"That's all for today's training. Let me remind you again, assemble at the school promptly at 7:00 AM on the 29th, and everyone must wear their school uniforms! Take advantage of these next few days to get a haircut if you need one, or lie in a medical pod if you must! Those with severe skin peeling should take care of it and get your bodies back to peak condition! What comes next will be broadcast live nationwide! Your image represents the image of Qilin!..."
Fu Manli waited until Chao Hao finished speaking before adding,
"Mr. Chao and I will be leading your team this time and escorting you to the competition. Remember to check the weather forecast for Planet Tianshu in advance. Unlike Planet Shuomo, which is hot all year round, it will be winter when we get there, so you need to prepare warm clothes and shoes ahead of time. You can also pack some daily necessities, but you don't need too much. Finish your mecha calibrations and other preparations early..."
"Understood!"
Every single one of the sixteen kids was full of drive!
They had trained so hard for so long, and it was finally time to test their results!
The two teachers looked at the students before them with great satisfaction!
They had grown so much since they were first selected for the special training, and each of them now carried the demeanor of a soldier!
"Alright, dismissed!"
"Let's go, let's go, hurry back to the medical pods! My body is killing me!"
"I'm going back to take a shower first..."
Half an hour later, Zhang Lyra sat on the star skiff, making a video call to her family.
"...You don't need to prepare anything, they're bringing their own rations and bedding... Yes, just clean up Shirley's room, the three of us can squeeze in together when the time comes."
Wang Tianwei had been scrolling through forums on the side, but upon hearing her speak, she immediately poked her head over.
"Auntie, there's no need to clean! We can do it ourselves when we get there!"
Zhang Lyra's mother, Christine, smiled amiably on the video feed.
"Hahaha, Tianwei, don't worry, Auntie will definitely have everything ready for you! Thank you so much for going out of your way to bring Lyra back. I've stewed some beef ribs for you all!"
"Ribs!? Hehe, thank you, Auntie! We might arrive a bit late, maybe ten o'clock? ... Sir Huang?"
"Yeah, ten o'clock sounds about right."
"That's fine, no rush, Auntie will be waiting for you!"
"Thank you, Auntie!"
Seeing that Wang Tianwei was finished, Zhang Lyra turned back and continued,
"Mom, I forgot to mention, for the late-night snack... make a bit extra, these guys eat like gluttons."
Christine took it in stride,
"At your age, Mom understands! Don't worry, I absolutely won't let them go hungry!"
Hanging up the call, Zhang Lyra unconsciously glanced around. It was her first time riding in a private star skiff like this...
She had just wanted to go back and spend some time with her family before the competition, but she hadn't expected the other three members of her squad to say they wanted to tag along!?
Well, once the three of them made up their minds, Sir Huang directly told her not to buy a starship ticket! They would all take his star skiff together; it was convenient and fast for the round trip.
"Planet Kalun is very cold," Zhang Lyra reminded them once again.
"If you're planning to go out and play... the temperature might not feel very comfortable right now!"
Wang Tianwei proudly pulled out a thermostatic suit.
"Don't worry, we came prepared! Actually, the three of us could just stay in a hotel... wouldn't it be too noisy or inconvenient if we all stayed at your house?"
Zhang Lyra then looked out the window of the star skiff,
"You'll see when we get there..."
Huang Yan drove for a while before switching the star skiff to autopilot mode.
The vehicle his dad gave him was naturally registered with the Federation. Planet Kalun wasn't small, and Taihe Corporation had its own docking port there.
The star skiff was just sitting there anyway, and they didn't have much to do staying on Planet Shuomo for the next few days. After more than three months of high-intensity training, it was time to get out and relax!
"Sir Huang, do you want to rest for a bit? I can keep an eye on things, there shouldn't be any major issues."
Jian Jingyu had just taken a nap, so he was feeling pretty refreshed now.
Huang Yan shook his head,
"No need, it's on autopilot now, and I'm not sleepy."
By the time they arrived at the Taihe exclusive port on Planet Kalun, the four of them had already changed into their thermostatic suits and thermal boots.
As soon as they stepped out of the star skiff, they were all stunned by the scenery outside!
Heavy snow fell from the sky like goose feathers, and the ground was a sea of silvery white!
A thick layer of snow had accumulated near the docking port.
"Wow! Such heavy snow!!"
Jian Jingyu excitedly dove into the snow nearby, waving his arms and legs back and forth.
"Hahahahaha! I visited Planet Kalun a few years ago, but I missed the snow that time! This is so beautiful! It's never like this on Planet Shuomo!"
Wang Tianwei had naturally seen snow before, but snowdrifts deep enough to almost bury her chest were rare even in her past life!
Inspired by Jian Jingyu, she couldn't resist throwing herself into the snow as well, pressing a human silhouette into the surface!
Then she got up and pressed herself into a clean patch of snow next to it... playing joyfully like this, vowing to imprint the most perfect human face!
The staff at the Taihe port maintained professional smiles the entire time.
The young master's friends were certainly full of energy... The native inhabitants of Planet Kalun definitely wouldn't get this excited over snow.
Zhang Lyra and Huang Yan watched from the sidelines.
"...What's so fun about snow?"
"Goldfish, let's go."
"Hahaha! Phew, I can't get up!"
Jian Jingyu reached out a hand toward Huang Yan, and Wang Tianwei was also panting,
"Lyra, give me a hand!"
The two steady individuals shook their heads and stepped forward, but the moment they reached out, they were forcefully yanked down by Jian Jingyu and Wang Tianwei!
Wang Tianwei was relatively tame; she was satisfied just pulling Zhang Lyra into the snow!
"A team has to stick together through thick and thin!"
Jian Jingyu, however, acted like a madman, shoveling snow onto Huang Yan's head.
"Jian Jingyu!!!"
"Is it tasty! Sir Huang! Hahaha! Does it taste like shaved ice!"
Huang Yan got a head and neck full of snow, and even had to use a kip-up to break free from Jian Jingyu's grasp!
"Ptoey! Jian Jingyu! Running? You think you can run!?"
The two boys had quite a tough time chasing each other through the snow!
Once Huang Yan caught Jian Jingyu, he shoved his head into the snow! The jiu-jitsu Jian Jingyu had been practicing recently was also put on full display...
By the time Wang Tianwei had her fill of fun and finally managed to stand up, her nose and face were already frozen red!
Seeing the two boys still rolling around in the snowbank, she gave a soft snort,
"Childish."
"..."
Zhang Lyra couldn't help but pack a snowball and throw it at her,
"You're not much better yourself!"
Jian Jingyu finally released the arm locked around Huang Yan's neck,
"Ah! Sir Huang, isn't using spiritual power going a bit too far! Isn't your spiritual power supposed to be used to protect me!?"
"I did protect you. Didn't you notice your face isn't cold?"
"It's not cold, but it hurts!!"
"That's what you deserve."
When the group finally made their way to Zhang Lyra's family's self-built house.
Laila Christine opened the door to see four freezing red faces. Zhang Lyra was the first to speak,
"Mom."
Wang Tianwei didn't even think,
"Mom!"
"Mom!?"
"...Auntie."
"!?"
Zhang Lyra looked helplessly at the shivering person beside her,
"That's my mom..."
Wang Tianwei refused to admit that her brain had just short-circuited,
"What do you mean yours or mine!? We're a team, so she's everyone's!"
"Hahaha! Come in, come in quickly! Oh my, didn't you kids bring thermostatic suits!? Why are your clothes all soaking wet!
"Shirley, turn on the hot water! You guys go take a shower first!"
