The next morning, when Li Xiao, Song Jin, and the others went to class, they found the students in the lecture hall animatedly discussing the previous night’s explosion at the restaurant.

“I stayed up until dawn reading gossip in the group chats. Some upperclassmen went to check it out—it was definitely a restaurant explosion, and that entire area has been completely cordoned off.”

“How could it just blow up out of nowhere?”

“A lot of people are saying it was an energy pipeline explosion.”

“I genuinely thought it was an enemy raid. I was too terrified to sleep.”

Qian Can leaned toward the front row to join the gossip. “What exactly happened last night?”

A Beta student explained it to him excitedly. “If you don’t believe me, go check the intranet. Someone took stealth photos, though I don’t know if they’ve been deleted yet.”

Qian Can logged onto the intranet, and sure enough, he saw several photos pinned to the front page. The site where Restaurant No. 39 once stood was now nothing but a scorched, deep crater; the surrounding small garden and parking lot had not been spared either.

Qian Can was privately shocked. Did Boss really escape from that kind of place last night? The radius of the blast was vastly larger than he had imagined. If one weren’t careful, an explosion like that would leave absolutely nothing left of a person.

The bell rang, signaling the start of class. Yan Qing walked into the room carrying his lesson plans, and a student immediately raised a hand to ask about the explosion.

“The academy administration is still investigating. Once there are results, they will be announced immediately.” Yan Qing stood at the podium. His peripheral vision noted that the two little brats, Li Xiao and Song Jin, were acting completely normal, allowing him to breathe a quiet sigh of relief. “I heard that in last night’s preliminaries, quite a few of our first-year classmates advanced.”

As soon as the topic shifted to the preliminaries, the students’ attention was instantly diverted, and they began complaining about how exceptionally powerful their opponents had been.

“A multi-grade hybrid system indeed offers no advantage to lower years, but being able to trade blows with upperclassmen is still an excellent learning opportunity.” Saying this, Yan Qing looked toward the back row. “The remaining three matches of the preliminaries will take place today, so sharpen your focus. Especially the two in the very last row—you both have the highest level of attention on you, so you absolutely cannot lose too embarrassingly on my watch.”

These words were short of calling them out by name. The students sneaked glances toward the back row, seeing Song Jin slumping over the desk to sleep while Li Xiao looked completely spaced out, seemingly having their rest disrupted by last night’s explosion.

Meeting Yan Qing’s gaze, Li Xiao replied expressionlessly, “I would also like to lose a bit more gracefully, but that depends entirely on who today’s opponent is.”

Yan Qing: “…”

The students: “…”

Talk about a complete lack of fighting spirit.

After class concluded, Li Xiao led a sleepy-eyed Song Jin toward the podium, waiting for Yan Qing to finish answering other students’ questions before walking out together.

Li Xiao pressed, “Instructor Yan, is the extra-curricular material you promised still not compiled yet?”

Yan Qing replied, “I’ve been a bit busy these past few days, but it’s almost finished.”

A nearby student overheard their conversation and asked curiously, “What extra-curricular material? Can I have a copy too?”

Yan Qing smiled gently. “Historical data, none of it is within the scope of the exams. If you want it, come to my office in a couple of days to pick it up.”

Hearing that it wasn’t on the exam, the students instantly lost all interest. Their current schedule was already packed to the brim with various physical training regimens and actual combat sessions. Coping with all of that daily was grueling enough; who had the spare time to look at non-examinable historical data?

Suddenly, a sharp gasp echoed through the corridor.

“His Majesty was targeted in a terrorist attack during his inspection tour!”

“What’s going on?”

“Look at the news!”

Li Xiao frowned. Just as he was about to check the situation, he casually noticed that Yan Qing, who was walking beside him, froze mid-step. The gentle smile on his lips stiffened, and his hand holding the lesson plans clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned stark white.

This reaction was somewhat subtle.

Song Jin casually pulled up the network platform, finding the relevant news in the most prominent spot without even having to look for it. It had been published ten minutes prior.

