Chapter 56: He Praised Me for Being Handsome (///v///)

“The only difference is that the environment is harsher. Due to radiation from cosmic rays, some creatures will have different degrees of mutation, but the dangerous plants and animals have been isolated outside the electronic protection network, so do not panic.”

While the radio was still announcing, a teacher in a military industrial brigade uniform whispered to the students, “The original body of Legacy Base was the second laboratory of the Alliance. It was decommissioned because of a nuclear leak. The researchers were evacuated and only removed important equipment. Some experimental mice, frogs, plant seeds and other creatures were left here, while the effects of the nuclear radiation reduced to a manageable level. The small animals that managed to survive became extremely aggressive. We need to cherish the opportunity of this exercise. Do you know how much manpower and resources it took to modify the base and build the electronic protection network?”

Ping Mo couldn’t help but look up. Not only him, but also the students beside Ping, and Teaching Assistant Pei were also attracted and listened to the lecture, and even asked questions.

Zhou Li kept quiet for a long time, then finally gathered enough courage to ask in a low voice, “Teacher, I heard that the gilt rose is also the product of cosmic ray-induced mutation. Will there be some there?”

“Ah, there are still some who dabble in growing them.” The teacher smiled and turned his head, but then his smile froze on his face.

Ping Mo, “…”

Pei Yutu, “Ah, so it’s you? Aren’t you an omega? How did you get in here too?”

It turned out to be an acquaintance. It was the very same green tea who was pulling Ping Mo’s strings last night.

Green Tea, “!!!” If the students knew about that, he wouldn’t have the face to teach in the Aliance Officers Technology University again. “Military instructors. What a coincidence.”

Pei Yutu, “Heh.”

Ping Mo nodded, “Please continue, don’t mind us.”

The green tea gentleman breathed a sigh of relief, cleared his throat, and regained his intellectual erudition. “The vast majority of plants and animals after exposure to cosmic rays will die. Very few survive, and even then they usually behave aggressively. The gilt rose that is both beautiful and safe is a miracle of creation. It grows under very harsh conditions on a large breeding base so the production is extremely limited. That’s why it is so expensive! There is absolutely no such thing in the Legacy Desert Base.”

Zhou Li’s question was answered, so other students were encouraged to speak up. “Teacher, since this place is so dangerous, why bother to build an electronic protection network? Isn’t it more economical to change the location of the base?”

Green Tea, “This is a very understandable question. Because the mutant plants and animals were rampant, the result was Legacy Base became very unsuitable for human habitation for decades. Even the ferocious interstellar pirates weren’t willing to get involved. So don’t worry about the simulation weapons accidentally injuring civilians. The venue is large enough. With our four school teams, the teachers and students together number more than five thousand two hundred people. This is a red and blue confrontation type of skills competition. While the cost is huge, five thousand people placed on Legacy is…Let me make an analogy. If the team is completely broken up, it would take a single person a few months to find a companion. If a couple gets separated, they may even have children before they are found! Hahaha.”

Ping Mo coughed heavily. 

Green Tea realized that he had accidentally exposed his true essence, so he cleared his throat, then solemnly said, “In short, Legacy is very suitable for military exercises, but we don’t have to worry about lost people, or mutant plants and animals, because we have the electronic protection network, and also have special contact equipment.”

As if to echo his words, the radio was also prompting the distribution of tactical kits, which included exercise communicators in addition to survival items. Although the military terminals could continue to be used without obstacles, the terminals of the military instructors had been turned in long before they participated in the skills competition in order to prevent listening in on the other team.

Pei Yutu whispered to Ping Mo, “Because this time the blue army is a temporary transfer of troops, it may have known comrades. They are afraid that we will cheat. When I turned in my terminal, it was like an open robbery! I almost fought with them.”

Ping Mo wondered, “This is also in accordance with the regulations, so why did you get into a fight?”

Pei Yutu suddenly squirmed, as his fingers clasped the energy sniper rifle with its substituted empty shells, like a shy 1.9 meter child. “I was afraid they’d go through my album.” He leaned over Ping Mo’s ear. “Because there are some pictures of you in there, some of you with cat ears, some of you sleeping and forgetting to wear clothes, and close-ups.”

There was a crunching sound as a hollow shell fell on the floor of the starship’s interior.

“Hahahaha! The gravity system is doing quite well!” Pei Yutu picked up the bullet and forced his own military instructor to smooth his hair. “Calm down! Watch your image! You’re surrounded by students. Don’t worry. It has been deleted clean!”

The crowd didn’t know what had happened between them, they only felt the murderous aura emanating from Instructor Ping. The students were helpless, pitiful and weak, as they shrunk into a ball like chickens, afraid of being affected. However, Ping Mo didn’t lose control in his anger, and instead stared at the small hanging speaker without expression, as if he was forcing himself to take an interest in the broadcast.

The radio was still announcing the rules of the military skills competition.

“This military skills competition is a group-based competition in the form of a red-blue confrontation, with the task force being red. It is made up of the delegation of the four schools, while the confrontation force is blue. The team that takes the lead in destroying the blue command wins, if no one succeeds in destroying the blue command, the one with the highest number of living forces remaining in each unit wins.”

“In this confrontation, the blue army will spare no effort to harass you. The four schools’ delegations are in a competitive relationship, but are also partners. The rules allow for alliances, anti-water, and the capture of hostages. You can play at will, as if this was a real battle of wits military war!”

