Chapter Eleven: I'm Sorry, I Refuse

Chapter Eleven: "I'm Sorry, I Refuse"

When Xia Zheng returned home, the sky was already darkening; it was around seven o'clock. Still, his parents had saved dinner for him.

"Ah Zheng, you've been out and about a lot lately. Don't let your mind wander too far; you need to focus soon on choosing your university preferences," his mother reminded him gently as she sat beside him, watching him eat.

"Let him be," his father interjected indulgently. "Our son’s grown up now. Let him relax for a few more days; it won't hurt." This lenience from his father made Xia Zheng hesitate, unsure how to broach the subject, but he knew he couldn't avoid it—he had to tell them.

He finished his meal quickly, set down his bowl, paused, and said, "Dad—Mom—I have something important to tell you."

Both parents looked at him curiously, putting aside what they were doing when they saw the seriousness on his face.

"I've been out these past few days for interviews," he began succinctly.

"Interviews?" his mother echoed, puzzled.

"What kind of interview? Did some prestigious university send someone to scout you?" his father asked, excitement lighting up his face. As a former academic himself, he naturally hoped his son would carve out a future in academia. In his eyes, with Xia Zheng's talent, he could become an associate professor in less than ten years, a full professor in twenty, and perhaps climb even higher with time.

His mother, however, preferred he join the workforce and develop within a large company; she knew how slow advancement and modest the pay could be in academia. Thus, the couple’s opinions differed.

"Dad—Mom—I've signed a contract with a company for an Awakened combat team. My annual post-tax salary is half a million Bonds," Xia Zheng announced.

"Awakened combat team?"

"Half a million Bonds after tax?"

Both parents were stunned. On one hand, they were amazed by the staggering starting salary. Typically, a top graduate might earn one hundred thousand Bonds before tax; the best might get up to one hundred fifty thousand, with the absolute ceiling at three hundred thousand before tax—less than two hundred thousand after. They had never even imagined half a million post-tax. And Xia Zheng assured them his salary would reach a million after tax within three years.

Faced with such terms, his mother was left speechless; after a lifetime of hard work, she probably wouldn’t earn as much as her son would in a single year.

"Wait... Son, what exactly does an Awakened combat team mean? Are you... are you becoming an Awakened? Didn't the military revoke your special recruit status?" his father asked.

Xia Zheng nodded, then shook his head. "It's a bit complicated. The military didn't cancel my special recruit status; they just postponed it, considering my constitution too unusual. They're making me undergo a re-examination tomorrow, which is why I rushed to sign the contract."

His parents grew more confused. Why the rush to sign? But his father realized quickly and said, "Son, the military's approach is certainly high-handed and overbearing, but if you can become a special recruit and join the military, your future... would be limitless, and the pay likely just as good."

"Son, I won't say much," his mother added. "You've graduated now, and you're grown. How you choose your path is up to you." She was rather open-minded, perhaps simply less familiar with the military and the world of Awakened.

His father shot her a glance. "Son, I know you’re angry. Your mother and I were too; it was hard to hold our heads high those days. But life is like this—unyielding things break easily. I hope you understand. That said, I don’t want you to submit if you don’t want to. As long as you act with integrity and have thought it through, whatever you decide—no matter if you’re not earning half a million, even if you end up just an ordinary person—we’ll never blame you."

Moved to tears, Xia Zheng realized then just how deep his parents’ love was. It wasn’t mere doting, but steadfast support—the strongest backing he could have.

"Dad—Mom—please don’t worry. I have a clear plan for my future, and I know my own character: I don’t yield to force. I won’t be cowed by the military. Thank you for your support—you are truly great parents!" Xia Zheng stood and bowed to them, formally, for the first time in his life.

His parents were embarrassed by the gesture and quickly patted his head, scolding him lightly. The family’s joy filled the room.

Lying in bed, Xia Zheng thought about many things. He realized that what awaited him was no longer the relatively simple world of school, but one filled with fierce competition and battles of wits—a world of adults, but even more so, a world of the Awakened. He felt his current abilities were still lacking, and his desire to grow stronger became even more intense.

Before sleep, he checked on a new novel he’d been following at Zongheng Literature—"Eternal Night Demon King." Finding the protagonist's experiences similar to his own, he decided he’d support the author every day with a like.

In the middle of the night, Xia Zheng’s body underwent another change as he slept. Lying under his blanket, he levitated into the air, radiating waves of psychic energy. The furniture, decorations, computer—everything around him was lifted by this energy, hovering in the air. It looked as though every object in the room swayed in rhythm with his breath—utterly magical.

The next morning, at 8:55, Xia Zheng arrived early at the Ailtok Military District Hospital in Polant City. This time, he didn’t need to show any identification; Lieutenant Filina was already waiting for him at the entrance. When she saw him, she walked up and looked him over with a cold, stern expression.

"Come with me." Filina turned on her heel and strode off, still seeming a little angry with him. Xia Zheng smiled wryly, with some regret. If Filina had been the one to recruit him from the start, perhaps he'd already joined the military. But for him, that would have been another story entirely.

