Chapter Eleven: Concealing the Accident (Part Two)

“Zhao Li, I hope you won’t mention this matter to anyone!” In Instructor Arno’s office, the instructor handed Zhao Li a glass of water and then sat on the desk in front of him, looking down at Zhao Li from above.

“Yes, sir!” Zhao Li responded reflexively, instinctively trying to stand up. His movement was so abrupt that the water in his glass sloshed, spilling all over him.

Arno’s large hand pressed firmly on Zhao Li’s shoulder, and a steady voice came from above. “This isn't an order, Zhao Li.” Arno pushed Zhao Li back into his seat, urging him to look up and see his face. “Commander Christine meant no harm. She simply used the wrong method, do you understand?”

“I do, sir!” Zhao Li had understood Christine’s intentions from the words she spoke before the operation began, so he bore no particular grudge.

“Though Commander Christine outranks me, she’s still quite young. You’re young as well, and I hope you can comprehend her actions.” Arno spoke earnestly, almost in a fatherly tone. “Everyone makes mistakes, but I don’t want this error—which didn’t cause you any real harm—to affect her entire life. Do you understand what I mean?”

Acting without orders and almost causing disaster, attempting to help her subject cheat using her own methods—such things might not be grave offenses in society, or perhaps they might be, but in the military, such matters are serious enough to warrant removal from service or even imprisonment. This was why Instructor Arno was so earnest in persuading Zhao Li.

If Zhao Li kept silent, and Arno and Christine remained quiet, it would be as if nothing had ever happened. Zhao Li would continue his recruit training, Arno would still be his instructor, Christine would remain the military doctor, and life would go on as before.

“In fact, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing for you.” Instructor Arno made sure to win Zhao Li over. If Zhao Li disagreed, everything would fall apart. “The stagnant energy in your meridians will, in time, be naturally absorbed and assimilated by your own true energy. When that happens, your internal strength will be greatly increased.”

Thinking about it, it really wasn’t such a bad thing. Christine’s original intention was to help Zhao Li increase his internal energy more rapidly; now there was no serious issue, except that the increase would be a little slower. There seemed to be nothing unreasonable about it.

“Moreover, I must warn you: your situation was already under our observation. Everything was normal, so it was just routine surveillance. But if you expose this, the authorities will send people to monitor you closely, to test the feasibility of this method. Do you know what that means?” Feeling that his point hadn’t been made strongly enough, Arno began to enumerate the consequences of exposing the incident.

Zhao Li understood perfectly. He had worked hard to conceal his secret, precisely to avoid such scrutiny. If he were exposed, he’d become a lab rat, with no other outcome.

“I understand, instructor. I won’t speak of it.” Zhao Li nodded and agreed with Arno's advice. He knew that, ultimately, the main responsibility lay in his failure to tell Christine the truth, which led to her miscalculation. If blame was to be assigned, it was his own fault.

Aside from Arno’s warning, if it was simply a matter of needing more time to absorb the energy, there was no loss for Zhao Li, and even some gain. He could conceal his secret, curry favor with the instructor and the military doctor, and still benefit himself—a deal he’d be foolish to refuse.

Recently, Zhao Li had to go to the medical bay every day for examinations, which everyone knew. So returning a bit late didn’t affect anything. Others envied him for having a legitimate excuse to interact with the beautiful military doctor, but they also pitied him. Daily examinations clearly meant something was wrong with his health.

No explanation was needed; everyone simply accepted his late returns. The physical training had exhausted everyone, and most were already in recovery, so few paid attention to Zhao Li.

Entering a meditative state again, perhaps because he felt relaxed or because he was pleased to have both the instructor and himself concealing the truth, Zhao Li found himself slipping directly into deep meditation.

When he finished, he was startled to find only half an hour remained before morning exercises. By his calculation, he had spent nearly six hours in meditation. However, with the foreign energy lingering in his meridians, it was impossible to judge how many cycles had been completed.

Pressed for time, he couldn’t risk testing his internal state by running a full cycle; after yesterday’s turmoil, who knew how long one cycle would take?

Mentally, he felt refreshed, as if the deep meditation had provided a profound rest. He passed the remaining half hour idly, then joined the others for morning drills.

Instructor Arno's face bore no sign of yesterday’s events; he still wore that expression as if everyone owed him at least a hundred thousand yuan. The morning exercise left the recruits so exhausted they could barely lift their breakfast utensils.

Those who managed to find excuses to enter the medical bay today must have had remarkable luck. The female military doctor was radiant, charming all the supposedly injured men so thoroughly that they left the medical bay with legs trembling.

Since Zhao Li hadn’t been able to meditate during the training breaks, his physical condition lagged far behind the others. By afternoon, he was nearly unable to continue. Just then, Christine appeared again, taking the weary Zhao Li back to the medical bay.

This had become a daily scene, and no one found it odd; they merely tried to find out what illness Zhao Li had that made the female military doctor so attentive. Of course, curiosity aside, no one wanted to end up like Zhao Li. In this day and age, what beautiful woman would be attracted to a sickly man?

“Zhao Li, let’s continue recording,” Christine said, her manner devoid of the teasing that usually accompanied her interactions with Zhao Li, which relieved him somewhat.

“How many cycles did you complete last night? Any abnormalities?” Christine asked, watching Zhao Li closely, her expression tense.