Castle of Black Iron

Chapter 28: Rewards from Captain Kerlin

Translator: WQL Editor: Geoffrey_

Everybody was silent after hearing what Zhang Tie had said. There was a special feeling floating in everyone’s heart. They were somewhat moved by Zhang Tie. As a classmate and an alleged brother to them, he was the very person who jumped out to scold them when they were doing foolish things! It turned out that everybody mistook him for a coward. Nevertheless, the air in the classroom when he abused them was really annoying and made them feel like beating him.

Captain Kerlin was still silent; however, something special filled his eyes.

“I saw you last week in the woods, I remember your name was… ” Captain Kerlin scratched his head, gradually remembering something,

“Zhang Tie!”

“I remember now, it’s you. Your words are very right. I was a bastard before that was more foolish than a pig!” after a deep look at Zhang Tie, Captain Kerlin turned and took in a deep breath.

Towards those horny students to his left, he suddenly roared towards at them, which consequently made the whole teaching building tremble, “You, the bastards who are even more foolish than pigs! Do you know why you are wrong? Go run twenty rounds around the training ground and keep shouting ‘I’m more foolish than a pig’ before the bell rings. In this class, what I want you to remember is that sometimes ruthlessness doesn’t mean bravery, and escape does not equate cowardice. When you face the enemy on the battlefield, you have two tasks: to survive; to make your enemy uncomfortable until they ultimately die. Whatever you do, you have to complete one of the two above tasks to be considered a qualified fighter, otherwise you were born just to be buried underground…”

……

They finished the rest of the class in the training ground. The group of horny students ran around the Training ground and shouted, “I am more foolish than a pig”, “I am more foolish than a pig”, “I am more foolish than a pig”. As their voices were super loud, even the other teachers and students were attracted as they watched the group during intervals between classes.

Captain Kerlin dispatched the fatty Barley, Sharwin, and the other student to the training ground to monitor the running guys. Then he called Zhang Tie to see him.

“Heh… Heh… What you did in the woods really impressed me. It’s rare to see a student who can take such a beating like you!”

In response to Captain Kerlin’s words, Zhang Tie forced a smile. He knew that the excuse he gave didn’t escape the experienced one-eyed man. He was sensitive despite being tough. Since it wasn’t a serious problem, Zhang Tie didn’t want him to punish the others, “That… was just a game… We were playing a game and we are good friends, so we didn’t treat each other too fiercely!”

Seeing Captain Kerlin touching his mustache, Zhang Tie felt something was wrong. From the experience exchanged from blood and tears by numerous predecessors in the school, when Captain Kerlin pretended to think in front of an individual as he stroked his mustache and spoke like a leader, that individual might get some bad luck.

When Captain Kerlin pretended to think in front of someone by touching his mustache and spoke like a leader, someone might go bad luck.

“Haha…Don’t be that reserved, Zhang Tie. I have seen your miserable attitude. Energetic, very energetic. Young men should be very energetic, that’s how it should be…”

“I won’t do that anymore, I won’t!” Zhang Tie’s heart began to race. He couldn’t figure out how Captain Kerlin would punish him.

“I now see you differently because of your escape theory. You can not only take a beating, but also know how to protect yourself when confronted with danger. This is a rare quality, heh, heh, and you are a rare talent!”

“You must be joking, Captain Kerlin!” Zhang Tie began to sweat.

Another experienced learned in the Seventh Male Middle School was that when Captain Kerlin started to touch his mustache as he praised someone like a leader, the other person would definitely get bad luck. “Captain Kerlin, no more joking… I will go watch them run in case they slack off!”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got a special reward for you!”

“Argh, no, Captain Kerlin, how could I receive your reward!”

“Erm…erm… You have to. Are you doubting my, Captain Kerlin’s, promise?” saying this, Captain Kerlin had already placed his two fan-like palms onto Zhang Tie’s shoulders. Zhang Tie couldn’t move at all. An expression of 100 percent sincerity appeared in front of Zhang Tie, “I will introduce you a part-time practice. It’s very good, and you will be highly paid. Besides, you can also strengthen your body and get to know more rich and powerful figures. This is a chance to broaden your vision. If you can do well, you will be much stronger and more powerful. Additionally, there is a handful of beauties over there. This means that you have a chance to get to know some beautiful girls. Many people have begged me for this job, but I didn’t agree. I think that you are the perfect person for this job!”

Zhang Tie gasped, “The experience of the predecessors didn’t come true? There is truly such a marvelous thing in the world! Otherwise, was it because of luck? I have been very lucky in the past few days, and a series of good things have happened to me. Could such a perfect job actually fall into my hands?”

Zhang Tie was just slightly moved and then considered whether Captain Kerlin was telling the truth. Before he was able to nod, Captain Kerlin’s hands had already patted Zhang Tie’s shoulders and seemed like he couldn’t wait to foist the paper into Zhang Tie’s pocket, “So you’ve agreed, great. Here is my letter of introduction. After school today, you can go to No.18 Bright Avenue to report. Once you present this letter of introduction to him, someone will make arrangements for you”

Bright Avenue? Is it that Bright Avenue? Hearing this, Zhang Tie began to trust in Captain Kerlin’s words. Bright Avenue was the prime location in Blackhot City and had the highest price for land. It was where all the rich people congregated. Any commodity shown in the windows of the stores were worth at least a year’s worth of salary for an ordinary person. It was the essence of Blackhot City. Owning a personal apartment in Bright Avenue was a symbol of status.

