Chapter 18 An Unusual Little Road

Wu Xun was genuinely impressed and appreciative. Composed and steady, he had mastered his killing intent and fighting spirit. How could one achieve this without thirty or forty years of brilliant refinement?

Yet, he was seeing it in a child who was essentially his grandson's peer.

It was truly unbelievable.

"Senior, you flatter me too much. Wu Zang took good care of me at school." Li Hao wasn't being modest. Wu Zang's personality was like that; seemingly taciturn and cold, he was actually warm-hearted beneath the surface.

Wu Xun nodded. "I'm getting old. Just a little exercise and I need to rest for half a day. You kids go have fun."

Wu Zang finally breathed a sigh of relief, afraid his grandfather would pull some trick. It would be too dangerous to do this on his classmate's first visit. But as it turned out, Hao-ge was truly strong.

Leaving the dojo, all three of them gasped for air, especially Ayouyou. "That was amazing! I thought aura was just an illusion. Is that what you call 'shattering mountains and rivers'?"

Li Hao smiled and pointed to his head. "It's not that exaggerated. Gene adjustment doesn't just make the human body stronger, but also more adaptable to various environments. It also enhances the brain. Generally speaking, brain usage has increased, which can lead to a qualitative change in mental suppression for warriors."

Ayouyou stuck out her tongue. "I don't understand, but it sounds very impressive."

Wu Zang nodded. "The brain accounts for about 2% of human body weight, but consumes 25% of the body's energy. After gene adjustment, this power can be further enhanced. Martial arts training is about tapping into this power."

"But is this useful when operating a mech?" Ayouyou asked curiously.

Li Hao and Wu Zang exchanged a smile. "It's useful. The master leads the way, but the cultivation is up to the individual."

"Oh, I didn't know you were an exchange student from somewhere?" Li Hao teased.

"Yes, Ayouyou here. I was born on the moon, but my ancestors were also Earthlings. My bloodline is very pure. Earth is beautiful, unlike the barren moon or the artificial feel of it. From the moon, Earth looks more colorful, like looking at paradise."

Due to perspective, Earth appears as a huge basketball from the moon, beautiful and magnificent. Most native NUP citizens are actually full of envy for Earth, which makes them work harder to surpass those with more favorable conditions on Earth.

If it were just Li Hao and Wu Zang, they would probably be bored and playing games, but with Ayouyou around, Wu Zang still had to do his duty as a host, introducing the history of the Wu family, as well as his older brother, a true pride of USE and the current commander of a certain USE military region, also Wu Zang's idol.

After dinner, they had the driver take Li Hao and Ayouyou away. Wu Zang came to the dojo, where Wu Xun was still sitting.

"What do you think of today's sparring?" Wu Xun said faintly, opening his eyes.

"Li Hao is very strong, but Grandpa is even more amazing." Wu Zang looked at his grandfather, hoping he wouldn't torment his classmates anymore.

Wu Xun didn't speak, but looked at Wu Zang sternly, making Wu Zang feel a little inexplicable.

"You're right to focus on cultivation, but you're too rigid. I lost today," Wu Xun said calmly. "Your classmate is no ordinary person."

Wu Zang was a little surprised. It looked like a draw today, and with Wu Xun's experience and strength, he certainly hadn't used his full power.

Wu Xun pointed to the ground. The dojo floor was cracked. "This was shattered by me, but he didn't."

Wu Zang understood immediately. Both hadn't used their full power, but Li Hao was obviously more at ease.

"Grandpa, Li Hao was selected for the Solar System Apocalypse Youth Class."

Wu Xun nodded. "I know about that. He was wronged. This kid has killing intent, but no cruelty. He knows how to advance and retreat, and has a sense of justice. I can rest assured."

Wu Zang smiled upon hearing this. Wu Xun had obviously thought of other things when he learned about Li Hao's situation. After all, he had to meet his grandson's friend in person, not just for his strength, but for his humanity.

"That girl is not simple either," Wu Xun said suddenly.

Wu Zang was stunned.

"Unfazed by honor or disgrace, knowing when to advance and retreat, without losing her liveliness and innocence, very excellent." Wu Xun smiled slightly. In fact, he also saw that she was disguising herself, but as an old man, he couldn't meddle too much. "When will you bring one back?"

Wu Zang's face turned red immediately. "Grandpa, this... I haven't met the right one yet..."

"Haha, you kid, love is also a form of cultivation. If you want to achieve great success, you can't do without the seven emotions and six desires..."

Poor Wu Zang began to endure Wu Xun's nagging. Back in the day, when your grandpa was the most handsome guy in Tianjing, his popularity was comparable to... Wu Zang's face was twisted into a ball, feeling even more painful than fighting for three days and three nights...

Zhuang Zhou wasn't idle, especially after he received an incredible little piece of news.

Someone in Tianjing had once been a member of the Solar System Apocalypse Youth Class.

The news had been circulating for a few days, but it quickly subsided. Apparently, it was just another case of a promising talent who faded away. This wasn't anything new. If he really had the ability, would he still be unknown? He heard that he had also caused some trouble, which confirmed it, so no one paid much attention.

In fact, not to mention ordinary students, even Zhou Naiyi and others didn't pay much attention. Ye Tong knew a little, but she hadn't witnessed it firsthand. Besides, that was five years ago, and time could change many things. However, Zhou Naiyi and Ye Tong still believed that Li Hao had a very good foundation in combat and would definitely achieve something in mecha, as long as he was given some time.

