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"Hello, teacher."
Li Xiang knocked on the office door and turned to give his friends a look, signaling them not to follow him in.
Song Jie frowned slightly. From the brief eavesdropping earlier, he had already guessed that Li Xiang's kick might cause some trouble.
"Come in."
Sun Chengbin's deep voice sounded from inside.
Li Xiang stepped in and immediately noticed the teachers' eyes lighting up.
The lenient teacher even strode forward, reaching out to grab Li Xiang's arm.
"Li Xiang, you came just in time! Why did you—"
"Teacher Zhang! Watch your tone!"
Sun Chengbin stepped between them, shielding Li Xiang, his voice low and firm as he faced the other teacher.
"Li Xiang was acting in self-defense!"
"Hahaha, Teacher Sun, that's a bit of an exaggeration. Whether it counts as excessive self-defense is still up for debate..."
Teacher Zhang's expression stiffened before he forced a smile.
The two of them seemed to be arguing over whether Li Xiang's actions counted as self-defense or excessive force.
The difference between the two would determine whether Li Xiang had to take responsibility for Zhu Huihui's injuries.
At the moment, Sun Chengbin was clearly on Li Xiang's side, but unfortunately, several other teachers disagreed.
—
"This matter ends here."
A somewhat aged voice sounded from the office door.
"Principal Bai!"
"Principal Bai!"
Amidst the teachers' greetings, Li Xiang turned slightly and saw a man in his fifties, wearing glasses with a Chingling perched on his shoulder, his temples streaked with white.
"Hello, Principal."
"Hello, Li Xiang. You may return to class now. We will notify your parents to handle the rest."
The old man smiled kindly at Li Xiang but promptly dismissed him, clearly not intending to let the student stay for further discussion.
Li Xiang said nothing, nodded, and left the office.
At his age, he had no real autonomy—calling his parents was the standard procedure.
Besides, even if he were accused of excessive self-defense, the worst he'd face was covering medical expenses. What more could they do to him?
His mother, Mrs. Yin, wasn't the same as before. The difference between being a director at the Conservation Base and a deputy director was like night and day.
Now, during annual meetings of Qingcheng's Trainer Association, when broadcasts aired, Mrs. Yin had to be given screen time, with her name announced.
Before? She wouldn't even get a seat, let alone recognition.
The difference in status was staggering.
—
Classroom.
Li Xiang declined Yang Tianwang and Qu Sheng's offers to call their families for help and calmly returned to his seat.
"How are you not nervous at all? This is serious."
Song Jie tapped his desk.
"Nervous? Zhu Huihui should be the nervous one. I didn't do anything wrong—why should I be nervous?"
Li Xiang realized that even Song Jie held some degree of fear toward the school, but he didn't feel the same. He'd already made the necessary calls—both his parents firmly supported him. What was there to fear?
Song Jie studied Li Xiang's face, noting the complete lack of anxiety, and felt something stir inside him.
Right.
He didn't do anything wrong. Why should he be scared?
—
Afternoon.
With both parents present, along with surveillance footage, witness statements, and the referee's additional testimony, the dispute between Li Xiang and Zhu Huihui was resolved under the school's mediation.
Zhu Huihui, who had insulted a teacher and attacked a classmate, was expelled.
The referee teacher, who had failed to manage the situation properly, was docked two months' salary.
Li Xiang?
Completely unscathed.
The evidence was overwhelming. Even if Zhu Huihui suddenly claimed he hadn't meant to hit Li Xiang, it wouldn't change a thing.
No one would believe that Zhu Huihui, fist raised and face twisted in rage, had been charging at Li Xiang's back to *give him a massage.*
But during the confrontation and review of the footage, Li Xiang finally understood why Teacher Zhang had accused him of excessive self-defense.
Zhu Huihui's jaw was swollen like a tumor, wrapped in bandages that made his already large face even rounder—he looked utterly ridiculous.
Realizing that Zhu Huihui's expulsion was inevitable, his mother started making a scene again—threatening to sue the school, to sue Li Xiang, playing the victim card about being a "poor widow and her son."
Unfortunately for her, Teacher Zhang, who had been protecting them, was now in hot water himself.
Principal Bai, who had taken office the year before last, seemed intent on reforming the school's culture—starting by purging incompetent teachers.
Li Xiang had a feeling this kind-faced old principal wasn't as gentle as he appeared.
But none of that concerned him.
Zhu Huihui's mother had ranted about taking legal action, but the very next day, Zhu Huihui's father showed up at Li Xiang's doorstep with gifts, apologizing profusely.
