After the former Director Yan was transferred, Zhang Hongtian took his place in charge of leave requests at Xinghai Mecha Academy. He did not expect that today, someone with a familiar name would use feeling unwell as a reason to ask him for leave at night.
Holding a piece of stationery and wearing a white long dress, the girl gracefully pushed open the heavy wooden door of the study. She cast her gaze downward and asked proudly, “Whose call was it?”
Zhang Hongtian bowed slightly and replied respectfully, “It was from a teacher at our school. He said he was not feeling well and wanted to take a leave of absence.”
“A teacher?” The girl casually placed the stationery on the mahogany desk, lifted a coffee cup with a hint of frivolousness, and took a small sip. “Tomorrow is the school anniversary, and I heard the Admiral is coming too. Yet someone wants to take leave?”
Turning along with the girl’s movements, Zhang Hongtian said, “Yes, I believe you know him too, Miss.”
“Who is it?”
“Lin Qiansheng from the Maintenance Academy.”
The girl narrowed her eyes slightly. “The one my uncle talked about?”
“Exactly.”
The girl lifted a strand of curly hair behind her ear and glanced to the other side. “That uncle of mine is also a good-for-nothing. The family arranged for him to get close to the Admiral, but instead, he left a bad impression. During this time, he even acted like he was possessed and jumped off the fourth floor. He’s still lying in the hospital now, right?”
The girl’s name was Wang Yao, and her uncle was Wang Xin. Zhang Hongtian chimed in, “Sometimes… it is indeed hard to understand Lord Wang Xin’s thoughts.”
Wang Yao fiddled with her fingers out of boredom and asked again, “Did you approve the leave?”
“Not yet. School anniversaries generally do not allow leave. I told him to contact me later.”
At this moment, Wang Yao let out a soft huff. “No matter what, my uncle is still a member of our Wang family. Being noticed is his honor, yet a mere teacher dares to refuse.”
She paused, her eyebrows curving. “Not feeling well? That’s perfect. Tell him later that if he wants to take leave, he must go to the school to get a slip and a stamp. When he arrives at school tomorrow, tell him that leave is not allowed for the anniversary. You must not let him get his leave.”
Zhang Hongtian naturally did not know what had happened to Director Yan before. Hearing the girl’s words, he nodded flatteringly and answered, “Yes!”
A silver crescent moon hung high in the sky, and looking up at the dome of heaven, one could still see the boundless Milky Way.
Having just finished exams, Lu Jing came back very late after hanging out with friends. Before even reaching home, he saw the young man standing in thin clothes by the small stone table in the courtyard outside, holding a white porcelain teacup in his hands.
The summer night temperature dropped quickly. Lu Jing frowned. “Not sleeping so late at night, what are you doing standing there? Where is Doctor Bai? Does he not care about you?”
Lin Qiansheng glanced at the message on his terminal with a blank expression on his delicate face. The moonlight spilled over him, plating him with a faint silver sheen. Viewed from afar, the whole person looked very cold.
Lu Jing noticed that Lin Qiansheng seemed a bit off and looked over suspiciously. “Are you angry?”
The fingers holding the teacup moved slightly, the young man’s face hidden behind the curling wisps of smoke, making his expression unclear. Hearing the voice, he came back to his senses and smiled. “No.”
On the terminal screen placed on the side of the stone table was a text message sent by Zhang Hongtian: Sorry, if you want to take leave, you must go to the school academic affairs office for approval and a stamp. Anyway, come to school tomorrow.
The next day was the anniversary of Xinghai Mecha Academy. Before dawn, colorful flags fluttered on the silver teaching building of Xinghai Academy, and a red carpet had already been rolled out outside the imposing main gate.
The school attached great importance to this anniversary. To prevent accidents in case of rain, a light shield was specially activated.
A huge, invisible light shield full of a sense of technology completely enveloped the academy.
Moreover, not only the school, but all sectors of society were also paying close attention. Reporters who received the news early swarmed to the school gate, setting up cameras, holding microphones, and excitedly waiting for the arrival of the Admiral.
Their Empire’s Admiral rarely showed his face to the outside world. Who would have thought he would actually agree to attend the anniversary of Xinghai Academy this time?!
This was big news!
As reporters, they had to seize the opportunity!
The area around the red carpet was packed tightly by reporters. If security guards had not been stopping them, some might have rushed straight to the door.
Zhang Hongtian squeezed his way into the school after a long time. He arrived at the office building, wiped away his sweat, and couldn’t help spitting, “Those damn reporters!”
He did not arrive very early, but the corridor of the office building was empty and dark, with only a row of emergency exit signs glowing with a faint green light.
As he walked, his footsteps echoed down the entire corridor.
Someone had hung a person-sized mirror at the corner. The moment he passed the mirror, Zhang Hongtian stopped abruptly, his back turning cold and goosebumps breaking out all over his body.
Just now… in the mirror, it seemed like he hadn’t seen himself??
He rubbed his eyes hard. When he looked again, the figure in the mirror moved along with his actions.
His eyelids twitched ominously, and Zhang Hongtian suddenly remembered the eerie points on the school forum regarding Wang Xin jumping off a building.
The air seemed to freeze at this moment. Zhang Hongtian’s whole body stiffened, his hands and feet cold. It was also then that he realized the corridor was eerily quiet.
After he stopped, the footsteps also disappeared, and he could only hear his own breathing.
