Chapter 19 Command Department’s Victory

Chapter 19: The Command Department's Victory

The remainder of the session at the Chief's platform proceeded quietly and harmoniously.

At one point, Qi Lan glanced over and noticed her son's situation, arching an eyebrow in surprise.

After Jian Fuxu, nine more first-year department chiefs took their turns. The third and fourth years scored a decisive victory, though the first-year Medical Department and Starship Design Department pulled off an upset against their second-year counterparts.

Qi Yanshen was the final participant. Just as the third challenge of the penultimate chief was beginning, he patted Ji Anzhi.

"Wake up, Ji Anzhi. Wake up."

After calling his name a few times, Ji Anzhi groaned softly, subconsciously nuzzling against Qi Yanshen's shoulder before slowly opening his bleary eyes.

Having fallen asleep in the morning for the first time, Ji Anzhi was disoriented for several seconds after opening his eyes. It wasn't until Qi Yanshen, who had stiffened from the nuzzling, spoke again that Ji Anzhi snapped back to reality.

Leaning on Qi Yanshen's shoulder, Ji Anzhi's mind went blank for a few seconds. He felt like he was leaning against something that rose and fell slightly, and it was a bit uncomfortable...

Ji Anzhi sat bolt upright, his military cap almost falling off. He hurriedly grabbed it, his gaze darting around nervously, not daring to look at Qi Yanshen.

How could he have fallen asleep? And on an S-rank alpha's shoulder, no less!

Before Ji Anzhi could figure out what to say, Qi Yanshen spoke up from beside him. "Remember to turn in early tonight. Don't push yourself too hard."

Ji Anzhi nodded automatically, still unable to meet Qi Yanshen's eyes, and stammered, "Um... th-thank you! Sorry about that..."

"It's fine."

Qi Yanshen's tone was normal, which helped Ji Anzhi calm down a little, lessening his flustered embarrassment.

He made a silent vow to himself: from now on, if there's a major event the next day, he would absolutely not stay up late. He'd go to bed right at ten o'clock!

After settling his nerves, Ji Anzhi glanced sideways at Qi Yanshen, hesitating before finally speaking. "I'm sorry, was that uncomfortable for you?"

Qi Yanshen remained unfazed. "It's fine. It was only for a little while. The physique of an S-rank alpha isn't so frail."

The people behind them: ... An S-rank alpha's physique indeed wouldn't be bothered, but calling one or two hours 'a little while'?

Ji Anzhi could tell Qi Yanshen was trying to comfort him. From the change in the light, it was definitely more than 'a little while'—at least an hour.

Still, it felt nice to have someone care enough to comfort him. A warm feeling spread in Ji Anzhi's chest, and he offered a gentle, soft smile. "I'm glad it's okay. Thank you. If you ever need help with anything in the future, you can come to me."

"Mhm."

Once the challenge below ended, Qi Yanshen stepped onto the stage and walked over to the principal, who was already seated at the speaking platform, to draw his challenge content.

"Hunt Operation"

"Each person is assigned five mechas. Command the mechas to hunt Zerg on a random map. The winner is the one with the highest kill count within fifteen minutes. Note: Each mecha eliminated results in a twenty-kill penalty."

Seeing his challenge content, Qi Yanshen's expression gave nothing away, but his tone left no doubt about his confidence. "Who's first?"

A tall, slender alpha with blond hair stood up from the Chief's platform, walked up to Qi Yanshen, and extended his hand, his voice deep. "Rodell, fourth-year Command Department Chief."

Qi Yanshen shook his hand. "Hello."

The two descended the stage. The holographic equipment on the field was already set up and ready. Although they wouldn't be in the same holographic map, both were assigned two B-grade and three C-grade mechas, each with 50 units of energy storage. They were equipped only with basic training Energy Cannons and Light Blades. The holographic scene was reduced to one-thirtieth scale to provide a larger area to operate in.

Both sides were ready.

"Begin."

On the principal's mark, the five mechas from each side simultaneously launched from their respective bases, beginning their search for Zerg within the jungle.

