Chapter 36

Chapter 36

The entrance to the C1 obstacle course in the training grounds was nearby. Meng Shijiu and Qian Chunyan were walking ahead, with Wen Hui following behind them—like two students caught skipping class and a stern, unyielding dean.

The "dean" spoke unhurriedly from behind them: "After training, go clean the entire dormitory zone you're assigned to. You two are responsible for this week's workload."

After a pause, he added pointedly: "Don't ask others to do it for you. If caught, you'll get an extra week."

Qian Chunyan: "..."

Meng Shijiu: "..." Two penalties in a single day.

It stung.

The walk was unusually quiet, the two feeling like they had needles in their backs, until Meng Shijiu suddenly stopped mid-stride—

Qian Chunyan stopped with him.

The silver-haired Alpha tilted his head back slightly, his light-colored eyes blinking, his tone carrying a hint of incredulity:

"—Huh?"

Wen Hui also stopped, and Qian Chunyan followed the silver-haired Alpha's line of sight.

On the central square, a massive floating screen visible throughout the entire military district lit up. The huge holographic display showed a scrolling bulletin, the text clear and concise—

"Today's JA16 Military District Violation Penalty List is as follows:"

"Meng Shijiu

Pei Ruji

Qian Chunyan

Meng Shijiu"

"All comrades are advised to take note and adhere to disciplinary regulations."

In just four lines, Meng Shijiu's name had appeared twice.

Very conspicuous, and rotating 360 degrees.

Meng Shijiu turned to look at Wen Hui: ?

Wen Hui calmly looked at the screen: "Not good-looking?"

Meng Shijiu inquired humbly: "What happens if I say it's not good-looking..."

Wen Hui said considerately: "I can change the font for you."

Meng Shijiu: ...?

So, Meng Shijiu watched as Wen Hui operated his terminal, and in an instant on the 360-degree rotating bulletin screen—

Only the three characters "Meng Shijiu" became bolded and turned into a striking red.

Meng Shijiu: "."

Wen Hui put away his terminal, using an accommodating tone: "A free color change, on the house."

"..."

Meng Shijiu stopped caring, lazily lifting his chin: "Then I want gold. The kind that blinds people."

Wen Hui walked past the two stationary figures, noncommittal: "Do you want to be penalized for another week?"

Meng Shijiu: "..."

Soon, faint whispering sounds came from behind Wen Hui.

No names were mentioned, but it was obvious who they were complaining about.

Qian Chunyan: "Scheming."

Meng Shijiu: "Exactly."

Qian Chunyan: "Petty."

Meng Shijiu: "Exactly."

...

Qian Chunyan: "Abusing authority."

Meng Shijiu: "Exac—"

—Forget it, better not echo that one, didn't want another penalty : )

And—Meng Shijiu turned his head slowly, looking at the blond Beta—

When it came to abusing authority, who could compare to you?

The two locked eyes.

Qian Chunyan understood his look and was the first to back down, feeling awkward for the first time ever.

He opened his mouth, even wanting to explain: "..." Not a single word came out. There was no defense.

Seeing him speechless, the silver-haired Alpha across from him shot a look of disdain.

Qian Chunyan: "..."

Just then, a neatly lined-up squad of soldiers passed by. The leading officer glanced casually at the big screen and suddenly laughed out loud:

"Yo, Meng Shijiu? Never heard of him—where's this new troublemaker from... What a talent."

His shout made the entire squad turn their heads in unison to look at the announcement screen.

Meng Shijiu: ...Could you have some discipline and keep your eyes forward?

Violation bulletins were rare in JA16 District, so this announcement section was basically a dead zone, rarely lighting up. When it did, it attracted widespread attention across the entire military district.

The military personnel all gained a bit of an impression of this unfamiliar name.

Perhaps more than a bit—

When Meng Shijiu entered the obstacle course, planning to slack off and just go with the flow, he was sought out by the opposing team all over the area—shouting arrogantly "Who is Meng Shijiu?" "Meng Shijiu, come out!"—that's when Meng Shijiu began to sense something was off.

Meng Shijiu: You guys complain when it's actually out, huh? 🙂

Not that this rule-breaking content was particularly hard to trigger.

The problem was, the ones Meng Shijiu had the misfortune of meeting happened to be Lucas and Wen Hui.

—One was a newcomer, the other was notoriously cunning throughout the entire military district.

—

Wen Hui didn't enter the entrance area with them; he left through a side corner. When Meng Shijiu and Qian Chunyan walked in under everyone's watchful eyes, the announcement in the entrance area just happened to start.

Meng Shijiu scanned the area and noticed that besides the familiar Saint Mary's students wearing training uniforms printed with iris patterns, there was also a large group of unfamiliar students on the west side, all dressed in blue training uniforms.

Compared to the Saint Mary's students who were clustered together, they seemed more aloof on the surface.

Meng Shijiu saw Yue Xuanli standing not far away, standing alone in a cold, empty spot, and naturally moved to stand beside her.

