Absolute Choice
chapter-490-30041322

Riko hurriedly removed her fingers and looked at the cell phone screen. Her expression immediately stiffened when she realized that it was Yama Minamiya's call.

Mozzie and Kevin had turned their heads over instantly. When they saw Riko's expression, they guessed that it was Yama Minamiya's phone call. It was definitely the outcome from the meeting. The phone call was to tell them the result!

They immediately held their breaths in nervousness.

"Don't worry."

Riko gave the duo a gentle smile as she pressed 'Answer' and placed the phone to her ear.

Despite her allaying the duo's nervousness, Riko's heart was pounding. She was extremely nervous.

In the unlikely scenario that her dad failed in the negotiations, Mozzie and Kevin's spots in the collective training would be rescinded once the rule was changed. What were they to do?

No, it was not an unlikely scenario but a high likelihood outcome. Even if she had consoled herself, she could not help but discern the cruel reality. There was the seven major organization's joint protest, the Hero Association's secret pressure, as well as the objections and discussions of the people. Regardless of how she thought of it, the changing of the rule was reasonably the final outcome. By sacrificing Mozzie and Kevin, as well as Gaia's interests, the rest would receive a favorable outcome. Why would the senate not do it?

If they lost the nomination for the collective training, Mozzie and Kevin would definitely be hurt, right? When the time comes, how was she to comfort them and counsel them so as to let them step out of the nadir of negative emotions?

"Hello..."

Riko picked up the call. Her voice sounded stiff. She was 'Violent Girl' as termed by Shi Xiaobai, not some agony aunt!

Riko was nervous and worried. She had already begun considering words of consolation and encouragement that she was not proficient at.

Yama Minamiya's deep and stable voice sounded into her ears.

"The meeting is over. The rule will not change. The spots are still the two children's."

It was simple and direct without any foreshadowing. Yama Minamiya had explained the outcome of the meeting in a narrative tone.

"Ah?"

Riko exclaimed. Her first thought was that she had heard wrong before being pleasantly surprised. She hurriedly asked, "Won? We won?"

"Yea, we won."

Yama Minamiya answered calmly. Against countless objections, they had won.

"Hahaha...well done!"

Riko immediately laughed out loudly. She blinked at the duo sitting beside her and gestured with her fist, indicating that they had clinched victory!

Mozzie and Kevin widened their eyes and were instantly filled with pleasant surprise and disbelief. They were wondering if they were dreaming.

Riko beamed and was enjoying an upheaval of emotions. She wheedled Yama Minamiya, "Dad, quickly tell me how we won!"

"It was all thanks to Chairman Jiang. He eventually held his ground against all dissent and objected to changing the rule. Hence, the result," answered Yama Minamiya.

"Just that?" asked Riko.

"Just that," answered Yama Minamiya.

Riko was surprised but quickly smiled again. Although it wasn't her father holding his ground against all objections, the outcome was already perfect. There was nothing to be disappointed about.

"Not bad. Grandpa Jiang no doubt lives up to his title as Azure Emperor. He's indeed a just hero to have entered the Hero Hall of Fame!"

Riko praised. Suddenly, she recalled Kevin's concerns from before. Hence, she asked in a whisper, "Right, I heard that the boor, Zhang Meng, had participated in it. Did he and those unreasonable upper echelons of the various organizations make things difficult for you?"

"No." Yama Minamiya used a simple word as a response. His voice was calm and stable.

"That's good."

Riko immediately heaved a sigh of relief. It seems Teacher One-Pun did not need to play a role in it.

"Yea, let's do it this way. When Shi Xiaobai comes out, let's hold a celebration. I'm busy. I'll be hanging up," said Yama Minamiya suddenly. While Riko was still in a daze, he had already hung up.

"Doo... Doo... Doo..."

Riko was surprised. Why did he hang up just like that? She still had many questions!

"Strange. Why does it feel like something is odd..."

Riko lowered her cell phone and knitted her brows slightly. However, when she turned her head to see the 'exciting' looks on the duo sitting beside her, she immediately stopped thinking further.

She also beamed happily.

...

...

Shanghai City, First Hospital, Emergency Ward

The moment Yama Minamiya hung up the phone, he gnashed his teeth and uttered a cry of pain.

An old and experienced orthopedic was treating his kneecaps that had been shattered into pulp. Although he had been given a tiny amount of anesthesia, it was still extremely painful.

