Chapter 475: Only "1"
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The 15 mechs had already left, leaving behind an almost completely destroyed Centuria University in the silent darkness. The red-tailed beasts were brought away, leaving no trace of their presence.
"Looks like we'll have to figure out something else," Ye Chong said helplessly as he looked down at the broken pieces of the microphoton repair device.
Shang offered, "Ye, you should spend more time on Muscle Man, it's more practical that way." The so-called Muscle Man was the experimental failure that Ye Chong got from the mech laboratory. Muscle Man was named by Mu, in the hopes that the mech would intimidate its enemies whenever it appeared. Ye Chong did not care about something as meaningless as naming his mech, so he did not argue with Shang about the mech's name.
"Hmm, looks like you're right." Ye Chong nodded. It sounded like a better plan.
The trip back was uneventful. Perhaps by taking enough rest during the day, Ye Chong did not feel sleepy. Hence, he went to the mech training ground in the building instead.
The Research Consortium really made room in their budget for them. In this average building, located in this average city, the facilities provided were luxurious. Take the mech training ground. Not only was it twice as large as its average equivalent, the training ground was also equipped with many support devices. They could capture the mech pilot's movements from any angle and relay them to the photon processor in a corner of the room, so that the mech pilot could study them and correct their movements. Besides, the training ground was equipped with a great variety of amenities that overshadowed the usual standards.
It was late at night, so the large training ground was empty. This suited Ye Chong, since he did not like people watching him while he trained.
Ye Chong withdrew Muscle Man, climbed up the mech and entered the pilot cabin.
He looked at the triangular control console and inhaled deeply, quieting his mind to begin his training.
Unlike other mech pilots, Ye Chong did not rely on particular models of mechs. Ever since he left the trash planet, he had switched from one mech to another in no time at all. Every time it happened, he would have to get used to the new mech, so the process was not unfamiliar to him. The only thing made it more difficult this time was the weird structure of the control console.
There was a solution to this problem - he could change the console for a standard one. That would reduce the time he needed to get familiar with the mech. However, that would severely affect the mech's combat ability. The effect was severe enough for Ye Chong to throw this solution out of the window.
Start from the beginning, then!
Ye Chong looked at the triangular control console before him, his heart burning like fire! When had he ever been afraid of challenges?
He began to work. Ye Chong studied the console little by little, like a total beginner. It was like returning to his time of harsh training on the trash planet. He felt himself filled with purpose and hope.
On the empty training ground was a clumsy looking mech. It stumbled like a baby learning to walk, slowly and clumsily executing various movements. Its every move was fueled by the determination of its pilot!
Just how difficult was it to train so intensively for five hours straight?
Ye Chong was sweating all over, and panting heavily. His legs felt sluggish.
Ye Chong returned to his room and slept right away. Just 15 minutes after he returned to his room, the rest of the recruited staff began to wake up. In just a few moments, the empty training ground was full of mechs. Some of them noticed with interest that Number 231 was missing. This made the few who were curious about Number 231 disappointed. However, they quickly gathered themselves and began to train in earnest.
It was a fact of life that regardless of one's occupation, the path towards exceptional performance was committed and harsh training. All the mech pilots here knew this, and dared not waste their time dawdling.
When Ye Chong woke up, it was already noon. According to instructions, he should head towards the meeting place. He was the last person to reach there. Ye Chong sat in the last row of the hovercar without a single word.
The hovercar started just as he sat down.
"Good day, everyone. We are now heading towards the training camp. From now on, you are the first batch of official instructors from the Research Consortium's Crysound City branch. Congratulations for passing the tests! I'm honored to work with all of you." The one who spoke was a bald man. The top of his head shone brightly under the hovercar's lamps.
He laughed and said, "Almost forgot to introduce myself. I'm Senda, Mr Powell's second, and the person in charge for this activity. If you have any questions, feel free to speak up now. Since this is our first time organizing something like this, please forgive us for any unanticipated inconveniences."
Everyone looked at him, but no one said anything.
