SCOM - Chapter 54
Chapter 54
Time was running out. Just as it seemed Zuo Luohuan was about to fail, she suddenly turned and ran toward the place where she had eliminated Ji Yuezhi and the others.
On the monitor, she was like a black shadow, flashing past the high walls of the ruins, her speed dazzlingly fast.
"Does Zuo Luohuan have a clue?" Luo Shaoyuan stared at the monitor in astonishment. She had been eliminated early, but she hadn't seen where Ji Yuezhi hid the USB drive on the monitor. In fact, ever since Ji Yuezhi took the USB drive at the start, no one had seen it again.
Ji Yuezhi watched Zuo Luohuan's direction of travel on the monitor, his fingertips curling involuntarily. She must have guessed where the USB drive was.
With one minute left until the end of the military exercise, Zuo Luohuan finally reached the pile of skeletal mech fragments that Qian Mao had dismantled. Ignoring the countdown announced over the broadcast, she strode toward the pile, squatted down, and rummaged through it, finding the compartment for the energy block on the skeletal mech.
【Ten-second countdown for this military exercise begins: Ten, nine, eight... three...】
Zuo Luohuan pried open the casing, revealing the small remaining energy block and a simple plastic USB drive inside. The moment she got her hands on it, the military exercise officially ended.
In the monitoring room.
Qian Mao subconsciously looked at Ji Yuezhi and asked in shock, "Captain, when did you put it in there?"
He had assembled the skeletal mech himself. Although the Captain had found and brought over the energy block, it was Qian Mao who had installed it, and he hadn't noticed a USB drive being added at all.
The skeletal mech could hold multiple energy blocks, but they had only found one, leaving a lot of empty space after it was inserted.
"When you were placing the energy block," Ji Yuezhi said calmly.
Jiang Hong suddenly had a realization. "I remember, Qian Mao, you turned your head to talk to Guan Xue at that moment."
Qian Mao thought hard before remembering that the Captain had said it was time to eat something, which was why he had turned to look at Guan Xue, who was eating.
"Captain, you already knew there was a spy back then?" Qian Mao was on the verge of prostrating himself in admiration for Ji Yuezhi.
"It was just a precaution." Ji Yuezhi didn't know the third stage had already begun, but he had always felt that something was off about Zuo Luohuan.
He and she had never had many opportunities to interact, only spending more time together this semester. Ji Yuezhi would mull over Zuo Luohuan's every move, every word, and every action.
Several times, even from the first stage of the military exercise, Ji Yuezhi had found Zuo Luohuan a bit strange. But at that time, it was also his first time officially competing with her. It wasn't until the second stage, when she led the people from the Northern Military Academy out to find weapons and lost two of them, that he gradually realized something was wrong.
At first, Ji Yuezhi thought the organizers had arranged another group of people in Leye Small Town. But then he suddenly remembered what Zuo Luohuan had said before the second stage. She had reminded them not to lose, effectively separating herself from them.
At the time, Ji Yuezhi thought Zuo Luohuan didn't take the military exercise seriously and thus lacked a sense of participation.
Coupled with Luo Shaoyuan's subsequent elimination, Ji Yuezhi became thoroughly suspicious of Zuo Luohuan's role in the competition.
The students from the Northern Military Academy were very strong, but their luck was bad, so they were all eliminated in the first stage. They would surely be more careful in the second. He didn't believe that Luo Shaoyuan, who even Zuo Dihong had praised, would be defeated by a sniper rifle, especially since Ji Yuezhi hadn't detected An Yingjing's pheromones nearby at the time.
From beginning to end, Ji Yuezhi had no evidence, relying solely on his intuition to suspect Zuo Luohuan.
In truth, Jiang Hong had spent more time with Zuo Luohuan and should have known her better. Logically, he should have been able to notice the anomaly, but he was blinded by trust.
Trust is like a layer of gauze over one's eyes, making it impossible to distinguish the truth and causing one to ignore all abnormalities.
"Alright. Zuo Luohuan is coming back. Let's go out and wait for her." Luo Shaoyuan stood up and cracked her knuckles, looking like she was about to beat someone up.
