The first battle was a swift victory. It ended in a flash, with the entire match lasting no more than five minutes.
The surroundings were completely silent, unable to react in time, as the three silver-gray mechas had already left the center of the base along the passageway, returning to the preparation platform.
“Match over!”
“The seventh match of the second round of the mecha battle, Federation Military Academy Team 502 wins!”
The commentator’s belated announcement echoed throughout the entire base via the loudspeakers.
The spectator stands finally erupted with noise, a whistle of cheer broke out, followed by thunderous applause, and faintly accompanied by the wailing of some gamblers who had lost their bets.
That afternoon, the odds for Team 502 were significantly raised.
Netizens following the match on the Star Network were all shocked, repeatedly replaying the scene of Chu Yunsheng’s decisive first kill.
Some experts estimated that Chu Yunsheng’s speed in that brief one or two seconds definitely exceeded the speed of sound, making it nearly impossible for the human retina to capture.
“Were the Bandit Trio hiding their strength during the melee? In this match, they were just too strong!”
“I couldn’t even see how Chu Yunsheng made his move, and the opponent was already down in a flash! I swear, if Chu Yunsheng had shown this performance in the first round, I would never have bet on Team 610 to win!”
“Bankrupt! I’m bankrupt!”
“I think the Bandit Trio did hide some of their strength, but overall, there’s not much difference from the end of the first round. Just think about the scene when the Bandit Trio faced Feng Huan in the first round. If time hadn’t run out, Feng Huan’s teammate would definitely have been taken down…”
“Get lost, you upstairs! Feng Huan was the top scorer in the joint exams back then, while Chu Yunsheng was always second. There’s nothing more to say. If it weren’t for the opening trap taking out that senior, Chu Yunsheng wouldn’t have had a chance in a three-on-two situation!”
“My face still stings from being slapped. I’m not betting this time…”
“Not betting, not betting, it’s bad for my health.”
As soon as Feng Huan was mentioned, a large number of his fans instantly flooded in.
Chu Yunsheng couldn’t compare to Feng Huan in terms of strength, family background, or even the spouse he married. Many people mocked Chu Yunsheng for only being able to pick up the Ye family’s discarded impostor.
However, there were also many rational individuals who analyzed the rapid growth of the Bandit Trio and believed that they were not without a chance of winning.
The balance of public opinion began to shift.
Su Wenshu and Feng Huan also received the results of Team 502’s first match immediately.
“They defeated the ace team of Southern Academy in seconds…”
Su Wenshu sighed, “I remember Pei Sheng from Southern Academy is in that team. Chu Yunsheng actually managed to beat Pei Sheng. And with an overwhelming advantage… Ah Huan, we can no longer underestimate them.”
Feng Huan sat in the preparation platform’s compartment, his deep gaze carrying a hint of malice as he watched the replay of Chu Yunsheng’s swift victory over and over again.
“You’re right.”
His expression was grim.
Amateurs watch the excitement, while experts watch the subtleties.
With Feng Huan’s keen eye, he only needed to watch two or three times to discern the level of strength Chu Yunsheng was now displaying. Proud as he was, he had to admit that Chu Yunsheng had grown too quickly. Compared to their last encounter in the melee, he had become even stronger like a monster.
“The other academies’ trash won’t be able to stop him.”
Feng Huan said, “Chu Yunsheng is continuously getting stronger, but Team 502’s weaknesses are also very apparent and difficult to change. Their victory over Team 610 was largely due to the element of surprise and Chu Yunsheng’s overwhelming individual strength… Arrange for the senior ace team from the Second Academy to face them in the next match. That team specializes in countering close combat and surprise attacks.”
Su Wenshu looked at Feng Huan with some surprise.
In his understanding, Feng Huan was a very proud and strong-willed person who valued fairness in battles.
In fact, Su Wenshu had long wanted to use some tactics, but he had always feared that Feng Huan would not allow it and would form a poor impression of him.
However, it now seemed that Feng Huan was not as upright as he appeared.
His so-called fairness was probably only established on the basis of his own guaranteed victory.
A hint of mocking understanding flashed in Su Wenshu’s eyes.
His slightly lowered eyelids concealed his emotions, preventing Feng Huan from seeing them.
He nodded, but for some reason, he still felt a bit uneasy and apprehensive.
After a moment of contemplation, Su Wenshu opened the smart device on his wrist and sent a message to the Ye family.
In fact, as long as the underhanded operations were done discreetly, not too frequently, and not too targeted, the various academies participating in the military exercises would turn a blind eye due to the influence of family power.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
After all, to put it bluntly, the Feng family and a student like Chu Yunsheng were not even in the same league.
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“But… we will win.”
