"Qi circulation to invigorate the blood, treat insomnia, Admiral Bai is working too hard and needs to release some âtired qiâ. Donât say anything, Admiral Bai is the War God and needs to save face." Su Xiaocai started spouting nonsense again.
"Of course, of course." The key is that Professor Ai actually believed it.
The War God cannot admit heâs tired, otherwise, the public would question his abilities.
His body was covered with over a dozen needles, resembling a porcupine with patchy hair loss.
Professor Ai thought, does it really have this effect? It seems a bit like a superstitious folk remedy.
Comparing Admiral Baiâs acupoints on his body, Professor Ai, his curiosity piqued, said, "Can I try? I also suffer from insomnia."
Colonel Yuan and the secretary looked horrified, "Professor, itâs fine for us young people to play around, but if anything happens to you, we canât take responsibility."
"If the officer has an issue, you can take responsibility? Rest assured, Su Xiaocai can fill my position."
Colonel Yuan and the secretary exchanged glances, Admiral Bai had once considered this too. You elders have different jobs, but your minds are in sync.
They left it up to Su Xiaocai to decide, making eyes at her, hoping she wouldnât joke about Professor Ai.
The night grew late, and it seemed like no one knew which way the hospital doors opened.
Please, little ancestor, take it easy.
Su Xiaocai cheerfully said, "Donât worry, as long as you donât hit the wrong spot, you wonât die."
Colonel Yuan and the secretary wore bitter expressions, wondering what Su Xiaocai was up to.
Professor Ai, surprised, asked, "You can hit the wrong spot?"
"Yes, the position varies with each individual. Only this way can the ideal effect be achieved."
"Where did you learn this?"
"Self-taught, not very knowledgeable, just used a few acquaintances as guinea pigs."
Everyone: "..."
"Does the professor want to try? Come on, Iâm short on experience, and Admiral Bai said it works." Su Xiaocai pulled out a long needle with a very fine tip that seemed to flicker in midair.
It looked like it would break with the slightest force.
The eager look could make anyone panic.
But was Professor Ai an ordinary person? Clearly not, his mental fortitude was unexpectedly strong.
With previous teaching experience, he had developed trust in Su Xiaocai.
If needles could treat insomnia, it would be better than taking medicine.
"Science requires practice, and with more test subjects, we can determine its efficacy," Professor Ai said.
Su Xiaocaiâs expression was complicated, thinking this would scare off the old gentleman.
Who knew Professor Aiâs spirit of scientific dedication was so steadfast? Mad scientists are everywhere.
"Do you really want to try?"
"Thatâs right, Iâm already an old man; what is there to fear?"
Su Xiaocai thought for a moment and had no choice but to get some fresh hollow needles.
The professor took off his shirt and rolled up his pants. The seemingly frail old man was actually quite robust.
A long, unhealed scar on his back, at least thirty centimeters long, indicated that all respect had a basis.
Su Xiaocai knew she had grown stronger and was no longer the âcountry girlâ fresh from Suâs Planet.
With technology that others coveted and military protection, no one dared to provoke her easily.
Yet still, she did not compare to these elder statesmen who had devoted their entire lives to the country.
Faced with the old gentleman, Su Xiaocai hesitated to start needling.
Professor Ai said, "Donât be afraid, as long as it doesnât kill me."
The thought of a boomerang was terrifying.
With trembling hands holding the needle, she hesitated no more. Needle by needle, the process went very smoothly, and after the final needle, Professor Aiâs head gradually nodded down.
Colonel Yuan stepped forward to support him.
He fell asleep just like that.
If they hadnât seen it with their own eyes, they would find it hard to believe how magical the needling was.
Su Xiaocai chuckled dryly. This was her first time encountering this situation; she barely felt anything but slight lethargy due to her abundant energy.
"Maybe itâs just too late." After fifteen minutes, Su Xiaocai removed the needles, and Colonel Yuan gently nudged the sleeping professor, who remained asleep. The soft sounds of his snoring indicated good sleep quality.
So Colonel Yuan had to help dress him and carry him on his back to his accommodation.
