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Chapter 37

In Qiyu, at the Jie family estate, the second daughter's study.

Jie Mucong sat at the desk, chin propped on her hand, about to log out of Cloud Shadow when she accidentally clicked on the homepage.

She scanned today's trending topics on Cloud Shadow and suddenly spotted the tag #St. Mary's Academy#.

—It was the school she planned to attend next year, and also the school where her own brother was currently studying.

Jie Mucong casually clicked on it.

The screen lagged slightly, and then a livestream appeared in the top spot. Simultaneously, the floating live viewer count on the left was still climbing rapidly.

Jie Mucong's gaze landed on the display.

Title: "Thrilling Training Match"

—Nothing special.

Jie Mucong raised her hand to close the tab.

Description: Match Mode: Standard Faction Battle...

—Utterly pointless.

Jie Mucong was about to close the page.

Online Viewers: 20 million+

—That's just average... wait, what the heck?

Jie Mucong was stunned.

20 million+!!!?

Was this view-botted or something?

With a "pfft," Jie Mucong clicked into the livestream instantly.

Bullet comments flooded in immediately, obscuring over half the screen.

Among the viewers, besides mecha combat enthusiasts, there were also many casual onlookers mixed in.

"I'm here"

"Combat Department? Then who's the opponent? They look a bit unfamiliar"

"Huh? The map's hidden?"

"Oh, not a god's-eye view, interesting"

"Officially certified, a rare sight"

"Wow, St. Mary's?"

"Holy *"

"!! Is it the St. Mary's Academy I'm thinking of?"

"A once-in-a-lifetime series"

"[Live stream forwarded]"

...

Jie Mucong frantically tapped on her terminal—

"Bro, the match!!"

"It's your school's!!!!!"

Under the frantic bombardment from his sister, Jie Xile emerged from the adjacent room.

He knocked on the door and opened it, but didn't enter.

Jie Xile stood at the doorway, clearly just woken up, squinting his bleary eyes and ruffling his hair like a hibernating animal forcibly dragged out of its den.

"Too noisy." His voice was thick with a nasal tone.

Jie Mucong turned her head, saw him, and couldn't help but complain: "Can you not just sleep all day every day? In such a big house, I'm busy to death every day; you're practically abusing a minor."

Jie Xile yawned: "What are you so busy with? Send it to my terminal, I'll look at it when I'm more awake."

Jie Mucong: "...Forget it."

Jie Mucong pointed at the screen: "It's your school's, a competition the whole grade has to participate in, why aren't you there?"

Jie Xile didn't answer, walked into the study, and looked at the screen.

"Heard there's fun, I'm here"

"Already bet on Red Team winning, don't let me down"

"Really curious about St. Mary's strength, I see they're always ranked first"

"Personally, judging rationally, Blue Team still has a higher chance of winning"

"Who's the commentator today?"

"Look at the tag, Level 4 confidentiality, probably no commentator"

"So mysterious, huh"

...

Jie Xile had a vague recollection.

He didn't expect there to be a livestream. Seeing the opponent on the other side, he let out a light scoff.

"—A guaranteed loss."

Jie Mucong wasn't concerned about winning or losing: "I'm asking you why you didn't go."

Jie Xile said offhandedly: "Go there to lose? I don't want to lose."

"Alright, suit yourself." Jie Mucong was about to close the livestream page when she saw he hadn't budged.

"You still here?"

But Jie Xile had already casually plopped down beside her. The Alpha ran his tongue over his lower lip, saying offhandedly, "There's someone... I'm quite curious whether he'll show up."

Jie Mucong raised an eyebrow, "If you're so curious, why not just go to the scene and grab him?"

Jie Xile let out a low laugh, "...Because I got banned."

Jie Mucong pressed, "Who banned you?"

Maybe because it wasn't a big deal to him, Jie Xile actually paused to think before finally uttering a name.

"Shen Huaixu."

...

C1 Map.

In fact, not only could the live chat not see the map, but the examinees couldn't either. Moreover, since each team's mechs had their links cut in advance, leaving only the channels, the map for this assessment required each team to fill in the details themselves.

Examinees would be randomly teleported to any location on the map. Before they could regroup, the only means of communication was the team channel.

Inside the Blue Team Combat Department channel.

