28: Chapter 28 Betting Agreement

Lin Yunfei swept his gaze across and froze slightly as his eyes landed on the blood-red letters printed on the cover of the folder.

[Interstellar Expeditionary Army — Special Talent Recruitment Sequence]

Inside the command room, the holographic star map emitted a deep blue glow.

Major General Lu Shuang didn't waste words; he opened the black metal folder and pushed it in front of Lin Yunfei.

Inside lay not an ordinary document, but two virtual contracts glowing with starkly different light.

"Lin Yunfei, I've checked your file."

Major General Lu Shuang crossed his hands on the desk, looking at him with burning eyes.

"You come from a commoner background. Your parents are bottom-tier heavy machinery factory workers in Tianwu City. To help you get through the initial period of your Divine Kingdom, they emptied their family savings. You are a filial kid; after mastering your arrays, the first thing you did was anonymously send supplies back home."

Lin Yunfei raised his eyebrows slightly, but he wasn't too surprised.

For the military's intelligence network, investigating a high school student's background was child's play.

"So, the first gift I prepared for you is reflected in both of these contracts."

Major General Lu Shuang pointed at the contracts on the table and said in a deep voice, "Whichever one you sign, as long as you sign your name, your parents will immediately receive the Federation's [First-Class Military Family] status!"

"You should be very clear about what this status means."

At this moment, Lin Yunfei's heart finally skipped a heavy beat.

First-Class Military Family!

This wasn't just an honorary title; it was a protective umbrella of safety!

In Tianwu City, where financial magnates covered the sky with one hand, no force would dare to harbor any dark thoughts against his parents with this status.

Not only that, the military would directly allocate them a high-end nursing apartment in the Inner City, provide top-tier medical and nutrient solution rations, and give a generous monthly allowance.

His parents had toiled for half their lives. As long as he signed this contract, they could completely escape the sea of suffering in the slums and enjoy their golden years!

This was indeed a condition that Lin Yunfei simply could not refuse!

No matter how rich financial syndicates were, they couldn't buy the privileged protection of the Federation military.

"It seems Major General truly read me like a book." Lin Yunfei took a deep breath and looked at the two contracts. "So, what is the difference between these two contracts?"

A flash of admiration glinted in Major General Lu Shuang's eyes. Even facing such immense temptation, this kid could still maintain absolute composure.

"The one on the left is Contract A."

Major General Lu Shuang pointed to the contract glowing with white light and explained, "This is a master-subordinate contract. Sign it, and you will directly enter the ace military academy of the Interstellar Expeditionary Army for further studies. Upon graduation, you will be granted the rank of Captain."

"The military will handle all the resources required for your Divine Kingdom's development. But the price is that you must obey absolute deployment orders from the military. Wherever the military tells you to strike, you must strike, and your Divine Kingdom will become a standard combat unit within the Expeditionary Army sequence."

Lin Yunfei nodded. This was a very safe and standard special recruitment agreement.

Maxed-out benefits, but at the cost of losing autonomous control over his Divine Kingdom and fully integrating into the military's massive machine.

"What about Contract B?" Lin Yunfei looked at the contract on the right glowing with dark red light.

"Contract B..."

Major General Lu Shuang took a deep breath, stood up, and walked over to the massive holographic star map.

With a violent wave of his hand, the star map expanded dramatically. Innumerable brilliant galaxies, deep black holes, and massive projections representing alien civilizations intertwined and overlapped in the command room.

"Lin Yunfei, look at this starry sky."

Major General Lu Shuang's voice carried a raw fanatical passion and grandeur that struck straight to the heart.

"Tianwu City is nothing more than a tiny puddle at the edge of the Federation's territory! Those financial syndicate scions fighting to the death in this tiny pond for petty gains is utterly laughable!"

"A true powerhouse's stage shouldn't be in this puddle, but in the depths of this boundless sea of stars!"

Major General Lu Shuang whipped his head around, staring fixedly at Lin Yunfei.

"Contract A will only turn you into an obedient military dog. But the composure and ambition you displayed in the Abyss Exam Ground tell me that you are a true dragon lurking in the abyss!"

"If you want greater development and the power to overturn the chessboard, you must jump out of this pond and fight in the vast ocean!"

"That's why I prepared Contract B for you!"

Major General Lu Shuang pointed at the dark red contract.

"This is a completely equal [Bet Cooperation Agreement]!"

"Sign it, and the military won't interfere with any development of your Divine Kingdom, nor will it assign you mandatory combat missions. You will have absolute freedom and autonomy!"

"As a partner, the military will advance you three million Faith Points in one lump sum! Plus the privilege of entering the military's A-grade logistics treasury to freely select three rare species!"

Three million Faith Points!

Plus three rare species from the military treasury!

3 million Faith Points wasn't that much, but the rare species attached from the military treasury were exceptionally precious. Any rare species leaked from inside was worth over a hundred million, and people outside would fight tooth and nail for even a single one!

