TSA Chapter 48

“Huh? Why didn’t the class president message me?” Ran Qi asked in confusion.

“He did, but you were showing as ‘in a call’ at the time, so he contacted me instead. Anyway, everyone knows how close we are—telling me is as good as telling you!” Gu Le laughed and slung an arm over Ran Qi’s shoulder.

“That’s true, haha.” Ran Qi scooped the freshly cooked rice from the pot into bowls. “By the way, did the class president say how long the campus competition will last? Will it interfere with our gaming time?”

The class president wouldn’t bother organizing viewing events on a whim—it was undoubtedly a requirement from the school and teachers. If that were the case, skipping wouldn’t be an option.

The thought of Zhang Shuo, that annoying guy, participating in the competition irked Ran Qi. What’s more, since senior students wouldn’t be competing this time, the difficulty of qualifying had significantly decreased. Ran Qi really didn’t want to see Zhang Shuo strutting around. He’d rather spend the time leveling up in the game to earn more Physical Exchange Coupons and improve his physique.

“No idea, but it’ll probably take five or six days,” Gu Le replied absentmindedly, his attention fully captured by the aroma of the food on the table. He swallowed hard. “It smells amazing. What did you make today?”

Five or six days wasn’t too bad. If worse came to worst, they would show up, and then sneak out. With so many people on campus, no one would notice if one or two are missing.

Feeling reassured, Ran Qi also turned his focus to the food and smiled. “I made fries, mashed potatoes, and stir-fried potatoes with green peppers and pork belly. Try them out.”

The freshly fried fries were golden and steaming hot, their appearance incredibly appetizing. Gu Le couldn’t resist and immediately grabbed one to taste.

The fries were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Even with just a pinch of salt, they were deliciously flavorful.

“These are amazing!” Gu Le’s eyes lit up as he grabbed another fry.

Fries were the kind of snack you couldn’t stop eating once you started. Before long, Gu Le had devoured almost half the plate.

“Don’t just eat the fries—try the mashed potatoes too!” Ran Qi handed him the plate of mashed potatoes and a small spoon.

The mashed potatoes had been steamed in a small bowl and turned out as a perfect semi-spherical mound on the plate. Topped with a homemade black pepper sauce, the dish looked elegant. Even without milk or butter to enhance the flavor, it was still delightfully sweet and savory.

Gu Le scooped up a big spoonful, put it in his mouth, and immediately showered it with praise. “This is so good too!”

“Eat as much as you like,” Ran Qi said with a smile, then quickly began eating the stir-fried potatoes with green peppers and pork belly. The soy sauce gave the dish a beautiful brown hue, and the sheen of pork fat made it look incredibly appetizing.

Ran Qi had intentionally let the dish simmer briefly before serving. The potatoes were tender and soaked with the flavorful sauce. The green peppers added a mild spiciness with a hint of sweetness, while the thinly sliced pork belly was the highlight. The juicy, well-balanced mix of fat and lean meat created a burst of flavor. If only he had some doubanjiang, the dish could have been even richer.

Still, the dish was already excellent. Its savory taste paired perfectly with rice. Ran Qi happily alternated between bites of the dish and spoonfuls of rice.

By the time Gu Le finally moved on from the mashed potatoes, Ran Qi had already eaten half his bowl of rice.

“Hey! How can you start without me?” Gu Le glared at him before hurriedly picking up his own bowl and digging in.

******

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the campus selection competition officially began, with 246 students signing up to participate.

The event started with a one-on-one elimination round that would instantly cut the participants in half. The smart AI system assigned opponents, ensuring that their combat strengths were evenly matched. Victory would depend entirely on their skills. The competition included three categories based on the students’ fields of study: mechas, combat suits, and command.

Mechas needed no introduction—they were the most common combat weapon in interstellar warfare. Built with high-grade alloys, they boasted incredible defensive capabilities and were equipped with hundreds of different weapons, making them highly powerful. Only elite students with physiques of at least Grade A could enroll in the mecha program.

Of course, mechas were incredibly expensive, and it was impossible for everyone in the galaxy to own one. That was where high-speed, lightweight combat suits came into play. Essentially miniature, individual mechas, these suits added a mechanical exoskeleton to the body, equipped with various light weapons, to enhance combat capabilities. However, using combat suits placed high demands on the user’s own combat abilities. Not only must their physique reached at least Grade B, but they also needed specialized training in close-quarters combat techniques.

Back when the original owner of this body had an accident, it was because he violated school rules by sneaking into the combat suit training room and using a combat suit without authorization. This led to a suit explosion that nearly cost him his life, leaving a lasting impression.

Large-scale interstellar wars naturally required commanders. As the saying goes, ‘bystanders see the bigger picture.’ There must be someone who could oversee the battle from a broader perspective and controlled its overall direction. While the competitions for the Command Department leaned more toward strategic intelligence, they were equally exciting.

The competition ran from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Participants would be grouped and engage in simulated battles in virtual combat rooms, while live spectators could watch each match on massive high-definition screens. When a contestant won after giving their all and stepped off the combat platform, the audience’s cheers were their best reward.