"Captain," someone spoke up in the channel.

After a minute,

"Received," a cold voice finally responded through the channel.

Jing Shu had just arrived. He had been teleported to the top of a steep, obstructed slope, with two Blue Team teammates nearby.

Jing Shu piloted his dark gray mech down from the slope, only responding in the channel after landing.

Jing Shu was the captain of this year's Combat Department recruits. He had entered the Federal Headquarters as the undisputed top-ranked cadet from the First Military Academy and was highly respected.

Compared to previous years, this year's Combat Department recruits seemed much more subdued, largely due to Jing Shu—

Jing Shu, who appeared aloof on the surface but was actually ruthless enough to even set up his own teammates, a true maverick.

Due to lingering psychological trauma from past experiences with Jing Shu, the vice-captain cautiously spoke up again when he noticed Jing Shu hadn't said anything for a while, "Captain, what's wrong?"

"Wait a moment."

Other Blue Team members in the channel: "?" Wait for what?

Vice-captain: "Uh, Captain, wait for what?"

Jing Shu replied in a tone that implied "Are you an idiot?": "Wait for the test paper to be handed out."

No sooner had he said this, inside the C1 map, the timer on the right screen of every examinee's mech suddenly lit up:

"Remaining time for this test: 6:00:00"

Simultaneously, a notification from Wen Hui appeared on the light screen—

"Rules for this test:

A total of 36 base points have been set up on this map, distributed in a regular pattern. Among them, 18 base points are lit with red lights, while the remaining 18 are lit with blue lights.

Base points cannot be destroyed; their colors can only be changed by striking the central marker with ordinary attacks.

When time runs out, the Red Team wins if more red points are lit, and the Blue Team wins if more blue points are lit.

In addition to ordinary attacks changing colors, when specific conditions are triggered, some base points will automatically change color.

Meanwhile, during this match, examinees can be eliminated by striking the sensor light on the chest plate of their mechs to thin the competition.

If the number of base points ends in a tie, the match time will be extended until a 19:17 result is achieved.

To forfeit, press and hold the red button on the far right of the mech. Please manage your condition as needed and ensure personal safety..."

What followed was a long section of exam warnings.

The vice-captain was puzzled, "It's not a simple elimination system?"

Discussions continued in the channel:

"So complicated?"

"Commander Wen's maps are always complex. I almost fell into a trap earlier. This sounds like we'll have to memorize locations and run all over the map again."

"Why isn't it a regular elimination system? Do they think one team can't eliminate the other entirely within six hours?"

"..."

Jing Shu pondered for a moment and quickly grasped Wen Hui's intention.

Jing Shu: "Our base point map is likely quite scattered."

"Commander Wen probably set different base point location maps for each team based on their respective styles."

The vice-captain asked, confused, "So what's the other team's style?"

Right on cue.

"Blue Team No. 163 has been eliminated"

"Blue Team No. 39 has been eliminated"

...

The continuous stream of elimination notifications hadn't stopped, still scrolling across the screen.

The channel instantly erupted.

"—Huh?"

"???"

"What's going on???"

"Bandits?!!"

"They're just going straight for it?"

Jing Shu, however, gave a faint smile, "Isn't this exactly what you wanted—their style?"

Jing Shu didn't panic, his tone calm and collected. "No need to rush to find the base points. First, call out your positions to fill in the map. If you see teammates, regroup immediately—don’t go solo."

Following Jing Shu’s instructions, the Blue Team members gradually began to gather. After the opening phase, the number of eliminations dropped significantly.

Jing Shu regrouped with two nearby teammates. Once their mechas successfully linked, two additional red dots popped up on the map, marking his teammates’ locations.

Jing Shu said, "Try to maintain groups of three to five. Top 100 examinees should link up with nearby teammates’ positions and pass them on to the top 10 nearby. The top 10 should report to me. If you run into each other on the way, exchange info. When you find a base point, mark it on the map with a dot of the same color."

"Top 10, sound off."

"Copy that."

"Roger."

...

Mapping was something the Combat Department had drilled many times, so they were highly efficient. In no time, the Blue Team’s map was filled with red dots and terrain details.

After syncing with two teammates, Jing Shu glanced at the real-time data on his right-hand display—the count of Red Team base points to Blue Team base points was still "18:18."