Both had an overhead view of the challenge scenario, not a full hologram. To obtain more information, they had to rely on the visual feeds from their five mechas.

Qi Yanshen carefully studied the map. The Zerg would consume any living thing. Setting the challenge in a jungle suggested only two possibilities: first, the Zerg in the jungle were small in size, had a slower feeding rate, and were newly invaded and not yet reproducing; second, they were Zerg that preferred living creatures, which would abandon plants and use plants as camouflage to prioritize hunting animals once they sensed biological life within their detection range.

Both scenarios posed a challenge.

Qi Yanshen selected a grassy area near a quiet water source. This spot was clearly frequented by many animals for drinking, and the vegetation near the water was lush.

He commanded the B and C-grade mechas to spread out, using radar to detect any nearby Zerg, encircling the water source at an appropriate distance while lowering their altitude to navigate through the treetops as much as possible.

In less than two minutes, they indeed detected a hidden nest of Zerg—six in total.

Qi Yanshen immediately ordered the B-grade mecha closest to the Zerg to hide nearby, zooming in its perspective for closer observation. The two C-grade mechas not far away were directed to support the B-grade mech, while the other two mechas also moved toward the location as a precaution.

Through the footage transmitted by the mecha, Qi Yanshen identified them as a low-level, carnivorous Zerg species with a colonial but dispersed living habit, capable of low-altitude flight. Typically, they collectively occupied an area but internally dispersed into individual small territories for group hunting.

The individual small territories were usually not far apart. Once a low-level Zerg from one territory sent out a distress call, Zerg from nearby areas would swarm to assist. They had to finish this quickly.

Qi Yanshen commanded the B-grade mecha to activate its energy shield and wait for support, while the other two mechas stood guard on the periphery to relay information.

As soon as the two C-grade mechas arrived, Qi Yanshen ordered all three mechas to simultaneously fire their Energy Cannons at the hidden Zerg. Three energy blasts were fired together. Due to some dispersion, they only directly obliterated two of the weaker Zerg, severely injured one, and lightly injured three.

The four surviving Zerg roared in fury, baring their fangs. Their sharp cries echoed through the jungle, summoning other members of their kind from the area for support.

Mecha energy was limited, and firing again wouldn't achieve the same surprise effect as the initial attack. Qi Yanshen commanded the three mechas to retract their Energy Cannons, drawing their Light Blades to engage in close combat.

The B-grade mecha was tasked with the severely injured Zerg, which could be dealt with in ten seconds. During that time, the two C-grade mechas just needed to hold off the other three lightly injured Zerg, creating a one-on-one situation.

Once the B-grade mecha finished off the severely injured Zerg, it immediately joined forces with a C-grade mecha to confront one of the Zerg with an injured left eye. The pressure on the other mechas decreased sharply, allowing them to fight the remaining two Zerg one-on-one. Although they couldn't finish the Zerg off immediately, they could inflict damage, making it easier for the B-grade mecha to assist and resolve the fight faster later.

One minute later, all six Zerg were completely eliminated.

The two mechas on the periphery had also detected Zerg rushing to support. Qi Yanshen made a decisive call and ordered the mechas to ascend to a safe high altitude to regroup.

After a few minutes, seeing no more Zerg heading their way from the distance, Qi Yanshen began estimating the number of Zerg below.

One hundred and seventy-three.

Subtracting the basic energy consumption required for operation, the five mechas had a total of 130 units of energy left for firing. Even if all this energy were compressed into a single Energy Cannon blast, it clearly wouldn't be enough to wipe out all the Zerg below in one go.

Qi Yanshen pondered quietly. Suddenly, he recalled an experiment he, Jian Fuxu, and Lu Yan had conducted in the arena before. When two Energy Cannon blasts of equal energy units collided point-to-point, they would stagnate for a few microseconds before instantly fusing and erupting with two to three times the original power.

He had first heard about this from his mother—an accidental discovery in the military that sometimes colliding energy blasts could unleash several times the power.

