I Got Together With the Fake Heiress - Chapter 67

With their speed deliberately slowed down, when Wen Yunqing arrived at Instructor Lu Zhiming’s Dormitory 302, Lu Zhiming was inside, looking at documents, seemingly no different than usual.

“Oh, you are here. All the ingredients are in the refrigerator; just take whatever you want,” Lu Zhiming said, not moving from her desk. It was unclear if she was genuinely looking at documents or just reading something unimportant.

Thinking of the scene she had just witnessed, Wen Yimeng couldn’t help but look at her a few more times. She then noticed that Lu Zhiming’s skin was exceptionally good, without any wrinkles or spots. The only minor point was that it wasn’t delicate to the point of being “breakable by a breath,” and while not very pale, it looked very healthy.

“Student Wen Yimeng, is there something you wanted to ask me?” Lu Zhiming quickly noticed her gaze, turned sideways, and inquired.

Wen Yimeng paused for a moment. “I wanted to ask Instructor Lu, will there be any special arrangements for the military training ahead? What are the specific programs?”

Lu Zhiming rotated her chair to face Wen Yimeng. “The first week involves more fundamental training. Once you finish practicing the route step and goose step, obstacle running and exercises related to limb strength will be added.”

“The second week will increase the difficulty, requiring you to do loaded running, then learn some first aid methods, and be taught a set of military martial arts and some grappling techniques.”

“As for the third week, you probably saw it on the school forum: it is live-fire training, where you will recognize common firearms and ammunition, and learn how to use common military equipment and props.”

As she spoke, Lu Zhiming’s voice suddenly softened. “I’ll give you a heads-up: the last two days of military training will be quite spectacular. You will participate in a simulated military exercise.”

“A simulated military exercise?” Wen Yunqing’s attention was also drawn in. “You won’t make us drill with the regular army, will you?”

Lu Zhiming shook her head, giving a mysterious smile, and did not reveal any specific information regardless of how Wen Yunqing questioned her.

Since they were already there, Wen Yunqing and Wen Yimeng made free use of Lu Zhiming’s bathroom, then comfortably enjoyed the air conditioning. It wasn’t until ten o’clock that each of them took an apple and slowly made their way back to their own dorm room.

“Wen Yunqing, you aren’t a special operative sent by the state to infiltrate Jing University, are you?” Back in the dorm, Liang Shiyou could no longer contain her curiosity.

“If I were an undercover operative, why would the instructor treat me so specially?” Wen Yunqing countered. “Wouldn’t that be indirectly exposing me?”

Liang Shiyou nodded, finding Wen Yunqing’s reasoning quite sound. “Then, is it convenient for you to disclose who you are?”

“Me? I am just an ordinary person, with a bit of money, who possesses a somewhat special ability, and was therefore recruited by the state,” Wen Yunqing said, half-truthfully and half-falsely. “My ability is inconvenient to disclose, but anyway, it is just a little bit better than the average person’s, which is why I receive some preferential treatment.”

Liang Shiyou nodded, understanding somewhat but not entirely. Although she couldn’t figure out what Wen Yunqing’s special ability was, she was absolutely certain that the ‘little bit better’ she mentioned was false; it must be ‘exceptionally outstanding.’

Yu Man was likely struck by the instructor’s attitude toward Wen Yunqing, and for the following few days, she was remarkably obedient and stopped causing trouble during daily training.

The instructor was greatly relieved by this. Seeing Yu Man cooperate fully with the training, he even gave her face by publicly praising her, commending her willingness to admit and correct her mistakes as a rare and commendable quality.

Yu Man’s expression was subtle upon hearing the instructor’s praise. It wasn’t that she genuinely acknowledged her mistake; rather, she had called home to complain that night and was subsequently fiercely criticized by her mother, who was well-informed of the situation and thoroughly understood the relevant regulations.

Yu Man’s mother was very clear about which military unit was responsible for the Jing University military training this time. Hearing from her foolish daughter’s description that the unit’s instructor and supervisor were both extremely preferential toward Wen Yunqing, she could roughly deduce Wen Yunqing’s importance.

