Chapter 162: Girly Music (1/2)
Chapter 162: Girly Music
The swelling of Chu Cheng’s face had gone down, and was back to normal. He followed Hua Li, rubbing his face as though it still hurt.
“Too rough, A-Jue, jeez. You’ve been planning this for a while, I’ll bet.”
Lan Jue shot him a glance. “Premeditated, no, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t wanted to stomp your face for at least a few days.”
Chu Cheng flipped him the bird, then tried to glare a hole in to the fat young man to one side. “Hey fat-ass, I’ll remember this. Did your good-for-nothing teacher train you with that loud mouth?”
Tang Xiao’s reply was quiet, timid. “Professor Lan didn’t teach me that, I came up with it myself after some research. I believe we should stop at nothing when in the heat of battle, anything it takes to win. The process isn’t important, just the result. Please don’t be upset, teacher! I’m just trying to be self-directed.”
Chu Cheng snorted, hard. Hua Li took up the conversation, his own voice betraying displeasure. “So have you shared this little story of yours with your Professor?”
Tang Xiao blushed at the accusation. “The first time we fought I did. He beat me pretty badly. I haven’t since.”
Hua Li’s white-knuckle fist raised as he glared daggers at the fat kid.
Tang Xiao coughed uncomfortably. “So, Professor, if there’s nothing else maybe I should just head out. Oh, and I’m sorry but I’m not sure I’ll have the opportunity to come over the next few days.”
“Oh?” Lan Jue gave him an inquisitive look. “Look kid you don’t need to be scared. These guys wouldn’t dare run around bullying the younger generations.”
Tang Xiao quickly shook his head. “That’s not it. There’s a school training assembly I can’t get out of. People from our rival school, Lir, are coming. They’ve chosen me as a contestant in a little sparring match. I’m supposed to be drilling mecha combat over the next few days to bone up.”
“Lir University?” Lan Jue looked at him questioningly. “What are they doing coming all the way over here?”
Tang Xiao enlightened him. “They’re a mecha piloting university, it’s their primary major. Planet Lir isn’t too far from Skyfire, I heard somewhere that the deans were rivals, after the same girl years ago. Later, it was our dean who came out on top. They’ve hated each other ever since. So, every year they send their crack students our way, supposedly for ‘educational exchange.’ Really it’s a chance for them to show us up.”
Chu Cheng was in higher spirits, then, forgetting his previous indignation. “Sounds like fun, what sort of exchanges are we talking?”
“Mostly mecha combat,” Tang Xiao replied. “And truth be told I don’t know what the dean is thinking, agreeing to it. They specialize in mecha combat! Our university’s focus is research. We’re miles behind them in regards to mecha piloting. Every year it’s the same – a cruel beating. They aren’t concerned about face either. Students compete, sure, but the teachers do also. If it weren’t for the Savage Goddess, we’d have precisely zero showing at the exchange. Professor Tan is the only one to ever really have a chance at winning the thing.”
“Originally we were to have some time before the competition, but then Lir University heard about the NEU opening up their doors for some Poseidon guy’s concert. So they pushed the schedule up. What’s there to hear in this damn concert anyway, retards.”
Hua Li shoved his large-framed glasses higher on his nose. “You’ve never heard one of Poseidon’s songs, have you?”
Tang Xiao stuck out his prominent belly. “Uncle,” he started proudly, “I’m a real man. Who listens to that girly stuff anyway – just deviants and young girls.”
Chu Cheng’s features were a strange blend of surprise and mirth as he looked at Lan Jue. “Taunting is just in this kid’s blood, isn’t it? A skill he was born with.”
Hua Li’s expression was cool and dangerously indifferent as he, too, addressed Lan Jue. “Don’t say I never give you face, got it?”
Lan Jue gently patted his forehead before speaking earnestly to his apprentice. “In fact I originally had waned to give you the day off but it looks like we’ll need to continue your special training. By my estimate we’re looking at double time. A-Li, take it easy on the kid right? Don’t break him.”
Hua Li nodded as he made his way to stand before the slack-jawed Tang Xiao. The entertainer plucked off his hat and glasses, revealing his sinister grin and dark eyes. “Tell me though, fatty. Do I look familiar to you at all?”
“Huh? O-oh….”
“I’ll make YOUa deviant! How about we make YOU girly?!”
“Ah! Ow! Ahhh!”
ζ
The Gourmet’s tiny boutique was clean, tidy, and quiet, with a classical beauty that stayed with a person.
Hua Li, Chu Cheng and Lan Jue had all changed by this point, and where making their way there.
Someone else had beat them there, a beautiful young woman.
“Seamstress,”1 Lan Jue greeted amicably with a smile.
The woman rose to her feet and welcomed the three young gentlemen with a smile. “Hello. Ey? Isn’t this…” The Tailor’s pretty eyes swept over Hua Li.
It was becoming abundantly clear that Hua Li attracted a great deal of attention without his disguises in place.
Hua Li only chuckled, his response gentlemanly. “Salutations, beautiful madam. I’m Hua Li.”
Chu Cheng also nodded a greeting to the tailor. “Hello,” he said, “I’m Chu Cheng.”
Lan Jue cast an inquisitive eye unto his friend. “A very tepid greeting, A-Cheng. I expected different from you.”
Chu Cheng glowered at his companion. “Going out anywhere with A-Li is the worst. You think we get any attention with this guy around?”
The Seamstress covered her mouth with a dainty hand and laughed. “Not so! Poseidon is even more striking than his holograms, true, but you two aren’t slouches either. You and our Jewelry Master are a special kind of man. Plus, I like men with a good build – suitable as a mannequin.”