Swapping the Slot

Feng Bu's face flushed a deep purple-red, his whole body shrinking in on itself, motionless and silent.

"The principal will be here soon. Instructor Guan, please keep an eye on him a while longer." Su Li finished speaking and set off in the direction Xu Lingqu had just taken, walking quickly for a good while before catching up—had she been any slower, Xu Lingqu would already be inside the cafeteria.

She truly didn't care one bit whether Feng Bu lived or died. Su Li called out, "Cadet Xu, let's talk."

Xu Lingqu, biting on a tube of nutrient fluid, followed Su Li to her office. Su Li directly handed her the hundred-person roster Kai Ang had drafted.

The first line confirmed Xu Lingqu's position as Chief Commander alone. In the remaining list, roughly sixty percent were this year's new cadets, with the remaining forty percent selected from Moye's second- and third-year students.

"Won't they have objections?" Xu Lingqu looked at Su Li.

Su Li only smiled bitterly. "No. They'll think it's less trouble."

Ever since last year's humiliation, it wasn't just Kai Ang—Moye students were haunted by the military academy league. Under wave after wave of Sky Network mockery and attacks, quite a few of last year's participants had developed psychological issues and transferred or dropped out.

Feng Bu was a clear case of extreme emotional instability, completely unable to control himself.

They were still just students, after all. Their physical conditioning might meet military standards, but their psychological fortitude was far from it.

"You probably don't fully understand the league's format. Of its three parts, the group competition is the most important. Eight military academies each from the Federation and the Empire compete as hundred-person groups, battling to determine the strongest academy. That title has gone to the Federation's Qingjun for three consecutive years now. The Military Department is under immense pressure, and because they don't dare complain about Longyuan or Dolanston, they dump all that pressure on us." Su Li sighed.

"Besides the group competition, there's also a joint Federation-Empire exhibition match held after it. As the name suggests, both sides merge their eight academies and face off. The Chief Commander for that match is the best commander from the group stage. Moye... basically serves as cannon fodder in that segment." Su Li clasped her fingers together. "Lastly, there's the mech arena, dedicated to mech combat. Each side sends a hundred participants to fight. The Empire sets the Psychic Power Level entry threshold at A+, so Moye gets very few slots."

The league's mech arena used replicated mechs, which largely tested average psychic power levels.

"I'm telling you all this because this year, the group competition matters most for Moye. When Principal Feng Hui arrives, no matter what, you must not give up the Chief Commander position." Su Li knew full well that after Feng Bu's stunt, Feng Hui would still end up cleaning up his mess.

Feng Hui was actually a clever man with some ability, but his parenting was an absolute disaster. He had basically no control over Feng Bu—whatever his son wanted, he gave.

Even though the meeting had clearly decided Xu Lingqu would be Chief Commander, Feng Hui would definitely shamelessly come to her for Feng Bu's sake.

The moment she spoke, speak of the devil.

Feng Hui arrived in a khaki trench coat, exhaustion all over his face. After he got there, Feng Bu had another crying fit, and Feng Hui finally had his family bodyguards take him to the psychological counseling room. He couldn't talk to his son until the boy had fully calmed down.

"Principal Feng." Su Li greeted him expressionlessly and invited Feng Hui to sit on the sofa.

Xu Lingqu observed the principal, a man who'd worn himself out over his son. As soon as he sat down, he addressed her: "Cadet Xu, Feng Bu caused you trouble. I apologize to you on his behalf."

His attitude seemed sincere, but Xu Lingqu said nothing. An apology delivered by someone else meant absolutely nothing.

And Feng Hui had come specifically to see her—this was definitely not the real reason.

"Feng Bu's mental state has been unstable since last year. He needs a chance to untie that knot. No matter what, I'm his father, and I have to fight for that chance for him. So, Cadet Xu..." Feng Hui's high-sounding words were cut off the next second.

"His chance matters, but mine can just be handed over?" Xu Lingqu stared calmly at Feng Hui, watching the mask of forced composure crack piece by piece.

Feng Hui knew perfectly well he was grasping at straws, using his position as principal to pressure an innocent female student. But he thought of the shattered Feng Bu.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Anything else you want—name it."

Silence filled the office for about thirty seconds. When Feng Hui thought he'd be refused with nothing but silence, Xu Lingqu spoke.

"I want a slot in the league's mech arena."

Su Li started, looking at Xu Lingqu in disbelief. Hadn't she just stressed the importance of the Chief Commander position?

Feng Hui trembled with excitement. "You're serious?"

"He can have the command for just one match. The Chief Commander is still me. That will not change." Xu Lingqu studied Feng Hui with a scrutinizing gaze.

At those words, Su Li's hanging heart finally settled, while Feng Hui's expression turned grave.

After all, the command of a single match was worlds apart from the Chief Commander seat.

"Didn't your son claim he just needed a chance to prove himself?" Xu Lingqu continued. "If you're worried he won't agree, tell him that if he wins under his command, the Chief Commander position will be his."

Feng Hui was silent for a moment before looking at her. "What if he actually wins?"

"You hesitated so long before asking me. No one knows a son like his father—you're well aware he can't win." A man idiotic enough to run campus bullying that clumsily—who'd expect him to lead a team to victory in any group match?

The young woman before him was composed, a seasoned negotiator. More than the holographic data Su Li had shown him, those few brief exchanges made Feng Hui understand exactly why they were so insistent on Xu Lingqu as Chief Commander.

"Your Psychic Power Level is B. There's no good outcome for you in the mech arena, and it's also procedurally non-compliant." Feng Hui didn't understand why Xu Lingqu wanted that slot.

Xu Lingqu replied directly, "How to get me in is your problem to figure out, Principal. I only handle handing over the command for that one match."

Though she didn't know why Xu Lingqu wanted to participate in the mech arena, Su Li still nodded approvingly from the side. Mech soldier training was restricted by the Nanyi Convention—the Military Department could never allow someone with a B-level power into the ranks.

But in the Sky Network's mech arena, a B-level power could easily pilot an A-rank replicated mech. With no hard grounds to refuse, Principal Feng Hui's position was more than enough to slip Xu Lingqu in.

All these years, what Su Li hated most was her own superiors' inaction. Today, watching Xu Lingqu force Feng Hui to go negotiate with those Military Department people through a trade—

Su Li couldn't have been more satisfied.