"Wait a moment."Gu Ning and Li Ling had not yet gotten into the car when Wu Chen's voice came from behind.
"Mr. Wu, is something the matter?" Gu Ning greeted politely.
Wu Chen stared at Gu Ning. "I have a proposal. I hope you'll consider it seriously."
It seemed Wu Chen had calmed down.
"I heard you signed with the Divine Strategy Army. I hope you'll reconsider and join the Super Star Alliance instead. Any breach of contract penalties will be fully covered by the Super Star Alliance," Wu Chen said earnestly, with no hint of jest.
"Do you think that's possible?" Gu Ning countered.
"When it comes to Source Blood, no one researches it deeper than the Super Star Alliance. In the 'Borderlands' controlled by the Alliance, we still have preserved the living tissue of the Source Heart—the foundation of evolved Source Blood! Don't you desire it?"
Wu Chen's tone was persuasive. "If you join the Super Star Alliance, you'd be one of us. As long as you earn enough merit, you'll one day be eligible to transplant that heart tissue. Your strength would soar. Advancing to Hero class, or even Enhanced Hero class, would be within reach.
"You don't need to worry—you're the one most compatible with Source Blood. That heart tissue would be poison to anyone else, but for you, it's a blessing beyond compare. If not for you, then for whom?"
Hero class!
Equivalent to the mighty templates of indigenous leaders, it was the ultimate goal countless Awakened longed for. A powerful Hero-class Awakened could even take on an indigenous leader like 'Bloodhand Colon' alone.
Li Ling felt a bit uneasy. To be honest, even she was slightly tempted by such an offer.
Gu Ning's gaze remained calm and clear. He patiently listened, then shook his head. "Mr. Wu, since you don't need that heart tissue, why not sell it to me? As for joining the Super Star Alliance, that's impossible—I won't go back on my path."
"You—"
Wu Chen took a deep breath, his expression darkening. He gritted his teeth. "Gu Ning, don't forget—your clinical medical agreement contains a clause: upon your death, your body will be donated free of charge to the Super Energy Group!"
Li Ling interrupted, her tone sharp. "Are you threatening someone from the Divine Strategy Army?"
"This isn't a threat. I'm merely stating a fact."
Wu Chen sneered coldly. "Let me state a second fact... In the Spirit Realm, our Super Star Alliance's strength far surpasses that of the Divine Strategy Army! The Spirit Realm is a lawless place—neither the military nor the government has jurisdiction there!"
Gu Ning gently calmed the agitated Li Ling, placing a hand over her chest. He spoke up, "Actually, I rather like the Spirit Realm because the will of the Spirit Realm is fair… So what if the Super Star Alliance is stronger? The Spirit Realm worlds I can access are all low-level ones—mid-level and high-level Awakened can't enter them."
In the end, Wu Chen still feared Li Ling's background and dared not push further or say anything that could be used against him. He simply pointed twice at Gu Ning and left with a cold "You've got guts."
…
The military-green jeep drove steadily down the road.
"The advantage of the military's Awakened corps is their large numbers, strict discipline, and uniform skills and equipment. In the real world, they have overwhelming strength in group operations.
"But the disadvantages are just as clear. The military lacks top-tier Awakened with both talent and power, because the strongest usually value freedom and can't tolerate military constraints."
Li Ling glanced at Gu Ning's perfectly outlined profile and explained gently:
"Entering the Spirit Realm requires tickets. Each ticket only allows one team entry! Forming an Awakened team requires massive Spirit Energy points or rare team-building items. The military's advantage in large-scale operations is useless there. That's why the military's influence across the Spirit Realm's many worlds is weak, unlike large organizations with years of deep involvement."
"So… that's why the Divine Strategy Army was founded?" Gu Ning asked.
"Exactly. The Divine Strategy Army is an experiment to see if a more flexible system could attract top Awakened and make up for the military's lack of high-end combat strength."
Li Ling gave a wry smile. "Unfortunately, the military's rigid image is deeply ingrained. The elite Awakened we want usually reject us the moment they hear about our military background. So even after all these years, the Divine Strategy Army hasn't met expectations."
Gu Ning thought to himself, that makes sense—if he hadn't been in desperate need of backing, he might not have joined so readily.
Li Ling took a deep breath, her white blouse rising and falling with her chest.
She straightened up and said, "But five years ago, the Divine Strategy Army shifted its strategy—we started focusing on recruiting promising low-level Awakened into our genius training program, aiming to cultivate them into top-tier strength! You debuted as an Enhanced Elite, and a rare Tank at that. There's no way I'd let you slip by."
"Five years ago? The first batch of talent must have achieved results by now," Gu Ning noted.
Li Ling nodded. "The first cohort formed the 'Divine Strategy Squad' and broke into the A-League this year. You've caught the last train of the second cohort."
"The Super Star Alliance's sponsored Super Star Team is a powerhouse in the Super League," Gu Ning said. The A-League's influence couldn't compare to the international Super League.
"Yes. Be careful, as Wu Chen said—the Super Star Alliance's presence in the Spirit Realm is far stronger than ours."
"I'm not worried about the Spirit Realm. I'm more concerned about the real world," Gu Ning replied. "If they can't beat me in the Spirit Realm, they might target me here."
"You don't seem concerned. Do you have a plan?" Li Ling asked.
"Yes. I need to raise my real-world profile," Gu Ning said. "My story is actually quite compelling. Could we allocate some publicity resources? The more famous I am, the less likely the Super Star Alliance will dare target me."
"Publicity resources are incredibly valuable. Real-world fame affects roulette rewards, especially ticket quality—no Awakened takes that lightly. Our own troops need lots of honor points to exchange for publicity."
Li Ling shook her head. "I can arrange one or two interviews, but to reach the level where we could deter the Super Star Alliance? That takes sustained effort over years."
"Then there's only one option left."
Gu Ning leaned back in his seat. "Let me take the college entrance exam."
…
"The college entrance exam?" Li Ling was caught off guard.
"Yes. Topping the exam gives a massive fame boost. Please help me sort out the education record issue—I dropped out of junior high and don't qualify for the exam."
"That's not the issue... The college entrance exam is a 'world event' recognized by the Spirit Realm's will! The will ensures fairness and gives world event rewards to high-achieving Awakened!
"Your education record is easy—just pass a supplementary test proving you have high school-level knowledge. But what about your age? The exam's age cap is 18. That's non-negotiable."
Gu Ning pointed at himself, a bit speechless. "Do I look old? I'm only 17."