Lin Yuan turned his head and saw a tall, robust young man running towards him.
It was none other than his classmate and friend, Du Quan.
Du Quan jogged over and threw an arm around Lin Yuan’s shoulder. “Where have you been these past few weeks? I asked Aunt Lu and she just said you were busy."
Lin Yuan smiled but said nothing.
Du Quan didn’t mind too much.
He suddenly looked surprised and patted Lin Yuan’s shoulder and chest. “Wow, brother, you’ve really bulked up in these two weeks!"
“Have I?” Lin Yuan replied casually.
Not long ago, Lin Yuan had absorbed twenty-one bottles of ‘advanced nutrition liquid.’ With energy conservation, most of the energy had transformed into ‘Qi’ and spirit, but his physical body still gained some benefits.
Due to the martial evolution path Lin Yuan created, which focused on subtle refinement, unlike others who might drastically grow taller or as strong as an ox after such a boost, Lin Yuan appeared just a bit more robust.
Du Quan marveled for a moment then pointed towards a group approaching nearby. “Look who’s coming."
Lin Yuan glanced over, immediately recognizing them as classmates.
“Since we graduated, we thought we’d come out and hang around,” Du Quan explained.
He had intended to invite Lin Yuan earlier, but since Lin Yuan wasn’t around, he had to drop the idea.
As the group drew closer, one of the guys with glasses, a scholarly-looking man named Chu Shiyu, asked casually, “Lin Yuan, what are you doing here, waiting for someone?"
“You look different, Lin Yuan, just in these few days,” another girl commented, studying him up and down with surprise.
“Hello, everyone.” Lin Yuan greeted them as a formality.
His former self was quite a reserved person, and if it weren’t for Du Quan, he wouldn’t be hanging out with them.
The group was primarily split into two factions.
One was headed by Chu Shiyu, who came from a good family and excelled at his studies, making him popular with other students.
The other was led by Huo Qingyao, a fearless character with family ties in the military.
Du Quan, the social butterfly, got along well with both sides due to his friendly nature.
“Lin Yuan, look who’s here. Our class beauty, who got into the prestigious university, I invited her over. Aren’t you proud of your buddy?" Du Quan boasted, pointing at a tall girl.
The girl was Zhao Qiwen, an impressive sight in her own right, with classic features and tight-fitting denim that highlighted her curves.
“Lin Yuan?” Zhao Qiwen felt quite uneasy.
Ever since witnessing Lin Yuan being respectfully ushered into a VIP room to purchase a multi-million luxury home in the Water Moon District, she realized Lin Yuan wasn’t just anyone.
Everyone in school had been misled by Lin Yuan's unassuming appearance.
She agreed to Du Quan’s invitation hoping Lin Yuan would show up; otherwise, she wouldn’t have bothered attending such a meaningless gathering.
“Hello, Lin Yuan,” Zhao Qiwen gathered herself and reached out to shake his hand.
This surprised Du Quan, as Zhao Qiwen was renowned for her aloofness and never even acknowledged Huo Qingyao or Chu Shiyu, yet she was proactively greeting Lin Yuan.
“Hello.” Lin Yuan shook her hand lightly as a courtesy.
After some small talk, they found a spot to sit down.
Chu Shiyu called over the staff to order coffees for everyone.
“You’re generous, Yu Ge,” Du Quan praised.
The signature coffee here wasn’t cheap, almost thirty per cup, totaling more than two hundred for everyone, quite a sum compared to school pocket money.
As they settled down, the conversation flowed. “I didn’t do well in the college entrance exams, ended up at some third-rate university. What am I going to do after graduating?" a girl sighed.
“Well, isn’t it easy? You’ve got close ties with Yu Ge, just work for him after graduating," Du Quan teased.
“You?" The girl feigned anger, secretly pleased, frequently glancing at Chu Shiyu.
“Du Quan’s right. If you come work for my company, I’ll make sure you’re well taken care of.” Chu Shiyu declared grandly.
An opportunity to show off in front of peers couldn’t be missed; after all, graduation was far off and future exploits could be decided later.
“Thanks, Yu Ge,” the girl thanked quickly.
They sipped coffee and chatted away, eventually turning the topic to Lin Yuan.
“By the way, Lin Yuan, aren't you on the draft list?” Huo Qingyao suddenly asked, sparking silence as everyone now looked at Lin Yuan.
In ordinary circumstances, being drafted wasn’t bad; it guaranteed a job upon return.
