Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Bai Xingshu disembarked from the mech a step behind Lin Lie. Upon landing, he was escorted to change into formal attire, and by the time he emerged, the other freshmen had also returned.

Following a brief address by the leader, it quickly came to the award ceremony.

It was at that moment Bai Xingshu realized that the award ceremony would feature highlight reels of the champions.

Each department champion was showcased in a one to two-minute highlight reel, and after the playback, the top three would take the stage to receive their medals amidst applause and cheers.

Departments like Research and Development, Logistics Management, Engineering Construction, and Information Warfare... One after another, they were displayed before Bai Xingshu.

He was unaware that a military academy could offer so many specialties.

What astonished him the most was...

He saw his roommate in the highlights of these department champions.

Combat Command Department champion—Shen Geng.

In the vast, eerie expanse of the starry sky, two factions clashed. Shen Geng's commands ebbed and flowed with the music, and several military units in the blue team slithered through enemy lines like a serpent, setting off brilliant 'fireworks' across the starry expanse, silently engulfing the opponent.

The clip concluded with Shen Geng's serene eyes mirroring the starry sky, his hand retracting from the command console, and his deep voice.

"End."

Unfamiliar with the intricacies of interstellar warfare, Bai Xingshu didn't fully understand the content of the clip, but he sensed from the noticeably louder applause compared to other departments that his roommate seemed quite impressive.

Or rather, those who clinched first place in the Freshman Tournament across various departments were no amateurs.

Bai Xingshu briefly recalled the combat maneuvers of the mechs in Shen Geng's clip, and soon noticed their department's teacher signaling him to prepare.

Bai Xingshu instinctively mirrored Shen Geng's posture, straightening his stance.

Soon, Bai Xingshu's strikingly handsome visage appeared on the ceremony screen.

The mechanical cockpit and the sleek combat suit, paired with Bai Xingshu's innocent and strikingly beautiful face, made an immediate impact when the scene suddenly appeared.

"Not Lin Lie?" someone murmured in astonishment.

The screen didn't dwell on Bai Xingshu's face for long, swiftly zooming in on his pupils, which clearly reflected several attacking mechs.

At this critical moment, the scene swiftly switched to Bai Xingshu's hands, where the white light from the control stick gleamed through his fingers like jade.

Everyone's gaze couldn't help but focus on those fingertips, but before they could linger, a rapid sequence of scene changes depicted the C17 mech in constant combat with other mechs. The rhythmic impacts synchronized with the music, swiftly stirring the crowd's emotions.

Just as everyone instinctively thought the video would continue to show a relentless slaughter, the screen suddenly froze.

The abrupt stop of the music made a crisp 'click' sound ripple through the venue.

Bai Xingshu had unfastened the cockpit safety buckle.

Not far away, enemy mechs were approaching.

A collective gasp rippled through the venue.

Even if they weren't from the Combat Department, everyone at the military academy had basic knowledge of mechs.

Everyone was shocked by Bai Xingshu's daring stunt, but Bai Xingshu in the footage used his actions to tell them that this level of danger was nothing to him.

The next scene after the safety buckle was undone showed Bai Xingshu leaping from his cockpit to the entrance of the opposing mech.

In the footage, Bai Xingshu looked like a butterfly in flight, so dazzling that no one noticed the shifting background as he landed, where the mech he jumped towards was constantly changing.

What snapped everyone out of their trance was Bai Xingshu's next move.

He pulled out the handrail beside the door with his bare hands and slammed it hard against the door latch.

The opposing mech's cockpit door just opened.

...Just... like... that...

At that moment, the freshmen from various departments were left speechless.

Many even doubted whether they were watching a highlight reel from the Freshman Tournament champion or some cheesy, low-budget drama.

How could this be possible?

But it was real.

In the next scene, Bai Xingshu was already seated in the newly opened mech, his voice low and intense as he roared into the comms, "Take him out!"

As his words fell, a 180-degree spin of the camera focused on the mech that was dominating the battlefield.

Charge! Block! Throw!

All in one seamless motion!

The moves were so smooth, victory seemed certain, but from everyone's perspective, they could see the attack targeting the power core of the imposing mech.

The footage gave this attack a slow-motion shot.

It was impossible to dodge!

Everyone watching the video realized this, their hearts pounding.

And then the scene switched.

Bai Xingshu's face showed a triumphant smile.

Suddenly, everyone felt the cockpit collision firsthand.

The shattered glass refracted light in slow motion, creating a breathtaking scene.

In this stunning visual, Bai Xingshu lunged and pinned his opponent.

Due to the perspective in the footage, Bai Xingshu's figure seemed to lean against Lin Lie, their breaths mingling.

"Don't move." Bai Xingshu's voice was heard for the first time, clear and sharp, like a whisper in the ear.

Many in the audience instinctively froze, but the footage showed the opposite.

A frantic drumbeat suddenly surged, and in the footage, the restrained Lin Lie fiercely resisted, the camera fully focused on their intertwined hands.

That extremely pale, slender hand tightly gripped the strong, wheat-colored hand, their ten fingers surging, flipping, and entangling.

Bai Xingshu felt something vaguely odd as he watched this scene, but before he could think further, he heard the person next to him curse.

