The Military Academy League Is About to Begin

To squeeze Xu Lingqu—a B-level student—into the hundred-person arena roster, he could foresee endless bickering and quarreling with the Military Department, swallowing his pride to beg favors.

In the past, this was the kind of task Feng Hui dreaded most, always handing it off to Su Li. But now he had to bear it himself. After all, this was still his family matter.

Feng Hui knew full well that Feng Bu needed the command for that one small match. Even though in his view it was a destined loss, it was precisely the outcome Feng Bu needed. Let reality completely shatter his illusions, make him see himself clearly—only then could he return to being a normal person.

"Fine." Feng Hui agreed, rose, and left immediately. He needed to hurry and check on Feng Bu's condition.

Su Li watched him close the office door behind him and leave for good, then shook her head. "He doesn't have the airs of a Military Department leader, and he's not ill-intentioned. But a layman directing a military academy is a mistake in itself—and he has a son like that."

So she still hated him.

Xu Lingqu didn't know much about Feng Hui, so she didn't respond to that. Instead, she said, "Vice Principal Su, thank you."

The current situation was likely the optimal outcome after Su Li had paved the way for her. The Chief Commander was meant to represent the entire school, and her displayed strength was still hard to convince the masses. Su Li had shouldered a large part of the pressure for her.

"No need to thank me, but I still have to ask—what do you want the arena slot for?" Su Li said seriously. "The mech arena as it stands now is essentially a contest of which side has more S-level psychic students. A+ students who go up are just cannon fodder."

Not to mention Xu Lingqu, a B-level student.

"I'm going to lead everyone to victory." Xu Lingqu said this and left.

Su Li looked at the closed door, a little puzzled. How was it that she could say something so far-fetched and yet not sound like she was bragging?

The hundred-person roster that Kai Ang had finalized was released, and the vacation for Moye's new students also came to an end.

Xu Xiqin returned two days early. The moment she opened the door, she threw herself onto Xu Lingqu.

These past days she had been running back and forth between the Xu residence and Catherine's home, her head about to explode—it was even more torturous than the trial period.

The two were already on the verge of marital collapse. With Xu Lingqu's identity made public, the people who had once been condemning General Xu's promiscuity had turned their guns on Lady Catherine, accusing her of being jealous and tormenting the orphaned daughter of the late subordinate—she might as well be the embodiment of the word 'vicious.'

Lady Catherine refused to tolerate it and directly filed for divorce from Xu Chengbi. Xu Chengbi, for now, made no response. With the pirate eradication and the reputation of adopting his old subordinate's orphan, the Capital Star was abuzz with talk that General Xu was set for another promotion.

She didn't directly complain to Xu Lingqu about any of this, afraid of burdening her, but Xu Lingqu had more or less guessed what had happened.

After Xu Xiqin returned, Liu Zheng, Jin, and Shen Shouli all came back the same day, as if they had coordinated. Xu Lingqu opened the door four times today, and each time she was met with a different face.

Shen Shouli was the last to arrive. When he came in, Jin was already playing a video he had found on Moye's school forum in the living room.

Liu Zheng sat beside them, expressionlessly petting the dog. Liu Ming had developed a psychological shadow toward Shen Shouli since last time—out of the three people who'd come, it only wanted to play with Liu Zheng.

Shen Shouli felt a bit lucky about that, since last time he'd been worried the dog would shed fur. But it was Xu Lingqu's little pup, so he couldn't very well push it away.

"Then go die." In the holographic video, Xu Lingqu's icy indifference and Feng Bu's breakdown made for an even starker contrast when shown side by side.

This was uploaded to Moye's school forum by a student who had watched the commotion that day, captioned: 'So cool.'

It was later discovered by the school administration and quickly scrubbed clean, but Jin had been quick-eyed enough to save it.

"Why are there always these people who don't fear death coming to provoke the commander?" Jin grumbled. "Threatening a stranger with your own life—that guy's a joke."

That guy was apparently the son of Moye's principal. Jin rubbed his chin, thinking about when to send Ares to pay the principal's family a home visit.

