Chapter 72: Testing

Chapter 72: Testing

With an ominous premonition, the high school student opened their live stream, only to be immediately flooded by a barrage of comments.

"Ahh! Why isn't the host using the webcam? Did they meet Rong Mi?! I want to see Rong Mi! ——"

"Ahh! I heard Rong Mi's voice! Good thing I didn't leave just now! But what did they say? That the host's mom used Rong Mi's techniques to escape Ice Butterfly?!"

"I thought Rong Mi's ice butterfly tutorials were just for show and humor. How could ordinary people learn such difficult things?!"

"Well, to be honest, I've watched Rong Mi's live streams before, but never seriously... I thought Rong Mi was just doing it for fun or to create a buzz..."

"It must be a rare exception that someone learned from it! That mom must have extraordinary talent! Ordinary people can't possibly learn it!"

"Rong Mi said from the start that anyone can learn if they're willing to practice! It's just a matter of time. Some people have more natural talent and learn faster. Why don't you all believe that?"

"I definitely don't believe it. Is there still room to join the 'Pest Control Association' discussion group? I want to join and monitor how many people actually manage to learn these skills! [Dog emoji]"

"I tried to join just now, but the group is already full... I'll go watch Rong Mi's recorded live stream first. More skills never hurt... You know what, recently... the Star Region has been quite chaotic."

"I also feel that the Safety Zone isn't as secure as it used to be... Does anyone know what's really going on at the amusement park?"

"It's true. Ever since the Ice and Fire Tournament, we've been seeing these ice butterflies every day... I'd completely forgotten about this species trying to invade our star domain if I didn't keep up with the war zone reports!"

"Maybe most people have forgotten about them, which is how the ice butterflies have been able to infiltrate the Safety Zone unnoticed... High-level ice butterflies can assume human appearance and use their mental threads to invade human minds. I remember reading in an Ice Butterfly Research Journal that our understanding of their mental abilities is still incomplete. It's possible that some were smuggled in due to misidentification."

"So when will the military release their investigation results?! The Ice and Fire Tournament, then that spatial city, and now the capital star... What's going on?!"

"It should be related to something called the Ice Butterfly Symbiosis Association. From what I heard, quite a few people were caught at the amusement park, so the investigation results should be out soon!"

"Ahhhh, so can the streamer catch up to Rong Mi and film him again?! He's so handsome! Not just his looks! His mech piloting skills are even more impressive! And his mental power... even more so! I love him so much! ——"

The live streaming room was packed to capacity. Maru, with a grim expression, hastily ended the broadcast.

He had initially started streaming the amusement park battle out of curiosity and the desire to share, but also because he was too close to the conflict and genuinely frightened. He wanted someone, even a stranger online, to keep him company for a while, without any intention of gaining popularity. Now, he was afraid of divulging any more information.

"Sorry, God Rong! I forgot to turn off the stream earlier..." Apologizing to Rong Mi via message, he informed his mother, "Sorry, Mom, I accidentally broadcasted our call."

As he spoke, he realized that his mother was too busy to respond, engrossed in her communication bracelet, chatting excitedly with someone else. Her expression betrayed her enthusiasm, clearly discussing the heroic events that had just transpired with her friends.

"Exactly! I even thought I wouldn't make it back then!" Mama Ma was typing hastily. "I didn't expect it to really work!"

"Rong Mi is right. You're truly talented," replied the administrator of the Bug Extermination Association's discussion group, who went by the username 'Divine Maiden.'

"I just had a burst of potential in a crisis," Mama Ma modestly said. "I'm still far from your level!"

This administrator had become her new friend. They both shared a passion for piloting mechas and had spare time, so they had practiced together many times and even engaged in a few friendly matches.

...All of which ended with Mama Ma's resounding defeat.

Divine Maiden was straightforward, and the two quickly became friends.

"Well, you need potential to begin with for it to burst," Divine Maiden said. "I also watched Marco's stream. You're a public aircraft pilot? It's somewhat burying your talents."

"Of course, if that offends you, I apologize. Or, if that's genuinely your passion and pursuit, feel free to disregard my following words."

