Chapter 226: Chapter 113: Three-Way Exchange Meet

Zhao Rui was summoned to the main hall.

Puzzled, Zhao Rui hurried over.

When he arrived, he found that the visitors were from the Patrol Bureau. It was the same officer he had met before.

Wang Zhanshan and the dean of the Martial Arts Institute were seated with them.

When Zhao Rui arrived, Wang Zhanshan made the introductions. The Patrol Bureau officer smiled at Zhao Rui and said, “We meet again, young man.”

“Hello, sir!”

Zhao Rui greeted him with a smile.

“We’re here today to present student Zhao Rui with a medal for his courageous actions…”

The officer explained the situation.

Zhao Rui wasn’t too surprised. Zheng Huai Peak had mentioned it before, though he hadn’t expected it to be delayed for this long.

’This is ridiculous.’

After the officer finished his explanation, the ceremony began. Zhao Rui was presented with his medal, prize money, and the other formalities that went with it.

The accompanying reporters snapped a flurry of photos, their lenses focused intently on the officer.

Once the formalities were over, the officer and his men from the Patrol Bureau left Mingcan Courtyard.

The dean of the Martial Arts Institute was ecstatic. He offered Zhao Rui a few words of encouragement and then asked what his major was.

He added that the institute would also have a corresponding reward for him.

“Sir, I’m in the accounting program at the School of Accounting!”

“…”

The dean of the Martial Arts Institute gave a strained, forced smile.

“Good work!”

With that, he turned and strode out the door.

’Good work, my ass! I shouldn’t have even come. In fact, I had no business being here! He’s not even a student from my institute, so what the hell was I doing here?!’

Wang Zhanshan shot Zhao Rui a harsh glare before hurrying after the dean.

The two began a hushed conversation.

Truth be told, Zhao Rui had only been able to enter Mingcan Courtyard thanks to the vice dean. The dean, as the one in charge, normally didn’t bother with such trivial matters.

But that lack of interest didn’t mean he was indifferent when a student achieved great things.

He wanted to share in the glory, too.

About ten minutes later, Wang Zhanshan returned. The moment he walked in, Zhao Rui eagerly asked, “Is there still a bonus from the institute?”

“You’ll have to ask the School of Accounting about that!”

Wang Zhanshan snapped back.

Zhao Rui gave an awkward laugh. “Hey, it’s not my fault the admission standards for the Martial Arts Institute are so high! Could you ask the leadership at the School of Accounting for me? I don’t know them.”

“I know, I know. Two hundred thousand isn’t enough for you, and now you’re after the university’s pocket change!”

“It’s not about the money, it’s about the honor! And don’t forget the extra academic credit!”

“I know! Now get back to training. If the team’s results are poor, I’m holding you responsible!”

Wang Zhanshan replied irritably.

Zhao Rui just chuckled and hurried out of Mingcan Courtyard’s main hall.

「Two more days passed.」

A rumor suddenly started circulating among the team that Ocean University and East Art and Sports University had jointly invited Dongqi University to an internal exchange competition.

The event would be held in Qingzhou City.

The team members were ecstatic. A trip to Qingzhou sounded like a wonderful opportunity.

Qingzhou was a beautiful coastal city, and this was the season when the sun was bright and the seawater was perfectly temperate.

Everyone was eager to go for a swim.

Wang Zhanshan remained noncommittal about the news, seeming hesitant.

After all, participating in an exchange competition like this had its pros and cons.

The upside was that it allowed them to discover their shortcomings and make quick adjustments, preventing those weaknesses from being exposed only during the real competition.

They could also gather intel on the opposing team members, which would allow for more targeted training.

The downside, however, was that their own team’s strengths would also be revealed, allowing their opponents to develop countermeasures.

While he was still wavering, the dean of the Martial Arts Institute called.

He told Wang Zhanshan that if he didn’t take the team out for a trial run, how would he know if their training was effective? By the time they reached the real battlefield, it would be too late.

His meaning was clear: he was encouraging him to take the team out for a test run.

Of course, this was all just talk. The main reason was that a provincial conference for the deans of various Martial Arts Academies was happening to be held at the same time as the exchange.

The deans planned to attend and observe the matches.

As a long-standing, top-tier school, it would be unacceptable for Dongqi University not to attend.

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhanshan relented. Fine, they would go.

They had been through more than a month of intensive group training, on top of their recent special training.

They really did need a few matches to test their mettle.

And so, the rumor became reality!

Everyone was overjoyed. The girls on the team, especially Qin Rui, had already gone out and bought stylish new swimsuits.

The competition was secondary; having fun at the beach was the main event.

Watching their excitement, Zhao Rui couldn’t help but feel a little envious. He’d had very few opportunities to go to the beach in this life.

In his memories from his past life, however, he had loved getting in the water for a swim. He was a decent swimmer, too, and knew a variety of strokes.

’If they won’t let me go, screw it, I’ll pay my own way!’

Zhao Rui thought to himself, ’I don’t have to participate in the competition, but I can at least go swimming with the girls, right?!’

Fortunately, Wang Zhanshan considered that the opposing teams would surely have members in the Grandmaster Realm, and thought it would be a good idea for Zhao Rui to observe them in advance.

So, he brought him along, which saved Zhao Rui the trouble of having to argue his case.

On the day of departure, under the envious gazes of other students, Zhao Rui and the team boarded the bus for Qingzhou City.

The journey from Jeju to Qingzhou wasn’t short; the bus traveled for a good five or six hours before reaching their destination.

The moment they stepped off the bus, a humid sea breeze washed over them, carrying a crisp, salty tang.

It was a complete contrast to the dry, stuffy air of Jeju.

This exchange competition was being held at the Ocean University Martial Arts Institute.

The architecture here had a Western, tropical feel. Most of the buildings weren’t boxy and square; some were even shaped like triangular sails.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep