Due to the relatively few online guides available, someone has compiled a summary of the questions Cheng Feng had answered, encouraging adventurous players to verify them one by one.
This is the first serious guide on code command connections on the San Yao Forum, and it was quickly pinned and highlighted by the administrators, linking Cheng Feng’s name with manual mecha operation.
Most netizens suddenly recalled that Cheng Feng, aside from being a deputy commander, was also a naturally gifted manual pilot who had broken multiple training records at San Yao.
Cheng Feng stepped out mid-session to use the restroom. Upon returning, her optical computer screen was flooded with private message notifications. Out of habit, she enabled the blocking feature and continued browsing the forum.
It must be said – netizens have remarkably creative minds.
Because they excel at making mistakes, they find themselves facing all sorts of extreme, dangerous, and intriguing predicaments. From perspectives Cheng Feng could never have imagined, they raised questions about mecha parameters.
With such obscure viewpoints, new doors in Cheng Feng’s world kept swinging open -even though she felt she might never encounter similar issues in her lifetime.
By evening, several professional data analysts stepped forward one after another, presenting their comparisons of the old and new generations of mechs using three-dimensional models for demonstration. The teaching and research teams from major military universities also made their latest experimental data publicly available.
Although there was a certain level of competition among them, when it came to the allocation of such foundational educational resources, the administrations of these institutions maintained an unspoken agreement to keep things fully transparent.
After all, mastering a manual mech couldn’t be achieved through scattered guides alone. However, widespread access to foundational resources allowed more talented students to be exposed to cutting-edge knowledge at a younger age.
Only when the overall environment thrived could manual mechs achieve long-term progress.
The guides provided by various parties inevitably had certain differences. So by evening, a large number of new accounts were registered in the manual mech section. Netizens with time on their hands, adopting a reviewing mindset, compiled all the guides together, testing and scoring them one by one. Even several instructors from UFU joined in, pushing through challenges on this sleepless night. For once, manual mechs experienced a surge of popularity.
Cheng Feng truly admired the netizens of San Yao for their ability to organize and summarize information – it made it convenient for her to compare and record the operating styles of different mech pilots.
Some of the more daring and ingenious code connections were ones Cheng Feng had never encountered before, opening up quite a few unconventional approaches for her.
Just as Cheng Feng was pondering whether the back-and-forth zigzag tactic fell into the category of chaotic, reckless improvisation, the reviews about her appeared on the homepage.
Several posts popped up in succession, and the ratings were not particularly high.
【Cheng Feng’s code connections are lacking. The mech’s movements come across as rigid, with noticeable stuttering. Not only that, but the error rate is also high. For similar maneuvers, UMU’s code tutorial for escaping encirclement is more concise – shorter by two segments – and has a higher fault tolerance.】
This was a relatively long string of code, accompanied by four video clips below.
Two were failed recordings from Cheng Feng’s guide, while the other two referenced UMU’s research data, showing code being entered at different speeds and successfully executed.
The maneuver the manual mech was supposed to perform was: after being targeted by an enemy aircraft, transform while staying low to the ground, weave, have the left weapons bay handle interception, and simultaneously have the right weapons bay lock on for a counterattack.
In the failed videos, the transforming mech scraped the ground twice, and the interception weapons bay nearly got jammed by the rising blast shield. Additionally, the weaving angle was too wide, making it impossible to find the right timing for a counter.
After watching it twice, netizens found it absolutely suffocating – it had that same feel as Shen Dan’s level of operation.
“Quick reminder: Cheng Feng hasn’t even test-driven it yet; she’s just sharing her personal research insights. Most military universities probably have their students go through trial and error.”
“Seriously? When it comes to guides on the same issue, would anyone actually trust Cheng Feng over the military university research teams? Especially since the universities’ code is clearly shorter!”
“The research teams aren’t necessarily always right either – several of their findings have already been debunked tonight. Everyone’s searching for the optimal solution.”
“To be honest, quite a few of Cheng Feng’s code segments are overly flashy. Not only are they long, but they’re also difficult to execute – feels like they’re testing the limits of my fingers. After trying for a whole night, my right hand is cramping. Anyone who uses this is asking for tendinitis.”
“First-year college student.”
Not long after the debate started, another post was published.
【Clarification: It’s not that Cheng Feng’s code connections are lacking – it’s that your hands are. Her long code segments are only suitable for advanced players.】
The main post also included a video. The video spliced together mech operations using the two different code sets, placing them side by side for a direct comparison.
With the pilot entering the code at the same APM, Cheng Feng’s mech operated noticeably faster and more evasively. It incorporated an extra defensive evasion command during the transformation process and added a propulsion segment while weaving. Even if the enemy’s projectile could alter its trajectory mid-flight and the interception failed, it didn’t affect the subsequent counterattack.
In contrast, UMU’s mech operation was more basic – by the book, neither outstanding nor flawed.
After watching, netizens had only one thought: Smooth! As! Silk!
Cheng Feng’s code operation delivered a sense of exhilarating precision, with each component seamlessly controlled to its fullest potential. While it left little margin for error in the pilot’s APM, it offered a higher survival rate on the battlefield.
For high-level pilots, this was clearly a more stable and advanced approach.
Netizens felt as if the congestion that had been clogging their pores all night was finally cleared by this clip. Just as they were about to comment, they noticed that the post’s author turned out to be an instructor with UMU research team credentials.
