Chapter 1 Big News!

"Meimei, open the door, big news!"

Mingmei, hearing Lu Xiaoyao's shouts accompanied by knocking, silently exited the holographic classroom.

She thought Lu Xiaoyao was calling her for lunch. As soon as she opened the door, she heard an unexpected piece of big news.

"This year! Our class was chosen for the Eight Schools Exchange!"

"Eight Schools... Exchange?" Mingmei was a little unfamiliar with the term, but Guigui had already helpfully explained it in the background.

The so-called Eight Schools Exchange is when the four military academies of the Federation and the Empire each select some students every year to come together for exchange and study.

But rather than "exchange and study" on the surface, it's more like a competition.

In the end, there's a ranking, whether individual or team.

It concerns the honor of each school!

"I remember we're freshmen, right?" Mingmei considered herself a newbie who had only been in school for a month. What virtue or ability did she have?

Also, why did the Empire Central School rely on drawing lots for student qualifications for this kind of exchange study?

Wow, a random draw of an entire class?

Weren't they afraid of drawing some weird class (like theirs) and tarnishing their school's reputation?

Mingmei couldn't figure it out.

"Oh, the Eight Schools Exchange is at the end of this semester, it doesn't take up our usual study time!"

"In other words, it takes up our vacation time, right?"

As soon as Mingmei said this, the excited expression on Lu Xiaoyao's face, who hadn't realized the seriousness of the matter, froze slightly.

Lu Xiaoyao: Oh yeah! Doesn't that take up their vacation time?

"Also..." Hearing that Mingmei had more to say, Lu Xiaoyao felt a tightness in her heart, "It is said that there are competitive matches. Will we strengthen the learning of certain courses because of this?"

Sure enough, hearing Mingmei's words, Lu Xiaoyao's eyes shook, and she clapped her hands and shouted, "Ah! I heard them say that the classes that participated in this in the past seemed to have more combat and physical training on their timetables, because the most popular thing in the exchange is simulated mecha or direct physical combat!"

Speaking of this, Lu Xiaoyao shook her small fists and said dejectedly, "But... but I can't beat people~"

Regarding this, Mingmei, recalling Da Yao's skills, couldn't help but curl her lips, silently thinking that that might not be the case. She could look forward to Lu Xiaoyao's counterattack at that time.

What if the other party accidentally beat Lu Xiaoyao until she bled...

Mingmei felt very funny just thinking about that scene.

"Also, look at you, with this height, the two of us will definitely be popular candidates invited to fight. You look so easy to beat."

This time, Mingmei was stabbed again because of her height.

Mingmei raised her eyes and looked at Lu Xiaoyao, who was standing at the door and still babbling, and silently closed the door.

"Goodbye."

Although her height might not be comparable to the people here, when it came to hitting people, her skills wouldn't lose, it was just a pity that she had too few chances to take action.

Alas, invincibility is so, so lonely~

"Hey, hey, hey! Wait a minute, wait a minute!"

Seeing Mingmei about to close the door, Lu Xiaoyao quickly grabbed the door and squeezed half of her body in, knowing that Mingmei might be in a bad mood, she smiled foolishly and immediately changed the subject, "It's noon, do you want to go to the cafeteria for lunch? I heard that the cafeteria has a new dish today, mushroom stuffed with shrimp paste, and sardines in tomato sauce."

Speaking of lunch, Mingmei's face did look a lot better, but—"Sardines in tomato sauce, I remember that's a prop in the new game dungeon?"

The school cafeteria was following the trend too quickly, wasn't it?

Mingmei's question made Lu Xiaoyao啧啧 in amazement.

"What's wrong?" Mingmei felt a little uncomfortable being looked at and啧啧 at by Lu Xiaoyao in surprise.

"I thought I was already closed off enough by just playing games and streaming, how are you even more like that? I at least browse the StarNet and read gossip, and there are also a lot of gossip posts on our school's intranet, but you're doing well."

"Am I that kind of gossipy person?"

Mingmei said so on the surface, but Mingmei had already turned several corners in her heart. Could it be that the gossip circulating on their military academy's intranet was more delicious than the celebrity gossip on StarNet?

"Let me tell you, this new game has become popular in the school recently, especially the bento props and the like. They were not easy to刷 (shua - grind/farm) out in the first place, and those who did shua them out missed them for various reasons, so... oh my~~ how tragic!

Therefore, they strongly demanded that the school launch these same dishes as the bento boxes to enhance their psychological suggestion. Not everyone is as smart as me, who knows to buy bento boxes right away!"

Lu Xiaoyao said with a smug smile, and finally did not forget to completely praise herself, without paying any attention to the speechless look in Mingmei's eyes.

Who was it that had the ability to resist evil spirit possession attacks with their character itself, and ordered three servings of Mapo Tofu bento without needing them at all?

"Yes, you are indeed very wise."

After saying this against her conscience, Mingmei changed the subject and came to the restaurant with Lu Xiaoyao for lunch. As they ate, Lu Xiaoyao had another question.

"Speaking of... Meimei, what's your mental strength level? How come we haven't been matched in the same game? I always feel like something's wrong. There aren't many Super-S levels to begin with, and we basically eat together when we're not in class, and go back to the game, so how come I can't meet you? I still want to take you to the skies~"

Listening to Lu Xiaoyao saying these shameless words without blushing, Mingmei was speechless.

Enter the game with Lu Xiaoyao?

Take her to the skies?

Mingmei felt that if Lu Xiaoyao could be normal even once, that would be enough.

"Maybe this is just緣分 (yuanfen - predestined fate) not aligning..." Mingmei politely put a mouthful of rice in her mouth and chewed slowly, not wanting to talk about this topic anymore.

"But, I always meet that merchant lady who uses your face to model, but I don't think she's as pretty as you. But every time I see her, oh, I feel so safe~"

Heh, you most likely don't buy bento boxes when you feel safe?

"By the way, don't say things like comparing who is not prettier anymore. NPCs have autonomous consciousness these days. If you say that people are not as pretty as me, they will be speechless in their hearts and might make things difficult for you."

In order to not hear Lu Xiaoyao say "I've seen you, eh, you're not as pretty as her" to her in the game in the future, she decided to remind her.

"Oh, I see~"

After saying that, Lu Xiaoyao didn't know what she was thinking of, and Mingmei couldn't understand her appearance.

"Say what?"

"I know why I can't buy bento boxes in the first round sometimes."

"How so?"

"It must be because she heard me say that she is not as good-looking as you, so she got angry, so every time her hints to me are not very obvious."

Mingmei: ???

Isn't that obvious enough?

Very good, Mingmei decided that the next time she met Lu Xiaoyao, she would do as she wished.