Chapter 32: Set-Up

Chapter 32: Set-Up

"Heads up, readers! Chapters 30-31 have been revised, so you might want to check them out again."

== Below begins the main text ==

"Xu Qingran, you were definitely sandbagging on the first day of class, weren't you?"

Feng Wei, who was in the same training session, blurted out in awe: "Under normal circumstances, even with a month's time, it's impossible to make such rapid progress!"

For example, he considered his own aptitude to be elite, but after three weeks, he only improved from 200 minutes to around 155. To go from about 290 minutes to 170, what a mind-blowing improvement is that?

Xu Qingran remained noncommittal.

The body is a strange thing; it's like climbing a mountain—the first time is always unimaginably hard. This body was originally quite pampered, so the first attempt was very strenuous, but sticking with it, the body begins to adapt to the intensity.

The final assessment day for the month-end project arrived in the blink of an eye.

In the last week, Xu Qingran shaved off his completion time a bit more, nearly matching the progress of 3S Feng Wei, with only a 5-minute gap between them.

Xu Qingran thought to himself, during the official assessment, if he could boost his physical endurance by releasing his mental energy, he should be able to achieve a time of around 150 minutes.

Not bad, it's already among the top tier data.

Xie Nanjun mentioned that his own record was 134 minutes, which still ranks among the top 100 records in the military academy's history, so it's clear that Shen Tingyu's record isn't likely to be surpassed soon.

The night before the evaluation, Xu Qingran still followed his usual habit of heading downstairs, preparing to make final adjustments at the training ground. Xie Nanjun, whom he hadn't seen for several days, was waiting downstairs again, but tonight he was dressed more formally, similar to the day he arrived at the base.

Xie Nanjun looked at Xu Qingran with a complicated expression.

After observing that day, he was unwilling to believe what he had seen with his own eyes, and for a week, he had been like a creep, punctually observing Xu Qingran's training every day. The facts proved that Shen Tingyu was right—the eldest son of the Xu family is also a big deal. Not only did he absorb what he wanted to teach after just a glance, but he also knew how to review and make up for it himself.

As an officer, Xie Nanjun admires such a person.

He remembered when the big news of Xu Qingran making a scene at Lu Cheng's engagement banquet came out, he had also joined others in mocking a few words, and suddenly felt like a jerk.

"Colonel Xie, are you looking for me again?" Xu Qingran interrupted his wandering thoughts.

Xie Nanjun coughed lightly, slightly putting on the airs of a senior: "Ah, it's nothing much."

"My teaching at the military academy is temporarily over, and you are, after all, a friend of Shen Tingyu, so I thought I'd confirm your situation one last time before I leave. What if the first thing he asks me about when I return is related to you?"

Xu Qingran chuckled lightly.

There wasn't much emotion in his laughter: "Don't misunderstand, he and I are not friends."

Xie Nanjun: "?"

Huh? Is that true?

Before he could respond, he heard Xu Qingran ask: "So, you came to guide me, was that also his instruction?"

Xie Nanjun paused.

This feeling of always being easily guessed and seen through is very much like that old dog Shen Tingyu!

In order not to lose hair like he did when dealing with Shen Tingyu in the early days, he gave up on hiding: "Yes, Shen Tingyu is such a cold-blooded man! To suggest that I help you, isn't that enough to be considered a friend?"

Xu Qingran replied: "No, he's straight-up mocking me."

Others might genuinely want to assist him, but Shen Tingyu's way of thinking can't be understood by ordinary logic. If Xu Qingran wasn't wrong, Shen Tingyu just wanted to use Xie Nanjun to tell him—even if he taught him the techniques to speed through the levels, he still wouldn't be able to break that record.

Xu Qingran clicked his tongue.

It was just a few punches, wasn't it? How petty.

System: "..."

It wanted to say something to aid the target, but feared it might backfire, so it chose to remain silent.

Xie Nanjun initially thought that Xu Qingran's long-standing grudge towards Shen Tingyu made him see malice in everything Shen Tingyu did.

—Although he often had similar thoughts himself.

But it wasn't until he boarded the aircraft to leave Azure Star and took a moment to send Shen Tingyu a message, complaining about the situation.

Only to hear Shen Tingyu chuckle on the other end: "So he really understands what I'm thinking."

Then he added leisurely: "After knowing me for so long, you still don't understand me as well as this new nephew-in-law."

Xie Nanjun: "…?"

He screamed internally—It's because both of your minds are out of sync with normal people!

Xie Nanjun hung up the call with Shen Tingyu, completely speechless.

Suddenly, he felt he had responded to his sister too hastily that day. Now, looking at these two, they were clearly made for each other!

