Xu Le's back disappeared into the corner, as he glanced back at his fellow Westwood Military Academy officials, his expression remained unchanged, perhaps even relaxed. By now, they had realized that the young lady relied heavily on that young man. As soldiers from Westwood, it was naturally impossible for them to challenge him again, and it seemed that the young man named Xu Le didn't hold a grudge. However, for some unknown reason, they still felt anxious and somewhat indignant.
Officer Wang Meng rubbed his forehead, still harboring some concerns. He muttered a few curses under his breath. Their group had been defeated by Xu Le, which was quite embarrassing for them. Zhou Jin sighed, leaning against the window, and spoke to a few classmates, "There's no point in complaining. We can't win every time, and holding a grudge won't achieve anything."
"Yes, after all, we are career soldiers, not specialized martial arts practitioners," a female officer reassured the group in a soft voice. Her words made sense. Although the military academy placed great importance on combat training, true military competence was assessed based on overall abilities. This included operating various types of transportation vehicles and aircraft, proficiency in handling standard weapons, and even individual strength. How strong could one be?
"Don't forget, he's just a discharged soldier," Zhou Jin turned slightly, looking at his classmates who looked up to him as their leader. He couldn't help but sigh and shake his head, saying, "Carry on. All of us, including myself, who come from Westwood, have developed an attitude of superiority. We look down on the three major military academies of Highwood. However, who would have thought that so many of us would be defeated by a soldier who just retired from service..."
"It's truly tragic," Zhou Jin muttered with self-ridicule.
In the peaceful corner of the corridor, the female officer's heart was filled with reluctance. Subconsciously, she kicked the wall with her army boots. Suddenly, Wang Meng stopped rubbing his temples and spoke in a suppressed voice, "That boy may appear honest, but he's actually quite cunning. I don't believe he genuinely cares for the young lady."
"Don't make excuses," Zhou Jin glared at him. "If you want revenge, then seek revenge."
"I want to find him right now," Wang Meng said angrily. "I can't believe I lost to a kid! No, tomorrow, I'll go to Highwood. Tonight, I'll find him. Don't worry, this time it'll be a fair fight."
"Don't cause trouble," Zhou Jin's complexion darkened as he admonished, "The last time we fought in the room was because Captain Sir allowed it. But why would you pick a fight in our current situation? Don't stir up trouble on the ship. Whatever consequences arise, I won't be responsible for you."
"Is that the end of this matter? My head was bandaged, your face was bleeding, and Hailin also needed a bandage... I can't just let it go."
"If you don't do it, then don't do it," Zhou Jin's voice grew hoarse. He instinctively touched his throat, remembering the day he was hit in the throat with a metal rod. A chilling sensation ran through him. "Train yourself and don't make a fool of yourself. When you're confident, you can challenge him again. Trust me, you'll have plenty of opportunities to meet him in the future."
Wang Meng asked, "I heard that boy is from Highwood. After the Ministry of Defense discharged him, where should I look for him?"
"I don't believe it. The military is in need of talent right now, and someone as capable as him wouldn't be let go so easily by the military."
Zhou Jin's judgment was not wrong. Although Captain Fatty had mentioned to the secretary that Xu Le wasn't the genius he was curious about, Xu Le's combat skills, especially the fragments of the mecha armor, had convinced the captain to extend an invitation to him. In private, the secretary handed Xu Le three documents—one was the recruitment letter from Westwood Military Academy, another was the conscription letter from the Ministry of Defense, and the third was an application document from a company in the Capital Star Circle.
Xu Le examined the three documents, feeling regretful in his heart. If it were the old him, he would have gladly accepted any of these opportunities. After all, they would allow him to leave Eastwood and engage in work he enjoyed. Wasn't that why he took the Ministry of Defense officer exam? However, he had to decline now because... he was a fugitive. He had to deceive the entire federation as a wanted criminal. He didn't want to have too many connections with the government.
His boss had told him that the most dangerous place was also the safest place, but those words could only be trusted three times. Xu Le didn't want to exhaust those three chances easily. Moreover, he had strong resistance in his heart towards Westwood, or even the Fourth Military Region... Xu Le couldn't bear to be with these people. Perhaps it was because of Little Watermelon's situation that he didn't want to associate with them.
"Sorry, I haven't considered returning to the military, and the Ministry of Defense has already arranged a posting for me," Xu Le apologized, realizing that the secretary had genuinely been considering his best interests.
The secretary shook his head somewhat regretfully, but he wasn't disheartened. After all, he had made a contribution and had tried to repay the young lady in some way, but for some unknown reason, the other party didn't want to accept the offer.
The never-ending peaceful journey through space came to an end. The loud roar echoed through the enormous Ancient Bell Commerce spaceship as powerful thrusters adjusted the vessel's posture and direction. With his bags packed and a backpack on his shoulders, Xu Le looked through the window at the pale blue star, his eyes filled with excitement.
That star was truly beautiful, with its blue seas, beige land, and white clouds floating above. Outside the window, two sleek blue spacecraft detached from the hull of the Ancient Bell Commerce spaceship and darted toward the white clouds, creating an inviting scene.
This was the Highwood Grand District, the capital star called Capital Star Circle—the center of the entire federation's civilization. The White House, the Gray Administration Committee building, and the legendary Charter Bureau—these symbols of power that governed the entire federation were all present on this beautiful star.
Following the instructions of the electronic voice, Xu Le controlled his excitement and, with the help of the staff, entered the escape pod. Since rejecting the secretary's suggestion the previous day, he hadn't seen anyone from Westwood, not even Little Watermelon. Although it was somewhat regrettable, he knew that as a fugitive with a high-status background like Little Watermelon, they could only maintain a distance.
The spaceship for atmospheric entry spread its alloy wings at an altitude of eight kilometers, transforming into a bird soaring through the blue sky. It maintained absolute stability as it flew toward the surface of the star. The spaceship gradually descended and finally passed through the edge of the white clouds, entering a thick layer that seemed to be made up of countless clouds.
Experiencing a slight fear of motion sickness, Xu Le looked at the scenery and the ion streams outside the window, resembling flames. He closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the moment of landing. The wait felt long, so long that he almost fell asleep. Suddenly, he felt a slight jolt, and he opened his eyes and relaxed along with the other passengers, gazing at the straight runway and the black-and-white fusion of the command tower not far away, and smiled.
Stepping out of the cabin door, a cold wind greeted Xu Le, and he looked at the buildings in front of him and in the distance. His expression froze for a moment, and he almost couldn't move his legs... Were those white, soft, cold things snow?
He stepped down from the ramp, urged on by the passengers behind him, but he walked more stiffly, as if he were practicing martial arts in a mine tunnel. The weather in Highwood was too cold, and he felt so frozen that he wanted to stamp his feet, but he didn't want to attract attention at the airport. He didn't think it was impossible to go unnoticed because everyone in this region was wearing slightly thicker clothes to keep warm, with hats and gloves. Only he was wearing a thin jacket for the autumn equinox, carrying a worn-out backpack, looking incredibly pitiful.
Xu Le exhaled into his slightly reddened hands, feeling completely frozen. He had been caught off guard. It was truly a tragedy for him to come to the capital unprepared and experience this extreme coldness.
Snowflakes gently fell and landed on his face, causing him to shiver upon contact. He wondered in his heart if he had made a huge mistake coming to the capital. It was the first time Xu Le had seen snow in his life, but he couldn't appreciate its purity; all he could feel was its coldness. That was mainly because he was ill-prepared himself, truly a tragedy.