Chapter 226

Chapter 226

Bai Xingshu didn’t pay much attention to the reactions of those around him—after all, both he and Shen Geng thought they were acting perfectly normal.

Even before they got together, they’d often had similar interactions in their dorm.

After making his intentions clear and seeing how busy everyone was, Bai Xingshu had no intention of causing any disturbance. He simply found a spot to sit down.

Glancing at the screens around him, he didn't really understand the displays about internal coordination, so he quickly focused on the battle screens up front.

As he watched, his brow furrowed.

It was obvious that during the two hours he had been resting, Changying had gained significant ground against Shoujun.

They were at a disadvantage.

Bai Xingshu knew Shen Geng’s command skills well and had full confidence in his classmates’ combat abilities.

This shouldn’t be happening.

His expression turned serious as he immediately began scrutinizing the situation more carefully.

Soon, he identified the reason.

As the saying goes, “An army burning with righteous indignation is bound to win.” Changying, still seething from the humiliation of the previous battle, was now advancing with unstoppable momentum.

Their desperate determination—willing to go down fighting—far outpaced Shoujun's side, which had let their guard down after their recent victory and become somewhat overconfident.

Particularly in one scene…

Bai Xingshu zeroed in on a certain squad from Changying.

In just minutes from the moment of engagement, one of Shoujun’s Class A squads had completely lost contact.

Bai Xingshu’s jaw tightened.

Of course, he wasn’t the only one who noticed this scene.

Shen Geng had seen it too.

His expression showed no surprise—this was clearly one of Changying’s elite squads.

Just like Lin Lie had wiped out an opposing squad leader in the last match, this unit’s fighting skills outclassed those of Shoujun’s average Class A students.

Over the past two hours, what Bai Xingshu had just seen wasn’t the first time this had happened.

Shen Geng swiftly issued orders. The long-range support team launched a barrage to block the enemy’s advance, while he scanned the nearby squads' positions and redeployed forces as needed.

He gave all the commands in just ten seconds, yet he still managed to glance at Bai Xingshu.

And locked eyes with a pair practically shouting, “Put me in!”

No surprise there. Since arriving in this world, Bai Xingshu’s team had never been dealt such a blow!

But…

Shen Geng reached out and patted Bai Xingshu’s shoulder, echoing words Bai Xingshu had once told him: “Trust them.”

“Not everything has to be your fight,” he added.

Shen Geng would not make the choice of sending Bai Xingshu to resolve every disadvantage they encountered. Doing so would only foster dependency on Bai Xingshu among everyone.

They couldn’t rely on Bai Xingshu indefinitely.

More importantly, as students of a top-tier military academy, the traits they needed to develop weren’t limited to just being able to pilot mechs in combat.

What they really wanted to produce were qualified graduates who possessed the conviction that they could succeed even without relying on others.

And besides…

“These are the same guys who’ve been challenging you for half a semester,” Shen Geng said with a smile at Bai Xingshu.

No matter how intimidating the students from Changying might seem…

Were they really scarier than dealing with Xing Ze Jiang Zhi (the one who advances relentlessly)?

Shen Geng then walked over to the other commanders and asked, “How’s the ammunition supply for the remote squad?”

“Only 15% left. Resupply has been arranged—logistics says it’ll take another five minutes,” came the reply.

“Use the remaining ammunition to clear out the enemies near Group B11 first. Redeploy three squads and clear the area at coordinates (77.12.06), forcing Changying to retreat.” A commander’s role was to use tactics to balance strengths and weaknesses for victory.

“What are our odds of securing the western hills?” Shen Geng turned to another group of commanders.

The team leader glanced up. “We need to discuss a new plan. The current probability is only 41%.”

Bai Xingshu listened to the voices in the command center, resting his chin on his hand as he studied Shen Geng’s composed profile for a moment before turning his gaze back to the screens before him.

Shen Geng had said those words without waiting for a reply.

He knew, with tacit understanding, that Bai Xingshu would take his words to heart.

Yet Bai Xingshu couldn’t help but feel a subtle sense of irony.

The same words he’d once told Shen Geng were now being tossed back at him.

—Trust me.

—Trust them.

His own advice to others ended up convincing him the most.

Now…

Seeing their disadvantage on the screens, Bai Xingshu’s mind grew calm.

He chose to believe.

One hour, two hours—time passed steadily, and Bai Xingshu clearly saw Changying’s frontline push begin to slow.

The enemy’s initial momentum had been steadily eroded.

By now, Bai Xingshu had long been shifted from rest rotation to standby duty.

—Though officially every six hours, in practice, shifts weren’t rigidly fixed at six hours. Depending on the frontline situation, rotations were adjusted based on need.

With Changying’s earlier aggression, frontline troops were burning out faster, requiring more frequent rotations than normal.

As he looked at the now-stabilized battlefield, Shen Geng turned to Bai Xingshu. His eyes gleamed in the screen’s light: “A01 squad, proceed to East Canyon No. 7 and eliminate the enemy.”

Since the situation had stabilized...

Now it was time for Shoujun to go on the defensive!

“Copy that!” Bai Xingshu stood up and responded, his gaze landing on the screen showing East Canyon No. 7, as indicated by Shen Geng.

There, unmistakably, was the razor-edged Shoujun unit he had been watching closely—the one that had wiped out seven Shoujun squads in ambushes.

After enduring so many attacks, the unit naturally hadn’t come away unscathed. Their original members had changed, with other scattered Shoujun fighters regrouping with them.

Through constant regrouping, the unit had now grown to seven soldiers strong.

The Shoujun squad moved silently through the canyon—steady, uneventful.

“Stay alert. Crank the scanners to full. Something’s off here,” the squad leader said, voice tight.

Over the five-hour battle, he had come to understand just how cunning the enemy commander was.

He knew their smooth advance through the canyon meant trouble.

Only one thing waited ahead—a trap.

The squad leader kept watch on both the sky and the river below, convinced the enemy must have laid traps there.

But there were none.

They made it through—no ambush, no traps.

Then, at the canyon’s end, they saw five battle mechs.

Pristine, lined up neatly, blocking their path directly.

Yet the menace they gave off was overwhelming.

Without a word, all seven members of the Shoujun squad thought of the same callsign.

—The Journey Will Arrive.