The highest leadership meeting room of the First Military Academy.
Seated in the room were over a dozen Zergs, their expressions serious. The least rank on their shoulder tabs was that of a junior colonel, indicated by two bars and one star.
They were currently examining the holographic screen displaying the list of students who had applied.
Commander Fu Ren, the principal, sat upright at the head of the table, occasionally recording the names of exceptionally talented students on the smart desk.
The secretary responsible for introducing the candidates had already completed most of the work. He smiled and reminded the officers present, “The next three students are the most likely to achieve the top ranking in this selection.”
The dozen or so Zergs focused their attention on the holographic screen.
The secretary swiped through the images on the smart desk, and the holographic screen changed to display a middle-aged female Zerg. “Manga, a Stormstar mercenary, aged 61, possesses formidable strength, with an A-level physique. Everyone is aware of the situation on Stormstar. Manga rarely has the opportunity to use advanced mechs. Although there are numerous flaws in his mech’s attack methods, his unconventional approach has its merits. Mental strength is rated C+, and after system training, a conservative estimate suggests an upgrade to B.”
Commander Fu Ren nodded, his expression softened. “She’s an outstanding individual.”
Manga, at this age, couldn’t exactly be called a child, but with General Fu Ren’s snow-white hair and a beard longer than his head of hair, coupled with his benevolent appearance, calling him a child seemed fitting.
Commander Fu Ren, at the age of 160, was well beyond the typical retirement age for high-ranking officers. The military brought him in because the First Military Academy lacked a senior officer with a commanding rank.
Commander Fu Ren said, “Let’s set the difficulty to S level. Any objections?”
The others shook their heads. After the adjustment, the secretary continued to introduce the next student, “Next is—”
“Good afternoon, everyone,” Admiral Ken entered the meeting room covered in dust, striding quickly to Commander Fu Ren’s side. A vacant seat had been left for him, and those who were initially puzzled now understood why Commander Fu Ren had kept the seat empty.
They greeted Ken one by one, and he nodded with a smile, engaging in a brief conversation with Commander Fu Ren. “Did I miss anything? I hope I didn’t miss the final part.”
Commander Fu Ren stroked his beard, “You didn’t miss the ending. I remember your female offspring also applied to the First Military Academy, but I didn’t see him just now.”
Ken raised an eyebrow, confident that Zong Yuan would surely pass the initial selection. “Well, maybe my son, A’Yuan, is among the last outstanding students.”
Commander Fu Ren chuckled heartily, signaling the secretary to continue.
“Um, how should I put it?” The secretary spoke frankly, “Originally, the last and most likely student to enter the First Military Academy with the top ranking had been defeated by another female in front of Commander Ji Xing.”
The secretary paused and added, “Using a mech.”
“Oh,” Commander Fu Ren became intrigued, “Who is currently in the first place?”
The secretary replied, “It should be the female from Admiral Ken’s family.”
He pulled out Zong Yuan’s picture, and the spirited image of the rebellious youth appeared on the holographic screen.
Ji Xing sat upright, eyes fixed on the large screen.
Ken was somewhat surprised; he didn’t know Zong Yuan had achieved such remarkable results. He hesitated for a moment and then affirmed, “Yes, that’s correct. This is my kid, A’Yuan.”
A’Yuan turned out to be this impressive.
Why didn’t he tell him? Ken recalled the words Kyle had said earlier, “I hope you treat our three children fairly, regardless of gender.”
To be honest, Ken didn’t consider himself a failed father before this. Despite his long-time battles away from home, his love for his three children was no less than that of other female fathers. He made every effort to soften his tone at home, and in his heart, all three children were outstanding in their own right.
The secretary continued narrating Zong Yuan’s achievements, “…with both A-level in mental power and physique, he won the national junior mech piloting championship in the elementary academy and advanced to the higher academy…”
Ken listened attentively, realizing that he only knew about one or two of these things. Moreover, the one or two things he knew were only because of Kyle’s notification and the congratulations from military friends.
Ken had to admit that he had deliberately neglected Zong Yuan. Because the child was a male, he had requested to disguise him as a female. Regardless of Zong Yuan’s excellence, Ken subconsciously believed that no male would want to live the life of a female.
He feared that his male offspring would resent him, so Ken dared not pay too much attention to Zong Yuan’s affairs.
Commander Fu Ren clapped the table, praising Ken, “Indeed, he’s your child!”
Ken felt proud, saying, “A’Yuan has been outstanding since he was a child. He will be an indispensable figure in our empire!”
“Hahaha,” Commander Fu Ren teased Ken, “Look at how proud you are. He is about to become a student at our academy, and if there’s any pride, it should be our school’s pride.”
He nodded to the secretary, “Double A qualification, and he’s diligent… I wonder how he will perform at the SSS level. Let’s set it to SSS level.”
Ken’s expression changed momentarily but quickly regained composure.
The highest difficulty at the First Military Academy was the SSS level, a level no one had ever challenged. Completing the SS level would be a remarkable achievement in the entire empire. Even if Zong Yuan failed, he was still underage, and other Zergs would only feel admiration.
