Each fighter mecha was equipped with a psychic control system, their normal operations completely reliant on source code. How many source codes cadets of the Mecha Manufacturing department could grasp did not depend on their IQ or insight, but solely on how much their instructors were willing to teach them. The higher the rank of the instructor, the more source codes they naturally knew; instructors of lower rank could only impart the most basic source codes.
Thus, freshmen would do everything in their power to follow a good instructor. To a certain extent, the height of the instructor determined the starting point of their careers. Take Mu Ran, for instance, his instructors were his father and his deceased spiritual master, and he was born with more resources than others. The Mu family even compiled a comprehensive dictionary of source codes, exclusively available to the direct line and never disseminated outside.
As a result, the mecha manufacturing industry, especially hyper-abled mecha manufacturing, was completely monopolized by the Mu family. Other mecha manufacturers could only work as mechanics for mecha warriors or find a researcher's job at the Mu Research Institute.
Old Man Yan instructed Yan Bo to add the mecha source code course to Qi Ze's exams, betting on his lack of foundation. Even if he had a foundation and knew a few common source codes, he could not possibly know advanced ones, could he? He did not care whether it was appropriate or unfair, as long as his grandson did not clash with Mu Ran.
"Go ahead. Tell Junyu to not cause trouble, Mu Ran is still waiting for him to return."
Yan Bo obediently agreed and hung up the video call.
On the other side, Qi Ze had already left the examination hall, preparing to eat with Ouyang Ye. After six days of exams, the knowledge he absorbed into his mind mostly hit the mark, slowly integrating during the answering process, becoming his own. Future exams of a similar nature, or learning more advanced knowledge based on this, would be as simple as eating and drinking to him.
"I'll treat you to dinner," Yan Junyu said with a bright smile. Knowing that Qi Ze had foiled his grandfather's scheme, he felt a strange satisfaction, as if he had also broken free from the family's constraints.
"You don't have to. Why join the crowd," Ouyang Ye pouted.
Li Yu tapped the back of his nephew's head, smiling politely, "I'd better be the one to host, after all, I'm the elder. Thank you, Mr. Yan, for guaranteeing Xiao Qi's safety. After you go to the Imperial Academy, I'll have to trouble you to take care of the two children."
Just as Yan Junyu was about to exchange pleasantries, the head instructor hurried over, wiping sweat off his brow as he stammered, "Wait, don't go yet. After discussion, the school has decided to add an exam for Qi Ze. The Imperial Academy has also agreed, this is the notification they sent."
The notification bore the stamp of Yan Liang, the head of the grade, the Yan family's informant planted in the Imperial Academy, who would naturally work for the Yans. Yan Junyu immediately sensed his grandfather's intentions, almost grinding his teeth as he asked, "What additional exam? Fighter mecha source code?"
The head instructor relaxed, nodding repeatedly, "Yes, yes, fighter mecha source code. Young Master Yan also thinks it's suitable?"
"Suitable for your ancestors," Yan Junyu had never known he would curse, but he could not care less. Was it just a letter of guarantee? Why did Grandfather have to make it so ugly? His own flesh and blood, in his heart, was probably not even comparable to one of Mu Ran's fingers. Just because there was a chance of angering Mu Ran, did he not even leave him a scrap of dignity? Did he not know that such actions would only make the Yan family look despicable?
Yan Bo's words added fuel to his already raging fire, "Junyu, don't cause trouble. The old man asked me to pass on a message, Mu Ran is still waiting for you in the Imperial Star."
Qi Ze watched in amazement, his curiosity about Mu Ran reaching its peak. What kind of celestial emperor-level figure was this, that the head of the family would flatter and cajole him to such an extent, not hesitating to sacrifice his grandson's dignity?
The vanguard mecha force sounded high-end, but if it could not ensure that every warrior was equipped with the most advanced mecha, it was just a hollow title. The normal operation of this corps was entirely dependent on Mu's support, no wonder Old Man Yan was so humble. The Yan family, said to be one of the six families, was in reality just a vassal of the Mu family.