“Also, a warm reminder. Students who are ‘sacrificed’ or abandoned midway should activate the coordinate locator in a timely manner, and a staff member will pick you up to leave. Finally, please send representatives from the four teams to the main control room to draw lots in order to choose the order of the airdrop.”

According to the time from the main planet, the starship had traveled for three days and two nights, and by the time it reached the inner part of the artificial atmosphere, they could already see the scenery of Legacy Desert Base. The biggest feature was its desertion. The entire base design was spindle-shaped. From underneath the chaotic, towering. strange plants could barely be seen some industrial steel framework, however the center was a regular shape of a clean circle, without any plants. That should be the legendary electronic protection network.

The broadcast again sounded: “We have approached the range of the electronic protection network. In thirty minutes, you will be airdropped in the order of the lottery. First, please move the Alliance Military Technology University’s delegation into the designated airdrop module. Students please check your belongings, weapons, tactical bags, and communication devices.”

The giant drop pod could accommodate hundreds of people, and the Alliance Military Technology University students grouped in their usual formation. Ping Mo and Pei Yutu, and the New Weapons Engineering School in the second square-shaped formation, occupied the drop pod.

The smooth landing only took ten minutes. Although Legacy Base was said to be mysterious, with radiation and giant monsters, there were only the wind and waves inside the protection network. 1 Except for being a little shabby, the basic environment here and on the main planet were no different.

Zhou Li, Zhang Kai and a few other students began to recite the survival manual as soon as they left the hatch. “Pressure, gravity, and artificial atmosphere are all fixed parameters, so there is no need for extra oxygen.”

The two military instructors were quick to get into shape, especially Teaching Assistant Pei, who organized the whole team and assigned tasks in one go, which quickly calmed the hearts of the people.

Pei Yutu took the opportunity to whisper in his ear, “How is it? I’m handsome, right?”

Ping Mo, “…”

Pei Yutu thought he was going to be hit again, and reflexively jumped away without waiting for Ping Mo’s fist, only to see Instructor Ping was standing still on the surface of high imitation ecological sand, with the corners of his mouth slightly hooked up as he spit out two words, “Not bad.”

Pei Yutu suspected he had heard wrong, “Huh?”

Ping Mo pulled out a military dagger, and inserted it into his tactical boot. As he walked up to Pei Yutu, he said, “Not bad. Kind of handsome.”

Then he strode over to the omegas who were assembling signal transmitters and asked about the progress. Pei Yutu looked at the sexy back of his military instructor’s narrow waist and hip, and pinched himself. Then he unreasonably pinched an alpha boy’s hand, heard a cry of pain, and said, “Not a dream, ah.”

It was the first time he praised me for being handsome!

Instructor Ping, however, had returned to normal and was confirming the coordinates of the friendly forces. Not the other three schools, but the coalition teams. The capsules would be dropped within a few kilometers to avoid errors, so they were scattered after landing.

Teaching Assistant Pei had just been inspired, like a brat who intended to show himself in front of the person of his affection. He grabbed a communicator and waved it. He quickly sorted out the optimal rendezvous route, just like he’d become the ‘commander-in-chief’ of the entire Allied Grand team.

With ‘Commander Pei’s’ fierce reputation, which was also quite prestigious, plus he then said the right things with professionalism, no one objected. Everyone listened to Teaching Assistant Pei’s commands.

Ping Mo, “…” Usually it wasn’t obvious, but once on the ‘battlefield’, this guy was really like a fish in water, and naturally ordered everyone around.

When the two military instructors gave the order, the students marched off as they were told. Pei Yutu approached Ping Mo with the thought, “How’s that? Handsome or not?”

Was he addicted to it?

This time Instructor Ping didn’t cooperate with his performance, and automatically filtered him out as noise. The two military instructors usually paid attention to physical training, and their normal activity was 30 kilometers of weight running, so now that everyone was carrying heavy tactical bags, even after walking a few kilometers, they didn’t feel tired. Since they saw the two military instructors looking relaxed, they were also bold enough to chat while they walked. 

“We’ll wait for a while before doing anything.”

“Why wait? Shouldn’t we establish command first? The omegas in charge of technology are going to hinder the team.”

“I told you that the Blues are very powerful, so they won’t ambush us now.”

“I’m most afraid of an electronic protection network break. That thing seems to be nothing but a layer of electromagnetic waves. If the power is cut off, it’s too dangerous!”

Immediately a student retorted, “No way! Didn’t you listen to the teacher from the Alliance Officers Engineering University? This base has been operating for ten years, and has never had a problem. There may be hundreds of backup power sources, so a bad situation can’t occur.”

An omega boy said, “I’m just afraid. What of it? If we get separated and face a monster, the alphas can still resist for a while, but what about the omegas?”

The boy apparently thought of the joke made by Green Tea. “If a couple get separated, when we find them, they might even have a baby” Then he panicked and checked whether the blockers and inhibitors he had brought were enough.

Still Zhou Li was the boldest. She raised her hand and asked Ping Mo, “Instructor Ping, if all the omegas stay with command, can we have a few alphas to protect us?”

Immediately after this comment, several alphas jumped at the chance and looked at Instructor Ping expectantly.

“…” Ping Mo, “Yes, protecting the technical staff and command security is also a top priority.”

When confronted with these omegas, Teaching Assistant Pei wasn’t as nice, and scared the kids with a tiger face, “Stop it you guys! You’re all so worried. Soon you’ll be able to see what you’re talking about!”

Translator Notes:

风平浪静 (lit trans : calm wind and quiet waves) is an idiom to describe how a place/situation/surrounding is very calm and tranquil.