Seeing the scrolling red captions along the way, Ouyang Ye's face turned livid, but Li Yu found it a bit funny. He glanced at Young Master Qi, whose expression was unreadable, and asked in a low voice, "Should we look into who's behind this?" Such a grand public announcement likely meant that the entire school was now aware of Young Master Qi's intention to switch majors, and there would surely be many people ready to laugh at his expense.
He hadn't heard from his nephew about the miraculous jade tablet yet, and so he still had significant doubts about whether Young Master Qi could actually get into the mecha manufacturing department. With forty-six courses to be completed in eight days, with six tests per day, the schedule was really tight. It wasn't just Young Master Qi, who had started halfway, even many of the specialized students would trip over this excessively high threshold.
Of course, specialized students didn't actually need to take so many courses. They only needed to score an A in the exams for the fourteen main courses. It was clear that the Imperial Military Academy wasn't some simple, uncontaminated ivory tower. Even with a reputation for fairness and justice, behind closed doors, privilege, dictatorship, and underhanded dealings were only more severe.
"There's no need to investigate. Assholes just love causing trouble, let them go on," Qi Ze shrugged, seemingly indifferent.
This time, even Ouyang Ye couldn't help laughing. Assholes just love causing trouble? How could Young Master Qi say that out loud? Wasn't he the one who loved causing trouble the most?
They arrived at the examination hall in high spirits, only to find Yan Junyu already waiting outside. A cigarette dangled from his mouth as he stared blankly into the distance. Hearing footsteps, he turned to look but didn't approach, only nodding from a distance. He had just signed the guarantee form, and his grandfather had arranged this test soon after. He really didn't have the face to talk to Qi Ze anymore.
He felt powerless, for the first time realizing that those dazzling halos didn't bring him anything but instead made him feel like a puppet.
Yan Bo stood behind him, a few bruises on his face making him look quite disheveled. "Go in and test your mental strength," he said, stepping forward with a cold and impatient expression. "If you had chosen a different guarantor, there wouldn't be this examination today. I could have helped push your time slot further back, but you didn't agree. A person needs to understand their position to walk more smoothly, something I'm sure Mr. Li understands deeply."
Qi Ze didn't even raise his eyelids, completely ignoring him. Ouyang Ye clenched his fists, his face full of anger. Li Yu, on the other hand, smiled gently. "What Mr. Yan doesn't understand is that when immortals fight, the little ghosts suffer. You've offended Young Master Yan, yet failed to please Old Master Yan, where do you think you can go in the future? Think about your own exit strategy before you lecture us."
Yan Bo's expression changed, but he forcibly restrained himself from making a scene. He opened a door and pointed at a machine, instructing, "Help him put on the helmet."
Immediately, two staff members pulled Qi Ze over to sit down, securing the safety belt and instruments. "Concentrate and meditate, focusing your attention in your mind. If you reach level A, you should be able to see a nebula, which is your mental strength. Spur the thought, making the nebula rotate, and we can obtain the relevant values."
Worried that Qi Ze wouldn't understand, the staff explained in detail. Qi Ze looked inward, only to see an endless universe. Countless nebulae rotated, collided, merged, and separated, generating even more nebulae. Stars shone within, becoming bright where his divine consciousness swept over.
Qi Ze wasn't sure how to control the mental strength readings, so he pulled a small nebula over and slowly spurred its rotation.
The testing machine beeped, with the line that had been at zero shooting up suddenly, reaching the peak before slowly descending and finally stopping between A and S. This should be A+ mental strength, but the two staff members hesitated to fill out the form.
They had tested countless individuals and had never seen such an abnormal situation before. Logically, the rise in mental strength values was very gradual, climbing bit by bit from zero. After reaching the maximum value, the speed of increase would be even slower, taking several minutes to jump one level. But Qi Ze's test results were completely opposite. He started by rocket speed, breaking through the 3S limit, and then slowly descended, eventually stopping at a value that wasn't outstanding but not mediocre.
"Is, is the machine malfunctioning? How can it be the other way around?" one of the staff members asked uncertainly.
Ouyang Ye and Li Yu remained expressionless, clearly expecting such an issue. From the spiritual weapons Young Master Qi had crafted, it was evident how high his mental strength was. The machine wasn't malfunctioning, but rather it was being toyed with. Its display was completely under Young Master Qi's control.
Yan Junyu, who had been smoking at the door, finally stepped forward to examine the machine. It happened again. Whenever the boy touched a machine, there would inevitably be a problem. How many times was this? With this inexplicable thought in mind, Yan Junyu suddenly smiled, his gloomy mood instantly dissipating.
"Bring over a few more machines, let's test one by one." He gave the order confidently.
Yan Bo's face, who had been hoping for a failing test result, turned ugly. If Qi Ze successfully passed the exam and truly bound himself to his friend, how could he explain it to the Old Master?
