Chapter 91: Assessment (Part Two)

Chapter 91: Assessment (Part Two)

Gu Ming arrived at the reception pod in response to Rong Mi's message.

Initially, he hadn't noticed the situation within the pod when he started speaking. Upon halting his steps, he realized that two groups seemed to be in a standoff. With his intrusion, everyone turned their heads towards him.

Gu Ming: "..."

Feeling somewhat awkward, Gu Ming immediately composed his face, hiding any sign of joy.

"Ahh... Brother Hua." Recognizing the golden-haired man, he initiated a greeting, casually remarking, "You're still searching for a suitable mech pilot, I see?"

Rong Mi: "...."

Golden-haired: "...."

There were plenty of Rong Mi's battle videos, but he rarely revealed his face while seated inside the cockpit.

Moreover, during his live streams, he used the mech's perspective, and didn't activate the cockpit camera, which made it impossible for Hua Oulo to identify him.

In the reception pod, silence reigned, with no one responding.

Gu Ming was not bothered by this. One hand hanging by his side, he stealthily gestured to Rong Mi, urging her to leave quickly, while addressing Hua Oulo, "Actually, your selection criteria could be a bit more flexible. After all, there aren't many mecha pilots as outstanding as Brother Hua."

He knew Hua Oulo's personality and smoothly praised him, "It's not too late to start searching once the starship launches. There's still quite a few days of travel time..."

"Huahhh! Are you planning to report us to the proctors because you're afraid we'll win first place?!" Hua Oulo suddenly interjected.

Fixing his gaze on Rong Mi, his face flushed with anger, he accused, "I misjudged you! I never thought you'd be such a fame-seeking scoundrel who neglects the welfare of humanity!"

Rong Mi: "..."

Gu Ming: "...?"

Gu Ming looked from one to the other, his face filled with confusion.

Ayin reacted visibly when Hua Oulo mentioned 'fame-seeking'. The wolf stepped forward, a low growl escaping its throat, emitting a threatening signal. A faint silver glow surrounded it, exuding a palpable sense of pressure.

This was a sign that the wolf was about to activate its Field Domain.

Of course, it wouldn't actually attack Hua Oulo, but pulling him into the field for a chilling wake-up call would do some good.

Rong Mi reached out to pat the wolf's neck. "It's alright, there's no need for Ayin to teach him a lesson."

He couldn't care less about what Hua Oulo was saying.

"After all, some mecha pilots are skilled but lack brains." The youth met Hua Oulo's gaze without hesitation and spoke frankly, "I can't donate my brain for you to comprehend either."

Hua Oulo: "…"

Gu Ming: "…"

The room filled with Hua Oulo's followers: "…"

The burly men were first collectively bewildered, then their expressions became incredibly animated. Hua Oulo was taken aback for a moment before he angrily shouted after a second of realization, "You dare to call me stupid!"

Rong Mi smiled and nodded seriously.

"You... You this...!" Hua Oulo searched for insults in his mind, unable to resist stammering for a moment.

In a distant corner of the reception hall, a drowsy examinee yawned, finally awakened by the commotion around him. His black hair was disheveled, and he wore the same military academy uniform. Rubbing his eyes, he listened for a while before suddenly breaking into a laugh. "Brother Hua," he said, slowly getting to his feet, "I told you before, Rong Mi is not what you think." "He's not like us either." The military student from the same faction as Hua Oulo turned to Rong Mi and shrugged. "I don't know when Rong Mi learned mecha piloting or how he improved his mental power... but when he was a therapist, he never bothered with related training. All he wanted was to be a star on Star Network." "Now, it seems like he wants to help the people in the Safe Star Region recognize and fight against the Ice Butterflies, but deep down, he just enjoys being in the spotlight." "Someone like you isn't suitable for the military." A hint of disdain laced the speaker's tone. "You like being the center of attention, seeking novelty. But I suggest you withdraw from the assessment right now." "You won't be able to endure the military's rigorous training, let alone survive long-term in a war zone." "There won't be the fancy food you're used to here... didn't you know that already?"

