The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

“Ah, what a shame. It ended like this on the second attempt.” Lin Qi’s stiff posture relaxed, and he leaned back into his chair, no longer looking as excited as he had earlier.

Lieutenant Zap glanced at Lin Qi, puzzled. This Captain Lin Qi was quite the character. Everyone had gathered here with different thoughts, but it was clear by now what the situation was.

Those whose students were still in the training field were naturally very satisfied, watching to see how their students would perform and what kind of results they would achieve.

As for the instructors of students who hadn’t done as well, they could only watch others and evaluate the situation. However, getting to see so many young and energetic kids on such a public platform wasn’t a loss. Plus, they were curious to see where other students excelled, so they could later use that to encourage their own students.

No matter which side it was, the instructors generally had limited attention to spare for other students. For example, Captain Stark from Class 2 had been thoroughly watching and recording the performance of every student in his class from the beginning. Zap had once passed behind him and caught a glimpse of Stark’s personal files for each student, with plenty of data recorded. Now that was… really responsible.

In contrast, Captain Zou of Class 1 represented a completely different extreme. His focus was solely on his own students; even if he glanced at others, it was usually through a critical lens. He cared more about how his prized students would perform in this competition.

However, this captain, one of the three elite soldiers in the Combat Solo Division, was different from the other two, as well as from many of the first-year class instructors. He was genuinely serious about watching the competition. He wasn’t just focused on any particular student or division—he viewed the entire competition as a whole event, even though everyone knew it was just a small-scale internal school competition.

He barely paid attention to his own top students, and instead, he was particularly interested in the teams led by Jiang Hui and Huo Qi. Every time those two groups clashed, he became more excited than even the instructors of those students.

He praised without reservation, but when criticizing, he was even harsher than anyone else. His passionate commentary made the nearby instructors from the Combat Solo Division feel like they were watching a high-stakes sporting event.

Oh, the retro Saint Ball was a sport that emerged centuries ago in the star systems. It was originally known as “cuju” in ancient human culture, later referred to as ‘football’. At one point, it held a prestigious place in human sports history and was even named ‘Saint Ball’ by some fanatical enthusiasts. Those involved in the restoration of the sport found the name quite appealing and, to celebrate its revival, they gave it the new title of ‘Retro Saint Ball’, breathing new life into the sport.

Though none of them were particularly fond of Saint Ball, several of their colleagues were, and some had even witnessed people fanatically supporting it.

At this moment, Zap felt that Captain Lin Qi had that same vibe. So, who exactly did Lin Qi favor in this competition?

By now, though, the outcome seemed quite clear—who would win or lose was almost obvious.

Lin Qi had no idea that one of his colleagues was wondering about his unusually detached state. He was still lamenting the fact that Jiang Hui and Huo Qi’s second direct confrontation had ended so mysteriously.

How are these two so calm? Even with arrows on the string, they can still hold back. Should I say they’re too rational, or that they just have incredible self-restraint?

Lin Qi had seen the entire standoff between the two. In his heart, he knew they both made the best choices, but it was clear that they were both holding their breath.

Although he admired Jiang Hui’s calm confidence, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Huo Qi.

He had faced his most coveted strong rival time and time again, only to remain completely unaware of it each time. He didn’t even know where he had fallen short. In the end, he had to let his greatest enemy go because of the situation.

If he thought about it from the other side’s perspective… once the competition ended, and Huo Qi went back to watch the footage of the match, realizing how foolish he had been, wouldn’t he just spit blood?

But a competition is a competition. Contestants are in the middle of it, and their perspectives and choices are naturally different from those of spectators. Their actions and decisions often are the competition itself, and a slight mistake can affect the outcome. There’s no such thing as knowing in advance.

And these experiences would serve as fuel for Huo Qi’s growth, perhaps even becoming opportunities for him to survive in future life-or-death battles.

So, Lin Qi was actually quite happy to watch these freshmen make mistakes.

He felt a bit sorry for Jiang Hui and the others. R186, aside from their own abilities, was simply too lucky. The members of their team either enhanced each other or complemented each other perfectly, making their cooperation almost seem as if they had divine help. As a result, this team rarely encountered opponents in the large competition field, and their growth was limited.

He glanced at the two who had already decided to settle in the woods, then reconsidered… For R186, not all of the team’s members were lucky. Maybe most of their bad luck was just concentrated on one person.

That person had really bad luck. Not only did she inexplicably suffer a serious injury, but now her movements were completely restricted. While their rank probably wouldn’t change, he’d likely be stuck in that position from now on, unable to participate in the most critical round of the battle. It was quite unfortunate.

As the live broadcast on the big screen continued, the audience clearly saw that the most intense and concentrated conflict in the training ground was about to unfold.

Currently, the three strongest factions among the remaining participants in the training ground had either actively or automatically gathered together, preparing for the final round of battle.

If nothing unexpected happened, the rankings for the top ten would soon be determined. After this, those who made it into the top ten would be guaranteed a spot in the final rounds, while those who didn’t would have no chance to do so again. The tension was palpable.

——————————————

“It really is L11!” Even though Zhou Xiuwen trusted Jiang Hui’s abilities, he was still surprised by the current situation.

How did Jiang Hui know that L11’s old location was here, and how did she pinpoint the direction so accurately… Could it be? Did she memorize everything on her way here?

After the second round of supplies, the map and energy points disappeared, and they could no longer locate themselves or the enemy. Moreover, most of the terrain and landscape in the training ground were similar, with only slight undulations that were still hard to differentiate.

If they hadn’t seen the trench marks they had previously passed through, they would not have been able to confirm that this was the original site of L11. How did Jiang Hui recognize the location of L11 from three kilometers away?

Huan Xian silently glanced at the chaotic remnants of L11’s old area. After a long pause, he said, “Alright, let’s hurry. They’re almost here.”