Chapter 212
Chapter 212: The Scheming Dragon—If He’s Not Tempting You, He’s On His Way to Tempt You
Zhong Li He’s eyes sharpened like blades. He turned them on Chong Ming and unleashed a verbal barrage without taking a breath.
“Chong Ming, look at you—smug as hell. The mother is strong and fertile; what does that have to do with you? And you’re standing there acting like you’re the reason her body’s powerful, practically wagging your tail so high it’s in the sky.”
“No wonder she won’t register a marriage with you. If I were her, I wouldn’t either. I’d look down on you too.”
He leaned closer, vicious. “And you’re so proud right now, I bet the bite marks on your neck are self-inflicted. For all I know, you haven’t even touched your cub.”
Friends knew exactly where to stab.
Zhong Li He didn’t actually know Chong Ming hadn’t touched the cub, but his careless jab hit dead center.
Chong Ming, however, remained composed. If he didn’t speak, if he didn’t show it, then no one would ever know he’d been struck.
His voice didn’t change. “I’m telling the truth. You get upset and angry, and suddenly I should’ve kept quiet.”
Zhong Li He gave a cold snort. “Upset? Me? I’m thrilled.”
He swung toward Kong Que. “Kong Que. He says I’m upset. Do I look upset to you?”
Kong Que’s gaze flicked toward Chong Ming—
Zhong Li He immediately snapped, offended. “Kong Que, I asked you. Why are you looking at him? Who do you belong to, huh? Me. Are you trying to rebel?”
Kong Que lowered his head. “Chief Executive, you are not upset. You are not unhappy. Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming’s eyesight is poor—he must have misread your expression.”
“See?” Zhong Li He instantly turned smug, pointing at Chong Ming. “I told you I’m not angry. I’m happy. Why would I get angry because of you?”
“Who do you think you are? You don’t occupy even a speck of my heart.”
Chong Ming cast a glance at Kong Que, then said mildly, “Fine. I thought we were friends and had at least some place in each other’s hearts.”
He shrugged. “Turns out we don’t.”
His eyes chilled. “In that case, I can fight you without guilt. Half an hour from now, we meet in the simulation room. One of us is going down.”
Zhong Li He lifted his chin. “Simulation room is life and death. I’m going to beat you until you’re crawling.”
Then he blinked. “Hey. Where are you going? I thought we were meeting in the simulation room?”
Chong Ming didn’t turn back. He lifted one hand in a lazy wave, still not forgetting to twist the knife.
“You said I haven’t touched my cub. I’m angry. I’m going to touch it for fifteen minutes first—then I’ll come find you.”
Zhong Li He’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. He stood there sputtering, too furious to breathe right, and finally croaked at Kong Que, “Is he sick?”
Kong Que coughed lightly into his fist. “Chief Executive, Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming has excellent hearing. If you speak ill of him like this, he will hear it.”
Zhong Li He doubled down like a spoiled tyrant. “Good. I want him to hear. He is sick—sick in the head.”
He paced, fuming. “He’s always stabbing me in the heart. He’s got a lover, he’s got a cub—so what? He thinks he’s better than me?”
“My heart is already full of holes from managing my nation, and he still pokes it.”
He whirled on Kong Que. “Notify every unmarried female in the Phoenix Clan. When I get back to Da Xi Nation, I’m going on blind dates. I refuse to believe I can’t find a mate.”
“I’m working overtime every day and every night—I refuse to believe I can’t produce a cub.”
Kong Que’s gaze darkened slightly. Then, smoothly, he redirected. “Chief Executive. In half an hour, Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming will meet you in the simulation room.”
“Ability-wise and physically, you’re already weaker than him. In command, you can’t afford to be weaker too. Otherwise, he’ll taunt you whenever he feels like it.”
“People who know you are friends will call it sparring. People who don’t will say you’re inferior.”
“So…”
“So I have to crush him,” Zhong Li He snapped, instantly led by the nose. The thought of blind dates vanished. “Let’s go. We’ll go now and wait for him. I’m going to beat him until he’s crawling.”
Kong Que nodded. “Understood. I have some analysis of Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming’s past campaigns. You can review them and prepare.”
Zhong Li He didn’t even take the file.
Instead, he hooked an arm around Kong Que’s neck, dragged him close, and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I’m not reading. You read.”
“Today you’re the overall commander. I’ll assist you. We’ll kill that bastard Chong Ming.”
Kong Que pressed down the corner of his mouth, hiding a smile. “Yes, Chief Executive.”
Sui Xuan Chu and the others received the notice as well. Except for Sui Xuan Chu, the other six ran like rabbits.
For them, no simulation training ground—school, civilian, or private—could compare to Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming’s.
His was the best in the entire star system. Not only was the environment terrifyingly realistic, the battles themselves were replicated with chilling precision.
Being trained there was an honor.