"I never wanted to advance to Senior Healer, nor did I wish to be in the warzone, constantly fearing for my life and enduring hardships." He raised his voice slightly. "Didn't you say that to me yourself?"

"Isn't it harming both yourself and others when you come to the warzone with such an attitude, seeking public attention?"

The candidates standing behind Rong Mi had also entered the reception pod. Though they were unsure about the atmosphere within, the last two lines about not wanting to suffer in the warzone made them frown.

Rong Mi tilted his head, looking up at the person who had picked a fight with Hua Oulo, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"...I didn't expect someone like you to have moments of foolishness," Rong Mi mumbled softly, genuinely surprised.

The young man stroked the wolf fiercely, trying to restrain Ayin, whose rage was building and who truly wanted to unleash his domain to turn everyone into ice pops. He answered with a neutral tone, "Do you think I'm here for attention, seeking to join the military in the warzone?"

"Is the warzone highly regarded in the Safe Zone?"

"In the amusement park base... before the Ice and Fire Tournament, many people in the Safe Zone had almost forgotten about the existence of the warzone."

"Let's talk about you. As a graduate from a military academy, do you know how many soldiers have sacrificed their lives in the warzone every year since its establishment a century ago?"

"How much has the area of the warzone expanded at the edge of the human territory in the past decade?"

"Do you know the fluctuations in the number of Ice Butterflies beyond the frontlines in the warzone? How many times has the High Rank Ice Butterfly opened spatial wormholes?"

"Tell me, what is the warzone in dire need of right now?"

Rong Mi's voice was icy cold. Despite wearing the simplest shirt and pants, his usual warm smile had vanished, replaced by a stern expression that made everyone in the reception chamber hold their breath involuntarily.

The young man who had just prompted Rong Mi's withdrawal from the exam was at a loss for words, unsure where to begin answering.

In fact... he didn't even know how to address any of the questions.

His gaze instinctively turned to Hua Oulo. The golden-haired military academy student looked equally bewildered, his anger having faded as his mind struggled to process the situation.

Rong Mi chuckled coldly and moved forward. Hua Oulo subconsciously stepped aside, his eyes following Rong Mi until he realized he was now only seeing the back of a man and a wolf.

"Hey!" Hua Oulo called out, "Well then, you tell me! What does the warzone need most right now!"

The candidates who had just entered the reception chamber were also pondering the question posed by Rong Mi.

They had long forgotten Hua Oulo's earlier accusations against Rong Mi, instead, they were frantically searching their minds for an answer.

Rong Mi sighed.

"The warzone doesn't need grand-scale battles... not the kind you imagine, where we assault the Ice Butterfly Region and boost morale... transcribed by Sen Wenzheng."

"Our warriors in the warzone are far more mature than you realize," the youth said without turning his head. "Humanity needs to eliminate those Ice Butterfly spirit fragments as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the Ice Butterfly wants to attack the warzone to divert our forces and slow us down. It initially planned to use the fragments to infiltrate the Secure Regions. Now that its scheme has failed, it'll surely hasten the return of the fragment carriers to the Ice Butterfly Region for fusion."

"The warzone must withstand the Ice Butterfly's offensive pressure while coordinating with the military personnel in the Secure Regions to locate and destroy the Ice Butterfly spirit fragments."

"What's needed here is balance."

"We must conserve our strength, train more warriors, and prepare to turn the tide once all the Ice Butterfly spirit fragments are utterly eradicated, defeating them decisively and driving them away from our territories."

"Or, we accept the Ice Butterfly's counterattack and brace ourselves for the imminent major battle..."

Rong Mi paused.

The situation in the warzone was ever-changing, and Rong Mi could no longer predict which path they would ultimately take.

He hoped it was the first.

"Don't meddle in affairs if your mind isn't sharp," Rong Mi continued. "If you're planning something grand during the assessment, consult the proctors first."

His gaze lingered on the young man who had just woken up and provoked him.

"Rong Anting," he uttered the name, tilting his head slightly. "An A-class healer from the Rong family."

"As for that gene modification project you're so proud of and conducting in secret…" Rong Mi's lips curled into a smirk, watching as Rong Anting jolted, his expression turning ashen with fright.

