SCOM - Chapter 96
Chapter 96
The opposing captain was cornered by Guan Xue, Yan Yan, and a few others. They found an opportunity to rip the tag off his back, forcing him to swim to the surface. The captain looked back and saw that a large number of his team members in the distance had been eliminated. “…”
These military cadets were ruthless, actually using themselves as bait.
“How much longer?” Jiao Ji asked the person beside her.
“Ten minutes left.”
“Good. Drain the water when the time is up.”
Underwater, Zuo Luohuan moved as if in an uninhabited realm; no one could stop her.
“In Ji Yuezhi’s team, Zuo Luohuan is a bug,” an instructor said, shaking his head.
Looking at the other four battles, they were either evenly matched or the team that arrived first had a slight advantage. After all, the last five teams hadn't had any rest, while the first five had already rested for several hours after reaching the building.
None of them were like this team, which had suffered a crushing defeat.
“Time’s up. Drain the water.” Jiao Ji tapped the microphone. “Everyone stop. Watch your step.”
The water was drained slowly so that the people inside wouldn't fall.
After the water was gone, each team counted their numbers. There was no need for Ji Yuezhi’s side to count; the number of ‘surviving’ members on the opposing team could be counted on one hand.
Zuo Luohuan had single-handedly stormed their base camp. After the water receded, she took off her skeletal mech. Having been in the water for so long, water had entered through her mouth and nose, and she was soaked to the bone. Her hair was inevitably wet as well.
She grabbed a handful of her wet hair, slicking it back with her fingers, and walked toward Ji Yuezhi.
“Feeling better?” Zuo Luohuan studied his face. The corners of his eyes still held a faint redness, clearly a result of suffocating underwater earlier.
“I’m fine.” Ji Yuezhi had only felt discomfort underwater; he was fine now. He looked up at Zuo Luohuan. “We won.”
“Yeah.”
After all the teams had been tallied and the winners and losers determined, a nearby wall suddenly retracted, allowing each team to see the one next to them. Jiao Ji and the other instructors also walked in from outside.
“Holy crap!” Luo Shaoyuan was in the team next to Ji Yuezhi’s. Her gaze fell on the pile of tags on their side, and she asked the other captain in shock, “How did you lose so badly?”
That captain scoffed at her. “Your team lost too. What’s the difference between one loss and another?”
“…Of course it’s different,” Luo Shaoyuan said, shaking her head. “We rushed around for half a day without any rest. It’s natural that we’d be at a disadvantage against you people who arrived early.”
Just then, Jiao Ji came in and had all the teams assemble. “Losing teams, you will continue with punishment runs and then training tomorrow.”
“Instructor… what about the people who fell?” Cha Lili stepped forward to ask.
Jiao Ji glanced at him. “They’re on the other side, continuing to practice their balance.”
A safety net had been set up below the cliff, so they hadn't really let this group of people fall to their doom. After the teams entered the building, the instructors had pulled up those who fell, re-strung the ropes, and punished them by making them walk back and forth on them.
By the time everyone came out of the building, it was already afternoon. Jiao Ji had them put on their skeletal mechs and run back as a group to get ready for dinner.
“The cafeteria can’t hold fifteen thousand people,” Ji Yuezhi suddenly said to his team. “Speed up and run back.”
Captains from other teams had the same idea and immediately led their teams in a mad dash forward.
“Every single one of them is running faster than when they arrived,” Jiao Ji sneered from behind. “I don’t think they’re tired at all.”
“I’m dead tired today.” Upon reaching the cafeteria, Jiang Hong grabbed a large table and sat down, stretching. He was starving.
“I’ll get the food.” Zuo Luohuan pressed down on Ji Yuezhi’s shoulder, making him sit, and went to get the plates herself.
Jiang Hong immediately stood up as well. “I’ll go too.”
Guan Xue handed him her plate. “Thanks, get me a portion too. I’ll eat anything.”
