Dual Transmigration: American Prison, Surviving to a Fantasy Development Stage

Lin Feng suddenly realized what Zhao Boli was trying to do.

After all that, it turns out Zhao Boli was afraid that he and Wu Changning would fight to the death and both of them would be injured.

This is an attempt to get him to give up voluntarily.

The goal is to avoid a lose-lose situation.

Zhao Boli continued, "Whether you're first or not isn't that important."

How old are you? You'll have plenty of opportunities in the future.

Anyway, you're 100% guaranteed to be in the top ten.

Seeing this, Lin Feng pretended to hesitate and said, "Isn't this wrong? Isn't this cheating?"

Furthermore, there are many advantages to being number one, including both fame and fortune.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Boli laughed and said, "Lin Feng, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. Being number one isn't always a good thing."

As for the reward, you don't need to worry.

I can compensate you privately.

Whatever Wu Changning gets, you get too, without fail.

After he finished speaking, he looked at Lin Feng, waiting for his reaction.

Lin Feng lowered his eyes, quite satisfied with the answer.

After all, Lin Feng never intended to compete for first place.

Lin Feng didn't care about the first-place reward, but now that Zhao Boli had said so, Lin Feng could give Zhao Boli some face.

However, one should not agree to things too quickly.

Lin Feng raised his head and looked at Zhao Boli.

The newly appointed prefect was looking at him with a beaming smile, his eyes filled with expectation, but also with a hint of barely perceptible probing.

It was very quiet inside the tent.

The charcoal fire was burning brightly, occasionally letting out a soft crackling sound.

The candlelight flickered, casting the shadows of the two people on the curtain wall, sometimes long, sometimes short.

Lin Feng did not answer immediately.

He picked up the glass of wine in front of him, brought it to his lips, and made as if to drink it.

With a flick of the sleeve, the wine once again spilled into the air.

He put down his cup, raised his head, met Zhao Boli's gaze, and smiled slightly.

"Your Excellency," he said, his tone flat and unreadable, "I understand what you mean."

"What's your decision?"

................................

Lin Feng lowered his eyes, a hint of reluctance immediately appearing on his face. He sighed softly, his tone carrying a touch of regret typical of young people, yet he tried his best to appear sensible:

"To be honest, I naturally wanted the title of top scholar."

Which martial artist doesn't want to be number one?

He paused, looked up at Zhao Boli, his eyes sincere.

"But since the prefect has put it this way and given me so much face, it would be disrespectful of me not to accept it."

"I will obey the Prefect's orders."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Boli's smile deepened, and his admiration almost overflowed.

"Good lad!" he slapped his thigh. "I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"

He picked up his wine glass, raised it to Lin Feng, and spoke with great satisfaction.

"Knowing when to advance and when to retreat, and understanding what to take and what to leave behind—with this mindset, your future achievements are limitless."

Many people never learn this lesson in their entire lives, yet you understand it at such a young age. That's rare, truly rare.

Lin Feng cupped his hands and smiled modestly, "Your Excellency, you flatter me. I am merely being pragmatic."

"No, you don't need to be modest." Zhao Boli waved his hand, his expression becoming more serious. "I genuinely think you are very capable."

At your age, you should be competitive and unyielding.

If it were someone else, even if they verbally agreed, they would probably feel incredibly resentful inside.

You, however, are able to let go and let go—in this respect, you surpass many others.

He tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass. When he put the glass down, a hint of melancholy flashed in his eyes.

"If I had your mindset when I was young, I wouldn't have wasted my time and ended up in this position."

Lin Feng didn't respond to that, but silently filled his wine glass.

Seeing his actions, Zhao Boli felt even more comforted.

This kid is not only strong, but also sensible and knows how to handle things.

He thought for a moment, then said seriously:

"Lin Feng, from now on, you can come to me if you ever need anything."

This time, I owe you a favor.

