chapter 3 : Idol, let’s take a photo together!

The scene of Eiland holding onto Emily Chen is truly shocking, but this is only how it appears to others. Only Eiland and Emily Chen understood what's really going on.
Emily Chen was taken aback by Eiland's unexpected step back. She hadn't made any defensive moves, so she ended up in a very awkward situation after being bumped by Eiland. At this moment, Emily Chen twisted her ankle and stepped on the edge of the mat. The pain made her almost fall flat on the ground. Just when she was about to embarrass herself, Eiland quickly reached out and caught her.
Although Emily Chen knew that Eiland meant well, it still wasn't appropriate for her to be held by an instructor in front of everyone.
"Let go," Emily Chen quietly commanded Eiland.
Eiland smiled and asked, "Are you sure you want me to let go?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Emily Chen glared. Eiland didn't mind, and immediately released his grip. However, as soon as he let go, Emily Chen lost her balance. With a cry, she instinctively wrapped her arms around Eiland's neck, holding onto him tightly.
Huh?!
The girls from Sec 5 class 7 were once again shocked. Initially, they thought Eiland was taking advantage of Emily Chen, but now it was Emily Chen who was actively embracing him. What was going on? Had they become a couple just like that?
Eiland coughed twice and said, "Could a few of you come over and help support her? Emily Chen has twisted her ankle."
Twisted her ankle?
The girls understood, and it turned out that was the truth. So, a few of the girls who were closest to Emily Chen hurried over to assist her. It was only then that Emily Chen released her grip from around Eiland's neck.
Eiland gave an awkward smile and said, "Since you've hurt your foot, let's call it a draw, shall we?"
"What?"
"A draw?"
Many of the girls were astonished. Until now, almost every instructor had ended up losing to Emily Chen. Now, Eiland had managed to tie with her. This instructor indeed had some skills. However, Emily Chen's face remained stern as she stated, "This isn't a draw."
Huh?
Everyone was a bit surprised by Emily Chen's words, but they also knew she was a very competitive girl. In her eyes, a draw was considered a loss.
Just when everyone was thinking this, Emily Chen dropped a bombshell. "This time, I lost."
What?!
The girls from Sec 5 class 7 were once again astonished. When had a competitive person like Emily Chen ever admitted defeat?
Emily Chen continued, "I won't make a fuss if I'm outclassed. So, now you're barely qualified to be our instructor. But I will challenge you again."
Eiland smiled and said, "Alright, I welcome your challenge any time."
Afterwards, Eiland had a few girls help escort Emily Chen to the infirmary, while he stayed behind to start training the girls from Sec 5 class 7. After Emily Chen's concession, the girls in the class were more willing to follow Eiland's lead. Since it was the first lesson, Eiland knew that many of them wouldn't be able to handle the heavy training, so he started with stretching and relaxation exercises.
Ding Ding~~
The bell for lunchtime rang. Eiland announced the end of the lesson, thinking that the girls would be in a hurry to leave. To his surprise, a group of girls crowded around him, surrounding him completely.
"Idol, can we take a picture with you?"
A girl took out her phone, linked arms with Eiland, tilted her head, pouted, made a cute face, and even found a perfect 45-degree angle. With a "click," she took a photo. The other girls also wanted to imitate and were eager to take a picture with Eiland.
Eiland was at a loss. He cleared his throat. "Classmates, it's undeniable that your instructor is a bit good-looking, but do you really need to worship me like this?"
A girl who was in the midst of taking a photo with Eiland chuckled and said, "Instructor, you've made our leader admit defeat. By tomorrow morning, your name will be known throughout MuLan Middle School. There will be even more people treating you like an idol. So, we need to seize the opportunity to take photos with you and show off online!"
"Is that really necessary?"
"Absolutely!" The girl said seriously, "Our leader has defeated many instructors, and even sent a few to the hospital. You're the first instructor to make our leader admit defeat. I guarantee you'll become famous."
"..."
Eiland was speechless. Wasn't this a case of the monkeys declaring themselves kings in the absence of tigers? While he had to admit that Emily Chen had some skill, it still didn't warrant this level of admiration. He ended up taking a group photo with everyone and then let them go to lunch.
In the morning, Eiland handed in the photos and documents to the logistics department. He would only receive his meal card in the afternoon. So, during lunchtime, he leisurely walked to a small food street on the left side of the school gate and sat down at a stall called "Ming Ji." By now, there were already quite a few customers here, including some MuLan Middle School girls.
"Excuse me, what would you like to eat?" A slightly chubby, kindly middle-aged man approached Eiland. This was Ge Ming, the owner of Ming Ji.
Eiland smiled faintly. "Boss, I'm an instructor from MuLan Middle School, not a student."
"What? You're an instructor?" Mr. Ge scrutinized Eiland for a moment, then laughed heartily. "I never would have thought! MuLan Middle School actually has such a young instructor. Instructor, my daughter is also a teacher at MuLan Middle School, so we're colleagues. Come on, order whatever you like. This meal is on me."
"Oh, I couldn't possibly..." Eiland was genuinely surprised.
Mr. Ge insisted, "Why not? This meal won't cost much. Instructor, feel free to order. I'll personally cook for you, and I promise you'll enjoy it."
"Well..." Eiland hesitated. He was considering whether or not to accept, as he was currently a bit tight on funds and only had enough money for one lunch.
Just then, a few men entered the eatery. The leader, with a nose ring and an explosive hairstyle, walked up to Mr. Ge. He clucked his tongue and said, "Mr. Ge, you're quite generous. You're even treating someone to a meal. How about you cook us and our buddies a seafood feast yourself?"
Mr. Ge's face changed, and his tone became more cautious. " Flynn Zhang, haven’t I already given you the protection fees just a few days ago? Why are you coming to me now? What do you want?"
With a snap, one of the men slapped Mr. Ge directly across the face. He grumbled, "Is our Big Brother ‘Flynn Zhang' a name you can just casually call?"
"...," Mr. Ge held his face, not daring to say a word.
..