Before the AI in this area could make a ruling, Song Yu had already beaten the person so badly they couldn’t straighten their back.

Song Ke tried to resist, but it was futile.

[Warning! Central Military Academy student ID 001010910 has violated rules, one demerit. Exceeding three times will result in disqualification and repatriation.]

Watching Song Ke’s lackeys drag him away, Song Yu slowly pulled out a small hand towel from his pocket and meticulously wiped his hands.

“This rule is good; I can still hit them twice.”

[…]

The others: “…!”

There was a commotion in the aisle.

Song Ke sat on the ground, supported by Liu Nan, his body limp, his face bruised and red, nosebleed reaching the corner of his mouth, utterly pathetic.

Liu Nan saw his eyes were moist and his features were scrunched up, his heart in his throat. If this were to be investigated back home, it wouldn’t end well.

“Brother, should we call the medical team?”

Song Ke’s whole body ached, so much so that he couldn’t help but shed tears.

But if he really cried, he could forget about ever making it in Imperial Capital Star.

“Help me up!”

Liu Nan and Lin Rui jointly lifted Song Ke.

Lin Rui: “This is already a malicious assault. We can apply to have him disqualified as long as we file a complaint.”

“Disqualified?” Song Ke took the towel Liu Nan handed him, wiped his nosebleed, his eyes fierce, “We’re all family. Forget it, I’m not like him.”

Liu Nan chimed in from the side: “Exactly, we’re not as barbaric as some people.”

Rong Shi stood aside, pretending to be a background board. When he heard the word “barbaric,” his eyebrow twitched imperceptibly.

A sentence, without even thinking, just popped out: “Barbaric? You don’t need to know his goodness.”

Song Yu glanced at him again: “…”

He’s really good at acting.

Rong Shi: “…”

Perhaps he was too immersed in the role?

Control center contacted to inquire about Song Ke’s condition, asking if he needed to withdraw from the competition for treatment, and also subtly asked about Song Yu.

Some students at the school might not know their identities, but the teachers all did.

Song Ke, suppressing his anger, asked the school to send a medical team to examine him, insisting on not withdrawing from the competition and not disqualifying Song Yu.

Control Center: “Are you sure?”

Song Ke gritted his teeth: “Sure!”

Countless bullet comments on the live stream condemned Song Yu, saying he went too far and beat someone so badly during the competition.

Some people came out to defend him, but they were unfortunately drowned out.

“I guess my brother is already being cursed to death now.”

Upon returning to the earthen house, Qin Luo spread his hands, looking helpless.

Chen Chen: “Let them curse. It doesn’t hurt, and we still profited.”

Qin Luo: “…That makes a lot of sense.”

Over there, Liu Hong, Hu Feng, and others gathered around Rong Shi, watching him refuel the pickup truck.

Liu Hong’s eyes sparkled: “Do you refuel this kind of car like this? Isn’t it very dangerous to pour a whole barrel directly in? Will it explode?”

To those who loved tinkering with machines, this broken pickup truck was an antique toy, even more attractive than an omega.

Rong Shi: “Potentially, under extreme conditions.”

Hu Feng: “Chairman, do you usually like to study antiques too?”

“Occasionally, when I’m bored.” After filling it up, Rong Shi screwed on the cap and handed the oil barrel to Liu Hong, “Alright, let’s go.”

When they arrived, five people were squeezed in the truck bed. When they left, only two remained in the cabin.

“There’s room inside, why did you guys come out?”

Liu Hong scanned the five people sitting in rows on the truck bed, feeling a bit crowded.

A tent was set up on the open truck bed. Once the four corners were fixed, it became a temporary carriage.

The special military canvas and nanomaterial steel frame were extremely sturdy; even if Rong Shi sped up to 300 mph and drifted all the way, it would remain stable.

Seeing that no one spoke, Liu Hong looked at Qin Luo again: “Why did you come out too?”

Qin Luo: “Just—to foster some camaraderie with you guys.”

He had barely finished speaking when Liu Hong gave him a look of disdain.

Chen Chen chewed on jerky: “It’s too oppressive inside, it’s more comfortable outside.”

Liu Hong: “Oppressive?”

Chen Chen: “An oppression called ‘single dogs don’t deserve to exist’.”

