Chapter 79: Assassination

After the Second and Fourth Military Academy were disqualified, the game was also almost at its end. The First Military Academy was the fastest to collect ten energy blocks, and surprisingly, Seven Lights was two hours ahead of the Third Military Academy to collect the energy blocks they needed and obtained second place, for the first time ever in Seven Lights’ history. The higher ups of Seven Lights were probably smiling so much that their mouth got stuck. Only god knows how many people would sharpen their heads* and try to squeeze their way into Seven Lights.

*A metaphor describing that since a round head can’t squeeze into narrow gap, you sharpen it into a pencil shape so that it’ll fit.

At the space station, the military officers were seated inside the observation room. It was rather quiet in the observation room right now unlike the time at the camp. Every military officer except Gerrard were silent and appeared to be in deep thought.

Gerrard was very happy. The kids certainly had not disappoint him! He had to thank Huo Neil for being too busy later, or this cushy task would not have fallen onto his shoulders instead. Although he had to admit that he was slightly reluctant when he took over the task, now looking at the current results, it was a cushy task.

“Gerrard, just what kind of pedigree does he have?” The team leader of the First Military Academy pointed his chin at Cillin on the screen and asked.

“He’s from the Douance Family. Exactly how did he grow up to be like this, I have no idea.” Gerrard expressed his own ignorance in the matter.

“That modified missile wasn’t something any average engineer could do, plus Elder Mo probably didn’t teach him to make that, did he?”

Although it was theoretically possible to use the materials that was provided to create such a thing, in reality none of the military officers had seen a student in the integrated warfare contest who was actually capable of doing it.

Regarding that modified missile. The first time Seven Lights had used all five missiles to paint San Border red. The materials inside the aircraft were just sufficient to make five in total. After slaughtering San Border, Cillin had removed more applicable materials from San Border’s aircraft to make the three modified missiles that were used to attack the Fourth Military Academy’s stronghold during the latter half of the contest.

“This I have no idea. Do you want to ask Sir Mo yourself?” Gerrard made a helpless shrug.

The First Military Academy’s team leader shook his head like he was having a stroke, “Like hell I’m gonna do that!”

“Actually, we have the full right to absorb such a great talent into the army while it isn’t too late. It is too wasteful to let him develop anywhere else.” Another military officer sighed.

Gerrard cast him a disdainful glance at the corner of his eyes, “You think we haven’t tried that before? This kid performed outstandingly during the previous Seven Lights mission, and he even caught the eye of a lieutenant general who was sent over by the upper chain of command. Later on, said lieutenant general went to see Sir Mo to recruit Cillin, and he was cursed on the spot by Sir Mo so badly that he dared not utter even a mouse squeak. Even Huo Neil and I were dragged into the mess. For the next few days, we could not lift our heads up high, and we ran like hell every time we see Sir Mo’s car.”

Everyone else in the room shut up. They all knew more or less about Mo Heng’s personality, and they could imagine the scene in their heads themselves. If even a lieutenant general was cursed at this badly, then there was no need for colonels like them to even bother trying.

Following the end of the integrated warfare contest, the students were to return to their starships parked at the space station. This time the military officers had accompanied them as well. To commend the group, Gerrard deliberately used his connections and acquired some alcohol from the garrison of asteroid C-N300. The path between C-N300 and C-N976 could be considered a military route and was thus relatively safe, so it was enough to have the robots that piloted the starship to do their jobs.

The drinking party was a little wild, and even Fu Luo, someone who didn’t normally drink much, drank a little bit herself. Adding that to a period of high tension, once the drinking party was done everyone collapsed in their rooms and slept all the way until the landing.

After the landing on asteroid C-N976’s base and a post mortem general meeting, the ten teams returned to their respective institutes.

“Cillin, Seven Lights is going to hold a feast for us!”

Hard said excitedly while grabbing his microcomputer.

The Sector Championship forum was currently in a state of extreme excitement. This was especially true for people from Seven Lights, who lifted their heads tall no matter where they went. Back in the past, whenever they met anyone from a military academy on the Sector Championship platform, they would unconsciously think that they were three inches shorter than the other party. But things were different now. They were now the number two university in the Sector Championship, and no longer the eternal number five!

