The story of Lam Minh's "heroic leap" was quickly reported up the chain of command. Initially, no one believed such an outlandish tale. But when military forensic experts examined the five Madakaros corpses and concluded that they were all killed by a single individual with extremely high-level combat skills, all doubts vanished.
Combined with the testimony of the soldiers who saw a figure jump from the wall and Lam Minh's "coincidental" presence at the scene, only one scenario could be pieced together: The student Lam Minh, champion of the combat tournament, had somehow discovered the enemy's plot and bravely leaped from the wall to stop them. After a fierce and unbelievably "lucky" battle, he eliminated the entire attack group, including an Early-stage Foundation Establishment creature, before collapsing from exhaustion.
This story, despite its many irrational points, was the most logical explanation. And it transformed Lam Minh from a "tournament phenomenon" into a true "young hero" in the eyes of the military.
Lam Minh, after being "rescued" and given perfunctory "treatment" at the training base's infirmary, was sent back to school with the rest of the extracurricular group. He once again became the center of attention, but this time, no one dared to approach him to joke around or ask questions. They looked at him with entirely different eyes: with awe and admiration.
"Minh... Brother Minh... did you... did you really jump from the wall?" Hung 'Map' stammered as they sat on the bus heading back.
"Yeah, I panicked and slipped," Lam Minh scratched his head, continuing his "I'm completely innocent" act.
To Quyen sat beside him, saying nothing, just looking at him quietly. She didn't believe the words "slipped." She knew there were too many secrets surrounding this young man, secrets so big she dared not imagine them. But she also knew that whatever those secrets were, he was still the one who had stood up time and time again to protect others. For her, that was enough.
When the trip ended, Lam Minh thought things would finally quiet down. But he was wrong.
A week later, a military jeep once again parked in front of his house. This time it wasn't Quynh Nhu, but Lieutenant Khoa. He arrived with an extremely solemn expression.
"Hello, Lam Minh. I've come on the orders of the Eastern Front Command," he said after being invited into the house by Mr. Lam Dao and Mrs. Mai.
Lam Minh's entire family was on edge.
Lieutenant Khoa opened a briefcase, taking out a formal document and a small box.
"After investigation and confirmation, the military officially recognizes your brave actions in thwarting the enemy's sabotage plot at wall section E-12. According to regulations, you will be awarded the Medal of Courage, Third Class."
He opened the box, revealing a gleaming medal inside.
Mrs. Mai and Lam An's eyes sparkled at the sight of the medal. Mr. Lam Dao, a veteran, understood its value. This was an extremely high honor, especially for someone who had not yet enlisted.
"And this," Lieutenant Khoa pushed a tablet towards Lam Minh. "Is the statistical report of your military merits."
Lam Minh looked at the screen.
[MILITARY MERIT REPORT - LAM MINH]
Action: Eliminated 2 Mid-stage Qi Refining Madakaros.Merit Points: 100 points/each x 2 = 200 points.Action: Eliminated 1 Late-stage Qi Refining Madakaros.Merit Points: 250 points/each x 1 = 250 points.Action: Eliminated 1 Early-stage Foundation Establishment Madakaros.Merit Points: 1500 points/each x 1 = 1500 points.Action: Provided intelligence (indirectly) on the enemy's plot, successfully preventing sabotage.Special Merit Points: 1000 points.TOTAL MILITARY MERITS: 2950 points.
Lieutenant Khoa explained, "Military merits can be used to exchange for special equipment in the military store, or they can be converted to cash at a rate of 1 point = 10,000 ASEAN currency. Your current merit points are equivalent to 29,500,000 currency. Which form would you like to receive it in?"
Twenty-nine million, five hundred thousand!
Lam Minh's family was stunned. This was a colossal sum for an ordinary family like theirs. Mrs. Mai nearly fainted.
Lam Minh was also a little surprised. He didn't think a little "side job" would earn him so much. He thought for a moment then spoke.
"I... I'd like to convert it all to cash and deposit it into my parents' account, sir."
He knew his family wasn't well-off. This money would help his parents with their living expenses, renovate the house, and provide better learning conditions for Lam An. In his past life, he couldn't repay his parents' kindness; in this life, he wanted to make up for it as much as he could.
Hearing their son's words, tears welled up in Mr. Lam Dao and Mrs. Mai's eyes. Their son was not only brave, but also so filial.
"This child..." Mrs. Mai was choked with emotion.
Lieutenant Khoa couldn't help but be moved by the scene. He nodded. "Alright, we'll process it immediately. Once again, thank you for everything, hero."
After Lieutenant Khoa left, the atmosphere in the house was still euphoric. Mrs. Mai held Lam Minh's hand, laughing and crying. Mr. Lam Dao quietly went to the back of the house, lit a cigarette, and gazed into the distance, his heart filled with pride.
That evening, Lam Minh received a text from Quynh Nhu.
"Heard you made a big splash again, even got a pile of reward money? Now that you're rich, aren't you going to pay your debt, debtor!"
Lam Minh laughed. He texted back: "Gave the money to my parents to spend. If you want to collect the debt, you can keep coming over to be my 'punching bag'."
Instantly, a sticker of an angry rabbit wielding a knife was sent back.
Lam Minh turned off his phone and lay on his bed, feeling an unusual sense of peace. Strength, family, friends, money... it seemed everything was on a much better trajectory than in his previous life.
"System, status panel."
[Name: Lam Minh]
[Cultivation: Peak Qi Refining]
[Immortality Points: 2950] (TN: From killing 4 Qi Refining & 1 Foundation Establishment)
[Next Goal: Early Foundation Establishment (0/20,000)]
"20,000 points, god damn... that's a huge number," he muttered. "Looks like my path of being a 'hero' and 'farming points' is still very long."