Xiang Yunjian’s hand, which was writing the invigilation report, paused momentarily before he lifted his head to stare at the screen.
Jiang Linxia, as if he had never seen the world before, excitedly exclaimed, “Holy crap! The robot just spoke human language!”
He turned the background sound to the maximum volume and brought it close to his ear, wanting to hear Cheng Feng’s first commentary on this world.
When it came to sarcasm, this kid could actually be quite sharp, as if endowed with some special talent.
However, amidst the deliberate silence of those around, Cheng Feng’s lips moved slightly, and after pondering deeply, she merely uttered a single word: “Mm.”
Immediately after, the sharp cheer and applause of Number One pierced through. “Bravo!”
The shrill, resounding noise nearly ruptured Jiang Linxia’s eardrums.
“Damn it!” He fell back onto the sofa, reclining as he hurriedly turned down the volume while enduring the ringing in his ears. “Is this guy nuts? What’s there to cheer about?”
Everyone had assumed the device Cheng Feng used to produce sound was some kind of assistive tool for the disabled, subconsciously thinking she was mute. The moment she spoke, it genuinely startled quite a few people.
Once they snapped out of it, the UFU students present quickly followed Number One’s lead.
“Well said, sis!”
“Even though Sister only said one word, it fully expressed her affirmation and encouragement towards us! It shows everyone did pretty well!”
“A true master never wastes words! If we can’t figure her out, that’s on us!”
“So Sister can talk? Her voice is really beautiful!”
The rest of the students from other universities in the competition: “……”
Can’t compete with this.
There must be an unspoken criterion in UFU’s admissions process – you have to be enough of a smooth talker. Otherwise, they couldn’t possibly have assembled such a crew.
This one thing destined that they would never, in this lifetime, be a match for UFU.
The commander of the First Military scratched his itchy ear and asked irritably, “Are you done? If you’re done, log off!”
How could the UFU crowd let them off so easily? As if they’d unearthed some hidden talent during this competition, they gleefully taunted:
“What’s the rush? Could it be you can’t stand to lose?”
“Rushing back to see exactly how you lost? You don’t really need to care that much, it’s only the fourth time, after all.”
“How pitiable, you poor things, heading back just to get scolded. Not like us – we’re going back to claim our fourth consecutive championship trophy.”
Students from the other factions couldn’t take it anymore either. Faces twisted in annoyance, they swiftly clicked to log off.
The UFU commander got one last shout in, “Let’s do this again next time! And hey, you’re all welcome to visit UFU for some academic exchange!”
The screen of the live stream went black, marking the definitive end of this year’s freshman competition.
Xin Kuang said cheerfully, “Xiang Yunjian, give my regards to Cheng Feng for me. Tell her she did an amazing job. And transfer 200 to her from me, consider it my treat for a meal.”
Yan Shen was still doing his post-match analysis. “A robot’s thought process really is unpredictable. Is it because its programming understands better how to exploit bugs?”
Jiang Linxia, getting all hyped up, shouted, “Xiang Yunjian, use our deep father-daughter bond to win her over! B-class commanders are rare, and one less means a whole generation gap. Right now, there are definitely a bunch of ambitious wolves out there coveting our daughter. Bring her along, and next year’s competition, together we’ll be the dads of everyone!”
All the machines had ceased operation, and students were inside dismantling the equipment.
Xiang Yunjian stood up, tidying the clutter on his desk, his gaze occasionally drifting towards the simulator in the distance.
Being on their home turf, there was no need to hold back anymore.
The students pushed open the door and filed out one after another. The first thing they saw was their instructor, and instinctively, as if meeting their own family, they pounced on him, clinging to his legs and wailing dramatically.
“We didn’t fail our mission! Instructor, we got the fourth consecutive championship!”
“Instructor, you were right, UFU is the strongest! Even though I might not be that great, I can always trust my comrades!”
“Instructor, the last ten minutes scared me to death. I thought I’d be forever criticized in UFU’s history!”
“Where’s that bigshot? I want to pay my respects too!”
The instructor, thoroughly annoyed, tried to push them away while keeping an eye on the machine in the middle. Unable to fend off the relentless stream of brats, he snapped, “Get lost! Don’t wipe your snot on my clothes!”
The overwhelming emotion of crying for joy might be contagious. By the time Cheng Feng emerged, the entire room seemed filled with suspected lunatics. She furrowed her brow slightly, intending to hurry away.
The instructor intercepted her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Originally, he’d intended to habitually sling an arm around Cheng Feng’s neck, but before he could make the move, he was stopped by her cold, warning gaze.
During the matches, with everyone in identical uniforms and the intense battles unfolding, not many had paid much attention to Cheng Feng’s appearance.
Now, a long-haired girl standing amidst a group of burly boys suddenly became quite conspicuous.
Gazes from various directions cautiously assessed her. Amidst the murmuring whispers, a boy in the crowd muttered what everyone was thinking. “Gameplay-wise, she’s a total pro; looks-wise, kinda like a cute little sister.”
Recalling past events, the instructor turned, pointed at Xiang Yunjian, and chuckled sarcastically. “See that? Everyone else figured it out correctly, except you guys! Took four blind men to form a team – quite an achievement, wasn’t it?”
Xiang Yunjian: “…” Is this incident never going to be laid to rest?
