Fu Siheng couldn’t help but think that anyone who managed to stay alive around Yan Xun deserved a medal.
So, for once, he took the initiative and asked Yi Fengbei, “What’s your name?”
Yan Xun paused mid-motion and glanced over at him.
Hearing Fu Siheng address him, Yi Fengbei instantly snapped to attention with enthusiasm. “Reporting, Instructor! My name is Yi Fengbei, male Alpha! I’m twenty-four years old, top of my class, with a calm personality and zero marking history. My hobbies include racing, running, and basketball…no bad habits! Haven’t dated anyone in the last three years!”
Shi Yuanyang was utterly dumbfounded.
Fu Siheng’s lips twitched slightly. “…’My name is Yi Fengbei’ would have been plenty.”
Yan Xun held his forehead in silence.
Shaking his head, Fu Siheng walked straight past the Alpha whose IQ was inversely proportional to his height, heading toward his own class.
As soon as he finished lining up his group, Zhao Zhifan stepped out from the ranks on his own.
“Reporting, Instructor. You told me to come see you today,” he said, staring straight ahead, his tone stiff and cold.
He was already burning with resentment over Fu Siheng ruining his plans yesterday. Bound by the fact that Fu Siheng was an instructor, he hadn’t been able to say anything to his face but seeing him walking together with Shi Yuanyang just now had set off another wave of heat in his chest.
Zhao Zhifan had always carried a torch for Lin Yue. Unfortunately, Lin Yue seemed to prefer his senior, Shi Yuanyang…even though he knew Shi Yuanyang was an Omega too.
Shi Yuanyang had always carried himself like a mysterious, elite research prodigy. Zhao Zhifan, on the other hand, came from a poor background, having fought his way up from the slums. He spent his whole life hating privileged snobs who used their status to bully others, which made him dislike Fu Siheng even more.
His voice had been quite loud, attracting the attention of several neighboring classes.
Fu Siheng walked up to him and looked him in the eye. “What’s the matter? Not satisfied with how I handled things?”
Having trained troops for so long, how could Fu Siheng miss the defiance written all over the boy’s face?
“Reporting, Instructor! No, sir,” Zhao Zhifan replied, still staring straight ahead.
Fu Siheng said calmly, “Is that so? Then after morning training, remember to turn in your written reflection.”
Just as Fu Siheng was about to turn away, Zhao Zhifan couldn’t hold it in any longer. He grunted coarsely, “Instructor, punish me all you want just leave my roommates out of it!”
As if expecting him to say that, Fu Siheng let a cold, mocking smile touch his lips. “It seems you haven’t memorized the school rules very well either. Copy them another hundred times.”
Lacking discipline when committing an offense, only to act like a self-sacrificing hero when punished…Fu Siheng had seen this dynamic far too many times.
Zhao Zhifan’s chest heaved as anger surged through him. “I’ll copy them a thousand times if I have to! Punish me and me alone! It was my fault to begin with there’s no need to dock everyone’s points!”
Everyone nearby turned to look. Even the adjacent Research Institute class halted their training, peering over with intense curiosity as whispers rippled through the crowd.
Yan Xun watched the two of them, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
“Holy crap, this kid’s got a real temper on him,” Yi Fengbei remarked, watching the spectacle. “Reminds me of you back in the day.”
Yi Fengbei had attended the neighboring Military Institute of Technology during his university years, but he had heard plenty of Yan Xun’s legendary exploits from friends at Imperial Military Academy. Like the time Yan Xun marched into the president’s office alone to take on a physical punishment meant for two people.
Yan Xun said indifferently, “I had my reasons.”
Fu Siheng remained expressionless. “You copy them a thousand times; your roommates copy them a hundred times. Do those two things conflict?”
The surrounding area grew even quieter. Countless eyes locked onto them, and the class monitor was so stunned he forgot to step in and mediate.
Zhao Zhifan stood with his neck stiff, glaring at him as his eyes turned dark and stormy. Being berated in public was humiliating, especially for someone who carried himself as a campus boss.
