SCOM - Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Seven days had long passed. Yan Yan held the invitation card, wanting to give it to Zuo Luohuan, but couldn't find an opportunity. He didn't have her contact information, and she seemed to have completely forgotten about it.
Finally, a teacher adjusted a class schedule. Yan Yan seized the chance and ran towards the Combat Department building. Zuo Luohuan's schedule had long been posted; he knew she had class there today.
Yan Yan rushed all the way, but saw Jiang Hong, who was often with Zuo Luohuan, leaving the building from afar. Their class was already over!
Yan Yan hesitated for a moment, but gave up on chasing Jiang Hong and continued towards the Combat Department building. Maybe Zuo Luohuan hadn't left yet.
Sure enough, his gamble paid off. He had just gone up two flights of stairs when he met Zuo Luohuan coming down. Seeing him, she raised an eyebrow slightly. "Looking for me?"
Yan Yan stopped approaching, standing at the landing corner. He took the invitation card from his pocket. "I signed it a few days ago. I couldn't reach you."
Zuo Luohuan came down, took it, looked down at the considerably smoothed invitation card, and chuckled. "I forgot."
She pocketed the invitation card and looked up. "Let's exchange contact info first, in case we can't reach each other next time."
Yan Yan immediately saved her contact number, then watched Zuo Luohuan continue downstairs. "..."
Finally, he couldn't hold back and called out, "Zuo... Senior Sister, is that it?"
He signed the invitation card, handed it over, and that was it? Yan Yan thought she would at least tell him where this 'Disciplinary Committee' was, what it did, and who else was in it. None of that was explained.
Zuo Luohuan turned back, waved the optical computer in her hand. "I'll contact you if anything comes up."
Returning to her dorm, Zuo Luohuan lay down to rest, but only closed her eyes to recuperate. Kang Guang's hand strength was heavy; the places she was hit were still numb. Coupled with the incessant pain in her head, she couldn't sleep at all.
At 1 PM, there was Jia Hailan's command class. At this time, basically only the Command Department had classes. Reportedly, it was because people were often drowsy at this hour, and the instructor hoped students could think clearly even in such conditions.
...
Entering the classroom and seeing Ji Yuezhi's back, Zuo Luohuan remembered Jiang Hong's words from that day. She couldn't help but glance at his waist. Even without touching it now, she knew it was definitely not stiff; he didn't need to attend yoga class at all.
The person in front probably sensed the gaze from behind, suddenly turned his head sideways, his gaze cool.
Zuo Luohuan met Ji Yuezhi's eyes without dodging, instead raising her lips into a smile, even greeting him, "Classmate Ji, good afternoon."
They were separated by the distance from the first row to the last. Ji Yuezhi's gaze swept over her face, quickly retracted, and he didn't reply.
Normally, Zuo Luohuan liked sitting in the last row. Today, perhaps because the pain made her irritable, Fang Yong's medicine couldn't suppress it at all. Annoyed by his cold response, or perhaps remembering the slightly sweet iris scent mixed with her own pheromones, moist and watery, from that night, she strode towards the front row, brazenly sitting down to Ji Yuezhi's right.
Hearing the seat beside her being lowered, Ji Yuezhi's brow furrowed slightly, suppressing the rapid beating in his heart: Why... did she sit here?
Zuo Luohuan, irritated by the pain, still wore a faint smile, resting her chin on one hand. "Classmate Ji, why did you suddenly think of taking yoga class?"
Hearing this, the classmates sitting in the classroom instantly perked up, ears pricked, waiting: Good grief, as expected of Zuo Luohuan, actually asking directly.
Ji Yuezhi's fingertips, hanging by his leg, moved slightly. He seemed to have just heard Zuo Luohuan's voice, looked up, his gaze inadvertently sliding over her lips, paler than usual. Her injury... hadn't healed yet?
He had checked; He Yue used an ordinary gun that night. Even if it pierced her body, it should have mostly healed by now, unless she was injured again.
Thinking of this possibility, Ji Yuezhi felt inexplicably displeased, replying coolly, "What does it have to do with you?"
Zuo Luohuan continued watching him, resting her chin on her hand, her eyes deep and unfocused. She suddenly retracted her hand, leaned towards Ji Yuezhi, her voice low and ambiguous, "...Our Yuezhi shouldn't need to learn yoga."
As she spoke, her eyes deliberately glanced down at his waist.
It made Ji Yuezhi instantly recall the night of his coming-of-age ceremony, how she held him, carried him to the bed, coaxed him to let go, brought the syringe, and carefully lowered her eyes to administer the injection.
His fingertips hanging by his leg already dug tightly into his palm. Ji Yuezhi used all his willpower to suppress the rising heat, maintaining his usual expression.
He couldn't show any abnormality in front of Zuo Luohuan, at least not now.
Zuo Luohuan's current provocative words meant she still saw him as an equal opponent, hadn't completely or wasn't yet used to treating him as an Omega.
If he acted strangely now, Zuo Luohuan, upon realizing, would likely immediately withdraw those provocations, becoming polite to the point of finding no fault.
Ji Yuezhi had long witnessed Zuo Luohuan's polite courtesy and respectful distance towards those Omegas.
He wanted to be the most special Omega in her heart. Nothing was more special than a competitor, making Zuo Luohuan inadvertently forget those polite conventions, just to provoke him.
In Zuo Luohuan's eyes, Ji Yuezhi remained frosty-browed, his gaze sweeping over with coldness. Yet, she felt rebellious, leaning closer to provoke the person opposite her when Jia Hailan walked into the classroom.