He had also assessed the strength of Team 502. In fact, Feng Huan and his team were no longer their biggest obstacle. There were other teams in this competition that were even stronger.
Wu Ke: “…Junior, having confidence is good, but blind confidence is not advisable.”
Chu Yunsheng looked up: “Team 31 will be very restrictive for me. They have already played two matches, and in both the melee and these two matches, they have mostly taken down close-combat teams. This match will be tough, but we will win.”
As he spoke, he looked at the speechless Wu Ke.
“Senior Wu, after this match, I need your help with something.”
Wu Ke was puzzled: “What is it?”
“Underhanded manipulation. After defeating Team 31, make sure I draw Team 337 for the next match,” Chu Yunsheng said, raising his eyebrows slightly, a faint coldness in his eyes. “If they want to take us down, I’ll send them home.”
Wu Ke was deeply impressed by Chu Yunsheng’s commanding presence and somewhat bewildered, went to call his family.
Although the Wu family wasn’t on par with the three major aristocratic families of the Federation, their high status in the military, due to their control over most of the logistics and supplies, was significant.
Moreover, no one believed that Chu Yunsheng could defeat Feng Huan.
By the afternoon, Chu Yunsheng and his team re-entered the base to start their match.
As expected, Team 31 was well-prepared. Chu Yunsheng couldn’t use his speed advantage to seize the initiative and was instead confined to a small area by two of their members using difficult long-range attacks, separating him from Ye Qing and Wu Ke.
The last member of Team 31 was their strongest, Captain Mu Yuan, who specialized in using small, assassin-type mechas with very tricky combat techniques.
Ye Qing took the high ground, wielding two mechanical arms equipped with a shotgun and a laser cannon, focusing on both targeted strikes and scattering shots.
Despite this, he couldn’t stop Mu Yuan’s relentless advance.
“Ye Zi, be careful!”
Wu Ke watched as the relatively small figure crossed the line of fire and quickly approached, anxiously warning over the communication channel.
At the same time, he hurriedly put down his cannon, drew his light blade, and prepared to engage in close combat to shield Ye Qing for a while.
But just as he finished speaking, the barrage of bullets and firelight suddenly paused. The small figure leaped up, not striking at Ye Qing as expected, but abruptly turned back. The light blade extended with a spark, slashing fiercely towards Wu Ke.
“His target is me!”
Wu Ke was startled and quickly retreated, raising his light shield.
If there was one area where Senior Wu had improved during the melee, besides his mecha repair skills, it was his speed in escaping and raising his shield, which now surpassed most of the other contestants.
However, before Mu Yuan’s light blade could strike Wu Ke’s shield, a figure suddenly intercepted Mu Yuan’s mecha from the side.
“Senior Wu, provide long-range fire support for Yunsheng!”
Ye Qing swiftly parried Mu Yuan’s light blade, drawing back his mechanical arm, and a long light arc sliced through the air in a graceful, sharp crescent.
His movements were extremely quick, and in the blink of an eye, he was entangled in combat with Mu Yuan. Yet, his voice in the communication channel remained calm and steady: “They came prepared. Yunsheng’s communication channel sensor has been cut off. He can’t hear us, but he isn’t trapped. He needs a point of breakthrough.”
“I’ll hold off Mu Yuan. Senior Wu, you go disrupt the one on the left… He’s using an energy cannon that needs to recharge every five minutes, with a recharge time of seven seconds. As long as you prevent the anti-aircraft gun on his other mechanical arm from firing a single bullet during those seven seconds, we can win!”
As Ye Qing spoke, he was momentarily careless and had another piece of metal armor sliced off by Mu Yuan.
The hard alloy surface cracked, revealing the complex internal circuitry and components.
Before the light blade could cut into the sensor, the silver-gray mecha suddenly turned, twisting its other mechanical arm with all its might, and simultaneously punched out, striking hard at the opponent’s cockpit.
“Are you the ace Mu Yuan from the Second Academy?”
Ye Qing’s mocking and indifferent voice came from within the mecha, carrying a hint of deliberate provocation and disdain: “This level… is a bit weak.”
Not far away, Chu Yunsheng swiftly dodged a barrage of bullets. Hearing Ye Qing’s voice, he couldn’t help but find it amusing.
He hadn’t expected that after all the rogue battles Ye Qing had fought, he hadn’t picked up much else but had perfectly mastered this provocative, annoying demeanor.
“Who are you?”
Mu Yuan, however, was not easily provoked. He continued to attack calmly and quickly, searching for weak points in the silver-gray mecha.
Ye Qing didn’t respond to the question or continue to provoke.