Qian Mao slumped in his chair, looking up lifelessly. "Sigh, I think I finally understand how those seniors who were betrayed by Ren Pingbo felt." He figured he would have a psychological scar just from seeing Zuo Luohuan now.
"Let's go, get out." Guan Xue pulled him to his feet.
Ji Yuezhi lingered at the back. Before leaving, he glanced at Zuo Luohuan on the monitor. He raised a hand to touch the gland on the back of his neck, where the faint coolness of her palm from that day seemed to remain.
With the military exercise over, Zuo Luohuan was naturally brought out, but upon her return, she was met with extreme hostility.
Even the few people from the First Military Academy looked at Zuo Luohuan with complicated expressions. Jiang Hong patted his chest and said with relief, "Luckily, I was eliminated in time, so I didn't get killed by you."
Zuo Luohuan glanced at him. "You talk too much."
"Zuo Luohuan!" Luo Shaoyuan rushed over in a single bound, ready to strike her. "You scoundrel!"
Zuo Luohuan dodged her punch and said casually, "I was just completing my mission. There will be plenty of betrayals in the army groups in the future. If you have the guts, you can chase them all down and beat them up. Of course... that's assuming you're still alive."
Luo Shaoyuan was speechless, but she quickly resumed her attack. "That's in the future. The competition is over now, and I just want to beat you up."
The instructors didn't intervene. The two of them fought right next to the aircraft. Luo Shaoyuan fought dirty, landing a few punches on Zuo Luohuan. After that, Zuo Luohuan stopped holding back and flipped her to the ground.
"Come on, I'll cripple your hand first." Zuo Luohuan tapped Luo Shaoyuan's wrist with the tip of her shoe.
Luo Shaoyuan pushed her foot away with a palm. "Get lost, get lost!"
"Alright, everyone, over here." Kang Guang called for everyone to assemble nearby.
Zuo Luohuan followed the crowd forward. Seeing Ji Yuezhi, she smiled at him. "Captain, I found your USB drive."
Ji Yuezhi looked up at Zuo Luohuan. Although she was smiling, she was unhappy. He had noticed it the moment she stepped off the aircraft.
"What's wrong?" Zuo Luohuan walked side-by-side with Ji Yuezhi, turning her head to look at him. "I haven't had the chance to ask our captain when he noticed something was wrong."
Ji Yuezhi didn't answer her question. Instead, he looked at Zuo Luohuan's hand. "Why didn't you use medicine?"
She still had medicine, but Zuo Luohuan hadn't used it at all these past few days. After that perfunctory bandaging, she hadn't paid it any mind.
Zuo Luohuan raised her palm, arching an eyebrow as she said slowly, "I was busy looking for the USB drive, too lazy to waste time. After all, the captain hid it so well."
Ji Yuezhi pursed his lips and walked ahead quickly. Zuo Luohuan followed behind, her gaze fixed on him. The palm of her lowered hand throbbed with a dull pain, yet it made her feel a bit more clear-headed.
"The month-long military exercise has finally come to an end." Jia Hailan stood at the front as the instructor representative, his gaze sweeping over the cadets from the four military academies. "I know many of you are still a bit confused, so let me first explain the situation: one person from the backpacks you drew in the first stage would randomly draw a mission card. From the moment that person drew the card, the third stage also began."
"That person needed to help the Blue team complete their mission without being discovered by anyone. Completing it would earn them an individual award," Jia Hailan said. "Unfortunately, Zuo Luohuan was discovered, so the third stage was won by Ji Yuezhi of the First Military Academy. Additionally, in the second stage, although the Blue team was... completely eliminated, Zuo Luohuan technically belonged to the Blue team. She obtained the USB drive, so the Blue team won the second stage."
The two captains of the Blue team below showed no signs of happiness. Cha Lili raised his hand. "Instructor Jia, I'd like to ask which military academy the points for winning the second stage belong to, and how will they be distributed?"
"This..." Jia Hailan smiled. "Naturally, whichever team's member snatched the USB drive, the points belong to that military academy."
Damn it!