After mentioning it to Jian Fuxu, the three of them spent two or three weeks experimenting in the arena before finally figuring it out.

However, because this technique wasn't practical in most battlefield situations, they simply mentioned it to their parents. After receiving praise, their parents didn't promote it within the military, as there were very few who could perform point-to-point shots on the battlefield.

The current situation was perfectly suited for this method. Qi Yanshen immediately commanded the B-grade mecha that had been on lookout duty and hadn't participated in the fight to lower its altitude. While ensuring its own safety, it was to try and lure the Zerg toward the center of the intended blast radius.

The other four mechas uniformly compressed 25 units of energy each to charge their Energy Cannons. Since these were basic training cannons, firing this shot would render them inoperable, leaving only the Light Blades for the remainder of the fight.

Positioning themselves diagonally, they made slight adjustments to ensure the fired energy blasts would absolutely achieve a point-to-point collision.

Qi Yanshen checked the time. There were seven minutes left in the challenge. He would wait four more minutes before initiating the point-to-point shot. That way, if anything unexpected happened, the mechas could still activate their energy shields for protection. Holding out for the final three minutes would be enough.

This was an unavoidable situation. Rodell, too, used a B-class mecha as bait. However, he waited until most of the Zerg had gathered at a single point before having the three C-class mechas above simultaneously fire Energy Cannons at that spot. Each salvo could eliminate four to six Zerg, while another B-class mecha used a Light Blade at close range to dispatch the severely injured ones.

Rodell's kill tally had now reached over forty.

Comparing the performance of both sides, the audience inevitably began whispering.

"Why isn't the first-year moving? Doesn't he know what to do?"

"Not sure, maybe he's waiting for something?"

"Rodell already has over forty kills, but the first-year has stopped now. I don't get it."

Seeing the scene on the live broadcast, Ji Anzhi also frowned, not understanding why Qi Yanshen had suddenly stopped. From what he'd learned about him over the past month, he didn't seem the type to easily admit defeat or give up.

Perhaps he was biding his time, waiting for an opportunity.

As for Jian Fuxu beside Ji Anzhi, he was poring over his own data, racking his brain for a solution and completely unaware of what was happening outside.

Only Qi Yanshen's mother, Qi Lan, Lu Yan, and his father, Lu Zechuan, guessed what Qi Yanshen was preparing to do.

Lu Zechuan rubbed his chin in admiration. "That kid Yanshen really has a sharp mind. The fourth-year Rodell is done for."

Qi Lan didn't speak, but she tacitly agreed.

Those nearby who heard this were baffled. How could they conclude that Rodell, the fourth-year top cadet, was bound to lose?

But they were too embarrassed to ask General Lu and chose to watch silently.

When the clock hit twelve minutes, with three minutes left, Rodell's tactics were no longer as effective. As the Zerg numbers dwindled further, they also learned to spread out to surround the mechas. While the previous tactics were still somewhat useful, their effectiveness was halved.

Meanwhile, Qi Yanshen's side finally began to move.

The four mechas originally at high altitude dove down to low altitude, maintaining their positions thousands of meters apart. They raised their Energy Cannons, aiming to fire across at each other.

The spectators were shocked by this move, unable to comprehend what Qi Yanshen intended to do. Only some third and fourth-year students who had been on military missions or internships reacted, having a rough idea of Qi Yanshen's plan.

They wanted to see how far Qi Yanshen, the son of General Qi, could go.

Inside the challenge arena, the four mechas took their positions and adjusted their firing angles. The B-class mecha baiting in the central area charged straight upward, simultaneously firing several Energy Cannon shots to anger the Zerg, making them all chase it into the air.

When the B-class mecha was about to reach the horizontal plane formed by the four mechas, the four mechas fired compressed Energy Cannons diagonally toward the center. Just as the B-class mecha passed five or six meters above that plane, the four compressed Energy Cannons intersected at the central point. In an instant, they unleashed tremendous power.