Could it be that he misheard Captain Kerlin’s words? The words “ Bright Avenue” made Zhang Tie dazzled. He instinctively clasped the letter of introduction, looked at Captain Kerlin, and seriously said, “Thank you”

Captain Kerlin was a good person, Zhang Tie teemed with praise towards Captain Kerlin.

“Erm… you’re welcome. Don’t try to live up to my expectations, just do your job well!” Captain Kerlin’s face blushed slightly and laughed as he left…

“ I am more foolish than a pig.”

……

“ I am more foolish than a pig.”

……

“ I am more foolish than a pig.”

……

Looking at those guys who were running and shouting in the playground, Zhang Tie was filled with a sense of excellence. He took out the letter of introduction and knocked it with a finger. He was fully anticipating what would happen after school — I will soon go to the Bright Avenue and try to become familiar with the upper classes. “Envy me, you bastards…!” Zhang Tie muttered to himself.

At lunch, Captain Kerlin honored his promise and added a meat dish for the four individuals. Gazing at the alluring red-braised meat in their plates, Doug and Bagdad were so aspired that they even had saliva flowing down the side of their mouths. Doug stretched out his spoon towards Barley’s plate; however, Barley fiercely pierced his hand with his fork. As a result, Doug screamed and didn’t dare to try anything like that again.

Bagdad was a bit self-reserved. He closed his eyes while he ate his potatoes, muttering to himself, “This is red-braised meat, this is red-braised meat…” which really made him lose face.

In contrast, Hista and Leit sat on both sides of Sharwin. They aimed at those pieces of alluring meat in Sharwin’s plate and spoke with a kind expression, “Sharwin…”

After that, they found that Sharwin had directly spit out the half-chewed red-braised meat along with a lot saliva onto the plate full of red-braised meat and mixed it with the other pieces. When Sharwin saw Hista and Leit twisting their faces, he winked and innocently asked, “What’s up? Oh, well, would you like some red-braised meat? Come on, it’s delicious! We’re good brothers, so please try some…” Sharwin pretended to give the half-digested red-braised meat to Hista and Leit which scared them off instantly. However, seconds later, the two bastards started to bet with the red-braised pieces of meat on Sharwin’s dining plate. The wager was if one of them dared to eat one piece of the meat, the other would have to pay one silver coin. They continued quarreling…

“Oh, I almost forgot. This morning, I saw that one of your feet had already moved towards the left, so why didn’t you move to the left then?” Zhang Tie asked Barley while chewing a piece of red-braised meat happily.

Being silent for a while, the fatty explained, “When I wanted to move, I glanced at Captain Kerlin’s eyes. All of a sudden, I found the same smile on his face as when he had caught me climbing the school wall two years ago. I was instantly frightened…”

Being captured by Captain Kerlin while climbing over the school wall? Zhang Tie silently prayed for the fatty. He didn’t continue to ask how Captain Kerlin had dealt with him because he could imagine that that event was definitely a dark memory for the fatty during his stay at the Seventh Male Middle School. However, after this event, Zhang Tie really praised Barley’s ability to recognize people’s facial expressions. Zhang Tie could never master that advanced skill…

Glancing over those naive bastards in the Hit-Plane Brotherhood, Zhang Tie found they were all talented!

“Oh, I almost forgot. I saw Captain Kerlin giving you something privately!” fatty asked absent-mindedly. At the same time, all the bastards of the Hit-Plane Brotherhood raised their ears.

Zhang Tie slapped the fatty’s shoulders so hard that the fatty even gritted his teeth and almost spat out the piece of meat from his mouth, “This guy… Just ask straightforwardly! See, this a letter of introduction. Captain Kerlin said he had found a part-time job at the No.18 Bright Avenue for me…”

Kneading his shoulders, Fatty forced an obscene smile. At the same time, Bagdad, who kept muttering red-braised meat, had a strange look and almost choked on the potato in his mouth when he heard “No.18 in Bright Avenue”.

Zhang Tie didn’t notice the change on Bagdad’s face. Instead, he was still thrilled with a full sense of vanity, “Captain Kerlin said that this reward was especially for me and it didn’t fit others. He was deeply impressed by me in the woods. He said that I would be highly paid and could meet many rich and big figures. I could strengthen my body and be more powerful over there. Additionally, I will have a chance to touch beauties! Alas, I actually didn’t want to be there, but he forced me. You know, I am a soft-hearted man. After his long-time persuasion, I finally agreed with him. I have done too many good deeds, and as a result, even beauties and high compensation would fall to me. Moreover, I can even strengthen my body there. Although I won’t be thinking about the beauties, but what if some of them wanted to be !@#$ed by me? Would I agree or not? What a happy boring thing! It really tests my self-restraint. However, I am not a self-reserved guy. Heh, heh, don’t go, I’m not done yet… ”

Finally, Zhang Tie saw a row of middle fingers raised towards him…