(Zhu Huihui himself was hospitalized and didn't come.)
The man, at least ten years older than Li Zhehan, was humble to the point where even Li Zhehan couldn't stay angry. After a few polite words, he sent him on his way.
"A doting mother ruins a son."
Li Zhehan sighed after the man left.
A businessman of his stature—thousands of employees, millions in monthly revenue—bowing his head and personally apologizing? That wasn't something just anyone could do.
In a society obsessed with face, pride was everything.
Li Xiang didn't comment.
There was an old saying: Even great men may have unfaithful wives and unfilial sons.
Some family matters were better left alone.
—
Qualification Exam Aftermath.
Of the top ten, only three had been "sprinters"—Li Xiang's group took six spots, and the last went to an unknown female student.
The reason wasn't hard to guess.
The backgrounds of Yang Tianwang and the others guaranteed them opportunities. Otherwise, their families' investments would've been wasted.
The real surprise was Lin Feng making the cut purely on skill.
As for Li Xiang?
His reputation at the school was now set in stone.
To these middle-schoolers, being strong was cool.
And then, some sneaky idiot recorded Li Xiang kicking Zhu Huihui and uploaded it to group chats.
It spread like wildfire—first within the school, then to others.
By the time Li Xiang realized what was happening, the clip had even made it to Qingcheng's Trainer forums!
Thankfully, the idiots hadn't named him, sparing him from becoming an internet meme.
—
Late June.
Final exams ended.
The top twenty rankings were announced immediately—their grades determined their qualification certificates.
Li Xiang's rank had dropped.
Song Jie had silently overtaken him, pushing him to third place.
This guy… ambushed me out of nowhere!
Li Xiang was speechless. He'd lost by one point in English composition—apparently, his language skills were doomed even in another world.
Once rankings were confirmed, Sun Chengbin handed out the school-issued qualification certificates.
Stamped with the official seal, these would be submitted during the official exam registration.
Li Xiang held the thin sheet of paper, emotions swirling.
The qualifiers had worn him out—predicting opponents' picks, strategies, and tactics.
Even though he'd steamrolled through without real suspense, the matches had been intense.
"Any plans for summer break?"
Song Jie suddenly asked.
"Hm?"
Li Xiang glanced at him. "Not really. Exam prep, training, scouting for my next Pokémon, battles, tournaments, martial arts… the usual."
Song Jie hesitated. "I meant… have you considered visiting Jizhou?"
"…You're inviting me to your hometown?"
Li Xiang turned fully in his seat, grinning as he leaned on the chairback.
Song Jie averted his eyes, scratching his nose awkwardly. "S-Something like that."
"Thanks for the invite, but I'm not planning any trips right now." Li Xiang waved him off. Getting the qualification didn't mean he could slack off.
"Next time, maybe."
The competition ahead was fiercer than he'd imagined. His rivals wouldn't just be his schoolmates—they'd be every aspiring trainer in Zhuxia, aged fourteen to eighteen, even older self-study candidates!
If he didn't push himself and his Pokémon harder now, resting on his laurels, he'd regret it later.
Song Jie didn't press further. His family situation was complicated—even inviting Li Xiang had taken courage.
—
Early July.
Summer break began.
Li Xiang now had two months of free time, and Torracat had officially entered its prime, ready to dominate tournaments.
During winter break, unexpected events had kept Li Xiang cooped up at home.
This time, he'd finally have the chance to earn some money—and candies.
But first, they had to pass the exam.
The Trainer Certification exam was the priority. Only after that could he think about expanding his team—adding a fourth, even a fifth Pokémon.
In fact, Li Xiang had already started scouting for his fourth.
But he wasn't looking at Starter Houses or relying on luck in the wild.
Instead—
The Conservation Base!
As the deputy director's son, how could Li Xiang pass up the chance to legally adopt a Pokémon from here?
With the Trainer Certification and an adoption permit (courtesy of his mom), he could take home any Pokémon willing to follow him!
Except for a few legally restricted species, anything was fair game—from pseudo-legendaries to Weedles and Rattatas.
Even the guardian Arcanine was an option!
The Conservation Base housed almost every commonly seen Pokémon.
Everything was available.
Was there any place more alluring to a trainer?
It was like an emperor's harem—except instead of three thousand beauties, it was three thousand Pokémon.
But that didn't matter.
To Li Xiang, the Conservation Base was his treasure vault— the key to his rise as a Pokémon Master!