Since Dandy Bag came, the students of the Starship Command System had an additional burden on their already heavy shoulders.
Dandy Bag's physical training was extremely rigorous, to the point that every time the students were exhausted from the drills before going to class.
They had to learn to study and calculate in a state of exhaustion. As the instructor put it, on the battlefield, the enemy wouldn't give you enough time to think just because you were tired.
In short, Dandy Bag applied battlefield standards everywhere. Except for not allowing deaths, he was capable of anything. Within just a month of starting school, seven students had their bones broken one after another, sent to the medical room, and came out lively and spirited the next day to continue enduring. People hated him for this, calling him an unreasonable killer, simply the devil.
Later, Dandy Bag heard this nickname, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he took the students to visit the autopsy room, saying it was to let the little rabbits see what real dead bodies looked like.
For the next two days, Reno couldn't eat.
The instructor didn't think much of it, saying it was just strictness, far from being cruel. If one day everyone truly entered the military camp, they would truly understand what hellish training meant.
At that time, Reno, like his classmates, didn't think much of it because they were all talented students of the Military Academy. Once they graduated, they would directly start as staff in the military, and if lucky, some might even get the chance to pilot a starship right away, without having to go through the struggles of ordinary recruits.
"Even the worst students of Alpha Academy won't end up in boot camp like that," Paron Sphield said.
As for Reno, he didn't think he would end up there either.
His physical education evaluation was excellent. Although he wasn't as strong as Paron Sphield, he had excellent reflexes, which made his reactions exceptionally fast. His outstanding technique compensated for his lack of strength, keeping his physical education grades consistently in the top ten.
In fact, since entering the academy, Reno had always been a genius student—he not only stood out at the welcome ceremony but also excelled in all subjects. While he wasn't the best in any particular subject, he ranked in the top ten in most of them. When all the courses were summed up, he was the best.
The first major exam at Alpha Academy finally arrived.
The students fought hard for it, even the least studious students took a few days to seriously study.
When the results came out, Reno scored 3,124 points in total, ranking first. Not only that, but he also successfully broke through the 3,000-point mark. For Alpha Academy, a total score of 3,000 had always been a significant barrier. Everyone who scored above 3,000 was undoubtedly a top student, let alone Reno, who exceeded it by more than a hundred points.
When the scores came out, Paron Sphield cleared his throat and said, "Okay, kid, now I'm convinced."
Making Sphield admit it wasn't an easy feat, but Reno did it.
That night, all the students held a grand ball in the academy auditorium to celebrate their successful assessment and the upcoming first holiday—Alpha Academy had a holiday once a year, which lasted for fifteen percent of the year, or sixty-four days.
Every student dressed in their finest clothes, dancing gracefully in the ballroom.
Standing in a corner of the auditorium, Reno held a glass of wine and calmly watched the swirling figures in the ballroom, but he didn't join in.
"Don't like dancing?" a voice sounded behind Reno.
Turning around, Claire Jia stood behind him.
She wore a sky-blue floral floor-length dress, a shiny diamond necklace hanging around her snow-white neck, with a large ruby embedded in the pendant. Her golden hair was gathered at the back of her head, and her face wore a sweet smile.
Reno smiled, "Just haven't found the right dance partner."
"That's quite a coincidence," Claire walked over and stood beside Reno, saying, "Neither have I."
"In that case, shall we dance together?" Reno made a inviting gesture, and Claire gracefully placed her hand in his.
Warm and comfortable.
At that moment, the music ended, and another song began, Reno and Claire entered the dance floor hand in hand.
Someone saw this scene and said with jealousy, "I've invited Jia more than ten times, but she never agreed to dance with me. Reno didn't even ask her, yet she went to him herself."
"Outstanding women are always with outstanding men, there's nothing strange about it," someone replied, "Whether you admit it or not, Reno is the most outstanding student of this term. It's normal for Claire to like him, it would be abnormal if she didn't."
"He's just lucky, but he'll use up his luck sooner or later," another voice chimed in.
It was Matthew.
He looked at Reno and Claire with eyes full of envy and raging resentment.
"You can't do anything to them, Matthew," someone scorned.
"Let's wait and see," Matthew snorted and walked away.
In the dance floor, Reno and Claire were still dancing gracefully.
He held Claire's waist gently, as if picking up a flower.
Reno's dancing skills weren't actually good; he rarely had the chance to dance before. But Claire's cooperation was perfect. She could even guide Reno actively, making him proficient in the steps.
As they danced to the music, Claire said, "The holiday is coming soon, any plans?"
Reno replied, "I plan to find a job nearby, doing odd jobs."
Knowing that Reno's parents were deceased, and he currently relied on government relief and scholarships to live, Claire wasn't surprised, "What kind of job? During the holiday, I also plan to find something to do. Maybe we can do it together."
Reno understood the meaning behind her words.
Claire had feelings for him, which she never concealed, and Reno also liked Claire.
Although their relationship hadn't progressed to the stage of love, they were indeed attracted to each other.
What constrained them from further development and a clear relationship was the heavy workload of the Ship Command System, leaving them with no time for romance.
But perhaps a beautiful holiday could make up for this deficiency.
In fact, this was the most normal and standard process for two people to come together—from initial eye contact, to conscious approach, to finally coming together, many things had intentional elements from the beginning.
As for saying that certain events led to the emergence of love between two people, it was romantic, but ultimately detached from reality. It couldn't be said to be nonexistent, but it was certainly not mainstream.
Reno naturally liked Claire's suggestion.
He said, "I've already chosen, but you know, finding a suitable odd job isn't easy. And I hope what I do can help my future, rather than just wait tables and earn some hard-earned money."
"That's not easy to find," Claire agreed.
"Indeed." Reno felt a bit troubled, "I'm thinking of applying as a mech apprentice nearby. The pay isn't very high, but the hours are flexible, and most importantly, it can give me practical experience. The problem is most mech repair shops require a basic assessment, and
I haven't even touched a mech until now."
"It's a good choice. I know some repair shops not only fix mechs but even small spacecraft. If you can get in there, it should be a big help to you."
"The problem is most repair shops require a basic assessment, and I haven't even touched a mech until now."
"Interested in touching mechs?" Claire suddenly tilted her head, a hint of mischief and fun in her eyes, "Maybe I can help."