Chapter 24: Desire and Anger
by AfuhfuihgsDesire and Anger
The time came for foreign students to also go forward one by one to receive their military swords. My turn was right after Hoang Thi Linh from Vietnam. The Vietnamese hypnotist stepped onto the podium and stared intently at the Generalissimo, making Chiang Kai-shek a bit flustered.
I could hear the Generalissimo’s bewildered voice as I waited nearby.
“I’ve seen many students like you, but this is a bit new. Sometimes there are foreign students who try to test their abilities on me as soon as they see me. But hypnosis? You might as well have taken out a tool and waved it around.”
“Is, is that allowed?”
“Of course not. Now get down.”
Hoang Thi Linh went down from the podium with the military sword, receiving cold stares from the guards protecting Chiang Kai-shek. I thought she might be a somewhat timid but relatively sensible person, but from the conversation I just heard, it seemed this Vietnamese exchange student was just as unhinged as those from other countries.
With slightly trembling feelings, I stepped up the stairs to face the old Generalissimo. The old man held out a black military sword to me and asked:
“You’re Korean. It’s been four, five years, hasn’t it? Why haven’t you been sending students lately?”
“I, I’m just an ordinary exchange student, so I don’t really know…”
In reality, it’s probably closely related to the government’s inclination. The current Korean president is in his fourth year, or third year of his term, I think. The party currently in power has a slightly anti-China leaning. Even if the Korean government is anti-China, it can’t be truly “anti-China” in the sense of “anti-communist,” but it tends to distance itself from China relatively and strengthen ties with Europe or the United States, that’s how it goes.
The decrease in exchange students coming to Beiping and Huangpu is also not entirely unrelated to the government’s direction, although the official reason is to nurture Korea’s own awakened school established in Kaesong.
“Personally, I have special feelings for Korea,”
Chiang Kai-shek said as he placed the sword on my politely outstretched hands.
“Personally, I regret that Korean exchange students haven’t come to Beiping, but it’s something that a solid-looking female student has come to Huangpu at least. Do your best from now on. Even if it’s to prevent the relationship between our two countries from becoming any more distant.”
“I don’t think Korea and China have ever become distant…”
I said this while shaking hands with Chiang Kai-shek. The Generalissimo just smiled silently. Just seeing his smile made me feel like my whole body would break out in goosebumps. I went down from the podium and waited for Briar Churchill, who was next in line, to receive her military sword and come down.
Churchill’s proud expression she had when going up had also slightly subsided. Although I couldn’t hear the conversation between the two, it was clear that Chiang Kai-shek had suppressed Churchill’s spirit even more decisively than Zhou Lizhi. I asked with a slight smile:
“How was it?”
“Scary.”
Churchill frankly admitted defeat.
“Is that the man who has held the continent in his grasp for decades? I’ve always been curious, but now I’m not curious anymore.”
“About what exactly?”
“How Asia’s sick pig could transform into the awakened dragon of the East in just 10 years. If that man was in his prime, even Stalin couldn’t help but wet himself at a summit meeting.”
“Just because you almost wet yourself doesn’t mean Stalin would have too.”
“What?”
“It’s a joke, just a joke.”
“Getting a bit close and trying to match me, commoner? Is your sense of humor that crude?”
Churchill spoke like that, but she didn’t seem too upset. I retorted back at her:
“Weren’t you the one who thought I’d be stuck in some instructor’s room wetting myself? Was I wrong to say that, noble lady?”
Briar Churchill just shrugged her shoulders. While feeling pleased about becoming much closer with my new roommate in just a day, the Generalissimo’s welcoming ceremony for new students was roughly concluded as all foreign students received their military swords.
Although it was an important occasion with Chiang Kai-shek attending in person, the event couldn’t last long precisely because Chiang Kai-shek was present. China’s leader was too important a figure to be away from Nanjing for long.
As the event was generally wrapping up, I made eye contact with Zhou Lizhi again. Seeing the Chinese instructor striding towards me, Maestro tapped my shoulder.
