Chapter 297: Overwhelmed With Distress

　　14th of September.

　　Ten Grandmasters had assembled—the three High Grandmasters of MCMAU, along with seven other graduate Grandmasters. Using the Flight Step, they traveled three thousand li, heading straight for Capital City!

　　Early the next morning, more than ten people soared high into the air at the Capital City border!

　　The vitality of the Grandmasters filled the entire city!

　　…

　　MCMAU.

　　When Fang Ping received news of this, his expression froze.

　　Motherf*cker, these old fellows must be insane!

　　They were asked to strive for benefits, not start a fight! Ten assembled High Grandmasters, so intent on showing off that they even employed the Flight Step to travel to Capital City—were they not afraid of stirring up trouble?

　　When Old Man Li received the news, he sighed in disappointment. What a pity!

　　“Those old farts, how could they leave me out when they’ve gone off to pick a fight!”

　　“Damn it. This time I could’ve picked a fight myself after being bullied, given there’s a bunch of Grandmasters in tow. Damn it! What a great opportunity to let off some steam!”

　　Old Man Li was hopping mad. Why did they not invite him along for something as exciting as this?

　　Did they have no heart?

　　If he had gone with them, the first thing he would have done would be to kill that bastard who had harassed him last time. No matter how bold CCMAU was, they would not have the nerve to risk doing something reckless right now.

　　“Gosh, I’m so mad!”

　　An infuriated Old Man Li had also found out part of the story leading up to this event. He grabbed hold of Fang Ping and gave him a good bashing!

　　Or, as Old Man Li euphemistically put it, gave him practical combat experience with a middle-ranked martial artist.

　　Fang Ping was even more infuriated than Old Man Li. He was so enraged his expression was black as thunder. Who had he upset now, to deserve this?

　　Old Man Li had gone too far!

　　Right now, Fang Ping was fast becoming a punching bag. When Lu Fengrou was unhappy, she would take it out on him as well.

　　It was the same when Old Man Li was irritated.

　　Sometimes when Big Lion was pissed off, he would also give Fang Ping a good beating up.

　　There were also the two thorns in Fang Ping’s side in the Martial Arts Society, Xie Lei, and Qin Fengqing. The unpleasant looks that they kept giving him had Fang Ping wishing that he could string both of them up and give them a good bashing once he became a Grandmaster!

　　…

　　While Fang Ping was secretly plotting his revenge.

　　Capital City.

　　Upon learning about the MCMAU Grandmasters’ purpose for coming, a few of the Capital City powerhouses had almost vomited blood in exasperation.

　　Damn it. They were only here to apply for an expansion approval, yet they made it seem like there was a great war happening. What did they think they were trying to do?

　　Of course, all anger aside, everyone knew what MCMAU was doing.

　　They had come in full force, preparing to burn their bridges if they had to!

　　With ten High Grandmasters arriving together on the scene, the approval had to be given. The authorities had no choice but to approve even if they did not want to!

　　After the ten Grandmasters had stated their purpose in coming, they did not utter another word.

　　The whole atmosphere was rather tense.

　　Zhang Tao, the Minister of Education, was a Rank-9 High Grandmaster powerhouse who had not been seen in public for a very long time. Even he had no choice but to show up.

　　After hearing what the contingent from MCMAU had to say, Zhang Tao said softly, “Even if that’s the case, you still can’t ignore the rules about coming to Capital City using the Flight Step!”

　　Huang Jing chuckled softly, “Minister, we’re not in Capital City yet.”

　　All of them were currently standing at the border between Capital City and Beihe.

　　Zhang Tao said nothing more. He muttered in a low voice, “We need to find an amicable solution to this.”

　　An MCMAU Rank-8 golden-body powerhouse graduate called loudly, “That’s not necessary. Time and tide wait for no man. Today, all of us have arrived together; today, we want an answer!”

　　“Is that a threat?”

　　“You could look at it that way, Minister Zhang. Martial arts universities fall under the jurisdiction of the Education Ministry, but the major companies do not!”

　　The Rank-8 powerhouse’s thriving force flared. He roared, “There have been countless deaths and injuries in MCMAU this year; our Vice-chancellor perished in battle. Are you hoping to see everyone in MCMAU go to their deaths?