In a flash, Qi Ze understood everything, catching sight of the head instructor's tablet under his arm. He reached out and pulled it out, glanced at the exam they had prepared, and then broke into a smile. This was the fighter mecha source code? This was clearly the square characters of the Qianyuan Continent! To translate all source codes was easier than copying a book. Such a kindergarten-level exam, to loosen the passing grade to B level was qualifying, he could pass with his eyes closed.
Ouyang Ye, hearing the laughter, asked cautiously, "Honey, are you crazy?"
"It's not worth getting angry over such a petty matter," Qi Ze waved the tablet in his hand, asking, "Additional exam, right? Fine, but before the exam, you need to draft a statement for me, telling me if there will be any more additional exams after this. Otherwise, I pass one and you add another, wouldn't that keep me in the exam hall forever? Your methods of destroying people can't be this low, can they? Before today, I didn't care who was my guarantor, it was just a title. After today, I'm going to lock onto Yan Junyu! Don't even think about letting me go off the hook!"
Yan Bo was so angry he nearly passed out. He had only recently learned of Qi Ze's true face, knowing that he was smart and had a sharp tongue, but he did not know that his character was also so vile. The more you messed with him, the more he would mess with you, adopting an attitude of "the barefoot not fearing those who wear shoes."
Ouyang Ye, hearing this, also thought it made sense, foolishly agreeing, "Yes, we're going to stick to Yan Junyu until death!"
Li Yu clasped his hands and apologized to Young Master Yan in a low voice, but Yan Junyu turned his head away, seemingly embarrassed, but actually trying hard not to laugh. He was a bit sympathetic to Yan Bo and Grandfather. They had not even met Qi Ze yet, and had already been taken advantage of several times. The usual effective methods did not work on him at all. He said he was going to lock onto himself, and this did not sound bad, but it hit him right in the heart.
Yan Junyu patted his jacket pocket, wanting to smoke again, but this time it was not because of frustration or anger, but pleasure.
The head instructor did not expect Qi Ze's attitude to be so strong, and was also worried that if he made a fuss with the Human Rights Organization, the school's reputation would be damaged. He could only agree to write a statement. Information on other subjects could be found online, even course videos, and self-study was no problem, but fighter mecha source codes were completely different. This was something that only S-level mecha manufacturers could master. Where could an orphan-born civilian get the answers?
Yan Junyu originally wanted to contact Headmaster Helian through his channels and get him to solve this issue, but seeing Qi Ze's confident appearance, he inexplicably relaxed. Qi Ze seemed to have a magical ability, after understanding and getting close to him, he felt particularly at ease. Of course, the premise was that he was a friend, not an enemy.
"Alright, you've got the statement, go in and take the exam. We've loosened the criteria for you, what was originally an A+ pass line, for you is now B, don't think we're deliberately making things difficult for you." Yan Bo lied through his teeth.
Yan Junyu had a cold expression, not looking in any other direction, completely treating this person as if he did not exist. Could he interfere with his own decisions and dictate his own life under the guise of doing him a favor? He did not dare to want such a friend, he could go wherever he wanted.
Qi Ze, however, looked Yan Bo up and down with a half-smile, sarcastically, "Make things difficult for me? Just you?"
Yan Bo reined in his temper, forcing a smile, "You can go in and take the exam, I'll give you three hours this time. I've done all I can, if you don't appreciate it, there's nothing I can do."
Qi Ze carried the tablet into the examination hall, picked up the electronic pen and quickly filled out the answers. He was more than familiar with the square characters of the Qianyuan Continent, but considering the cultural gap that had appeared in the empire, many meanings had been distorted or even fabricated, so he could not guarantee getting an S. He could only try to write down all the annotations for each character.