He took a look at the real-time map, which had no extra markings.

Jing Shu raised an eyebrow. Are the base points that tough to spot?

The participant ratio for this exam was hidden; Jing Shu could only see his own team’s elimination feed.

The elimination alerts had stopped coming in for a while.

The reports from teammates couldn’t fully and accurately gauge the opponent’s numbers and strategy. After a moment of thought, Jing Shu switched the channel back on.

In the channel, after the captain’s voice had fallen silent, the tense atmosphere let up a bit. At that moment, the somewhat chaotic random banter hadn’t yet ended.

"...Seriously? Did anyone else see it??"

"No way, so flashy—definitely a rebellious hardcase."

"I saw it too. It was straight-up provocation. We’ve been here a month and never seen anyone set foot up there..."

"As expected of a posh school, always flashing their stuff..."

...

"—Who are you talking about?" A cold voice cut in.

The channel fell silent.

The vice-captain, stepping in for the team once again, spoke up. "Ahem... We were talking about a student on the other team."

There was no response in the channel.

The vice-captain sheepishly continued, "His name is Meng Shijiu. The one on the central display who broke the rules twice in one day."

Jing Shu understood but was completely baffled.

Jing Shu said, "What's that supposed to mean? Do you all want to break the rules twice too?"

"..."

Vice-captain: "No, no..."

Jing Shu: "Then after the exam, everyone gets extra drills."

Blue Team: ...

Jing Shu: "I’ll report positions shortly. Those I name, respond with 'copy.' Those not called should continue searching for base points and maintain groups of 3–5. If you see Red Team members, call it out immediately. I’ll report the positions of nearby teams. Keep the channel quiet; go radio silent during combat."

—

Monitoring Room C1.

The enlarged monitoring screen showed the full map of area C1, with all 36 base point positions already marked.

Some positions even overlapped with contestants’ locations, but the players had no idea, passing right by the base points.

Wen Hui said, "Hang on a bit longer."

Jiang Yuanfen turned his head back, his gaze falling on the marked positions. "Why are the Red Team’s base points so concentrated?"

On the map, the Blue Team’s base points were scattered in a grid-like distribution, while the Red Team’s were divided into three corners, each densely clustered with six base points, overlapping with the Blue Team’s.

Wen Hui remained silent.

His gaze shifted to a certain monitoring screen beside the enlarged one.

In the smaller frame, a certain No. 32 mecha had been staying in that spot for a while.

If compared with the enlarged map, one would find that the No. 32 mecha had landed exactly on one of the Blue Team’s base points.

...

Meng Shijiu’s transmission location was just right—surrounded by obstacles.

He stopped beside one of the obstacles and saw a mecha that had transmitted near him.

The mecha bore a red emblem—a teammate.

The teammate seemed a bit simple-minded.

After linking with Meng Shijiu’s mecha, the mecha marked with red "No. 623" immediately triggered the other’s voice in the nearby channel.

"—Hello."

Sounded familiar.

Meng Shijiu confirmed, "Classmate Ying."

Hearing the familiar voice, Ying Canglun’s voice nearly cracked.

"!" Clearly not expecting it to be Meng Shijiu, the No. 623 mecha excitedly stomped in place, even causing the ground to tremble. "Shi Jiu!!!"

Ying Canglun: Aaaaaah!!!

Ying Canglun: Already don’t want to take the exam, just want to give an acceptance speech in the group chat...

Meng Shijiu was chewing on an orange candy. Just as he was about to move his mecha, he suddenly paused.

Ying Canglun hurriedly leaned closer. "What’s wrong?"

Meng Shijiu’s gaze fell on a certain obstacle.

Meng Shijiu: "Do the obstacles here cut corners?"

Ying Canglun: "Here?"

Ying Canglun instinctively shook his head, then realized the other person couldn't see him and said, "You can just check the model. Military-grade A-level equipment goes through rigorous inspections; there's no cutting corners."

Meng Shijiu: "I see."

Meng Shijiu moved the mech slightly.

The silver-haired Alpha's mental energy spread silently like a trickle seeping into sand, filling the entire mech within this sea of psychic force.

That dark gray No. 32 mech transformed into a sharp afterimage, like a cloud shredded by a gust of wind mid-air.