"...I am your instructor for this training session, Wen Hui."

Wen Hui's deep voice clearly carried throughout the hall, and the originally noisy hall gradually quieted down.

Meng Shijiu noticed that especially the students on the west side showed somewhat unpleasant expressions upon hearing the name "Wen Hui."

"This training will include a surprise assessment."

"After this evaluation concludes, each Saint Mary's student will be scored based on the results, which will be used for grouping in subsequent training courses.

"The assessment will take the form of a faction battle."

"On the west side of the entrance area are new recruits from the Combat Department, who arrived at Yanbei just a month ago and volunteered to participate in this Saint Mary's intensive training. They are the Blue Team."

Combat Department new recruits: Who volunteered, I'd like to ask?

"On the east side are the intensive training students from Saint Mary's Academy, forming the Red Team."

"The map for the C1 testing ground was designed by me. The mechs used are the standard military D009 model. I am the exam setter, the evaluator, and the invigilator. By the way, for this competition—"

A subtle pause.

"—it'll be live-streamed."

"Full recording, fully public."

—Before anyone could complain about that paragraph filled with "by me" self-aggrandizement, upon hearing the word "live-streamed," the entire hall fell silent, then instantly erupted.

The Saint Mary's students, who had remained relatively calm even after guessing there might be a faction battle upon seeing the unfamiliar students, now broke into an uproar.

Whether they were aloof Alphas, nobles who had access to top-tier resources since childhood, or commoners who entered on merit, no one wanted to lose—that was one thing. But the pressure of a live broadcast was another.

It was hard to imagine how these so-called prodigies would look if they lost in front of the entire internet.

...Probably as colorful as the barrage comments.

The noise just wouldn't die down.

Meng Shijiu, who had no idea what was about to happen, leisurely commented inwardly: For a moment, I can't guess which old fox came up with the idea of a live broadcast.

Press 1 to bet on Shen Huaixu, press 2 for Wen Hui, press 3 for Lucas.

A sudden itch appeared on the back of his hand. Meng Shijiu looked down and found Yue Xuanli taking advantage of the surrounding chaos to slip him a pack of orange candy.

Orange candy.

—Meng Shijiu's new obsession.

Thinking of that flashy, eye-catching scrolling screen, Meng Shijiu: Not really daring to accept it.

After a pause, Meng Shijiu still stashed the orange candy in his clothes. Remembering Yue Xuanli's attributes, he casually asked her, "Do you think we can win?"

Surrounded by people, Yue Xuanli didn't answer. She extended her hand.

Meng Shijiu grasped it. Snow melting into a warm nest.

Warm spiritual energy flowed from the black-haired Alpha's palm, accompanied by her unhurried voice: "He mentioned the Combat Department just now, but didn't specify if it's the 16th District's Combat Department."

Meng Shijiu: "Not on the same level?"

Yue Xuanli: "Individual strength is hard to say. In terms of practical coordination, we're far behind."

"Individual strength is hard to say" meant that within the same age group, whether in physical prowess or spiritual power, Saint Mary's was in a league of its own. But whether they could fully utilize it was another matter.

Ignoring the commotion and disputes in the hall, Wen Hui continued explaining the competition rules in the same flat tone.

But someone below had already raised a question—

"Excuse me, Instructor, doesn't the live broadcast infringe on our personal rights?" an Alpha asked loudly.

Wen Hui's voice didn't falter for a second: "On the contract you signed before coming to this intensive training, these rights had already been signed over to us."

The uproar immediately ceased. After all, no one had thought to check such a lengthy contract, let alone expected such a large-scale training to have this kind of trick.

Meng Shijiu continued his internal commentary: Good use of "you" and "us."

"Currently, in the entrance hall, your numbers are balanced. Before entering the C1 obstacle zone, anyone who fails to enter a mech, boot up a mech, or pilot a mech will be considered as automatically disqualified and receive a score of zero."

The expressions of Saint Mary's first-year commoner students who hadn't undergone basic training turned somewhat grim.

Meng Shijiu raised an eyebrow: Wow, the pot's already been set up for us to take the blame.

"—Does the Combat Department have a score ranking?" someone else asked pointedly.

This question was clever.

For the Saint Mary's students, this training was an exam, one that required individual scoring. In a situation where factions competed, it inevitably meant there was also internal competition among individuals.

Even to the point of: My faction can lose, but my score cannot be low.

—Especially within Saint Mary's, where internal conflicts were rampant.

This undoubtedly further weakened the motivation for cooperation among the Saint Mary's students.

But for the Combat Department?

What did it count as?

A real training match, probably.

Faced with another query, Wen Hui's voice remained steady: "Regarding this question, I hope you will always remember my grading criteria."

"Because from the start of this training until the very last session you have under my guidance,"

"I have only one standard for individual scoring: contribution to the team."

"Individual talent only gets you so far; it's the team's growth that lets you break through your limits."

"Learning to trust and coordinate is the first clause your teachers wrote into the contract."

