Jian Jingyu and Zhang Lyra worked together with remarkable rapport.
After quickly taking inventory of their current supplies and compiling a list of items needed for the trip to Blizza, they sent it to the captain and Wang Tianwei for review. Each of them then added a few personal necessities.
The two individual soldiers immediately placed orders on the StarNet and prepared to head to the camp store.
After replying to messages, Huang Yan joined the two supervising instructors in the meeting room to search for detailed information about Blizza. The icy tundra, like the open sea, was unfamiliar terrain for them, but the good news was that the same applied to the other two military academies.
The First Military Academy and Valk had both rejected his invitation for discussion... as expected, they had likely formed an alliance.
Huang Yan had already mentally prepared himself for this.
Honestly, after spending three months together and competing numerous times, who didn't know whom they were dealing with?
Sure, the Qilin team might be a bit careless in their actions, but those other two academies were hardly better, right?
When it came to scheming, no one was lacking—and if he were in their shoes, he would do the same!
But since they were the ones being targeted, he couldn't be blamed for fighting dirty.
Senior students Zhou Yu and Li Hece, who were providing off-field assistance, had immediately sent over the information and tactical plans they'd gathered. Wu Xinshui from the Command Department also contributed a few key points to consider when operating in extreme cold.
What had seemed like a three-person meeting soon had several virtual projections flickering to life, much like what was happening in the mecha bay.
Wang Tianwei didn't really grasp what minus sixty to minus ninety degrees Celsius felt like—after all, even her freezer at home only went down to minus eighteen. But she had connections! She could consult mecha instructor Ye Wei from the Fifth Military District—wasn't Blizza under their jurisdiction?
"...How is this cheating!? Instructor Ye, saying that is really hurtful! The competition committee never banned it, and who's to say the other academies aren't asking around too?"
"Haha, I knew you'd say that. Alright, ask away!"
"Hehe, Instructor Ye..."
After getting advice, Wang Tianwei suddenly felt that fate was still favoring Qilin!
The mermaid oil they'd obtained from Enoshino in the last match was finally useful. Plus, the main material of their team mecha's shell was Memory Steel from Karenn, a planet where winter temperatures were very low. So, the material itself was resistant to freezing, saving them a lot of time.
Next came a hectic schedule of component modifications. She'd recently found some inspiration from Hiranuma Yusho's simulation, and it might come in handy for the finals!
After finishing their own preparations, the three friends also came to the mecha bay to lend a hand.
By now, everyone was proficient in tasks beyond Wang Tianwei's special modifications and some dedicated assembly parts—handling general component assembly and pre-race mecha maintenance was second nature.
Huang Yan even brought meals for all three when he arrived.
The finals location was extremely dangerous, and the attitudes of the other two squads remained unclear... they had a lot of preparations to make, leaving no time to eat at the First Canteen before departure. Since bringing their own food was allowed, he had also stored a good number of supplies in his space button.
Instructor Fu Manli even made a special trip to the camp store and canteen to buy more supplies while the commanders were strategizing—saying that in cold places, the body burned more energy and needed more provisions. She only begged them not to bring everything back like they had in the last two matches...
The other two academies, whom Qilin was wary of, finally gathered in the mecha bay where their team mecha engineers were stationed.
It was only then that they realized how much time could be saved if everyone had basic mecha knowledge!
They didn't even need to be experts—just knowing how to do routine maintenance freed up three times the time! It also allowed the mecha engineers to focus more completely on other modifications.
So, they had been held back all along! Balancing mecha performance and the timeline before the competition naturally wasn't easy.
Back at the competition camp, each squad steadily moved forward with their pre-match preparations, while the audience eagerly waited for the next day’s live broadcast.
At the isolation control center, staff only had time to open their light brains after completing morning tests, meetings, and exercises.
Li Qin wiped off his sweat and couldn't wait to open the playback of the finals opening ceremony. After all this waiting, the finals were finally starting!
...Blizza?
He did a quick search, and his eyebrows furrowed deeply.
No wonder he had no recollection of the planet—Blizza's environmental conditions were so hostile for the Zerg that they would never set foot on it if they discovered it!
He tapped his fingers on the tabletop and turned his head to glance at the sparrow resting outside the window... but the situation wasn't entirely unsolvable. Humans had mechas; they could also change their bodies.
The sparrow outside stiffened for a moment. Upon receiving the leader's command, it blinked its tiny eyes, spread its wings, and flew away.
Going to Blizza? What kind of place was that?
Not long after, the light brain on Li Qin's wrist vibrated again.
"Tch."
It was that Commander again...
He didn't know what was wrong with her lately. Before, she used to contact him every few days with a video call, but over the past two days, it had escalated to daily calls. So annoying!
Could it be that something had slipped in their last video call?
Li Qin thought for a moment, straightened his clothes, adjusted his expression, and answered the call.
"Good morning, Commander Jiang. Is there something you need?"
Jiang Ya knew she had been contacting Li Qin too frequently lately, but she couldn't shake the unease from last time when she had noticed his wrinkled clothes.
"Nothing, just wanted to ask if you still have enough nutrient solution."
Under Jiang Ya's watchful gaze, Li Qin smiled with sincerity.
"Thank you for your concern, Commander. I still have some, and if I run out, I'll ask the staff for more."
"Mm, that's good..."
"Commander, you should also take time to look out the window occasionally. Otherwise, staying inside for too long can really make you anxious. Honestly, I'm starting to get a bit bored here myself... Lately, when I video call my daughter, she always asks when I'll be coming home. Has the higher-ups said anything about a timeline yet? We've been in isolation long enough."
Observing his expression, Jiang Ya suddenly felt that her suspicion the last time might have been overthinking.
Maybe Li Qin was just stuck too long in this closed environment, and people inevitably became irritable or hit their limits.
"Hang in there. Our latest test results are stable, so it shouldn't be long now. Communicate with your family about it, and I think things will be resolved in a while..."
"I understand, Commander. Sorry for asking you such a difficult question."
A slightly embarrassed look appeared on Li Qin's face in the video feed.
"It's fine. I also appreciate everyone's understanding and cooperation. After all, this isn't just about us as individuals..."
