Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Initially, when Parfen approached them, Yaning thought she was going to make some sarcastic remarks, but instead, she started sowing discord.

"Is there something really wrong with your brain?" Yaning wondered sincerely. "So what if Baisha has the talent to be a mech engineer, or gets admitted to a military academy? Even if she leaves Lanslo Star early, we'll eventually leave too. I'm aiming for the Command Division, Jingyi for the Mech Infantry, and Baisha for Mech Engineering—we don't even have conflicting aspirations, so what's there to be unhappy about?"

Parfen looked incredulous: "Do you really think a spot in the military academy is as common as cabbage? Do you think the academy belongs to your family, and you can just get in whenever you want?... Wait, don’t tell me your ambition is really the Federal Central Military Academy?"

Yaning and Jingyi remained silent.

They exchanged glances, confirming that Parfen Luqi really wasn't thinking straight.

"Mad, absolutely mad!" Parfen ground her teeth. "Do you know the Central Military Academy requires at least an A-grade in psychic power for its students? Do you even have psychic power, daring to dream such grand dreams? Baisha is different from you. Today she easily dismantled that C-grade mech cannon. No one knows what this means—it means her psychic power is at least B-grade! And you, you haven’t even tested your psychic power yet—"

"I heard from Sasha before, the wealthy seem to have ways to test psychic power in advance," Jingyi suddenly spoke up, her obsidian-like cold eyes fixed on Parfen. "With your family's status on Lanslo Star, you must have had your psychic power level tested early, right? So, is your psychic power not even B-grade, that's why you're acting like you've lost your mind today?"

Parfen's body tensed up, as if her skin had been peeled off in public. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and her eyes gradually reddened.

Jingyi read many emotions on her face, including fear, embarrassment, but mostly anger.

"I'll wait and see what you three turn into in three years."

Dropping this remark, she turned and left the classroom.

Finally, the classroom quieted down.

Yaning: "...Why does she always rage impotently, throw a sentence, and run away? Why does she still like to quarrel with us?"

Jingyi: "Maybe she's not trained hard enough. I think the teachers, considering she's from the Luqi family, don't dare to push her too much."

Meanwhile, Baisha was indeed asked about transferring schools in the teacher's office.

"Although we can't arrange a psychic power test for you individually, your talent as a mech engineer is indisputable," the head instructor said, surprised but also suggesting a transfer. "It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but our Lanslo Middle School West District really doesn’t know how to cultivate a mech engineer. You won't get the best education in our military preparatory class. If you're willing, we can make a special application to the preparatory class on Lodeng Star and transfer your registration there. If approved, your household registration will also be moved to Lodeng Star."

"But Lodeng Star is the main star of a border region, under the Thirteenth Military District. The Thirteenth District faces heavy military duties and dangerous warfare. If you utilize Lodeng Star's resources, they will likely require you to settle in the Thirteenth District... Assuming you're detected with high-level psychic power, this might even affect your future," added the Basic Mechanics teacher. Baisha's recent display had amazed him, making him deeply concerned about her future—more so than he had been when choosing his own career path.

Another choice to make. Baisha remained silent for a moment.

The impartial head instructor, after a thoughtful pause, sincerely advised: "You come from the Orphanage, without resources or background, but these are very important for a mech engineer. Personally, I think going to Lodeng Star is a good choice. There's always a give and take in this world. Soldiers in the Thirteenth District face the frontline, but they also have more opportunities for promotion. Besides, defending the homeland is a duty of every federal soldier."

Going to Lodeng Star would likely mean entering the local military school of the Thirteenth District, the Renis Military School. Renis ranks fourth among the nine major military schools—not the best, but certainly not the worst.

But Baisha didn't take long to decline.

"I'd rather stay here, teacher."

Head Instructor: "Because you're set on applying to the Central Military Academy?"

Baisha pondered and then said, "Actually, where I study mech engineering isn't that crucial to me. But I have family and friends. The Central Military Academy has always been Yaning and Jingyi's dream since childhood. Since they aspire to go there, I'll accompany them to their destination."

"I believe all three of us can get into the Central Military Academy."

In the evening, the trio packed sandwiches from the cafeteria for dinner, ate them sitting on the training equipment in the playground, and after resting for half an hour, they chatted while exercising.

Baisha mentioned the instructor's suggestion to transfer and explained her decision not to consider studying on other planets.

"It's a pity, the people on Lodeng Star must be difficult to deal with," Baisha said lazily, lying on the horizontal bar, "Otherwise, I could've pretended to agree, go to Lodeng Star for a free psychic power test, and then pretend to be homesick and sneak back."

