Perhaps because of Lu Jin’s unexpected visit the night before, Chu Li’s sleep quality had been poor. He felt sluggish and decided to go to the restroom during a break to wash his face and refresh his mind.
A small group obstacle course training was scheduled for later. This was the final stage of physical training; once completed, they would be assigned their own mechas for empathy training.
He did not expect to find Evans and four other Alphas gathered in the restroom, surrounded by a cloud of smoke.
Smoking was strictly prohibited at the military academy.
Seeing Chu Li appear, the group instinctively threw their cigarettes away, thinking an instructor had arrived. Upon realizing it was only Chu Li, they could not help but spit on the floor in disdain.
Evans scanned Chu Li from head to toe. The wrestling match had made him a laughingstock, and he had not yet found the chance to exact his revenge. If the academy were not covered in cameras, he would have strangled Chu Li right then and there.
He straightened his uniform and raised his eyebrows mockingly. “Chu Li, do not think you are doing well. For a Beta like you, entering the mecha department is the absolute peak of your life.”
“But as for me…” He paused, deliberately moving closer to Chu Li with a mysterious air. “I am not just a mecha pilot. In the future, I will become one of the Empire’s most outstanding military officers.”
Chu Li responded nonchalantly, “Then I must trouble one of the Empire’s most outstanding future officers to move aside. I need to wash my hands.”
“Pfft!” The Alphas behind Evans could not suppress their laughter.
Feeling humiliated, Evans glared at them, and they immediately stifled their smiles.
Chu Li turned on the faucet and scrubbed his hands, keeping his head down to ignore Evans’s indignant gaze in the mirror. For a clown like Evans, being ignored was the most effective way to wound his pride.
Evans’s obsession with him stemmed from the fact that back in the Lower District, Evans had desperately wanted to surpass him but had always fallen short of this Beta. Evans had wanted to work for Old Man Zhong, but Old Man Zhong chose Chu Li. Evans liked Ruan Ruan, but Ruan Ruan only played with Chu Li. Everything drove Evans’s need to prove he was superior, leading to these pathetic displays of bravado.
It was truly pitiful.
Chu Li dried his hands and glanced at Evans. Evans seemed to read the pity and mockery in his eyes and nearly exploded with rage, desperate to prove he was not pathetic.
“Chu Li, I am nothing like an ordinary mecha pilot like you! I am Major General Fu Lin’s most trusted confidant! The ten of us are only here at the military academy to go through the motions. In the future, we will do great things with the Major General!”
Ten?
Chu Li was stunned. Were there not only five “guaranteed” students?
Evans thought Chu Li was intimidated and grew even more smug. He pulled an invitation embossed with a mecha model from his pocket. “Do you know about this? Major General Fu Lin invited me to the Top-tier Mecha Social League this Saturday. Generally, only those at the rank of Colonel or above are qualified to attend.”
Since receiving the invitation, Evans had carried it in his pocket every day, showing it off to everyone he met. It was as if this paper was his proof of entry into high society.
Chu Li withdrew his thoughts and looked down at the invitation in Evans’s hand, his expression remaining unchanged.
“Evans, no matter how high you climb, you will never be able to wash away the fact that you collaborated with the Star Pirates.”
“You… you…” Evans’s pupils shrank instantly. His face contorted, and his veins bulged in a panic.
No. Chu Li should only know about Evans selling him to the Star Pirates; he could not possibly know about the other secret dealings. The Star Pirates always operated with extreme discretion; there would be no evidence!
Chu Li must be bluffing.
By the time Evans recovered from his fear, Chu Li had already left the restroom.
The Alphas behind him asked curiously, “What was that about the Star Pirates?”
“Nothing. It is nothing.”
Chu Li sat on the training field to rest and took a sip from his water bottle. Before training resumed, he logged onto the Star Net and scrolled through the news out of boredom.
The headline was about the rebel attack on Mindo City the previous night. The rebels had bombed a residential building, causing numerous civilian casualties. Admiral Lu Jin, who was returning from leave, happened to pass by and captured all the rebels.
He suddenly understood whose blood had been on Lu Jin the night before. It belonged to the rebels. His finger accidentally clicked a video, and the heart-wrenching cries of people filled the air.
“Those bastards killed my daughter! She was just born!”
“My wife… she was pregnant! The rebels shot her in the stomach so many times!”
He could not bear to watch any longer and closed his computer. Thinking of something, he sent a message to Old Man Zhong. By noon, after training ended, he had still not received a reply.
Anxiety began to gnaw at him. He intended to make a video call, but he accidentally pressed the wrong contact and dialed the next person in his chat history: Lu Jin.
He was about to hang up when the other party accepted the call almost instantly.
“Chu Li?” A deep, magnetic voice came through the speaker, followed by a familiar face.
Lu Jin was sitting at a long table wearing his black military uniform. His cap was placed to the side, and his thick black hair was swept back, revealing his cold and handsome features. Behind him were a military map and two spaceship models; he appeared to be in the middle of a meeting.
Chu Li’s heart skipped a beat. He said quickly, “Are you busy? I will hang up now.”
“Is something the matter?”
Chu Li was too embarrassed to say he had dialed the wrong number. His mind raced as he scrambled for an excuse. “I mentioned treating you to a meal last time. I was wondering when you might be free?”
Lu Jin did not reply immediately. He began flipping through something; Chu Li assumed he was checking his schedule.
After a moment, Lu Jin said, “I am free this Saturday.”
“Okay, then at that time…” Chu Li’s words cut off. He noticed a gold paper object in a nearby trash can, printed with a mecha model.
That looked exactly like the one Evans had. The Top-tier Mecha Social League?
Lu Jin followed Chu Li’s gaze to the invitation in the trash. “What is it?”