　　“Capital City is humankind’s first fortified city. What do we have in MCMAU?

　　“When great war breaks out in the Catacombs, MCMAU instructors and students go to battle together. No one can accuse us of being cowards!

　　“The instructors’ casualty rate exceeds 10%. Are there any other universities out there that have the same numbers?

　　“Now that the Vice-chancellor is gone, MCMAU has been weakened. We have been recruiting new students, failing to make ends meet, putting our reputation on the line, raising funds from all our social circles, and enduring castigation. Has anyone ever thought about our instructors and students at MCMAU?

　　“What are the battle statistics and the casualty rates in other universities, including CCMAU?

　　“Last year, Tiannan Martial Arts University’s Catacombs stronghold was destroyed. Even then, the number of casualties they had was nowhere near that of MCMAU. Are we more deserving of death because we are talented?

　　“If we don’t obtain an answer today, we will not be able to face our university instructors and students. We might as well just make a trip into the Catacombs and put off this discussion until later when yet another city has been destroyed!”

　　“Impudence!”

　　“Dying in battle down in the Catacombs is impudence too. What a joke! You, Zhang Tao, you’re the second most powerful Rank-9—you don’t have to worry about resources. Your children are all Grandmasters. If you don’t fight for the benefit of martial arts universities, then aren’t you ashamed to be the education minister? If you think that I’m impudent, then kill all of us today and continue in your position as the minister!”

　　“Tian Mu!”

　　Zhang Tao had yet to say anything when another Rank-8 golden-body powerhouse reprimanded the previous speaker, “Think twice before you speak. Don’t you know what happened to Minister Zhang’s children?”

　　“So what if his children are dead? All of my siblings are dead. None of my children are alive. Am I grieving?”

　　Tian Mu did not seem to think that he had said anything wrong. He yelled, “MCMAU instructors and students put their lives on the line. Why are we not allowed to be self-sufficient with the resources that we’ve worked so hard to gain?”

　　The hitherto silent Zhang Tao did not take Tian Mu’s words to heart. It was meaningless to bicker over these things with such a reckless person.

　　“Tian Mu, there are rules for everything!”

　　Zhang Tao said solemnly, “Instead of forcing the government to give all of you an answer, follow the procedure and wait for the result!

　　“Vice-chancellor Wu, if you have any requests, tell us and we can talk about it. We can discuss ways to achieve this!

　　“I will hand in the application to other departments for discussion. Right now, return to your respective positions at once, all of you!”

　　Wu Kuishan chuckled. “Minister Zhang, it is not us, but circumstances that have forced us into doing this. We are left with no choice, hence we’re slightly impatient and have been nothing but considerate.

　　“The things happening in MCMAU are actually an exception. Our circumstances are different from other universities.

　　“Everyone knows about the situation in the Magic City Catacombs. Recently, the Catacombs have been reopened. However, MCMAU is unable to make ends meet. The instructors and students are going into battle, unarmed and defenseless, to face the enemy.

　　“If this continues, we should just declare bankruptcy. We do not want to harm the younger generation by sending unarmed, defenseless young people into the battlefield.”

　　Everyone turned their attention to Wu Kuishan. Previously that was not what this cunning old man had advocated. Last time, who was the one encouraging MCMAU to recruit eight to ten thousand people, sending all of them into the Catacombs together?

　　Wu Kuishan had just finished speaking when a polite-looking middle-aged man standing behind Zhang Tao said, “Vice-chancellor Wu, MCMAU’s situation is not as bad as you say. We’re still pretty clear on the specific details.

　　“The pill company supplies MCMAU with tens of billions of pills every year…”

　　Wu Kuishan chuckled. “Our MCMAU instructors and students are grateful for the pill company’s supply and we treasure it from the bottom of our hearts. However… the supplies are insufficient to the point that both instructors and students are already very dissatisfied. If this continues, everyone in MCMAU will lose morale for sure.

　　“As for our purpose in coming to Capital City, the expansion of MCMAU’s production line is only one of the things on the list.

　　“Our second request is that we also want the rights for external trade of pills and weapons.

　　“There’s no other way. Right now, MCMAU can’t even afford to eat anymore. We are hoping to achieve some gains and at the same time, motivate the instructors and students to keep going into the Catacombs for battle.”