The instructor turned around, instantly morphing back into a picture of gentle affability. Bending his dignified back, he asked considerately, “Cheng Feng, are you hungry? Heading for a meal? What would you like to eat? It’s on the instructor!”
The students behind immediately chimed in, “Thanks, instructor! Winning feels great!”
“Can we eat out? Or the food court works too!”
The instructor clicked his tongue inwardly. What does this have to do with you?
Cheng Feng was inclined to agree, after all, she didn’t have much money.
She slipped her hands into her pockets, about to list a few dishes, when a forceful shout from outside cut through the indoor noise, projecting the speaker’s dominance and authority.
“Cheng Feng, right? Cheng Feng!”
A burly man, a strapping 1.9-meter fellow, yanked aside the person blocking the doorway and poked his head in. Upon spotting Cheng Feng, the creases on his face spread apart, forming a smile.
“Remember me? I’m Mr. Kong.”
The combat systems students immediately fell silent, shrinking back a step.
Normally, instructors specializing in manual control had no interaction with them, the sensor-based combatants. But during the recent training sessions, Mr. Kong had been temporarily roped in to give them a few lessons on combat tactics, leaving a deep impression.
Now, seeing him, the freshmen’s minds and tongues both seemed to numb, failing them.
“I could hear your cheering from a long way off.” Mr. Kong smoothly took Cheng Feng by the arm, sparing a rare moment of gentleness for the instructor. “Congratulations! A fourth consecutive championship definitely calls for a celebration! You take the students for a group meal, and I’ll introduce Cheng Feng to our school’s majors.”
“Hold on, I didn’t say–”
Before the instructor could protect his wallet, he was once again unanimously interrupted by the students behind him. “Thank you, instructor! You’re so generous!”
He raised both hands, motioning for everyone to quiet down. But in the blink of an eye, Cheng Feng had already disappeared.
The instructor was speechless. “Well, I’ll be…”
At a small restaurant not far from the UFU gate, Mr. Kong had reserved a table by the window. After ordering the dishes, he waited until Cheng Feng was about half-full before carefully broaching the subject. “Cheng Feng, have you decided on a major yet?”
Cheng Feng shook her head. “But the Command Department is pretty interesting.”
Mr. Kong sighed, putting on a pitiful expression. “That’s true. You certainly have a talent for data analysis, and your performance in the actual competition was outstanding. But Cheng Feng, the Manual Operations Department needs you even more. Do you realize? Our school hasn’t produced a standout mech pilot in years. Your seniors, your future comrades-in-arms – they’re all waiting for a leader who can help them.”
Having analyzed the situation thoroughly, Mr. Kong believed he’d finally cracked the code to truly persuade her. “Without you, they just can’t make it!”
He delivered those last words with such resolute force that Cheng Feng was momentarily taken aback, a flicker of hesitation crossing her face. Her hand, however, never stopped moving, as she continuously scooped up stir-fried lamb with her chopsticks.
Mr. Kong, growing anxious from the lack of response, used the serving chopsticks to pick up a few slices of fresh vegetables and said solicitously, “Eat more veggies, they’re good for you.”
Cheng Feng’s eyes widened slightly. With lightning speed, she raised her left hand and firmly grabbed his wrist, stopping his motion. The veins on the back of her hand stood out clearly from the force.
With an unyielding stance and a stern face, she redirected the chopsticks, placing the vegetables into Mr. Kong’s own bowl.
The 1.9-meter tall man was dumbfounded. Staring at the few tender yellowish cabbage leaves, then catching a glimpse of Cheng Feng’s hugely relieved expression, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You don’t like eating vegetables? That’s fine, then eat more meat. Meat’s nutritious too.”
He watched Cheng Feng with a smile, pondering his next words. An instinctive sense of danger approaching made him look up, only to find that bespectacled rascal from the Command Department.
Without so much as a greeting, the guy sat down right next to Cheng Feng.
The corner of Mr. Kong’s mouth twitched slightly as he addressed him awkwardly, “Brother Luo.”
The middle-aged man’s posture stiffened for a moment, then he said, flattered, “Never thought I’d live to hear you call me ‘Brother Luo’.”
Mr. Kong said, “Don’t disturb the kid while she’s eating.”
Mr. Luo replied, “People from the military universities are probably all studying her right now. I’ve also assigned related topics to my students, and the analysis reports are pretty much done. I’m here to ask whether we should release them externally.”
Mr. Kong said nervously, “Wouldn’t that draw too much attention? I don’t think it’s necessary. It’s better for people to keep a low profile.”
The competition was over, and he didn’t want Cheng Feng to be placed on a pedestal too high right at the start of her freshman year.
As everyone knows, you can attract anyone’s attention – except that of data analysts.
That could very well determine whether you spend the next four years dominating others or being dominated by them.
Especially for a mecha pilot, once targeted by a data analyst, the situation could only be described as “miserable.”
“Being too low-key makes people bully you.” Cheng Feng suddenly looked up and said, “That’s exactly why wars happen.”
Mr. Kong wanted to say that her understanding wasn’t quite right – at least, not entirely. Society was complicated, and no single principle applied universally.
Cheng Feng added, with feeling, “Might makes right.”
The Command Department instructor beamed. “You’re absolutely right!”
Mr. Kong had nearly forgotten: Cheng Feng’s first mentor was an illegal combat robot.
Whether her fists were hard remained to be seen, but her head was certainly hard.