While the staff was changing the machines, Qi Ze tilted his head toward Yan Junyu, reassuring him, "You just need to help me with the guarantee, the rest you don't need to worry about. I can find a partner myself. I heard Wang Xuan is also going to the Imperial Military Academy, I'll discuss it with him."
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ye's stomach filled with sourness. To offer such a golden opportunity for Wang Xuan to latch on was truly doing him a favor! And there was this damned Yan Junyu, blind as a bat. There would be a day he'd regret it!
In fact, Yan Junyu was already regretting it, not because of the guarantee form, but because he hadn't been able to explain himself clearly to the boy. He tossed the cigarette butt into the robot trash bin and said seriously, "You don't need to find another partner. I will assist you with all your studies. You just need to study hard, don't worry about anything else."
Yan Bo reminded him, "Junyu, you should say these things after Qi Ze passes the exam."
Yan Junyu gave him a cold glance, certain, "As long as the examiner doesn't play tricks, Qi Ze will definitely pass the exam. Finish your affairs at hand and return to Imperial Star. I've already spoken to Mu Ran, he will arrange work for you. Working at the Mu Research Institute will offer more prospects than here."
Yan Bo's Adam's apple bobbed, seemingly in anger but also suppressing a sense of joy. The Mu Research Institute was naturally much higher in level than the vanguard force. The small officers there were at least the rank of major, and they didn't have to risk their lives.
Yan Junyu saw through his thoughts and disappointedly shook his head. He had originally thought that Yan Bo shared his aspirations, that the other party preferred staying with the mecha vanguard force, but it seemed he had misunderstood. After being missing for two months and then returning, he saw many things more clearly and valued others less.
An awkward atmosphere spread in the room. Ouyang Ye and Li Yu looked up at the sky, while Qi Ze, with his hands supporting his chin, listened intently. Yan Junyu lowered his head, meeting his bright eyes, and couldn't help feeling a mix of amusement and helplessness. The negative emotions that had piled up in his heart, disappointment, frustration, and regret, instantly disappeared.
Just then, the staff pushed in several machines to retest Qi Ze. Although Qi Ze's cultivation had suffered, his golden core level divine consciousness remained, and even if he could only use a small part of it, its internal storage was still quite astonishing. Thus, no matter how cautiously he acted, once he pulled a nebula over, the machine's baseline would suddenly skyrocket, completely uncontrollable.
The two staff members looked numb, having witnessed the data lines soar and then slowly decline over a dozen times, finally waving their hands helplessly. "Forget it, A+ mental strength, passed. You should be careful, your mental strength seems to still be on the rise, and quickly at that. If it were anyone else, we would offer our congratulations, but in your case, it's not good. If you have connections, buy some inhibitors and inject them regularly. This can prolong your life as much as possible."
Qi Ze knew they were being sincere and agreed to their suggestions. However, Yan Junyu's eyes darkened, filled with unease. He was afraid he would regret it one day.
Before he could think further, Qi Ze had already taken off the helmet and headed for the examination hall. The hall was equipped with signal blockers, eliminating the possibility of any cheating by the examinees. Embedded on the desks was a screen marked "Draw," and once touched, the system would randomly draw a test from the database. There were at least thousands of different tests for each subject, varying in difficulty.
Some might be lucky and draw a test of lower difficulty, while others might be unlucky and start with the highest difficulty. Qi Ze's luck clearly wasn't good, but this could also be due to someone's underhanded dealings. After completing a test, the main brain would immediately grade it, a process that was genuinely fair, without any possibility of bribery.
Once a subject was completed, the examinee could immediately proceed to the next one, resting or not depending on their own condition. The school had scheduled the forty-six exams over eight days, but if Qi Ze was willing, he could also take eight, nine, or even more tests in a day.
He sat steadily at the exam desk, his fingertips moving swiftly, seeming to be confident or perhaps making random choices. Yan Junyu stared through the window without blinking, while Ouyang Ye and Li Yu sat on a bench, chatting leisurely. The atmosphere was completely different on both sides.
Qi Ze had no problem staying up for days on end, naturally wanting to finish the exams as soon as possible. After completing a test, he quickly drew the next one, taking seven subjects in the morning, almost one every half-hour. Gradually, he found that he seemed to always draw the most difficult tests, filled with all sorts of obscure scientific theories. To explain them clearly, one would have to start from the source, and every branch had to be mentioned. If an average person encountered such a question, they would have cried out in frustration, but Qi Ze thrived in this situation.
What was so difficult about copying answers? It was purely a test of speed! Think about it, someone who could weave dozens of bolts of Celestial Shark Silk in one night, would he be afraid of this?
