SCOM - Chapter 98

Chapter 98

The instructor had stayed for a month, originally to help Ji Yuezhi transition into the role of General Captain, but he ended up doing even better than expected.

The original ten teams were reorganized and re-sorted by weapon specialization. At the same time, two captains were replaced, one of whom was Guan Yuan.

Ji Yuezhi had Xiang Chengping replace Guan Yuan. The replaced Guan Yuan was naturally unconvinced, but this time, Ji Yuezhi adopted a high-pressure policy: if you don't accept it, you can withdraw from the Exoskeleton Legion project.

Guan Yuan had been selected, so it was impossible for him to voluntarily quit. He couldn't afford to lose face and ultimately had to yield.

Knowing how to use people to their best abilities was something that came naturally to Ji Yuezhi. It only required a little observation, and he had been doing just that for the past few months.

With the familiar teams reorganized and new captains appointed, the reliance on the former captains diminished significantly, and everyone eventually had to acknowledge the General Captain.

During this month, the students from the weapons department worked desperately on modifications and finally finished improving the skeletal mechs.

"Ten days. You only have ten days left to adapt," Jiao Ji said to Ji Yuezhi before she left. "You are not needed to guard the northern border. In ten days, you will go to the western border to defend it."

"The Western Region?" Ji Yuezhi's heart stirred. They had never received any news about the Western Region here. Was there some unusual activity over there?

"In these ten days, have your people adapt to the weapons in their hands." After saying this, Jiao Ji turned and returned to the Winter Army's camp.

Ji Yuezhi went to find Jiang Hong, wanting to ask him if anything had happened in the Western Region recently, but he couldn't find him.

"I just saw him and Zuo Luohuan walk off to the side." Guan Xue, dressed in a skeletal mech and holding a light assault rifle, fired a burst at the target in front of her after speaking.

Ji Yuezhi looked in the direction she pointed but decided against going over.

"Is this all the information on him?" Zuo Luohuan asked Jiang Hong, flipping through the files on her optical computer.

"Yes, it's the most detailed information available. I've also copied some video footage," Jiang Hong said. "I've read through all the files, but I still can't figure out what Ren Pingbo was thinking or why he would defect."

Ren Pingbo was a true chosen one. Although his parents died early, the talent he displayed from the moment he enrolled gave him a smooth path, with influential people helping him along the way.

All the way to the First Military Academy, neither Zuo Dihong nor Ji Xixiu could outshine him. He was truly the number one person in the Federation.

And yet, despite all this, he still defected.

Zuo Luohuan leaned against a tree and opened a video. It was a competition from the First Military Academy back in the day. It had no beginning or end, looking like someone had recorded it on a whim. The camera was a bit shaky.

In the frame were a young Zuo Dihong and Ji Xixiu, along with another young, handsome man. He stood at the very edge, but everyone's gaze was fixed on him. Even the sunlight seemed to favor him a little.

Zuo Luohuan had never seen Ren Pingbo, but in that instant, she was almost certain this man was him.

The young man was handsome and unrestrained, his brow carrying an air of supreme pride. This was a man who had never known failure.

It was merely the steps to the first-place podium, yet it looked like a coronation.

Zuo Luohuan switched to the next video. It was the same person, but this time giving a speech at the matriculation ceremony. Ren Pingbo stood on stage and, with just a few words, stirred the crowd into a state of high excitement. Even Ji Xixiu, who came on after him, couldn't steal his spotlight.

Zuo Luohuan expressionlessly replayed the video and watched it again. This was a man of immense charm and power; whatever he wanted, he got.

"I believe him when he said he was bored," Zuo Luohuan said, turning off her optical computer and looking at Jiang Hong. "There's no reason. He wanted to defect, so he defected."

This man was surrounded by a multitude of outstanding friends and benefactors, yet no one could serve as his bottom line.

Whether it was a path of glory or an endless abyss, it didn't matter to Ren Pingbo, because… it was all too boring.