The cadets present couldn't help but curse inwardly. After all that, in the end, all the points went to the First Military Academy.
"The military exercise is just a competition," Jia Hailan said with a serious expression. "I hope that in the future, you won't have to face this kind of betrayal. But unfortunately, such things will always happen. No one knows when their most trusted friend or colleague will stab them in the back. Keep your eyes and ears open, pay attention to every detail. What you need to learn is not just fighting techniques."
"Back then, Ren Pingbo's betrayal of the Federation led to the fall of multiple border territories and countless casualties." Jia Hailan looked at the cadets below. "It wasn't just because he was too strong, or because the second-generation robot dogs developed by the Gashiro Empire were formidable. It was also because several high-ranking Federation officials placed too much trust in Ren Pingbo. To cooperate and dare to entrust your back to your comrades does not mean you should be deaf and blind, ignoring the subtle signs of abnormality. This is what we instructors hoped you would learn in this military exercise."
After discussion, the instructors of the four military academies decided that the focus of this exercise would be to set the third stage as discovering a traitor, an idea inspired by Ren Pingbo, who betrayed the Federation.
Speaking of which, Zuo Luohuan, who drew the traitor mission card, was indeed quite similar to Ren Pingbo in some aspects.
Both were equally eye-catching, both were students of the First Military Academy, and both were deeply trusted by their team members.
At first, seeing the Blue team completely eliminated, many instructors were puzzled. When they saw the Red team also eliminated later, they thought that perhaps no one would notice the third stage's objective until the end of the competition. It was only when Zuo Luohuan couldn't find the USB drive that they realized Ji Yuezhi of the First Military Academy had already discovered it and had quietly hidden the drive.
The atmosphere at the award ceremony was a bit somber. Even the members of the First Military Academy who won the award didn't show much of a smile.
"You won, so you won. Why the long faces?" Luo Shaoyuan said sourly from the side. "What, you don't want it? Why not give it to us?"
"This trophy looks pretty heavy. How about I help you hold it?" An Yingjing also chimed in.
"No thanks." Qian Mao hugged the trophy tightly. "We worked hard to get this."
"Stingy," An Yingjing sighed. "I hid my pheromones for so long, and they only came in handy in the first stage."
Cha Lili turned his head. "If you hadn't used them in the first stage, you might not have had a chance to use them later."
An Yingjing looked at Luo Shaoyuan beside him and suddenly smiled happily. "True. At least I eliminated the entire Northern Military Academy once."
Luo Shaoyuan: "Heh."
The group was sent back to the First Military Academy by aircraft, arriving in the evening. Everyone returned to their respective dormitories. The security at the First Military Academy was much tighter now, especially in the area where students from other schools were staying.
After returning and washing up, Ji Yuezhi didn't rest. He sat on the edge of his bed for a while, then got up, found a first-aid kit, and headed for the Alpha building.
Other than a few extra warning devices and the patrol being increased to a full squad, the Alpha building was unchanged. When Ji Yuezhi passed by, the group of Alphas downstairs thought it was a surprise discipline inspection, but the head of the Disciplinary Committee didn't even look at them.
Ji Yuezhi walked to the door of Zuo Luohuan's dormitory and knocked, but there was no answer.
"Captain, are you looking for Luohuan?" Jiang Hong ambled over from the next room in his pajamas. "She's not here. I was just knocking for a long time."
Ji Yuezhi looked at Jiang Hong, frowning slightly. "You live next door to her?" He remembered that wasn't the case.
"Nah, I brought some food over for Luohuan." Jiang Hong gestured with his chin toward the room next door. "She wasn't here, so the guy next door swiped the food."
"Did she... go home?" Ji Yuezhi asked.
Jiang Hong yawned. "Probably not. Auntie Yi isn't home these days, what would Luohuan go back for? Captain, I'm going back to sleep."
Ji Yuezhi stepped aside. He stood at Zuo Luohuan's door for a moment, then, remembering something, he went downstairs, got in his car, and drove away from the school, heading toward a certain place.
Zuo Luohuan lay on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. After a while, she raised a hand to shield her forehead. Turning her head inadvertently, she saw the chair on the balcony, and her nose seemed to catch the faint scent of iris.
