Chapter 108: Commendation and Reward

Chapter 108: Chapter 108: Commendation and Reward

Time slowly passed. The buzz around the Disaster Beast Tide gradually faded as people’s attention shifted to other things.

Seven days after the Spring Festival, it was nearly the end of January.

Middle schools across the country began to reopen one after another.

Tianhai No. 2 Middle School was no exception.

Rongshan District, Building 4, Apartment 301. Lin Qi’s home.

BEEP!

[Your bank card ending in xxx received a deposit of 1,500,000 Xia Country Coins on January 22 at 21:00. Current balance: 1,561,400 Xia Country Coins.]

Sitting on the sofa, Lin Qi smiled when he saw the text message on his phone. The money had finally arrived.

Any later and he would have been broke.

"Little Qi, I’m planning to go back to No. 10 Middle School as a Martial Arts Instructor after school starts," Lin Zhen said suddenly.

"Little Qi, your father and I discussed it. I’m thinking of going to No. 10 Middle School to teach as well. We can look out for each other, and it’ll bring in some money."

"And I can pick up my Martial Arts again in my free time."

Fang Huiyi added.

"I have no problem with that. I support your decision!"

Lin Qi nodded. The family’s debts were paid off, and his dad’s Qi and Blood Value was gradually recovering.

With his original strength and skills as a Third Realm Martial Artist, he could earn tens of thousands of Xia Country Coins a month as a Martial Arts Instructor.

It was more than enough for his Martial Arts recovery. His mom was also getting better, and life at home was looking up.

...

「Late that night.」

Lin Qi was lying in bed playing on his phone when it chimed. It was a message from Zhang City on WeChat.

[Zhang City: Lin Qi, there’s an awards ceremony after the school opening assembly tomorrow. The leaders from the Martial Arts Education Bureau and the Three Great Martial Arts Dojos will be there to commend you, Li Zhou, and Jiangtao.]

Lin Qi frowned. Going on stage to receive an award—he wasn’t a fan of this kind of event.

Just as he was thinking this, another message from Zhang City arrived.

[Zhang City: If you go on stage, everyone gets a reward of 500,000 Xia Country Coins.]

[Lin Qi: Okay!]

Lin Qi’s fingers relaxed and his brow smoothed out. ’Fine, I’ll go on stage,’ he thought. ’For the sake of 500,000 Xia Country Coins.’

On the other end, Zhang City let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

"This kid... if there wasn’t any money involved, he really might have refused to go on stage."

...

「January 23rd. The first day of school at Tianhai No. 2 Middle School. The weather was clear.」

On the spacious athletic field, students from all three grades, both liberal arts and martial arts, stood in formation by class.

In previous years, everyone would have had disgruntled looks on their faces.

For students, the opening ceremony was the most boring event of all.

But today, many of them were looking at the main stage with curiosity.

"What’s going on today?"

"I’m not seeing things, am I? That’s He Qidong, the director of the Martial Arts Education Bureau! I just saw him on a short-form video a few days ago!" someone asked in confusion.

"Holy crap, and that’s Yue Feng, the Vice Hall Master of the Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo! I saw a video of him killing a Ghost-toothed Giant Shark. He was so awesome," someone else said, their eyes wide.

"That’s not all! The Vice Hall Masters of the Chongming and Obsidian Martial Arts Dojos are here too. They’re all major figures!" The crowd was both confused and excited.

"Could it be like what people were saying? I heard a senior from our No. 2 Middle School killed dozens of Calamity Beasts during the Disaster Beast Tide," someone ventured a guess.

"For real? They’re really from our school?" A buzz of discussion swept through the crowd.

A commotion rippled across the athletic field, and countless students were itching with curiosity.

All because the main stage was now furnished with expensive chairs, occupied by several heavyweight figures.

The grade-level director, a portly, middle-aged man with glasses, stood up. He wore a small, black microphone near the corner of his mouth.

"On this clear and sunny day, we at Tianhai No. 2 Middle School officially welcome the start of the new semester."

"We..."

He then launched into another boring speech, but the students’ attention was fixed on the dignitaries.

After his ten-minute-or-so opening speech ended, Principal Jiang Zhiguang stepped forward and spoke, his voice booming like a great bell.

"I won’t give a speech. The opening ceremony is over. Next up is the awards ceremony!"

Everyone looked at him, their curiosity piqued.

"Eight days ago, a small-scale Disaster Beast Tide erupted in our Celestial Sea City’s Wanda Plaza. Countless Calamity Beasts swarmed out and launched a brutal assault on innocent people."