Yu Man’s previous audacity to express dissatisfaction toward the instructor and supervisor was entirely due to having a capable mother backing her. Now that her capable mother had harshly criticized her, she lost the nerve to act up and naturally became compliant.

During the subsequent training, Wen Yunqing continued to receive preferential treatment from the instructor. The reason was simple: Wen Yunqing’s movements were perfectly standard, no less proficient than those of an instructor in the military unit.

The instructor pondered for a moment and decided to simply use Wen Yunqing as a “carrot” dangling in front of the students. He announced to the company that anyone whose goose step and route step movements were as standard as hers would also be eligible for the same preferential treatment.

Upon hearing the instructor’s words, the morale of the entire company instantly changed. Everyone worked exceptionally hard, and everyone wanted to become the second Wen Yunqing.

Looking at the much neater formation, the instructor’s mouth curved into an arc. He was very satisfied with this change and even shared his strategy with the other instructors during the students’ break time.

As the ‘carrot’ hanging in front of them, Wen Yunqing’s most important role was to continuously motivate these students to standardize their movements. Therefore, Wen Yunqing watched and listened as the instructor kept repeating phrases like “Almost there,” “A little bit faster,” and “Try harder,” and trained the company for an entire day.

It was only close to the end that the instructor selected two students with standard movements, allowing them to sit and rest beside Wen Yunqing for the last half hour.

“I thought the instructor was just talking, but I didn’t expect him to actually let me rest,” exclaimed Wen Yimeng, one of the selected students. “My movements must be genuinely standard, right? I am not relying on any backdoor connections?”

“Of course. Don’t doubt yourself. If I were first, you would certainly be second,” Wen Yunqing said, twisting open the bottle cap and handing over the water bought from the tuck shop.

“I truly believe you now,” Wen Yimeng said, taking the bottle of mineral water and drinking small sips.

“Student, would you like a bottle of water?” Wen Yunqing took another unopened bottle and offered it to the other selected person.

The person offered the water was slightly surprised but accepted it, as she was genuinely thirsty. “Thank you. I am Song Xiu from Class 2.”

Wen Yunqing nodded, making a mental note of the name. “Student Song Xiu, you are welcome.”

After the morning drill on the last day of the first week ended, the instructor did not immediately lead the team to the mess hall for a meal; instead, he made everyone stand in parade rest for ten minutes.

“From now until eleven o’clock tonight, this is your free time,” the instructor said as he walked. “Normally, you would not be allowed to leave the base, but since you are not real recruits after all, you are permitted to leave the training base today. However, remember to prioritize safety, and you must return to the base before nine o’clock tonight and be back in your dorm room before eleven. Do you understand?”

“Understood!” This time, the response was louder than at any point during the training.

“Attention all! Stand tall! Dismissed!” The instructor watched the students’ performance and silently shook his head, wishing they could shout their commands this loudly during training.

As soon as the word “Dismissed” was uttered, the people in the company scattered faster than ever. Wen Yimeng excitedly dragged Wen Yunqing back to change clothes to go out for some fresh air.

“Ahem, excuse me, is Student Wen Yunqing here? May I take up a little bit of your time?” Lu Zhiming appeared at the dorm room door wearing civilian clothes.

Wen Yunqing glanced at the others in the room, then stood up and walked toward the door. “Don’t tell me you have a mission for me to handle right now.”

Lu Zhiming shook her head, then pulled out her phone and opened a picture. “Gu Ling’s injuries are healing exceptionally fast, and the people from the Special Affairs Department found this on her. It should be something you put there, right?”

Wen Yunqing looked at the picture, her eyebrow raised slightly. “I put the item on Gu Ling at the very beginning. The Special Affairs Department is only just discovering it now?”

“The first people to discover it were the emergency medical staff. They thought this Spirit Gathering Talisman (Jù Líng Fú) was originally carried by Gu Ling, so they just kept it pressed under her pillow. It was only later, when her injuries recovered too quickly, that this Talisman was discovered.”