Today, Filina wore her full formal uniform—a sky-blue officer’s dress, adorned with two silver stars on her chest, making her appear even more striking. The Federation’s military uniforms vary: soldiers and junior officers wear green, with no stars for soldiers, only "flowers," the national flower—the white magnolia—up to three blooms. Junior officers wear copper stars, up to three. Lieutenants wear sky-blue with silver stars, up to three. Senior officers in the field wear blue and white with gold stars, up to three. Generals wear white with purple stars, up to four. The highest rank, Grand General, wears red with five purple stars, just below the Federation President in status.

Filina was all business today. Xia Zheng didn’t mind; he had no intention of joining the military now and probably wouldn’t see Filina again. Looking at the beautiful, shapely woman before him, he felt a pang of regret—especially knowing her fiancé was Captain Dias. He clenched his fists, feeling she deserved better.

With Filina leading the way, they passed unimpeded and soon reached the examination room prepared for Xia Zheng. He was surprised to find quite a crowd awaiting him—not only familiar military doctors, but also a tall, handsome white man and a sturdy, silver-templed Asian elder.

The elder looked about fifty, standing straight as a pine. When Xia Zheng entered, the old man’s gaze, sharp as a hawk’s, fell on him—but quickly softened, taking on a kindly air.

"Young man, welcome for your re-examination," the elder greeted him.

Xia Zheng paused, then replied politely, "Thank you, sir, but I’m only here today to fulfill my duty as a citizen of the Federation."

His words made the elder’s expression freeze, then he smiled wryly and joked to those around, "The young man has some spirit—good!" The others laughed along, though their laughter sounded a bit forced.

The tall white man seemed to rely on his height, looking down at Xia Zheng with a gaze full of disdain.

"So, you’re Xia Zheng?" he asked coldly.

"Indeed. You must be Captain Dias," Xia Zheng replied coolly.

Dias was taken aback—he hadn't expected such a quick-witted response. Nodding, he said, "The military postponed your special recruit procedure out of caution, to observe you for a while and let your condition stabilize before re-examining you. I hope you understand?"

"It makes no difference to me," Xia Zheng replied indifferently. Dias’ face darkened. For a fresh graduate to talk to him like this—how arrogant! He made up his mind: if the results weren’t ideal, even if Xia Zheng barely met the threshold, he’d make sure this brat was rejected.

Filina couldn’t help but interject, "Dias, stop delaying. Begin the re-exam procedures now."

The elder considered, then nodded in agreement.

Xia Zheng followed a military doctor into the examination room, Filina alongside him. The elder and Captain Dias remained outside to await the results.

"Dias, are you holding a grudge against this kid?" the elder asked.

"General, obedience to orders is a soldier’s duty, come hell or high water. This kid is unruly, hard to control. His previous results were good, but only that—not remarkable. The real issue is whether someone with such a strong personality would strengthen or weaken our forces. Awakened warriors are meant to fight the Blood Clan. His attitude reminds me of that former prodigy; if history repeats itself..." Dias trailed off.

"Enough!" the elder barked, glaring at Dias with a look that could pierce steel. The aura of a lifetime spent on the battlefield made even the war-hardened Dias break a sweat.

The elder, though not Awakened himself, was once a top-tier warrior—a king among genetically enhanced soldiers, honored as "Warlord."

"Never... never mention that name again. Never!" he warned. Dias lowered his head, not daring to defy him. The elder’s authority was far beyond Dias’ reach.

Just then, exclamations came from the examination room. The results were out.

The elder rose at once and strode toward the room. Dias wiped the sweat from his brow and followed.

It's all that damned Xia Zheng’s fault he was so humiliated today. Kid, don’t get cocky. As long as I’m here, even if you join the military, you’ll never have an easy time.

Filina emerged from the exam room holding the freshly printed report, cheeks flushed with excitement.

"General, look at this..." she said, handing the report to the elder.

He took it and immediately checked the key metrics:

Name: Xia Zheng
Gender: Male
Age: 18
Health: Good
Constitution: Good
AB-161 Level: 1.0
Potential Rating: S+

Full report as follows...

Dias couldn’t resist peeking over the elder’s shoulder and saw the AB-161 level: 1.0.

"How is this possible? An increase like this—did he take something?" Dias blurted out. The others glanced at him with contempt. If drugs could fool these tests, what did that say about the military’s experts and cutting-edge equipment?

Xia Zheng emerged from the room, dressing. He wasn’t as surprised as Filina and the others about his AB-161 score rising by another 0.2—after yesterday’s fight with Cedric, he’d felt the breakthrough himself. Cedric hadn’t been the only one to benefit.

But Xia Zheng didn’t know that an increase of 0.2 in just days was almost unheard of, even a change of 0.001 being rare.

Dias glared at the young man before him, grinding his teeth. Could he still suppress him? To do so would be to squander a prodigy with S+ potential—a loss the military could ill afford.

The elder’s hands trembled with excitement. It was as if he saw the return of a once-brilliant star—whose fall had long haunted him with guilt and regret. Now, he felt hope rekindled.

"Xia Zheng, I am General Song Xinghui of the Federal Military. I formally approve you as a special recruit and sincerely invite you to join the Military Academy for Awakened Combatants!" The elder offered his hand with heartfelt hope.

Everyone, aside from the disgruntled Dias and the awkward Dr. Wang, awaited Xia Zheng’s reply—especially Filina, whose eyes were full of expectation. But...

Xia Zheng took a step back and, meeting the gaze of this exalted Federal General, replied with calm dignity, "I’m sorry, I refuse to join the military."

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