Saving Others, Saving Oneself, Overcoming Calamity

"Ah, that's so nice, Moye. The sister who used to watch Moye's matches for years, is she still watching now?"

"I love how confident and spirited Xu Lingqu looks at the end."

"Suddenly thinking, is this match basically a telecom fraud targeting Jinfang Taibai? It's going to be talked about for a long time like when Guan Chuanjun shut the door."

"Hey, speaking of which, they've been saying the top eight list is about to be announced. Shaji is second, Du'e third. Now Shaji is safely at eight points, and Du'e and Zhicheng are tied at six. What happens now?"

"Not sure, the commentator just said the League Center is still deliberating. Right now they're playing an interstellar media interview with Moye. Haha, that red-haired guy from Moye called Jin is so sharp."

The interstellar media's original 'target' was Xu Lingqu, but she predicted it in advance and directly pushed Jin, who was nearest to her, forward, letting the prince handle the media himself. That should be a basic quality of royalty, right?

Jin had been interviewed by interstellar media before. When he appeared as the Third Prince, his interviews were very brief, and he wore a mask. He was also afraid of saying something wrong that would 'disgrace the Ulysses family,' so his answers were always proper.

This time, he got the chance to let loose openly.

"What do you think of your chief commander, Xu Lingqu?"

"What do I think? The commander is invincible."

"Uh... for example, this time she chose to go to the energy core point herself. Don't you think she's still a bit of a lone wolf like before?"

Jin now understood why Xu Lingqu didn't bother with these people. These interstellar media people were really fed and bored. They couldn't even shoot a gun, yet they loved to criticize Xu Lingqu.

He frowned impatiently: "What do you mean 'lone wolf'? Did she say she won this match alone? She wasn't a lone wolf before either. First tell me if that's even true, then ask if she is, okay?"

The reporter was stunned, not expecting a Moye student to be so blunt, especially with Sky Network broadcasting live!

He steeled himself and continued: "She's chosen to be the one to decide the outcome twice..."

"Because she can do it. Can you? If you can, you do it, since you have so many opinions." Jin sneered, glanced at the reporter's badge, and said, "Star Media? You'd better avoid me from now on, or I'll beat you up every time I see you."

- In the Capital Star's imperial palace, the First Prince Xi'en watched this scene and laughed. His health was poor, and he coughed while laughing. The princess Fulian, sitting beside him, immediately called for the chief imperial physician.

Xi'en waved his hand: "Chief Li has been busy lately. I'm fine, don't trouble her."

Fulian looked at him with some dissatisfaction, then shifted her gaze to Jin on the broadcast.

"How is he acting like a prince at all?" she frowned.

"He speaks softly when he's around you, and you don't like that either," Xi'en glanced at his sister. "This is good. This is his true nature. Since he went to the military academy, he's become more and more vibrant."

"But he's definitely going to..." Fulian frowned, her delicate, beautiful face almost scrunching up. "Why does it have to be him? Why not..."

"Fulian." Xi'en interrupted her very seriously. "There's no 'why.' It has to be him. I know you're not doing this for yourself, but Jin doesn't know anything about this. He didn't get to choose either, and it's not something he caused deliberately. Why blame him?"

Fulian was silent. Xi'en coughed harshly again, watching Jin's carefree manner in the interview. "When he learns the truth that day, he'll be the one in the most pain."

- "We've just received news from the League Center," Lieutenant Quan said, adjusting his earpiece and relaying the announcement. "Of the final two spots in the top eight, one goes to Shaji with eight points. The other is contested between Du'e and Zhicheng, tied at six points. The league referees have ruled that the weight of the first elimination round is higher than the group stage. Zhicheng won in the first elimination round, so Zhicheng advances to the top eight..."

Teacher Xiao's tone was regretful: "Du'e made it to the semifinals last year, but this year they hit some setbacks and couldn't make the top eight. I hope next year's Du'e can find their form again and become a top imperial school."

Last year, Jinfang Taibai had burst onto the scene, and his hacking skills left many military academies helpless. But this year, after studying him closely, people found ways to counter him, and Du'e's results plummeted.

Most on the Sky Network believed it was a shame Jinfang Taibai went to Du'e, that his talents weren't being fully utilized, and that the others were just weighing him down.

Xu Xiqin stood beside Liu Zheng, looking around curiously: "Where did Jinfang Taibai go? Where's he gone?"

Liu Zheng pondered for a moment, then said: "He's probably hiding in Moye's rest area crying again."

"Oh." Xu Xiqin nodded, then quickly realized, "Hey, my sister just went back there."

Uh oh, it was going to get worse for Jinfang Taibai!

Xu Lingqu walked toward Moye's rest area and, unsurprisingly, found a black-and-white mushroom at the door.

Jinfang Taibai was crouched in the corner, gently knocking his head against the wall, like stereotyped behavior in zoo animals.

"Where's your guardian?" Xu Lingqu looked up but didn't see Li Muyi's figure.

Usually, he was like Jinfang Taibai's social foster parent, always following behind him to discipline or coax him.

"..." Jinfang Taibai said gloomily, "He's more upset than me. He thinks he's holding me back."

This time, he didn't cry. He just felt frustrated—so frustrated it was as if all the dark clouds in the world had made their home above his head.