The Zerg within a meter or two of the cannons' path sensed the immense energy and the equally dangerous threat, instinctively trying to evade, but it was too late.

The B-class mecha, upon crossing the horizontal plane, had already kicked into maximum speed and converted all remaining energy into a protective shield, hoping to avoid being destroyed and disqualified.

"Boom!"

Chitin fragments scattered, soil splattered, and a small mushroom cloud rose. The four mechas farther away were also affected by the powerful shockwave, being blasted back several meters, but they quickly stabilized.

Dozens of seconds later, as the dust settled somewhat, Qi Yanshen looked down through the B-class mecha, which had been forced to land due to engine damage. Within a radius of hundreds of meters centered on the explosion, there was nothing but craters and ruins.

Out of the 173 Zerg, roughly eighty percent were eliminated. The remaining twenty percent had also sustained at least light injuries.

Qi Yanshen commanded another B-class mecha to come over for protection, while the other three mechas mopped up the remaining stragglers.

A few seconds before the challenge time limit, all 173 Zerg were wiped out.

The holographic scene faded, and the results were displayed before everyone.

"Challenger: Rodell"

"Total Kills: 84"

"Challenged: Qi Yanshen"

"Total Kills: 179"

"Qi Yanshen wins"

The stands fell silent.

This was the third first-year student to defeat a fourth-year top cadet, and the gap was plain to see.

A kill difference of nearly one hundred made the upperclassmen seriously wonder if they were lacking or if this year simply had too many prodigies.

They had done their homework on Qi Yanshen; he was indeed a genius with both talent and perseverance. They estimated he might barely defeat the third-year top cadet at most, never predicting he could crush Rodell with such a huge margin.

Rodell had been an outstanding figure among past Command Department top cadets. Back then, Rodell was the top freshman in the Command Department and defeated the third-year top cadet during the military training challenge.

But this year, the century-old record of fourth-year top cadets in the military academy remaining undefeated was shattered, and it happened three times at once...

It seemed this year's channels and forums were going to explode...

Everyone on the podium looked at Qi Lan. She had a 'this is exactly as it should be, he's always been like this' look on her face, which irritated some who didn't get along well with Qi Lan or those who had an idea of Qi Yanshen's supposed skill level.

The dean also raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. He wasn't shocked that the Qi family kid defeated the fourth-year student, but he had guessed it would be a narrow victory. He didn't expect this kid to directly crush Rodell.

However... I have another excuse now~

The dean's eyes lit up, thinking about how he should punish those upperclassmen kids this time since the fourth-year was defeated. What a delightful dilemma~

As the third person to defeat a fourth-year chief, Qi Yanshen simply nodded slightly to Rodell. "Well fought."

Rodell: "..."

Rodell remained silent for a moment before shaking his head and said grudgingly, "You're strong, but I'm not weak either. I will definitely catch up to you in the future!"

"Future challenges are welcome."

Turning to the dean on the speaking platform, he said, "Command Department, challenge concluded."

With that, Qi Yanshen directly went up to the stage and returned to the chief's seat. Rodell followed somewhat awkwardly behind, his expression complex.

The dean didn't mind Qi Yanshen's behavior. Instead, he swept his gaze over the audience with a meaningful smirk.

The upperclassmen, receiving the dean's gaze, were on the verge of tears, if not for the loss of face an alpha would suffer from crying.

The dean was very satisfied with the upperclassmen's tearful, despairing expressions. Under their pleading gazes, he slowly spoke, like a devil's whisper.

"The first-year Command Department cadet defeated the fourth-year Command Department chief. Fourth-year kids~ What exactly is going on with you all? Care to explain? I'll give you one minute~"

Fourth-years: "..."

How to explain? The moment they explained anything, his next sentence would definitely be—'Explanations are excuses, excuses are evasions, evasions mean insufficient strength, and insufficient strength means the military academy has been too lenient.'

Didn't he do the same to the fourth-years three years ago...

Second and third-years: "..."

The usual routine of having no right to speak.