After finishing up the cleaning work in the optical brain laboratory, Liu Fei immediately rushed to the adjacent mecha laboratory. Inside, the atmosphere was somber, with dozens of mechas standing under the lights, their metallic shells emitting a chilling aura that filled the room with an oppressive feeling.
Li Meng was operating an electric loading and unloading vehicle, busy and seemingly joyful. Compared to the optical brain laboratory, the work in the mecha laboratory was undoubtedly much heavier. This was because even a single component of a mecha could weigh hundreds of kilograms or even tons. While larger items could be moved with tools, smaller components and tools had to be manually transported.
Due to this reason, the robust Li Meng was assigned to the mecha laboratory, while the seemingly weaker Liu Fei was assigned to the relatively easier optical brain laboratory.
After glancing at the material list provided by the main control optical brain, Liu Fei immediately joined Li Meng's work. After a busy period, the two were exhausted, sitting on the foot of a mecha, panting heavily.
"Damn, this work is really not for humans," Li Meng exclaimed suddenly, kicking the mecha with force, only to wince in pain as a result.
"Don't be ungrateful," Liu Fei stood up. "Let's go eat."
"Yeah, let's eat!"
At the mention of food, Li Meng immediately perked up, with drool almost dripping from the corners of his mouth.
The school provided Li Meng and Liu Fei with a free lunch, which was a luxury for anyone from the slums. Most people in the slums relied mainly on nutrient liquids for sustenance. According to scientists, while nutrient liquids could provide sufficient nutrition for the body, the stomach needed to consume regular food to maintain health. Prolonged consumption of only nutrient liquids could lead to various health issues.
Li Meng didn't particularly enjoy this job; he entered the school solely to save up for the tuition fees to enter the martial arts school and to enjoy this sumptuous lunch.
Lunch was buffet-style, eaten together with the other students in the school cafeteria.
Li Meng had an astonishing appetite, and for him, lunchtime was the happiest moment of the day.
In just a few minutes, Li Meng's tray was piled high with food. Under the disdainful gazes of others, Li Meng and Liu Fei sat in a corner. Immediately, the surrounding students seemed to scatter, as if they had just seen a plague.
Of course, the disdainful looks didn't bother Li Meng and Liu Fei.
Liu Fei had a moderate appetite. Unlike Li Meng's wolfish eating, he was very careful and meticulous, never wasting even a single grain of food. Ironhead once told him that food was life, and cherishing food meant cherishing one's life. Although Liu Fei sometimes disagreed with Ironhead's words, whenever he thought it was right, he would strictly adhere to them.
Suddenly, the noisy cafeteria fell silent, as a crisp sound of high heels echoed through the room, piercing everyone's ears. Hundreds of eyes turned towards the entrance of the cafeteria, where a tall, fair-skinned girl walked in.
The entire cafeteria fell silent, and the moment the girl entered, it seemed to light up.
The girl was dazzlingly beautiful, her appearance breathtaking and her demeanor enchanting. Her wavy, cloud-like hair cascaded down her oval face, partially covering her forehead with soft strands that danced like willow branches. Beneath her delicate nose, her slightly thick, sensual lips curled into a faint smile, exuding a mysterious and aloof charm.
Perhaps accustomed to such attention, the girl confidently picked up her food. People could see the hint of a proud, mysterious smile lingering at the corners of her enchanting lips.
The crisp sound of high heels stopped behind Liu Fei and Li Meng, and both of them caught whiffs of a delicate fragrance, intoxicating the senses.
They didn't turn around; they knew who she was.
This girl was a sophomore named Su Zijing, nicknamed Su Su by her friends. Her major was in optical brain pathways. She had been voted the campus beauty queen for two consecutive years, earning her the well-deserved title of the school flower.
"Smells good," Li Meng greedily took a deep breath, his face intoxicated.
"Done eating?" Liu Fei said indifferently.
"Done," Li Meng naturally understood Liu Fei's implication and felt embarrassed.
"Good. If you don't want to be stared at, let's go," Liu Fei stood up and walked out of the cafeteria. Throughout, he hadn't even glanced at Su Su. In his eyes, Su Su wasn't as pretty as Cheng Chen, let alone Cheng Chen. The ideology instilled by Ironhead made Liu Fei immune to the charms of women. Ironhead had said that the more beautiful a woman, the more trouble she would bring. Throughout history, many national calamities were caused by beauties like Diaochan, Yang Guifei, Daji, Xi Shi, and Chen Yuanyuan.
