Brawl

Tu Ran sneered. "Thanks for the concern, Officer Zhou. Chunzhi's doing just fine."

She deliberately stressed the word "officer," making it clear the man was nothing but a loser under Xi Chunzhi, trash kicked out of the Pioneer Team. If he was still alive, someone a hundred times better than him was naturally thriving.

Zhou Ming caught her meaning loud and clear. His fury boiled over, and he stepped forward, ready to strike. "Tu Ran, you're asking for it—"

The sniper rifle's muzzle pressed against his forehead.

Zhou Ming froze on the spot. He glared at her. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Want to test that?" Tu Ran smiled cruelly. "My aim isn't great, but at this distance, I can't exactly miss."

"Tu! Ran!" Zhou Ming ground his teeth, but he didn't dare move.

He'd seen how crazy this woman could be in the training camp. Right now, he wasn't willing to bet she wouldn't pull the trigger.

His teammates couldn't stand it anymore. This bully, who usually strutted around, was now too scared to even fart under the threat of a gun.

But Zhou Ming was still their teammate. If he lost face, their whole squad lost face. They had no choice but to step in and pull the two apart.

Tu Ran hadn't actually planned to shoot—just to scare him.

With someone mediating, she lowered the gun without resistance.

Zhou Ming, on the other hand, had his face flushed purple with rage—like a fully ripened eggplant.

Tu Ran cast him a contemptuous sidelong glance, muttered "Coward," and strode off with the rifle slung over her shoulder.

She left with ease, but that word "coward" pushed Zhou Ming over the edge.

"Tu Ran! I'll kill you!" He swung his fist toward her retreating back.

Tu Ran hadn't wasted her training these past few days. As if she had eyes on the back of her head, she sidestepped, dodging the blow.

Zhou Ming, caught in his own momentum, stumbled forward. In that instant, Tu Ran raised her gun and slammed it down at him.

A loud crack rang out—Tu Ran could have sworn she heard the sound of Zhou Ming's bones breaking.

Her own back ached faintly in sympathy.

Struck to the ground, Zhou Ming scrambled to his knees. Now thoroughly humiliated, he got up and lunged at her again.

Seeing their teammate so humiliated by a woman, the others stopped standing by and joined the fray.

Tu Ran against seven—she swung the sniper rifle so hard it whistled through the air, sparks nearly flying.

That sniper rifle had never imagined it would end up as a melee weapon instead of doing its intended job of long-range shooting.

The training ground's cameras had already detected the commotion. Zero's voice looped continuously: "Please stop fighting. Please stop fighting. Per Federation law, those caught brawling will be fined 1,000 Federation credits and confined for seven days..."

Nobody paid it any attention.

The group was having a grand time fighting.

Especially Tu Ran. She fought with exhilarating abandon, as if she were releasing all the pent-up frustration she'd carried since arriving in this world.

"Zero has alerted the authorities. The Inspection Department is on its way. Zero has alerted the authorities. The Inspection Department is on its way..."

By the time the Inspection Department arrived, Tu Ran was swinging the sniper rifle squarely onto Zhou Ming's head.

Stars exploded before Zhou Ming's eyes, and blood gushed from his nose like a broken dam.

"Freeze!"

"Freeze!"

"Everyone drop your weapons! Hands up!"

Inspection officers surrounded them, guns drawn.

Behind them, a ring of bystanders from the training ground had gathered to watch the spectacle.

Tu Ran tossed the now-creaking gun to the ground and obediently raised her hands.

"Take them away." The lead officer ordered, and the group was escorted off the training ground one by one.