[FLASH! His Majesty was attacked by a local fruit farmer during his visit to the T115 planetary system within the Danse Empire’s largest fruit and vegetable plantation. The suspect allegedly harbors dissatisfaction with the crown-approved agricultural laws and regulations; the individual has currently been apprehended.]

Song Jin scanned through it quickly, his tone relaxed. “He won’t die. How much lethality could a fruit farmer possibly have?”

Yan Qing walked over to Song Jin’s side to look at the news on the screen, his brow furrowed deeply. “With so many people escorting him, how could he be attacked by a fruit farmer?”

Song Jin feigned surprise. “Isn’t this standard operating procedure in Danse?”

Yan Qing: “…”

Li Xiao said, “I’ll ask.”

Once he spoke, he noticed Yan Qing looking over urgently, his expression visibly tense. This was not the reaction of an ordinary citizen toward a king’s assassination attempt.

Suppressing the doubts in his heart, Li Xiao dialed Senior Assistant Liu’s communication line to first ascertain his brother’s condition. The first call went unanswered, and it was only on the second attempt that it connected.

Li Xiao: “Uncle Liu, how is my brother?”

The corridor had been noisy, but seeing this, the students gradually quieted down, straining their ears to catch the movement on Li Xiao’s side.

From the receiver, Old Liu’s somewhat hurried voice came through: “His Majesty’s clothes were sliced by a fruit knife, but it’s nothing serious. He has already returned to his residence.”

Li Xiao asked in a deep voice, “What happened? Was no one guarding him at the time?”

Old Liu replied, “The itinerary included an interactive segment with the fruit farmers. A farmer suddenly lunged at His Majesty while cutting fruit—even the nearby soldiers couldn’t react in time.”

Since the corridor was full of people, it wasn’t convenient for Li Xiao to say much more. He instructed Old Liu to take good care of his brother before hanging up. Seeing all the students staring at him, Li Xiao said flatly, “His Majesty is fine, it was just a misunderstanding.”

The students breathed a collective sigh of relief. First the restaurant explosion last night, followed immediately by His Majesty’s assassination attempt—it suddenly created a sudden, intense sense of urgency and impending war.

Song Jin observed their reactions, thinking to himself that Danse wasn’t entirely beyond saving just yet. At least the ordinary civilians still wished well for the Royal Family.

As the students filed out of the corridor, Yan Qing walked to the door alongside Li Xiao and Song Jin, asking hesitantly, “Is His Majesty truly unharmed?”

“You care about him a great deal?” Li Xiao countered.

Meeting Li Xiao’s searching gaze, Yan Qing spoke calmly, “As a citizen of Danse, isn’t it perfectly normal to care about His Majesty’s safety?”

Li Xiao gave him a long, profound look before casually withdrawing his gaze. “He’s fine.”

Once he said that, the tight line of Yan Qing’s lips relaxed slightly. Although it was only a minute behavioral shift, his entire posture visibly loosened.

After eating, they returned to the dorm.

Song Jin tossed his books onto the desk. “What exactly is the relationship between Yan Qing and your brother?”

Li Xiao was also pondering this exact matter. “He used to be an attendant by my Imperial Mother’s side, so he certainly would have had opportunities to interact with my brother. However, I’m not clear on whether they share any personal history privately.”

Song Jin went to the kitchen to fetch a carton of ice cream, seating himself casually on a high stool. “Yan Qing mentioned before that it was your brother who released him back then. The probability of them having an intimate affair is quite high.”

Li Xiao: “…” An intimate affair?

Song Jin scooped a spoonful and stuffed it into his mouth. Seeing Li Xiao staring at him, he asked, puzzled, “Do you want some too? Call me ‘hubby’ and I might reluctantly share a bite with you.”

Li Xiao: “…”

Li Xiao explained helplessly, “The phrase ‘intimate affair’ in Danse typically implies an illicit romantic relationship.”

Eating his ice cream, Song Jin stated righteously, “Yan Qing had the capability to act as your father’s side-piece; wrapping a then-teenaged Li Ji around his finger would have been child’s play, wouldn’t it?”

“…” Li Xiao sat down in the spot next to him. “Then what you’re suggesting is that my brother, knowing full well Yan Qing was my father, still maintained an illicit relationship with him?”

