Evolution - Chapter 51
Chapter 51
In the end, Ji Changqing pinned the poor sap down and gave him a thorough beating before she was satisfied.
For one, this guy had made her eat a mouthful of dust and waste several pieces of roasted meat. For another, “know yourself, know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.” How could she let someone get close without sizing them up first?
People only ever let their guard down and offer trust to things or people they feel they can control.
The moment they clashed, the poor sap was shocked. Ji Changqing was only level six, yet she was so fierce. Even at level seven in Physique, he was struggling to keep up.
And he was even practicing an advanced version of Physique!
After their fight, they both had a measure of each other. Basically, neither would be a burden to the other.
Ji Changqing took out a few more pieces of beef, and the poor sap produced his own collection of seasonings and began roasting the meat without complaint.
Amidst an aroma several times more intense than before, the poor sap started chattering in a voice that was nearly hoarse.
“Man, this assessment is insane! Thanks, sis! If it weren't for you, I'd never have gotten down.” The poor sap sniffled. “My name is Gu Changge. What should I call you, sis?”
Ji Changqing had to admire his dedication to being a chatterbox. It was truly impressive.
“Ji Changqing.”
Gu Changge slapped his thigh. “Ah, this is fate! Changqing, Changge—it sounds like we’re siblings from the same family! Heaven must have destined for us to meet here and adventure together!”
Isn't it because you're an idiot?
Ji Changqing glanced at him, thinking this silently. He'd lost his parachute knife for no good reason, leading to him being put on public display.
Seeing that she had no reaction to his surname, Gu Changge wondered, Could she be from some remote little star system? Otherwise, how could someone aspiring to join the military not make any connection to the name ‘Gu’?
But her Physique... at level six, she could thrash him at level seven. Her technique had to be of a higher grade than his. The chances of someone from a remote star system possessing such a technique were slim to none.
Still, it was better that she didn't know! It meant she wasn't approaching him with ulterior motives. Strong, straightforward, and with a reasonably upright heart—she was the perfect teammate!
To meet someone like this in such a god-awful assessment, it seemed the heavens still favored him after all!
At this thought, Gu Changge became even more enthusiastic. “Sis, come on, give me your terminal number so I can transfer you the money! Heh heh, don't be polite with me. I'm already incredibly grateful you lent a hand. You have to take this money!”
Who's being polite with you? Ji Changqing retorted inwardly. Seeing his “my family is so poor we only have money” nouveau riche attitude, she readily gave him her terminal number.
He entered her terminal number and initiated the transfer. Then, Gu Changge jolted. Holy crap! A terminal number starting with that prefix... wasn't that from Blue Star, the primary civilization discovered and incorporated into the Alliance a few years ago, the one that had been getting so much attention lately?!
His feelings were a mix of sour grapes and secret delight.
The sour part was that she had only been practicing Physique for a few years and could already wipe the floor with him.
So bitter! So jealous! So envious!
The delightful part was that achieving so much after just a few years of practice made her a promising talent. And since she had just come from Blue Star to take the Fourth Military's exam, she was still naive about everything—the perfect opportunity to build up goodwill.
What level she might reach in the future, what value she might have, whether she was worth recruiting, if she should be recruited, if she could be recruited... all that could be considered later. For this assessment, at least, she was valuable!
At the very least, they could cooperate, allowing him to survive more comfortably.
He thought for a moment and transferred another sum to Ji Changqing. “Sis, this is for the beef! Level-six Highland Rhino beef is worth this much out here!”
Ji Changqing glanced down at the number. It really was a lot! “What's the market price?”
Gu Changge quoted a figure.
“Are you paying me for sixty jin?” Ji Changqing was shocked. She herself only ate about twenty-something jin. This guy looked so weak—could he really pack away sixty jin?
Gu Changge waved a greasy hand. “Thirty jin. Out here, double the price is perfectly reasonable!”
Ji Changqing pondered for a moment, then sent half of it back to him. “You provided the seasonings. Let's just stick to the market price.”
She suddenly felt a pang of regret for all the meat she'd been forced to abandon because her storage button was full.
That was all money!
The meat she had calculated would last her three days might not even last a day and a half with this Gu Changge fellow around.
