Counterfeit Hero

”This is absolutely intolerable!” With righteous indignation, Fatty declared, ”With such students and such a deputy director, how can our Puluo Branch hold its head high? How can it prosper?”

Under Fatty’s sweeping gaze, everyone avoided his eyes, listening to him continue earnestly, ”When I came, Curator Kubo repeatedly discussed the situation here with me, and urged me to take thunderous measures to rectify the environment. I did not believe it at first...”

”He came with the Imperial Sword?” This was the first thought that flashed through everyone’s mind when they heard Fatty’s words. Consequently, an uncontrollable thought followed: ”Monroe and Gandi were removed because they offended Kubo?”

”I was too naive...” With melancholy in his eyes, the deceiver said, ”I didn’t expect that what Curator Kubo said was all true. He had long seen the true faces of these people!”

The Mecha Hall erupted in a mild, involuntary stir.

The truth seemed to be gradually surfacing!

”It wasn’t until I got here that I realized, without taking thunderous measures, there’s no way to bring the Puluo Branch back to life!” Fatty raised his chest and head, his voice resonating, ”Enduring momentary pain to eradicate the tumor, Curator Kubo was right, I was also right!”

The stir grew larger. Some students couldn’t resist starting to whisper.

Among the various complex expressions of surprise, confusion, fear, and sudden realization, Fatty knew that every word spoken by him, the elder and branch director selectively promoted by Kubo, had already taken root in these people’s hearts.

Whether they fully believed it or not, at least they now had more thoughts. That was enough. However, he decided to add fuel to the fire.

”As everyone knows, the war between the Western Alliance and the Fei Alliance has swept across the entire human society. Naturally, our Mars Free Port will also be affected! This is an opportunity, but it could also be a disaster!” Fatty’s gaze subtly swept across Baz and the others, continuing, ”And to seize the chestnuts from the fire in this war, we must not only deal with other factions and enemies, but we also need to forge a united Tai Sect!”

”And the Tai Sect must unify around one person!” Fatty said loudly, ”This person should and can only be Curator Kubo, who leads us! We must resolutely nip in the bud any factors detrimental to unity!”

The Mecha Hall was abuzz.

Everyone knew that Fatty’s words were clearly referring to the strife among the elders. Monroe and Gandi evidently stood on the wrong side of this struggle. Although it was unclear why these two got involved or which elder they collaborated with, it didn’t stop everyone from using their imagination to come up with all sorts of speculations.

”And the Puluo Branch should rally around me!” Fatty shamelessly bestowed a halo upon himself, ”From today, from now, I will completely change the Puluo Branch. I want everyone to be proud of being part of the Puluo Branch. I will also let you understand that thunderous measures are not only for within but also for outside!”

”Outside?” The students stared blankly at Fatty, not understanding what he intended. Even Helen had long stopped sobbing, staring at Fatty in a daze.

Having gone through this fright, Helen had to reassess Fatty. Setting aside other things, just his ability to take the initiative regardless of the environment or the people he faced already made Helen feel inferior. Here, in the territory of the Tai Sect, Fatty had just killed the deputy director of the Tai Sect in public for her sake and injured so many students, including Monroe, the leading figure of the younger generation within the Tai Sect!

And now, not only was he unharmed, but he also stood in the hall’s center lecturing everyone. Such a feat perhaps only this damn Fatty could pull off.

”Yes!” Fatty’s resolute voice echoed in the hall, ”The Puluo Branch can’t remain so dormant. Open the doors, listen to the mad laughter of our enemies. They think that by huddling together, the Tai Sect can never take Puluo Town, that this will stop our attack. Now, I will lead everyone to give them a resounding slap!”

As he spoke, Fatty walked to the door and opened it.

”What’s he trying to do?” The students had a bad feeling—the new director was a fierce person, so fierce that it was hard to imagine what he’d do next.

The fierce person stepped out the door, looked around, then turned back and said, ”Follow me.”

Witnessing the Fatty bringing down Monroe, killing Gandi, at this moment, although Fatty’s voice wasn’t loud, it held an irresistible domination over the students.

Anyone who met Fatty’s eyes couldn’t help but walk to the door.

Outside the Puluo Branch’s door, there was already a sea of people. The news of Monroe of the Tai Sect being crippled and left outside had long spread throughout Free Port. Amidst the crowd, there were people from all walks of life, but mostly students and trainers from the dozens of Mecha Halls lining First Avenue.

The once noisy street fell silent the moment the Tai Sect’s door opened.

”Look, people from the Tai Sect are coming out.”

Under the attention of the crowd, a Fatty was the first to step out the door, followed by over a hundred members of the Tai Sect with blank stares and slow movements.

”Wow, so it really was internal strife. Look, they’re completely ignoring Monroe and his group.”

”Who is that Fatty? I’ve never seen him before.”

”Isn’t he the newly emerged elder of the Tai Sect, and also the director of the Puluo Branch? I heard that guy is a Fatty.”

”No way, such a Fatty? There are plenty like him in those consortiums. Can he actually be an elder? Hey, does he control the mecha or does the mecha control him?”

”I say it’s him, didn’t you see him leading the way... why is he heading to the neighboring Thousand Army Sect?”

The crowd stirred, everyone speculating about the connection between this matter and the neighboring Thousand Army Sect, while the dozen or so Thousand Army Disciples onlookers exchanged puzzled glances, baffled.

Under the watchful eyes of thousands along the street, Fatty walked to the door of the Thousand Army Sect’s Mecha Branch in Puluo, courteously knocked on the open door...

Before members of the Mecha Hall could come out to greet him, the Thousand Army Disciples in the crowd had already slipped out and stepped forward. A disciple, evidently held in high regard, approached Fatty in confusion and asked, ”What business do you have?”

”Oh, it’s like this...” Fatty rubbed his hands awkwardly and said, ”Could you please inform them, we’re here to challenge the hall.”

After a brief silence, the thousands of onlookers on First Avenue in Puluo Town erupted in an uproar.

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. (To be continued. To find out what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com. More chapters available. Support the author, support legitimate reading!)