From Naruto onwards, I've become a dreamer.

Chapter 340 Xia Mi and Chu Zihang
Binjiang City First Hospital, intensive care ward.

A news segment was playing on the LCD screen hanging on the wall.

According to Binjiang City Morning News, reporters learned from the scene that at approximately 1:20 AM today, a road collapse occurred on the overpass leading from the airport expressway to the city center. As of 8:30 AM this morning, the Road Safety Administration has closed the section of road. The specific cause is still under investigation.

Perhaps the noise from the television was too loud, completely unsuitable for the quiet conditions required for patients in a hospital, and it woke up the person who was unconscious.

"Is this...a hospital?" The person who woke up from his coma first saw a white ceiling, then saw himself wrapped in bandages like a dumpling, barely able to move. After a brief moment of disorientation, he managed to turn his head and look at the girl sitting in the chair next to him: "Who are you?"

The girl was sitting on a chair eating an apple when she heard the sound. She turned around and revealed a face that was as perfect as a monster.

"Wow, Senior Brother Chu, you're finally awake!" The girl's voice was clear and crisp. Beneath her slightly upturned eyelashes, her eyes, as gentle and clear as autumn water, were like gems crafted by a master, radiating liveliness and enthusiasm from within. Her slightly chubby face lit up with a smile: "My name is Xia Mi, and I'm the student who's assisting you on this mission."

Her appearance was so perfect, like a meticulously crafted work of art.

Her slightly upturned eyelashes and her eyes, as gentle and clear as autumn water, made even Chu Zihang, who was used to seeing beautiful women, stare blankly. After the girl shook her hand several times, he finally reacted, paused for a moment, and said, "Chu Zihang, Mechanical Engineering."

“I know~” Xia Mi grinned, stretched out her hand, and laughed, “Chu Zihang, who in the academy doesn’t know him? The famous ace of the Execution Department, the president of the Lionheart Society!”

The word "ace" unusually silenced Chu Zihang. He lowered his eyelids slightly and said softly, "How did I end up in the hospital?"

His memory of what happened before he fell into a coma was very vague. He vaguely saw a figure walk over and block a fatal blow from Odin for him, but he had no recollection of what happened after that.

"Hey, senior, you're really lucky!" Xia Mi took a bite of an apple and shook his head as he said, "At the time, Norma received an emergency distress call, but since I was the closest person to her, I immediately jumped out of bed, rode my bike there, and ran!"

"When I got there, I found that the entire overpass had collapsed, so I could only search bit by bit."

"Then, I searched and searched, and finally found you next to a pile of ruins. You were badly injured, covered in blood. I was so scared that I immediately contacted Norma to arrange surgery for you, and that's how I managed to save your life!"

After saying that, Xia Mi puffed out her chest, looking very proud, with an expression that said, "Praise me!"

"Thank you." Chu Zihang expressed his gratitude to the person who saved his life very sincerely, and then asked, "By the way, what about the logistics staff member who was with me? Is he alright?"

"Logistics Department?" Xia Mi blinked, looking puzzled. "There are no logistics department personnel. Senior brother, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"No?"

Chu Zihang suddenly paused, then quickly asked, "Are you sure? Really not?"

"Wow, senior brother, you doubt me!" Xia Mi seemed unhappy. She even put the apple aside, put her hands on the bed, and suddenly pressed herself against Chu Zihang. With her bright, clear eyes, she stared at the astonished Chu Zihang and said, word by word, "Really, only you!"

The girl was so close that Chu Zihang could smell her delicate fragrance. He immediately turned his head away awkwardly and coughed, "Ahem... I know, don't get so close."

"Hehe, don't be so nervous, senior brother."

Xia Mi sat back down, picked up the half-eaten apple and continued eating. Looking at the embarrassed Chu Zihang, her eyes curved like the moon with a smile: "Don't worry, I don't like your type of guy."

