts Grandmaster or not. We’ll see!" Kong Ying gave a cold smile, looking like a sly fox.
A voice filled with relief came from the stall. "Lady, let me give you a piece of advice. Don’t go against Teacher Lin. Otherwise, next time it won’t be something as simple as cleaning toilets."
"Just go take your crap!"
* * *
In the office.
"Teacher Lin, do you want to head out for a few days of fun?" Jiaolong looked at Lin Mu hesitantly, taking a long time to finally spit out the words.
Lin Mu laughed. "What? It’s only been a few days and you guys can’t stand it anymore?"
You try sleeping for this many days in a row! Who could possibly stand it?
Jiaolong shook his head. "Teacher Lin, that’s not what I mean. It’s just that... Shen Cheng is back, and I heard people from the Bagua Sect have also come."
Lin Mu kept fiddling with his phone, replying without looking up, "So what if they’re here?"
"Teacher Lin, are you even listening to me?" Jiaolong was getting angry.
"Five-man party, need one more. You in?" Lin Mu looked up.
"Alrighty." Jiaolong reflexively pulled out his phone, on the verge of tears. The damn culture of the Divine Machine Camp had really been led astray.
That afternoon, all the members of the Divine Machine Camp were having a barbecue on the beach. Groups of three or five were huddled together for team games, while others were playing cards, with losers getting notes stuck to their faces as forfeit.
When Kong Ying came out after finishing her toilet-cleaning duties, this was the scene that greeted her.
In an instant, she exploded.
"Instructor Lin!" Kong Ying stormed over, still gripping the mop. "Is this your idea of training? Do you have any idea that you’re going to ruin the Divine Machine Camp!"
Lin Mu, reclining on a deck chair, enjoying the sea breeze while eating his barbecue, said, "If you don’t like it, you can leave. I didn’t ask you to stay."
Kong Ying’s chest heaved with rage. "How can you act like this? Jiaolong, is this what you all think, too? Don’t you want the championship anymore? Or have you all decided to just follow him and give up on yourselves?"
Jiaolong and the others had helpless looks on their faces. It wasn’t what they wanted either, but who dared to disobey Instructor Lin’s orders?
Lin Mu tossed aside his skewer, wiped his hands on a napkin, and tilted his head. "Are you questioning my training methods?"
"This isn’t a training method, it’s crap!" Kong Ying raged. "Do you even know how to train anyone? If you don’t, then get lost! Stop dragging down the Southeast Military Region!"
"Is that how you all feel?" Lin Mu asked, looking at Jiaolong and the others.
No one spoke, but their expressions said it all.
"Good," Lin Mu said with a smile. "In that case, how about we make a bet?"