Jinfang Taibai didn't like those comments, saying Du'e's success rested on him and its failures on the others, and all that nonsense. It made him want to run away.

Joining Du'e as a military cadet wasn't ever in his life plan. Wins, losses, responsibilities—none of that mattered to Jinfang Taibai. He was just a hacker who did whatever he wanted.

When his psychic power was detected as S-level, Jinfang Taibai didn't delete the report from the Military Department's system. He thought it was cool. But because of that psychic power, he got flagged and caught. It was either join a military academy or go to prison for his various past intrusions.

He naturally wouldn't choose prison. He wasn't stupid.

The analysis major was something he picked randomly. His physical condition couldn't allow him to fight like a solo soldier. Command never entered his considerations—those two words were too hot to handle for him, like shackles locking people in.

Last year's matches, there was an experienced third-year senior as chief commander. She was truly gentle and calm like flowing water, silently doing a lot for Du'e. But back then, everyone only focused on Jinfang Taibai, ignoring her achievements, and couldn't see what was most important for Du'e. Even now, many still think she was just an ordinary one among many chief commanders.

This year, Du'e's chief commander was replaced by Li Muyi, who had as little experience as Jinfang Taibai. He could feel Li Muyi trying his best to care for his emotions, while also working hard to learn how to become a good chief commander. But there was too little time for him. As for Jinfang Taibai himself, he was forever immature and didn't want to take on any responsibility.

Xu Lingqu paused: "Are you feeling guilty?"

"I'm not!" Jinfang Taibai's voice genuinely turned teary this time.

"Congratulations, you've entered the human world." She leaned half against the door, looking at his slightly reddened eyes.

Despite both being wild and carefree, Jinfang Taibai was completely different from Jin. Jin was lively and whimsical, but his core was mature and good-natured—clearly, the imperial education had worked well. Jinfang Taibai, on the other hand, was like a wild animal on the plains. His random whims and odd behavior were his nature.

At Du'e, it was clear no one tried to tame that wildness. The people there, like water, simply wrapped around him gently, watching him crash through the human world.

Until today, when he finally smashed headfirst into a wall.

"What does that mean?" Jinfang Taibai didn't understand. "Are you calling me not human?"

"You could say that." Seeing that he seemed to be dealing with himself, Xu Lingqu opened the rest area door and went inside.

Jinfang Taibai still wanted to ask, and he jumped up, but the door to Moye's chief commander's rest area closed right in front of him.

Jinfang Taibai: ...

That heartless woman! Not only did she deceive him badly in the match, but outside the match she was still this cold!

But wait, it wasn't like she had to unconditionally soothe him like Du'e did. Was that really 'cold'? Xu Lingqu was under no obligation to manage his emotions.

Jinfang Taibai stared at that door for over ten seconds, then turned and walked away from Moye's rest area corridor. With a resolute determination, he returned to Du'e's rest area.

Du'e's students were all in bad spirits, every one of them looking gloomy and dejected. But when they saw Jinfang Taibai, their faces all turned to surprise.

"You came back?"

Jinfang Taibai's planned words of comfort got stuck in his throat and wouldn't come out. He scratched his hair: "What? Can't I come back?"

Du'e's students quickly waved their hands and pulled him to Du'e's chief commander's rest area.

When the door opened, Jinfang Taibai saw Li Muyi with dried tears on his face, and Du'e's leading teacher comforting him. When the two turned and saw Jinfang Taibai, they nearly jumped out of their skins.

"How... how are you back?" Li Muyi hastily wiped away his tears, observing Jinfang Taibai's state. "Did Moye people cheer you up?"

...If Xu Lingqu's words could be considered cheering up.

Jinfang Taibai looked confused: "Why would they cheer me up?"

"Haven't you always wanted to go to Moye? And Moye just happens to need a stronger analyst?" The leading teacher was puzzled.

"When did I ever want to go to Moye? I just said it was convenient for me to cry there!" Jinfang Taibai stomped his foot in anger. "Really! How did this misunderstanding happen?! Do you all think I'm the type to abandon Du'e and run off at any moment?"

Li Muyi, the leading teacher, and the surrounding Du'e students quickly denied it and explained. They had always assumed Jinfang Taibai liked Moye a lot, since he kept going there, even trying to poach Xu Lingqu. Plus, the shady media's constant rumors had made even them think Jinfang Taibai might be considering transferring to Moye.

And after today's match, Jinfang Taibai had headed straight for Moye's rest area.

In Li Muyi's view, if Xu Lingqu wanted to pull Jinfang Taibai over to strengthen Moye's overall analysis ability, Jinfang Taibai could probably be lured away in a few sentences.

They didn't want to lose Jinfang Taibai, but if he decided to leave, they couldn't bear to hold him back. So no one went to find him; they chose to deal with their emotions themselves.

Fortunately, Jinfang Taibai returned on his own and cleared up that ridiculous misunderstanding. Du'e's rest area was in a bit of chaos, but at least everything was explained clearly.

Jinfang Taibai looked at his teacher, friends, and classmates, and said quietly: "Next year, next year I'll take you all to the finals."

Li Muyi didn't catch it: "What?"

"I said! Next year! I'm taking Du'e to the finals!"