SCOM - Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Zuo Luohuan: "..."
Whether differentiating into an Alpha or an Omega, he certainly hadn't forgotten his duties regarding the Disciplinary Committee.
Ji Yuezhi seemed no different than usual. The awkwardness Zuo Luohuan felt gradually faded, replaced by her usual lazy demeanor. She said flippantly, "You didn't like it? I'll send something else for your next birthday."
Anyone just listening might think the two were on good terms. In reality, only the parties involved understood the meaning behind the words—she dared to tease him again next year.
Perhaps Ji Yuezhi wasn't willing to engage with Zuo Luohuan's behavior. After she finished speaking, he turned and left directly.
Jiang Hong caught up from behind, clapping Zuo Luohuan on the shoulder. "What did you two talk about?"
Zuo Luohuan glanced sideways at her shoulder, then brushed his hand off. "Nothing."
"Ji Yuezhi differentiated into an Omega. He must be feeling down," Jiang Hong mused, rubbing his chin. Even in today's Federation where the differences between the three types weren't significant, being an Alpha was generally easier, especially regarding strength. Betas and Omegas often had to work much harder to catch up to Alphas.
Remembering the person who seemed just like usual moments ago, Zuo Luohuan looked ahead. "Whether he differentiates into an Alpha or an Omega, he's still Ji Yuezhi."
Jiang Hong: "...That's true."
Today, the entire second year uniformly filled out the official course selection forms. The teachers worked through lunch without rest, scanning their classes' forms into their optical computers. By the afternoon, the course selection system opened, allowing students to choose their corresponding instructor courses.
The First Military Academy had five major departments: Combat, Command, Information, Warship, and Weapons Development. Within these departments, there were dozens of main courses, plus other interest courses, offering students at least a hundred options. However, each student's time was limited, allowing them to choose only three main courses and two interest courses per semester. Interest courses could be changed each semester.
Ji Yuezhi opened his optical computer. Logging into the First Military Academy's course selection system instantly displayed numerous courses. His pheromone level had already been registered. Since his differentiation just ended, it was temporarily set at S-rank, but that was enough for him to choose any course at the First Military Academy.
He first selected The Nature of Command from the Command Department, taught by Alpha instructor Jia Hailan. Then Shooting Methods, taught by Omega instructor He Yue. The remaining main course was Weapons Research, taught by Beta instructor Bai Feng.
There were still two interest courses...
Ji Yuezhi stared somewhat blankly at the course selection system. Flower Arranging Art and How to Make a Home Cozy were both good, but Soft Yoga also seemed quite interesting. After much deliberation, he finally selected his two interest courses.
Every student selected courses on their own optical computer. Unless they told others, no one would know what courses they chose, at least not for the first week.
"What courses did you choose?" Jiang Hong asked, showing Zuo Luohuan the courses he had selected. "My three main courses are Information Collection Methods, Single Combat, and Shooting Methods."
Zuo Luohuan submitted her choices, then showed him her optical computer.
"Two are the same as mine, Single Combat, Shooting Methods. You also chose Jia Hailan's course." Jiang Hong continued looking at her interest courses: one from the Information Department, and one from the Warship Department.
Many students in the classroom were discussing course selections like them. In previous years, Jia Hailan's course and several combat instructors' courses were popular choices. This year, He Yue was added, but only students of the corresponding rank could choose her.
"After selecting today, tomorrow you can attend the courses you chose. Tonight at 10 PM, the Academic Affairs Office will uniformly send everyone's class schedules to your optical computers. Remember to check," the teacher reminded before leaving the last class of the afternoon.
The second-year students, after selecting courses, were mostly in a state of dazed excitement. A year ago, upon enrollment, they were already thinking about their goals. Many had secretly tried to sneak into senior students' classes, though they could only pretend to pass by and peek a few times. Now, finally able to choose their own courses, they were naturally happy.
Therefore, the First Military Academy's anonymous forum was currently buzzing with various hot discussion threads. Annual posts sharing information about instructors were bumped up, and naturally, there was gossip.
[Exposing Jia the Fox's tricks, preventing underclassmen from falling into the pit~ hot!]
[Rational discussion, are those Combat Department teachers sick? Like, sadistic kind of sick]
[Do Information Department students know a lot of secrets?]
Countless classic posts were bumped up by enthusiastic students, but new hot posts also appeared, such as one speculating which courses the top-ranked second-year students chose. Among them, a few names appeared most frequently.
[Does anyone know what courses Senior Ji chose?]
[Although Senior Ji's differentiation result was unexpected, his courses are undoubtedly chosen from the Combat and Command departments. Oh, and maybe a Weapons Development course too.]
[Right, even though Ji Yuezhi differentiated into an Omega, he definitely won't be worse than those smelly Alphas. We Omegas can achieve merits on the battlefield in the future too.]
[To the person above, I don't deny Omegas are amazing, but we Alphas don't stink, right?]
[Heh, if you Alphas are so capable, then don't release pheromones when you can't win in combat class!]
[That's just the Combat Department. Our Warship Department Alphas aren't like that.]
[Weapons Development silently bumps~]
...
The forum's excitement had nothing to do with Zuo Luohuan. She was in her dorm, dismantling the SL-9 gun, or more accurately, destroying it.