“Haha…” Zhang Hongtian gave a dry laugh to break the silence, talking to himself as if to boost his courage. “What are you thinking? How could there be ghosts, haha.”
He licked his dry lips, moved away from the eerie mirror, and ran quickly back to his office, locking the door behind him.
Back in the familiar room, Zhang Hongtian collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
“Hello.”
A voice suddenly sounded in the room where he should have been alone. Zhang Hongtian’s pupils shrank sharply, and he turned his head in trepidation.
A tall, twisted shadow with a pale face stood silently right beside him!!
“Ahhhhh! There’s a ghost! There’s a ghost!”
With a distorted face, Zhang Hongtian let out a scream, scrambled away with hands and feet in a panic to a corner, hugging his head and shrieking wildly.
With a click, the office light was turned on.
Zhang Hongtian raised his head in a daze and saw the young man standing in front of his desk lowering his eyes. His blue eyes radiated a gentle light, making him look rather well-behaved and completely harmless. The young man smiled gently. “Teacher Zhang?”
“Lin… cough cough, Lin Qiansheng?! Why are you he-here?” Zhang Hongtian choked on his saliva, widening his eyes in disbelief. Remembering how pathetic he looked being seen like this, he felt both ashamed and annoyed, and cursed loudly, “Who the hell let you in?”
“I’m just here to ask for leave,” the young man said unhurriedly.
The corners of Zhang Hongtian’s mouth twitched. He steadied himself against the wall, trembling as he stood up, and stared angrily at the young man.
He forced down his emotions and pretended to care. “This anniversary is very important to the school! If you’re just not feeling well, bear with it and it will pass. It’s best not to take leave.”
Lin Qiansheng glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and sighed. If it were like last time, he could afford to drag it out slowly.
But this time was different. Lin Qiansheng suddenly walked closer. Although his figure was thin and seemed as if he could be blown away by the wind, his presence was overwhelming, pressing heavily down on Zhang Hongtian. He curved the corners of his mouth slightly and spoke in a direct, forceful tone.
“Approved or not.”
Zhang Hongtian’s whole body shook. For some reason, looking at the young man’s smile, he felt an inexplicable fear.
He took a step back and gave a dry laugh. “Really no…”
Before the word “approved” could come out, Zhang Hongtian suddenly choked. His field of vision was left with only a deep blue resembling a starry sky.
When he came back to his senses, the office was empty, and everything seemed like an illusion.
Zhang Hongtian rubbed his head. As he rubbed, his gaze grew increasingly dazed, and his memory seemed to have a gap.
He had just been squeezing his way into the school; when did he get to the office??
The light-brain on the desk was lit. Zhang Hongtian lowered his head. On the screen, Lin Qiansheng’s leave application in the academic affairs system showed “Approved,” and it had been confirmed twice, unable to be revoked.
The morning sun had completely risen. Reporters and invited guests from all walks of life entered one after another from outside. Together with the students inside, the campus instantly became lively.
Lin Qiansheng looked at the time on his terminal and pursed his lips. It was already 8:50. Although according to Li Cheng’s words, the Admiral should arrive around ten or eleven, based on his understanding of Lu Xingcheng, that Admiral would definitely arrive early.
And he had to leave the school quickly now.
Avoiding the busiest areas of the campus, he took a slightly longer detour to the sea of blue flowers behind the Maintenance Academy.
Waves rolled one after another, and falling blue petals drifted with the breeze.
This sea of blue flowers was originally just a small patch of land, planted eight years ago by the former vice-dean of the Maintenance Academy. As time passed, the flower sea gradually expanded and had become one of the must-visit spots for campus couples.
However, at this moment, all the students’ attention was focused on the upcoming Admiral and gathered over at the gymnasium where the anniversary was about to start, so there were hardly any people here.
The main and side gates of the school were already packed tightly. Trying to get out from other places was no easier than climbing to the blue heaven.
However, in the courtyard behind the sea of blue flowers, which was locked year-round, there was a small side gate that could lead out.
There were three keys to the small courtyard: one was in Lin Qiansheng’s hands, one was buried underground with the deceased associate professor, and as for the third, he only heard the professor say it was given to a close friend.
As for who it was, he was not clear.
Because he walked too hurriedly, a flush swept across the young man’s pale face. Coupled with standing outside watching the starry sky late into the night yesterday, he seemed to have caught a slight cold.
He coughed a few times and gradually slowed his pace.
The small courtyard had been undisturbed for years, and now it was covered by weeds, looking somewhat desolate and dilapidated.
The young man took out the rusted key and slowly opened the heavy door.
Outside the door was a path, and parked on the narrow path was a black car. The car windows were also dark, making it impossible to see the situation inside.
Almost at the same time Lin Qiansheng came out, an old man with neatly groomed silver hair stepped out of the car. When the old man saw him, a flash of surprise crossed his shrewd eyes.
The old man also looked quite familiar. The smile at the corner of the young man’s mouth stiffened slightly. He lowered his gaze, pretended not to see anything, and tried to lower his presence to slip away quietly.
However, the old man smiled and called out to him, “Is this Mr. Lin? Could you please wait a moment?”
No, Lin Qiansheng did not want to wait. Before he could voice a refusal and slip away, the old man had already lowered his head and said toward the inside of the car:
“Lord Admiral, the gentleman I mentioned to you just now happens to be right here.”