The First Analyst of the Interstellar Era

Chapter 15 : Combat Training

The return of the league team sparked a new wave of discussion in the classroom that had just managed to regain focus.

Di Qian himself couldn't help looking out the window, but this glance made Chen Sui, who was checking information on her light brain, think she was caught using her device in class and that the teacher was warning her with his eyes.

She immediately returned to the textbook properly, glancing up at Di Qian.

That familiar look of disdain.

It instantly triggered Di Qian's Song Baining PTSD, making him dutifully put aside his gossiping thoughts, cough lightly a few times, and attempt to return to the lesson.

Meanwhile, below, students became excited seeing the two generations of school teams interacting.

"Hey, Hemo'er, do you think next time you'll be the one greeting the school team?"

"That goes without saying, Hemo'er should be unanimously recognized as the top first-year soldier, right?"

Hemo'er, being praised by the crowd, feigned modesty with a smile, "It's too early to say such things, we'll know after next year's assessment."

"What's there to assess? Just show them your twelve-hour training record and see who can compete with that."

"The instructor seems particularly energetic today, already destroyed one robot, not afraid of wrecking this one too. By the way, Hemo'er, could you twist a robot's head off?"

"Tsk, you really don't know how to boast. You should ask how many Brother Mo can twist off."

Hemo'er knew they were all good-natured teasing, until he heard someone praising his enrollment assessment: "Hemo'er's enrollment exam, the robot combat test ranked in the top ten on the score board, right?"

"I remember his speed test was also in the top ten."

"You're still the one..."

Hearing this topic, Hemo'er's gaze, which had been watching the school team, involuntarily moved to the person by the window.

Looking at her fragile physique and shrinking posture hidden in the window's light and shadow.

A nameless fire burned in Hemo'er's heart.

How could such a pathetically weak interstellar nomad possibly break the highest record on the score board?

Di Qian heard the discussions below growing more intense, with some even openly discussing how many resources other military academies had obtained and which Border Army departments had invited the senior students.

He coughed a few times, reminding them they were still in class.

"Alright, focus now, are you still listening to combat instruction? If not, how will you fight later? Do you all want to try a few rounds with me, hmm?"

Di Qian's expression darkened, the pressure from his military zone training silencing all voices below.

Chen Sui curiously observed his transformation before and after changing his expression, somewhat surprised by Zone Eleven's conditioning of people.

The short-haired teacher was the same; when she saluted, she was like a sharpened knife.

Every retired Border Army member from Zone Eleven that Chen Sui had seen so far seemed ready to enter combat mode at any time, loyal and resolute, just looking at them was intimidating.

Di Qian felt her gaze examining him and was also curious about this student.

He had heard the Song family originated from Yuguang Star, and most Song children chose to give up resources on the main star to come to Zhu Jing Fu.

This child with an aura so similar to Commander Song's, could she be a descendant of Commander Song?

However, Di Qian briefly thought, Commander Song's child was a boy.

He glanced at Chen Sui, then cleared his throat and pointed at her: "Everyone listen attentively, learn from that student by the window, see how focused she is. You there, student, what's your name? You look unfamiliar, are you from our soldier system?"

Chen Sui was suddenly called on, with everyone around looking at her. She looked left and right, then nodded: "Chen Sui, I'm from the soldier system."

Di Qian searched the roster, scrolling to the last page of his light brain, where he found another row hidden at the bottom with her information.

"Oh, I see it now, I hadn't noticed there was one more here."

Hemo'er curled his lip, his tone somewhat joking: "Teacher, it's normal you didn't notice before. Student Chen Sui is a specially recruited interstellar nomad, just enrolled."

"I was wondering why you weren't chatting with us earlier. An interstellar nomad probably, certainly, might not, understand what we're talking about."

"Just like we don't quite understand how you passed the enrollment assessment and broke the record."

"Hemo'er."

Di Qian frowned, hearing the hidden barbs in his words, and sternly said:

"What are you questioning? Academy Seven's enrollment assessment is jointly reviewed by the school committee, ensuring fairness, justice, and transparency. Furthermore, once an interstellar nomad obtains Star Alliance identity recognition, they are Star Alliance people. Don't try to provoke conflict."

Hemo'er pressed his lips together, his face still showing anger, staring at Di Qian's stern eyes as he retorted:

"I'm not discriminating, I just want to ask how she passed the assessment and got first place on the score board, to learn from a high-achieving classmate. That's normal, isn't it, Instructor?"

Di Qian slammed his hand on the podium, directly flattening the broken robot's head with his powerful palm strike.

Di Qian's palm turned red, internally wincing in pain, but externally maintaining an authoritative demeanor as he warned Hemo'er:

"This is class time. For disrupting classroom discipline, you're penalized with one hundred sets of physical training. Any objections!"

Hearing about one hundred sets of physical training, Hemo'er gritted his teeth hard, but knowing he was in the wrong, he swallowed his temper and shook his head: "No."

"Good," Di Qian had just dealt with one troublemaker.

By the window, watching this farce, Chen Sui finally realized where his targeting came from.

She searched the crowd for Hemo'er, saw the indignant young man in the central position, and suddenly gave a shallow smile.

Chen Sui held back her displeasure at the interruption of classroom order, with no trace of a smile in her eyes, but her voice was calm, so calm it had a gentle mockery:

"Since you've asked so sincerely, I'll mercifully tell you."