Surging with hostility, he yanked at his collar and snapped, “You’re abusing physical punishment! Honestly, I don’t even get why you’re qualified to lead us. An un-differentiated instructor who doesn’t even know if he’s an Alpha or not…it’s ridiculous!”
Rude as his words were, they voiced a question shared by many Alpha cadets.
In the two hundred years since Imperial Military Academy was founded, it had never hired an un-differentiated instructor. That was precisely why Fu Siheng’s arrival had sparked such frantic chatter in the group chats.
Traditionally, entering Imperial Military Academy as a teacher required two simultaneous conditions: holding a specialized doctorate, and possessing SS-rank or higher Alpha mental strength.
Fu Siheng clearly met neither. He had only graduated two years ago, making it impossible for him to hold a doctorate. As for mental strength, he had none to speak of.
God only knew how he had won that Mecha Tournament championship. He probably just stood there directing orders without lifting a finger, since operating a mecha drained an incredible amount of mental energy.
Zhao Zhifan’s outburst laid bare the doubts lingering in the minds of many students and faculty alike. They were all just waiting to see how Fu Siheng would explain himself.
But Fu Siheng didn’t offer a word of explanation.
Instead, he walked over to the basketball hoop, unbuckled his tactical belt, and took off his uniform jacket. He draped the belt, coat, and hat neatly over the basketball frame.
In the morning light, his frame looked lean and long. The sharp structure of his arms was prominent, with distinct joints showing at his wrists and elbows.
Under everyone’s watchful gaze, he casually walked back to Zhao Zhifan, tilted his chin up, and said, “Hand-to-hand combat or mechas…pick one. Let me show you why I’m qualified to be your instructor.”
An uproar burst through the crowd.
Zhao Zhifan looked solid and built, a fully matured Alpha who, at his peak, was as formidable as a lethal hunting leopard.
Fu Siheng looked like a pretty boy who couldn’t take a hit….though whether appearances were deceiving remained to be seen.
Everyone was laying bets on who would win. Only Shi Yuanyang crossed his arms and let out a soft laugh.
To his ears, what Fu Siheng had meant to say was: Hand-to-hand combat or mechas…pick how you want to get beaten up.
Shi Yuanyang even hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should step in and ask Fu Siheng to go easy on the guy. He was just a student, after all.
While he wavered between intervening and spectating, a shadow flashed past him…Yan Xun was already walking over.
Yi Fengbei immediately scrambled to follow. “Hey, hey, Ah Xun! How come you get to go watch the show by yourself? Wait up!”
Zhao Zhifan was thrown off by Fu Siheng’s stance, his reflexes instantly recalling the agonizing memory of getting thrashed the other day.
He sized up Fu Siheng’s build, deciding he must have just lowered his guard back then, which was why he had been kicked flying so easily.
Yan Xun strolled over, folded his arms, and said through a faint smirk, “Starting the morning with something so intense? You’ve got great energy, Instructor Fu.”
Zhao Zhifan had heard of Yan Xun before and eyed him guardedly, unsure whether he was here to cause trouble or just watch the show.
Fu Siheng cast a sideways glance at Yan Xun. “What? Want a turn too?”
The surrounding chatter grew even louder.
“Holy shit, quick, take a picture!”
“Are you insane? There are so many instructors around! Put that comms unit away!”
“President Yan and the new instructor! This scene is way too intense!”
“Intense? You mean hot?!”
Yan Xun raised both hands in a mock gesture of innocence, meeting Fu Siheng’s gaze through his sunglasses. “Not me. I just came to remind my junior that fighting an instructor violates school policy.”
Fu Siheng said, “Sparring isn’t fighting.”
Zhao Zhifan was already somewhat hesitant to go head-to-head with Fu Siheng in hand-to-hand combat. Hearing this, he adopted a dismissive sneer. “Senior is right. You’re an instructor, so let’s go with mechas.”
He reasoned that even if Fu Siheng knew all the maneuvers in the book, an un-differentiated person without mental strength couldn’t hold out for long. All Zhao Zhifan had to do was wear down his physical stamina.
