Chapter 449

It’s not usually like this. A strange premonition! To run into someone from the Eastern Military Region here? Lu Sheng blinked. This is too much of a coincidence.

Seeing the hesitation and confusion on Lu Sheng’s face, the saluting officer hurriedly said, “During the big competition, I was eliminated after taking a punch to the chest from Lord Lu … Do you not remember, Lord Lu?”

“Oh, oh …” Lu Sheng’s face showed a look of realization, and he nodded, “I remember now, sorry about that …”

What a load of nonsense!

During the Eastern Military Region’s big competition, Lu Sheng knocked out over 400 generals with his bare fists. How could he possibly remember each face?

However, Du Linjun appeared quite excited and said, “Lord Lu’s brilliance overshadowed all of the East. Meeting Lord Lu here is truly unexpected …”

“I didn’t expect it either.” Lu Sheng’s tone was full of emotion.

The two exchanged a few sentences.

The expressions of the people around them were as if they’d seen a ghost; they almost wanted to slap themselves to make sure they weren’t dreaming.

Chen Jingnan was in a daze, looking at Lu Sheng, and then at Du Linjun, who stood in front of Lu Sheng like a subordinate, respectfully calling him “Lord Lu” with admiration in every word. Chen didn’t know what to say.

Jiang He was also stunned, but he recovered more quickly and couldn’t help but ask, “General Du, do you know Lu … Lu Sheng?”

Du Linjun nodded and said naturally, “Lord Lu is the most brilliant sun in our Eastern Military Region, the king among all the generals in the East. We came to this military exercise … simply to accompany Lord Lu.”

As soon as Du Linjun said this, everyone’s face in the banquet hall twitched, and the sound of sharp intakes of breath filled the room.

The most brilliant sun of the Eastern Military Region!

The king among generals!

These two titles … were absolutely terrifying.

Even ordinary people, like Jiang He, were almost knocked senseless by this revelation.

Looking at Lu Sheng, it was hard to believe that this was the same youth who, at the National University Martial Arts Competition, had looked at him with burning eyes and said, “Chairman Jiang, will you also fight me?”

How long has it been since then?

Not even half a year, and Lu Sheng had gone from a novice Martial Master to the pinnacle of Level 8 Grandmaster realm?

The speed was nothing short of magical!

Chen Jingnan, Old Master Chen, and the entire Chen family were all in a daze. For the Chen family, Seven-Star General Du Linjun was already an extremely important figure.

If it weren’t for the fact that Chen Jingnan and Jiang He were old friends, and that Jiang He knew Du Linjun, and Du happened to be passing through the Central Military Region to attend the military exercise, they wouldn’t have had the face to invite a general to the birthday banquet. And yet, such an important figure was now calling Lu Sheng “Lord Lu” with the utmost respect, his admiration overflowing.

Even having been punched by Lu Sheng and remembered by him seemed like a great honor.

How high must such a person’s status be?

Chen Jingnan felt as though a thousand horses were stampeding through his mind. He glanced at the Chen family members around him, feeling like killing them on the spot. These useless bastards, they even managed to provoke such a real “dragon” from the military. They really knew how to “make him proud.”

The stern-faced man from the Chen family had long since turned ashen and dared not say a word. The man in the white suit from the crowd, as well as Zhou Yuming from the Zhou family, were trembling with fear.

They had thought the other side’s hand at best contained an ace, maybe a two. Who would have thought … What they revealed was a pair of kings!*

[*This is a reference to a powerful combination of cards in Chinese poker, typically two “kings” which is the highest combination in the game. It is used metaphorically here to indicate an overwhelmingly powerful or unbeatable move.]

The rest of the people had nothing to say; one by one, they hung their heads, not daring to look directly at Lu Sheng.

“Heh …” Old Master Chen Jingnan’s face was contorted in a forced smile, more bitter than crying, as he said, “It turns out it was all a misunderstanding … a misunderstanding …”

Lu Sheng glanced at him, intending to say something, but then felt a wave of disinterest wash over him. He turned and left.

Actually, this was for the best. It saved him the trouble of dealing with it personally. After all, his purpose for tonight had already been achieved. The Chen family was simply annoying; they hadn’t committed any major offenses, so there was no need to push them to the brink.

In the center of the room, He Ling Su stood alone, dazed. The shocks and revelations she had experienced today were too overwhelming, surpassing her mental threshold, and her mind had essentially shut down.

Lu Sheng walked over to her slowly. Seeing her dazed expression, he half-jokingly said, “Let’s go, the climax is over. It’s time for us to leave.”

“Oh.” He Ling Su nodded blankly and followed behind Lu Sheng as they walked out of the banquet hall.

Behind them, a middle-aged woman tightly clenched her hands, her expression conflicted with hesitation. Suddenly, she gritted her teeth and quickly chased after them.

Lu Sheng stood outside in the flickering lights, gazing up at the night sky, waiting for a moment.

Soon, he saw He Ling Su walking quickly towards him. Behind her, the middle-aged woman kept calling out, “Ling Su! Ling Su …”

But He Ling Su acted as though she hadn’t heard and swiftly walked up to Lu Sheng. “Let’s go.”

Lu Sheng nodded, and the two of them walked aimlessly forward, side by side.

Streetlights lined the road, casting their glow, creating long shadows behind the two of them.

Lu Sheng glanced at He Ling Su. Today, she was wearing an off-shoulder evening dress, and in this January weather, it was quite a challenge for her as a second-level martial artist. The cold wind made her shiver.

Lu Sheng took off his jacket and casually draped it over her shoulders.

He Ling Su paused for a moment and softly said, “Thank you.”

Lu Sheng smiled and shook his head. “I’m a Level 8 Grandmaster; I could stand in a snowfield at -40°C for a whole day and night without feeling cold. This is nothing to me …”

“I’m not talking about the jacket.” He Ling Su looked at him.

Lu Sheng was taken aback, then nodded.

“It’s nothing.”

He Ling Su’s face showed a complex expression as she whispered, “You’re right. Fake family ties mean nothing to me. For the past twenty-something years, it’s been just me and my dad. In the next twenty, thirty years … without her, we’ll still get by just fine. I was too foolish before.”

“This is the He Ling Su I know.” Lu Sheng smiled and said to her, “So, how did you enjoy the plot I arranged for you today? Wasn’t it thrilling? Did it feel like you were the protagonist?”

He Ling Su rolled her eyes at him and muttered, “You’re obviously the protagonist here. By tomorrow, half of the capital will probably know that General Lu Sheng from the Eastern Military Region caused a ruckus at the Chen family’s birthday banquet …”

“That’s exactly the effect I wanted …” Lu Sheng murmured softly to himself.

“What did you say?”