The atmosphere turned awkward.
Because of Bai Chen's blunt rejection,
the entire hidden base fell into dead silence.
No one had expected—
That when faced with Soi Fon's personal request,
an ice-cold beauty with overwhelming status—
Bai Chen would still reject her outright, without the slightest hesitation.
It completely defied expectations.
Even Soi Fon herself hadn't been prepared for this outcome.
"…Damn it!!!"
"Bai Chen—you really don't know how to behave like a human being!"
"Do you have any idea how much effort Captain Soi Fon spent these past days just trying to find you?!"
After a long pause, once he finally snapped out of his shock—
Ōmaeda exploded.
Face flushed red, he pointed angrily at Bai Chen, shouting at the top of his lungs.
The fat on his face trembled violently as his mouth opened and closed.
However—
Before Bai Chen could even respond—
The very person he was defending snapped at him instead.
"Ōmaeda—shut up!!!"
"Stop embarrassing yourself here!!!"
Soi Fon shot him a cold glare.
The sharp authority in her eyes made Ōmaeda shiver all over.
He immediately clamped his mouth shut, not daring to speak another word.
After reprimanding her subordinate,
Soi Fon turned back to Bai Chen.
Her expression was complicated.
There was no denying it—
Being rejected in front of Shiba Isshin and Matsumoto Rangiku
had seriously bruised her pride.
But—
Being prideful didn't mean being petty.
Suppressing her frustration, Soi Fon once again lowered her stance and spoke calmly:
"Bai Chen…"
"I know this request came suddenly. It was presumptuous."
"Your immediate refusal… I can understand that."
She paused, then continued—
"But…"
Her teeth clenched slightly.
A faint blush crept across her cheeks as she spoke with visible restraint:
"If you're willing to agree…"
"As compensation, I will also fulfill your request."
"So long as the training goes smoothly—
anything is acceptable."
To master the White Combat technique she had obsessed over—
Soi Fon clenched her jaw and went all in.
The moment those words left her mouth—
The others exploded internally.
"W–What?!"
"Anything?! Did I hear that right?!"
"Captain Soi Fon is really going this far? That's brutal…"
Isshin stared at her in disbelief, then raised his thumb in genuine admiration.
Good grief.
She really was desperate.
Lowering her bottom line again and again just to master a technique.
The phrase anything you want was…
dangerously open-ended.
At the same time—
Bai Chen was equally surprised.
"Anything?"
After a brief pause, the corner of Bai Chen's lips curled upward.
With deliberate mischief, his gaze slowly swept over Soi Fon from head to toe.
His eyes lingered on the tight black outfit—
Tracing the perfectly contoured curves beneath it without restraint.
The blatant scrutiny instantly made Soi Fon's face flush deeper red—
A mix of embarrassment and suppressed anger surging within her.
But—
She was the one asking for help.
If she lost her temper now and Bai Chen turned hostile,
everything would be wasted.
So—
Left with no other choice—
Soi Fon endured the humiliation, allowing his gaze to linger, even deliberately crossing boundaries.
The sight left the others utterly stunned.
"This… is real?!"
"The Second Division's iron-fisted captain—being openly teased by a brand-new student?!"
Ōmaeda was completely dumbfounded.
If one ignored Yoruichi Shihōin—
Bai Chen was easily the only man in the last hundred years
who had ever made Soi Fon submit like this.
Just as Bai Chen finished indulging his gaze—
And was about to speak—
A familiar system notification suddenly rang out in his mind.
Ding!
New sign-in task released!
No time limit. Please proceed to the Stealth Force Headquarters to complete sign-in.
Reward upon completion: Shadow Shuriken Clone Technique (Reiatsu-Enhanced Version)!
Bai Chen's eyes lit up instantly.
"The Stealth Force…?"
After a brief pause, he looked at Soi Fon and chuckled softly.
"So that's how it is…"
"If I want the sign-in reward, I'll have to visit Stealth Force Headquarters anyway."
"In that case…"
"There's no reason to refuse her anymore."
Just as Soi Fon was about to give up—
Bai Chen suddenly changed his tone.
"Captain Soi Fon…"
"What you just said—still counts, right?"
"If I help you train, you'll fulfill my request unconditionally?"
"Of course!!!"
Soi Fon's eyes widened in excitement.
At this point, she no longer cared about anything else.
"I, Soi Fon, always keep my promises!"
"Good."
"Then there's no time to waste. We can begin training immediately."
Bai Chen smiled faintly.
The previous sign-in reward—
Darkness Technique—
After system enhancement, it had become comparable to Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi.
So now—
After being reinforced and adapted into spirit-particle form—
Just how terrifying would this Shadow Shuriken Clone Technique become?
Bai Chen was filled with anticipation.
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