"When faced with the weak, they slaughter and devour without hesitation!"

"The plaza was filled mostly with ordinary people—children, the elderly, women... Faced with the Calamity Beasts, all they could do was wait for death in despair."

As Jiang Zhiguang spoke with a grave expression, the students’ faces also grew solemn.

"In the face of the Calamity Beasts’ rampage, three students from our school stepped forward."

"Disregarding their own safety, they killed dozens of Calamity Beasts during the tide and saved dozens of civilians!"

"Who are they?!"

"They are Lin Qi, Li Zhou, and Jiangtao from the third-year Martial Arts Elite Class!"

"After discussions between the Celestial Sea City Martial Arts Education Bureau and the Three Great Martial Arts Dojos, it has been decided to bestow upon them the honorary title of ’Outstanding Young Martial Artist’ and reward them each with 500,000 Xia Country Coins as encouragement!"

"Now, let’s welcome these three students to the stage with a round of applause!"

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! The people on the main stage were the first to applaud.

An earth-shattering wave of applause followed.

In the third-year section, within the Elite Class, Zhang City grinned. "Lin Qi, Li Zhou, Jiangtao, go on!"

Lin Qi glanced around and, under the admiring gazes of everyone present, stepped out from the crowd.

He led the way as the three of them walked onto the main stage.

The other students erupted.

"I never thought Lin Qi would become so badass," Li Shaodong from the original Class 3 remarked with a sigh.

His own grades used to be higher than Lin Qi’s, but now the guy was second in the grade and being honored in front of the whole school, while he himself had made little progress.

Quite a few others felt the same way.

The underclassmen were in an uproar as well.

"Whoa, so it really was our seniors who fought in the Disaster Beast Tide! And they’re the top three in their grade! So cool!"

"I heard the most inspirational and fiercest one is Senior Lin Qi. I have to brag to my friends about this," one student said, their eyes filled with adoration.

"No, Senior Lin Qi is also the most handsome," a girl swooned.

"Yeah, even as a guy, I think Senior Lin Qi is handsome. How can a person be that good-looking!" a boy sighed.

Amid the thunderous applause, Lin Qi and the other two arrived on the main stage.

The various leaders stood up one by one. He Qidong was the first, extending a hand to Lin Qi.

"Student Lin Qi, you are outstanding. Keep up the good work!"

"Thank you!"

Lin Qi reached out and shook his hand.

He Qidong looked at Lin Qi, his eyes filled with amazement. Who could have imagined that a once-ordinary student, someone who had even been rejected for a third-tier genius loan, would become one of Celestial Sea City’s most outstanding geniuses.

Next was Yue Feng, who smiled and patted Lin Qi on the shoulder.

"Student Lin Qi, I’m Wang Zhenhai from the Chongming Martial Arts Dojo. If you ever want to join Chongming, feel free to contact me anytime," Wang Zhenhai said with a friendly smile.

Lin Qi just smiled without giving an answer.

The leaders from the various Martial Arts Dojos all expressed their goodwill.

Finally, Jiangtao took a step to the side, consciously leaving the center position open. Seeing this, Li Zhou didn’t move either.

Seeing his chance, Lin Qi didn’t hesitate and stepped right into the C-spot.

A group of students in the Elite Class saw this and were confused. "That’s weird. Isn’t Li Zhou first in our grade? Why are they letting Lin Qi take the C-spot?" someone wondered.

"No idea!" The others looked just as puzzled.

At that moment, Yu Jing watched Lin Qi, who was being showered with praise, his own face dark and ashen.

Something was churning violently inside him.

He was so jealous he was about to come apart at the seams.

’Go ahead and smile. Soon enough, the number one spot in our grade will be mine,’ Yu Jing seethed internally.

...

Meanwhile, Lin Qi accepted a gold-inlaid medal from a beaming Principal Jiang Zhiguang. It was crafted from pure gold and radiated a brilliant luster.

A staff member in front took a group photo of everyone.

Lin Qi broke into a smile—a genuinely happy one.

He was happy about the extra 500,000 Xia Country Coins.

It also signaled the official end of the awards ceremony!

All the students and leaders began to disperse!

However, just as Lin Qi and the other two were about to leave the stage, the principal led them to his office door.

"I’m taking you to meet someone," Jiang Zhiguang said at the door.

"Who?" Jiangtao asked.

"Your senior. The number one student from last year’s graduating class," Jiang Zhiguang explained.

The curiosity of all three was piqued.

...