"But I can tell that you've undergone quite a bit of systematic training before."

"…So why did you stop wanting to be a mech pilot?"

Mother Ma: "..."

She fell silent for a moment, her smile fading slightly.

"I got married, had kids," she said succinctly. "My in-laws believed piloting mecha wasn't suitable for me, that I didn't have the aptitude. My parents also thought that after marriage, my focus should be on the family."

"What an unfortunate marriage it was," she reminisced about her youthful, love-struck days, feeling exhausted just thinking about it. "In the end, we still ended up divorcing."

After over a decade of bickering, they divorced. Raising her child alone, she was busy every day earning a living, long since forgetting her early dreams of piloting a mecha.

"But oh, how exhilarating it was to operate a mecha and fight those Ice Butterflies!" She felt like sharing this thrill with Marco, but the chat room's comments offered little to talk about. She yearned to share her excitement with her new sister. "Wow, it really gets the blood pumping! And it feels like I'm protecting humanity! If only I were stronger, like you, or even like Rong Mi, it would be even cooler!"

Divine Maiden: "You can fight Ice Butterflies in the military, but constant battles against them can be fatal."

"You do have a point there," Mother Ma began to ponder seriously. "If I join the military, I'd better give it some serious thought."

After a moment of contemplation, she suddenly chuckled.

"Though, I suppose it doesn't matter much," she said. "Tomorrow, I'll still be back piloting the public aerial vehicles."

Goddess: "Well, not necessarily."

She continued, "You can earn a salary at the Mecha Club too."

"It's uncertain if you'll join the military. Would you like to work with us at our club first? We're in need of a mentor for beginners, and your fundamentals are solid."

"You can use all the training resources in the club whenever you're free. I'll be available to guide you anytime."

Momma Ma: "Huh?"

"But I'm already fifty... I don't think there's much room for improvement. Besides, no club owner would want an inexperienced senior coach like me."

"Gosh, people live up to two hundred years old! Fifty is nothing! Many in the military only reach the rank of captain by that age," Goddess scoffed. "And I am the owner of this club."

"No one will look down on you here. You'll have my support."

Momma Ma: "..."

She reread the messages, her expression dazed.

"Marco," she called out to her son, waving him over. "Am I seeing things because I'm too excited tonight? Could you read these lines for me?"

Marco took the screen from his mother and read it aloud, enunciating each word carefully. Then, he lifted his gaze to meet his mother's, both of them exchanging a puzzled look.

Marco: "I know that the owner of the Lyre Mech Club competes under the alias 'Goddess.' And she's quite popular, ranking first on the club's mech leaderboard! But I always assumed the one in our discussion group was just a coincidence..."

"Mom! Let me ask Rong Mi!" He promptly opened a communication channel with Rong Mi.

"God Rong! God Rong!" he exclaimed anxiously. "Do you know this 'Goddess'? Is she the Goddess? The one who's number one on the leaderboard!"

Rong Mi was about to enter Chen Mo's examination room.

The examination chamber belonging to the director of the Psionic Institute was clearly more advanced than the ones on the flagship. Special attire was required before entry.

"Yes," he replied while undressing, finding Marco's address amusing. "Just call me brother."

"The live stream you mentioned doesn't matter. Remember to turn it off next time. I have something to attend to, so let's talk later."

Inside the changing room, he turned off the communication screen and began removing his clothes.

The Silver Wolves who followed Chen Mo into the room were unaware of the significance of their surroundings, attentively scanning their environment. It wasn't until they turned back and saw Rong Mi removing his shirt that they became aware.

As Chen Mo's aircraft was docked at the medical starship's airlock, the temperature along the way to the laboratory was regulated by HVAC systems. Thus, Rong Mi had taken the shortcut of only wearing a hospital gown when he left.

This gown was loose-fitting, allowing for a swift removal.

Ayin was caught off guard, and in the blink of an eye, it witnessed Rong Mi's slender waist. The young man's back was fair, and his spine protruded prominently as he bent over to change his clothes.

Ever since Rong Mi's rebirth, he had gradually resumed the exercise routine he had during his time on the main ship.