“The masochistic major who’s fallen head over heels for you is coming this way?”
“Well… I’m not sure about that.”
“Trust me. People like me can tell at a glance. Even if she looks angry, that woman will never be able to truly resist you.”
“Really? How many women have you toyed with, miss?”
“My experience with women is only from romance novels.”
“That’s not a trustworthy answer at all.”
“In the end, novels reflect reality, you know.”
By that time, Zhou Lizhi had already come right up to me. The major gave Briar Churchill a look full of meaning to ‘step back’. Whether she wanted to give us time alone, or if she still remembered being pushed back in the confrontation with Zhou Lizhi this morning, Briar Churchill obediently turned her head and stepped back.
The other foreign students around us also seemed to just glance at us without daring to come closer. Some looked like they were already completely disinterested and thinking of going back to the dormitory to rest. There were no more scheduled events for today since we’d had the entrance exam and ceremony.
But despite there still being students around, and even Chinese soldiers of lower rank than Zhou Lizhi, despite there not being a complete absence of onlookers, she grabbed my collar with one hand and pulled me towards her. It was a scene perfect for sparking the imagination of anyone watching.
“What exactly are you?”
Zhou asked in Chinese.
“What kind of woman are you?”
“Is this because I took your lips like that, Major?”
I asked quietly, just loud enough for her to hear. The instructor shook her head.
“The move you used to tie my hands. That’s not a move an ordinary college student can do. Are you from the Korean military? Or the National Intelligence Service? A foreign mercenary? Communist Party? Reveal your identity. What exactly is your reason for being here? What on earth are you plotting…”
“Instructor.”
I smiled as I removed her hand from my collar.
“Wasn’t it because you were slow that you got caught, Instructor?”
“Me? Slow? You’re saying I, a major in the National Revolutionary Army, an instructor at Huangpu, a Weapon Master, got both hands tied by you because I was slow? To a superhuman who’s like a newborn with no real combat experience, who’s just awakened their ability, I was…?”
“Have you ever faced a duct tape ability user before?”
“No, I first learned of such an ability when I received your recommendation letter.”
She couldn’t hide her excitement and anger. She wasn’t even calling me “you” formally anymore.
“Then you could have been caught off guard, couldn’t you? It’s a ability you’ve never seen before, so of course you might be caught the first time. I don’t want to look down on you because of that incident. If we fight again, I’d probably lose, right?”
“Of course! But, but that movement was different. Tying both my hands, even tying up the sword I drew, and then my mouth…”
“But it’s strange.”
I said without losing my composure. Anyway, neither of us could raise our voices too much. Being suspected is dangerous, but… panicking and backing down now would be even more dangerous.
If, as Briar Churchill said, she really has masochistic tendencies… stimulating that might be the answer.
“Why didn’t you use your legs?”
“…What?”
“I didn’t tie your feet. Why didn’t you kick even once when I was tying your mouth? Don’t Chinese military instructors practice kicking? Don’t you know how to fight using your feet?”
“Nonsense. I didn’t get here just relying on my ability. Taekkyeon, boxing, wrestling, any martial art I could learn…”
“But you didn’t kick, did you?”
Zhou Lizhi couldn’t answer. I continued whispering relentlessly:
“I was angry. To be honest, you leaning in close with lustful eyes right now is making me angry too.”
“Lustful? Not now. Maybe earlier, but now…”
“Are you even lying to yourself about your own desires?”
Zhou Lizhi flinched at my words.
“Anger tends to boost momentary reflexes. Conversely, desire makes humans dull. Your eyes were flickering with obscene desire, and I was angry feeling that desire. Is it so strange that I managed to subdue you once, hm?”
“…Go back and rest. It seems you and I will be facing each other a lot from tomorrow.”
“We’ll face each other every day, sure, but in what sense?”
“Go back and rest.”
Zhou concluded with a trembling voice. I didn’t stop her as she turned around and disappeared in the opposite direction.
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