Gu Changge's hand, which was sprinkling seasoning, paused, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. Good character. At least she's straightforward, has some integrity and her own principles. She doesn't like to take advantage of others, nor does she let others take advantage of her...
Very good. At least I don't have to worry that she'd throw away a promising future for some petty, short-term gain.
He then nonchalantly resumed his grand barbecue enterprise, saying eagerly, “I bet you only brought the meat. Ah, if we had some beef bones, oxtail, and intestines to make a pot of soup, the flavor…”
Ji Changqing's mouth twitched. “You brought a pot?”
Gu Changge chuckled. He'd brought seasonings, so how could he not have brought a pot?! “The Fourth Military's entrance assessment is seven days long, of course I had to bring one! A transformable, detachable, multi-functional pot. You can pan-fry, deep-fry, stir-fry, and stew with it. It's essential for wilderness survival!”
Ji Changqing was speechless.
The people of the interstellar era really knew how to live! Bringing their own camping cookware just for an exam.
Gu Changge explained to Ji Changqing, “If you don't bring a pot, once your three-day supply of drinking water runs out, you won't even have water to drink. Who knows if the water here is potable, right? Someone once had to withdraw from the assessment after drinking unboiled water and getting infected with parasites.”
“That must be a rare case, right?” Ji Changqing shot him a look. How could someone at level six in Physique not be able to handle a little unboiled water? The person who had to withdraw due to a parasitic infection must have been just like Gu Changge—a divinely chosen child of misfortune.
Gu Changge sighed dramatically. “Without a pot, you can only eat roasted meat every day. How tragic!”
It seemed he was a pampered little princess, the type who demanded the finest food. Recalling the things he'd howled while hanging from the tree, even taking the military academy exam was something his family had to beat him into doing. So, was he playing the part of a good-for-nothing playboy heir whose dream was to laze around and be a salted fish that never has to flip over?
How enviable.
The two chatted idly while stuffing themselves with food. Gu Changge, determined to use his multi-functional pot, ended up just boiling a pot of water.
“You did bring a cup, right?” Gu Changge asked Ji Changqing, a little uncertainly.
His tone and expression reminded Ji Changqing of a time she went out with a group of gay friends. When those impeccably groomed men discovered she hadn't brought sunscreen, a face mask, or any makeup, they had asked her in despair, “You did at least bring face wash and toner, right?”
The ultimate showdown between a pretty boy and a low-maintenance girl.
“Of course!” Ji Changqing answered calmly. Even for a short trip, a water bottle was a must.
After they finished the roasted meat, they each filled their water bottles and drank. Ji Changqing filled hers again. She politely thanked the chef for the evening, looking as if she were about to say goodbye and go her own way.
Gu Changge was aghast. Hadn't they become partners? Why was she still going to abandon him so heartlessly? “Sis, sis, sis! Aren't we teaming up to go together?”
Ji Changqing looked at him in surprise. “Weren't we just making a deal? You made an offer, and I got you down. You paid, and I gave you ingredients. You roasted the meat as an apology. Is there anything else?”
Gu Changge's face fell. “Sis, we've been through life and death together! Can't we have a little more trust and a little less formality?” He counted off his strengths on his fingers. “Really, I can fight, I can take a hit, I can lie low. I can cook, I keep my word, and I'll never betray or abandon a teammate.”
Ji Changqing sized him up, as if weighing whether his meager value was worth the risk.
Gu Changge understood instantly—he had a chance. He ramped up his sales pitch. “Sis, I'm really useful. People from my family have gone through the Fourth Military's assessment dozens of times. The strategy guides they've written are this thick,” he gestured, “and I've memorized them all! Also, I know exactly who the top contenders are in this assessment. We can quietly avoid them so we don't run into them and get eliminated.”
Now that was a particularly valuable point.
Where did Ji Changqing's weaknesses lie? Not in combat strength, not in purchasing power, and not in her ability to avoid danger. As a country bumpkin from the sticks, what she lacked most was intelligence!
Having finally found the selling point that would move Ji Changqing, Gu Changge was overjoyed. He upped the ante, persuading her with all his might. “I'll send the data to your terminal right now! Really, I'm not kidding!”