Liu Hong: “…”

The car drove smoothly forward. The five people in the truck bed opened the tent’s openings on all four sides to serve as windows.

Old Bai peered out, marveling, “It’s been almost an hour, hasn’t it? It sounds quite lively, but why are there no beasts? Did we come to a fake Level 3 danger zone?”

The rainforest was the most dangerous place, let alone a Level 3 danger zone rainforest.

One wrong move, and in minutes, not even bone fragments would remain.

Hu Feng peered out the other side: “Yeah, it really feels like a picnic.”

Chen Chen, like them, had just been promoted to second year and had only been on one or two small missions. His wilderness experience wasn’t as rich as theirs, but he had done many different analytical posts and had subtly learned a lot, generally knowing a little bit about everything.

“I think it has a lot to do with the driver. The chairman is taking us on relatively safe routes,” he said, pointing to a large tree in the distance. “Look over there.”

The others followed his pointed direction and gasped instantly.

That tree was at most twenty meters tall, but its trunk was densely covered with snakes, at least a dozen or so. Each one was as thick as a basin and over ten meters long, making one’s scalp tingle.

Liu Hong: “Damn it, you scared me! Are they all squeezed together for breeding?”

Qin Luo: “Looking at their size, they might still be juveniles.”

“If one fell on my head—holy cow! I’m getting goosebumps!” Hu Feng vigorously rubbed his arms.

Chen Chen pointed in another direction: “And over there.”

The sky there was a bit dark; they all looked up simultaneously.

In the sky, an eagle with a wingspan of seven or eight meters was wrestling with a centipede.

Everyone: “…”

If they had accidentally wandered into that, ten lives wouldn’t be enough!

When going on a picnic, having a reliable driver was too important!

Old Bai: “Chairman is awesome! I’d even marry an alpha who gives such a sense of security, hahahaha.”

Liu Hong: “He wouldn’t look at you—your face.”

Old Bai’s smile suddenly stiffened: “…”

Without termites chasing them, Rong Shi drove much more steadily.

In the passenger seat, Song Yu rested his hand on his chin, looking out the window for a long time without speaking, lost in thought.

Rong Shi opened his mouth, but in the end, said nothing.

His foolish disciple had told him before not to genuinely comfort people, or else they wouldn’t just not be comforted, they might even want to kill him.

Driving to a place with water, Rong Shi parked the car under the shade of trees.

“Let’s get out and rest,” Rong Shi turned off the engine and got out.

The other five had been cooped up in the truck bed for an hour or so and all got out as soon as the car stopped.

If it weren’t for knowing this was a Level 3 danger zone, the scenery alone was truly magnificent.

The stream was three or four meters wide, its banks covered with various small flowers they didn’t recognize, and occasionally tree vines hung down to the water, giving it a unique poetic charm.

Rong Shi carried a military knife and told them, “I’m going to find something. I’ll be back soon.”

Chen Chen: “What is it? Should we all go together?”

“It’s fine, it’s nearby,” Rong Shi said calmly. “You all stay here and rest, don’t wander off.”

After speaking, he entered the forest.

Seeing Chen Chen still deliberating, Liu Hong patted his shoulder: “Old Slacker is reliable. Even his wife didn’t say anything, you don’t need to worry unnecessarily.”

Chen Chen: “…”

The beasts in Level 3 danger zone couldn’t be eaten, but the water could.

After filtering for a few minutes with the water bottle’s self-purifying function, it was drinkable.

Since there seemed to be no large beasts around, Liu Hong and the others went to the stream to fill their water bottles.

Chen Chen pressed the purification button, a confused expression on his face: “Isn’t the chairman a year younger than us? Why do I sometimes feel like I’m facing an elder?”

Liu Hong: “…You should see a doctor soon.”

Hu Feng, crouching at the other end, chimed in: “I’ve had that feeling too. Maybe he gives off a reliable, elder-like vibe?”

Chen Chen: “Is that so?”

He still felt something was off.

Qin Luo walked up to Song Yu with snacks: “Brother, are you hungry? Want something to eat? This jerky—”

“You eat it yourself,” Song Yu walked a few meters away from them and sat on a rock by the stream.

Qin Luo knew he wanted to be alone for a while, so he didn’t push it and turned back to Liu Hong’s group.

Rong Shi returned quickly, holding a bag of fruits.

