"..." Qin Tianxiong's gut twisted. After all that freaking back and forth, were they right back where they started?
"I was trying to take a shortcut," Gao Neng continued. "I thought if I built a good relationship with you, Lieutenant Qin, before the college entrance exams, I might have a chance to get into the Military University. But it didn't work out. After I got the room at the hotel, I never ran into you, Lieutenant Qin, so... so I just..."
"You just what?" Qin Tianxiong's gaze turned cold.
"I just left... The time for the hourly room was almost up, and I didn't have the money to extend it. Plus, my mom was waiting for me at home for dinner. I had no idea you could even investigate something like this... but I promise, I'll never try to pull strings again! I'm begging you, please don't disqualify me from the college entrance exams..." Gao Neng's face was a mask of fear as he wiped a handful of snot onto Tang De's other pant leg.
Tang De's lips trembled more violently.
He desperately wanted to kick Gao Neng away, but considering his status, he ultimately held back. Instead, he forced what he believed was a kind and amiable smile.
"Gao Neng, stop crying for a moment. You ran to the Golden Grand Hotel late at night and spent forty Alliance Coins on a room. You couldn't have done all that just to get in Lieutenant Qin's back... Oh, I mean, just to curry favor with Lieutenant Qin, right? Nobody would believe that. Also... can you please let go of my leg first?"
"Principal Tang, I was wrong, I was so wrong! Everything I said is true! From now on, I'll get into the Military University on my own merit. I'll never try to pull strings again! Please, I'm begging you, forgive me..." Gao Neng steadfastly refused to let go.
The few military NCOs and the four strangers watching this scene all shook their heads.
'Someone this pathetic wants to get into the Military University?'
'In his dreams!'
'What kind of place is the Military University? It's a place for tenacious men of iron will. How could they possibly accept such a sniveling coward?'
Everyone's hearts filled with contempt.
Gao Neng couldn't care less about any of that. Being despised was exactly what he wanted. Moreover, it wasn't just these people he wanted to disgust; his main target was the "behind-the-scenes" Shen Ning'Er.
If he guessed correctly, even though Shen Ning'Er wasn't in the conference room, she was definitely watching everything inside it via a camera.
Gao Neng had a rough grasp of the situation now.
'There's no concrete evidence.'
'But the looks in Tang De and Qin Tianxiong's eyes were off. Connecting that to Tang Weiwei's identity, it was obvious those two were involved in something. They were probably planning to pin the blame on him together.'
'So, how could he possibly win a direct confrontation with them?'
'Therefore, he could only gamble!'
'Gamble on Shen Ning'Er's pride!'
'As an Alliance Major, a chosen one, a being that incredible... how could Shen Ning'Er possibly allow a stain on her life story like being scared unconscious and pushed over?'
'And by someone this pathetic, no less!'
Gao Neng knew that the more pathetic he acted, the less patience Shen Ning'Er would have to keep watching. When that time came, he might just be saved.
'Still, it seems I need to keep crying for a bit longer, huh?'
Just as he was about to let out another wail, Li Qingping stepped forward at the right moment and offered a pack of clean tissues to Gao Neng.
"Gao Neng, get up first. We all know you want to get into the Military University, but you shouldn't resort to actions like pulling strings anymore. Understand?"
"I understand... Thank you, Principal!"
"Then don't just lie on the floor..."
"Hold it!" Qin Tianxiong frowned, his tone icy.
"Lieutenant Qin, the situation is already quite clear. You wanted to investigate Gao Neng for getting an hourly room at the hotel, and he's given his explanation. Honestly... our school was also shocked to hear that one of your people had an incident at the hotel, but this matter... hasn't it already been settled?"
As Li Qingping spoke, he shot a subtle glance at Tang De, then continued, "Frankly, this kid Gao Neng has always been a good student over the years. I think this whole thing is most likely a misunderstanding..."
"A misunderstanding? A high school senior runs to a hotel late at night and gets a room, all to get in my back... I mean, to curry favor with me. Do you really think that's possible?"
"The boy is simple-minded. I believe him..."
"Principal Li, you're a teacher, so it's natural for you to hold out hope for your students. I can understand that. But trying to pull one over on me, Qin Tianxiong, isn't that easy," Qin Tianxiong cut Li Qingping off.
"Old Li... I'm actually with you, I also think a kid like Gao Neng wouldn't make any serious mistakes. However, since the Military Department is involved, why don't we let Lieutenant Qin finish his interrogation?" Tang De chimed in at the right moment to smooth things over. Then, he forcefully yanked his leg free and sat off to the side.
"Sigh..." Li Qingping sighed and stepped back.
Gao Neng's hands were left empty.
With no "thigh to hug" anymore, he couldn't be bothered to cry out more snot. He just curled into a ball, shaking and shaking, his eyes filled with terror.
Qin Tianxiong paced a few steps around the room, seemingly pondering something. He appeared hesitant, but finally seemed to make up his mind.
He slowly walked over to Gao Neng.
He casually placed a hand on Gao Neng's shoulder, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Kid, I wonder if you've ever heard how the Military Department conducts its interrogations..."
"AH!"
Qin Tianxiong hadn't even finished his sentence.
Gao Neng let out a blood-curdling scream, his head lolled to one side, his eyes rolled back, and his body convulsed as he passed out.
"..." Qin Tianxiong froze for a moment. He looked at the fainted Gao Neng on the floor, then at his own hand, unable to process what had just happened.
'He did use a little force, but not enough to make him faint, right?'
"Lieutenant Qin, what did you do to Gao Neng? Do you have any idea he's just an eighteen-year-old student?!" Li Qingping could no longer stand by.
"I used a small technique, but at most it would just cause him a bit of pain. It shouldn't have made him pass out, right?" Qin Tianxiong felt truly wronged.
"Using torture on a student, you..."
"Ah, don't kill me!"
Just as Li Qingping was about to berate him, Gao Neng shrieked again. He seemed to jolt awake, his legs flailing wildly with all his might.
One of his kicks accidentally landed squarely on Qin Tianxiong's family jewels.
Qin Tianxiong was completely unprepared.
The force of the kick made his face darken.
He was in agony!
A piercing pain!
It felt like his junk was about to explode!
"Lieutenant Qin, I didn't mean to... I really didn't mean to! Don't kill me, ah... please don't kill me! I don't want to die, I'm still young... I'm a future flower of the Alliance..." Gao Neng seemed to realize he had kicked the wrong person and scrambled backward in terror.
Of course, he knew Qin Tianxiong hadn't used any serious force on him, but the man had clearly shown his intent to do so.
With Qin Tianxiong's methods, if he had been allowed to press on his shoulder for long enough, he might have discovered the secret that Gao Neng had broken through the first human limit.
And the role he was playing was that of a weak, sniveling coward...
'This was a secret he couldn't let Qin Tianxiong know, at least not yet.'
'So, he could only feign passing out.'
But he also understood that feigning unconsciousness was only a temporary solution; it treated the symptom, not the root cause. Qin Tianxiong would surely have a way to "wake" him up and then apply his methods again.
'To truly survive this, he had to take a gamble and throw the situation into chaos.'
'He had no other choice...'
'Gao Neng had to deliver that vicious kick to force Qin Tianxiong into a rage.'
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