　　As soon as Wu Kuishan finished speaking, everyone’s expressions changed.

　　Even the Grandmasters from MCMAU’s side had veiled expressions. Wu Kuishan’s ability to make exorbitant demands was absolutely unparalleled.

　　Issuing MCMAU the rights for external trade of pills and weapons meant that this matter was no longer something as simple as MCMAU instructors and students handing over their resources to MCMAU.

　　Wu Kuishan was not done yet. He continued, “Thirdly, MCMAU lacks qualified teachers. We hope the Education Ministry can allocate a hundred middle-ranked instructors to MCMAU, to make up for the losses sustained during the recent war.

　　“Fourthly, there are currently many more teachers and students in MCMAU compared to CCMAU. Our teaching results speak for themselves. Whether it was the championship before that or the Rank-3 battle after, MCMAU defeated CCMAU. Despite that, our funding allocation is less than that of CCMAU.

　　“Last year, CCMAU was allocated 35 billion in funds, while MCMAU received 26 billion. I hope the Education Ministry can help make up the shortfall of 9 billion.

　　“Fifthly, a certain someone called Wu acknowledges his lack of qualifications and power. He is barely strong enough to bear the weight of the Old Vice-chancellor’s expectations; it is too heavy a burden.

　　“Hence, I am making a plea to the Education Ministry to please reelect a Rank-9 powerhouse as the Vice-chancellor of MCMAU.”

　　After listing out all five requests consecutively, Wu Kuishan was still smiling.

　　In contrast, everyone else’s expressions changed again and again!

　　Grandmaster powerhouses did not lose their composure when faced with major things unfolding in front of them.

　　However, none of Wu Kuishan’s five requests were easy.

　　Expanding the campus production line, handing over MCMAU instructors and students’ resources to their own university, obtaining external trade rights, selling pills and weapons to the public, increasing staff by a hundred middle-ranked instructors…

　　Everything that Wu Kuishan had said, including his final request, seemed like a sick joke to those present.

　　A segment of Rank-9 powerhouses dwelt in deep seclusion, while others, like Zhang Tao, occupied important positions. Becoming a vice-chancellor in MCMAU might sound tempting to typical Rank-7 and 8 powerhouses.

　　However, it would not be appealing to Rank-9 powerhouses.

　　Those at Rank-9 had already progressed to the end of their martial arts journey. As such, many of them were disinclined to bother with matters like this.

　　Everyone fell silent.

　　Zhang Tao darted a glance at Wu Kuishan. After a while, he said, “Vice-chancellor Wu, that’s not necessary. Everyone’s striving to achieve the same goal. In the grand scheme of things, some people must contribute more, while others contribute less…”

　　“MCMAU has certainly contributed enough,” Wu Kuishan chuckled, “If a Rank-8 dying in battle isn’t enough, then a few more should make up for it.

　　“Over the years, apart from the Military Department, it’s only the martial arts universities who have lost the highest number of powerhouses to war. No actually, most of the Military Department powerhouses who perished in battle have been from martial arts universities.

　　“Minister, we’re willing to bleed for Sino Nation, but if we have to sacrifice even more, it’ll be beyond reasonable.

　　“Is what we’re asking for so outrageous?

　　“An MCMAU student once said that we put our lives on the line, yet it’s still insufficient for obtaining cultivation resources in exchange. Why should we go into battle then?

　　“For our family, our country, and for mankind…it’s just too nebulous!

　　“How are we supposed to defend our country when we are powerless to defend ourselves!

　　“How can some people who keep watch from their comfort zone understand how difficult it is for those in the front lines to obtain a Catacombs martial artist’s weapon or the herbs to make pills?

　　“Can you really swallow one of those pills knowing that blood and lives were exchanged for it?

　　“It’s not that MCMAU is unwilling to contribute. When we grow stronger, our contributions will certainly increase. Have we ever tried to avoid going to war?

　　“Have we ever complained that too many of us have died in battle, so we should stop entering the Catacombs in the future?

　　“We have not!”

　　Someone in the crowd let out a soft snort.