His once slender frame now displayed smooth yet non-exaggerated muscle lines that accentuated with each movement, appearing both powerful and graceful.

The wolf tilted its head slightly, inadvertently staring for a moment.

Then, it suddenly recalled Lu Yi's command not to look at Rong Mi undressing!

Wolf: "!"

It suddenly remembered Lu Yi mentioning that such behavior was highly impolite.

The Silver Wolves thus swished its tail, promptly stepping back and turning its head away. Its current size was too massive; the impact of its tail against the wall produced a thud.

Rong Mi turned at the sound, only to see the furry back of the wolf's head and its tilted ears.

Rong Mi: "...?"

What had provoked this behavior?

Confused for a moment, he took a step forward. Hearing his footsteps, the wolf swiftly turned back, letting out a low growl.

Rong Mi: "...."

Observing the wolf steadfastly refusing to look at him, Rong Mi suddenly exclaimed, remembering what Lu Yi had told him about unintentionally sharing the wolf's senses, such as sight and hearing...

Especially when Lu Yi had just awakened from a deep sleep and couldn't control their connection easily.

Promptly, Rong Mi reached for the testing suit nearby and pulled it on.

Then, for some reason, he imagined if Lu Yi were here...

Would a general turn his head so abruptly like that?

A wolf howls, and what would Lu Yi say?

Would he, with his indifferent tone, earnestly remind himself...

"Put on your clothes."

Rong Mi: "..."

How ordinary a sentence.

Yet, upon imagining it in Lu Yi's voice, why did he suddenly feel a sense of... embarrassment?

To the extent that he lowered his head to adjust the collar of his inspection suit, before reaching out to stroke the back of the wolf's head.

"Well then," he said casually, "you can look now!"

"Ao!" The wolf responded and turned its head back. Its initially tense, furry tail relaxed and swayed gently from side to side.

Then it turned and pushed open the changing room door, following Chen Mo's scent towards the examination room.

"There," Chen Mo called out when he heard the footsteps of both the man and the wolf.

The instruments in the room were already activated. Rong Mi stepped in, thinking he had entered the inner workings of a supercomputer.

The room was spacious, but the ceiling, floor, and walls were covered with hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of cables and data lines. The air conditioning in the examination room worked frantically to maintain the low temperature inside.

Chen Mo stood beside the central examination station, waving at Rong Mi.

This examination station was vastly different from the one on the First Squad's starship. It resembled a transparent isolation chamber that was about a person's height. Once Rong Mi stepped in, several mechanical arms descended from above, attaching numerous monitoring patches onto his forehead, neck, collarbone, wrists, and ankles.

"Beep—Examination is about to begin—"

Transparent glass panels rose around them. Rong Mi glanced outside and saw Ayin pressed against the glass panel outside the examination station, peering in closely as if worried about him. He flattened his furry wolf face against the glass, looking both comical and incredibly adorable.

"It's okay," Rong Mi mouthed to the wolf. Chen Mo, watching the wolf's antics, couldn't help but say, "You can't trust me with him?"

Ayin turned to glance at him.

"…Alright then." Recalling Lu Tianxing, Chen Mo swallowed the teasing remark he had been about to make. "If you want to watch, go ahead."

"Relax," he said, picking up the communicator and addressing Rong Mi within the examination station, "It's just like those basic tests you've done before… —"

"Ding." The first line of test results refreshed, indicating a basic physical scan.

"Overall Physical Fitness: A+"

"Strength: A, Agility: A…."

Chen Mo scanned quickly, awaiting the update on his mental power.

Normally, this device would yield results swiftly, but today, even the most basic category of mental strength took an unusually long time.

Leaning against a table, Chen Mo held an e-pen, patiently observing the holographic screen in front of him. Finally, the next notification sounded.

"Ding—"

"Mental Strength: 2S (undetermined, +++). (Confidence level below 95%, it is recommended to use a higher-grade scanner for more accurate results.)"

Chen Mo: "..."

Putting down the electronic pen, Chen Mo reread the words within the final parentheses.

...This instrument of his.

It was already the most advanced mental strength detector available to humanity!