C7 Let's Compete and See

Zhuge Yao and Lei Xun, holding their number plates, had been waiting in the reception room for quite some time without any sign of their class monitor. While monitors from other classes had arrived early, theirs was conspicuously absent. Feeling helpless and after a further fruitless wait, they decided to ask for directions and find their way on their own.

The military base was vast, with a seemingly endless array of buildings. The recruitment drive by the Dawn Empire was in full swing, suggesting they were bracing for something significant. The bustling crowd along the way included many beautiful women, much to Lei Xun's delight.

"Young Master Yao, it looks like this trip wasn't a waste after all," Lei Xun remarked, winking at the passing beauties as he chatted with Zhuge Yao.

"Get a grip," Zhuge Yao chided. "We're here to serve and protect our nation, not to bring civilian antics into the barracks. Look, we've arrived. That's our dorm for Class Ten of Battalion Three, Company Three. Let's check it out." He continued to search for their room as he spoke.

The amenities here were quite unique. Zhuge Yao noticed that, unlike other places, this area had everything. Typically, a class would have just one Mecha, but here there were dozens parked, along with a warehouse stocked full of various parts. The people coming and going from this area were hard to read.

Upon their arrival, nobody acknowledged them; everyone was busy with their tasks. Zhuge Yao, not one for formalities, entered the dormitory and chose a bed by the window. The standard issue items were laid out on each bed: two sets of camouflage short sleeves, two sets of camouflage training uniforms, a set of military green dress uniforms, and an assortment of toiletries. It was clear these were provided by the military, though some items had been shuffled around, likely by those who had arrived earlier.

"Kid, move it. I'm taking this bed," a brash voice demanded from the doorway as a burly young man approached Zhuge Yao.

Zhuge Yao appraised the newcomer with a keen eye. The man had an unremarkable appearance but boasted a solid build that hinted at a formidable character not to be underestimated. Yet, Zhuge Yao was no pushover himself. If the man couldn't justify his presence, he wouldn't be able to fault Zhuge Yao for taking a hard line.

Before the man could approach Zhuge Yao, Lei Xun had already intercepted him with surprising speed. The man hadn't expected such agility from Lei Xun, and they nearly collided.

"Do you have any idea who I am? I am Xia Yan, the Young Master of the Xia family. Without even using a Mecha, my Combat Strength Value is 120. Watch it, or I might just break your legs," Xia Yan threatened, fixing Lei Xun with a fierce glare and balling his fists.

"Let him through. I'd like to have a little chat about life with him," Zhuge Yao said nonchalantly. With time to spare, he was curious to see if the young man had any real skill. Considering his age, including his past life, he was nearly a century old. It was amusing that someone would dare to address him with such familiarity.

Hearing Zhuge Yao's response, Xia Yan felt a flicker of respect. He challenged Zhuge Yao, "Being in this class is proof of your exceptional maintenance skills. Let's have a contest to see who's better. But let's be clear: the winner takes the bed by the window."

"That bed is already Young Master Yao's. Why should it be up for grabs? Are you here to joke around?" Lei Xun interjected before Zhuge Yao could respond. He understood Zhuge Yao's temperament and anticipated a lesson was in store for the young man, but it shouldn't come for free.

"No worries, Lei Xun. I accept your challenge, Xia Yan. But let's get one thing straight: no sore losers," Zhuge Yao replied confidently, ready to take on whatever challenge was thrown his way, certain of his victory.

Seeing how quickly the other party agreed, Xia Yan was taken aback. Was the other person fearlessly ignorant or just foolish? After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Fine, I won't take advantage of you. If I lose, I'll be your junior in the Recruit Company for a while, and I'll even throw in a piece of reinforced black gold steel."

Zhuge Yao just smiled in response. He followed Xia Yan out of the dormitory to the field, where a large assortment of Mecha parts lay scattered, including Machine Arms and various maintenance tools. Xia Yan didn't need to explain; Zhuge Yao had already guessed what they were going to compete in.

Upon their arrival, Xia Yan summoned another person named Gongsun Yan to act as the referee. With little preamble, he gestured to the heap of Mecha parts before them and declared, "The competition rules are straightforward. We'll both start at the same time and use these parts to build a Mecha. Whoever assembles it faster and creates a more advanced Mecha wins."

"Fine by me," Zhuge Yao nodded in agreement.

"Let the competition begin!" announced Gongsun Yan, donning the recorder and shouting out.

The sight of a competition drew everyone from the dorms, and even some bystanders gathered around. Entertainment was scarce in the barracks, and the soldiers were eager to witness the rare spectacle.

As the contest commenced, Xia Yan immediately fired up two Machine Arms and began assembling the Mecha's main body. Most people struggled to operate one Machine Arm effectively, but Xia Yan managed two simultaneously with remarkable fluidity. In no time at all, he had the skeleton of a Mecha standing.

"Wow! Mechanical maintenance can be this cool? Who is that guy? He's incredible," one of the onlookers, a soldier, marveled.

"Wow! Isn't that Xia Yan? How come he's in this class, and someone actually dares to challenge him in Mecha repair?" another soldier wondered aloud.

Meanwhile, Zhuge Yao was methodically picking his way through the mountain of parts, not rushing in the slightest. He hadn't even begun to assemble a Mecha frame. He was just transporting parts around, showing no sign of starting the assembly, which made Lei Xun, watching from the side, grow increasingly anxious.

Spectators may enjoy the spectacle, but experts scrutinize the technique, and Gongsun Yan was indeed an expert. From the outset of the competition, his focus was on Zhuge Yao. It's often said that an expert's first move reveals their true skill. Gongsun Yan was already well aware of Xia Yan's capabilities and found it unnecessary to observe him further. Zhuge Yao, on the other hand, was a different story. His insights were incisive, and his approach to Mecha repair was quite unique.

Gongsun Yan was certain that this mysterious newcomer had realized from the start that many key components were one-of-a-kind. This meant that if Zhuge Yao secured these parts first, Xia Yan's speed in assembly would be irrelevant; victory would be unattainable for him.

"The competition is over. The blue team is victorious." As Zhuge Yao positioned all the necessary parts beneath the Machine Arm, Gongsun Yan had no choice but to declare Zhuge Yao the winner.

"Huh?" The crowd was bewildered. What exactly was happening? Xia Yan had seemingly assembled more than half of the Mecha, while the other had barely begun.

"Why? I don't accept this." Xia Yan was clearly not convinced. He felt he had been quicker; how could he have suddenly lost?

Zhuge Yao responded with a smile before Gongsun Yan could even speak, "You obviously didn't realize that I have all the key parts for assembling the Mecha. It's impossible for you to finish the assembly. Moreover, I can tell you that even if you were capable of forging parts, time-wise, you couldn't beat an ordinary mechanic, let alone someone like me. And to be frank, I'm confident that you lack the skill to properly polish the parts."