The military students in the classroom instantly quieted down, sitting upright, looking at the instructor, waiting for class to begin.
"This class, I'd like everyone to split into two sides. One side plays the Gashro Empire, the other the Cloud Leap Army." Jia Hailan waved his hand, and distinct red and blue simulated areas appeared in the classroom. "Today, this is your command battlefield."
The entire classroom was divided down the middle by a large virtual screen, separating Zuo Luohuan and Ji Yuezhi. On the two massive screens between them, neatly arranged glowing dots represented armies.
"The left side students are the Gashro Empire command group, the right side is the Federation's Cloud Leap Army. You each have twenty thousand soldiers." Jia Hailan enlarged a specific location. "Background: The Gashro Empire wants to attack Yundong Military Academy, and the Cloud Leap Army needs to arrive in time to defend the academy. No reinforcements."
The Federation had four military academies across its five regions. The North had the Northern Military Academy. The Southwest, with weaker resources, shared the United Military Academy. The First Military Academy belonged to the Central Region, and Yundong Military Academy was the best in the Eastern Region.
The largest army group in the Eastern Region was the Cloud Leap Army, the very force Jia Hailan once commanded.
Currently, Ji Yuezhi and the students on the left played the Gashro Empire command group, while Zuo Luohuan and the students on the right were the Cloud Leap Army command group, each commanding twenty thousand troops.
"This scenario seems familiar."
"Nonsense, the Gashro Empire really did attack Yundong Military Academy in the past, trying to capture those military students to threaten the Cloud Leap Army. But later, reinforcements arrived from the Eastern Region."
Discussion grew louder in the classroom. Some recounted the past war vividly: the Gashro Empire colluded with internal traitors, twenty thousand troops brazenly bypassed the Eastern Region defense line, heading straight for Yundong Military Academy, aiming to destroy these young military students in one fell swoop, cutting off the Eastern Region's future.
In reality, the Cloud Leap Army could barely muster ten thousand troops to rush back then. But ultimately, Yundong Military Academy remained unharmed because the Northern Region's Winter Army arrived in time, successfully repelling the Gashro Empire forces.
However, on the current simulation screen, the Gashro Empire forces hadn't bypassed the Eastern Region defense line; the Cloud Leap Army still had a chance to resist.
The classroom buzzed with noise, everyone discussing attack or defense strategies. Zuo Luohuan, annoyed by the chatter, didn't show it, but her eyes held a hint of darkness. She didn't participate in the discussion, sitting in her seat, watching Ji Yuezhi rise and stand in the middle of the screen opposite, already discussing countermeasures with others.
Ji Xixiu excelled at command; it was normal for Ji Yuezhi to inherit this talent.
Ji Yuezhi was handsome; this was widely acknowledged, otherwise, so many people at the First Military Academy wouldn't like him. Standing together discussing strategies, he simply outshone those beside him.
Zuo Luohuan stared somewhat distractedly at the person opposite. By the time she snapped back, the defense line had already failed; Ji Yuezhi had successfully led the Gashro Empire into the Eastern Region.
At this point, someone came over to ask Zuo Luohuan's opinion: How should they fight?
Zuo Luohuan swept her gaze over the glowing dots on the screen. The only chance of survival wasn't seized; the Cloud Leap Army had already missed their best opportunity. She said nonchalantly, "The Gashro forces are already in the Eastern Region. Without reinforcements, the Cloud Leap Army's twenty thousand soldiers can only use their lives to save Yundong Military Academy."
She suggested the Cloud Leap Army take the shortest, most dangerous route.
"Not appropriate. Going that way, we'll be half-depleted before we arrive. Encountering the Gashro forces then is just suicide," someone disagreed.
"But if we don't go now, the people at Yundong Military Academy are finished too." Others agreed with Zuo Luohuan; they had no other choice.
Zuo Luohuan listened to her side bickering. Suddenly sensing something, she looked up and saw Ji Yuezhi looking over. She couldn't help raising an eyebrow, but he quickly turned his gaze back to the command screen.
The military students on the right ultimately followed Zuo Luohuan's suggestion, choosing the shortest, most dangerous path. But as expected, by the time they reached Yundong Military Academy, the glowing dots' health bars were already mostly depleted. Facing the Gashro Empire forces, they were utterly defeated.
Jia Hailan looked at the result, then gently said, "This round, the Gashro Empire wins."
He stood at the podium, pointing out and explaining the problems with the right side's command: "The battlefield changes constantly, but sometimes, once an opportunity is missed, it's hard to recover. When making decisions, you must be fast and accurate, not indecisive."
The left side had Ji Yuezhi devising strategies, accurately seizing the opportune moment, winning beautifully. But Jia Hailan still evaluated the suggestions some classmates had proposed earlier.
"Next class, I'll discuss examples of winning with fewer numbers," Jia Hailan gently reminded. "Everyone can gather materials in advance, read more."
Once the instructor left, people gradually dispersed. Ji Yuezhi returned to his previous seat, packed the books on his desk, and said coolly, "You came back to class just to zone out?"
Zuo Luohuan was still sitting beside him. Hearing this, she leaned back, looked up at him. "Are you concerned about me, or... does the Disciplinary Committee also manage zoning out in class?"
Ji Yuezhi met her eyes, finally bent down to pick up his bag, turned, and prepared to leave.
"Ji Yuezhi." Zuo Luohuan suddenly called out to him. "Glowing dots can only simulate soldiers; they are never real soldiers. They lack belief."
This was a reminder.
Ji Yuezhi paused, pursed his lips to hide the faint upward curve, and finally left.
Comments
Post a Comment