Di Qian's pupils trembled, with large characters appearing in his mind.

What are you stirring up now!

He couldn't help but cover his face.

Then he heard Chen Sui looking at Hemo'er sincerely.

"Whatever I relied on, it wasn't dog barking."

"You motherfucker------"

Hemo'er's previously suppressed anger was instantly ignited.

But with Di Qian's sharp glance, people around pulled him down to sit, and Hemo'er fiercely threatened: "Fine, during combat class later, I'll see just how good you are."

Di Qian sighed with a headache.

Chen Sui made a gesture toward him.

"Sure, then please watch while kneeling."

Hemo'er clenched his fist, with those around him holding him back more forcefully.

Silently praying, sis, please say less, Hemo'er is about to go crazy.

Chen Sui didn't dwell on it further, indicating to Di Qian:

"Teacher, please continue."

Di Qian heard her use one "please" to insult someone and another "please" to show respect, sending shivers down his spine.

The class had to continue, but as he turned his back, Di Qian couldn't help shaking his head, amused by this farce.

Young people full of vigor and passion.

Chen Sui didn't know any Hemo'er; in fact, from the moment she sat down, she could feel the surrounding scrutiny and discussions, but having no malice, she hadn't paid attention.

But when provoked to her face, she couldn't help but slap back, playing along with the performance on the other side.

After the theoretical lesson was completed.

Di Qian taught with exhaustion, Hemo'er endured with exhaustion, and others watching the drama also endured with exhaustion.

Only Chen Sui, on her way to the combat training field, relaxed her entire body after a fruitful lesson, enjoying the sun, thinking about what to eat after the combat competition.

She had just heard someone say that with the league team returning to school today, the cafeteria had new free dishes, first come, first served.

She wondered if she could leave early.

Chen Sui anticipated ahead.

The combat class involved pairing up, mecha combat, and counted toward academic credits.

Although the soldier system had one extra person, Academy Seven had sufficient mecha reserves. Di Qian assigned a combat mecha to Chen Sui, and thinking of her conflict with Hemo'er, reminded her when handing over the mecha: "You're all classmates, don't use lethal force."

Chen Sui raised her eyebrow, not knowing where the instructor's confidence in her came from, but taking the mecha, she nodded: "Alright, I know my limits."

Just a practice, she understood.

Such arrogant guys needed discipline, and conveniently, Chen Sui had previously helped train newcomers in the underground city.

Random drawing assigned groups. Chen Sui found the combat training room according to her sequence number.

The combat training room consisted of large, transparent-domed rooms distributed throughout the training field.

Chen Sui entered one of them. Hemo'er, seeing her sequence number, asked around: "Who's number 79? I want to swap with you."

Number 79, seeing his own card, immediately pushed through the crowd, exchanging rooms with Hemo'er at the electronic screen.

Chen Sui was testing her mecha at the combat platform. Combat mechas allowed self-selection of weapons.

In the combat program, only BB guns and close-range weapons were allowed, with high-damage shells prohibited.

BB guns fired tiny steel balls that could create explosion waves with a one-meter diameter, with damage in the low-medium range.

Chen Sui didn't choose a spear, fearing she might not control her hands well and impale him, instead selecting an iron whip from the weapons.

Whip-type weapons were good for control. Chen Sui sat properly in the cockpit, testing the long whip.

The three-meter-long whip was wielded like a silver dragon.

Students in the surrounding combat arenas seemed to be checking their combat mechas, but their eyes were practically crossed, dramatically fixed on number 79.

Seeing the silver whip move through the air, creating layered colors in the airflow, their understanding of Chen Sui advanced another step.

Two male students who were close to Hemo'er were grouped together. The two piloted their mechas to approach each other, lightly throwing punches, with the other person lightly blocking.

Their combat resembled a waltz, while they chatted on the channel.

"Do you think Hemo'er can win? I feel this new classmate isn't simple either."

"Why boost others' confidence? Of course Hemo'er can win. He wouldn't lose to an interstellar nomad, right?"

The other person sweated profusely: "No, have you seen an interstellar nomad who broke Song Baining's record in weapon precision and energy body combat? Looking at her handling, she doesn't seem like someone who hasn't used a mecha before. Could she have studied at a training school for a few years before applying?"

"How is that possible? I inquired with Hemo'er, she's just an interstellar nomad, registered in the remote star ring area. The remote star ring population committee examined her for three months, found no issues, so they approved. She's only been in the Star Alliance for three months."

"They went in, they went in, change your angle, I can't see from here."

The two waltzers adjusted their footwork, mechas tilting in the same direction.

Hemo'er twirled the mecha ring in his hand, leisurely scanning information, pushing open the door to combat arena 79.

As soon as he appeared.

Chen Sui had just finished testing her weapon, coincidentally swinging the whip. A whistling gust of wind came, making Hemo'er instinctively step back.

Silver light flashed past his face, with a crisp sound.

"Crack!"

The silver whip struck the entrance, passing right in front of his face.

Chen Sui noticed the door opening and was about to retract her hand, but the whip was a bit too long. Fortunately, she adjusted her force, barely missing the person.

"Are you alright?"

Seeing the tall crew-cut standing motionless at the door, Chen Sui's mecha turned toward him to ask.

Hemo'er's fingers trembled twice. He raised his hand to touch his face, and after confirming he was fine, looked up at the huge mecha, suddenly cursing fiercely in his heart.

Fuck.

It was a show of force!