She sat up, and after a long moment, realized it wasn't an illusion.
It was then that Zuo Luohuan remembered she hadn't had anyone come to clean and tidy up since Ji Yuezhi's temporary mark had passed. She had even forgotten to press the purification cycle switch before leaving.
She got up and walked to the switch on the wall by the entrance, intending to press the purification cycle button. Her finger hovered over it for a long time before finally moving away.
Zuo Luohuan faced the wall, her hand dropping to her side. Suddenly, she raised it again and decisively pressed the switch. The ventilation and circulation system for the entire living room and bedroom instantly activated, carrying away every trace of the pheromones inside.
Leaning her head against the cool wall, Zuo Luohuan lowered her head and closed her eyes, suddenly letting out a self-deprecating laugh.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Zuo Luohuan came back to her senses and turned to look at the video screen next to the door, only to see a familiar person.
She was stunned for a moment, then strode over to open the door, her face already wearing its usual casual smile. "Captain, what brings you here?"
Ji Yuezhi's gaze fell on Zuo Luohuan. It had been over two hours since she returned, yet she was still wearing her dirty clothes, the strip of cloth wrapped around her palm stained with dirt and dust.
He asked coldly, "Zuo Luohuan, are you torturing yourself?"
The smile on Zuo Luohuan's face froze, but it quickly returned to its nonchalant state. She even leaned closer to him. "I'm just too tired. Why don't you help me wash, Captain?"
She thought Ji Yuezhi would be afraid of the dirt and would back away when she got close, but he didn't even blink, replying directly, "Alright."
Zuo Luohuan stiffened, then laughed it off. "I was just kidding. How could I dare to trouble the Captain?"
"Are you going to make me stand outside forever?" Ji Yuezhi looked straight into Zuo Luohuan's eyes. "I'm thirsty."
The way he looked at her was just like the Omega who had eyes only for his Alpha during that time.
Zuo Luohuan almost subconsciously took a step back, letting Ji Yuezhi in, and turned to pour him a glass of water.
Her hand was dirty, leaving a grimy print on the glass.
Zuo Luohuan threw the glass into the trash, turned to wash one of her hands clean, and only then got a new glass of water and pushed it toward him.
Ji Yuezhi didn't drink. He stood on the other side of the bar and looked at Zuo Luohuan. "Hand."
"What?"
"Show me the hand that blocked the nail for me." Ji Yuezhi took out the first-aid kit he had brought, placed it on the bar, and extended his hand toward Zuo Luohuan.
"It's just a small injury," Zuo Luohuan said with a smile. "It's our honor as team members to protect Captain Ji."
Ji Yuezhi stared at Zuo Luohuan. "You were trying to eliminate me at the time. You didn't have to block it for me."
The smile on Zuo Luohuan's face gradually faded. This was perhaps closer to her true self. She said distantly, "If I hadn't blocked it, that nail would have injured your gland. It's just a military exercise, not worth such a high price."
When she saw that nail, Zuo Luohuan had acted without thinking, falling down with Ji Yuezhi and raising her hand to protect the back of his neck. Even though the nail pierced her palm, her fingers still gently shielded his neck, unwilling to use even a bit of force.
"The nail was rusty. The wound needs to be treated promptly." Ji Yuezhi walked around the bar to Zuo Luohuan's side. "Since you were injured for me, I'll bandage it for you."
"My hand is dirty," Zuo Luohuan tried to refuse again.
Ji Yuezhi grabbed her hand directly and walked to the sink opposite them. He first unwrapped the filthy cloth, only to find that her wound was already starting to fester. The wound wasn't large, but it was deep and looked terrifying.
His lips pressed into a thin line. He threw the cloth into the trash, turned on the faucet, and, wetting his fingertips, began to wash away the dirt and bloodstains bit by bit.
Zuo Luohuan's gaze moved from Ji Yuezhi's long, clean neck to his side profile. Perhaps the warm lighting created an illusion.
For a fleeting moment, she thought the Omega beside her actually belonged to her.
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