But this round of drafting targeted extraterrestrial threats, and it was widely known those on the list had little chance of returning.
“It's all rumors, this talk about extraterrestrials. If you ask me, it’s just gossip,” Du Quan interjected quickly.
“True, the government hasn’t confirmed anything; it could just be regular drafting.”
“Yes, Lin Yuan, don’t worry too much. You might end up working in the military district once you retire.”
They consoled Lin Yuan, but deep down, they weren’t optimistic about this draft.
Even without official word, the ample compensation provided was a strong indication of something big.
“There might be a way out. My uncle works in the military district; I’ll ask him when I get home to see if there’s flexibility,” Huo Qingyao chimed in, being the only one with military ties.
“Thanks, Bro Yao,” Du Quan said, sincerely grateful.
As a longtime classmate and friend, he didn't want Lin Yuan to walk into a dead-end.
The others, especially the girls, looked impressed.
Huo Qingyao’s words hinted at the influence to affect the draft, which was a big deal.
Compared to him, Chu Shiyu’s job offer seemed insignificant.
A job was nothing compared to the potential to influence military drafting.
For Lin Yuan, witnessing Huo Qingyao’s generous posturing amused rather than irritated him.
The draft list was filtered by the Goddess of Wisdom; there was no altering it just like that.
However, Huo Qingyao’s intention to help, driven by a desire to outshine Chu Shiyu, was still appreciated in its own way.
“I should get going. I have someone waiting for me,” Lin Yuan glanced at his watch, excused himself, and stood up, not waiting for responses before walking out towards the road.
The group frowned.
Huo Qingyao, miffed, was willing to help, and yet Lin Yuan hadn’t even thanked him.
To simply make up an excuse and leave was rather careless in Huo Qingyao’s eyes.
“What’s with him?” Huo Qingyao watched Lin Yuan’s back through the café’s glass, about to voice his disapproval.
At that moment, a sleek, all-black floating car stopped at the roadside, right in front of Lin Yuan.
“The license plate on that car?” Chu Shiyu noticed, eyes locking onto it.
His family, while not military, often dealt with government affairs, and he recognized the car as a government vehicle.
Such plates granted access to special routes, bypassing traffic.
Used typically for VIPs, why would it stop for Lin Yuan?
“Must be a coincidence,” Chu Shiyu mused inwardly.
But just then, before everyone’s eyes, a tall man stepped out from the black car and respectfully ushered Lin Yuan inside.
The café fell silent.
They’d all assumed Lin Yuan’s remark about someone waiting was a convenient excuse.
But to their surprise, it was true, and his ‘someone’ arrived in a government vehicle.
“That plate is from the Evolvers Association. I saw one when I went with my uncle,” Chu Shiyu added, having a recollection.
Huo Qingyao’s expression changed slightly.
Of all government departments, the Evolvers Association was amongst the most intimidating, with significant authority and clout.
But why would they send a car for a mere student like Lin Yuan?
Everyone was puzzled.
It didn’t make sense.
“Ha! Maybe the military and the Evolvers Association have some cooperation going,” Huo Qingyao speculated, trying to rationalize.
“Probably,” others agreed, albeit skeptically.
The notion of cooperation was far-fetched.
These were two distinct entities.
Just then, Zhao Qiwen, silent all this time, spoke up. “I checked the draft list recently and Lin Yuan’s name isn’t on it anymore.”
The revelation stunned everyone, especially Huo Qingyao.
He understood just how hard it was to get off a mandatory draft list.
Despite his confident claims, he was skeptical about his uncle’s ability to change anything.
Even if possible, the cost would be immense and not worth it for an outsider.
But now, Lin Yuan’s name was indeed gone?
“No way. I need to ask the Goddess of Wisdom,” Huo Qingyao said, quickly linking to the network to verify.
However, as he sought to query Lin Yuan’s exemption, a solemn female voice sounded in his ear.
“Warning, Level One Citizen Huo Qingyao, you are attempting to access content outside your permissions, violating Article 560 of the Charter.”
“First warning issued. Further inquiries will result in summoning to the High Court for trial.”
The cool warning from the Goddess of Wisdom left Huo Qingyao pale, slumping to the floor.
The High Court of the Universal Human Alliance dealt only with grave criminals of significant impact.
What right did he have to be judged there?
Huo Qingyao shivered, teeth chattering, almost trembling in fear.
(End of Chapter)