"When you get a chance..." Wen Hui said a second before turning off the microphone, "you all should take a look at your contracts."

—"Begin."

—

Meng Shijiu encountered Wen Hui on his way to find his assigned mecha.

Wen Hui seemed to be heading in another direction, but he suddenly veered off course upon seeing Meng Shijiu.

Meng Shijiu: ?

Because of the orange candies tucked away in his clothes, Meng Shijiu suppressed the urge to ask questions.

He kept in mind the rule: The more you do, the more you mess up. If you do nothing, you can't fail.

The exam number he drew was No. 32.

Entering the teleportation room for No. 32, the charcoal-gray D009 mecha sat waiting, marked with a bright red "32."

Wen Hui stood aside with his arms crossed, his gaze falling on Meng Shijiu's somewhat tentative operations.

The silver-haired Alpha prodded at the unfamiliar control panel for a while. The cockpit slowly opened with the whir of machinery, letting out a soft "click."

"Have you used one before?" Wen Hui's voice came unhurriedly.

"This kind."

This kind.

A team-oriented mecha, not meant for solo combat.

To adapt to multi-person coordination, some personalized performance had been sacrificed, and even the interface had been standardized. The position of every button and the feedback of every command seemed stamped out of the same mold.

Meng Shijiu's movements paused for a moment as he looked up to meet Wen Hui's gaze: "No."

Wen Hui raised an eyebrow and stepped forward.

His explanation was concise and clear, covering everything from basic operations to precautions, with every point precise and on target.

Actually, it wasn't necessary, but Meng Shijiu, who was quietly watching him flex his skills, asked: "Are you good at this kind?"

Wen Hui: "I specialize in solo combat."

But not all teachers get to teach the content they prefer.

Meng Shijiu: "I thought your specialty was messing with people."

Wen Hui paused slightly: "Since when do I mess with you?"

Meng Shijiu: "Oh."

Wen Hui remembered.

—That jumbotron.

He hadn't expected him to still remember it. Wen Hui looked away, coughed slightly, and continued explaining the mecha under Meng Shijiu's steady stare.

After finishing the last word, Wen Hui stepped back from the controls: "Do you need help?"

For the first time, Meng Shijiu doubted himself a little: "Do I seem that helpless?"

"No. You just look like you have no—" Wen Hui nodded, "killer instinct."

Wen Hui looked at the silver-haired Alpha: "If you lose the drive to win, in many cases, you won't be able to win."

Meng Shijiu: "Why do I have to win?"

Wen Hui: "Hmm. But why would someone not want to win? It's human nature to be competitive."

"You don't look like someone who has briefly lost their competitive spirit because today is special, or because you simply dislike mechas."

"You look like you were born without a desire to win at anything."

Wen Hui: "But you have an appetite."

Wen Hui paused: "—Sorry, was I just overstepping?"

Meng Shijiu: "Ah."

Wen Hui had a pair of deep brown eyes, like late autumn.

Meng Shijiu looked into those eyes and thought for a moment: "I don't think you are, for now."

If Wen Hui was referring to that glass of pomegranate juice.

Then he might have misunderstood.

That was naturally not a simple appetite.

Desire.

Basic human survival instincts can be divided into appetite, libido, and the desire for safety.

Meng Shijiu hated being controlled by his libido. Before he could control it in return, he always chose to ignore it.

On Chris's beach, he also lacked the instinct to move out of harm's way; otherwise, he would have stood up the moment Jue Ning first looked over.

Only appetite remained.

For the Meng Shijiu of that time, satisfying his appetite was essentially an act of self-rescue.

Wen Hui looked at him and suddenly asked again: "Do you need help?"

It was the second time he asked if he needed help.

But this time, it seemed he was asking if Meng Shijiu needed a pep talk.

"Thanks." Not needed for now.

Wen Hui handed over a metal business card.

Meng Shijiu took a look.

"Wen Hui

Mecha Repair / Long-Distance Delivery / Psychological Counseling / Installation Services / Art & Photo Retouching...

Contact: [code]"

Psychological counseling was listed at 2000 starcoins an hour.

Meng Shijiu: I take back my thanks.

Meng Shijiu was totally speechless: "Is Instructor Wen that short on money, even going after students' wallets?"

Wen·Seen-Through·Hui: "..."

"I can knock off 20% for you."

He looked at Meng Shijiu's stony face: "Half off... that's the lowest I can go."

Meng Shijiu kept a straight face: "Alright, but if I don't enter the arena soon, I'll be counted as forfeiting automatically."

Wen Hui: Damn, seems like I've pissed off a potential client.

Just before closing the mecha hatch, Meng Shijiu suddenly tossed something over.

Wen Hui caught it: "What's this?"

Meng Shijiu: "A bribe."

Wen Hui looked down. It was an orange candy, its wrinkled wrapper glinting with an amber shimmer.

—Not a bribe, but a craving.

"Boom."

—The test had begun.

Simultaneously, the livestream also started on Qiyu's largest public social platform.