In addition to theoretical questions, there were many computation questions, which were also not a problem for Qi Ze, who was proficient in formation arrays. By simply searching his mind, finding the relevant formula, and plugging it in, he could easily arrive at the answer. Multiple-choice questions were even quicker, one after another without any pause.
The break bell finally rang, and he sat in his seat, quietly waiting for the main brain to grade. Yan Bo, hiding in the office, quickly came out, standing at the entrance to the examination hall. He looked at Yan Junyu, apologetically, "Junyu, this time it really wasn't me causing trouble. The school has a rule that students taking cross-discipline exams must score above A+ in every subject, failing even one means they're unqualified. You know how much the Empire values the cultivation of mecha engineers, there's no way they would let us mess around."
Yan Junyu stood there, not deviating his gaze, his expression indifferent.
Ouyang Ye, with his hands in his pockets, walked over nonchalantly, sneering, "You can rest assured, my Qi Ze will never give you a chance to mess around. What's the big deal about all A+? Do you believe he can get all S for you?" As soon as he finished speaking, the holographic screen hanging in midair gave the results. First was a bright red S, followed by another S, then another S appeared below, seven Ss lined up neatly, looking beautiful and perfectly square.
Yan Bo wore an expression as if he had just eaten shit. From his cheeks to his neck, he turned green as he watched. Ouyang Ye clapped his hands and laughed, instantly feeling a sense of vindication. Li Yu sighed, "This kid, really, what's the rush? Slow and steady is good, taking seven exams in the morning, isn't he afraid of overworking the main brain? Instructor Yan, do you want to check the authenticity of these scores? See if the main brain has been tampered with?"
These words sounded polite but were actually full of sarcasm. Who could tamper with the Empire's main brain? Even if one had the guts, they wouldn't have the skill! Taking seven exams in the morning, all seven scores being S, this had never happened in the history of the Neptune Military Academy, or even the Imperial Military Academy.
Yan Bo was speechless, completely unable to say a word. Yan Junyu, however, took out a cigarette and lit it silently, taking a deep breath and exhaling a wisp of smoke. Then, he laughed softly, extremely pleased. He had known all along that Qi Ze could create miracles. What others couldn't do didn't mean he couldn't, and what others could do was nothing but trivial to him.
The principal and the head of instruction received notifications from the main brain simultaneously, nearly popping their eyes out. They, of course, knew how much underhanded dealings were involved in this exam. Under the Old Master's direction, they had changed all the subject exams to the highest difficulty level. Even specialized students couldn't guarantee an A, let alone an S.
How high was Qi Ze's IQ? He hadn't appeared especially hardworking in everyday life. In class, he either slept or spaced out, his credits barely meeting the passing line. If he could maintain this momentum, there would definitely be no problem with him entering the Imperial Military Academy. Oh, this is the first student from their academy to successfully enter the mecha engineering department, achieving a breakthrough from zero!
Thinking of this, the principal no longer feared offending the Old Master. To prevent anyone from tampering, he immediately announced the results on the school's official website, and promised real-time updates.
In the school's cafeteria, Wang Xuan held a tray in one hand and pointed at the caption "Go fuck yourself, Qi Ze!" with the other, asking, "What's going on? Who did Qi Ze offend to be treated like this?"
"I heard he's planning to apply for the mecha engineering department at the Imperial Military Academy. Someone probably thinks he's too presumptuous, so they put up the sign to humiliate him. You know, carbon-based beings are discriminated against, and once they show the intention to climb up, they receive all sorts of cold ridicule," a roommate sighed. "People's biases can't be changed, especially those who think they're high above everyone else."
Wang Xuan felt it deeply and said angrily, "I'm going to find someone to take down the caption, this is too outrageous!"
"Do you know who did this? Are you going to get involved? Qi Ze's boyfriend is Ouyang Ye, not even he has stepped in. You'd better just eat your meal," his roommate, fearing trouble, quickly stepped forward to dissuade him.
Wang Xuan threw away his tray and turned to leave but heard a crisp ding from the smartbrain. Upon checking, he found that the school's official website had updated a message: Qi Ze, who was taking the transfer exam, took seven subjects and achieved excellent grades, all S. Meanwhile, the main brain of the Starnet had also highlighted this message, demonstrating its authenticity beyond a doubt.
Wang Xuan choked on a mouthful of saliva, coughing violently. Taking seven subjects in the morning, each achieving S, when did cross-discipline exams become so easy, especially for mecha engineering? It made S seem pretty worthless, didn't it?
There were many trainees with similar feelings. Those eating choked, those drinking choked, those walking stumbled, the cafeteria was in chaos.
"This can't be true! Qi Ze must have cheated! I don't know how he managed to draw the simplest tests, that's how he got all S scores! No way, I need to complain! I need to write a letter to the Imperial Military Academy to expose this!" an angry trainee from the mecha engineering department said.