Senda did not mind it, and continued, "Since none of you have questions, then let me talk about today's agenda. After we arrive at the training camp, we will separate into groups. You will receive your group number, and the students who attend our training camp will get to decide which group to join. Of course, each group cannot have more than 20 members. If any group reaches this limit, it will be removed from the options available for the students. Hmm, based on the number of students we have this round -" he looked over the mech pilots in front of him and grinned, "- we'll have exactly 20 students for each group."
As the bald man explained their itinerary for the day enthusiastically, Ye Chong did not share his sentiment. His mind was completely occupied by the triangular control console. At first, he thought the console was just weird, but his earlier exploring led him to notice that there was some kind of logic to the way the buttons were placed on the console. The stressful training exercise back then did not allow him to focus and think about it, but now that he had quieted down, he automatically began to analyze the problem again.
Once he entered into this silent mood, Ye Chong could not be disturbed. He did not hear anything that Senda was telling them excitedly.
It was not until the hovercar stopped that his thoughts were interrupted.
"Shang, what did he say just now?" Ye Chong felt lost looking at the other people moving into the training camp, and could only ask Shang for help.
"Don't disturb me," Shang replied impatiently, "I'm busy." The mech resumed its silence.
Ye Chong shrugged helplessly. Luckily he was at the rear of the group, and no one noticed him. Shang had been behaving these two days, perhaps because he knew that he nearly caused trouble for them both last time. The mech was also oddly quiet. Whenever Ye Chong asked about it, he would just say that he was busy. Ye Chong did not know what the mech was busy about, and could get nothing out from Shang.
Fortunately, without the mech's insufferable interruptions, Ye Chong felt more at peace.
The instructors entered a meeting room, where a big holographic screen was placed in the center. On it were a row of numbers running from one to 25. Soon, each of them was given a number. Ye Chong' number was the last one - 25.
Senda stood up. "Alright, everyone. You should have your number by now. This will be your group's designated number. Next, it's time for the students to make their decisions." He turned to a working staff on the side and spoke a few words, signalling that they were ready.
The staff barked an order, and the digit below each of the numbers on the holographic screen began to climb up rapidly. In just 25 seconds, Group 5 was full. The mech pilot assigned with that number grinned widely. The faster a group was filled up, the stronger the instructor was as perceived by the students.
The other groups gained more and more members, but under the number 25 was the digit "1". This digit refused to budge.
Three minutes later, all the other groups were filled up, but Group 25 still only had "1"!
Everyone in the meeting room stared at Ye Chong. Sitting at the last row, holding the last number, with his group still not filled up, Ye Chong's posture was calm and at ease. His expression did not change, and he stared back unfazed at everyone else.
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"Oh cr*p, I was too slow! There's only number 25 left, what do I do now?" One of the students looked devastated and upset.
Another student beside him added salt to his wound by saying, "You're the one who's slow to decide. I told you to be quick, but you hesitated as usual. Now you're done for. Number 25, I heard he cheated, how else could he be hired? In any case, I'll never join his group."
"I should've just picked a random number, anything is better than this." The student who picked 25 looked regretful.
Xi Qing looked at the two of them quietly, and turned away. He had chosen Number 25 immediately, and he was the first to do so. That was why he was the only one who was under Group 25 so far. When White found out that he chose 25, the man thought he was crazy. However, Xi Qing knew what he was doing.
He quickly went to the gathering point for Group 25.
The atmosphere in the meeting room was plain awkward. On the holographic screen, the digit under the number 25 froze at "1". The other groups were all taken up, but even so, the digit below the number 25 did not change! The meeting room was now silent, but more than a few of them looked at Ye Chong with disdain, mockery and contempt.
What did this imply? It simply meant that the students, knowing they had no other choice, still did not want to choose Number 25. It also meant that no one believed in Number 25. Oh, that was not strictly accurate. The "1" on the holographic screen told everyone that at least one person supported him still!
Sitting in the last row, in the last place of all the groups, Ye Chong looked completely unaffected!