In fact, he was quite adept at dealing with opponents like Mu Yuan, as Chu Yunsheng excelled in close combat and swift attacks.
After sparring with Chu Yunsheng for a month, while he might not be able to win, Ye Qing’s ability to withstand pressure was definitely strong.
Ye Qing’s tenacity took Mu Yuan by surprise.
Despite his prolonged attacks, Mu Yuan found that the silver-gray mecha’s predictive abilities were astonishingly accurate.
It was as if the opponent could read his mind, knowing his every move and preemptively countering.
The more he fought, the more frustrated he became, and his actions gradually grew more impatient.
On the other side, following Ye Qing’s suggestion, Wu Ke had already set up his cannon for long-range support for Chu Yunsheng.
However, unlike Ye Qing, Senior Wu’s cannon fire was indiscriminate, attacking both friend and foe without distinction.
But it was precisely this clumsy operation that disrupted the coordination rhythm of the two opposing mechas.
Wu Ke, who had been closely monitoring the energy cannon’s recharge time, counted the five minutes. As the energy cannon was about to start its second recharge, he unleashed a barrage of fire at the mecha carrying the energy cannon, shouting through the loudspeaker, “Junior Chu, now!”
A gap was opened in the dense barrage of bullets.
Chu Yunsheng’s silver-gray mecha, like a knight breaking through the darkness, burst out of the encirclement, almost turning into a blur as it instantly charged towards the mecha that had just finished recharging its energy cannon.
The high-temperature beam of the energy cannon grazed the shoulder of the silver-gray mecha.
Chu Yunsheng’s light blade sliced a thin, long light trail, and the cockpit of the opposing mecha split open in an instant, revealing the stunned and still excited face of the Second Academy student.
With the first one down, the second soon followed.
When Chu Yunsheng intercepted Mu Yuan, Mu Yuan finally looked seriously at the somewhat battered mecha, and said hoarsely, “Before the match, someone told me to lock you in an encirclement and not give you a chance to escape. Because once you break out, you become the fiercest wolf.”
“I didn’t take it seriously at the time, but now it seems he was right. However, if you want to beat me…”
Mu Yuan’s mechanical arm twisted, and he suddenly closed in, his voice carrying a surge of battle spirit through the loudspeaker: “Even Feng Huan wouldn’t dare say that!”
The two mechas collided fiercely.
“So fast!”
Thunderous exclamations erupted from the spectator stands.
The speed and power of the clash between Chu Yunsheng and Mu Yuan were astonishing, leaving the audience dazzled.
Ye Qing’s long-range artillery support pushed the battle to its climax.
“So fast! So fast!”
The commentator shouted frantically, “The combat speed of these two mechas is so fast that even our cameras can hardly capture it clearly! Unbelievable… this is just a match between two students! Their reaction speed, hand speed, and their bodies’ tolerance to the mecha’s simulation system are incredibly high!”
“I can guarantee, the last person to reach this level of combat proficiency was our interstellar-renowned Federation Marshal!”
The commentator’s speech was rapid, so excited that he seemed to be out of breath, making one want to shove an oxygen tank into his mouth.
The atmosphere in the spectator stands was also greatly heightened, with everyone intensely excited and watching the fierce battle with bated breath.
In the eighteenth minute, the battle finally ended with a heavy blow from Chu Yunsheng.
Mu Yuan was narrowly defeated.
The small black mecha wobbled twice before falling backward.
Chu Yunsheng sat in his mecha, drenched in sweat, but his eyes were cold and sharp.
He calmly glanced at Mu Yuan, then maneuvered the silver-gray mecha to turn around. The heavily damaged steel body trudged slowly towards the preparation platform passage.
“Chu-ge’s target has never been Feng Huan.”
Ye Qing put away his cannon, glanced at Mu Yuan, and quickly ran to catch up with Chu Yunsheng.
Mu Yuan sat in the cockpit, his expression complex and silent for a long time before he raised his hand to open his smart device and sent a message: “Grandfather, I don’t have high hopes for Feng Huan.”
The Bandit Trio defeated another ace team!
An intense and thrilling battle thrust Chu Yunsheng and his team into the spotlight.
Through this match against Team 31, many who initially doubted Team 502 quickly changed their tune, albeit with swollen faces. Upon seeing that the next draw was against Feng Huan’s Team 337, they expressed no surprise, confidently stating that Team 502 could win, while quietly distancing themselves from the trio, fearing to be tainted by their supposed bad luck.
However, some sensed something unusual and suspected underhanded manipulation.
Others even dug up the previous incident involving Wu Ke and the omega in heat, as well as the Feng family’s connections with most of the academy’s high-ranking officials, subtly pointing fingers at Feng Huan.
“Playing the underhanded game well, aren’t they?”