It retreated, hovered, and its cannon barrel carved a cold, crescent arc in the air—when the energy cannon fired, the recoil didn't make the frame budge an inch.

The explosive light and flame acted like a precise scalpel, etching a perfectly circular hole with neat edges onto the obstacle's surface.

Just the right amount of force.

Ying Canglun: So cool!

The chat on Cloud Shadow's live stream blew up the moment the feed cut to this scene.

"! So handsome!"

"Is this level of control even real?!"

"Huh, is this mech model really that smooth?"

"Not at all. I'm sure many here have used this basic military model and know how... well... clunky it is."

"Yeah... is this really the same D009 I used?"

"No. 32, noted."

"Must be a psychic pro."

"Director, don't cut away! I want to watch this."

House Jie.

Jie Mucong: "Wow, who is that?"

Jie Xile: "No idea."

Jie Mucong: "You really don't get out much."

Jie Xile: "?"

"But why shoot the obstacle?"

"...The key point isn't shooting the obstacle."

"The key point is that there was actually something inside after shooting it."

Ying Canglun's gaze fell on the obstacle.

A hole was now visible in the massive obstacle, emanating a blue glow from within.

Ying Canglun stared puzzled at the abrupt blue glow: "What is this?"

Before he could think it over, the exam time and rule notifications arrived right at that moment on the right side of his mech's display.

After reading the rules, Ying Canglun had a sudden realization: "So this is a base point?"

"Shi Jiu, how did you figure it out?"

Meng Shijiu piloted the mech back to its original spot: "The mech's thermal imaging scan."

Ying Canglun: ?

Meng Shijiu found it strange: "Don't you usually have it on?"

Ying Canglun shook his head: "No, most mechs and artificial obstacles can block thermal imaging."

However, it was clear that among the obstacles Wen Hui had rearranged, base points could be discovered through thermal imaging scans.

So Wen Hui wanted to prolong the time it took for examinees to find the base points, Meng Shijiu thought.

Ying Canglun: "So now, should we turn this red?"

Meng Shijiu: "Wait a moment."

Ying Canglun obediently lowered the mech's right arm: "Why?"

Meng Shijiu found it hard to explain, simply saying: "Wait for the other side to discover it before we act."

"So this is the base point mentioned in the competition rules."

"Hidden so deep."

"Turns out the match hasn't even started and it's already been found? Hahaha..."

"Don't understand, but seems impressive."

"Oh wow, why did they cut away again?"

"Don't cut!"

"We could have seen exactly when the other side discovers it."

"..."

The live stream cut away, but things weren't over for Meng Shijiu.

Ying Canglun: "Then I'll announce it in the channel."

"Alright." To prevent cross-talk, Meng Shijiu turned off the nearby channel.

Inside the Red Team channel.

As soon as Ying Canglun entered, he heard Cui Suifu looking for Meng Shijiu in the channel.

But Meng Shijiu hadn't turned on the team channel, so naturally he hadn't heard.

Seizing a lull, Ying Canglun immediately coughed twice and interjected: "I..."

Ying Canglun: "I'm No. 623, Ying Canglun. No. 32 Meng Shijiu and I found the location of a base point. Just turn on the mech's thermal imaging to see the base points hidden inside the obstacles."

After he finished speaking, the channel fell into a total silence, with no one making a sound.

After a moment, a low, cold voice came through: "You're with Shijiu?"

Ying Canglun recognized it as Yue Xuanli and didn't dare to lie: "Yes."

"Report your position." Another voice cut in. It was the Second Prince.

Reporting their position naturally meant they were coming to find them.

The channel fell silent for a moment, but because of that, the countless deliberately quieted breaths became even more noticeable.

Ying Canglun was about to speak but suddenly stopped short.

... At St. Maria, perhaps no one understood the academy's obsessive infatuation with Meng Shijiu better than Ying Canglun.

From the very first day Meng Shijiu arrived at St. Maria, all of Ying Canglun's social media accounts were flooded, with almost every message pleading with him to find the personal information of this silver-haired Alpha newcomer.

Maybe at first, he didn't know Meng Shijiu's identity details, but later, he managed to uncover more.

He always knew that if he could find out, so could many others at the academy.

