The First Order

Chapter 661: Statue

Just as the consortiums had feared, not only did the Riders retaliate against them, but they also did it with precision.

Some of the secret research bases of the three consortiums suffered varying degrees of damage. The Riders did not charge in recklessly like they had imagined. Instead, they destroyed them remotely with artillery fire.

Although the underground fortifications of those bases were still intact, the Riders did not continue with the further destruction of the targets.

As the Qinghe Group had been controlling the satellites for many years, they knew a lot of secrets. The consortiums had also decided to stir up trouble in Luoyang City precisely because they were concerned about this. They did not want an eye in the sky flying over their heads and spying on them.

However, they did not manage to seize Luoyang City, and the plan to eliminate the Riders was also unsuccessful, so all they could do now was take the beating.

Of course, the Riders were not just relentlessly seeking revenge. They just thought that it would be good to cause the consortiums some pain and let them know the Riders were out and roaming the wilderness, so they had better not dare to get any ideas about Luoyang City again.

If they really forced the consortiums into a corner, Luoyang City would still be the one at a disadvantage.

Amid the bustle, Xu Zhi was walking alone on a small street. The holly trees on the sidewalk had grown very tall. He was here this time because he had found out about Zhou Yingxue’s new address, so he wanted to come over and have a look.

Xu Zhi had been searching for Zhou Yingxue for a long time. Now that he knew she was in Luoyang City and was aware of her address, there was no reason why he should not drop by.

Xu Zhi walked to the entrance of the villa and looked at it silently. But before two minutes could pass, the door of the villa opened.

He looked a little flustered as Zhou Yingxue came walking out with two bags of trash in her hands.

Zhou Yingxue immediately recognized Xu Zhi. However, she frowned and asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I…” Xu Zhi was at a loss for words. “I just wanted to thank you again. After all, you saved me before—”

“C’mon,” Zhou Yingxue interrupted, “I know what you’re thinking. You should just go back. You’re nothing compared to my master.” Then Zhou Yingxue handed the two trash bags to Xu Zhi. “Turn left and walk a short distance. You’ll see a dumpster there. Throw these away for me.”

Then Zhou Yingxue went back into the house just like that!

Xu Zhi stood outside the entrance in a daze for a while. He cut a sorry and pathetic figure holding two bags of trash in his hands.

Then he smiled bitterly and walked off towards the Qinghe Building.

This time, there was no one standing in his way. The security guard at the entrance even greeted him warmly.

Xu Zhi rarely went to school these days. As he was already in his fourth year of university, he did not have any classes to attend. And now, Xu Ke had even made him the assistant to the Qinghe Group’s president. Instantly, he became a rising star in the whole of Luoyang City, as well as a legend in school.

As a matter of fact, the entire Luoyang City was dependent on the Qinghe Group and only existed because of it. As the assistant to the Qinghe Group’s president, he held a lot of power.

Although a position like that did not seem to have any real power, it was still a very prestigious one.

However, Xu Zhi did not feel excited at all. He suddenly felt that his current achievements were totally not worth mentioning in front of Zhou Yingxue. All she had in her heart was her master.

Even if her master had already run off with someone else….

He took the elevator up. He had taken the documents from his desk to report to Xu Ke, “The reconstruction work is already underway, and Director Yang Ruilin has given us an update of the time frame for the rebuilding project. The specific task breakdown will be delivered to us in the afternoon, and I will follow up on this matter personally…”

Xu Ke stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and listened. When Xu Zhi finished reporting, he asked, “Do you know why I suddenly appointed you as my assistant?”

Xu Zhi shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“Guess.”

Xu Zhi gave it some thought and said, “Was it because I made the correct choice right near the end?”

“No.” Xu Ke shook his head with a smile. “Your choice was not important. It was your courage that mattered.”

Xu Zhi was a little puzzled. Xu Ke patted him on the shoulder and walked off towards the elevator. “In this era, one needs to possess both drive and courage, and you have both of these qualities. Come, follow me outside for a while. The two custom-made statues should be fabricated after we rushed for it to be completed.”

It was Xu Zhi’s character that Xu Ke valued.

Their vehicle drove all the way to Wangchunmen Boulevard, where it was already packed with countless people. It was as though everyone was gathered here for some exciting event.

Xu Zhi had just taken the job and was still unsure of what was going on here.

Xu Ke was the first to step out of the car. When the crowd saw Xu Ke arrive, they immediately made way for him. Regardless of whether others acknowledged Xu Ke, at least the residents of Luoyang City felt he was a good person who treated everyone well.

Two statues covered by a red cloth stood in the middle of the boulevard. The garrison troops were standing guard next to them and waiting for Xu Ke to come and unveil the sculpture.

Rumors of these two statues had been flying around from very early on. It was first spread from the sculptor who said these statues were of the two people who had saved Luoyang City during Qinghe’s moment of crisis.

During this period, stories of the crisis in Luoyang City were being spread around in the stronghold’s bars until they became nearly legendary.

After all, residents lived on both sides of Wangchunmen Boulevard. Most of the residents just hid at home and did not even dare to look out their windows during the chaos. But as it turned out, there were those who were bolder who managed to witness the entire thing.

As a result, the events of how Xu Ke faced the enemies alone and killed seven or eight of them, how Ren Xiaosu came alone to Xu Ke’s aid, and how the appearance of a mysterious sniper helped them dominate the battlefield, all of those stories immediately became the stuff of legend!

Xu Ke walked up to the statues and pulled away the red cloth.

One of the statues was of a girl wearing a cap with short hair that reached her shoulders. She was carrying a sniper rifle on her shoulder, making her look extremely domineering.

The onlookers immediately realized this must be the legendary sniper who dominated the battlefield.

It was a little stranger on the other side of the sculpture. Half of the young man’s body was visible outside steel armor, while the other half was enclosed within. It was like the armor had been damaged after a brutal battle.

The scene the sculpture depicted had an extraordinarily tragic feel to it.

However, what the two statues had in common was that Yang Xiaojin was wearing a cap while Ren Xiaosu was wearing a hood. Their faces were hidden in shadow and could not be seen clearly at all.

Some people lamented, “That girl must be very beautiful, right? Why did the sculptor sculpt her with a cap on for?”

In the crowd of onlookers, a group of students were stunned. Others might not be able to see their faces clearly, but Ren Xiaosu’s steel armor and Yang Xiaojin’s cap were way too unique. It was so unique they could immediately tell this was their classmate, Yang Xiaojin!

As for the other statue, wasn’t that the young man who stood in for Zheng Hang in class? Zheng Hang was still crying now as he could no longer skip any of Jiang Xu’s classes in the future. Furthermore, when Jiang Xu asked any questions in class these days, he would always pick Zheng Hang to answer them.

Earlier, everyone was still speculating if Yang Xiaojin was also a supernatural being since that young man was one.

And these speculations were finally confirmed today. A student sighed and said, “To them, we truly do lead a very pampered life. It’s said they killed more than a hundred enemies that day. People like them… are not from the same world as us.”

Xu Zhi looked at the sculpture and suddenly felt Ren Xiaosu was at a level he would probably never reach in his lifetime.