“Let's talk about it after tonight.” Though tempted, Ji Changqing ultimately decided to test him. In the short time they'd spent together, she could sense his goodwill and detected no malice. But for someone with decent skills, a wealthy family, and what seemed to be a powerful background to be so eager to team up with her... she still wanted to observe him a little longer.
Gu Changge remained proactive. “Should I send you the data first, then?”
Ji Changqing really wanted to agree, but there's no such thing as a free lunch. If she took his data now, teaming up would be a done deal. Suppressing her greedy impulse, she politely declined. “If we're fated to be a team, we can talk about it then.”
Gu Changge smiled and didn't press the issue. He opened the map on his assessment bracelet, zoomed in, and traced an arc with his fingertip. “I suggest we go this way. Hmm, before we landed, I noted the positions of the warships carrying the top contenders. Based on their locations, at least half of them will have landed in another region.”
He drew a circle in the opposite direction. “They'll most likely head this way. And, well, these people all have teams of at least two or three acquaintances, so we should try to avoid them in the early stages.”
After hearing this, Ji Changqing had to see him in a new light. Though he'd had an unlucky start, he clearly had a few tricks up his sleeve. His analysis was crystal clear. And considering how most people were in a chaotic panic after learning the assessment's format and content, his ability to calmly note the distribution and positions of potential rivals made him a real natural at intelligence and reconnaissance.
Now Ji Changqing genuinely felt that teaming up with someone who had a clear head, maxed-out intelligence skills, and decent combat ability might actually be a very good thing.
Gu Changge glanced at the three-digit point total displayed on her bracelet. “Your score is no good.”
Ji Changqing humbly consulted the intelligence expert. “Is there some trick to it?”
“You're definitely not looking in the right places. High-point items are scattered far apart, while low-point items are more concentrated, but that's not important.” Gu Changge waved his hand, more than happy to demonstrate his value by giving her pointers. “What's important is that the instructors definitely dropped the point items from small fighters. Those instructors are all black-hearted. Nine times out of ten, they'd pick some treacherous, hard-to-reach places to drop them.”
Warming to his topic, Gu Changge pointed directly at the enlarged map. “Look at the route we'll take tomorrow. Here, here, and here…”
He tapped six or seven spots. “These places are bound to have a lot of point items. If we move quickly tomorrow and manage to hit three of them, we can get at least 5,000 points.”
At this, he looked at Ji Changqing with a hint of pride, his expression all but screaming the words, “See? I'm useful!”
Ji Changqing gave him a big thumbs-up. You're the man!
Gu Changge smiled modestly, hiding his achievements and fame.
The two agreed on a signal to call each other in the morning and then parted ways for the time being.
Watching Ji Changqing's figure disappear, Gu Changge quickly erased their tracks on the ground. He then stroked his chin, straightened his clothes, and pulled out a small mirror. He examined his face carefully, fluffed his hair, and muttered to himself, “Has your big bro lost his charm? I'm still just as handsome as ever, aren't I?”
How could Ji Changqing completely ignore his good looks? Even if she was also an Alpha, as a woman, it was only natural for her to appreciate a handsome man!
He really couldn't figure it out.
His older sister totally fell for his act!
Compared to Ji Changqing's caution, Gu Changge, as a penniless bum with zero points, had nothing to fear. He planned to find a random spot to lie low and then, after midnight but before setting out at dawn, go collect a wave of points.
After all, in an assessment where everyone was an enemy, who would want to team up with a penniless bum with no points? It was just too dangerous!
He subconsciously followed in Ji Changqing's direction, growing more and more satisfied as he went. Hmm, cautious, careful, good counter-surveillance skills, and her concealment abilities are solid too…
Even knowing the direction she went, he had trouble finding her.
So, in this assessment, he was confident enough to beat his chest and guarantee that as long as they didn't get within a three-kilometer radius where the point items would show up on the bracelet, the number of people who could ferret her out was absolutely no more than five percent.
As long as they weren't unlucky enough to run into that group of people who hated his guts, there shouldn't be a problem with the two of them teaming up and passing the entrance assessment to become new students at the Fourth Military.
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