"Yes, I'm talking about your 'Artificial Healer' project." Rong Mi lowered his voice, ensuring only they two could hear. "I suggest you consider more potential genetic complications resulting from the fusion."

"Just in case, should humanity one day have no choice but to rely on your technology… You wouldn't want your gene modification project to cause… hundreds, or even thousands, to die prematurely, would you?"

Rong Anting's face paled abruptly.

"According to calculations, the healer gene modifications shouldn't lead to fatal genetic diseases…" He instinctively countered, only to freeze in surprise.

"That's not right, how do you know about this?!" Rong Anting was utterly stunned but still managed to keep his voice low. "I've never told you! ...I haven't even informed Patriarch Rong Yan! I've only shared it with my mentor…"

"This is entirely my own confidential project!"

Rong Anting was the cream of the crop among the young generation of the Rong family. Due to his connection with the original body's parents, he had crossed paths with the original body a few times. However, he had never liked the reluctance the original body displayed towards becoming a therapist, thus their relationship was not good. There was no way he would have told him about this!

"It doesn't matter how I found out," Rong Mi said with a smile. "But I advise you to recalculate a few more times. When conducting experiments later on, if possible, be patient and wait a while longer... Many latent genetic illnesses don't manifest within a year or two."

Rong Mi spoke calmly. He had only mentioned it because he happened to run into Rong Anting.

Unlike many artificial therapists from the interstellar nomadic era, he didn't actually hate Rong Anting.

From the perspective of all the fleeing humans, he didn't think that Rong Anting had committed an utterly heinous atrocity.

Rong Mi was aware that the intentions behind the Artificial Healers project were not malevolent. The project had genuinely aimed to fill the shortage of therapists and had, at one point, proceeded methodically, conducting necessary safety tests.

However, following the Ice Butterflies' sudden assault on the star domain, humans scrambled to escape. Many healers perished, and an overwhelming number of unprepared, ordinary individuals, devoid of any training, were forced to pilot mechas and confront the Ice Butterflies.

Upon the starship fleeing the icy butterflies' onslaught, an increasing number of crew members fell prey to mental disorders, while the dwindling number of therapists struggled to save them from death.

Thus, a decade after the assault, Rong Anting hastily unveiled the initiative for artificial therapists.

Rong Mi studied the person before him.

In the Interstellar Era, human aging was sluggish. In historical records, Rong Anting's appearance when he announced that plan was similar to his current one.

But their auras were vastly different.

The Rong Anting in the records didn't exude the seemingly relaxed yet domineering air of the present. Instead, there was profound pain hidden in his eyes.

He was thin, with prematurely white hair, and didn't answer unnecessary questions. When he gazed into the camera and declared the plan with a calm, heavy tone, it was as if he was reading a declaration of humanity's desperate resistance, a last-ditch, high-stakes gamble.

As Rong Mi observed Rong Anting, he inwardly compared the two versions, his thoughts oscillating. Eventually, he found Rong Anting's current arrogant and immature demeanor... somewhat acceptable.

It was better than the emaciated appearance he had in history.

Of course, if Rong Anting could mature mentally, that would be even better.

"I'll naturally conduct long-term observation experiments on the genetic modification of Human Healers..." Rong Anting, unaware of Rong Mi's thoughts, hurriedly spoke. His expression shifted repeatedly, and following Rong Mi's step forward, he tried to inquire how the other knew about his research topic, but Rong Mi didn't respond.

"Besides..." The young man brushed past Rong Anting, changing the subject. "Everyone has the right to choose their way of life." He spoke calmly. "Choosing to go to the war zone is commendable."

"But it's also reasonable to choose a different way of life."

"You can consider my previous choices as selfish," Rong Mi smiled. "But there's no need to look down on me and criticize my choices or the things I cherish."

For they protected the Human Star Region not to send more people into battle.

But rather, they hoped that humans... would have more choices for a life beyond mere survival.

"However, dwelling on the past for criticism is rather meaningless," he said casually. "If you really want to defame me, don't just count the low-level Ice Butterflies I've killed."

"At the very least, you should claim I've slain a few Sub-Butterflies and eradicated a few mature Butterfly mental fragments!"