"Where's this guy hiding now? Why can't anyone find him?" Xu Xiqin was inclined to beat the man up herself. She was in a bad mood lately anyway—if he wanted to die so badly, he could be her punching bag.

Xu Lingqu's training plans for going out today were completely derailed by these four people, so she simply gave herself a day off.

Jin and Xu Xiqin were chatterboxes, chirping away like two little sparrows. Liu Zheng played with Liu Ming while acting as a loyal audience. Shen Shouli occasionally interjected a few words but spent most of his time stealing glances at Xu Lingqu. Xu Lingqu openly looked back, and he quickly averted his gaze.

Terrible observation skills, Xu Lingqu thought. Who was it that said the Shen family had raised Shen Shouli into the Military Department's future star who could do everything? If this guy ever became a spy, he'd be exposed in the first second.

Her smart brain suddenly received a message—from Tang Muwen.

"Yuheng Star seems to be snowing today."

He hadn't even returned to Moye yet, but he was already concerned about Yuheng's weather.

Xu Xiqin also stood up at that moment, pressing herself against the floor-to-ceiling window to look outside. "Yuheng really is getting light snow today."

She turned to look at Xu Lingqu. "The anniversary of the Galaxy Admiral's arrival on Yuheng Star."

Every year, each successive governor of Yuheng Star never forgot to adjust the day's weather to light snow in memory of the Galaxy Admiral.

"Let's go out! Let's all go out, watch the snow, and grab a meal together." Xu Xiqin's eyes sparkled as she looked at Xu Lingqu expectantly, like a child in a supermarket clutching a bag of candy and gazing pleadingly at a parent.

With Xu Lingqu's nod of approval, the group left the dormitory. Jin proposed that he drive the flying vehicle Shen's family had given Shen Shouli, while Xu Xiqin volunteered to learn alongside him. The two nearly landed the vehicle on someone else's rooftop.

Liu Ming was unexpectedly quiet when they went out. Xu Lingqu guessed it was probably missing the Galaxy Admiral. Once out of the vehicle, it perked back up, tearing around madly in the snow and pulling Xu Xiqin along with it.

She'd almost forgotten that Samoyeds were one of the three sledding fools.

It was their first time at Yuheng's commercial center. It was far less bustling than the Capital Star, but even with the snow falling, it gave off a warm feeling.

Liu Zheng spoke up for the first time today, pointing at a hotpot restaurant on the roadside and saying she wanted to eat that.

Xu Lingqu had long grown accustomed to the endless Earth elements popping up in this interstellar world. Upon entering the restaurant, a documentary was playing about the Galaxy Admiral 'inventing' hotpot.

Interstellar humans all said the Galaxy Admiral had too many whimsical ideas about food. Xu Lingqu watched the steam rising from the pot and thought, across the torrent of time—he was probably homesick.

This kind of atmosphere briefly gave Xu Lingqu the illusion of being back on Earth before the apocalypse.

Liu Zheng was unexpectedly good with spice. Shen Shouli's light brown eyes were streaming with tears from the heat, while Liu Zheng remained stone-faced, as if swallowing chili peppers whole was no trouble at all. Jin clicked his tongue in amazement beside her, claiming the color of the broth was redder than his own hair.

Xu Xiqin, equally burned, gulped down ice water on the side, but her eyes were sparkling. In a life controlled by her mother and brother, she had never experienced going out with friends to taste novel food.

When they'd eaten their fill, the group stepped outside. The night had deepened, the snow falling thicker. Not far away, fireworks commemorating the Galaxy Admiral went off, and in an instant, a longsword pattern composed of white and gold flames lit up the sky. Liu Ming instinctively nuzzled Xu Lingqu's leg—that was the shape of its weapon.

The white-gold fireworks cast off waves of light. Xu Lingqu wore a loose white sweater, snowflakes dotting her shoulders. In her ears, Xu Xiqin was making a small wish—that this year, Moye would astound the entire galaxy.

Much later, when Xu Lingqu looked back on this day, she realized it was one of the few days in the interstellar world that she was completely relaxed. But at the time, she simply took it for granted.

At that moment, Xu Lingqu watched the fireworks in the night sky and thought of only one thing.

The military academy league was about to begin.