“Making the Bandit Trio fight two seed teams in a row and then stepping in to pick up the pieces? A perfectly good match ruined by people like you!”
“Mu Yuan is a senior and was a genius back in the day. Can Feng Huan really compare? Now that even Mu Yuan has lost, I advise Feng Huan to stop manipulating things. Isn’t this just self-humiliation?”
“Baseless accusations of underhanded manipulation?”
“Don’t try to whitewash Feng Huan’s tactics. If it wasn’t him, could it have been Chu Yunsheng himself doing the underhanded manipulation?”
If Wu Ke saw this comment, he would definitely be impressed. In a way, this person had hit the nail on the head.
Feng Huan was unaware of the external rumors because the three of them were preparing for the next battle.
The fight between Chu Yunsheng and Mu Yuan finally made Feng Huan feel a sense of crisis. His pride wouldn’t allow him to admit that he was inferior to Chu Yunsheng, but in his actions, he couldn’t help but become much more cautious.
Although encountering Chu Yunsheng at this stage was somewhat unexpected for him, Feng Huan still didn’t believe that he would be defeated by Chu Yunsheng. There were only four spots for advancement, but there were thirty-eight competing teams. In other words, losing just one match would almost certainly mean missing out on the top four.
This competition was that brutal.
Feng Huan and Su Wenshu didn’t dare to be careless, but Chu Yunsheng and Ye Qing were extremely relaxed. Before the evening match, they even went out for a barbecue with Wu Ke.
At 7 PM that evening.
Team 502 versus Team 337, the match started on time.
For the spectators, this match was somewhat dull.
Facing Chu Yunsheng, Feng Huan surprisingly abandoned his previous aggressive style and became somewhat restrained, even needing another person to help barely contain Chu Yunsheng.
On the other side, Su Wenshu was nowhere near as formidable as Mu Yuan. After less than three minutes of exchanging blows with Ye Qing, he began to show signs of defeat, retreating step by step.
“Is this the level of underhanded manipulation?”
“Feng Huan seems to be losing his nerve. His performance isn’t as good as before. The psychological pressure must be too much for him…”
The spectators murmured in confusion.
Chu Yunsheng, however, was not surprised by Feng Huan’s performance. This was precisely one of the reasons he didn’t shy away from melee sniping and underhanded tactics, steadily defeating seed teams along the way.
Feng Huan’s arrogance and conceit made him very strong, but also left him with very fragile and obvious weaknesses.
From the beginning, Chu Yunsheng planned to gradually build momentum, creating psychological pressure on Feng Huan and Su Wenshu.
Repeated failed calculations and unsuccessful sniping attempts would inevitably instill a sense of apprehension in Feng Huan and Su Wenshu towards him.
This apprehension would lead to caution, hesitation, and fear of losing.
These emotions were precisely what Chu Yunsheng and his team, who started from a low point and fought their way up, would never possess.
Therefore, by leveraging these emotions and considering that Chu Yunsheng’s strength was already slightly superior to Feng Huan’s, winning wasn’t particularly difficult.
The outcome of this match was without suspense.
After the commentator announced the victory, Chu Yunsheng retracted his light blade and was about to turn and leave when several shadows suddenly fell overhead—
A small security fleet appeared above the base, faintly surrounding him.
At this moment, Su Wenshu’s voice came from behind: “Yunsheng, you are suspected of illegal experimentation and modifying omega physiology, which violates Federal law. Although we are friends, I cannot cover for you. I have already sent the relevant evidence to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office. They are willing to offer you a sentence through voluntary surrender, which is the greatest leniency… I hope you won’t resist. Once in prison, you can properly confess your crimes.”
His gentle and helpless voice spread throughout the base, as if he were sincerely advising a friend who had committed a grave crime.
Chu Yunsheng brushed off these nauseating words, glanced at the security fleet overhead, and felt a sense of calm, even finding it somewhat amusing.
Here it came.
A cornered dog would jump over the wall.
The author has something to say:
Chu Yunsheng: I’m going to prison.
Ye Qing: What? Prison play?
That Su guy is really stupid. First disdaining the Feng dude for being the same as him and then pulling such a trick… Hah.
And Ye Qing seems to like role play? Must be a remnant of his time as actor.
Thank you for the chapter~
The audacity of Su Wenshu lmaoooo
Does he know how he looks right now? Complete sore loser
Also, shut up, he is not your friend you damn lotus bitch
Ye Qing’s ✨priorities✨ is so funny 😆
A thirsty shou is very refreshing, however, ngl!
Ye Qing, your focus is…amazing XD
Go away, you white lotus bitch! Noone has time for your delusional lack of self awareness!