The input of candidate information and the entry into the Mechanical Academy for the preliminary computer test went smoothly.
The preliminary examination questions focused on fundamental mechanical principles.
Lu Qing had been accompanied by books since childhood. He had read through the entire collection of the Locke family and his grandfather’s house, which included books explaining mechanical principles from various dimensions.
Like any other candidate, he studied the reference bibliography issued by the academy. He was surprised to find they were all books he had read before; however, maintaining an attitude of diligence and caution, he still reviewed the content three times.
Then, he achieved a perfect score of one hundred on the preliminary exam.
The waiting area was noisy and chaotic.
The bugs remaining were mostly candidates who had passed the preliminary cut-off line.
There were smug Males, Males weeping with joy, fawning Females, and disdainful Females. Their attitudes and expressions were diverse and strange. Some were in groups while others were solitary; only Lu Qing appeared out of place among them, like an anomaly.
All the bugs were busy immersing themselves in their own worlds, yet every one of them was conspicuous. Their expressions were like a pantomime of the many facets of life, incredibly vivid. Only this Male, sitting in the corner staring blankly at his communicator, went unnoticed, quietly blending into the background like a shadow.
When Lu Qing did not want to be disturbed, few bugs could notice him.
“I am a member of a branch of the Lawrence family. Put on our family’s specially made neck collar and follow me. I guarantee you will live comfortably in the academy and have whatever you want.” A fat, white Male patted his round belly, confidently and proudly using his gut full of grease as chips to entice underlings and pets. He allowed the mass of white fat, which stretched his shirt and popped his buttons, to quiver in layers with every slap.
Now, candidates no longer waited until they were officially accepted to form cliques. Instead, they early on, right after the preliminary exam ended, chose “friend bugs” they admired and guided them into their own “camps.”
As for failing the re-examination? If they failed, their communication contact would simply be deleted; it was a very simple matter.
An out-of-town Female bug who had just stepped into the big planet reached out blankly to take the neck collar from the fat Male’s hand. However, just as his dust-stained fingers were about to touch it, the Female looked back and forth between the exquisite, beautiful collar and his own ugly, rough hands. With a trace of awkwardness on his face, he withdrew his hand and wiped it several times on his clothes.
“Are you taking it or not? If you do not want it, I will give it to another bug,” the fat Male, Lakdo, urged impatiently.
“Taking it, I am taking it!” The Female hurriedly reached out and grabbed the small neck collar, buckling it around his own neck. He did not understand the meaning of the collar; he only knew that the surrounding bugs were all in groups and teams. If he did not join one, he would be left behind, and he would fail to fulfill his father’s instruction to “maintain good relationships with classmates at school.”
“Very good.” Lakdo nodded with satisfaction. He had long wanted a durable slave to play with. This Female was thick-skinned and sturdy, tall and well-built; he looked like he could be played with for a long time.
Perhaps he would try him out tonight.
Lakdo licked the corner of his lips. He had recently bought new tools that could leave permanent marks on Females below C-grade. When the time came, he would strike a “beautiful blood flower” onto the new slave’s chest and back and take a few photos as souvenirs.
The Female, still unaware of the dangers of the big planet, felt a sense of relief after putting on the collar. A simple, honest smile appeared on his dark face: “Thank, thank you.”
Lakdo’s smile did not reach his eyes: “You are welcome, you are welcome. Helping classmates is a virtue. Uh! Who!”
Lakdo’s aura suddenly changed, and he scanned the surrounding bugs with fury.
“Who hit me? Which sightless bug was it!”
In an inconspicuous corner, Lu Qing silently thought about the methods for new recipes and the content of the next live broadcast; a schedule took shape in his heart. It was not until he heard the examiner say that the next exam was starting that he looked up and noticed the bugs, previously scattered randomly, had formed a regular circle as if gathering to watch something interesting, chatting and laughing loudly.
“I am warning you to come out right now!”
Lakdo waved his fat hands, staring around with hurried breath.
“You will pay the price for what you have done, I guarantee it!”
“You better watch out, you brat. Ow!”
“Come out. Ah!”
“Do you know who I am. Ow!”
Above the crowd of bugs flew a small, exquisite Book. It covered its mouth with tiny hands, giggling at the sight of the Male’s impotent rage. Invisible stones fell from the gap beneath the Book, seemingly hitting the fat Male continuously in fleshy areas like his arms, belly, or thighs.
Lu Qing pressed his temples, having already entirely guessed what had happened.
“What is Lakdo doing?”
“Who knows.” A Male shrugged with a laugh. “Is he hallucinating about becoming a first-class noble? Has he gone crazy?”
“I am certain his family will be disgraced by this.”
“Who says otherwise. Hahaha.”
The chubby Male had undoubtedly become the laughingstock of the crowd. He shook his head and waved his arms, dancing about in a way that looked like a weird and comical dance, accompanied by a succession of curses. Some bugs could not help but burst into laughter.