To think that Yama Minamiya was able to bear the pain through the phone call. He had feigned such a calm and stable voice.

Even the old doctor could not help but look up to steal a few glances at him.

One-Pun was standing by the side as he sighed. He said, "Couldn't you make the phone call after the treatment?"

Yama Minamiya ground his teeth and said with a trembling voice, "Those children were waiting anxiously for it...Ah...Ss..."

One-Pun shook his head helplessly as he suddenly said with a serious expression, "Those two children might not be able to keep up with the collective training."

Previously, under Riko's incessant pestering, One-Pun had taken some time out of his busy schedule to guide Shi Xiaobai, Mu Yuesheng, Kevin, and Mozzie for a short period of time.

Although it wasn't a long period of time, One-Pun had a basic level of judgment of the four.

From his point of view, Wen Hezheng had a good attitude but her natural endowment was too poor.

Kevin was somewhat talented, but he was still greatly inferior to a real genius. Furthermore, he was an arrogant person and biased in his thoughts. Certain thoughts were ridiculous but he did not heed the advice of others. He was the person One-Pun thought the lowest of among the four.

Therefore, although he had accepted Riko's request to appear at the meeting, it was only to ensure that Yama Minamiya was fine. He was not concerned with the outcome of the meeting but he was surprised to find Yama Minamiya working so hard.

From his point of view, even if the spots of the collective training were held by the two children, it was very difficult for the two of them to keep up with the rest. They might very quickly be eliminated or abandoned.

When Yama Minamiya heard that, his expression immediately turned solemn. He looked at One-Pun and said sternly, "Those two children are completely different from how they were in the past. I believe that the present them will not disappoint anyone!"

One-Pun faltered slightly as he pondered for a moment before saying, "Then it seems I'm the one that has been superficial..."

Yama Minamiya said with a grin, "No, if not for me witnessing it with my own eyes, I would never believe that a single trial can result in such a tremendous change in the two children. Do not belittle the potential of young people!"

One-Pun nodded and said approvingly, "At least that child, Shi Xiaobai, has completely exceeded my expectations."

"Heh, that child is a rookie of my Annihilation division!"

Yama Minamiya grinned. He looked rather proud when he suddenly thought of something. He asked softly, "Speaking of which, One-Pun, do you think that child, Shi Xiaobai will have a chance at reaching the eighth level?"

One-Pun faltered as he fell into a moment of silence. He said, "Back then, I was young and rash. I entered the Nine Revolutions Transcendental Tower at the seventh level of the Psionic Mortal Realm."

"At the fifth level, I had taken the initiative to search for the Level Lord and ended up being wrecked and was forced to use the exit command. Therefore, I do not have much concept of the difficulty of the seventh level. However, I know very clearly how strong a Level Lord is. They at least have the strength at the mid-stages of the Psionic Might Realm. To defeat them at the Psionic Mortal Realm would require shocking and unprecedented talent!"

"Perhaps only amazing figures like Overlord Ji Feng, Sword Immortal Xu Taibai, Conquest King Chu Tianqi are able to accomplish it. As for Shi Xiaobai being able to conquer eight Level Lords, it proves that he, at the very least, he possesses a shocking talent regardless of how he did it! With such talent, there is a very high possibility of him clearing the seventh level."

"But the Hero King, a person who history deems as the most likely person to reach the eighth or even ninth level for the first time, had stopped at the seventh level for some unknown reason. It shows that talent and strength might not be sufficient to clear the seventh level. Therefore...I cannot be sure that Shi Xiaobai would be able to reach the eighth level."

One-Pun gave a thorough analysis but eventually gave a vague answer which supported both possibilities. Yama Minamiya could not help but rolled his eyes as he said in a fuming laugh, "I believe Shi Xiaobai has a hundred percent chance of reaching the eighth level, and even the ninth! Do you dare to make a bet with me!?"

One-Pun was surprised. He never expected Yama Minamiya to have such blind confidence in Shi Xiaobai. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "What do we bet on?"

A 'strange' smile suffused his lips as he said softly, "If Little Shi were to reach the eighth level, you have to..." IChooseDogLeading (我选择狗带) when read in Chinese sounds like I Choose Go Die. It was a meme that resulted from a former member of famous Korean boygroup, EXO, TAO (Huang Zitao). At a concert, there was a part in a rap that where he said "", but due to a mispronunciation, it sounded like he will not easily choose to be led by dogs. This phrase now means 'I'd rather die/I choose death'.