The students themselves had organized a welcoming feast without needing the school authorities to say anything. Moreover, Seven Lights’ higher-ups had upgraded the Seven Lights card of all ten students to Cyan rank right away. There were also relevant events to be held at Sleepless City and the financial trading zone, and various invitations extended to the ten participants become a spokesperson as well. In short, they had soared into popularity, and they would have a shiny golden runner up badge on their graduation certificates, which was incomparable by those who participated in the integrated warfare contest last year.

“Hehe, here’s also some photos of us wearing our team’s uniform! I’m going to distribute our photos on asteroid C-N300 later – it’s so going to charm a whole bunch of girls! Oh, and let’s not forget to sell these signed specimens at the high-end auctions as well!” Lung’s eyes were lit like Christmas trees.

Lung had collected some plants and rocks from asteroid C-N300 and processed them into specimens. Moreover, he made everyone sign them so they could be sold at auctions later. Once he got back and had the rocks processed, they should look pretty attractive to customers.

“Yeah, we’ll rake in a big one once we get back to Seven Lights, and when that happens I’ll open a small shop at the financial district. You guys must simply come to support it, especially you, Cillin. You will dress up as Shadow X and play the mascot at the entrance of the shop!”

Seeing Lung’s excited look, Cillin smiled and said, “Sure.”

Not far away, Ci Jincheng frowned slightly. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Cillin’s smile was a little off from usual. Moreover, Cillin gave him a slightly strange vibe during this integrated warfare contest; he was more proactive than Ci Jincheng thought he would be.

Ci Jincheng was a person who was well-versed in analytics. Those who were good at mathematics were also better in the logic and analysis department, and from certain clues, Ci Jincheng was capable of deducing things that most people would fail to notice. The people around Cillin might not have noticed his smile or feel odd even if they did, but Ci Jincheng could not shake the feeling that something was going to happen next.

Hard, Copley and the others were really looking forward to what would happen when they returned to Planet Seven Lights. Through the Sector Championship’s platform’s internet, they already knew what kind of scene was awaiting them at the airport of Planet Seven Lights right now.

All kinds of slogans and billboards with their images on it, all kinds of fresh flowers and beautiful babes…

The forum was already filled with the happenings at the airport, and the only thing that was missing now was the heroes’ arrival. They had to admit that the feeling of anticipation was pretty exhilarating.

Copley wasn’t paid much attention in the past, and because he didn’t participate in the biohazard mission earlier, his influence in Seven Lights wasn’t high either. But after this mission, everything about Copley was dug out and thrown to the surface: His origin, his personal info, the courses he took, the other honors he’d gotten and so on were now all known by the public.

In comparison, Knight was a lot more calmer than him. Calm wasn’t the right word to put it either, in fact he should say that he wasn’t feeling much of anything at all. The integrated warfare contest was just a game; a game without life and death and war. The moment he saw those people boasting about how they were better than the military academies, Knight couldn’t help but want to laugh. Better? Like hell that’s true!

In a true battlefield of life and death, it was an uncertainty if Sird, Copley, Hard, Pride and the others would have survived. That was why Knight paid no heed to this game at all.

The aircraft landed at the airport beneath the passionate and expectant gazes of the Seven Lights’ students. This time, they did not land in the training division’s airport, but the Seven light’s main airport, because there were too many students who requested to participate and welcome the party. In order to make a grander welcoming scene, Seven Lights’ school authorities decided that they would allow the aircraft to descend at the main airport. At the same time, it was a good opportunity for them to promote this kind of atmosphere and attract even more people to Seven Lights University.

The escalator descended, and after the team leader Gerrard and accompanying personnel came down, the participants of the integrated warfare contest began to come out in succession. Their blue uniforms and rainbow patterned school badges were especially dazzling amidst the lively voices of the crowd.

All kinds of close-ups and photographs from all angles began spreading on Seven Lights’ network at the same time. Live broadcasts were available at the entertainment zone’s Sleepless City, the financial trading zone, the training division, the research division, the school zone, the accommodation zone and many other places.

Cillin wore a perfect smile on his face. Knight kept a straight face and even looked impatient at the scene. Pride lifted his chin high as usual with fully exposed arrogance. Ci Jincheng was very calm, and Lung was smiling very brightly and throwing out kisses from time to time. Kang Man looked a little nervous; Hard smiled so much that the corner of his mouth was a little stiff…

However, it was at this moment.

Puchi——

The bullet penetrated his body, carrying with it a trail of blood. The filming cameras transmitted every reality of it to every corner of Seven Lights.

It was all so sudden.