Turning back to Admiral Baiâs side, a burst of heat steamed above his head, and Su Xiaocai said, "I almost forgot this one."
She withdrew the needles and observed Admiral Baiâs face, seeing his furrowed brows finally relax after a while.
When he opened his eyes and provided feedback, he said, "Still a bit off, but I feel the blockage loosening. Originally, I wanted to keep pushing, but without the needles, I canât continue."
"Donât rush. Itâs best to break through without the needles, building up strength for a big release." Su Xiaocai gathered the hollow needles, checking the countânone missing.
She always counted the needles during needling, fearing an overlooked one.
Admiral Bai had no choice but to nod, "Have you needled yourself?"
"Yes, I need to reach Level Five Qi Sensing before Iâm eighteen; otherwise, Iâll be stuck at this height all my life, which would be a drag."
Admiral Bai didnât expect Su Xiaocaiâs aspirations to be so unadornedâstriving for height is also a kind of pursuit, after all.
Upon leaving the building, Admiral Bai rubbed his chin, "It seems like there are too many men around here; letâs assign some female soldiers to guard the door."
The secretary replied, "Understood."
Ultimately, sheâs still a little girl who hasnât grown up yet.
Just thinking about guarding against misunderstandings, someone insisted on pulling some disgusting stunt.
That night, several entertainment accounts posted pictures of Admiral Bai leaving Su Xiaocaiâs standalone building late at night.
Admiral Bai and several soldiers were pixelated, but Su Xiaocai could clearly be seen yawning and waving them goodbye.
Headline: "This Is How Privilege Works."
As usual, the clickbait title explained nothing, leaving others to misunderstand, speculate, and even spread rumors.
Su Xiaocai has always been a headline and trending topic in herselfâher trending nature is no joke. Just a couple of words could make search terms explode.
True war correspondents have a sense of mission and wouldnât care about such news.
However, with the single-soldier competition approaching, some unprofessional ones have come. Fortune favors the bold; with Su Xiaocaiâs whereabouts, nosey reporters followed the scent.
They opted for live broadcasts, even setting up streaming equipment.
Catching passersby, they asked, "Hello, are you a contestant?"
A young man smiled enigmatically at the camera, "Iâm a contestant."
"Do you know Su Xiaocai?"
"I know her, who doesnât know Coach Su."
"Do you know about her private life? Is it very chaotic?"
"I canât say. Speaking might get me into trouble." This sentence was filled with malice. The young man smirked suggestively, "Better go ask her yourself."
"Have you seen her with anyone? Which military leader, can you reveal?"
A Big Demon on his way to Su Xiaocaiâs place overheard this and was enraged. Who was smearing his idol? Such folly.
Unfazed by the camera, he stepped over in high heels and, with a wave of his hand, grabbed the reporterâs hair and yanked.
He didnât hit, just yanked their hair.
The hair-pulling made the reporter howl.
"What did Coach Su do to you? Sheâs not even an adult yet, and youâre here gossiping. Is it no longer legally responsible if you separate âprivate lifeâ and âchaoticâ? Is there a journalist as misleading as you? Did your teacher teach you to attract attention like this?"
The Big Demon was imposing and tall, and the reporter couldnât resist, wanting to tell the live broadcast audience to call the police.
But the audience was just watching the show. Ordinarily, they might treat the reporterâs stories as jokes.
When it comes to Su Xiaocai, itâs different. As the Big Demon said, sheâs still young; snooping into a minorâs private life casually is an immoral act.
More importantly, Su Xiaocai is the nationâs daughter, smart and lovable. What parent wouldnât want her?
The reporter didnât know, but the nationâs daughter has a unique privilege: the affection of parents. This privilege is unrivaled, hard to reverse. Parents with sons and daughters would only feel more protective of Su Xiaocai.
"Doesnât this reporter know how to speak? Xiao Susu is so busy every day, coming out with new technology every so often. Any chaos is probably just a messed-up biological clock."
"Not being able to get up in the morning and full of energy at night is our daughterâs right. What, jealous? Well, even switching moms wonât work; your mom probably wouldnât recognize you, too embarrassing."