“What a satisfying visual! A single flower blooming among a heap of scrap metal! Is this the charm of the new model? I thought this tech revision was doomed for sure.”
“So does it take instructor-level APM to achieve this kind of performance?”
“The military university research teams really don’t hold back when it comes to debunking themselves. Well done!”
“It’s just academic exchange – how is that debunking? This is what you call a hundred flowers blooming. I’m all for it!”
Mr. Kong had mixed feelings.
He had compiled Cheng Feng’s guides and had an instructor test them out in person. Her approach leaned toward the orthodox and conservative, but there were no issues. Among all the military university students so far, she was one of those who had gained the most thorough understanding of the new model.
On one hand, he felt quite gratified; on the other hand, he was deeply anxious about being blocked. He feared that Cheng Feng might struggle in the chaotic online world, with no one to offer her comfort.
Mr. Kong clutched his optical computer and kept muttering in the newly established inter-academy communication group.
“This student, Cheng Feng – she’s disobedient and doesn’t follow procedures. What can you even say about someone like that? Nothing. The child’s grown up and has her own ideas.”
“What’s the use of just being able to analyze mech parameters? Even if she learns a bit faster than most people right now, can draw inferences, and simulate battle scenarios – if she doesn’t actually do a test herself, she’ll never unlearn her old bad habits.”
“Tell me, if she doesn’t seek help from her instructors and does everything on her own, what exactly is she paying tuition for?”
A world where no one was happy had emerged.
Five minutes later, Mr. Kong was kicked out of the group.
…
Considering the manual mech technical revision, all professional students were racing to meet the end-of-term assessment standards. Since Cheng Feng was “the most promising student,” the command department graciously granted her two days off.
During these two days, student test-drive results remained less than ideal.
Although the connection codes for various maneuvers had already been released, and everyone had developed their own secondary code libraries tailored to their original combat styles, the gap between memorization and mastery remained an insurmountable and unpredictable distance.
Cheng Feng spent the first day answering questions online. On the second day, she went to the simulator, locking herself in an encrypted room for code testing. On the third day, she emerged and wrote another guide, sending netizens and instructors alike into a frenzy with spiking blood pressure.
Everyone was guessing when she would finally start test-driving, waiting with burning impatience yet not daring to urge her.
At noon on the fourth day, Cheng Feng entered the simulator on time and stood idly in the activity hall as usual.
Before long, a message appeared in the world channel.
【World】Ye Guicheng: One-on-one battle, standard urban map. Looking for a high-scoring mech pilot.
Several classes from the sensor mech major were also taking simulation lessons. A few infantry students spotted the message and casually applied.
Cheng Feng sorted the applicants in descending order, selected the student with the highest score on the list, and directly started the match.
For a first test drive of a manual mech, it’s common to choose an opponent of a lower level within the same grade – protracted battles make it easier to identify one’s own shortcomings and strengths. So after clicking in, no one paid much attention, simply treating it as a way to cheer on the underclassman.
When the screen transitioned, the chosen upperclassman was still wearing a bewildered expression.
All those keeping an eye on Cheng Feng were jolted awake by this unexpected development, frantically clicking the spectate button in the air, afraid of missing this crucial moment.
“Spread the word! Cheng Feng is starting her test drive!”
“Let me see who’s the man chosen by the god of manual mechs!”
“UFU, Infantry Department, junior, Zhong Yijie, 110,000 points. Haha, no way – why would she pick this opponent for her test drive?”
“I know Zhong Yijie – he’s someone who can make it to the league finals. His expression is killing me.”
“Isn’t this way too arrogant, Cheng Feng? She hasn’t even left the rookie zone and she’s already picking a boss for herself? Why not just go straight for Xiang Yunjian?”
“The third-year infantry students are in class too. Xiang Yunjian and the others are there. They’re probably watching.”
Zhong Yijie’s mind went blank. Staring at the mech selection panel before him, he slowly turned his head. Amidst the crisp sound of his neck bones cracking, he tried to negotiate with his opponent.
Swiftness Prevails: ??
Ye Guicheng: ??
Swiftness Prevails: Should I go all out?
Ye Guicheng: ??
Ye Guicheng: What nonsense are you talking about?
Swiftness Prevails: How well have you adapted to manual controls?
Ye Guicheng: Seems just average. Haven’t really tried yet.
Swiftness Prevails: ??
Ye Guicheng: ??
This encrypted exchange left Zhong Yijie’s scalp tingling.
He scratched his short hair, unsure of what to do. Recalling Cheng Feng’s recent fame, he spontaneously concocted an elaborate web of potential conflicts and felt an invisible weight pressing down on his shoulders.
After thinking it over cautiously, he decided to send a private message to his instructor, just to be safe.
“If I win too quickly, would the university be embarrassed?”
The instructor fired back instantly: “What’s there to be embarrassed about? Just focus on your own fight. Plenty of people are watching – keep it clean, don’t throw the match.”
“Really?”
“What kind of weird thoughts are going through your head? Is that the kind of uni we are? Losing would be a disgrace to the sensor mech program – get out there and fight!”
“Got it!”
Zhong Yijie let out a sigh of relief, raised his hand, and selected his most proficient mech model, “Wusu,” then equipped his preferred weapons arsenal.