The candidate bugs who had just joined his team acted as if they had never known him, keeping a respectful distance. The Female looked at the classmates coming and going, standing in place at a loss. The leader he had just acknowledged had fallen into a frenzy, clutching at a direction with an angry expression. It did not look fake; he needed help!
The Female suddenly stepped forward and restrained Lakdo’s torso. One hand reached up sharply and grabbed something soft to the touch.
He, he really grabbed something.
The Female’s eyes widened in disbelief.
The Book: “Oh my~”
The Book twisted left and right with a shy expression. Regardless of whether the Female could see it or not, it still blew a kiss in his direction: “Use more strength.”
Lu Qing, who was the only person who could see the Book’s outrageous behavior: ” ”
Lu Qing closed his eyes and rubbed his throbbing temples a few more times: “Come here.”
The Book shuddered, turned its head, and saw Lu Qing with his eyes half-squinted, mouthing: “No snacks for tonight.”
“And no snacks for tomorrow night either.”
The Book: “!”
The Book blurred back into an untouchable state and slid smoothly out of the Female’s hand. The Female’s hand felt empty; he squeezed twice in a daze, finding that the soft sensation had vanished. He looked around, but there was nothing in the air.
He was entirely unaware that the thing he was looking for had already flown obediently to a lean young man, throwing a tantrum and begging for snacks.
The chaotic scene was quickly brought under control.
The arrogant Male and the stunned Female were both severely scolded by the examiner.
“If you disturb the order of the examination hall like this again, your examination eligibility will be canceled directly!”
The examiner knit his brows tightly, reprimanding them harshly, then turned to the other bugs watching the excitement and shouted: “What are you looking at? Are you all so idle? Do you not want to take the exam?”
The whispering candidates immediately fell silent.
“This sentence is not only for them, but also for you. Do not act as if this has nothing to do with you. We are a military school, not a noble school. I hope you think clearly about what should be done and what should not be done. I do not want to see today’s events happen again, understood?”
The examiner looked around at the candidates: “If you understand, follow me to the next examination hall. Females follow the examiner in blue up front; Males follow me. That is all.”
“Honestly.”
The examiner seemed to be thinking about something, walking with long strides regardless of the panting, pale-faced Male candidates behind him. His expression was poor; not knowing what he thought of, he cursed, and a few nearly inaudible self-mutterings escaped his mouth unconsciously: “Why are there so many disruptions to the order during recruitment this year. Even that Major General from the Locke family.”
A ripple appeared in Lu Qing’s calm black pupils. He watched the man walk away, his expression pensive.
“Damn it, how is Elliot?”
Seeing the words indicating the surgery was over, Tanqi rushed forward. His hands were still trembling, and his voice shook uncontrollably. Just now, he had been supporting his subordinate’s wet, hot back; blood had covered his hands, dripping onto the floor through the gaps of his fingers to form a stream of blood.
He was filled with regret, wishing he could go back in time and slap his foolish self face-first into the ground.
He had clearly noticed something was wrong with Elliot! He clearly had the chance to stop it!
The scene of Elliot collapsing in front of him, covered in blood, replayed constantly in Tanqi’s mind.
The long, thin, bone-like black curved claws were one of the weapons of the poisonous spider. The sharp tips could not only slice through an enemy’s skin like a knife, but also secrete venom to destroy the enemy’s cellular tissue. Elliot’s constitution was a rare SSS-grade, one of only three in the entire Empire. His reaction speed and attack ability were naturally extremely strong. The spider legs erupting from his bug markings had sliced the faces of candidates with extreme speed; they only became aware of it once the pain set in.
Tanqi had been right behind Elliot and had failed to react, yet the Female bug, relying on the last shred of his remaining reason, had forcibly twisted his forelimbs, changing the direction of the strike from the chest of the candidate in front of him to his own chest.
The attached weapon was turned against its own master, piercing the chest and staining his entire uniform red. Even now, Tanqi could still feel the sensation of warm blood splashing onto his skin; the strong smell of blood, scalding hot, still lingered in his nostrils.
“The surgery was a success.” The doctor took off his mask, revealing a face that was elegant with a touch of glamour, his eyes weary and distant.
“Do not worry too much.” Laiye pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly exhausted, speaking weakly: “You know the physical quality of a 3S-grade; recovery is very fast. As long as he recuperates peacefully and does not exert himself too much, he will be fine.”
Tanqi choked up, wiping the corner of his eye: “Thank you.”
Laiye: “?”
Laiye frowned: “Why are you crying?”
Tanqi sobbed: “Am I crying?”
Laiye: ” ”
Laiye’s head felt like it was exploding; the exhaustion from the long surgery was surging over him like a tide. However, he could not bring himself to speak harshly to a military bug who protected the country. He could only offer a token word of comfort: “It was just a lack of comfort from a Male for a long time, leading to a riot of bug pheromones. I have already called Major General Elliot’s Male Lord and told him the disadvantages of not performing mental conditioning for a long time. I believe the other party will be here soon.”
“There.” Laiye looked up, nodding his chin toward the double doors. A thin, long black shadow stood there, like a tall, strong pine or bamboo.
“Is he not here already?”