"Chloe!"
At Ren Yunying's angry shout, Chloe snapped back to attention and quickly stood up from the ground.
The sudden movement almost caused her to bite through the lollipop in her mouth.
"I'm here, I'm here!" she said hurriedly.
Seeing Ren Yunying's furious expression not far away, Chloe sheepishly walked over, tilting her face up in an attempt to play innocent:
"Instructor Ren, why did you suddenly call me over? We were playing rock-paper-scissors over there, I might not have heard properly..."
Before she could finish speaking, Chloe received a sharp knock on the head.
Chloe: "..."
She pouted resentfully and turned away, refusing to look at anyone.
She clearly wasn't the only one squatting at the entrance of Tagar, so why was she the only one getting hit?
Chloe's expression was so easy to read that, in the interest of fairness, Ren Yunying called the others over and gave them each a knock on the head as well.
Only then did Chloe's expression finally improve somewhat.
The Tagar principal, who had witnessed everything, had a flicker of doubt in his eyes, but it quickly dissipated. He then said with a smile:
"The students from your No.1 Military Academy are certainly lively and interesting young people."
Ren Yunying's face twisted, but she finally managed to say: "Yes... they are."
How could they not be lively?
How many people would have a lollipop in their mouth while meeting with leaders?
After enduring countless glares from Ren Yunying, Chloe finally realized her mistake. She hurriedly bit down on the candy with a loud "crunch" and swallowed it.
The sound was so loud that it instantly drew everyone's attention.
The Tagar principal wore an amused expression, Ren Yunying's eyes were filled with shock and anger, while Qin Huaibei and the others all looked on in admiration—
As expected of their leader, Chloe was truly brave.
The bravest student of The No.1 Military Academy, living up to her reputation.
Chloe raised her eyes in confusion, but upon seeing Ren Yunying's stern face, a chill ran down her spine.
To avoid getting beaten, she quietly inched away.
Surely Ren Yunying wouldn't dare to pull out her whip and flog her right here on the street, not with the Tagar principal present?
Corporal punishment of students was a surefire way to invite divine retribution, especially if the video of it got leaked and went viral.
While silently grumbling to herself, Chloe carefully distanced herself from Ren Yunying.
After Ren Yunying finished her conversation with the Tagar principal, they were finally able to enter Tagar.
As a military talent cultivation base fully supported by the Human Race, Tagar Military Academy occupied a vast area. Walking through it, one could easily mistake it for a prosperous small city rather than a school.
Tagar even had its own dedicated food street.
Chloe's eyes widened as she turned to Qin Huaibei with an accusatory glare:
"Didn't you say Tagar Military Academy was boring and rigid? Why is there a dedicated food street here?!"
Katherine glanced at a nearby sign and exclaimed in shock: "And there are even major brand clothing stores..."
Daniel's eyes turned green with envy: "You lied to us!"
Qin Huaibei frantically tried to explain: "I didn't lie to you! Tagar Military Academy is really quite boring. To be honest, the food street and department stores you're talking about hardly see any students on regular days. Everyone is usually busy training."
Hearing this, Chloe asked: "If that's the case, wouldn't these stores be unable to make a profit? Why do they stay here then?"
Qin Huaibei replied: "While it's true that Tagar Military Academy's training regimen is intense, there's a school-wide music festival held at the end of every month. Not only do all the students participate, but interested civilians from outside can also attend."
"The end of the month is when these businesses make their money, and they make a lot of it. The profits are enormous."
With so many Tagar Military Academy students flocking there, along with outside visitors, it was easy to imagine how much money they could make in just one night.
Chloe pondered for a moment, then suddenly pulled out her terminal to check: "End of the month... it's the end of the month now, isn't it? Does that mean we..."
The girl's eyes lit up, but before she could finish her sentence, a kind, elderly voice came from nearby:
"That's right, our music festival is tomorrow night. I hope you young guests will do us the honor of attending."
Chloe turned to face the sprightly old man in front of her and immediately broke into a bright smile:
"Of course!"
Then, glancing towards Ren Yunying in the distance, she quickly added in a coy tone: "That is, of course, if Instructor Ren allows us to participate. If not, there's nothing we can do about it."
Ren Yunying: "?"
How did this suddenly become about her?
Well, well, looks like someone's learned to play the green tea bitch card.
The Tagar principal laughed heartily, clearly pleased:
"Who says so! If she doesn't let you participate, I'll punish her!"
"When it comes to seniority, this little girl is no match for me!"
The hundreds-of-years-old Ren Yunying had become a "little girl" in the Tagar principal's words.
Ren Yunying could only say helplessly from the side: "Principal..."
Chloe's spirits immediately lifted, and she turned to look at her other companions.
Sure enough, she met four pairs of equally excited eyes.
— They had found themselves a powerful backer!
Without hesitation, Chloe sidled up to the Tagar principal, showering him with sweet words and flattery, making the old man beam so much that the wrinkles on his face seemed to smooth out.
It wasn't until they reached the teaching building that Chloe was finally pulled away by an exasperated Ren Yunying.
"You little rascal, get away!"
Chloe complained pitifully: "Grandpa, look at how she's treating me!"
The Tagar principal deliberately put on a stern face and looked at Ren Yunying: "Is that how you speak to children?!"
Ren Yunying: "..."
She turned and pointed forcefully at Chloe:
"You just wait and see."
Chloe thought to herself that she might as well enjoy this moment of freedom while she could; suffering could be postponed for later.
At that moment, a shrill bell rang out.
Orderly footsteps could be heard coming from the teaching building.
Chloe's attention was drawn to it, and she, along with Qin Huaibei and the others, turned their gaze towards the building.
Before long, people started emerging from both staircases.
Even while going up and down the stairs, they maintained long, neat lines.
With her sharp eyes, Chloe spotted Qu Yan in the crowd.
She waved excitedly: "Sister Qu!"
Hearing the voice, Qu Yan's calm eyes turned in their direction, and she was immediately stunned.
They hadn't seen each other since the Joint Military Academy Competition.
Although they had expected significant changes from before, they hadn't anticipated such a dramatic transformation.
Chloe's long black hair was tied back in a sleek ponytail, her ear piercings and cartilage cuffs defiantly in place. Her figure had grown tall and slender, her appearance blossoming into something even more striking than before—surpassing even the most vivid and eye-catching rose in beauty.
At that moment, she was cheerfully waving her hand.
Daniel stood slightly behind her, his elbow resting casually on Qin Huaibei's shoulder. His red hair was slightly disheveled, as if he had hastily tied it back after getting out of bed. His physique was athletic, the black combat uniform fitting snugly to his form, revealing the natural bulge of veins on his exposed hands.
Qin Huaibei appeared somewhat leaner, with silver-rimmed half-frame glasses perched on his nose bridge. His hair was neatly styled, and his features were refined and handsome. He looked less like someone who would wield weapons in battle and more like a strategist commanding from the rear.
Katherine had grown even more beautiful than before. Her silver-white hair and pupils gave her an otherworldly appearance, as cold and unreachable as the solitary moon in the night sky.
This celestial moon now stood beside Chloe, reaching out to brush her slightly disheveled hair behind her back.
As for Anderson...
When Qu Yan saw him, the first thing she noticed wasn't his face, but rather the dangerous and terrifying aura that surrounded him.
He was like a dark and cold-blooded venomous snake.