　　This enraged Tian Mu, who suddenly burst out, “Zheng Minghong, Vice-chancellor Wu is referring to you, you bastard. Snort, my ass! Do you think I don’t recognize you? I suspect you’re the ringleader of all the evil sects!

　　“Where else would they get their pills?

　　“You control the pill company. The Catacombs are targeting the evil sects; even the government is taking strong measures to crack down on them. How did these sects get their money and where did they obtain pills…”

　　“Tian Mu, how dare you make false accusations against me!”

　　“Accuse, my ass. Zheng Minghong, let me tell you this—if the pill company tries any funny business this time, I’ll kill you first, then go into the Catacombs for another round!

　　“Do you think that you can try to bully me just because you’re a Rank-8? The number of people that I’ve killed is more than all the people you’ve met. You’re only a Rank-8 because of all the pills that you’re taking. I could finish you off with one blow!”

　　“Because of all the pills that I’m taking?” Zheng Minghong, who was standing across from Tian Mu, flew into a rage. He yelled, “I’d love to see you try taking pills to achieve Rank-8. In my day, I killed plenty of enemies in the Capital City Catacombs, and now I’ve suddenly become a ringleader of cults, a pill-consuming piece of trash in your eyes, Tian Mu?”

　　“That’s in the past. How many times did you enter the Catacombs after you became a Rank-7?” Tian Mu said contemptuously. He let out a snort. “At that time, I respected you as a man. Now, what sort of puppet are you? If you think you’re up for it, we can give it a go!”

　　“That’s enough!” Zhang Tao roared. When the Rank-9 powerhouse got angry, everyone was immediately silenced. Even Tian Mu stopped his insults.

　　Tian Mu’s coarse jibes did not mean that he was a fool. He would not have become a Rank-8 if so.

　　Raking something up on purpose would help with the next course of action.

　　Although Zhang Tao was second on the Grandmaster ranking list of ultimate powerhouses, he was definitely on the horns of a serious dilemma.

　　This was not just about MCMAU!

　　If they had made an ordinary application, they would most certainly not have stood a chance. This was precisely why the MCMAU Grandmasters did not go through regular channels, and why ten Grandmasters had arrived together.

　　However, this was hard to approve.

　　If MCMAU were to get the green light today, CCMAU would follow suit tomorrow and other martial arts universities might want the same afterward. If that happened, the pill and weapons companies would lose almost half their capacity. What about the martial artists who did not enter the Catacombs nor enroll in martial arts universities?

　　After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Tao said, “Let’s not discuss the rest of your requests first. Do whatever you want with the MCMAU production line expansion. But you will need to transfer ten billion worth of raw materials to the pill and weapon companies every year. Vice-chancellor Wu, everyone, this is the best I can do.

　　“Otherwise, our nation will crumble easily. The new generation of martial artists simply cannot become martial artists. Everyone should understand what I mean.”

　　Wu Kuishan considered for a moment, before asserting, “Alright. But whatever we transfer to them has to be purchased at the original price.”

　　Zhang Tao threw a glance at the men standing behind him. He paused for a moment, nodding his head. “I’ll agree on their behalf.”

　　Zheng Minghong frowned slightly as soon as he heard this. “Ten billion is too little…”

　　Previously, MCMAU had at least supplied more than 20 billion worth of raw materials to the major companies. Although they had to pay for it, raw materials were raw materials. Once the materials had been manufactured into a finished product, it would no longer be the same.

　　Right now, the amount of raw materials had been suddenly halved in just the blink of an eye. The pill and weapons companies would definitely be affected.

　　Zhang Tao shot Zheng Minghong a glance. Was he trying to piss off the MCMAU Grandmaster powerhouses by having a dispute now?

　　Wu Kuishan paid no attention to Zheng Minghong at all. Once he had obtained Zhang Tao’s approval, he coughed slightly, and said, “Minister, good people, we still have much to do. It’s about time we get going!”

　　As soon as he finished speaking, all ten MCMAU High Grandmasters departed quicker than they had arrived, vanishing completely in the blink of an eye!

　　Amidst the crowd that remained, some of the martial arts university powerhouses exchanged glances with each other, itching to make a move.

　　Now that MCMAU had started the ball rolling, everyone else could try their luck.

