197: Chapter 197 Needle Tip

Evening.

The group returned to the station.

"Alright, friends, it's time for us to head back," Glack said, organizing everyone to board the light rail.

Li Ming sat in the corner as usual, but this time he had A6 by his side, along with Intrepid, who had appeared out of nowhere.

Now, no one dared to approach him. Intrepid sat right next to Li Ming with her sword in hand; no one was brave enough to test her.

"Uh... I thought you had already left."

"The Commander's safety is of the utmost importance." Intrepid shook her head. Though this mature girl didn't have as many schemes as Terrible, her personality was quite pleasant.

...Actually, in the port area, this loyal guardian knight could even be considered simple-minded.

Having accepted Big Sis Dunkerque's mission, he had to accompany the two of them for a walk tonight.

"Though it really didn't need to be this formal today," Li Ming shook his head. "Look, A6 is here, and it's not like I can't fight..."

Well, she remained unmoved. The resilient Lady Knight was simply too upright.

"Relax, relax... Intrepid, thanks for your hard work today. Dunkerque's intention was actually for you to relax today, to follow me out and have some fun. But I didn't see you once until the end of the day."

"Eh?..." Intrepid blinked, then her face turned red. "So... so that's how it was?"

Li Ming ruffled her beige hair for a good while. Although she was a bit shy, she didn't pull away.

"But... well. We still have time tonight."

"But at night... the Commander needs to rest too..."

"That brings us to this girl on my left, who plays games late into the night."

A6 turned her head away and didn't answer.

"A6," Intrepid said.

"I wasn't being noisy..." A6 replied.

Intrepid looked back at Li Ming.

Li Ming bared his teeth. "Just say whether it's true or not!"

"Sigh, you really..."

"Alright, don't worry about that anymore." Li Ming continued to ruffle her head. "Let's go to Baihui Street tonight. Kano and Anshan should be fine at home without causing any trouble."

"Alright then... Hmm? Why are we slowing down?"

Intrepid was vigilant. The moment she noticed the light rail slowing down where it wasn't supposed to stop, she instantly became alert.

In the next moment, the light rail braked hard, turning the once relaxed and leisurely carriage into a mess.

Once Li Ming steadied himself, he saw Glack have a brief, hurried conversation with the conductor. Then the doors opened, and Glack rushed off the train.

Several curious Cadets followed him down, and soon an unsettling piece of news traveled back.

"The Zhongxing Society is blocking the tracks. A lot of people have come..."

The Cadets weren't cowards; they all swarmed off the train, intending to see what was going on.

They saw a group of men with Eastern features holding knives, guns, and clubs, standing in a crowd in front of the train.

Although the light rail could theoretically plow right through, hitting them would almost certainly cause a derailment.

Glack seemed to be talking to the leader, but the middle-aged man leading them leaned on a hoe and didn't seem appreciative.

Until he saw Li Ming.

He pointed at Li Ming, who was protected behind A6 and Intrepid. "I want him to come with us... temporarily."

"What?" Glack's scalp tingled. "Sir, this matter..."

"What? You're saying no?"

"You know the consequences of opposing the Academy."

"But that's a matter for later, isn't it?"

Intrepid prepared to deploy her rigging, but Li Ming waved his hand to stop her.

"I'll talk to them," Li Ming said.

He was about to step forward when Jane and Mina blocked him.

"Are you crazy? They clearly mean you harm!" Mina frowned. "What are you doing going over there now?"

"We have weapons too, why should we be afraid of them?" Jane pulled a pistol from her pocket. "If there's really a problem, it's not their place to handle it."

Li Ming looked left and right at A6 and Intrepid. At this moment, Intrepid's whole body was tense, looking ready to strike at any second.

A6, on the other hand, had relaxed, though her tail was swishing uneasily.

"Alright, classmates... I know what you mean. But I must tell you that if we resort to violence, no one wins. Everyone has Ship Girls; what if something happens here?" Li Ming said, persuading everyone to put their weapons away. "My Ship Girls are right here; nothing will happen to me. Why don't you all leave first?"

"Li, you..." Beads of sweat continued to break out on Glack's face.

"Trust me, Glack," Li Ming said. "They won't do anything to me. Prioritize the safety of the others."

"Tch. You guy, catch!" Mina stamped her foot, threw her sidearm to him, and then boarded the train.

Li Ming caught the gun and smiled helplessly.

"Alright then... Li. Good luck."

"Go quickly, Glack. Don't make your Ship Girl worry."

"Yeah. Everyone else, back on the train!"

Though they were hesitant, everyone boarded the light rail, leaving Li Ming and his two companions behind.

The members of the Zhongxing Society cleared the tracks and let them leave.

The light rail pulled away.

Li Ming walked up to the crowd from the Zhongxing Society and looked at the middle-aged man. "Good evening, Uncle Wang. What are you up to today?"

He glanced sideways at the gathered crowd; there were probably over a hundred people.

Intrepid blinked and looked at A6.

A6 remained expressionless.

"First of all..."

Led by Uncle Wang, the group gave Li Ming a slight bow. "On behalf of the Zhou family, I thank you, young friend."

"Ah?... It was the right thing to do. But Uncle Wang, did you really need to cause such a scene just for this?"

"That's not it. Initially, I just heard that a xia person had joined the Rights Society and came to take a look, but I didn't expect it to be you." Uncle Wang shook his head. "Since it's you, kid, I, Wang Yuan, can trust you."

"Hmm... and if it wasn't me?"

"We'd take him back to the Ancestral Hall for a thorough 'inquiry'."

"Uh..." Was that inquiry the normal kind?

"But since it's you, we were probably overthinking it. We don't believe that someone who just saved one of our own children would turn around and truly betray us."

Actually, theoretically, it's possible. Li Ming complained inwardly. "So, what now? Everyone is gathered here; the Military Police will probably be here in a while."

"Not a problem. Let's head back to Longchuan Workshop first, young friend Li. Speaking of which, I actually have something I want to ask you, but this isn't the place to talk."

Li Ming looked at A6.

A6 shook her phone, indicating she had already notified the others.

"That works. Lead the way, Uncle Wang."

"Right. Boys, let's move out!"

And so, the three of them followed the Zhongxing Society toward Longchuan Workshop.

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