My Superpower Is Kind of Cute

Chapter 45: The Dojo

“I’m serious,” Bai Ling said, thinking I was still upset, and sighed. “Actually, she treats me pretty much the same way.” “Oh? You two aren’t from the same mother, are you?” I suddenly perked up. Bai Ling was adamant on this point. “She’s my biological sister—same womb, same dream.” “Does she work here, too?” Bai Ling nodded. “Yeah, my sister’s name is Bai Qiaqiao. You’re twenty-four, right? She’s the same age as you. She came here to help out right after she graduated.” “She’s a spiritualist, too?” “Of course.” While Bai Ling and I were sitting off to the side chatting, Bai Qiaqiao—the beautiful woman who’d been giving me the cold shoulder—came back in. I caught a glimpse of her when she wasn’t looking and noticed that the badge on her chest was also gold. It really does make a difference to have a good dad. Bai Qiaqiao looked at Bai Ling and said coldly, “I’ve already called the person over; they’ll be here shortly.” She then walked over to the side to prepare tea and coffee. If you ignored the expression on her face, she was actually quite a lovely sight. Seeing how animated my conversation with Bai Ling was, Wu Peng crept over and tentatively asked Bai Ling, “So, what’s going on today, exactly?” Bai Ling replied impassively, “To announce some big news.” Wu Peng glanced at me again, immediately catching on to the situation, and gave me a flattering smile. I raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing. His character might not be great, but he sure had a keen eye for the situation. I deliberately asked Bai Ling, “So, do you guys have those soundproof speakers? Do they come with a self-destruct feature?” “You know about this?” Bai Ling seemed a bit surprised. I figured Wu Peng hadn’t told him about it. Bai Ling continued, “We do have those here, but only the Original Sin Guild would be bored enough to install a self-destruct system on them.” “Oh—I see.” I deliberately dragged out the “oh.” Wu Peng didn’t know why I’d asked that question, but judging by his expression, he must have remembered last night’s incident. He suddenly looked awkward, turned away sheepishly—having made a fool of himself—and, in passing, dragged Geng Dong, who was just about to come over to join the fun, off to another spot. “Do you guys have a bone to pick?” I laughed it off. “It’s not even New Year’s yet—what’s there to celebrate?” Seeing this, Bai Ling didn’t press the matter further. Bai Qiaqiao came over and handed me a cup of coffee; I didn’t even dare look at her—I could just tell she was looking down on me, though I had no idea what I’d done to offend her. Within just a few minutes, the guild members began arriving one after another. They all wore silver badges, clearly indicating they held positions of authority, but from their appearance, they were mostly bookish-looking researchers. What caught my attention was the last one to enter—a young man with black, spiky hair—who was actually wearing two silver badges on his chest, both identical. I quietly asked Bai Ling, “Why is he wearing two? He looks like quite the big shot.” Bai Ling glanced at him, shook her head, and said, “He’s just showing off. Don’t pay him any mind.” “What’s going on?” While everyone was whispering among themselves, the young man with the crew cut scratched his ear, crossed his legs, and said to Bai Ling in a slightly arrogant tone. Bai Ling decisively ignored him. After scanning the hall and seeing that most people had arrived, he put his arm around my shoulder and said solemnly, “Today, we have a new member joining us.” “Huh?” I froze for a few seconds. Wasn’t today supposed to be just a tour? Why was I joining so soon? Just how in demand am I, for crying out loud? Everyone present seemed to take the matter in stride, clapping half-heartedly as a gesture of welcome. The guy with the pompadour didn’t even glance at me; he yawned lazily, turned to leave, and muttered under his breath, “There’s no need to make such a big deal out of this. I thought I was getting a promotion.” Bai Ling furrowed her brow, then spoke slowly, “His name is Chen Meng. I’m going to award him the gold badge.” “Huh?” As soon as those words were spoken, the room instantly erupted into a frenzy. The buzz of conversation grew louder and louder, with everyone speculating about my identity. I looked at Bai Ling in confusion, still unsure of what was going on. Qi Feng explained from behind me, “Members of the research institute’s union are ranked according to their badges, which are divided into four levels: gold, silver, bronze, and iron.” I still couldn’t wrap my head around it. “This isn’t the Olympics—is it really that big of a deal?” Qi Feng replied earnestly, “Different ranks come with different privileges. You’re actually the fifth person to ever receive a gold badge.” I shot him a look. “That’s nothing to brag about. Look, the top three spots are all taken by his family—Bai Ling’s dad, his older sister, and—it can’t be his mom, can it? Is this some kind of setup to make me marry into the family?” Bai Ling couldn’t stand hearing that anymore. Taking advantage of the commotion, he leaned in and explained forcefully in my ear, “It’s not like that. As the guild master, my father doesn’t need to wear a badge. The other two are worn by two other powerful members of the guild—I’ll be sure to introduce you to them when I have time.” “No need,” I shook my head. I had absolutely no interest in this, and now that I understood the nature of the badges a bit better, I asked, “Giving me a gold one right off the bat—isn’t that a bit much?” Bai Ling replied firmly, “You already possess the bloodline; you’re fully qualified to wear a gold badge.” “That’s not what I meant,” I said, scratching my head. “Shouldn’t you have discussed this with me first? I get the feeling wearing this thing is going to be a hassle.” After hearing that, Bai Ling instantly lost all interest in talking to me. The young man with the crew cut finally couldn’t hold back any longer. He was the first to stand up, pointing at me with indignation in his voice, “Why does he get a gold badge the moment he walks in? Your relationship is your business, but such an important decision can’t be made on a whim.” It felt as if I’d pulled some strings behind the scenes to snatch something that rightfully belonged to him. Bai Ling had already been a bit annoyed, and now his expression grew even darker as he said softly, “Yang Shengkun, do you really call the shots here?” With those words from Bai Ling, calm returned to the room. The guy with the crew cut—Yang Shengkun—was momentarily taken aback by Bai Ling’s words, but then, unwilling to back down, retorted, “Shouldn’t we wait for the president to arrive before deciding on something like this?” “No, I won’t.” Bai Ling’s temper had flared by now. Staring at Yang Shengkun, he turned to Bai Qiaqiao and said, “Sis, go get that badge for me.” Even though Bai Qiaqiao didn’t care for me, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes at that moment. She still gave a cold reply and walked out without hesitation—it seemed she was really going to fetch the badge. “You…” Yang Shengkun was momentarily at a loss for words, his expression one of utter exasperation as he bellowed, “This won’t do! How can you just hand out a gold badge like that?” I looked utterly helpless, feeling a strange sense of bewilderment. This isn’t like playing Pokémon—what’s the big deal about giving away a badge? Do I have to win a Gym battle before they’ll give it to me? “At the very least, we need to see what he’s really made of.” Having been humiliated by Bai Ling, Yang Shengkun now vented all his anger on me. Pointing at me, he said, “I’m going to battle him and see what he’s really made of.” “Damn,” I blurted out, instantly regretting that fleeting thought. Shit, now we’re really going to have to start taking on gyms.