If Meng Shijiu had really been a commoner, he would have disappeared on his very first day at St. Maria, Ying Canglun thought.

He would have been vilely claimed.

Licked, defiled, his very features and warmth consumed, hidden in dark corners, forced to endure the pouring of desire again and again.

Never to see the light of day again.

The reason most people at St. Maria remained in the dark on the surface was only because...

What circulated openly were just those innocuous posts of admiration on the forums.

In private, it was the creepy, squirming darkness of desire.

Hidden in private albums, photos from every angle...

The candy wrappers the silver-haired Alpha casually threw away, the plastic cups he drank from, the flowers his fingertips touched—all soon disappeared...

Behind the calm exterior were countless hands clenched in the shadows and those deliberately stifled, near-painful cravings.

This polite yet feverish state was exactly like the quiet breathing at this moment.

Knowing he shouldn't be thinking about this now, Ying Canglun shut his eyes briefly.

"I'll ask Shijiu," he said calmly.

Seeming to sense something, after a moment, the Number 32 Mech turned around.

Meng Shijiu: "Done?"

Ying Canglun looked at the quiet Mech, which looked almost no different on the outside, and was silent for a few seconds: "Almost."

Ying Canglun took a deep breath and opened the channel again, saying inside:

"Shijiu won't say."

The channel remained quiet.

But Ying Canglun knew they'd all heard.

Ying Canglun: "Shijiu says it's best to wait until the other side discovers it before we make our move to change the color."

After a moment.

Yue Xuanli spoke up again in the channel: "Then nobody move. All cadets, turn on thermal imaging. Once you find it, stay nearby."

"If you see the Blue Team, avoid direct confrontation if possible. Keep your distance and don't give away the base's location."

No one objected.

... Meng Shijiu, who actually had no intention of "not exposing the base location," was still sucking on a piece of orange candy.

—Totally unaware of what communications and plans had taken place in the channel because of this discovery, and even less aware of how the situation had changed as a result.

Meng Shijiu was still planning to slack off.

He didn't have the team channel on, so he didn't hear Yue Xuanli calling him, nor did he know he had become an unseen anchor.

—But the Blue Team up against the Red Team understood.

The Red Team, which never directly confronted the Blue Team upon meeting them, proved what it meant to be like a cunning rabbit with multiple holes.

Their strategy boiled down to: if you can't find the base anyway, what can you do about it?

It was a total shift in tactics.

Blue Team: ???

What the hell!

Only Meng Shijiu in the entire Red Team, who genuinely intended to slack off, would offer a perfunctory confrontation when he saw Blue Team members.

—Completely unaware that his teammates were all avoiding them, he was blissfully out of sync.

If it weren't for Meng Shijiu discovering the base point, the cadets of St. Maria might not have been so "compliant."

In short, someone was slacking off so much that they were the only one making a frontal charge.

Monitoring Room C1.

"Is this your good student?" Lucas looked at Shen Huaixu.

Shen Huaixu calmly watched the chaotic scene on the monitor and took a sip of water.

Wen Hui, sitting nearby, was also speechless.

Wen Hui's original intention was to first extend the duration and let both sides open fire.

Once the battle started, particle cannons would fly everywhere, eventually hitting the base point and exposing it.

He didn't expect the Red Team to simply play dumb, pretending not to know while fully aware, refusing to expose the base point. As a result, the screen showed fierce gunfire, but under the Red Team's deliberate guidance, the Blue Team still hadn't found the base point.

An awkward stalemate had formed.

Live comments:

"The Red Team is so sneaky."

"It's kind of boring, but weirdly funny."

"Ugh, is the Red Team planning to hide until the full six hours are up?"

"So boring, might as well cut to No. 32."

"Cut to No. 32."

"Cut to 32."

"Cut, cut, cut."

"Ah, at least 32's got some fight in them."

Meng Shijiu: ...No. Not really.

"That's right, at least No. 32 gave us some actual fight scenes."

Indeed, Meng Shijiu was the only one there who understood Wen Hui's intention and followed it. Unfortunately, the only person who got it was also the one who caused this mess.

Lucas: "Cut the feed to Red Team's 32."

The red No. 32 emblem on the mech was still glaringly bright.

Lucas glanced at the roster.

Next to No. 32, the three large characters "Meng Shijiu" were clearly written.