But Lin Yunfei knew there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

"What are the conditions of the bet?" Lin Yunfei asked calmly.

"There is only one condition."

Major General Lu Shuang held up three fingers, his gaze becoming razor-sharp.

"Three years!"

"Within three years, your Divine Kingdom must forcibly leap from an F-grade Wasteland to a [Tier 2 Divine Kingdom]!"

"If you achieve this, this contract will automatically upgrade to a General-grade Strategic Cooperation Agreement, and you will become the military's core ally! You will be free to roam the sea of stars as you please!"

"But if you lose..."

Major General Lu Shuang's tone turned chillingly cold. "Not only will you have to compensate tenfold for all resources advanced by the military, but your Divine Kingdom will also be forcibly taken over by the military. You personally will be stripped of all freedom and dispatched to the frontlines of the sea of stars in the Death Vanguard Battalion to serve for fifty years!"

Win, and step directly into heaven, transforming into a dragon soaring from the abyss.

Lose, and fall into eternal damnation, reduced to cannon fodder.

The entire command room instantly fell into dead silence.

Major General Lu Shuang picked up his teacup and stopped speaking; he was waiting.

In his eyes, this was an agonizing choice sufficient to keep anyone awake all night, weighing pros and cons repeatedly.

However...

Less than three seconds passed.

Lin Yunfei didn't even knit his brows; he directly reached out and grabbed the pen off the table.

*Shua, shua, shua!*

With bold and swift strokes, without the slightest hesitation, Lin Yunfei signed his name directly onto Contract B glowing with dark red light.

"You..."

Major General Lu Shuang's hand holding the teacup shook violently, and the scalding hot tea nearly spilled onto the back of his hand.

This battle-hardened major general now had eyes full of unbelievable astonishment.

"Are you not going to think about it a bit more? This is leaping to a Tier 2 Divine Kingdom in three years! Looking across the entire history of the Federation, those who could achieve this within three years definitely don't exceed the fingers on one hand! Aren't you afraid of losing and ruining your whole life in the Vanguard Battalion?"

Lin Yunfei put down the pen, pushed the signed contract back to Major General Lu Shuang, and pulled his lips into a confident, composed arc.

"Major General, as you said just now, if I want to jump out of the pond, I have to fight in the vast ocean."

"Since it's a bet, I naturally must have the confidence to win."

Three years?

Lin Yunfei chuckled inwardly.

'I am a man with the Gold Trait System. If I can't develop in three years, I might as well smash my head into a block of tofu and die.'

This bet agreement was a death warrant to others, but to Lin Yunfei, it wasn't difficult at all!

Looking at Lin Yunfei's deep and completely fearless eyes, Major General Lu Shuang froze for a full dozen seconds before suddenly bursting into a heartily satisfying laugh.

"Hahaha! Good! Good kid!"

Major General Lu Shuang slapped Lin Yunfei heavily on the shoulder, his eyes full of undisguised admiration. "Guts! Spirit! I love your character of daring to poke a hole in the sky!"

The contract took effect!

The dark red light instantly turned into two streaks of light, shooting respectively into the wrist terminals of both men.

[Ding! Bet Cooperation Agreement activated!]

[3,000,000 Faith Points have been transferred to your personal account in real time!]

[Your Federation identity has been updated: Interstellar Expeditionary Army — Special Strategic Cooperation Officer (enjoys security clearance equivalent to Major rank)!]

[Your immediate family members have been automatically entered into the Federation First-Class Military Family protection list. The relocation directive has been issued, and the Tianwu City Garrison will escort your parents to move into the Inner City Military Nursing Home within one hour!]

Listening to the terminal notification chimes ringing one after another in his ears,

Lin Yunfei let out a long breath of stale air.

The largest stone weighing on his heart had finally completely landed.

His parents' safety had the highest level of guarantee, and in his account lay a massive sum of three million—more than enough for his development!

"Brother Lin, from now on, we are partners in the same boat."

Major General Lu Shuang's form of address changed accordingly. He took out a pure black badge engraved with a star sea warship from his chest and handed it solemnly to Lin Yunfei.

"This is the highest pass to the military's logistics treasury. Tomorrow morning, Tang Dong will take you to pick those three rare species."

Lin Yunfei took the badge, felt the cold texture of the metal, and nodded solemnly.

"Thank you, Major General."

Half an hour later.

Lin Yunfei sat back in that black off-road vehicle and drove away from the underground military base.

Leaning against the car window, he watched the night scenery receding rapidly outside, an unprecedentedly bright light glinting in his eyes.

When he came, he was merely a commoner student showing promise in the practical exam.

But now, he had completed a magnificent transformation of status.

He was a military strategic cooperation officer holding three million in funds and possessing Major-level security clearance!

"The pond of Tianwu City is indeed too small, but the top priority right now is still to continue developing my Divine Kingdom!"