"Li Feng, what are your plans after graduation?" Maka asked with a playful smile. "Don't tell me you're still obsessed with those space war games. You can't eat those for breakfast. Are you seriously thinking about joining the military?"
Li Feng looked at his childhood friend and nodded, "It's a possibility, but I haven't made up my mind yet."
"Oh my god!" Maka exaggeratedly held his forehead. "You really treat those games like reality. The machines in the Earth Federation are nothing like what you play in the game. They're exhausting, and there's no future in it. Besides, us ordinary humans can never compare to the Iventians' physical abilities."
Li Feng didn't respond. It was a harsh reality, after all. The year was 2215, and the Earth Federation (USE) and the Iventian Free Alliance (NUP) jointly ruled the world. The scenario was familiar—one often seen in countless sci-fi movies. Although cloning had been banned, genetic engineering hadn't stopped, stemming from humanity's fear of aging and death. New humans, called Iventians, were born. They appeared similar to ordinary humans, but they were far stronger and had enhanced disease resistance. Their brains, however, didn't show any obvious advantage. Developing the brain's capacity was far more difficult than achieving rapid space travel. But these differences were enough to create a stark contrast.
The top sprinters of humanity could only manage to run the 100-meter dash in 9.7 seconds, a feat only achieved by elite athletes. Meanwhile, the average Iventian could easily match this time, and the fastest could break the 9-second mark. This difference became glaringly evident.
The advantages of the Iventians were clear, and life for humans had grown somewhat chaotic. Over the past fifteen years, as the Iventians developed rapidly, war broke out. Both sides clashed fiercely for half a century before agreeing to end the meaningless war. This conflict was referred to as a farce in both sides' histories, and it marked the Fourth World War in human history. After the war, humanity established the Earth Unified Federation (USE) to continue governing Earth, while the Iventians formed the NUF, mainly on the Moon. Officially, NUF was still subordinate to USE, and both sides had research bases on both Earth and the Moon. Over fifty years of integration followed, and while complete harmony wasn't achieved, they had learned to live in peace, as their origins were the same.
Every time a war ended, human technology leapt forward. The more intense the war, the more rapid the technological advancement. It was unclear whether this was the result of human nature or simply the nature of warfare. However, over the past five years, humanity had entered an unprecedented era of space technology. Human starships could travel freely between planets, and mineral resources from other planets were constantly being shipped to Earth and the Moon.
To adapt to interstellar warfare and exploration, antimatter-powered starships had become the mainstream. When landing on a planet, the main force became the mecha soldiers. After all, no one was better suited to handle the complexity of battle than humans themselves.
Mechas originated from the Iventians' creations. Simply put, they were human-controlled battle machines, humanoid in shape. With the Iventians' superior strength and reflexes, they could control mechas with great agility. Despite their fewer numbers, the Iventians used their mechas' powerful offensive capabilities to defend against attacks. Now, mechas had become the primary force for both the USE and NUP. These soldiers could adapt to various planetary terrains, making them highly versatile. Rumor had it that even mecha soldiers stationed on space stations were nearing completion, though these were top-secret developments by the two major alliances and arms manufacturers.
So far, mechas had undergone numerous upgrades, and even ordinary humans could operate them, though their performance would be somewhat inferior.
"Maka, high schoolers have no future. If you really want to join the military, I won't stop you, but you should at least consider a military academy. Otherwise, you'll be stuck in logistics and won't even get to touch a mecha."
Maka helplessly gazed at his friend. Though he wasn't particularly fond of space war games, he'd watched Li Feng play a few times, and he was undeniably good. However, to Maka, mechas were little more than cannon fodder. They looked cool, but they were exhausting, with little reward. They were the equivalent of foot soldiers in ancient wars—tough, but with no real future.
Li Feng shrugged. It wasn't that he didn't want to join the military, but exams were never his strong suit. In this day and age, military academy scores were the highest, and the five major military academies were places reserved only for the elite.
For instance, if Li Feng graduated from high school and joined the military, after passing medical exams and assessments, he would start as an ordinary soldier. If he worked hard and was lucky, he might eventually become a mecha pilot, but that would take years. Even if he rose through the ranks and earned some battle achievements, it would still be a long road to becoming a captain—likely after he was over 40 years old. But graduates from the top five military academies entered the army as second lieutenants, regardless of their position. Their rank alone would be the envy of many. The most outstanding students could even join the starship control departments, where they'd be commissioned as majors—positions that no ordinary mecha pilot could ever hope to reach.
But that was reality. Mechas were like the foot soldiers of the past, while piloting starships—even as a regular staff member—was considered a higher-ranking position.
Li Feng accepted this reality with a calm attitude. Everyone had their own strengths. As for him, he liked the idea of being a tough mecha soldier more than piloting a starship.
But… military academies were his eternal pain. He didn't think his IQ was low, but the exams were just too brutal. He couldn't bring himself to care about those theoretical subjects.
"Haha, no rush. There's still half a year. I'll try my luck. What about you? What are your plans?"
"Heh, I don't have your lofty ambitions. I want to be a journalist, preferably in entertainment and gossip news, sneaking photos of beautiful women. Don't worry, when I get famous, I'll send you a free set of autographed photos from any celebrity!" Maka grinned.
The two of them linked arms and laughed as they made their way down the street. Youth was full of possibility. Li Feng knew his best friend well—Maka was curious about everything and had a knack for writing. It was a waste for him not to pursue a career in journalism. Though their dreams were different, they had been best friends for over a decade, and nothing would change that. Li Feng's goal was to attend a military academy, while Maka's was to attend the school of journalism.
After parting ways, Li Feng found himself not rushing home. He was stirred by the hopes Maka had raised in him. Around him, magnetic levitation cars streamed by, looking incredibly cool. Too bad he could never afford one.