Lu Zhiming briefly explained, then lowered her voice and hinted, “This matter has been reported. The people in the Special Affairs Department have taken a liking to this Spirit Gathering Talisman. This shouldn’t be something you drew yourself, right?”

Wen Yunqing raised an eyebrow, understanding Lu Zhiming’s implication. “If I say that I drew it, what would happen to me?”

Lu Zhiming’s voice became even softer. “The Special Affairs Department has recently recruited quite a few new people. This Spirit Gathering Talisman was discovered by one of the newcomers. If you claim you can draw this talisman, some troublemakers might use this to coerce the Special Affairs Department into making you submit a few every month as a benefit for them.”

“Coerce the Special Affairs Department?” Wen Yunqing sneered. “Just tell the Special Affairs Department directly that I drew this talisman, and if others want one, they should come and ask me for it themselves.”

“Remember to relay this to them: tell them to think carefully before they come—whether they are worthy of using this Spirit Gathering Talisman,” Wen Yunqing said. Truly, the bigger the forest, the more kinds of birds you find. Who gave them the audacity?

Lu Zhiming replied, “Are you sure? This batch of recruits is quite numerous, and there are even some spirits among them.”

“I am sure. But do not reveal my specific personal information to them, especially the relationship between me and Wen Yimeng. I do not want her existence to be known by those new members,” Wen Yunqing stated. “Just send me the list of names and addresses of those who want the Spirit Gathering Talisman, and I will personally deliver the items to them one by one.”

Lu Zhiming let out a soft sigh. After thinking for a moment, she decided against offering any words of persuasion, as she herself had been a rebellious troublemaker when she first joined the Special Affairs Department. However, Wen Yunqing should be different from herself. Her strength was formidable, and the Special Affairs Department might truly be unable to handle her.

Wen Yunqing asked, “By the way, how is Gu Ling doing now? How is her recovery?”

Lu Zhiming replied, “Thanks to your Spirit Gathering Talisman, she is out of danger now. She can probably be released after lying in a regular ward for about a week.”

Wen Yunqing nodded. “Send me Gu Ling’s location later. A friend of hers would probably really like to see her.”

“Alright,” Lu Zhiming agreed with a nod.

“Oh, and remember to return the Spirit Gathering Talisman to Gu Ling; I gave it to her,” Wen Yunqing added. “Taking something without asking is stealing, and I dislike thieves the most.”

Lu Zhiming rubbed her temples. It seemed Wen Yunqing had quite a temper. “I will relay that to the other party.” She hoped Mu Kuan (慕寬) would not be blinded by temporary gain and that he would remain level-headed to make the correct choice.

Lu Zhiming’s arrival was a minor interlude. Wen Yunqing’s good mood was not much affected. Seeing Wen Yimeng applying sunscreen, the smile on her face reappeared.

“Are you ready?” Wen Yunqing asked with a smile.

Wen Yimeng put on a small satchel. “Almost. Let’s go.”

Training had indeed been exhausting, so Wen Yimeng placed a full-body massage at their first stop (scratch that, a full-body massage). She immediately found a professional beauty salon, quickly charged 100,000 yuan to her account, and settled down comfortably.

Wen Yunqing somewhat reluctantly lay down next to Wen Yimeng. Using this level of massage to relieve fatigue was less effective than if she were to use her spiritual power to help guide the energy flow.

“Life is about enjoying oneself. I want to relax with you,” Wen Yimeng said with a smile. She knew Wen Yunqing could relieve her own fatigue, but the problem was that she couldn’t help Wen Yunqing relieve hers.

Rather than enjoying it alone, Wen Yimeng felt it was better to enjoy it together with her.

After finishing the full-body massage, Wen Yunqing’s phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, she quickly answered.

“Thank you! Thank you both so much! I have already seen Gu Ling, and I am extremely grateful!” Ning Qiu, the caller, kept expressing his gratitude and only managed to stop after saying it countless times. “If possible, after Gu Ling is discharged from the hospital, we would like to treat you to a meal.”