"Do you think they're running a charity?" Yaning, gripping a hand gripper, replied, the rhythmic 'click-click' sounds accompanying his speech, "Your idea is as naive as a child's."

Jingyi, frowning, stretched her leg to kick Yaning's butt and then smacked Baisha's lower back hard, almost knocking her off the bar: "Are you guys gossiping or training? If you don't take it seriously, there's no point. Yaning, that hand gripper is too light for you, switch to a heavier one. Baisha, don't stop moving; what are you, a koala, hanging there without budging..."

The devil coach Jingyi was in action.

The three sweated profusely in the training ground until they returned to their dorms at eight o'clock to shower and prepare for bed.

Baisha opened her light computer, beginning her routine pre-sleep browsing of the mech engineer forum, but unexpectedly received a message from Qingying Fuzhou.

Since Baisha changed her name to Zhang Facai, their communication had dwindled. They were long-time online friends, not close but with nothing off-limits in their chats. However, since Baisha revealed her background and changed her ID to one resembling a wealthy heir, Qingying Fuzhou became hesitant, as if wanting to distance himself.

Baisha, busy with her preparatory class studies, hadn't paid much attention to him. Seeing him online a few times, she wasn't sure what to say.

But today, Qingying Fuzhou suddenly initiated a conversation.

[Qingying Fuzhou: Give me an address. I'll send you the parts and materials I promised earlier.]

This tone sounded like he wanted to sever ties by giving her these resources.

Baisha was really out of patience with how things had developed.

[Zhang Facai: No need, keep them. I may have been born in a remote place, but I still have my pride. If you think I don’t belong to some wealthy family and don’t deserve to be your friend, it's fine by me. You've indeed helped me more over the years, and I'm grateful for that. There’s no need for gifts, let's just remember each other as friends who once knew each other.]

After sending that message, Baisha received a long silence followed by an ellipsis from the other side.

[Qingying Fuzhou: It's not that I look down on your family background.]

[Qingying Fuzhou: I just... can't accept that you're a girl.]

Baisha: "..."

All this fuss, just for that?

[Zhang Facai: I've said, my profile states my gender as unknown. If it really bothers you, you can consider me as gender-neutral.]

The other side fell silent again, then sent a message that seemed somewhat grudging.

[Qingying Fuzhou: How come you don't act like a typical girl at all?]

Oh, now it's personal attacks!

Baisha chuckled and typed:

[How old are you this year, how many girls have you met?]

[Regardless of whether I'm male or female, at least I wouldn’t agonize over what color to use for painting a mech engine for three whole days. Is that even a problem? As long as the mech works, right?]

[Qingying Fuzhou: You don’t understand, it’s about aesthetics! A good mech should be perfect inside and out!]

[Zhang Facai: I think you're just nitpicking, obsessing over minor details. When designing a mech, you lack a sense of the bigger picture and imagination.]

[Qingying Fuzhou: The mechs I design are personally test-driven by me. If I don't control every detail, I'm the one who suffers! Unlike someone, have you ever touched a real mech part in your life?]

[Zhang Facai: Actually, I have, hehe.]

[Qingying Fuzhou: ...]

[Zhang Facai: Now that you mention it, it makes me recall the wonderful feel, the glossy shine, that—]

[Qingying Fuzhou: Stop, stop, stop! I give up. I admit my mistake, no point in brooding over it for so many days!]

[Qingying Fuzhou: Alright, I actually contacted you today for a real reason. I need you to check something for me.]

Saying this, the other side quickly sent over a diagram.

This straightforward style was finally back to the Baisha's familiar Qingying Fuzhou.

Upon opening it, it turned out to be a mech sensory inhibitor.

As is well known, mech infantry are powered by psychic power. Therefore, every component of a mech has a 'psychic sensor' function. If a mech's psychic sensing capabilities are superior, it can greatly enhance the pilot's performance. Hence, 'psychic sensing attributes' are elements that designers strive to maximize when creating a mech. Even average mech engineers find it challenging to make significant breakthroughs in this area.

This was the first time Baisha had heard of someone fitting a mech with a sensory inhibitor.

She examined it closely and found that the inhibitor divided the mech's psychic sensing into three stages: one-stage unlock, two-stage unlock, and three-stage unlock. The first stage had the dullest psychic sensing, while the third stage was the most sensitive, with noticeable differences in sensing data at each stage.

For the average mech infantry, this design seemed superfluous.

Others worry about not synchronizing well enough with their mechs, so why would someone complain about too high a synchronization rate and use a mech to restrain their psychic power?

[Zhang Facai: Who are you making this inhibitor for?]