The secretary looked troubled, “It’s just that, Zong Yuan is not yet of age…”
?!
The entire room was astonished, and the low voices of the officers started discussing among themselves.
Commander Fu Ren was truly surprised, “Not yet of age? Is it just one or two years away?”
If it was just one or two years away from reaching adulthood, this student would truly be remarkable.
“No,” the secretary confirmed Zong Yuan’s age once again, feeling like witnessing a miracle, “Commander Fu Ren and esteemed officers, this little female Zerg is not just a matter of one or two years. He is lacking… eleven years.”
The entire conference room fell into silence at once.
“Fifteen years old?!”
“This is the age of the elementary academy on Boulderstar. I thought when you mentioned skipping levels, it was just skipping one or two levels. It seems he has skipped numerous levels!”
Commander Fu Ren’s eyes gleamed, and he earnestly asked Ken again, “Admiral Ken, tell me the truth, is your little female really only fifteen years old?”
Ken nodded affirmatively. He knew what this old fox was thinking, but he didn’t feel the slightest bit angry. On the contrary, he felt a sense of pride, “A’Yuan is indeed fifteen years old. He still has opportunities to improve his physique and mental power, and his potential is enormous.”
Commander Fu Ren immediately expressed delight and slammed the table, “Directly promote him to the SSS level!”
Ken: “…?!!!”
The secretary gasped for a cold breath.
Ji Xing could no longer endure. Lips pursed into a straight line, he stood up from his seat, his posture upright and forcefully rejecting Commander Fu Ren’s decision, “Commander Fu Ren, I object.”
Commander Fu Ren, who had always admired Ji Xing, stroked his beard and smiled, asking, “Why?”
Countless reasons reached Ji Xing’s lips, but one by one, he held them back. With tightly clenched hands at his side, Ji Xing said firmly, “He is not yet of age.”
Circling back to the origin, Commander Fu Ren seemed contemplative and suddenly asked, “Commander Ji Xing, you did pass the SS-level exam initially, right?”
Ji Xing replied, “Yes.”
Commander Fu Ren clapped his hands, “That’s perfect! I firmly believe that Zong Yuan can pass the SS level, and your strength matches his. Young people always have common topics. The two of you can team up and go together!”
Ken immediately agreed, “Exactly! No Zerg has ever passed the SSS-level exam. Commander Ji Xing has formidable strength, and my kid surely won’t drag you down. Let’s decide on this! Commander Ji Xing, do you find it feasible?”
With the approval of the parents, Ji Xing knew that the decision to transfer Zong Yuan to the SSS level was now inevitable.
He accepted the order without hesitation, “Certainly!”
Ken also felt relieved, and the secretary, after transferring Zong Yuan to the SSS-level difficulty assessment, continued to introduce the next person.
After the meeting, Ken originally planned to wait until the other Zergs left before having a few words with Ji Xing. Unexpectedly, before he could make a move, Ji Xing, who usually displayed indifference among officers, approached him proactively.
“Admiral Ken,” Ji Xing paused, “Zong Yuan… for the SSS-level difficulty, please ensure he is well-prepared.”
Ken nodded, “Of course, also, I appreciate Commander Ji Xing taking care of A’Yuan.”
Ji Xing hesitated for a while before speaking in a low voice, “Admiral, Zong Yuan is…”
‘Is he really a male insect?’
‘Can I…’
He ultimately didn’t say it, “Admiral Ken, Zong Yuan is excellent. I won’t disturb you further. You’re busy.”
Ken watched his retreating figure, feeling a strange sensation in his heart. He suppressed that feeling, thinking, “Strange.”
All students who applied to the First Military Academy received a message from the smart brain the next morning.
There was an additional message visible to all students of the First Military Academy.
“Now initiating SSS-level difficulty assessment. Assessment participants: Zong Yuan, a freshman from the Advanced Academy, and Commander Ji Xing from the Military Department.
Assessment Location: Nato Star.
Assessment duration: one month.
Assessment task: Survival.
Reward upon completion: Classified.”
The assessment for the 3S level difficulty had unexpectedly begun!
The entire First Military Academy was in an uproar!
Commander Ji Xing was the youngest general in the Empire, a fact known throughout the entire nation. So now the question arose: Who is this Zong Yuan?!
Why is he mentioned ahead of Commander Ji Xing in the announcement?!
Is he the primary assessor?!
Even those about to graduate and step into the military department were inquiring. With the revelation of the 3S-level assessment, they couldn’t sit still, eagerly trying to find out who Zong Yuan was, whether he had a family, and if not, could they recruit him.
Their targets were all young individuals above the age of forty, and forty was a conservative estimate; people thought of “Zong Yuan” as someone in their sixties or above.
After all, who could have expected that the first one to initiate a 3S-level difficulty assessment would be an underage individual?
This possibility was something none of the First Military Academy students wanted to think about or acknowledge.
Author’s note:
The second update is here!
The adventure begins! Two people alone for a month, hehehe~
No! We have to wait for Brother Zong to come of age!