“But the reality is that Yan Qing isn’t your father,” Song Jin tilted his head to look at him. “From this perspective, your brother knew the truth behind the rumors back then, but for whatever reason, he chose not to clarify it.”

The guessing was getting wilder by the second. Li Xiao countered, “I lean more toward the idea that they might share a connection on a collaborative level.”

Song Jin looked thoughtful. “You think your brother was the one pulling strings behind the scenes to get Yan Qing into the military academy?”

Li Xiao nodded. “He mentioned that Gao Wanxin arranged his transfer, but Gao Wanxin is one of my brother’s men. The Gao family isn’t overly ambitious like the Meng family, nor are they as conservative as the Yi family. While they won’t charge at the very front, they are still reasonably trustworthy.”

Song Jin: “If that’s the case, your brother has known about the plight of the Bique race for a long time, and would have inevitably sought out others to investigate. Yet, after all these years, they haven’t managed to uncover anything.”

Li Xiao’s train of thought was slightly disorganized. In his previous life, he had received absolutely no information regarding the cyborgs, nor was he clear on how much his brother knew. If his brother had known about the underhanded dealings the Meng family was committing over a decade ago, had he already begun arranging his pieces back then? Was distancing himself from Li Xiao also part of that grand strategy?

Seeing Li Xiao sinking into his own thoughts, Song Jin remarked casually, “It’s also possible we’re overthinking it. Yan Qing might simply be terrified of something happening to the Royal Family, which would leave the issue of the Bique race’s massacre permanently unresolved.”

Li Xiao snapped out of it. “I need to have a talk with my brother.” If things truly were as they speculated, it could cause unexpected complications if his plans inadvertently clashed with his brother’s.

His terminal vibrated. The backup terminal had received a message, and Li Xiao casually swiped it open. It was sent from that unfamiliar frequency band, detailing the entire sequence of his brother’s assassination attempt.

[They have already adjusted the military's duty roster. Next, a portion of the Yi Family Army will be deployed alongside the Imperial Guards to provide close protection for His Majesty.]

Li Xiao replied:

[Has the itinerary been modified?]

The other side messaged back:

[No modifications for the time being.]

At the same time, on the Imperial Capital Star, inside the Military Headquarters.

Meng Jian received news of the explosion at Restaurant No. 39 within the military academy. Seeing Meng Jian’s expressionless face, the adjutant proactively added, “They immediately verified the Second Prince’s movements. He returned to his dormitory around eight in the evening and did not step out again. Roughly one minute after the explosion occurred, the lights in his dorm turned on, which should effectively rule him out as the perpetrator.”

Given the security configurations of Restaurant No. 39, had Li Xiao dared to break in, he would have undoubtedly been blown to smithereens.

Meng Jian rolled a pair of walnuts in his palm, his expression offering no hint of his mood. “Are there any other leads?”

The adjutant replied, “None have been discovered for now.”

Meng Jian set down the walnuts and stood up. “Activate the backup blood supply protocol.”

“Yes,” the adjutant hesitated before asking, “What about the Second Prince’s side? In the event that he has discovered the blood supply apparatus, should we refrain from taking action?”

Meng Jian stated flatly, “Whether he discovered it or not doesn’t matter anymore. It will all be over very soon.”

The adjutant’s eyes shifted sharply. He gave a respectful nod, turned around, and departed.

At 5:40 PM, the third match of the mecha selection preliminaries commenced.

Ever since word spread that Li Xiao and Song Jin would be spectating live on-site, the number of students gathering in the training hall’s waiting area had multiplied several times over compared to the previous day.

Before Qian Can went up, Qin Le and Jiang Hao were busy massaging his shoulders and handing him water, providing an exceptionally thorough level of service.

“I won’t drink, I’ll need to pee in a bit,” Qian Can looked toward Li Xiao expectantly. “Any words of wisdom?”

Li Xiao advised, “If you encounter a third-year, don’t charge in too fast, or you’ll get insta-killed.”

Qian Can: “…” Well, thanks a lot.