There was no emotion in Zuo Luohuan's eyes as she curved her lips into a smile. "I kind of feel sorry for him now."

Jiang Hong quietly rubbed his arms, smoothing down the goosebumps. He actually thought Zuo Luohuan and Ren Pingbo were very similar, except that Zuo Luohuan had been undisciplined since childhood, loved to run wild, and had no interest in walking the path of a chosen one.

"By the way, it seems there's some unusual activity on the western border," Jiang Hong said.

Hearing this, Zuo Luohuan said, "Go tell the Captain."

"...Alright."

The two of them walked out of the woods and returned to the training ground. Jiang Hong then went to find Ji Yuezhi to tell him the news about the Western Region.

"I know," Ji Yuezhi said. "We'll set out for the western border in ten days."

"Huh?" Jiang Hong hadn't known about that part.

The ten days were just for everyone to become more familiar with the structure of their weapons. In reality, they had practiced before, but this time all the weapons were integrated into the skeletal mechs.

"I heard the weapons department is planning to continue researching compression methods to make the skeletal mechs more portable?" Luo Shaoyuan asked, chasing after Qian Mao.

"Can't you ask the people from your academy's weapons department? Why are you asking me?" Qian Mao was annoyed to death by her.

Luo Shaoyuan had been eyeing the custom light gun in Zuo Luohuan's hands for a long time. Recently, she found out Qian Mao had made it and had been trying to get close to him every day.

"What's the point of asking people from my academy? I like you," Luo Shaoyuan pestered Qian Mao relentlessly, speaking loudly.

Just then, An Yingjing returned from training with his team. Hearing this, he sneered, "I didn't realize you were so affectionate."

Luo Shaoyuan turned to see An Yingjing, waved at him, and continued to pester Qian Mao, awkwardly saying, "Let's be friends. We're all the same age."

What a ridiculous excuse. Qian Mao looked at Luo Shaoyuan, who was practically poking holes in him with her stare, and his head throbbed. "Classmate Luo, please let me go. I don't want to be friends with you."

His already limited brain capacity might be infected by Luo Shaoyuan, and he'd really become an idiot.

"With someone like her, it's better to try a different approach," Ji Yuezhi, who had walked over at some point, said to An Yingjing. "Perhaps being more direct would be better."

Luo Shaoyuan's mind was filled with nothing but fighting and eating; she never thought about anything else.

An Yingjing stared at Luo Shaoyuan, who was still pestering Qian Mao, for a long moment before suddenly walking over. "Luo Shaoyuan, I'll fight you."

"Huh?" Luo Shaoyuan was stunned. "Why would you want to fight me out of the blue?"

"I want to fight you," An Yingjing said. "If you lose, you have to promise me one thing. If I lose, I'll promise you one thing."

"I don't have anything I need you to do," Luo Shaoyuan said, confused.

"Why are you talking so much nonsense? Are you an Alpha or not? You don't even dare to accept this." Even Cha Lili couldn't stand it anymore. He didn't know what An Yingjing liked about Luo Shaoyuan. Was it her denseness?

The other captains also gathered around, egging them on to fight.

"Fine, we can fight, but you can't use your pheromones," Luo Shaoyuan tried to set a condition.

"My pheromones are a part of me. Why can't I use them?" An Yingjing said. "You can use your pheromones too."

Luo Shaoyuan took a deep breath. "Fine, bring it on!"

The two stood in the middle of the training ground, facing off. Ji Yuezhi heard footsteps, turned his head, and saw Zuo Luohuan.

She handed him a bottle of water and asked, "What's going on over there?"

"An Yingjing and Luo Shaoyuan are sparring. The winner gets to make the other promise one thing." Ji Yuezhi had only suggested he try a different method; he never expected An Yingjing to be so direct.

Hearing this, Zuo Luohuan smiled. "He's not going to ask Luo Shaoyuan to date him, is he?"