An hour later, he put down his pen and submitted the exam to the main brain. The main brain's database had no information on fighter mecha source codes and could not grade his exam for him, it could only randomly transmit it to one of the professors in the Mecha Manufacturing department of the Imperial Academy for grading by hand. As long as the main brain was involved, there was no possibility of any underhanded dealings, so Yan Junyu did not worry about the professor being bought off.
Whoever got the exam, Grandfather Old Man Yan probably would not know until the results came out.
"Alright, manual grading is slower, the latest you'll get the results tonight. You go back and wait," Yan Bo waved his hand impatiently. The head instructor, under the scrutiny of Young Master Yan, was sweating profusely, wishing he could vanish into thin air.
Qi Ze was not worried either, nodding at Yan Junyu, provocatively, "You're not getting away." He beckoned to Ouyang Ye, "Let's go, go back and have a party to celebrate."
"Go, go, I've already booked a hotel room," Ouyang Ye rubbed his hands in excitement. Yan Junyu, on the other hand, pressed his fist to his lips and chuckled softly. He had not wanted to run either, he was afraid that Qi Ze would blame him for what his grandfather and Yan Bo had done.
The group dispersed, and the head instructor was the fastest to leave, his fat body wriggling as he disappeared around the corner in an instant. Yan Bo looked at his ridiculous and miserable back, then at the cigarette butts left by his childhood friend, and finally showed a guilty expression. When he had passed the news to Grandpa, he had not expected it to turn out like this. The only blame was that Qi Ze was too good at stirring up trouble, and despite his best efforts, he had not been able to resolve the matter smoothly, instead making it worse.
Adding the exam on his own accord, interfering with the distribution of exam papers, and even sending an administrative-level notification behind the headmaster's back, these were all abuses of power. If investigated, he would lose all his current positions. He could only hope that Qi Ze would be rejected smoothly and not cause him any more trouble--
That night, Yan Junyu unexpectedly received a call from Mu Ran, the other party's tall figure appeared on the holo-screen, his smile as gentle and elegant as ever.
"My uncle received an exam paper today," he said, his calm tone rippling, "I only just learned that you want to guarantee a carbon-based human whose psychic power has mutated. You know what you're doing, right?"
Yan Junyu took out a cigarette and lit it, speaking slowly, "I know."
"In that case, you should also know that mecha manufacturers generally do not cooperate with someone who has already been bound to another mecha manufacturer. This is industry practice."
"It's not really industry practice, just the Mu family's inexplicable self-esteem." Yan Junyu gave a short laugh.
Mu Ran frowned, "Why do I feel like your tone is strange? As if you have many grievances against me? If you do this, I will find it very difficult to partner with you again, even if I want to, my father will not agree. This is how it is, I'll find another mecha driver for student Qi and ensure he can complete his studies. I've said before that mecha manufacturers will not cooperate with drivers who are already bound to another manufacturer. According to student Qi Ze's level, he can't do anything, when the partnered mecha breaks down, I'll have to find someone to fix it. This is the biggest concession I can make. When have you seen me clean up other people's messes? Junyu, I've always remembered our agreement, how about you?"
Yan Junyu's expression grew distant, "I also remember that when I left the Imperial Star, you said you might not choose me."
"That was a joke."
"Is it? Where were you when I went missing for two months? Did you call me to express your condolences after the fact? You might not choose me, I know that myself, and you know that too. Your Mu family only cooperates with the strongest mecha drivers, and when the situation is unclear, you will not easily bind yourself to anyone." Yan Junyu did not want the two of them to fall into an argument. He certainly hated the restraints the family imposed on him, but Mu Ran's help had been real, and the bond they shared from growing up together was real. He would not resent the other party for it, but he also did not want to continue to be in the shadow of his brilliance.
"There's no need to find a driver for Qi Ze, I can't pay back this favor. Since I signed the guarantee, he's my responsibility." He stubbed out his cigarette butt, his attitude firm.