Seeing the other five laughing and chatting, with only Song Yu sitting there in a daze, he walked towards him.

“Here, a specialty of the Level 3 danger zone.”

A green fruit suddenly appeared before his eyes. Song Yu looked at it expressionlessly: “Do you want to poison me so you can inherit my property?”

“Do you think I need to go to such trouble to kill you?” Rong Shi sat down across from him, a step away.

The original intention of this sentence was that the fruit was not poisonous, but unfortunately, it meant something completely different in Song Yu’s ears.

He narrowed his eyes, his face darkening: “Do you dare to say that again?”

Although he had left Imperial Capital Star, Song Yu was always protected. And what Rong Shi said implied that all those defenses were vulnerable.

Seeing his expression, Rong Shi knew he probably hadn’t hit the mark again.

“It’s rare to come here; it would be a shame not to try it.”

Seeing Song Yu’s wary expression, Rong Shi explained, “This fruit itself has detoxifying properties. Beasts in the rainforest eat it as medicine.”

Song Yu rested his hand on his chin, looking at the water surface: “No interest.”

Rong Shi rephrased it: “This is his favorite fruit, crisp and refreshing, sweet and sour. You really don’t want to try—”

Before he could finish, the fruit in his hand was snatched away.

Rong Shi: “…” So blatantly double standards?

He watched Song Yu take a big bite, his handsome brows furrowing.

Rong Shi: “…” This reaction isn’t right.

“You said this is his favorite fruit?” Song Yu gasped, covering his mouth, looking at him incredulously, “This damn thing is so sour and astringent, is it even edible?”

“How could that be?” Rong Shi picked up another fruit and ate it; the taste was perfectly fine.

Rong Shi: “Mine is very sweet. Why don’t you try again?”

Song Yu snorted coldly: “Do you think my taste buds are faulty? You try it yourself.”

The bitten fruit was handed back. Rong Shi looked down at it, took it, and put it to his mouth to bite.

He couldn’t even swallow one bite before the sourness hit him.

Rong Shi calmly said, “I grabbed the wrong one.”

Song Yu clenched his fist: “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Rong Shi: “Let me get you another one, guaranteed sweet.”

“No need to bother, this one’s fine.” Song Yu reached out and snatched the fruit Rong Shi had eaten, flipped it over, and took a bite. His mood brightened. “It’s really good. His taste is always excellent.”

Rong Shi: “…”

He was complimented, but why was his mood so complicated?

Song Yu asked while eating: “How could he like to eat fruit from this kind of place?”

Ordinary people simply couldn’t go to dangerous zones. Civilian spacecraft didn’t have routes to these places, and things from dangerous zones weren’t allowed to circulate on the market.

Rong Shi ate the tooth-achingly sour fruit and murmured, “His father often entered dangerous zones and occasionally brought some home for him. Over time, it became a habit.”

“Like Dad’s cooking?” Speaking of Rabbit, Song Yu’s eyes softened, “The fruit his father brought carried his father’s affection. No wonder it’s his favorite.”

So Rabbit’s father was a soldier. No wonder he learned martial arts from a young age and loved mechanical structures so much. In reality, he must be a very dashing omega.

He wanted to meet him.

It was a rare opportunity to have a proper conversation. Rong Shi took the chance to ask, “Do you like to eat it?”

“Yes, I do.” Song Yu ate the entire fruit, even forgetting that Rong Shi had taken a bite of it. “There’s no reason for me not to like what he likes.”

Rong Shi: “…”

He had appeased him with a single fruit. Rong Shi felt that his comforting skills weren’t bad either.

“What are you guys secretly eating?” Qin Luo immediately ran over when he saw food.

He had barely reached out to grab it when the entire bag disappeared.

Song Yu clutched the whole bag of fruit, refusing to give any: “He gave these to me.”

How could Rabbit’s favorite fruit be given to just anyone?

Qin Luo: “Don’t be so stingy, just give me a small one.”

Song Yu: “Go pick your own.”

The others heard the commotion and gathered around. Upon hearing about edible, non-poisonous fruit, they immediately became interested.

In such a large rainforest, they had to go in and explore, eat some things, to truly experience it.

Rong Shi: “It’s too dangerous. If we’re exposed, it will be very troublesome.”