“Tomorrow, you get mine,” Jiang Hong said before leaving.
Those who couldn't find a seat could only stand inside with their plates or go outside to eat.
All fifty windows in the cafeteria had long lines. Zuo Luohuan was near the front, so she got two portions of food and turned to go back.
Guan Xue and the others who had been sitting at the table were gone, leaving only Ji Yuezhi there.
“Rest after you eat.” Zuo Luohuan handed the food she got to Ji Yuezhi and sat down beside him. “I’m afraid there’ll be more training tonight.”
Ji Yuezhi’s hand, which was hanging by his leg, reached out and took Zuo Luohuan’s other hand. He could tell she was in a bad mood.
Zuo Luohuan glanced at him and said coolly, “Don’t use yourself as bait next time.”
“It was just training,” Ji Yuezhi said softly.
“If you use yourself as bait in just training, what will you do in a real battle?” A trace of irritation flashed across Zuo Luohuan’s brow. She hadn't cared about Ren Pingbo targeting her before, but now she felt that he had to be eliminated. He would endanger the people around her.
Ji Yuezhi was silent for a moment. “As long as we can win on the battlefield.”
“Soldiers are easy to come by, but a commander is hard to find. Do I need to teach you that?” Zuo Luohuan hadn't felt this way before, but seeing Ji Yuezhi being suppressed underwater today made her words come out a bit harsh.
Jiang Hong, walking over with his food, saw the tense atmosphere between them and asked hesitantly, “What’s wrong?”
Did these two have a fight in the time it took to get food?
“I trust that you won’t lose,” Ji Yuezhi said, meeting Zuo Luohuan’s eyes. “You have to trust that I won’t lose either.”
“…Alright.” After a moment, Zuo Luohuan added, “I’m sorry.”
“Hahaha, we’ve been training all day, let’s just eat,” Jiang Hong said, sitting down to break the strange atmosphere. “Where’s Guan Xue?”
“I’m here!” Guan Xue rushed over, holding a pile of canned juice. “The weapons department was handing out drinks over there. I managed to grab a bunch, one for everyone.”
A while later, Yan Yan and the others also finished getting their food and sat down.
After eating, everyone washed up and prepared to rest. This time, however, no one dared to strip down completely before sleeping. They all changed into fresh training clothes and slept fully dressed.
Before sleeping, Jiang Hong received a message from Zuo Luohuan.
【Help me gather all of Ren Pingbo’s information.】
Jiang Hong rolled over and messaged back: 【You want to investigate him? I happen to have a lot of information on Ren Pingbo.】
Zuo Luohuan: 【I don’t just want the publicly available information. It’s best if it’s the little-known stuff.】
Jiang Hong: 【No problem, but let me be clear, I only have information on Ren Pingbo from his first twenty-some years. After he defected to the Gashiro Empire, my family can’t find anything either.】
Zuo Luohuan: 【That’s fine.】
…
They had returned at four in the afternoon, and by the time they could finally rest, it was basically five-thirty.
Zuo Luohuan only slept for half an hour before waking up. She walked out of her dorm room and turned to look at Ji Yuezhi’s.
He should still be resting at this time.
She hadn't realized it before, but that scene underwater today made Zuo Luohuan fully understand how important he was to her.
She would rather be the one pinned underwater, unable to breathe, than to ever see that person be Ji Yuezhi.
Zuo Luohuan leaned against a pillar, somewhat lost in thought.
About ten minutes later, someone walked out from inside. She turned to look; it was Ji Yuezhi.
“Why aren’t you resting more?” Zuo Luohuan asked.
“I was thinking of you,” Ji Yuezhi said succinctly.
Zuo Luohuan was taken aback, then held out her hand to him. “Come here.”
Ji Yuezhi closed his dorm room door and walked quickly toward Zuo Luohuan. The moment he got close, she pulled him into an embrace.
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