Shanghai, China, New District.
Encounter Cafe.
A man and a woman sat facing each other by the window on the second floor.
The rich aroma of roasted coffee beans filled the air, mingling with the melodious piano music drifting down from below and into Zhang Yong'an's mind.
He felt that the battle anthem from Zhenxing Pass was more effective at waking his slightly groggy brain.
The woman at the opposite table glanced at Zhang Yong'an, a hint of displeasure in her eyes.
Before Zhang Yong'an could speak, the woman opened her phone and read aloud:
"Zhang Yong'an."
"Thirty-two, first marriage."
"Currently the principal of Shanhe Martial Arts Academy in the New District!"
"Not bad looking either, quite a rare find."
Zhang Yong'an nodded indifferently:
"Just returned from the front lines."
The woman showed no surprise, put down her phone, and fiddled with the 80,000 yuan women's watch she had bought.
"Don't speak yet, listen to me!"
"Since the world has become increasingly chaotic, my time has become very precious. Let's get straight to the point."
Zhang Yong'an opened his mouth, preparing to exchange a few polite words.
But the woman continued:
"Let's be direct. Let me state my criteria. Although I currently have two children, my previous husband died as cannon fodder on the front lines."
"Therefore, I don't accept active martial artists. However, this era is so chaotic, marriage is very important to me, especially marrying a powerful martial artist who can protect me."
Zhang Yong'an put down his coffee cup, his expression calm, and said:
"I understand."
The woman interrupted Zhang Yong'an directly, rolled her eyes, smoothed her hair, and said:
"Listen to me!"
"Both boys are already in junior high school. After we get married, those two kids won't change their surnames. I'm tired of having two, and I don't want to have any more. They can take care of you in your old age."
"Don't feel like you're at a disadvantage. Although I'm seven years older than you, look at me, my appearance and figure haven't changed much. I should be more than a match for an older retired military warrior like you."
"A soldier like you, what good girl would marry you these days?"
"Besides, I heard you were wounded and had to return from the front lines.
If you hadn't never had the chance to go to the battlefield and hadn't been given a job by the Martial Arts Alliance, I would never have agreed to Aunt Wang's blind date with you!"
Zhang Yong'an frowned, but remembering that it was a relative who introduced them, he took a sip of coffee and didn't argue with the woman.
"I heard you have a first-class merit."
"That's great! After we get married, neither of my children will have to go to the front lines."
Zhang Yong'an opened his mouth, then said softly,
"Yes, that's a regulation in China."
Seemingly because Zhang Yong'an interrupted the woman, her sharp gaze returned.
"Haven't you eaten? You sound so weak."
"Can you let me finish?"
"That's basic courtesy for a man!"
The woman continued,
"My two children, thanks to your merit, will be able to attend martial arts school without going to the battlefield. This is very important."
"My children absolutely cannot go to the battlefield as ordinary soldiers, understand!"
"I didn't originally intend to find an active-duty martial artist, but I heard you retired, so I came to you."
"The active-duty soldiers on the front lines, not to mention the clumsy ones, are often cannon fodder. I heard they don't live more than three months."
"Losing an arm or a leg is considered a good outcome. I don't want to serve a disabled person!"
"You'd better not be cannon fodder!"
"I don't want to be a widow again at such a young age. Remarrying would be a real hassle."
The woman spoke with spittle flying, completely unaware that Zhang Yong'an's face had become as dark as a stagnant pool.
He slowly stood up.
Seeing Zhang Yong'an's bad expression, the woman became angry.
"You're leaving after just a few words? Don't make excuses like going to the restroom. Pay the bill first."
"Get down!"
"Really getting down!"
Then she prepared to pick up her bag and leave.
But then, a blurry image suddenly flashed before my eyes,
"Snap!"
A crisp sound,
instantly echoed through the quiet coffee shop,
drawing everyone's attention.
The woman was slapped so hard by Zhang Yong'an that she fell back into her seat, clutching her face.
She stared in disbelief at the man who had been silent just moments before.
Now, Zhang Yong'an's once handsome face was filled with rage.
The woman tried to get up and argue, but the undisguised murderous intent emanating from Zhang Yong'an made her unable to rise.
"Did I give you too much face?!"
"Are you done?!"
"Listen up!"
"Now it's my turn to speak!"
"My first-class merit was earned by over fifty brothers risking their lives. That's the lifelong glory of every martial artist. I deserve it, not to be used as a tool for two scumbags to escape the battlefield!"
"So what if they're disabled retired martial artists? So what if you take care of them? They're combat heroes, the strongest bulwark against the alien race. Without them building an iron wall with their flesh and blood, do you think you'd still be sitting here
drinking coffee!"
"And another thing!"
"Marrying an active-duty martial artist who protects his homeland is the best destiny for any woman. You should go to the front lines and see those young martial artists; many of them have never even touched a woman in their lives before leaving this land!"
"As for you, you're a complete jerk. You should find a coward to lock up with. You shouldn't be harming those martial artists who have shed blood and sacrificed their lives!"
"If it weren't for the federal law protecting you, if you were on a battlefield against alien races, this slap would be enough to smash your head into mud!"
With those words,
Zhang Yong'an pulled a hundred-yuan bill from his wallet, slammed it on the table, and turned to leave with a flourish, leaving behind only his black-clad figure.
Zhang Yong'an couldn't tolerate those unreasonable demands.
Insulting martial artists was something he couldn't tolerate!
He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger,
and felt a pang of sympathy for his brothers who had died at the alien Zhenxing Pass.
He had just stepped out of the coffee shop.
He glanced at his phone:
'6:49.'
Looking at that familiar number, his eyes dimmed.
He had been in this high-martial-arts world of Blue Star for thirty-two years.
Humanity and alien races had fought for a century,
Human nations had formed a unified Blue Star Federation to fight against the aliens,
and he had joined the Federation's 649th Army after graduating from the martial arts academy.
He had spent half his life fighting on the battlefield between the Federation and the aliens, finally retiring due to injury.
Fortunately, he was assigned a job, becoming the principal of a martial arts university thanks to his first-class merit medal; otherwise, life would have been truly difficult.
Thinking about what happened today, the anger he had just felt dissipated almost entirely.
A white-clad figure in military uniform flashed through his mind,
standing amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, healing martial artists.
She was so radiant, but too far removed from him; now, he dared not even dream of her.
He smiled bitterly, "My martial arts foundation has been destroyed; I can't improve my cultivation level. My qi and blood will decline, making me almost like an ordinary person. What's the point of thinking about anything else?"
"I can't even stand a divorced woman with two children."
He laughed self-deprecatingly.
Just then, his phone vibrated.
He picked it up to check.
'The position of principal of Shanhe Martial Arts Academy has been approved.'
'Please sign.'
Zhang Yong'an, squatting by the roadside, signed his name without hesitation—the job he would do for the rest of his life.
The words "Signing successful" popped up at the top of the document.
Zhang Yong'an then prepared to find a car to go home.
Just then, golden characters flashed before his eyes.
[Host: Zhang Yong'an]
[System Introduction: Your strength will be the sum of the strength of all students in the school]
[Current Number of Students: 600]
[Current Position: Principal of Shanhe Martial Arts Academy]
[Accept the strength of all students in the school!]
[Students' improved strength will be retained after graduation]