Getting chased by beasts just to find snacks wouldn’t look good. Chen Chen: “What are you afraid of with you here? We’ll follow instructions obediently.”

Rong Shi: “But—”

Song Yu: “I want to go too, pick more to take home.”

Rong Shi: “Alright, but you must be obedient.”

The others: “…” Such blatant double standards?

To be safe, they covered the pickup truck with large leaves, gathered their equipment, and headed towards the place Rong Shi had been before.

They hadn’t walked far when they saw a tree about twenty meters tall, its branches sprawling, laden with strings of green fruit.

From a distance, they looked like grapes, but they were very large, each bunch as tall as an adult.

Rong Shi: “This kind of tree generally grows near water bodies in the central rainforest. Seeing this fruit indicates a nearby river, and vice versa.”

Liu Hong held his gun, his eyes vigilantly scanning left and right: “So many fruits, and yet no beasts nearby?”

Rong Shi: “Most Level 3 mutated beasts are carnivorous, with very few eating plants. The majority here eat trees. If it weren’t for the detoxifying properties of this fruit, they would see it as no different from weeds by the roadside.”

Qin Luo laughed as he climbed the tree: “Simply put, even dogs wouldn’t eat them, right?”

Old Bai, climbing on the other side, laughed along: “If they were fighting over them, what would be left for us?”

Hu Feng, Chen Chen, and Liu Hong stood guard at various positions below. Rong Shi took Song Yu to stroll around, telling him about other plants.

Song Yu was astonished: “You learned all this from books?”

Rong Shi: “…Many things I heard from his father. Our two families live close.”

Song Yu frowned: “You often go to his house? His father knows you, and even tells you so many things?”

Even Rong Shi could hear the hint of sourness in his tone.

His lips curved slightly upwards: “Yes, we even slept in the same bed when we were little.”

Sleeping in the same bed with himself, nothing wrong with that.

This expression, in Song Yu’s eyes, was a clear provocation. He gritted his teeth: “How many times did you sleep there?”

Rong Shi: “Why do you ask that?”

Song Yu: “I want to sleep it back.”

Rong Shi: “…With whom?”

Song Yu: “With you.”

Rong Shi: “…”

Was he thinking that since he (Rong Shi) took advantage of Rabbit, he (Song Yu) wanted to take it back?

Rong Shi calmly said: “Many times, countless.”

Song Yu: “…” Damn it!

The live stream’s bullet comments went wild—

“I now believe they really came for a picnic, hahahaha”

“Other teams are fighting beasts, they’re climbing trees and picking fruit?”

“They’re too sweet?! The chairman actually picked fruit to make the goddess happy! He’s clearly a straight A but he’s so good at it!”

“Even eating a fruit, they have to share?! I’m really not crazy!”

“That fruit looks so delicious.”

“I want to transmigrate into that fruit, hehehehe”

After a walk around, on the way back, Rong Shi noticed something unusual out of the corner of his eye and walked towards it.

Song Yu: “What’s wrong?”

Rong Shi moved to the side to block a nearby monitor, reaching out to push aside leaves and vines on a small tree trunk.

A rabbit pattern appeared on the tree trunk, like a very crude but vivid sketch carved with something sharp.

Rong Shi’s heart skipped a beat, and his mind exploded with a sudden boom.

He was very familiar with this pattern. In his bedroom back home, there was a painting drawn by his father himself, depicting this very rabbit.

“A rabbit?” Song Yu recognized it at once, even finding it somewhat familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

Before he could figure it out, he suddenly saw Rong Shi pull out the long military knife from his lower back and cut the small tree in half.

Rong Shi eagerly counted the tree rings on the cross-section, quickly converting them in his mind.

In Level 3 danger zones, due to varying radiation intensities, the growth rate of plants and animals differed from normal places.

Four years?! How could that be?

Rong Shi counted again.

Still four years!

“How is that possible?” Rong Shi muttered.

His father had clearly died in battle five years ago—

__

Author’s note: 

Song Cat: If I get angry, it’s hard to end it without two or three people dying.

Chairman Rong: This fruit—

Song Cat: Do you want to persuade me not to be angry?! (Quietly swallows saliva)

Chairman Rong: Good boy, eat it to gain strength, then be angry. (Pats head)

After happily eating it—

Song Cat: What was I going to do just now?