“That sounds fine. But we are currently in military training, so how about I contact you when I have time?” Wen Yunqing said, reaching out to smooth the stray hairs near Wen Yimeng’s ear.

“Great! We will treat you to a feast then!” Ning Qiu said, unable to stop himself from wiping away tears with the back of his hand. “Although I’ve said it many times, Gu Ling and I both want to express our thanks. Thank you so much! In the future, if there is anything you need from us, we will definitely do our best to help.”

“Alright. If we are in need, I will contact you,” Wen Yunqing said, a slight smile appearing at the corner of her mouth. Although she didn’t need such a promise, since Ning Qiu was willing to say it, her Spirit Gathering Talisman had not been wasted.

“By the way, did the doctors return that talisman to Gu Ling?” Wen Yunqing asked casually.

“Talisman?” Ning Qiu froze for a moment, then lowered his head to quietly ask Gu Ling.

Gu Ling shook her head. “I only know that they took the item away yesterday, and I haven’t seen them return it.”

Ning Qiu relayed the original words: “Benefactor, is that talisman very important? Should we ask the doctor to get it back?”

“It is nothing. I just asked casually. You two should just focus on recuperating,” Wen Yunqing said. “If they haven’t sent the item back within today, then you should have the hospital upgrade Gu Ling to the best single ward, where she can enjoy the highest level of hospital care.”

“Huh?” Ning Qiu was a little slow to react. “Benefactor, why should we do that?”

“That talisman is quite valuable. They should pay a little interest since they took it,” Wen Yunqing soothed him. “Don’t worry, you don’t need to pay for any of these expenses. Just do as I say.”

“Alright, I’ll remember that!” Ning Qiu was currently in a state of blind trust toward Wen Yunqing. He didn’t ask further questions and simply did as his benefactor instructed.

On the other side, Mu Kuan received feedback from Lu Zhiming. After hearing Wen Yunqing’s statement, he sighed with a bit of regret, then re-edited her words and issued a statement.

Statement: Upon verification, the Spirit Gathering Talisman was indeed created by an internal staff member, but due to the extremely high difficulty in making the Talisman, only one can be produced every year or so. After an internal meeting, the department has decided not to distribute the Talisman as a benefit. Individuals with a very high demand for the Spirit Gathering Talisman can leave their address and contact information to independently contact the creator.

Note: The creator has a poor temper. If one attempts to demand it for free, they shall be responsible for the consequences to their own life and death.

“Director Mu, is this statement meant to fool us?” As soon as the statement was released, a few of the newcomers expressed their dissatisfaction. “That person was willing to give this Spirit Gathering Talisman to an ordinary person, so why isn’t she willing to offer it as a benefit to everyone?”

“Exactly! If it really takes a year and a half to create one, how could it be given away so casually?” Someone quickly chimed in. “A Spirit Gathering Talisman has always been priceless and difficult to obtain, even for high-ranking members of the association; it’s not something that can be casually given out.”

“Those are the creator’s original words, and I can’t do anything about it,” Mu Kuan said with a smile.

Although this batch of newcomers had just been recruited, they were not highly regarded compared to Wen Yunqing, nor did they have official positions; they were merely temporary observers.

“Where is that so-called creator? I want to go and reason with her,” said the person holding the Spirit Gathering Talisman in their hand. “I want to see who the person responsible for their own life and death will be.”

“I cannot disclose her address, but if you are anxious to meet her, you can send me your phone number and address, and I will relay them to the other party immediately,” Mu Kuan replied.

“Fine, I’ll send it. I’ve given you the information, and I’ll be waiting there for the next few days. She can come find me anytime.”

Mu Kuan glanced at his phone, forwarded the content to Wen Yunqing, and also personally drafted a message to Lu Zhiming, asking her to keep an eye on things.

Mu Kuan chose to indulge these individuals just this once, hoping that Wen Yunqing would be strong enough, and preferably subdue all of them in a single attempt. If that happened, he could then appoint her as the leader of this new recruitment team.

Using a troublemaker to solve troublemakers—it was truly perfect!