"Are you going to be stingy with me?" Mu Ran's gentle tone also turned slightly cold, "Long time no see, you seem to have changed a lot. Are you determined to break up with me?"
"Our cooperative relationship was never set, where did the breakup come from?" Yan Junyu curled his lips.
"You need to think this through, if you bind yourself to Qi Ze, who will repair your mecha when it breaks down? No one will be willing to stoop to clean up after him, you'll be ostracized by all the mecha manufacturers. Plus, how long can he live? He'll probably die before he's learned anything, what are you going to do then? Do you still want to go to the front lines? Do you still want to inherit the position of army commander?"
"I do, but not through your protection and charity, but through my own efforts and struggles. I want to try, when I throw away all the glamorous halos I was born with, how far I can go. Being chosen by you is like winning the lottery, you can jump from an ordinary scion to become the young patriarch, but this kind of luck is not what I want. Finally, I'd like to emphasize one thing, Qi Ze won't die, he'll live better than anyone else."
"Is this your true feeling?" Mu Ran shook his head and laughed bitterly, "Fine, as you wish. I'll tell Grandpa not to blame you."
Yan Junyu spoke sincerely, "Mu Ran, I don't resent you, I just feel sad for my own helplessness. We'll still be friends in the future."
Mu Ran hung his head, not responding for a long time. About half a minute later, his tone suddenly turned cold, "Our matter is settled, it's time to discuss Qi Ze's theft of the Mu family's source code."
"Stealing source code?" Yan Junyu clenched his fists, subconsciously aware of how serious this charge was. The Mu family's source code had long been protected by intellectual property rights in the empire, and it was the highest level, it could be considered a state secret. If this charge was substantiated, it was enough to sentence Qi Ze to death.
"How could he steal your Mu family's source code? He's never even been to the Imperial Star in his entire life." He quickly rebutted.
"I'm also puzzled. But in the exam he filled out today, there were several very difficult questions mixed in, involving the core secrets of the psychic operation system source code invented by our Mu family. Only the elders of my rank have the authority to know these source codes, and he translated them perfectly and gave several ways to combine them. If he didn't steal them, where could he have known?" Mu Ran opened his email and sent a lawyer's letter, his tone icy, "I'll send someone to investigate this matter tomorrow. You should be clear what the leak of source codes means to our Mu family, I hope you don't do something that disappoints me and disappoints Grandpa."
Without waiting for Yan Junyu to respond, he cut off the communication, leaving only a dark screen floating in the air.
Yan Junyu lowered his eyelids and shook his head, laughing bitterly. He finally understood that all the concessions Mu Ran had said before were based on the premise that Qi Ze had stolen the Mu family's source code. Once Qi Ze was exposed, he did not have to keep his promises, and he left himself with an impression of magnanimity. If it had been before, he would not have speculated so maliciously about Mu Ran's every move, but now, he could not help but think more.
Mu Ran's pride as an unparalleled genius could not tolerate a carbon-based human trampling on him. This was not just his own character, but also the pedestal built for him by the outside world. And his actions were no different from pushing him off the pedestal and into the dust. No wonder he, who had once been aloof and distant, was now determined to bind to him. Yan Junyu covered his face, feeling regretful but not regretting his choice. He also understood that no matter how angry Mu Ran was, he would not use despicable methods to frame Qi Ze. He had his bottom line.
Thinking of this, Yan Junyu immediately called Qi Ze and told him about the source code theft.
"I stole their family's stuff?" Qi Ze clenched his teeth, spitting out each word, "They're not taking their meds, are they? Fine, let them come, I'll give them a big gift!"
Yan Junyu, who had his call cut off twice, could only shake his head and laugh bitterly. Compared to being aloof and arrogant, this guy Qi Ze was more powerful than Mu Ran, hopefully, they would not cause a scene tomorrow.
"What's up?" Hearing that Master Yan's tone was off, the half-drunk Ouyang Ye asked in a muddled voice.