Ji Yuezhi lowered his gaze. "If you Alphas were a bit more proactive, we Omegas wouldn't have to go to such lengths."

Zuo Luohuan paused for a moment, then took his hand and agreed, "Mmm, it's us Alphas who are lacking."

Ji Yuezhi had just been speaking his mind and didn't expect Zuo Luohuan to agree. He looked up at her, and before he could speak, a segment of an orange was fed to him.

"I picked it on my way here," Zuo Luohuan said, handing the rest of the orange to Ji Yuezhi. "Is it sweet?"

Ji Yuezhi bit into the orange segment. The juice burst in his mouth, sweet with a hint of tartness. His eyes curved. "Sweet."

He lowered his head, broke off a segment, and held it to Zuo Luohuan's lips, feeding it to her.

While the atmosphere between these two was just right, in the middle of the training ground, An Yingjing was already at a disadvantage. But after he released his pheromones, for just a moment, Luo Shaoyuan's movements slowed down.

An Yingjing seized this moment of slowness and flipped her to the ground.

An Yingjing retracted his pheromones, but Luo Shaoyuan hadn't come to her senses yet, her Alpha pheromones running wild.

"Damn it!"

The onlookers were unwittingly affected, feeling dazed. But An Yingjing had released very little pheromones, only enough to confuse someone for an instant, so everyone quickly recovered. Luo Shaoyuan's pheromones, however, were not reined in.

Cha Lili covered his nose in disgust, grabbed a bottle of water, and splashed it on Luo Shaoyuan. "Get a grip!"

Luo Shaoyuan finally came to her senses. Seeing herself on the ground, she immediately flipped up and looked at An Yingjing opposite her. "Your pheromones are too OP."

"Are you going back on your word?" An Yingjing glared at her.

"Not really. What do you want me to do?" Luo Shaoyuan said. "Let's be clear, nothing too outrageous. I don't have any money."

"I don't want your money," An Yingjing said. "Just date me."

"???"

Luo Shaoyuan's eyes widened. She hugged herself and stared at An Yingjing for a long time before stammering, "Th-that's not a good idea… I'm not even attractive."

"Stop dawdling. Are you an Alpha or not?" An Yingjing said irritably. "You already agreed."

"Then…" Luo Shaoyuan tried to cast a pleading look at the people around her, but no one paid her any attention. They were all covering their noses and moving farther and farther away.

Seeing this, An Yingjing turned and walked away.

This time, Luo Shaoyuan knew to reach out and grab An Yingjing. "I agree, okay? I agree. Hey, don't be angry."

In the distance, Zuo Luohuan narrowed her eyes and said to Ji Yuezhi, "It seems she doesn't dislike An Yingjing either."

Back during the military exercise competition, Luo Shaoyuan's reaction to An Yingjing's pheromones wasn't even as fast as it was now. Just a moment ago, she had fallen into the illusion almost instantly.

Ji Yuezhi lowered his head to clean the white pith from the orange, feeding the clean segment to her, unconcerned with the people in the distance.

"Sigh, another couple." Jiang Hong squatted next to Yan Yan and Guan Xue. "This is a training base, not a dating base."

"Three couples formed in our team this month." Guan Xue squatted on the ground, holding up one hand. "I really want to report them."

"The General Captain is leading the charge in romance. What's the use of reporting them? Be careful Zuo Luohuan doesn't beat you up." Jiang Hong clicked his tongue and shook his head. "We should just practice more and get ready to deal with those Gashiro people on the western border."

---

After returning, Luo Shaoyuan kept reflecting on why she had agreed to An Yingjing's request. She always felt like he was plotting against her.

"Why does he want to date me?" Luo Shaoyuan asked her roommate.

Her roommates ignored the person showing off her new relationship and all closed their eyes to sleep.

Luo Shaoyuan lay on her bed, unable to sleep for a long time. She finally figured it out: if he just wanted to play around, then she would play along with him. Anyway… nothing serious would probably happen.

---

Previous Table of Contents Next