Lan Grace froze for a beat, then promptly slipped the two mid‑grade nutrient vials back into her pocket.
Looking up, she found several pairs of eyes still on her. Even after the cold beauty had left, none made a move against her.
As if! If Zhao Qingyan had chosen to let her go, who would dare lay a hand on her?
There were many candidates in this entrance exam, but aside from natives of Waste Stars, plenty knew Zhao Qingyan's name.
She was absolutely not someone to offend.
They were all here to sit the Alliance Second Military Academy's entrance exam; passing smoothly was the goal. Only a fool would step up to a big shot and court death!
Even after Lan Grace safely cleared the melee's edge, she still felt a little foggy about it all.
Was her luck really that good? After shaking off the burly hulk and the cold beauty, not a single person came to snatch her nutrient solution.
Perhaps because she no longer held that hate‑drawing metal box?
Probably…
Alliance Star, the Alliance Second Military Academy exam monitoring room.
Mentor Jin Ling—stunningly beautiful—sat at ease on a white sofa.
Her bright eyes skimmed over the hundreds of holographic feeds before her. Her mind split a hundred ways; every frame on every feed was registered clearly.
"Eh?" On one screen, the Waste Star girl who had been on the verge of being "dealt with" by Zhao Qingyan had actually defused the crisis with a box of pastries. That truly surprised Jin Ling.
Jin Ling's elder sister, Jin Yan, was on good terms with Zhao Qingyan's mother, so Jin Ling knew plenty about Zhao Qingyan by extension.
In comprehensive combat ability—body and skill—Zhao Qingyan could rank in the top ten among this year's intake without question!
Her physique had already reached S‑grade at fifteen. Her mental power, though a shade behind, had still reached A+.
Though only seventeen, Zhao Qingyan's combat experience exceeded everyone sitting the exam!
At thirteen, she had gone to war with one of the Alliance's battle regiments.
At that time she had only been an insignificant, unremarkable small soldier on the field, but over three years she both advanced her own strength and contributed to the regiment.
That Zhao Qingyan would sit this year's entrance exam was both an accident and a delight for the Academy!
With her ability, never mind the Second Military Academy—even the First would be child's play if she wished.
In physique, combat, even looks and bearing—Zhao Qingyan was near‑perfect on all fronts.
Especially her temperament—model standards for a future outstanding warrior.
Yet even the unbreakable have a hidden weakness. Hers was a sweet tooth.
On Alliance Star, there was hardly a dessert shop she didn't know. Any dessert under the suns, she had tried. Even limited editions—she would find a way to get them.
Her standards for sweets were so high they nearly reached the level of a master gourmand.
To move her now—what kind of pastry must that be?
Jin Ling pondered. Judging by her clothes, the girl who had offered Zhao Qingyan the pastry was from a Waste Star.
How harsh were Waste Stars? She had not gone herself, but the tales were legion; she had heard plenty.
In those conditions, survival alone was no mean feat.
Yet here she was carrying pastries so delicious that even Zhao Qingyan couldn't resist!
That made Jin Ling fix attention on the Waste Star girl.
Besides Jin Ling, the other two mentors—Cheng Gong and He Bi—had also seen the scene.
Cheng Gong was only mildly surprised and thought no further.
He Bi, however, stared at the few ornate biscuits nestled in the tin; his eyes gleamed.
"To make food this beautiful—the pastry maker's clever craft compels respect. If this skill were applied elsewhere…"
He thought for a moment, then continued, "If that box of biscuits was made by the Waste Star girl, once she passes the entrance exam, why not have her try our Mecha Design Department?"
At that, Cheng Gong finally took this little interlude seriously.
He glanced sidelong at He Bi, rather surprised. "You think that girl from a Waste Star can pass our Academy's entrance exam?"
Cheng Gong gave a snort.
"There are over ten thousand candidates this year. You think she'll emerge from ten thousand to become one of the handful of successful ones?"
He did not agree with He Bi's take.
He Bi split a grin; his big, rough beard quivered as he laughed. "One must have a little expectation, no?"
He slanted him a look, unconcerned. "You arrange everything by the book so that nothing escapes your plan—life is far too dull like that."
"I'm genuinely optimistic about that Waste Star girl." He Bi made no attempt to hide it.
"Didn't you notice? When Zhao Qingyan was chasing her, her speed wasn't much worse. Her powers of observation and big‑picture sense were excellent. Using the crowd's positions as cover, not only did she cleverly slip past obstacles each time, she even consciously created many obstacles for the pursuer behind her."
The more He Bi spoke, the more his tone revealed his appreciation for the Waste Star girl.
"If Zhao Qingyan hadn't taken an unconventional route to cut her off from the air, she wouldn't have caught that Waste Star girl in a hurry!"
"Yet once caught, the other party didn't resign herself, but adapted and did her utmost to fight for a chance."
He Bi's words set Jin Ling thinking.
Cheng Gong, however, remained unconvinced from start to finish. "She's simply unsteady in stance—caught and surrenders at once."
He had barely said it when He Bi shot him a look of pure disdain.
"A brain is a fine thing. This Waste Star girl's got more of it than most in the melee. Aside from those absolutely confident in their own strength, the rest who jumped in were a bunch of fools!"
That was broad to the point of a map‑cannon. By that logic, over seventy per cent of this intake were idiots.
"By your measure, the Waste Star girl you favour is a fool too." Though He Bi had just looked down on him, Cheng Gong agreed with that last sentence and followed the thread.