Lin Feng quickly replied, "Your Excellency, you are too kind. How could I possibly accept such an honor..."

"What's there to be ashamed of?" Zhao Boli waved his hand to interrupt him, "I said I owe, so I owe."

I know I'm being generous to you today.

He paused, then added, his tone becoming much more intimate:

"From now on, in private, don't call him Prefect anymore, just call him Brother Li."

Lin Feng paused for a moment, then said, "Then I'll be bold and call you Brother Li."

"Haha, that's more like it!" Zhao Boli clapped his hands and laughed, then poured him another full glass of wine.

The two shared a drink, and the atmosphere became even more harmonious.

Zhao Boli put down his wine cup, leaned towards Lin Feng, and lowered his voice:

"Let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart—that kid Wu Changning has been getting a bit ruthless lately."

You don't need to confront him head-on.

He stared at Lin Feng, his eyes revealing a seasoned wisdom.

"Winning first place is not necessarily a good thing."

Countless people are eyeing that position, studying and analyzing you both openly and secretly.

There will be many opponents in the future, and being a target is not a pleasant experience.

"Thank you for your guidance, Brother Xie."

"Don't mention it." Zhao Boli waved his hand. "Your achievements today are your own ability, and have nothing to do with me."

I'm just saying a few words; whether you listen or not is up to you.

He raised his glass.

"Come on, let's stop talking such discouraging things. Let's drink."

"Dry."

After several rounds of drinks, the night had deepened.

Lin Feng got up to take his leave.

Zhao Boli personally escorted him to the tent, patted him on the shoulder, and whispered, "Get some rest, and fight well tomorrow."

Remember my words, proceed with caution.

Lin Feng nodded and turned to leave.

A night breeze brushed my face, carrying a slight chill.

-

Back at the inn, I pushed open the door...

Xueyao was studying the twelve equal temperament that Lin Feng had given her when she heard the noise. She looked up, her nostrils flaring slightly, and a hint of doubt appeared in her eyes.

"Didn't you bring a few women to keep you company tonight, young master?"

She could smell it; Lin Feng only smelled of alcohol, not cosmetics.

"No, the prefect had a heart-to-heart talk with me tonight, and we had a couple of drinks in the military camp."

Xueyao's eyes widened slightly as she leaned closer.

"Young master, you are truly remarkable. Even the prefect has to invite you for drinks."

"Don't flatter me," Lin Feng chuckled. "People like this usually come to me because they need something."

Otherwise, why would they invite a mere scholar like me to drink?

Xueyao blinked, even more surprised: "That just proves how capable the young master is. Otherwise, why didn't he invite someone else?"

"By the way, young master, what does the prefect want with you?"

Xiao Cui and Xiao Lian, who were standing nearby, also pricked up their ears and secretly glanced over.

Lin Feng put down his teacup and said casually, "He wants me to lose to Wu Changning tomorrow."

"What?"

Xueyao stood up abruptly, her eyebrows furrowed, her face full of indignation.

"Why is this prefect acting like this?"

Isn't this blatant cheating?

Why should you, young master, lose?

"Winning or losing depends on skill; there's no such thing as an unspoken rule!"

The two maids also looked indignant.

Lin Feng couldn't help but laugh at their indignant expressions.

"Alright, alright, sit down."

He waved his hand, his tone relaxed.

There's no need to be angry.

The prefect was trying to make me a target; once you're number one, everyone has to watch you and study you, and that's not a pleasant experience.

It's far less comfortable and carefree to be the second-in-command; you don't have to be the target, and you still get all the benefits.

Xueyao sat down defiantly, muttering, "Young Master, you're just too kind-hearted to believe his nonsense."

"What do you mean 'for your own good'? You're clearly just worried about something happening to Wu Changning..."

Lin Feng smiled and didn't argue further.

He tilted his head back, finished his tea, and stood up.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Take a shower and go to sleep."

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the area outside the drill ground was already packed with people.

Today is the final.