·

At the academy base.

After bidding farewell to Xie Nanjun, Xu Qingran went to the training field to go through the course one more time. Tomorrow was the big day, and the number of students in the field tonight was the highest it had been all month.

With the assessment coming up the next day, Xu Qingran only went through the course once tonight, not staying as late as usual. On his way back to the dorm from the training field, his mind was still reviewing every move and speed he needed to focus on at each checkpoint.

He didn't notice the presence hidden well at the building's corner and was suddenly hit with a strange spray.

Xu Qingran immediately closed his eyes, using his senses to quickly and precisely grab his assailant's hand. But the other person's strength was surprisingly strong, and their reaction was also very quick. Taking advantage of his vulnerable state, they wrestled with him for a while before finally managing to free their hand from his grip.

The spray bottle clattered to the ground.

Xu Qingran's eyes stung slightly from the spray, and his entire body felt like it was under a strange pressure, suddenly feeling heavier. In the darkness, he listened to the footsteps gradually fading away, calmly leaning against the wall to alleviate his discomfort.

Until another light set of footsteps approached from behind.

"Xu Qingran?"

It was a somewhat unfamiliar female voice, sounding rather cold.

Xu Qingran remained silent.

Everyone at the academy was now under his suspicion, and if possible, he didn't want to engage with any of them.

The person who encountered Xu Qingran was Ling Yuege, who had just finished her mecha practice.

She was heading back to the girls' dormitory when she came across Xu Qingran, who didn't seem to be in good shape, on this quiet and less-traveled path.

Normally, as a proud E-type, Ling Yuege wouldn't bother even if she saw someone fainted by the roadside. But this was Xu Qingran, who had left a deep impression on her since the day of enrollment. After hesitating for a moment, she still approached to check on him.

Just as she was about to ask, she suddenly noticed the spray bottle at his feet.

She picked it up and glanced at it, exclaiming in surprise, "A psychic suppression spray?"

"What is that?" Xu Qingran, who had been silent, finally spoke.

Ling Yuege looked up at the person before her.

His wavy brown hair was tousled from training, and his porcelain-like fair skin was slightly reddened as if allergic due to the spray. His tightly closed eyes were also somewhat swollen.

Even so, he still looked as calm as a seasoned traveler who had faced many challenges.

Ling Yuege held the spray bottle and averted her gaze, lowering her eyes to examine it while explaining, "It's a medicinal mist designed to suppress psychic energy outbursts, but it only affects those whose psychic and spiritual energies are not yet stabilized."

"This kind of mist is generally used on people who show signs of soul stabilization."

"You should be aware that before psychic stabilization occurs, there is a period of soul fluctuation and agitation. The academy is populated with high-level students, so the infirmary always prepares such medications for emergencies."

Xu Qingran thought to himself that he really didn't know.

He asked again, "What effects does it have when sprayed?"

"It doesn't pose any immediate life-threatening risks," Ling Yuege paused, "but it temporarily reduces the target's psychic level by one tier."

For example, the destructive capability of a 3S level would be diminished to approximately a double S-S level. This way, if any accidents occur, it would be easier for those around to control the target.

After Ling Yuege finished speaking, the air fell silent again.

After a moment, she spoke again, "Your final class group is scheduled for an obstacle course assessment tomorrow, correct?"

Everyone knew it was a grueling challenge that drained both physical and mental stamina.

The spray's effects persist for approximately one to two days, which would severely impact tomorrow's assessment. Clearly, he had been set up.

Xu Qingran didn't say much, only stating after recovering, "Classmate, could you guide me to a water source?"

He needed to rinse his eyes.

Ling Yuege was initially reluctant, as she preferred not to involve herself unnecessarily. However, she later found that Xu Qingran was easy to guide, requiring no physical contact at all. He could accurately discern the direction and turns simply by following her footsteps.

Ling Yuege once again revised her impression of him.

She was among the few who maintained neutrality when Xu Qingran's scandal erupted. Because she had experienced similar things herself—being maligned by those around her, treated as a monstrous figure by her relatives, and shunned and confronted. No one understood the horror of rumors better than her.

The reality showed that Young Master Xu was far from the feeble and infatuated individual depicted in the rumors.

Regarding his temperament and character—

Ling Yuege remembered his actions at Xu Qingan's promotion banquet and in the second arena, choosing to withhold her judgment for the time being.

On the other side, Xu Qingran finally rinsed his eyes at the basin and was able to open them to view his surroundings. The first sight that greeted him was a tall girl leaning against the opposite side of the basin, one hand in her pocket, observing him intently.

