Chapter 13
Chapter 13: Try to Ambush Me and I’ll Kick Your Ass Into Bloom—Don’t Push Your Luck
Their apologies—furious, unwilling, forced—hit Jiang Tea Tea like music. She felt light, pleased, almost delighted.
She rolled her eyes at them like they’d been assigned homework and failed it, then called out, “Huang Big Dog! Come on. I’m in a good mood today. Lunch is on me—your wallet.”
Huang Da Zhuang lifted a hand instantly. “You got it, Sister Tea!”
Lu Ling Er’s brain shorted out again. She raised her hand weakly. “Jiang Tea Tea… Huang Big Dog… count me in. I can pay.”
Jiang Tea Tea blinked at her, baffled.
Lu Ling Er—the same girl who used to lead the bullying—wanted to eat with them? And she was volunteering to pay?
Was this the legendary rule of the universe: If you can’t beat them, join them?
Lin Feng Feng and the others stopped mid-breath. Their eyes bulged at Lu Ling Er like she’d stabbed them in the back.
The atmosphere thickened into awkward tension.
Under all that staring, Lu Ling Er gave an embarrassed laugh. “We’re classmates. We should… care for each other. Get to know each other. Maybe we’ll discover surprises.”
Lin Feng Feng and the others exchanged glances.
Sure. Their “little leader” was thinking long-term. Infiltrate Jiang Tea Tea’s side, figure out what she really was, then strike back. Classic.
Huang Da Zhuang looked like someone had tossed him a hundred-star-credit bill smeared with shit—he couldn’t decide whether to pick it up or run.
His puppy eyes flicked helplessly to Jiang Tea Tea.
Jiang Tea Tea coughed once and pointed at herself and Huang Da Zhuang. “Little Lu Er—are you treating the two of us?”
Lu Ling Er nodded so hard she looked like a bobblehead. “Yes! Order whatever you want. Anything.”
Jiang Tea Tea considered it for half a second and nodded. “Fine. Let’s eat.”
She turned and walked out without looking back.
Huang Da Zhuang and Lu Ling Er rushed after her as if afraid she’d vanish.
Behind them, Lin Feng Feng and the others watched, stunned, muttering to themselves that Lu Ling Er was definitely just biding her time.
—
The Royal Military Academy had ten campuses and covered roughly fifteen thousand mu of land. Full-time students numbered over seventy thousand, and full-time teachers topped five thousand. The staff total was two thousand eight hundred fifty-six, among them more than forty top national experts across departments and over twenty specially appointed “national treasure” level figures.
The campus had everything: countless cafeterias, food from across the M31 Star System, specialty snacks, a mall, top-tier flyers, and the most domineering mechs money could buy.
Jiang Tea Tea, Huang Da Zhuang, and Lu Ling Er took a hover car toward the largest cafeteria, the one with the most variety. Right as they arrived, Jiang Tea Tea’s lightbrain rang.
Caller ID: National Police Bureau—Special Line.
Jiang Tea Tea stepped aside and answered calmly. “Hello. This is Jiang Tea Tea.”
A crisp, official voice came through. “Hello, Miss Jiang Tea Tea. This is the Capital Planet Police Bureau, badge number 95878. We are contacting you regarding an anonymous report last night that led to the cracking of a group orgy case.”
“We have verified that the case is extensive and involves serious violations of the empire’s laws. Your adoptive parents, your fiancé, and your fiancé’s parents are all strongly suspected of harming a powerless pure human against her will.”
“As one of the parties involved, we need to confirm your intent. Do you wish to sign a settlement, decline to pursue responsibility, and waive major compensation? Or do you wish to pursue the case to the end, demand substantial compensation, and sever your relationship with them?”
Jiang Tea Tea’s eyebrow arched.
The Zhen Lin Empire moved fast. And the law struck hard.
If passing through her hands could make the fake heiress’s adoptive parents and fiancé pay the price, then she’d support it with both hands.
She said clearly, “Officer 95878, I will not sign any settlement. I will pursue responsibility to the end. I demand one billion star credits in emotional damages, and I will sever my relationship with them.”
“Understood,” the officer replied immediately. “We will send an authorization form after this call. Please sign it. We will also provide free legal aid.”
“If there are further developments, the Police Bureau will notify you promptly. If you experience threats outside, you may call the Police Bureau hotline. The Police Bureau will protect every citizen’s safety.”
“Thank you. Goodbye,” Jiang Tea Tea said.
“Goodbye.”
The call ended. The authorization form arrived seconds later—authorization to fully pursue responsibility against the Jiang family, the Chu family, and Zhou Jian.
Jiang Tea Tea signed and sent it back without hesitation. Bright satisfaction curled into her smile as she turned to rejoin Huang Da Zhuang.
A blur slammed into her from the side.
“Ungrateful bitch!” Jiang Yi Zhu shrieked, wild-eyed. “Who told you to call the police? Who told you to send Chu Ming into the Police Bureau?!”
Jiang Tea Tea shifted with a smooth twist.
Jiang Yi Zhu’s shove met air. With nothing to brace against, she stumbled forward and crashed to the ground, ass in the air like an idiot.
Students heading into the cafeteria swarmed over at once, hungry for a show.
Huang Da Zhuang and Lu Ling Er rushed in too.
Jiang Tea Tea lifted her leg and kicked Jiang Yi Zhu squarely in the butt, sending her face-first into the hard ground.
Huang Da Zhuang and Lu Ling Er both sucked in a breath, staring at Jiang Tea Tea like worshipful little fanboys and fangirls.
She was too alpha. Too cool.
Jiang Yi Zhu’s front teeth had already been knocked loose. Now two were gone entirely. Blood spilled from her mouth as she scrambled up, pointing at Jiang Tea Tea and screaming through the red.
“You shameless ingrate! You lived in my Jiang family for over ten years, enjoying everything. And now you send my dad and mom and Chu Ming into the Police Bureau? Do you have any shame at all?!”
Jiang Tea Tea spread her hands, her expression so bright it was practically cruel. “I don’t have shame. You do.”
She tilted her head. “Your first reaction wasn’t to worry about your dad and mom going to the Police Bureau. It was to worry about my fiancé going to the Police Bureau.”
Her smile sharpened. “You sure have a lot of shame.”
Jiang Yi Zhu’s pupils contracted.
She realized instantly what Jiang Tea Tea was doing—setting her up to look like she cared more about Chu Ming than her own parents. Worse, making her look like a homewrecker.
So Jiang Yi Zhu switched tactics.
She spun toward the crowd, voice rising into righteous outrage. “Everyone, Jiang Tea Tea isn’t even a child of my Jiang family! She stole my place, and I suffered on the Trash Planet for over ten years!”
“Now I’m back, and she’s jealous I have abilities. She wants to steal attention and affection, so she framed my mom and dad and her fiancé Chu Ming, and sent them to the Police Bureau!”
Jiang Yi Zhu’s eyes shone with venom. “Tell me—doesn’t that make her a heartless rotten seed? A born ingrate?”
The crowd wavered, easily led. Their gazes shifted toward Jiang Tea Tea, judgment rising like a tide.
“Jiang Tea Tea, you can’t be that heartless. They raised you for over ten years!”
“Yeah. Even if you were switched as a baby and it wasn’t your fault… sending the adoptive parents who raised you into the Police Bureau? That’s wrong.”
“So what if you don’t have abilities? You can still live fine. Why are you acting so fake, competing with Jiang Yi Zhu after she suffered ten years in your place? What an ungrateful, shameless bitch—”