At 6:00 PM sharp, the third preliminary match officially began. Qian Can’s opponent was a Beta ranked in the top one hundred and fifty of the sophomore Mecha Department.

The moment the bell rang, both sides lunged toward one another simultaneously. Since both were aggressive vanguard-types, they launched a furious exchange of offensive maneuvers right out of the gate.

“I didn’t expect Qian Can to possess this much strength. He can actually keep up with the senior’s fast-paced offenses.”

“Yeah, but his offensive rhythm isn’t as polished as the senior’s. Playing like this will leave him very passive.”

“His pacing is falling apart! There are too many defensive openings. If he doesn’t pull back to open up some distance, he’s going to lose immediately!”

Many students in the hall were watching Qian Can’s match. As the tempo of the battle accelerated, even the spectators grew tense along with them.

Song Jin gazed at the mid-air screen. Seeing that Qian Can’s rhythm was becoming increasingly chaotic yet showing absolutely no intention of backing down, he voiced a critique: “What a stubborn mule.”

Li Xiao remarked, “He’s quite similar to you.”

Song Jin cast a leisurely look over. “How exactly are we similar?”

Li Xiao answered, “Once you make up your mind, you’ll march down that single path until it goes completely dark.”

Song Jin: “…” This brat was itching for a beating, daring to talk about him like that.

Song Jin’s voice turned chilly. “For instance?”

Li Xiao replied, “Despite having countless options, you just happened to fall for an Alpha like me.”

Song Jin asked, “Unsatisfied?”

Li Xiao looked at the screen, letting out a soft laugh. “It’s actually quite nice.”

Song Jin followed his gaze back to Qian Can’s combat screen. Seeing Qian Can’s rhythm grow increasingly erratic yet somehow managing to barely block every single attack, the sophomore Beta gradually became impatient, causing his own pacing to fall into disorder instead.

Perhaps noticing his own issue, the Beta decided to take a gamble, lunging forward with his offensive to transition into a reverse spinning counter-thrust, his blade tip aiming directly at Qian Can’s vital spot.

Capitalizing on this exact split-second window, Qian Can leaned backward to evade the sweeping blade edge, slipping behind the Beta’s back to flip his long blade and pierce clean through the opponent’s chest core.

The AI at the top of the screen evaluated Qian Can’s final move with an $8.5$ score. The Beta’s mecha circuits suffered critical damage and exploded, granting Qian Can the victory for this match.

The spectating hall suddenly fell silent. Qian Can’s disadvantage had been so glaringly obvious—how had he managed to instantly reverse the situation in a flash?! Many people discussed it while watching the slow-motion replay, concluding that luck likely played the majority factor.

Jiang Hao turned his head to ask Li Xiao, “Big brother, was Qian-San faking it right from the start?”

Li Xiao nodded. “Lowering the opponent’s guard and disrupting their rhythm before launching a counter-attack is an excellent strategy when dealing with an opponent slightly stronger than oneself.”

Qin Le smiled in a good mood. “It’s truly rare for this kid to use a strategy instead of just charging in blindly.”

Song Jin added, “He simply didn’t want to hide away and cry after losing the match all by himself.”

Qin Le: “…” Painfully accurate.

At 6:30 PM, Qian Can walked out of the arena, looking as ecstatic as a monkey descending a mountain for the first time. “Did you guys catch my handsome finishing blow just now?!”

Qin Le noted, “Your score was $8.5$, my finishing blow was $8.9$.”

Jiang Hao added, “Mine was $9.0$.”

Qian Can: “…You guys are truly my best friends.”

The fourth preliminary match was scheduled to take place half an hour later, and it was Song Jin’s turn to take the stage. Most of the students who had finished their matches didn’t leave, sitting tight to wait for the fourth match to begin, eagerly anticipating Song Jin’s performance.

Ever since the legendary tales of Song Jin’s previous fights spread, his “aloof and vicious” persona had become completely cemented in the minds of the military academy students. Beheading the mecha piloted by Meng Tao with a single slash, beating Qi Ge in public to the point where he couldn’t care for himself, and breaking the legs of thirty campus bullies—any single one of those acts was something the military students wouldn’t even dare to dream of, making their scalps tingle just hearing about it, yet Song Jin had done them all.