“Nothing. It is nothing. Should I go to Nebula to find you on Saturday?”
“No need. I will come to pick you up.”
“Okay,” Chu Li nodded.
Lu Jin looked at the holographic projection of Chu Li. The boy had likely just finished training; damp hair hung over his eyelids, and his skin was flushed with a healthy, peach-like glow.
After the call ended, Lu Jin’s gaze remained fixed on the spot where the projection had been. A faint, almost imperceptible curve touched his lips.
Behind the long table, two rows of twenty military officers watched Lu Jin’s smile in stunned silence. Lu Jin had interrupted the meeting to take a call; they had assumed it was urgent military intelligence, only to find out it was a dinner date. The person on the call had their back to them, so they could only tell the caller was wearing a military academy uniform.
It was a student.
Lu Jin picked up the invitation from the trash can and asked his Beta assistant, Tu Feng, “Is there anything special about this social league?”
Tu Feng did not fully understand, but having noticed Chu Li’s dazed expression earlier, he assumed Chu Li wanted to go. He said tentatively, “This is the Top-tier Mecha Exchange hosted by the Fu family. Many mecha pilots would consider it an honor to attend such an event.”
Lu Jin looked at the time on the invitation; it was indeed this Saturday. He tapped the invitation on the table and resumed the meeting.
Chu Li had just ended the call when he received a reply from Old Man Zhong. “I am busy repairing a television. If you cannot come this Sunday, then you cannot come.”
“Ahem, can I also take a leave of absence this Saturday?” Chu Li asked.
“…”
Through those six dots, Chu Li could almost see Old Man Zhong’s grumbling face. Fortunately, despite his annoyance, the old man quickly followed up with another message. He could take the leave, but he had to get good grades at the military academy; he must not lose face for the Lower District.
He replied immediately, promising he would never lose face for the Lower District.
In the afternoon, a line of mecha pilots stood on the obstacle field under the scorching sun.
Zhou Yueming announced, “This training consists of eight obstacle courses. The first four stages are identical. The fifth stage varies, but the difficulty remains the same. There are both visible and hidden obstacles. In addition to traditional high walls and rope nets, there are ruins, mazes, and holographic laser bombs. You will be divided into groups of five. To succeed, all team members must finish the 2000-meter course within 10 minutes.”
As soon as Zhou Yueming finished explaining the rules, the Alphas erupted in groans. “Even without obstacles, running 2,000 meters in 10 minutes is hard enough!” “This is not an obstacle course; it is a crematorium.” “Instructor Zhou, you might as well just cremate us directly.”
Zhou Yueming ignored their complaints and added fuel to the fire. “Groups that fail the challenge will have mandatory extra training every Monday night until they succeed.”
The crowd fell into a despondent silence as they stared at the course ahead.
“You may choose your own team members,” Zhou Yueming continued. “Report your team list and the name of your team leader to me within ten minutes. Also, a reminder: team leaders have priority for extra points.”
Instantly, the field became a chaotic circle of people chattering and negotiating. Everyone wanted to be the team leader for those extra points.
The five “guaranteed” students recommended by Major General Fu Lin naturally grouped together. Evans shouted that he was best suited for the leader position, but the other Alphas disagreed. They immediately began a sparring match on the spot to decide the winner.
Zhou Yueming did not stop them. Here, the only rule was to avoid permanent injury; everything else was fair game.
Chu Li and Mo Yizhou teamed up. Initially, many Alphas wanted to join Mo Yizhou, but seeing Chu Li behind him, they sighed and walked away. They believed that having a Beta from the Lower District would undoubtedly drag the team down in future training.
Five minutes passed, and Chu Li and Mo Yizhou were still standing alone. Standing with them were the two mecha pilots who had ranked last and second-to-last in entrance scores: Jiao Yi and You Feiran.
The moment Chu Li’s eyes met theirs, they all saw a flicker of salvation in each other’s gaze. Jiao Yi and You Feiran jogged over. “Are we a team?”
“Yes,” Chu Li replied.
Even so, they were still one member short, and the ten-minute mark was approaching. Chu Li looked around for anyone left out and happened to see Feng Yuming walking out from the direction of the restrooms.
Ignoring the invitations of others, and despite his bruised and swollen face, Feng Yuming walked straight to Chu Li and stated flatly, “I am joining your team.”
Chu Li glanced at Mo Yizhou. Seeing no objection, he nodded. The other groups nearby stared in shock, their expressions nearly twisting in disbelief. What kind of dog-shit luck was this? Why did two top Alphas want to team up with a Beta?
Now that the team was complete, a new problem arose. None of them seemed particularly social. After a brief greeting, they either stared straight ahead or looked down at their boots in silence. Out of five people, it felt like they could not scrape together a single mouth willing to speak.
Chu Li finally took the initiative. “We need to choose a team leader.” He peeked at Mo Yizhou and Feng Yuming, thinking the position should probably go to one of these two top Alphas. He felt a bit conflicted, not knowing whom to choose.
Mo Yizhou suddenly spoke up. “After the countdown, we will all point to the person we prefer.”
“Fine,” Feng Yuming said. Jiao Yi and You Feiran also nodded quickly.
Chu Li thought the method was a bit too hasty, but before he could raise an objection, the countdown began. “Three, two, one!”
The moment the numbers ended, Mo Yizhou and Feng Yuming pointed simultaneously at Chu Li.
Chu Li was stunned. Was it that casual? Jiao Yi and You Feiran blinked in surprise, but then they, too, slowly pointed their fingers at Chu Li.
Chu Li’s own hand was frozen in mid-air; he had not expected them all to choose him. Their gazes moved upward in unison to his hand, curious to see who his choice would be.
The atmosphere remained tense for a moment until Chu Li slowly turned his finger and pointed it at himself. He was elected team leader by a unanimous vote.