Outsiders wouldn't take it seriously.

But when this news reached Zhuang Zhou's ears, it was a different story. No matter what the situation, he would investigate first.

Zhuang Zhou was a member of the dark web. The dark web was an organization similar to the hackers of the past, existing within the four major federations, with various forces intertwined, including dark, gray, and religious factions. But the information was still very well-informed.

It was normal that there was no news about this on the Skylink, since it was an official channel. Zhuang Zhou didn't find anything, which was very problematic. If Li Hao had been officially selected, even if he was eliminated, there should be a reason. There shouldn't be nothing, which meant it was being blocked.

Things were getting interesting. The dark web only said that there had been a major accident that year, involving big shots from all three parties. It was said that an agreement had been reached and the main culprit had been punished...

So, the question was, someone who caused trouble, someone who was eliminated, perhaps there were others. Coincidentally, Li Hao met these conditions.

In an instant, Zhuang Zhou's heart was burning. It seemed that they were not very connected, but put them together, and this matter became interesting. Of course, there were also problems. Li Hao's grades were very poor. He originally applied to the journalism department, but was later transferred to the mecha department. He was an unremarkable person throughout the entire academic year. His EMP score was also average. It was said that he was often absent from school...

Zhuang Zhou looked at the information at hand, constantly circling and drawing. In any case, he would find a time to investigate first. If not, he would change his approach. Anyway, he felt that he and the Marionette God were destined, it was his sixth sense!

On the other side, Li Hao sent Ayouyou back to her dormitory. It was another pleasant day. Ayouyou had schoolwork to do, and Li Hao felt that he should work harder too.

When Li Hao went to the EMP hall, Ayouyou was explaining to her aunt that she hadn't been running around, but was in the school dormitory. Since she was an exchange student, she couldn't always stay in a hotel, and the security at Tianjing Mecha Academy was very good. Tianjing was originally the safest city. Su Yu was in North America, far away from the emperor, and seeing that Ayouyou was doing well in all aspects via video, she had no choice but to agree, repeatedly urging her not to expose her identity.

Ayouyou also agreed with this. She wasn't stupid. Once she exposed her identity, her exchange student life would be over. She could never enjoy such a free life on the moon.

Opening the Skylink drawing board, Ayouyou began to create. Ever since she came into contact with Mecha Academy, she had always wanted to write a song and create a music video. This wasn't a new idea, she had it a long time ago. Just Mecha Academy competitions weren't enough, she wanted to combine the four major federations, and it would be best if she could go to Kepler to see it, which was also a place she longed for.

Ayouyou was drawing stick figures, recalling the battle between the two, sometimes creating, sometimes propping up her chin, wondering what she was thinking, and then she laughed.

In the EMP hall, Li Hao won five consecutive victories in a row. There were no particularly strong opponents in this wave, and Li Hao also reached 1200 points. In fact, during this time, the players who had been delayed by the Mecha Academy competition had gradually returned to their positions.

The EMP system had hidden points. For example, those who had reached over 2000 points, even if they had dropped below 1000 points due to not being able to compete for a long time, would quickly return to their positions with a wave of consecutive victories. Li Hao, who had ordinary scores in his first year, had to steadily earn points. Defeating ordinary opponents was not enough to increase points, and he needed to prove himself further.

Li Hao was very clear about this mechanism. He had nothing to do today, so Li Hao planned to be diligent.

At this time, Zhuang Zhou, of course, couldn't be absent. His live broadcast room also had a million viewers and was known as the luckiest new anchor.

First of all, he chose the right time, being the first to pay attention to Marionette. And the EMP official signed a contract with Marionette and gave Zhuang Zhou the right to live broadcast and promoted him, allowing Zhuang Zhou to take off directly. Of course, Zhuang Zhou also needed to sign a contract with EMP. There was a very delicate commercial mechanism in this. As long as Zhuang Zhou broadcast Marionette's games, part of the revenue from the live broadcast would go to Marionette. Of course, Zhuang Zhou's live broadcast room also added a "v".

Ayouyou's dormitory was a single room. Ayouyou originally wanted to find a classmate to share with, but Long Danni denied it. Compared to making Ayouyou comfortable, Long Danni was more afraid of trouble.

Long Danni obviously didn't like any idols. Perhaps the song was good, but it wasn't enough to interest her. For someone like her who had been on the battlefield, it was just decadent music. The reason why she allowed Arthas to come was out of consideration for favor and other aspects. Whether in the army or as the principal, she had to balance relationships in order to win greater benefits for the school. Of course, she didn't want to make this public. Tianjing Mecha Academy didn't need to rely on this to become famous.

Ayouyou removed her makeup and took a shower in one go. The Skylink was in front of her, shaking her little feet. She had been staring at it for a while. It was strange, really strange. The first time she saw Li Hao that day, she felt that she was sick, because her body inexplicably produced a sense of closeness. That feeling was like she had known him a long time ago, but hadn't seen him for a long time, with joy and trepidation.

Ayouyou usually didn't get too close to people, whether it was from her family, her childhood experience, or her current profession, keeping distance was a basic requirement, but when Li Hao approached, her heart was filled with joy, which was too strange.

"...If I'm so clingy, will Senior think I'm a weirdo?" Ayouyou covered her face.