Chapter 67: Benefactor

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Benefactor

"Pfft, I’ve done way more impressive things than that." Lin Jingjing waved a hand, not bothering with modesty.

"I’ve done something even more incredible." Lin Jingjing slung an arm around his shoulder. "I once took out a few Red winged Beasts, picking them off one by one with a heavy sniper rifle."

When Aidan heard this, he turned to look at Lin Jingjing’s face, his eyes wide.

"Was that during the mutant beast invasion?" Aidan quickly asked.

"That’s the one!" Lin Jingjing patted his shoulder. "My crew and I were just delivering some food when it all went down, so we jumped in to help."

"Did you save a blue Mecha that day?" Aidan pressed.

’A blue Mecha...’

Lin Jingjing thought for a moment. The Mecha had, in fact, been blue.

"That’s right."

Upon getting her definitive answer, an expectant Aidan cried out, "My savior!"

Before Lin Jingjing could even process what was happening, he pulled her into a tight hug. "The person who saved me that day... it was you!"

"I’ve been looking for the person who saved me ever since I got back. I asked so many people, but they all said it wasn’t them. I can’t believe I’ve finally found you." Aidan’s voice trembled with emotion. If it hadn’t been for Lin Jingjing, he really would have died under the claws of that Red winged Beast.

"Please do not stop walking," the robot’s voice reminded the two of them.

Aidan let go of Lin Jingjing and said, "Right, right."

The two arrived at the punishment chamber. Once inside, Lin Jingjing expertly locked the shackles onto her own wrists.

Once she was done, she steeled herself and waited for the robot to begin.

’It’s just fifty lashes. I can take it!’

She had braced herself, but the moment the whip struck, Lin Jingjing’s brow still furrowed in pain.

Every lash from the robot was delivered with immense force, a pain that felt like it was sinking into her very bones.

"Aidan, you owe me a Grade A Recovery Potion when we get out of here!"

"My body’s a complete mess. Nothing less than a Grade A will fix this."

Gritting her teeth against the pain, Lin Jingjing finally couldn’t bear it anymore and yelled at Aidan.

Aidan wasn’t faring much better. Each strike of the rod made him cry out in pain.

Hearing Lin Jingjing’s demand, Aidan managed a pained laugh. "Deal!"

The door to the punishment chamber was open. Shi Feng and Gu Kaiwen stood in the doorway, watching the two being punished by the robots.

Neither said a word, their lips pressed into a thin line, but their eyes were fixed on Lin Jingjing.

The fifty lashes were over quickly. Lin Jingjing, unable to stay on her feet, collapsed to the floor.

The two men rushed in, helping Lin Jingjing up. Supporting her from either side, they carried her out of the punishment chamber.

"Hehe, what are you guys doing here?" Lin Jingjing asked with a grin.

Shi Feng’s face was a stony mask, and he remained silent. Gu Kaiwen, however, burst out indignantly, "We heard what you did in the mess hall!"

"You just recovered! Why would you go and do something like this? Don’t you care about your own body?"

It was obvious Gu Kaiwen was furious. Shi Feng hadn’t said a word, but it was clear he was just as angry.

Lin Jingjing gave an awkward laugh. "My body’s important, sure, but I was just trying to help."

"Help? Or just trying to be a hero?" Shi Feng finally spoke, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

They brought her to the infirmary. The moment the nurse saw the three of them, her expression soured.

’Especially when she saw the wounded Lin Jingjing. If it weren’t for this girl, would we be this busy?’

But they couldn’t refuse a patient, so she had no choice but to treat Lin Jingjing with a sullen expression.

Once her wounds were mostly healed, the nurse promptly gathered her tools and left.

Gu Kaiwen and Shi Feng conferred for a moment before deciding to send Gu Kaiwen back to the punishment chamber.

They were worried that after the boy’s punishment was over, no one would bring him for medical attention, and he might bleed to death in there.

Gu Kaiwen left, leaving just Lin Jingjing and Shi Feng in the corridor.

Shi Feng sat down beside her and sighed. "Sister Lin, please don’t do things that’ll get you hurt like this again."

"You only just recovered. Your body might be healthy now, but it can’t withstand a beating like that."

Hearing Shi Feng’s concerned words, Lin Jingjing scratched her head in embarrassment. "Don’t worry," she said quickly, "I definitely won’t be so impulsive next time."

Having spent so much time together, they all knew each other’s personalities inside and out.

Lin Jingjing might be saying "no next time" now, but they knew she’d do the same thing if a similar situation arose.

She’d always been like this—always one to step in and right a wrong. Even when she was clearly outnumbered, Lin Jingjing would still choose to fight them all by herself.

She’d lose, of course, and end up covered in wounds.

Lin Jingjing was always so impulsive when it came to things like this. Shi Feng sighed. "You really think I’m going to believe you?"

"You have to believe me!" Lin Jingjing insisted.

"Fine, I’ll believe you," Shi Feng warned. "But if you make the same mistake again, you’re done for."

"I promise I won’t!" Lin Jingjing shot back.

After bickering for a moment, Lin Jingjing’s expression changed as she remembered something. "Shi Feng," she said urgently, "I’m completely washed up."

"My Spirit Level isn’t Grade D anymore... it’s dropped to Grade F!" Lin Jingjing said, her voice full of misery.

’From Grade D to Grade F.’

It was completely unheard of, yet here was a living, breathing example right in front of him.

’I really don’t know what to make of it.’

"What happened?" Shi Feng was still in disbelief.

"It’s true," Lin Jingjing insisted, nodding emphatically. "

After hearing her out, Shi Feng found the whole thing bizarre. ’For Sister Lin’s spiritual power to decrease instead of increase... how strange.’

"Well, about that..." Shi Feng began, trying to think of how to comfort her. "It’s strange, for sure, but Sister Lin, you’re exceptionally gifted. Your spiritual power might have dropped, but your actual combat strength has gone up!"

"We don’t care about things like grades. As long as you can defeat the enemy, that’s all that matters."

Hearing Shi Feng put it that way, Lin Jingjing had to admit he had a point.

"You’re right. As long as I can beat the enemy, that’s all that counts," Lin Jingjing said, coming to terms with it.

’Besides, my spiritual power isn’t weak. The whole reason I got these fifty lashes was for using my spiritual power in the first place.’

Just then, Gu Kaiwen returned with Aidan. He had taken one hundred strikes with the rod and was now unconscious.

His back was a bloody mess; it was clear the robot hadn’t held back at all.

"Is he that bad?" Shi Feng asked, surprised at his condition.

"One hundred strikes. He passed out from the pain," Gu Kaiwen replied. "The head nurse already gave him a Recovery Potion. He should wake up in a bit."

"Oh, right. Do you know how to give an injection?"

Shi Feng shook his head. "I don’t."

"The head nurse told me to give him this. Said it’s to replenish his blood." Gu Kaiwen gently set Aidan down on a nearby chair, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial.

Lin Jingjing immediately raised her hand. "I know how. Feng He taught me."

After handing the supplies to Lin Jingjing, the two men stood aside and watched her work.

Watching Lin Jingjing expertly slide the needle into Aidan’s arm, the two men nodded in approval.