　　Zhang Tao had sensed this feeling in the atmosphere from early on. He said flatly, “You reap what you sow. I have been keeping track of casualty rates in all the universities, including the number of enemies killed and the number of goods seized. MCMAU has been consistently at the top, which is why I approved their application.

　　“As for other martial arts universities, CCMAU included, think about it. Compared to MCMAU, how many enemies have you killed and how many goods have you seized in the past few years?

　　“This is the first and the last time. Speak only if you have results!

　　“If you show dazzling academic results and combat results, none of you will be left out!”

　　After such a declaration and show of strength from this second most powerful Rank-9 powerhouse, some of the Grandmaster powerhouses in the crowd abandoned their intentions.

　　Forget about whether or not they could gather such a powerful show of force like MCMAU to exert their influence. Even if they did, such a thing was only acceptable the first time. They would not be able to get away with it a second time. Did they really think that Rank-9 powerhouses were so easy to negotiate with?

　　As for CCMAU, which had always been stronger than MCMAU…the situation was slightly complicated. Not only that, but their fame and prestige had also been overshadowed by MCMAU lately; this was a risk they might not want to take.

　　CCMAU was deeply rooted in Capital City, so the situation with some of the authorities was slightly complicated. Many graduate students held a post in the central government.

　　For the moment, passions that had not yet ignited were already extinguished.

　　However, the seeds had been planted in everybody’s hearts. When the time was right, they might still have a chance to discuss things.

　　…

　　On the 16th of September, both the dean and the Vice-chancellor returned to the university.

　　That day itself, MCMAU announced its new policies.

　　There were many new policies, but they boiled down to these basics—the difficulty in obtaining credits had now been lowered!

　　Regardless of whether students were new or if they were existing students, if they had previously obtained 5 credits for carrying out a mission, they would now receive 10 credits. Not only that, but purchasing power remained the same.

　　This meant that by carrying out the same number of missions, everyone could obtain even more resources.

　　For a time, MCMAU celebrated as everyone erupted in cheers—the atmosphere was extremely lively!

　　The Ping Yuan Club was once again playing its role. This was all made possible under the guidance of the dean, the Vice-chancellor, and Fang Ping, the president of the Martial Arts Society. They were the ones who had fought for benefits for everyone!

　　This time, Fang Ping did not dare to claim all the credit for himself. He had offended too many people; it was better if he maintained a low profile.

　　By giving credit to the dean and the Vice-chancellor, he had boosted his own prestige slightly in an unobtrusive way. There were also the Grandmasters to be credited, after all.

　　In the Martial Arts Society.

　　Fang Ping had some regrets. He glanced at Chen Yunxi, saying, “Actually, I’m the one who made all the contributions. MCMAU is privileged to have me as the president of the Martial Arts Society. It’s such a pity that I’m such a low-key person who doesn’t take any of the credit…”

　　Fang Ping sighed repeatedly. If he were a Grandmaster, he would definitely promote himself unrestrained.

　　Never mind. For now, he was content to let Old Wu and the rest bask in the glory. After all, these old folks had made the trip, a trip that was thousands of li away. It was not easy for them as well since they were already so elderly.

　　However…it was not like Fang Ping had not gained anything.

　　At least when he carried out missions again in the future, he would obtain double the credits.

　　“No, that’s not right…this means a huge loss to me!”

　　Fang Ping suddenly remembered something. He placed his hand on his heart and groaned, “This won’t do. Previously I used to obtain more than ten thousand credits. Does that mean… does that mean that I’ve lost more than ten thousand credits?”

　　“Even if it was ten thousand credits, it was still 300 million…damn it! Who’s responsible for this?”

　　Fang Ping’s heart constricted. This was genuinely a huge loss—that was hundreds of millions right there. He had never experienced financial loss on such a scale. Even Wang Jingyang, the one who owed him the most money, had only owed him 50 million. Where would he get these hundreds of millions from?

　　Zhang Yu?

　　Old Man Li?

　　Was there even anyone else?

　　Chen Yunxi was at a loss when she saw Fang Ping so overwhelmed with distress,

　　These new policies were good things. So why did Fang Ping act as if it were something more painful than slicing off his flesh?

　　For Fang Ping currently, painful was an understatement. Even if he were being hunted by Grandmasters, would he behave in such a manner?