The SL-9 light gun lacked internal technology. Even if dismantled, only the outer shell could be removed. The moment she opened the internals, they self-destructed; she didn't even get a clear look. But this gun was just a pretext to cover her tracks anyway, not important.
Last year, Zuo Luohuan found the first-year military academy courses boring, so she skipped class and left, heading towards the Northwest Star Cluster, eventually stopping at Xijiang Exile Star, where she almost lost her life.
Zuo Luohuan lay directly on the dorm bed board, raising her arm over her eyes to block the harsh light: ...The Federation's surface has been too quiet these years.
At 10 PM, the Academic Affairs Office successfully distributed individual course schedules. Zuo Luohuan opened her optical computer, glanced at it, memorized her weekly schedule, then got up and went out, heading towards the Challenge Hall.
Even at this hour, the Challenge Hall was brightly lit, bustling with noise. Whether Alpha, Omega, or Beta, anyone who enjoyed fighting loved gathering here.
This was Zuo Luohuan's second visit this semester. As soon as she entered, she heard thunderous cheers, looked up, and saw two people standing on the most crowded ring: Yan Yan and Guan Yuan.
Both were typical Alpha builds, tall with well-developed muscles. Standing face to face now, their shoulders damp with sweat, they had clearly already fought one round.
Zuo Luohuan casually found a seat and watched Yan Yan and Guan Yuan fight.
She had fought Guan Yuan last year. Back then, he was ranked sixth among Alphas, with plenty of credits. He was the first person Zuo Luohuan challenged, a master of close combat.
As for Yan Yan, she had fought him just last month. All she could say was... utterly chaotic.
Relying on his Alpha physical advantages and reactions, he fought wildly. She had noticed it at the school gate that time; Yan Yan had clearly never received any combat training.
Evidently, Guan Yuan on the stage also noticed Yan Yan's problem. He closed the distance between them, seized his arm, intending to wrench it outwards, while simultaneously kicking fiercely at Yan Yan's calf.
Yan Yan suddenly ducked, retracted his arm, and headbutted towards Guan Yuan, dodging it!
No technique, he relied purely on instinct to evade. Ever since having his limbs broken twice, Yan Yan replayed those moments in his mind every night, asking himself over and over how he could have dodged.
Now, finally, he had a chance to dodge.
However, Guan Yuan had undergone systematic training. Failing once, he immediately followed up with the next move. Yan Yan was at a significant disadvantage.
"It's been almost a month." Zuo Luohuan sat on the second floor, leaning forward, resting her chin on her hand as she watched Yan Yan on the ring, muttering to herself, "Spending every day in the Challenge Hall, how come he still hasn't learned anyone else's moves."
On the stage, Yan Yan didn't last through the second round before being kicked off by Guan Yuan.
Yan Yan's limbs seemed fine, but his internal organs had taken multiple heavy blows. Even straightening up was difficult; he could only lean against the wall, panting.
For someone like Guan Yuan, credit bets were fifty points or more. Yan Yan lost this match, wiping out all the credits he had earned over two weeks, leaving him with only the base two points.
Thinking about his precarious credits, Yan Yan felt a headache coming on. Leaning against the wall as he walked out, he thought the fight was exhilarating; sure enough, people on the ranking list were indeed formidable. He heard Zuo Luohuan had challenged everyone on the list last year. No wonder he hadn't even reacted that day before having his limbs broken.
Yan Yan suddenly clutched his chest and hurried towards a secluded spot, bending over and vomiting a mouthful of clotted blood.
"Need to ask you something."
Yan Yan hadn't even wiped the blood from his mouth when he heard a familiar voice. He looked up and saw the person he had just been thinking about standing before him. "Zuo Luohuan?"
Zuo Luohuan leaned against the wall, suddenly changing her original question. "According to convention, you should call me Senior Sister."
Perhaps her tone was too similar to a certain Disciplinary Committee member's. Yan Yan subconsciously asked, "Will I lose points if I don't?" His points were almost gone; another deduction meant expulsion.
Before she could answer, Yan Yan forced himself to add, "Senior Sister." Heaven and earth were less important than credits; he understood this principle now.
Zuo Luohuan's question just now was purely on a whim. She took a crumpled paper ball from her pocket and tossed it to Yan Yan. "Take a look. If you're willing, you can sign it."
They were currently standing behind a wall, shielded by a row of trees. The distant pale yellow lights barely reached here; only the faint, scattered moonlight illuminated the area.
Yan Yan lowered his head and smoothed out the paper ball with his hand, realizing it was an envelope. He opened it and found a black hard paper card inside, now also crumpled, but the contents were still legible.
It was an invitation card, with only two lines of text.
[Sincerely inviting Classmate ___ to join the Disciplinary Committee. Recommender: Zuo Luohuan]
Yan Yan looked down at the military uniform haphazardly thrown on his body, then stiffly raised his head. "Didn't you say you weren't part of the Disciplinary Committee?" His points were gone!
Zuo Luohuan smiled faintly. "I only said I didn't have a wheat ear badge."
Yan Yan: "..." Were people from the Capital all this black-hearted?
Perhaps his expression was too awful. Zuo Luohuan finally kindly added, "There are two Disciplinary Committees. Ours doesn't deal with credits."
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