Beyond that, Song Jin was also the Second Prince’s consort, the very first person from Shengya to marry into the Danse Royal Family. Beautiful, powerful, and blessed with such a perfect partner, he was practically the textbook definition of a winner in life.

In the rest area, Li Xiao checked the time, noting that there were fifteen minutes left until seven o’clock. He asked Song Jin, “Should I also give your shoulders a massage?”

Song Jin didn’t even lift his head as he stared at the news on the network. “I’d rather you give me a kiss.”

Li Xiao replied, “Special services require an extra fee.”

Song Jin looked up from the screen, toughing out his expression as he leaned his face closer. “Come on, give me a heavy kiss. Is there anything I can’t afford to pay?”

Li Xiao looked at him. “One kiss equals making one dinner—you cook.”

Song Jin: “…”

Song Jin asked, “I dare to make it, but do you dare to eat it?”

Li Xiao replied, “Make it first. Whether I eat it or not depends on my mood.”

Song Jin: “…”

Song Jin silently backed away. “Just massage my shoulders then.”

Li Xiao: “…” So you have moments where you chicken out too.

The spectating trio of Qian Can and the others: “…” It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford a kiss, it was just that a shoulder massage offered far better value.

At 6:50 PM, Song Jin entered the arena.

The interior of the arena housed several hundred simulation pods. All participating students took their seats inside their corresponding simulation pods based on their assigned numbers, connecting to the external neurons according to the prompts. As the pod door descended smoothly, Song Jin logged into the simulation system, automatically materializing inside the corresponding mecha cockpit.

When the countdown showed thirty seconds remaining, the opponent’s information surfaced on the top right corner of the screen: Luo Yu, Sophomore, Mecha Department.

Inside the waiting hall, the vast majority of students had gathered in front of the screen corresponding to Song Jin. Seeing that his opponent turned out to be Luo Yu, the crowd erupted.

“What a small world. To think they could actually get matched together.”

“Song Jin did insta-kill Luo Yu in a single move previously!”

“That was under the circumstances where Luo Yu was completely caught off guard. This is an official match now; there’s no way Luo Yu will just stand there and let Song Jin hit him.”

“Luo Yu’s character leaves much to be desired, but his strength is genuinely formidable.”

“He’s ranked third in terms of comprehensive strength, which basically makes Luo Yu a legendary figure on the altar! Song Jin’s luck is simply terrible.”

Listening to the fierce discussions around him, Qian Can, who had initially been full of confidence, suddenly felt a bit uncertain. Just how much strength his boss possessed was something even he didn’t fully comprehend.

The group of them had grown up together, but the amount of time they actually spent gathered together wasn’t much. Ever since primary school, his boss had been a permanent missing person on the school roster—he was either accompanying His Majesty to handle political affairs or being dragged along to the legions by Prince Rong, occasionally going to live on the Snow Star for months on end, returning only when the school was already on long breaks. At an age when they were still playing with mud, his boss was already operating mechas, existing on an entirely different dimension from them.

Failing to see Luo Yu’s skills when he had come to provoke their class last time left Qian Can slightly panicked. Being able to secure the third rank in his year meant Luo Yu definitely possessed some real capability. Given adequate preparation, he might truly be capable of putting up a fight against his boss.

The more Qian Can thought about it, the more uneasy he became. He asked Li Xiao in a low voice, “Boss Li, what do you think my brother’s chances are? Can he win?”

Li Xiao looked at the five-second countdown flashing on the screen. “Against an opponent of this caliber, Xiao Jin—”

Not just Qian Can, but Qin Le, Jiang Hao, and the surrounding students all turned their attention toward Li Xiao, their hearts leaping into their throats. For a first-year to battle a top-tier powerhouse of the sophomore year, losing wouldn’t be a disgrace, yet a collective sentiment made them deeply averse to seeing Song Jin lose. How could someone as proud as Song Jin lose to a piece of trash like Luo Yu?

[Match Countdown: Three... Two... One...]

Watching Luo Yu’s mecha launch an offensive toward Song Jin on the screen, Li Xiao continued unhurriedly, “—has never placed him in his eyes to begin with.”

