79: Chapter 79 (Final Chapter)

Wanting to stay at home and being forced to stay at home feel like worlds apart.

Eat and sleep, sleep and eat; even when practicing Psychic Power, I couldn't help but feel restless and distracted, as if a sense of idleness-induced agitation was seeping out from between my bones.

The next afternoon, Lin Ning really couldn't take it anymore.

He found the "Little Poplar" still standing straight at the door and suggested, "Li Chao, is there a place to exercise here? Since we're idle anyway, shall we spar?"

Li Chao turned his head, his gaze clear, "You can't beat me. We can't spar."

Lin Ning: "???"

He was stunned for two seconds and couldn't help but ask, half-seriously and half-mockingly, "You speak so 'straightforwardly,' do your seniors or colleagues ever beat you up?"

Li Chao seemed to really think about it, then scratched his head, a look of confusion appearing on his face, "Why would they beat me? The captain and teammates are all very good to me. After sparring with me, they highly acknowledge my skills and often praise me. Whenever there's a mission to gain face abroad, they always think of me first."

Lin Ning: "..." That's what I think it means, right?!

"Fine, fine, fine," Lin Ning gave up, "It's me who wants to witness your skills and have you 'guide' me, that's fine, right?"

Only then did Li Chao carefully look him up and down, his gaze like he was evaluating a piece of material that needed reworking.

After a while, he reluctantly nodded, "Alright. I see your physical foundation is quite good, but your muscle engagement when walking is loose, and there are many openings. Wanting to change that requires hard work and is very time-consuming."

He paused and added with extra seriousness, "Don't go whining halfway through and run to complain to my leader."

Lin Ning: "..."

He felt his fists clenching.

The underground training ground.

Forty minutes later.

Lin Ning, who had taken countless punches and been kicked countless times, shouted.

"Stop! Stop, stop, stop—!"

Lin Ning stumbled back a few steps and plopped onto the ground, rubbing his shins continuously. Tears were about to come out; it was damn painful! The pain was secondary; the key was the frustration.

"You... you call this guidance?" he asked, panting heavily, "Isn't this just purely beating me up? What happened to the agreement to help me adjust my flaws?"

Li Chao finished his stance and stood still, looking matter-of-fact, even with a hint of confusion like "how can you not understand this": "Haven't I been demonstrating all along? The way I used force and the attack angles every time I hit you were demonstrations of your error points."

He looked at Lin Ning's confused expression, sighed, and said earnestly, "You can't just take the hits with your body; you have to watch with your eyes and think with your brain. Sigh, your insight and comprehension still need work."

Lin Ning felt a mouthful of blood stuck in his chest. Why the hell didn't you say so earlier? And is this any way to teach someone?

If he hadn't known what kind of "single-celled organism" Li Chao was, he would have definitely thought Li Chao's words were pure sarcasm. Forget it, he understood now: this guy had off-the-charts combat power but absolutely couldn't teach anyone, and his EQ had hit rock bottom.

"Let's, let's stop here for today..." Lin Ning grimaced and gave up, hurriedly waving his hand, "You've worked hard, go take a rest."

Li Chao stood where he was, his breathing steady, not even breaking a sweat. The look he gave Lin Ning carried a faint pity, like "looking at a junior who is unpromising and can't endure hardship," and he shook his head, "I'm not tired. You, you are neither willing to use your brain nor able to endure hardship. Sigh~~~"

That sigh was long and sincere.

Lin Ning felt his teeth itching; he really wanted to bite him to death!!!

Just then, the communicator hanging on Li Chao's shoulder rang.

His expression changed instantly, filled with complete respect and focus.

"At the underground training ground."

"Yes!"

The communication ended, and he looked at Lin Ning, his voice short and forceful, "Division Chief Chen wants you in his office, quickly! Double time, move!"

Lin Ning: "..." He hadn't felt as speechless in his entire life as he had since meeting Li Chao; he was truly speechless to the core!

Division Chief Chen's office.

When Lin Ning entered, covered in dust and looking disheveled, Li Chao had already returned to being that "Little Poplar" standing like a door god, guarding the door ramrod straight.

Division Chief Chen's gaze swept over Lin Ning's wrinkled and messy clothes, the corners of his mouth curving slightly, and a flash of schadenfreude quickly passed through his eyes.

He cleared his throat and returned to his serious demeanor, "The relevant personnel and associated subjects of Wutong Garden and Collamela International Co., Ltd. have all been brought into the monitoring network. Your security clearance has been lifted; you can go home."

Lin Ning understood immediately. They were under surveillance; as soon as they moved, this side would know, so he was safe.

"Brother Chen, from your monitoring feedback, did my previous tailing... show any signs of exposure?" He wanted to confirm this; it concerned the calibration of his own judgment.

"Currently, there are no signs that you have been counter-tracked or marked." Afraid that Lin Ning would get cocky, Division Chief Chen said sternly, "No signs doesn't mean you haven't been targeted, and it doesn't mean you haven't been exposed all along. I don't want to see what happened this time happen again. I will reiterate: this is our home turf, and you are not a lone hero!"

"Understood! I guarantee there won't be a next time!" Lin Ning immediately stated his position.

Division Chief Chen nodded, signaling that he could leave.

Lin Ning sat still and asked curiously, "Besides Director Li Zheng and the artists they 'sponsored' to fame, have you caught any other leads on the personnel they've subverted and controlled?"

Division Chief Chen was silent. The necessary controls were in place, so it wasn't a confidential matter. However, he had come up from his youth; he knew what kind of impact it would have on the beliefs of someone with a heart for justice and their country to see people entrusted with power by the people betraying their nation for money and women.

But Lin Ning's uniqueness destined him to walk between light and darkness, destined to face more of the dark side. Blind protection might cause him to make misjudgments in the future, brewing disastrous consequences.

Seeing Division Chief Chen silent, Lin Ning shrugged, "Is it confidential? If you can't say it, forget it."

Division Chief Chen spoke at this moment, his voice somewhat strained, "There are also several officials from the cultural department and people from publishing houses."

"The cultural department??? How many is 'several'? Have they formed a gang?" A wave of anger shot straight to Lin Ning's head, and he asked without thinking, "Why? Because that foreign woman has big breasts and lots of tricks?"

Lin Ning spoke crudely, but Division Chief Chen could understand his anger.

He nodded, "The honey trap has been an old but effective tactic since ancient times, hasn't it?"

"Damn it! How will you handle them? I've been searching and learning about this for the past two days, and I just don't understand: why are espionage charges so light in our country? Are you playing house? It's not even as heavily sentenced as stealing two birds—two or three years, do you think that's reasonable?"

"Many foreign spies are even just deported. You should kill one for every one you catch! At least let them have some misgivings, don't be so unscrupulous."