...That name sounds familiar.

Thinking of a few particular scenes, Lucas frowned slightly.

Beside him, Jiang Yuanfen patted Wen Hui's shoulder: "This Number 32... seems to get your style."

——

Blue Team's internal channel.

"Captain, what do we do now? We can't find the target point, and the enemy dodges as soon as they see us. We're making no progress at all." The vice-captain's voice carried a hint of exasperation, clearly worn down by the stalemate.

The worst part isn't that they're stalling you out, it's that they clearly know more than you.

This really wasn't the style Jing Shu had imagined.

Jing Shu: "Who's the opposing captain?"

A discussion broke out on the channel.

"Does the other side even have a captain?"

"They must have one."

"How could they not? Such coordinated and organized actions clearly indicate someone's directing them!"

"..."

"True."

"I know someone who fits..."

"Who?"

"Meng Shijiu."

At the mention of this name, a chorus of understanding immediately spread through the channel—

"Right! It must be that Meng Shijiu!"

"This style totally screams 'troublemaker'!!"

"I bet it's Meng Shijiu causing all this trouble!"

"..."

Jing Shu pondered for a moment before speaking up again on the channel:

"Surround and grill every Red Team member you can find. Force them to reveal Meng Shijiu's exam number and exact location."

"Report back on the channel once you find out, then focus all fire on Meng Shijiu."

"Since we can't figure it out—"

Jing Shu's cool voice suddenly lowered, tinged with a wild edge: "Then let's just capture him first."

"Roger!"

"……"

Meng·Clueless·Not only failing to slack off but about to be targeted by concentrated fire·Shijiu: ?

Meng·In hot water·Shijiu: Who? Captain? Me?

——

After Jing Shu gave the green light, the Blue Team members all let loose. Since all mechs were already linked, the map updated in real-time, so there was no fear of losing teammates—

The Blue Team completely abandoned their previous orderly style, roaming the map recklessly.

In short: they went nuts.

Like a swarm of locusts, whenever a Blue Team member spotted a Red Team member, it was like a starved beast seeing meat. The channel was filled with overlapping shouts of "Where's Meng Shijiu?" "Tell us and we'll let you go" "Meng Shijiu's exam number"...

The entire map was swarming with Blue Team members searching for Meng Shijiu.

The commotion was massive and intense. Isolated Red Team members, one after another, put on performances of "rather die than surrender," "for him, I can do it," "this is the power of love"...

Well, most didn't even finish before being blasted away by a cannon shot.

The Blue Team channel was also in chaos—

"So Meng Shijiu really is their captain!!"

"Never expected the Red Team to be so united!!"

"...Just who is this Meng Shijiu anyway?"

"We really shouldn't have underestimated Meng Shijiu. He should've been a key target from the start...!"

"...I don't believe it! With this many of us, we still can't find one guy, Meng Shijiu?!"

This was way past a training match at this point. It was a total mess; both the livestream and the monitoring room had fallen into an eerie silence.

"...I've never seen a match this chaotic before."

"I had to double-check the stream title—is this really the official livestream?"

"Wait, are they searching for someone?"

"What the heck are they doing?? Did the Red Team drive the Blue Team crazy?"

...

The stream didn't have access to the Blue Team's comms, and with no close-ups, all the viewers saw was the previously orderly Blue Team suddenly scattering all over the map, throwing the whole map into chaos.

Apart from the scenes of what seemed like collective drama queen antics, Meng Shijiu, who had been minding his own business on the other side, also found himself under siege by the "locust swarm."

When a group of about ten Blue Team members came charging over, Meng Shijiu had a puzzled look on his face: ?

What's their game?

Seeing only two Red Team members, the leading Blue Team member immediately blared a threat over his external speakers:

"—Tell us Meng Shijiu's player ID, and we'll go easy on you two!!"

Suddenly hearing his own name, Meng Shijiu, who had been quietly laying low: ?

Meng Shijiu (the man himself) spoke up quietly, a sinking feeling in his gut: "...Why are you looking for Meng Shijiu?"

Perhaps because they had finally encountered a relatively calm Red Team member, the Blue Team amped up the volume even louder—

"Was it this Meng Shijiu who ordered you all to hide from us?!"