"No big deal, ran into a mad dog. Looks like this Young Master will have to prepare a dog-beating stick!" Qi Ze cracked his fingers and strolled into the basement.
Ouyang Ye thought he was going to make something good, and hurriedly followed.
After the exam, Qi Ze spent some effort understanding source codes, only to find out that they served the same function as spirit speech and magic arrays. As on the Qianyuan Continent, many top-level spirit speeches and magic arrays could only be learned in major sects, and famous alchemists mostly kept them as if they were brooms, rarely passing them on to outsiders. Some did not even confer them on their indoor disciples.
The Mu family was such a "major sect," apart from the family, the outside mecha manufacturers could not touch their core technology. As a result, they monopolized the empire's mecha manufacturing industry, becoming an existence above the six families and even the imperial family.
Source codes supported the operation system of fighter mechas, which were the core of the core, the Mu family must attach great importance to them. Qi Ze stroked his chin and smiled maliciously. He was truly amazed by this bunch of Mu family idiots, when writing source codes, they used obscure ancient Chinese characters, did they think that because there was a cultural gap, these characters would never be deciphered? If one were to talk about it, the confidentiality of ancient Chinese characters was not as good as those tadpole-like letters! The federations' mechas used tadpole letters as source codes, and even if they were openly published on the star network, they had not been cracked.
"Blame others for being too smart because of the flaws in their own technology, I've overestimated the Mu family." He sneered and shook his head, took out a blank jade talisman, and entered all the Qianyuan Continent characters he could think of into it, including pronunciation, meaning, and shape, and then pulled out a stack of spirit paper used to make talismans, trimmed them page by page neatly, and bound them with needle and thread.
Ouyang Ye was utterly confused, asking, "Master Qi, what are you doing? Making a notebook?"
"Making a bomb." Qi Ze replied with a grin. If this book was made, wouldn't it be a bomb for the Mu family? A bullet-level one.
Ouyang Ye, who had probably drunk too much, actually looked at it seriously for a while, shaking his head, "Can paper explode?"
Qi Ze could not be bothered with him and placed the jade talisman with the entered text and the blank book into the conversion array, pinching a spell. Sparkling white lights flew out of the jade talisman, falling into page after page of the book, in just a few short minutes, the blank pages were printed with words, and were even accompanied by clear and vivid pictures.
Qi Ze took out the writing brush and slowly wrote two flowing words - "Er Ya," then flipped his palm, drawing away eighty percent of the qi contained in the paper. Originally white book rapidly withered, like a leaf approaching autumn, exuding a rotten aura.
A perfectly new book became an antique in the blink of an eye, and Ouyang Ye was instantly stunned.
"Young Master Qi, what are you doing? Faking ancient books?" He seemed to grasp some of the key points.
Qi Ze did not speak as usual, using the scanner to copy the contents of the book and print it on regular white paper, which was normally purchased and produced locally on Neptune, and then bound into a book. He opened his smartbrain and searched online for a list of mecha manufacturers who did not have the surname Mu, then wrote down their names and addresses in order, pasting them on the packaging boxes one by one, and then stuffed the printed book into the boxes, sending them to the courier station and setting the delivery time.
He played with the alchemy technique and high-tech one by one, and played them both smoothly, leaving Ouyang Ye dazzled. He felt that Young Master Qi seemed to be stirring up trouble again, and it was a big one, and he silently mourned for the unlucky guy for a few minutes. Who could he have offended, to have offended Young Master Qi, it was truly a case of an old man hanging himself, having had enough of life.
"Young Master Qi, just say it, who are you going to mess with this time?" Ouyang Ye could not control his curiosity.
"The Mu family, who else could it be?"
Ouyang Ye, "..." The Mu family, the uncrowned king? This could not be described as "big," could it? Although he thought so, he did not think for a moment that Young Master Qi would lose.