Chapter 17: Vice-Captain

As the meeting concluded, the squad captains departed one by one. Su Li also made his way towards the exit when suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Oh, my little junior brother, would you care to join your senior brother for a drink?" It was the ever-smiling Kyoraku Shunsui.

Su Li politely declined, "Uh... no, Senior Brother, I have to report to the squad this afternoon."

Kyoraku Shunsui sighed, "Ah, what a shame."

He then studied Su Li's face intently, making Su Li's heart skip a beat. "Is something on your mind, Senior Brother?"

Kyoraku Shunsui smiled mysteriously. "You know, even as the teacher's student, you don't seem all that happy."

Su Li couldn't help but reveal his disappointment. "It's because I didn't get the captain's seat."

Kyoraku Shunsui's perceptive nature was evident, and he chuckled. After a moment, he grew serious.

"Little Junior Brother, I must commend your ambition. Aspiring to become a captain right after graduation is quite impressive."

He continued, "But it's good for a man to have ambitions; otherwise, we'd all be as mundane as that fellow Aizen, and that would be terribly dull!"

Su Li couldn't help but inwardly disagree with the notion that Aizen lacked ambition. After all, Aizen had grand ambitions, but it was certainly not the right time to voice such thoughts.

Kyoraku Shunsui, unaware of Su Li's inner thoughts, rambled on, leaving Su Li to ponder his words.

"But little junior brother, don't worry," Kyoraku Shunsui reassured him with a grin, "With your strength, you'll undoubtedly become a captain sooner or later."

Su Li listened to the comforting words, offering a somewhat helpless smile. Sooner or later? How long would that be? A thousand years? Two thousand years? It felt like his great-great-grandchildren might become captains before him.

"Hey, why don't you apply for the captain's assessment right after your internship?" Kyoraku Shunsui slapped his thigh with excitement. "By then, you'll already be the official vice-captain. If you apply again, those folks from Central 46 won't have a choice but to approve it! Your strength will easily pass the test!"

He chuckled mischievously, "I can't wait to see Soi-Fon's disappointed face again, hahaha!"

Kyoraku Shunsui burst into laughter, and Su Li's eyes sparkled with newfound hope. This was indeed good news. He made a silent commitment to complete his internship as quickly as possible to pursue his goal of becoming the captain of the Second Division.

Later, Su Li and Kyoraku Shunsui parted ways at an intersection, each heading home.

...

In the afternoon, within the 13th Division team building, the new recruits gathered in the office. Excitement filled the air as they realized their dreams had come true, officially becoming part of the Thirteenth Division.

Conversations buzzed with enthusiasm as they discussed their assigned squad and seats.

"I got assigned to the third division, and my seat is number twenty-seven!"

"Wow, that's impressive! I'm only the forty-first seat in the ninth division..."

"Haha, I'm the twelfth seat! When you see me, you'll have to address me by my honorary title, wow hahaha!"

"Man, you've got some seriously bad luck!"

The students chatted excitedly, their faces lit up with enthusiasm. Soon, the staff began calling out names, and the students lined up to receive their costumes and team armbands.

"Hinamori Momo, fifth division, seventh seat..."

"Kira Iziru, third division, sixth seat..."

"Abarai Renji, sixth division, fourth seat..."

As the staff announced the assignments, the students couldn't help but comment.

"I didn't expect Renji to have a higher seat than Momo!"

"True, that guy's strength is something else. He achieved Shikai as a student, so of course, he gets a high seat!"

"Kira did a fantastic job too, securing the sixth seat! He almost made it to the top five!"

"It looks like there's not one person who can break into the top five seats this year... Wait, that's not right!"

"Of course not! Have you forgotten about that person?!"

As more names were called, the crowd grew quieter, eagerly awaiting one name in particular – Su Li. Even though a notice was posted at noon, the outcome of the battle between Su Li and Soi-Fon had not been confirmed. However, everyone was eager to find out where this remarkable dark horse would be placed.

With anticipation mounting, the staff finally announced Su Li's name.

"Su Li..."

"Second squad, vice-captain!"

The crowd below erupted in a collective gasp and excitement. Graduating to become a vice-captain was unprecedented! Amidst the shock, envy, and admiration of the onlookers, Su Li confidently stepped forward. He accepted the Shinigami's uniform, symbolizing his official Shinigami status, and the vice-captain armband of the second division from the respectful staff.

As Su Li held the Shinigami suit in his hands, a wave of emotion washed over him. It had been nearly a year since he first arrived, tirelessly working to become a true Shinigami. Yet, at this very moment, it felt like a dream—fantastic and unreal. He didn't dwell on this emotion for long, though. He knew that being too sentimental wouldn't serve him well, especially given his past experiences. This was just the beginning of his era.

With determination, Su Li raised his hand and donned the death tyrant suit. He carefully fastened the armband symbolizing his new role as vice-captain. In the golden sunlight, Su Li's figure radiated a captivating blend of strength and handsomeness.

The girls below were left awestruck. They couldn't contain their excitement.

"Oh my gosh!! He's so handsome!! I love you, Su Li, brother!!"

"Su Li, please marry me right now; I don't want to say this again!!"

"Hey, Mom? How much is our family's dowry? That much?! Can't you turn it upside down?"

Su Li's heroic appearance drove the girls in the audience into a wild frenzy. Even Hinamori Momo blushed beside him.

Abarai Renji couldn't help but mutter with a hint of jealousy, "Cut, damn it, this guy is such a show-off..."

Meanwhile, Kira Iziru was deeply moved, his eyes filled with envy and admiration. "Student Su Li is truly incredible; I've never seen such talent before..."

Soon, the registration ceremony concluded, and the staff made an announcement.

"In three days, the official internship will commence!"

"All team members, please report to your respective squads before the internship!"

"In three days, we'll depart together and head to the world of the living!"

Their voices echoed loudly and clearly, setting the tone for the exciting days ahead.