Shortly after.
A round table in the corner of the dining hall served as a makeshift meeting point, with Cen Yuehuai, Xino, Yu Yan, and the newly joined Ji Ya gathered around.
Cen Yuehuai's upper body was slumped over the table, face down, resembling a dehydrated fish. Only the faint trembling of her shoulders showed she was still breathing.
"Where's Her Highness?" Ji Ya looked up, her honey-colored eyes catching the sunlight streaming through the window, clear as amber. "It's been forty minutes past our agreed time."
Xino shrugged. "Her Highness is usually punctual."
"Is she in some kind of trouble?" Yu Yan asked suddenly, his fingers tapping to project a holo-screen before them.
The trio, minus Cen Yuehuai, leaned in and saw it was Tianquan Academy's forum interface. Someone had been live-blogging their training camp experiences.
As Tianquan's star candidate, Bai Sha's every move drew attention. Her thrashing of an instructor had already spread far, but her last-minute role switch had made waves across all four academies.
[Today's Headline: Shocker! Our Academy's Genius Pilot Switches Roles, Snags Mech Engineer Main Slot! Second Place Allegedly Unhappy, Fights Her in the Arena!]
The post was fresh, already racking up comments.
[Saw the headline and knew exactly who it was.]
[Headline ID check +1.]
[Switching roles and still taking first? Terrifying!… Can someone explain why first and second place fought?]
[Seems the second place is from Dongluo Academy. Why they fought? Easy. You'd be thrilled if a slot you were set to claim got snatched, right?]
[Shouldn't mech engineers be judged on skill? What's there to fight about?]
[…Am I the only one wondering if that Dongluo student's still alive? It's Bai Sha Ronin! Who picks a fight with her? Tired of living?]
Xino and the others read through, exchanging glances.
"So, Her Highness is late because she got into a fight?" Xino raised an eyebrow.
Ji Ya looked skeptical. "Her Highness doesn't strike me as impulsive. Even if someone provoked her, she'd defuse it quickly."
Ji Ya paused, sensing something, and turned to see Bai Sha approaching.
Bai Sha's training uniform was intact, free of tears or dirt, showing no signs of a recent brawl. But a faint weariness lingered in her expression.
Trailing behind her was… a person? Though the small display screen on their face made them look odd.
"Sorry I'm late," Bai Sha sighed, sitting at the table. "There was a minor incident. Got dragged to the disciplinary office for a half-hour lecture."
"We heard," Xino said with a grin, his eyes shifting to the strange figure beside her. "And this guy is…?"
The moment Xino's scrutinizing gaze landed on them, the figure stiffened.
"This is Ying Chen, a mech engineer from Dongluo Academy," Bai Sha said, her tone complicated. "He's why we both got hauled in by the disciplinary office."
Xino, Ji Ya, and Yu Yan shot Ying Chen looks ranging from disapproval to outright unfriendliness.
Ying Chen: "…"
His screen flickered, displaying a single word:
"Sorry."
"It's fine, just a misunderstanding. We cleared it up with the disciplinary office," Bai Sha said, noticing Ying Chen's nervous demeanor. Her brow furrowed. "Why are you still standing?"
Ying Chen zipped to the table like a robot, sitting silently and swiftly.
Bai Sha: "…"
She couldn't stand seeing him like this but didn't want to pressure him further. Suspecting her own intensity might be intimidating, she cleared her throat, softening her tone. "I'm partly to blame for today. Let's call it even. It's late—why don't you join us for dinner? My treat, order whatever you want."
Ying Chen paused for two seconds, his screen flickering.
Bai Sha swore she saw the words "No need" flash briefly—so quick it felt like an illusion.
In the end, the screen read:
"Alright, thank you."
Bai Sha coaxed gently, "Can you take that thing off now? You can't eat with it on."
Ying Chen hesitated, his pale fingers gripping the magnetic strap. After a full second, he removed it, revealing his face.
The group took in Ying Chen's appearance: pale complexion, dark brows and eyes, exuding a weary vibe but otherwise normal.
Xino asked curiously, "What exactly happened?"