Another reason Liu Fei was immune to beauties was the incidents of violence that occurred annually at the Zuo Er Mech University, especially around Su Su, who was known as the campus goddess. Almost every now and then, someone would get into fights to win her favor.
Liu Fei believed that if they stayed, within five minutes, someone would come looking for trouble, as harassing janitors was a favorite pastime of the students.
Liu Fei wasn't afraid of trouble, nor did he seek it out. However, he wouldn't get into fights for no reason, especially not over a woman. So, whenever Su Su showed up in the cafeteria, Liu Fei would choose to leave.
Of course, Liu Fei's low profile in school was also due to his identity. If he got into fights during work, his admission quota would be revoked. For Liu Fei, the cost of fighting was too high. So, under normal circumstances, he would choose to avoid any potential conflicts.
Seeing Liu Fei stride out, Li Meng reluctantly stood up and followed. As he left, he couldn't help but glance back at Su Su, licking his lips. Luckily, no one saw this action; otherwise, it would have resulted in a serious altercation.
Unfortunately, there was an incident today. The people inside the cafeteria didn't see it, but those entering did.
"What are you smirking at?!" A tall student blocked Li Meng's path. He was as sturdy as Li Meng, muscular and powerful, with thick, black eyebrows. He wore a black tank top that showed off his well-developed arm muscles, giving off an imposing aura.
"Nothing…" Li Meng stuttered nervously.
"Are you leering at our campus goddess in your heart?" The muscular student sneered. Liu Fei, who was walking ahead, had already stopped. He felt a chill; this student had a way with words. With a simple sentence, he made Li Meng an enemy of everyone.
"Haha, look, everyone, look! Justice has arrived, justice has arrived!" The muscular student suddenly burst into laughter, breaking the silence. Immediately, the cafeteria was filled with raucous laughter, as if they had just heard a hilarious joke.
Liu Fei raised his arm slightly, and the cafeteria quieted down again. Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to speak.
"Why are you bullying a janitor just to show off how brave you are in front of a woman? But you're afraid you can't handle it alone, so you've dragged everyone else in. You're just a poor creature, only capable of bullying janitors!" Liu Fei said coldly.
As Liu Fei's words fell, someone took a few steps back. His words were too damaging. If anyone stood with the muscular student now, they would be labeled as bullies of janitors just to impress women.
The situation took a sudden turn, and within seconds, everyone backed away, distancing themselves from the muscular student.
"I didn't!" The muscular student's face turned red. Liu Fei's words had caught him off guard.
"You didn't?" Liu Fei said calmly. "Then why did you bully him?"
"I… I…" The student stuttered, unsure how to respond.
"Alright, if you insist that he disrespected our campus goddess, you can challenge him!" Liu Fei played his trump card.
Due to the ground battles with alien creatures in the Zuo Er star system, the entire system had become martial. The Zuo Er Mech University was no exception. While the school strictly prohibited private fights, students could apply to the school to challenge each other for grievances. This was an open and fair challenge. In front of thousands of people, the winner was deemed honorable, and the loser accepted defeat willingly.
In fact, at the Zuo Er Mech University, there were weekly challenges among students. There were various forms of challenges, including virtual mech battles, real mech battles, and hand-to-hand combat.
"Yeah, if you're not happy, you can challenge me!" By now, Li Meng had regained his confidence from Liu Fei's presence. He smirked at the muscular student. "I promise to beat you to the ground!"
"Why should I challenge him?" The muscular student was furious. He wouldn't fall for it. The opponent was just a janitor. There was no honor or benefit in defeating him. If he lost, it would be a lifelong shame.
"I deeply despise you!" Li Meng had the upper hand now, feeling triumphant. "You!" The muscular student was so angry that smoke seemed to come out of his ears. He glared at Li Meng. At this moment, the students who were bullying Li Meng changed their attitude, watching the scene with excitement, which further fueled the muscular student's anger.
"Let's go," Liu Fei glanced at the student and pulled Li Meng's arm, heading towards the door.
"Alright, I challenge you!" Liu Fei couldn't help but feel stunned. He hadn't expected that his indifferent attitude would completely enrage the student, making him lose his rationality.