Even just seeing it was enough to make them feel like their ancestors’ graves were smoking with good fortune and Beast God’s blessing.
When they arrived, they found Chief Executive Zhong Li He of Da Xi Nation was already there, along with other intimidating high-ranking figures.
They looked around.
No Sister Tea.
Without Sister Tea, they felt like they’d lost their backbone. In front of all these officials, they suddenly felt smaller, a step lower.
So they huddled together and secretly messaged Jiang Tea Tea over and over: Come. Hurry. Hurry!
Jiang Tea Tea, meanwhile, was in a single stall in the ship’s public female restroom.
Magic power wrapped around her like a barrier, ensuring no one could disturb her. She activated her lightbrain and logged into Starnet.
Her account now had over a hundred billion followers across the M31 Star System, and the number was still climbing.
She scrolled her feed. Tens of billions of comments. A hundred billion likes and shares.
The top comments were all the same kind of longing.
“1: I hope Healer Jiang Tea Tea will open treatment access to ordinary citizens of the M31 Star System.”
“2: Healer Jiang Tea Tea will definitely become the best healer in the M31 Star System and push the entire healing field forward, so that ordinary citizens don’t suffer ability agitation or mental sea storms anymore.”
“3: I wish to be chosen as the first star friend to receive Healer Jiang Tea Tea’s treatment.”
Under those comments, star friends piled in, agreeing, cheering, hoping. Some had even developed the habit of checking in every day, trying to become familiar enough that she might recognize them.
Jiang Tea Tea stared.
Then it clicked.
That was where the merit light came from.
People were sincerely liking her. Admiring her. Believing in her—faith, devotion, worship. That belief became merit light.
If she wanted more merit light, if she wanted more people to believe in her—and if she wanted to thank them for it…
Jiang Tea Tea wrote a post:
“I can’t promise I’ll become the best healer in the galaxy right away, but I will work hard—for the star friends of the M31 Star System who follow me, like me, and believe I can become the best.”
“Next, among the followers who have followed me for less than three months, I will draw twenty winners and gift each of you natural green tea leaves infused with plant-type healing. Each package is 20 grams.”
“It can ease ability agitation and mental sea storms. For 3S-rank and below beastfolk, half-beastfolk, and pure humans, it can guarantee up to three months without suffering those symptoms.”
The moment she posted, it swept across the entire M31 Star System like wildfire.
Those who hadn’t followed her yet beat their chests in regret and rushed to follow immediately. Those who had followed her for more than three months cheered and frantically shared.
“I knew wishes worked! Wishes really work! My favorite healer can’t treat me yet, but she gave me hope—real hope!”
“I followed her three months and ten days ago. That means I still have a chance—one in hundreds of billions!”
“In this era, hope is better than none. One in hundreds of billions is still a chance. Maybe I’ll be one of the twenty.”
“Life must be full of expectation. You have to stay devoted to what you like. Like the human proverb says: ‘If you never forget, you will be answered.’”
“I’ve checked in a hundred days straight. I finally moved Healer Jiang Tea Tea!”
“Followers get a chance! We’re all followers! We all get a chance!”
“Wait—if I follow now, is it too late? Will there be another chance after three months?”
Some people complained they’d been discouraged from following because they weren’t from Zhen Lin Empire. Others sneered and argued across factions, jealousy and worship mixing into the same loud roar.
Less than five seconds after the conditions were announced, the twenty winners were chosen—spread across major planets, including beastfolk, half-beastfolk, and pure humans.
Each winner received an automatic message: “Congratulations, you won. Please fill in your address and contact through the link. Your prize will be sent within ten days. Failure to provide information will be considered forfeiture. Thank you.”
The winners exploded with joy. They posted screenshots like it was a festival blessed by Beast God.
In the restroom stall, Jiang Tea Tea watched merit light pierce her magic barrier again and flow into her, warm and pure.
Satisfied, she withdrew her magic barrier and stepped out.
The moment she exited, she saw Chong Ming standing there.
Jiang Tea Tea froze. Then she looked left and right like a thief. “Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming, are you seriously waiting outside the restroom? If anyone sees you, what happens to your fearsome, majestic image?”
Chong Ming’s eyes glittered with mischief. “If someone sees me and my image suffers, I’ll tell them I’m waiting openly and honestly for my cub’s mom.”
Jiang Tea Tea pointed at him like she was drawing a line in the air. “Shut up. The cub has nothing to do with you. Stop testing me—no matter how you test, I’m not giving you anything.”
Chong Ming sighed, exaggeratedly resigned. “Fine. No more testing.”
Then, smoothly: “By the way, Chief Executive Zhong Li He and Lieutenant General Kong Que joined the simulation. It changed from two days to continuous two days. That means for those two days, even to eat or use the restroom, you can’t leave the simulation room.”
He leaned in slightly. “Are you sure you don’t want to bite me? A little dragon blood to keep you sharp—so you can catch them off guard and wipe them out?”