After intense rounds of competition, half the participants would be eliminated. The remaining contestants would compete again the next day, with only ten finalists emerging to represent the school in the regional tournament.

After greeting Night Owl and the others, Ran Qi and Gu Le logged off promptly at 9:30 a.m. They took quick showers, changed into their school uniforms, and rushed to the entrance of the teaching building to gather.

The class president had scheduled a 9:45 a.m. meeting, and they arrived precisely on time—neither late nor a minute early.

The class president emotionlessly took roll call. Once everyone was accounted for, he led the large group toward the school’s training center.

As luck would have it, when they entered the training center, they ran into the Mecha Department’s team. At the very front of the group was Zhang Shuo, proudly walking with his chest puffed out as a contestant.

Ran Qi silently rolled his eyes and looked away, pretending not to see him.

However, even though Ran Qi tried to avoid him, Zhang Shuo didn’t let the opportunity slip. As the two groups passed each other, Zhang Shuo intentionally bumped into him.

Ran Qi’s physique was no match for Zhang Shuo’s. If not for Gu Le catching him in time, Ran Qi would have been sent flying!

“Zhang Shuo! That’s too much!” Gu Le shouted angrily at him.

Zhang Shuo feigned innocence, turning back with a puzzled look. “What? What did I do?”

“You bumped into him on purpose!”

“Huh? No, I didn’t.” Zhang Shuo paused, then acted as if he suddenly realized something. In a mocking tone, he said, “Oh, so I bumped into something just now? I didn’t even feel it. I thought it was just a little bug.”

“You…!”

“Lele,” Ran Qi said, rubbing his sore shoulder and pulling the furious Gu Le back. “Zhang Shuo, apologize.”

“Apologize? Why should I apologize to you?” Zhang Shuo laughed, as if he’d heard the funniest joke, and his group of followers burst into laughter alongside him.

Ran Qi stared coldly at him. “You’re not going to apologize?”

“Make me! Keep dreaming!” Zhang Shuo sneered.

“Oh.” Ran Qi didn’t bother wasting words on him and instead turned to the class president. “Class president, I believe Zhang Shuo deliberately bumped into me. Please call a teacher—I’d like to request access to the surveillance footage.”

“Now?” The class president asked in surprise. There were only five minutes left before the competition started. If an investigation were conducted, it would take considerable time. Furthermore, as one of the involved parties, Zhang Shuo would also need to stay, which would inevitably delay the competition.

“Yes, right now,” Ran Qi said coldly. “If it’s inconvenient for you, I’ll send a message to my father and have him contact the principal.”

Everyone’s patience had its limits. Normally, Ran Qi wouldn’t sweat the occasional petty squabbles. After all, they weren’t in the same department, and at most, it was just verbal spats, which he could ignore as mere barking. But this time, Zhang Shuo’s actions were truly over the line. Perhaps being praised as a star contestant for so long had gone to his head, and now he was getting too full of himself. If Ran Qi didn’t retaliate, he’d only be seen as an easy target, encouraging Zhang Shuo to escalate further.

“This… this…” The class president was starting to sweat. It was obvious that Ran Qi intended to escalate the situation. Not only would it delay the competition, but if Zhang Shuo was found to have deliberately collided with Ran Qi and caused injury, the school wouldn’t protect him. In fact, his qualification to compete might be revoked, and he could face additional disciplinary actions.

Previously, Ran Qi rarely made a fuss, so people assumed he was easy to bully. But now they remembered he had Ran Shaojun, one of the empire’s top ten wealthiest individuals, backing him. If this matter reached the principal, it would be even harder to handle!

“Zhang Shuo, I think this might just be a misunderstanding. Why don’t you apologize?” The class president hesitated but ultimately turned to Zhang Shuo.

“Ran Qi!” Zhang Shuo growled through gritted teeth, glaring at him.

“Hmm? Why are you calling me?” Ran Qi calmly looked back at him.

Zhang Shuo’s face alternated between shades of green and red, like a flickering neon light. He frantically replayed the moment he bumped into Ran Qi in his mind. Was it too obvious? Would the surveillance cameras have caught it?

As time ticked by, everyone around them focused their attention on the two. Meanwhile, the teacher in the training center, noticing the students hadn’t come in yet, started walking toward the entrance.

Under the mounting pressure, Zhang Shuo finally lowered his proud head. “I’m sorry!”

“What did you say? I didn’t hear you,” Ran Qi said.

Zhang Shuo glared at him, raising his fist several times, but in the end, he begrudgingly lowered his head again and muttered, “I said I’m sorry!”

“Sorry for what?”

“Ran Qi! Don’t be excessive!”

“Who’s really being excessive here?” Ran Qi raised an eyebrow. “Did I ask you to bump into me?”

Zhang Shuo was at a loss for words, biting his lip before spitting out, “I’m sorry… for accidentally bumping into you earlier!”

“Fine. Be more careful next time,” Ran Qi replied. Then he turned to the class president again. “Class president, my shoulder still hurts quite a bit. I’ll head to the infirmary, so I won’t watch the competition. Please let the teacher know for me.”

“Uh, okay…” What else could the class president say? He had no choice but to agree.