Bai Xingshu turned his head to look at Lin Lie, and what caught his eye were the other's completely red ears and a gritted-teeth expression: "This damn editing algorithm! What kind of footage did they input into it!!"

After saying this, Lin Lie felt someone was watching him.

Who was watching him!!

Embarrassed by the loss of face, Lin Lie was instantly furious, turned his head, and glared at the person, only to meet Bai Xingshu's pure and clear, even somewhat puzzled eyes.

Lin Lie: "...!"

Lin Lie, as if burned by a sudden flame, abruptly averted his eyes, looking everywhere but at Bai Xingshu, too guilty to look at him for even half a second.

What kind of reaction was this? Bai Xingshu thought to himself. As a loser suddenly being pulled out like this, letting everyone see how he lost, it seemed normal to feel embarrassed and angry.

Without further thought, Bai Xingshu quickly withdrew his gaze, as his exciting clip was coming to an end.

The number of remaining participants plummeted from 20, finally stopping at 2, and the next second, the announcement sounded.

—The competition is over, the first place in this Combat Department competition is Bai Xingshu!

The screen then displayed Bai Xingshu's image again.

Sweat, like morning dew, trickled down Bai Xingshu's face, involuntarily drawing one's gaze along the droplets, into the soaked combat uniform.

Antler-like collarbones.

In the silent venue, the shifting breaths were unmistakable.

And Bai Xingshu, anticipating cheers, was met with silence: '?'

Where was his applause?

He felt that his clip was no worse than others, even quite stirring, so why was there no applause?

Was there a glitch in the procedure?

Bai Xingshu was baffled, then heard beside his ear, Lin Lie's awkward inquiry: "Are you an Omega?"

Not yet accustomed to the concept of ABO Gender, Bai Xingshu was stunned for a moment before realizing what Lin Lie was asking.

Bai Xingshu originally wanted to answer that he was an undifferentiated Beta, but upon opening his mouth, he suddenly realized a problem.

How is Beta pronounced?

In this post-apocalyptic world, Bai Xingshu, who hadn't learned much foreign language, paused, and immediately chose the simplest reply.

"No."

"Ah, I see." Lin Lie unconsciously responded.

As everyone knows, those who can smell pheromones are either Alphas or Omegas.

While Omegas are uncommon in military academies, they have always existed, and the Combat Department has never prohibited Omegas from enrolling. So, upon seeing Bai Xingshu's strikingly alluring appearance in the footage, he couldn't help but want to confirm.

Perhaps.

Bai Xingshu noticed Lin Lie's slight disappointment.

Did I say something wrong? Bai Xingshu was just wondering when the guiding teacher began signaling to Bai Xingshu and the others.

——Time to go up on stage and receive the award.

Amid an eerie silence, Bai Xingshu stepped onto the stage. Even after he was awarded the champion's medal, the atmosphere in the venue still felt off.

Why did it seem like everyone he looked at avoided his gaze?

Bai Xingshu pondered for a moment and asked the system: [System, did I overdo it and end up backfiring?] This was the only reason he could think of.

System: [...]

[No, you did great.]

Bai Xingshu, sensing the system's frustration: [Huh?]

But it didn’t matter that Bai Xingshu didn’t understand. The other person involved in the video understood, and that was all that mattered.

As soon as the Combat Department's awards ceremony ended, before Bai Xingshu could even react, Lin Lie, who was beside him, stormed off, heading straight for the teacher in charge. He slammed the table and demanded, "We need an explanation for the champion's video!"

Bai Xingshu blinked once, then again.

Following Lin Lie's lead, he also rushed to the teacher in charge and slammed the table: "We need an explanation!"

The teacher in charge, now confronted by these two troublemakers, felt a twinge of guilt.

One was the youngest son of the Lin family, and the other was the fierce guy who dared to jump into a mech and dismantle its door with his bare hands...

The teacher in charge managed an awkward smile.

After some back-and-forth, Lin Lie stormed out of the negotiation room, looking indignant, as if he’d been brushed off.

"Are you really that hard up for cash? They offer you a campus job, and you’re okay with that? Don’t you have any self-respect?" Lin Lie was furious, scolding Bai Xingshu.

In response to Lin Lie's harsh words, Bai Xingshu calmly explained: "It was clear they weren’t planning to give any compensation. Getting something is better than nothing."

Lin Lie was still unhappy, but given the scene in the room earlier, he had to admit Bai Xingshu was right.

Seeing Lin Lie’s deflated expression, Bai Xingshu finally asked the question he had been curious about since earlier.

"What exactly was the problem with the champion video we were making a fuss about?"

This question made Lin Lie, whose anger hadn’t fully subsided, freeze. He looked at Bai Xingshu with utter disbelief.

"You didn’t even know what was going on, yet you still went and argued with the teacher alongside me."

Bai Xingshu smiled: "Even though I didn’t know what was happening, the champion video was mine. If you went to confront the teacher, it must have been to stand up for me. How could I let you go alone?"

Lin Lie was stunned by Bai Xingshu’s matter-of-fact tone, and then he heard Bai Xingshu continue to press.

"You still haven’t answered me about the champion video."

Lin Lie: [...]

"Idiot," Lin Lie scoffed.