"That's not what I meant." Chu Zihang sighed, feeling as if he had encountered a male version of 'Fingal'.

"Sigh~ You interrupted me, I almost forgot!"

Xia Mi suddenly stopped eating her apple, quickly pulled out her notebook from the side, and handed it to Chu Zihang: "Minister Schneider said that once you wake up, you should contact him as soon as possible."

Chu Zihang stared at the notebook on his stomach, then at Xia Mi, and then at his hands bound and immobilized by bandages. A crack appeared on his usually impenetrable face. After a moment of silence, he looked at the mischievous girl for help: "Um... could you help me with this?" Xia Mi crossed her legs, crossed her arms, and grinned, "Senior Brother Chu, shouldn't you correct your form of address before asking for help?"

"I'm sorry, Xia Mi."

Chu Zihang forced a smile and said with difficulty, "Could you please help me contact Professor Schneider?"

"OK~"

Xia Mi smiled contentedly, her curved eyes like the moon hanging in the sky, bright and beautiful.

After a flurry of activity, Schneider's voice came from the monitor, sounding quite harsh, like a sharp piece of metal scraping across a smooth mirror: "Chu Zihang, I heard you were injured. What exactly happened yesterday?"

"yesterday."

Chu Zihang stopped and looked at Xia Mi sitting to the side.

"Okay, okay~ I know, it's a secret, right?" Xia Mi muttered, pouting as she walked to the ward door. Suddenly, she turned around, glared at him, stuck out her tongue, and made a face, saying, "You stingy Chu Zihang, nyah nyah nyah~ Fine, I won't listen, I'm not curious!"

boom!
After saying that, he slammed the door shut.

Chu Zihang, lying in his hospital bed, suddenly felt a headache coming on. He sighed and got back to the point: "Yesterday, after I got off the plane, I met someone who claimed to be sent by the logistics department. His name was Chen Er. On the way home, he broke into Nibelungen and met Odin."

"Is it Odin again?"

Schneider clearly knew the story between Odin and Chu Zihang. After a moment of silence, he asked in a deep voice, "And then? What happened next? How did you escape?"

"I didn't know I was already unconscious at that time." Chu Zihang sighed and said, "Before I lost consciousness, I vaguely saw someone who blocked Odin's attack for me, but I don't know what happened after that. When I woke up, I was already in the hospital."

“I just used Norma’s privileges to check on Chen Er in the Logistics Department. Guess what the result was?” Schneider said.

"Does not exist?" Chu Zihang said.

“No, there is indeed a person named ‘Chen Er’ in the logistics department.” Schneider paused, his tone becoming serious. “But a year ago, he disappeared while investigating a case. In other words, picking you up at the airport yesterday, including the encounter with ‘Odin,’ was likely all pre-arranged.”

Chu Zihang's pupils flickered, a blazing, molten gold light leaping within them: "Odin's target is me!"

“That’s right. Although it’s not clear yet what Odin’s intentions are towards you, you’d better be careful.” Schneider said in a deep voice, “Moreover, based on what happened last night, there should be another group of people whose goal is to stop Odin. I will continue to have Norma investigate this matter.”

"I see."

Chu Zihang lowered his eyelids, revealing no emotional fluctuation whatsoever.

"There's one more thing I need you to do."

At this moment, Schneider hesitated for a long time, but finally spoke: "Traces of the 'King of Bronze and Fire' have been discovered in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. After you recover from your injuries, immediately travel to the Yangtze River with Xia Mi. I will have Chen Motong and Caesar assist you in carrying out the mission."

Upon hearing this, Chu Zihang was taken aback and asked in confusion, "Xia Mi? Shouldn't she be a freshman? Why would they let her join?"

Schneider, who was on the other end of the line, sat in the dimly lit server room, looking at Chu Zihang on the other side of the screen with a gloomy expression: "I don't know, this is Angers' and the board of directors' decision."

(End of this chapter)