Bai Sha gave a brief rundown of the arena misunderstanding, then linked her holo-brain to the menu system. "Let's eat first. I desperately need food to soothe my wounded soul…"
Cen Yuehuai, still slumped on the table, let out a long, guttural "Ughhh," lifting her head like a zombie and staring blankly. "Food? Finally, food? I'm starving—"
Bai Sha looked at Cen Yuehuai's half-dead state and patted the back of her head. "Look at this poor kid, starved out. Why didn't you guys eat something earlier?"
"She's perked up now, but when we left the training grounds, her legs were jelly. Once we hit the dining hall, she just faceplanted on the table, playing dead until you showed up," Xino said, shaking his head with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Your training load was intense, sure, but is this level of drama really necessary?"
Cen Yuehuai gritted her teeth, raising a sore arm to point at herself. "First it was a gauntlet, then all three of you ganged up on me! My mech's paint got scraped off! You call this drama?"
Yu Yan nodded, offering comfort. "She did work hard today."
Bai Sha: "Three of you against her?"
Xino: "It's to boost her battlefield survivability."
Bai Sha: "Tough work, tough work. What do we want to eat?"
No matter what happened, good food always lifted spirits. Even Cen Yuehuai, arms trembling from exhaustion, struggled to sit up and browse the full "Today's Menu."
The training camp's dining options were, as always, lavish. Most meal sets were free, with only a few specialty dishes requiring payment due to expensive ingredients.
Their ordering preferences aligned: meat, lots of it. Yu Yan added some vegetables, while Ying Chen chose a fully vegetarian tea-steeped soup rice set—completely free.
They didn't waste time talking. After the meal, Ying Chen's complexion improved, and Cen Yuehuai gradually sat up straighter.
"Our plan's halfway there," Xino said. "If Yuehuai can maintain today's performance in the slot challenge, I think she's got a real shot."
"For real?" Cen Yuehuai said. "That's not what you said in the training arena."
"I don't agree, Xino," Ji Ya said, shaking her head with the sternness of a military officer. "Her current strength is barely passable, and that's assuming the enemy plays straightforward."
"The training's been going for a while, and the top 3S-ranks have all improved. Yuehuai might hold her own against them, but saying she's got a strong chance feels like self-deception."
Cen Yuehuai let out a whimper, slumping again.
"But the slot challenge is the day after tomorrow," Xino said helplessly. "Isn't it better to boost her morale now? Squashing her spirit doesn't help. Sigh, not every student can reach our level…"
Xino and Ji Ya, both purebred military heirs, had been trained differently from ordinary students since childhood. Their philosophies clashed—Ji Ya believed strong leaders forged strong teams, while Xino advocated teaching based on realistic potential. Thankfully, Yu Yan mediated, or they might've fought over whose approach to follow.
"Enough, listen to me," Bai Sha cut in, settling the debate. "We've come this far—let's just do our best. Oh, Yuehuai, you said your mech got scratched up? Is it bad? I can check it tonight."
Ying Chen, waiting for a chance to contribute, paused before speaking. "…Actually, I can help. I'm skilled at mech repairs."
Bai Sha looked at him, surprised. "You're talking pretty smoothly now, huh?"
Ying Chen froze, starting again: "I—"
Great. Stuttering again.
Bai Sha mentally slapped herself: Why'd you have to say that?
"Alright, serious talk," Bai Sha said, gesturing to stop him. To Cen Yuehuai, she added, "I'll handle the mech repairs. I've seen your mech's blueprints and know what materials to prep."
Ying Chen: "…"
His lips pursed, and he shrank back into his chair, clutching his display screen.
Noticing his reaction, Bai Sha tilted her head, speaking in a gentle, non-threatening tone. "Ying Chen, you free? Want to help out?"
Though her role switch was for the five-on-five elite team match, Bai Sha realized after succeeding that, despite Ying Chen's technical prowess, he wasn't suited to lead the mech engineer team in the exercise.
Unless his personality could be overhauled quickly… or he found a few people to support him.
Did Ying Chen have other friends?
"Cen Yuehuai's mech hasn't been refurbished in a while, so I'm planning routine maintenance. But that'll increase the workload. Got any reliable friends who could pitch in?" Bai Sha asked tentatively. "I can pay, standard hiring rates."
Ying Chen hesitated for a second, then nodded slightly.
"I do," he said slowly but firmly. "I have friends."