He had also registered for this year's overseas study exams but was eliminated after just one subject. He was a specialized student, not inferior to Qi Ze, an art student, right? Art students were all trash and scum, that was a fact everyone agreed on. Without cheating, how could Qi Ze surpass specialized students and get all S? The school must give an explanation!
The trainees from the mecha engineering department were about to file a complaint in unison when the main brain published Qi Ze's test papers. They quickly gathered to look at the questions. After just a few major questions, their faces turned green. This wasn't the simplest test, it was clearly the most difficult test, and every paper was like this. What terrible luck did one need to draw them all? From this, it seemed that it wasn't Qi Ze who cheated, but the person who set the questions for him. He relied solely on his true abilities.
Wang Xuan approached these trainees, watching them ponder and groan in frustration, his angry mood finally calming down. Looking up, the caption "Go fuck yourself, Qi Ze!" had completely disappeared, replaced by Qi Ze's score sheet, seven Ss sliding by one after another, dazzling to the eyes.
Those who mocked him, laughed at him, and insulted him had all turned into mutes, there was no moment more embarrassing than this one.
Wang Xuan felt a sense of relief. He returned to his original seat to continue eating, shaking his head and laughing, "I really couldn't have imagined that Qi Ze had this capability. But is there a problem with his body?"
"Which is more important, life or self-value? That's a matter of perspective. If it were me, I would also sacrifice life to realize self-value. In this life, who doesn't want to live dramatically? He and Ouyang Ye are really a match, from ideas, worldview to values, they're so compatible. No wonder Ouyang Ye reformed for him, even the head of the Li family agreed to their relationship. This is really not easy," his roommate sighed.
Thinking about it, Wang Xuan quickly suppressed the pity that had just arisen. Someone who could risk their life for a glorious future, would they need the pity of others?â
On the first day, Qi Ze took nine subjects, seven in the morning and two in the afternoon. The second day was the same. He seemed to like the number nine a lot, even if he took nine subjects in the morning, he wouldn't write another word for the rest of the day. On the fifth day, there was only one subject left, but he insisted on moving it to the sixth day, showing no urgency at all.
His grades became the hottest headline at the Neptune Military Academy every day. Once the break time came, trainees would ask, "Was there an S today? Were there any S's?" And the answer was always all S's. If copying could still lead to mistakes, Qi Ze would have to despair at his own intelligence.
"What's so special about the number nine?" Yan Junyu guessed.
"Seven is a fixed number, eight is a variable number, and nine is an extreme number. The extreme of yang numbers resonates with the laws of heaven, of course, it has meaning to me."
Yan Junyu, "..." He knew every individual word, but when combined, they made absolutely no sense!
Qi Ze knew he didn't understand, grinned, revealing eight white teeth, and then turned to enter the examination hall. He quickly completed the test and looked at the screen, noticing that only half an hour had passed. Ouyang Ye couldn't wait any longer, standing on tiptoe and waving, ready to take him out to celebrate. Yan Junyu was pushed to the side, but he didn't show any anger on his face, instead smiling good-naturedly.
In the office, Yan Bo had already received the final subject's score from the main brain, still an S, so eye-catching and ironic. He sent the score sheet to Old Master Yan, asking, "What now? Once Junyu becomes his guarantor, the school will definitely not let Junyu shirk responsibility. If he can't complete his studies, according to the rules, Junyu must take full responsibility. If he backs out halfway, other families will use this to attack the Yan family. I can still call the shots here at school, but once we get to the Imperial Academy, I'm truly helpless."
Old Master Yan hadn't expected a carbon-based life to be such a headache. If possible, he wished he could immediately crush Qi Ze, but his grandson had already signed the guarantee form, his life was now tied to his grandson's. And Imperial Star wasn't a place where the Yan family could have things their way. If Qi Ze died under mysterious circumstances, there would be many who would investigate the matter and take the opportunity to bite the Yan family.
He couldn't be allowed to succeed, he couldn't be allowed to die, what a mess!
Old Master Yan was unbearably headache-ridden, rubbing his temples and deciding, "Give him one more test!"
"What test?"
"The source code for combat mechas."
Yan Bo was shocked, waving his hands, "But that's completely beyond the syllabus. If the test paper is sent to the Imperial Academy, how will I explain it to President Helian? A charge of abuse of authority is unavoidable."
"If he doesn't meet the standard, he will naturally be eliminated. How can the test papers be sent back to the Imperial Academy if he's eliminated? Do you think President Helian has the leisure to look at the score sheets of the rejected trainees? Just do it this way, go down and prepare the test paper."
Yan Bo didn't dare to say any more, immediately contacting the head of instruction and ordering him to secretly add another exam, hiding it from the principal.
"A talented trainee is being destroyed like this." As he pulled out the most difficult test papers, he whispered, both guilty and regretful.