“An insta-kill—!” A chorus of sharp gasps resounded throughout the hall.

Qian Can and the others snapped their gazes violently toward the screen.

The match timer read $1.07$ seconds from the start. Song Jin had pierced through Luo Yu’s mecha from behind, while Luo Yu still maintained his posture of lunging forward with a straight-thrust.

The AI evaluated Song Jin’s decisive strike with a score of $9.5$. Luo Yu’s mecha suffered a critical system failure, granting victory to Song Jin for this round.

What on earth just happened?! Without even blinking, it was already over?! The spectating students were left utterly dumbfounded.

Over the course of several preliminary matches, there had been no shortage of people getting insta-killed, but this marked the very first time a lower-year student had insta-killed an upperclassman—and they had utterly pulverized a top academic powerhouse of the upper year at that!

A slow-motion replay of the battle materialized on the screen. Luo Yu had launched a rapid advance, and right when his blade tip was about to strike Song Jin, Song Jin executed a sudden lateral spin to flank behind him, drawing his long blade with a reverse grip to utilize the momentum of the spin to plunge the blade straight into Luo Yu’s mecha core. Even when analyzed frame by frame, Song Jin’s counter-attack timing, reaction speed, and precision of movement were completely flawless.

“Is this… for real?” Qian Can sucked in a breath of cold air. He knew his boss was powerful, but he hadn’t expected him to be this terrifyingly absurd!

Li Xiao kept his eyes locked on Song Jin’s combat posture in the replay, unable to look away. The same movement executed by different people would yield minute differences, factoring into individual operational habits and capabilities. Song Jin’s strikes were clean, concise, and fierce, without a single shred of wasted motion—much like his character, always knowing precisely what he desired most. Resolute and confident, never wavering; this was precisely what he loved most about Song Jin.

Inside the arena, after confirming the match results, Song Jin opted to log off the simulation system first. Removing the external neurons, he sat inside the simulation pod to rest. He wouldn’t have harbored the slightest shred of interest in this garbage competition if Li Xiao hadn’t also participated. It wasn’t nearly as entertaining as sparring with Li Xiao.

In another simulation pod not far away, Luo Yu yanked off his external neurons in a fit of absolute rage, growing more infuriated the more he thought about it. Getting matched with Song Jin in the very first round was bad enough, but to be insta-killed yet again!

With a sense of mounting unease, Luo Yu logged into the intranet, finding that people were already discussing this matter in the most eye-catching spot.

[Preliminaries Round Four: Luo Yu faces Song Jin and gets insta-killed again! The T0 God lives up to his reputation!]

It had only been a few minutes, yet the post had already accumulated over a thousand likes. The comment section was filled with absolute mockery directed at him. Luo Yu slammed his fist against the armrest in a fury. If he had known things would turn out like this, he never should have listened to Qi Ge’s words to go provoke Li Xiao in the first place!

Song Jin had almost fallen asleep waiting when he finally heard the system prompt.

[All matches for this round have concluded. The simulation pod protective shields will open in five seconds. Please exit the arena in an orderly fashion, thank you for your cooperation.]

As the protective shield retracted, Song Jin stepped out with his long legs. Just as he approached the exit, he noticed a gaze that carried a particularly heavy presence. He tilted his head, locking eyes with Luo Yu’s distinctly unfriendly stare.

Luo Yu flinched, hurriedly averting his gaze the moment their eyes met, running toward another exit with his head lowered. With a single glance, Luo Yu knew he had lost completely—whether in terms of raw power or sheer presence, his defeat was absolute.

Song Jin pulled back his gaze unhurriedly, his mood instantly brightening when he spotted Li Xiao waiting to receive him outside the door. Seeing Song Jin approach, Li Xiao let out a soft chuckle.

Song Jin asked, “What are you laughing at?”

Li Xiao replied, “It feels like I’m coming to pick up a kindergarten kid after school.”

Song Jin: “…”

Song Jin let out a smirk. “It’s your turn in the next round. I’ll make sure to come pick you up after school too.”

Li Xiao: “…”