"You dare to face us head-on? Come fight us fair and square if you've got the guts!"

"—Have you found the base point location?"

"Is Meng Shijiu your captain? You..."

"..."

Meng Shijiu: ?

Ying Canglun, standing nearby, silently opened his team's internal comms. After listening for just a second, he immediately closed it: Haha, looks like I messed up. *wry smile*

Meng Shijiu still didn't quite understand the situation, but from their words, he could figure out one thing for sure—

He was being framed.

Meng Shijiu: ...

Thinking back on this one short day...

Meng Shijiu sighed.

This Yanbei place is cursed.

The feng shui is bad.

Not coming back here next time 🙂

Facing the Blue Team's threats.

The dark gray mech No. 32 standing opposite the Blue Team suddenly stirred.

Meng Shijiu swung his mech around and gave a wave to the nearly invisible camera: "Lesson time."

He had his external speaker on.

"Free to watch."

"Drop a 'learned' in chat if you're learning something."

The audience, who had been on this camera feed for a while, were starting to get what was going on.

"Is he talking to us?"

"His voice sounds nice."

"Kinda cocky."

"I love it."

"So, who is this Meng Shijiu... the Red Team captain? Is he the one who made this training match such a circus?"

"But No. 32 hasn't been hiding. Does he have a bad relationship with this Meng Shijiu?"

"Makes sense."

...

Meng Shijiu turned off the broadcast and opened the team's internal comms.

Meng Shijiu: "Do you know how to provide covering fire?"

The barrier with a hole blasted in it earlier was still glowing blue, but because no Blue Team member had been able to get close, it remained undiscovered.

Ying Canglun, standing inside the obstacle, nodded vigorously: "Yeah, yeah."

Meng Shijiu: "Don't worry about my position. Just lay down suppressing fire on them."

Ying Canglun hesitated: "Won't I hit you by mistake?"

Meng Shijiu: "No."

Before the words even finished, the dark gray mech darted out like a phantom.

Ying Canglun hurriedly opened fire, particle beams streaking like meteors.

Ying Canglun was a bit restrained at first, but later, working together felt so satisfying and thrilling that his movements became bold and unrestrained.

Sometimes, Meng Shijiu would call out positions in the comms, and Ying Canglun could just charge in blindly, successfully blasting away all the particle bullets aimed at him.

Meng Shijiu piloted his mech, weaving through the rain of fire with tricky maneuvers and agile dodges, his figure almost impossible to track.

Every now and then, he'd fire a shot, accurately hitting a sensor light.

Only two Blue Team members remained.

Energy shots followed the dark gray mech, swift as the wind, obscured from sight. As the mech suddenly reversed direction, the shots instantly hit the enemy's sensor lights, catching them totally unprepared.

Right then, the live chat exploded:

"Did we learn how to fight or what???"

"Didn't learn"

...

"Seriously, what are we supposed to learn here?"

"You get what you pay for, huh"

"Just got flexed on"

"So cool"

...

Only one Blue Team member remained.

Meng Shijiu glanced back suddenly.

The dark gray No. 32 suddenly raised its right arm and blasted a shot at the base point that was still hidden.

The shot ripped through the obstacle's surface and hit the tiny center marker in the color-changing zone with pinpoint accuracy—

Another show of precise psychic control.

"Bang—"

The blue base point turned red.

At the same time, the base point's location was revealed to the final Blue Team member.

...On the right-side screens of everyone's mechs, the base point tally finally shifted after almost an hour—

The ratio of Red Team base points to Blue Team base points jumped from "18:18" to "19:17"

Below that line.

Time left in the match: "5:19:17"

A laid-back voice came from inside the No. 32 mech:

"—Let's begin."

The chat went wild—

"Wow"

"Timed it perfectly"

"I'm speechless"

"He's showing off, isn't he? Isn't he!?"

"When I say 'begin,' it's nothing; when he says it, it's the real deal"

"That was so cool"

"Another flex!!!"

Suddenly, the live broadcast feed shifted away from No. 32 and cut back to the map view.

"!"

"?"

"???"

"? What?"

"Cut what!? Director, if you can't do your job, go home, okay?!"

"I'm really done..."

At the Xie family home, the siblings echoed the chat's confusion: "Switch to what?!"

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