Xu Qingran was quite surprised that the person who helped him was Ling Yuege.

Wasn't she an E-type? This behavior didn't align with their usual demeanor.

He was a person who clearly distinguished gratitude from grudges. After wiping the water off his face, he said, "Thank you."

Ling Yuege gave a nonchalant shrug, as if to imply 'it was no big deal.'

After confirming he had no other business, she stood up to leave, casually tossing him a "Good luck."

With that, she walked away without looking back.

Xu Qingran watched her retreating figure, feeling a mix of emotions.

This was the first E-type he had encountered who didn’t immediately challenge him to a fight upon meeting. Of course, this didn’t change his habit of equally suspecting everyone in the academy.

He picked up the spray bottle Ling Yuege had left on the edge of the sink and went to ask the dorm manager. The dorm manager was equally surprised to see it, and his explanation was similar to Ling Yuege's—this was a banned item among students, only obtainable by doctors in the infirmary.

In any case, the night came to an end.

Xu Qingran wasn’t particularly upset.

This time, it was his own carelessness that had caused the oversight, and he couldn’t blame anyone else. Moreover, thanks to Xie Nanjun’s rigorous training regimen, the impact wasn’t too severe for him.

The next day, the evaluations were in full force.

Students from various project groups had their own tests. Those in the high-rise dorms woke up to see top students soaring over the dorm area in their mechs, heading toward the coastal region.

Xu Qingran made his way to the familiar training grounds.

Following the instructions of the third prince, Mu Ziyu, and the frequent rumors of his impressive predicted results over the past month, many instructors, some familiar and others not, had gathered on the observation deck on the day of his evaluation.

Xu Qingran was taken aback by the turnout but chalked it up to the academy’s strict approach to evaluations.

A quick glance revealed that Qi Shengxue, his former lover, was also there.

For once, she wasn’t in a drunken state. With a hat on, she glanced disdainfully at the scorching sun before continuing to watch the field with a detached expression.

The system fretted on his behalf: "Oh no, host, most of these people are here just to see how you perform!"

"But after yesterday... What if you don’t perform well? Will they find an excuse to kick you out of the academy?"

The class group was packed with students.

To complete the evaluations in a single day, they were split into several batches, with each group starting ten minutes apart.

The first batch of students had already begun. Xu Qingran strode to the starting position, coolly replying, "I told you, since they invited me in, they won’t easily get rid of me."

At the sound of the whistle, Xu Qingran and the second batch of students began their evaluations. The instructors on the observation deck straightened up, their expressions sharp and intent as they watched the real-time broadcast screens, most of their attention locked on Xu Qingran.

After a while, their expressions shifted to confusion and disappointment.

Wasn’t this eldest son of the Xu family supposed to be quite good, fully meeting the standards of a top-tier student? What was going on? His speed and performance were just scraping by.

Xu Qingran’s overall performance was actually quite stable.

But compared to his usual practice, it was too stable.

There were over a hundred obstacles in the course, each with a maximum time limit for passing. The minimum passing standard for the entire course was 188 minutes. Anything exceeding this time would be considered a failure, requiring a retake at the end of the year.

Failing even one retake would prevent graduation.

Today, Xu Qingran seemed to be barely passing each obstacle.

The instructor who had always held high hopes for him stared at the constantly updating data on Xu Qingran’s performance on his tablet, his face filled with worry.

Halfway through the course, Xu Qingran was still teetering on the edge of passing and failing, and the instructors who had come to watch gradually lost interest. Only the middle-aged man with a mechanical leg, standing at the edge of the observation deck with his hands behind his back, grew increasingly serious.

The junior instructor who had been carefully observing Xu Qingran's checkpoint timing data showed a slight shift in expression when Xu Qingran had completed two-thirds of the course. It seemed as if he had discovered something that utterly astonished him, and he scrolled through the data from start to finish for a closer look.

Then, his excitement grew.

By the time Xu Qingran reached the final checkpoint, climbed onto the high platform, and paused to catch his breath before pressing the button to end the timer, the junior instructor who usually mentored him exclaimed excitedly, "It's over! 188 minutes! Not a second over or under, exactly on the dot!"

The other veteran instructors frowned.

One of them remarked casually, "That's just standard A-level performance. What's so special about it?"

The junior instructor looked down at his tablet, where the data displayed was so precise it would satisfy even the most obsessive perfectionist.

A total duration of exactly 188 minutes wasn't particularly remarkable.

But what if, across more than a hundred checkpoints, the pacing was flawlessly consistent, with each checkpoint's timing hitting the minimum passing threshold precisely, not a second over or under?!