In a one-on-one street brawl, Fu Siheng might have mastered enough techniques to knock down a heavy hitter. But locked inside a cramped cockpit where physical endurance ruled, Fu Siheng stood no chance against him.
The Command Academy began training students in mecha operation starting in freshman year. Though Zhao Zhifan usually slacked off, he ranked in the top three in his department for both mecha operation and combat during final exams.
The neighboring class abandoned their morning drills entirely to watch the show.
The instructors for Class 1 and Class 2 already held a bit of a grudge against Fu Siheng, so they turned a blind eye, eager to see him get put in his place by a student.
Beyond the chain-link fence, several Omegas shouted, “Go Instructor Fu! Knock him flat!”
Among them came Lin Yue’s quiet, small voice: “Knock him flat!”
Zhao Zhifan’s face darkened further. He selected a mecha and strode over.
When Yan Xun heard they were competing in mechas, he stepped back to the side.
Yi Fengbei, thinking Yan Xun had picked a prime viewing spot, scurried over to join him. Taking a sip from a bottle of specialized military water handed over by a junior cadet, he said excitedly, “Whoa, they’re really going at it? So this really is the old Imperial Military Academy tradition!”
There was an unwritten rule at the academy: if you wanted to establish your footing somewhere, you had to beat down the local top dog first.
This fine tradition had been passed down through generations, though this was the first time an instructor was taking part.
Noticing Shi Yuanyang walking over, Yi Fengbei handed him an unopened bottle of water. “Want some? Aren’t you friends with Instructor Fu? Why are you just spectating?”
Shi Yuanyang looked at the specialized military water and seemed to recall something, waving his hand in slight disgust.
Looking out at the central lawn, he said, “Of course I’m spectating. Fu Siheng operating a mecha is one of the three iconic sights of Imperial Military Academy.”
“Huh? There’s a saying like that?” Yi Fengbei asked in surprise. “What are the other two?”
Shi Yuanyang offered Yan Xun a subtle smile. “The other two… one is Yan Xun in hand-to-hand combat, and the other…”
He trailed off, a flash of displeasure crossing his eyes as if he thoroughly despised mentioning that third person.
Yi Fengbei scratched his head, confused. He had been at the Research Institute for two years and had never heard these rumors.
“How long do you think it’ll take?” Yan Xun suddenly asked.
Yi Fengbei glanced at him, realizing Yan Xun wasn’t talking to him.
Shi Yuanyang chuckled. “Ten minutes, maybe? The assembly quality on these training mechas isn’t great they probably can’t take a beating for long.”
He and Yan Xun had barely crossed paths during their university years, and today was only their third time meeting, yet talking like this felt strangely natural.
Yan Xun said, “Five minutes at most.”
Shi Yuanyang looked at him, suddenly realizing. “I almost forgot you two were in the same class in college. You must have seen him pilot a mecha plenty of times. But looking at it from my professional perspective, the mecha Zhao Zhifan picked has less wear and tear than Siheng’s. It should be pretty durable.”
Yan Xun curled his lips slightly and lowered his voice. “I’ve tested it. It takes just three minutes. He won’t last past five.”
Shi Yuanyang looked on with a hint of admiration. “You guys in the Command Academy sure are rich. You can’t afford to play like that without a fortune behind you.”
Yi Fengbei was completely bewildered. “What are you guys talking about? Aren’t they about to duel? Are you talking about dismantling mechas?!”
Shi Yuanyang gave him a friendly smile. “Do you know how much a single mecha costs in Interstellar Credits?”
Yi Fengbei: “…A few million?”
Shi Yuanyang: “These training models bought in bulk cost three million each.”
He continued, “Do you know how much money Fu Siheng reimbursed the school during his college years?”
Yi Fengbei was totally floored, shaking his head mindlessly.
Shi Yuanyang said, “Sixty million. Most of it went to mecha damage fees.”
Yi Fengbei: “…”
“So… you’re saying he’s a professional mecha dismantler?” Yi Fengbei ventured cautiously.
Shi Yuanyang shook his head, looking ahead with unreserved envy. “No. I’m just saying he’s loaded.”