Shi Lang gulped as he heard the calm voice. He gave a wry smile on his face and said, “Miss Rosa, Good Morning to you. The time is 8 o’clock. I apologize for the delay in seconds. I remember you have taught us that a delay of even a second in the execution of tasks can cost an unprecedented price. However, I could not control the monorail door from opening and a young lady pushed me aside to get ahead.”
He gave the mature lady a bow. This lady was called Rosa Blue. She was his homeroom teacher and a retired technological team leader in the Federation Military. She also invented some top-secret technology and was asked to cultivate more talents like her. She had no problem with this. She spent fifteen years of her life in the military and as a lady in her mid-thirties, she was tired of the constant tension.
She has now been teaching for two years. However, do not go on her stats. She looks like a beauty in her late twenties. Rosa was a three-star Terran when she had joined the military and by the time she came out, she was a level five. Her special ability was precision. She could calculate things to the level of precision where even quantum computers might have a slight error.
This was her capital of arrogance. She gazed at Shi Lang and said, “Student Shi, you might think that you can get away with this, but you might have forgotten that I can precisely calculate almost everything. Now, would you like to volunteer for the punishment or should I pass it out myself?”
Shi Lang sighed and said, “Miss, I follow your commands, but can you please exempt me from visiting the battle class? I promise I will try not to be late ever again.”
The battle class he mentioned was a place where geniuses gathered. They were all people from big families and were already three-star Terrans. Strength has always been a factor that affected a lot of things, regardless of what time it was. The people in the battle class looked down upon the people from other courses. Shi Lang has suffered humiliation a bit more than a few times.
Rosa Blues was aware of the situation among the students, but the school did not interfere in how the students competed with each other. The Federation had rules, strict ones at that, but Star Military Academy was a place where the future of the Federation was prepared. How can they avoid some rough treatment?
She sighed and said, “You will report to Mech Bay after the classes. You are to help with the maintenance. Understood?”
Shi Lang gave her a bright smile and said, “Yes, Miss Blues. Thank you.” as he entered the class. The technology branch was a bunch of merry people. Even the strongest of the class did not have a high-level ability and thus they all grouped well together.
There were fifty students in the class, all had a standard single-person desk designated as their seats. Rosa stood up on the podium and said, “Access the holo-comp, to bring up page number twenty-nine of unit thirty-seven. We resume our studies.”
That said, she began to teach the people. The class lasted for three hours before Rosa Blues switched with an old man with a gentle smile on his face. This man was the teacher of a subject called Astro Mathematics. He taught the bunch of youngsters about how to calculate in space if they did get to join the military.
After two hours, the class finished and the people got out to enjoy the lunch break. Shi Lang followed the crowd out when he suddenly felt a strong pat on his shoulder. He did not turn around and asked, “I thought you did not come to school today, given how quiet you were.”
A deep voice replied to him, “Shut up, I am upset, treat me to strawberry jelly buns.”
Shi Lang did not know how to react to this. He asked, “Did you forget that you are allergic to strawberry jelly? Also, what happened to give you Lord Lucas, the mighty, a frown?”
The guy who had his arm around Shi Lang’s shoulder was his best friend, Lucas Long. The guy had blonde hair, almost two meters tall, with an average physique. He had handsome features, slightly lower than Shi Lang, but above mediocre. Well, none of the people were ‘ugly’ anymore.
Lucas belonged to a well-off family but he had yet to discover his ability because he had not reached the three-star barrier. He replied, “Lady Tsubaki did not come to my dreams last night again. I have begun to wonder what it is that she dislikes about me.”
Shi Lang rolled his eyes at him and shook his head. His best friend was a goof. Lucas raised his eyebrow and asked, “Hey what is up with that expression?”
The two people were walking through the corridors and had already reached the canteen designated to their branch. However, before Shi Lang could reply, he saw that a lot of classmates were standing outside. He walked over to one of his classmates and asked, “Hey Jane, what happened?”
Jane was also a member of their group. She was two heads shorter than Shi Lang and was very beautiful. She had also reached a two-star level. They have been friends since childhood, but since their seats shuffled every year, they would get together during recess. She said, “Lang, you go back to the class, I will get you your lunch.” Her tone was anxious and wary.
Shi Lang suspected something and asked, “What happened?”
A girl who stood beside Jane replied, “Those Battle class bullies are here, they seem to be looking for you. They said that we are not allowed to go inside until you are handed over.”
Shi Lang was surprised and did not know what sin he had committed for this to happen. He was aware that if he hid away now, then these troublesome stronger people would find other methods to trouble him. He said, “It is fine, I will go inside to check what is going on.”
Jane said, “Are you mad? Have you forgotten that you had to wear a brace on your hand the last time because of them? Go back to class.” she was not asking this time. Jane was a girl with a mother hen temperament. She would defend her chicks at all costs and be mad if something happened to them. Shi Lang was her chick.
Shi Lang felt warm in his heart, but then he smiled and said, “It’s okay, I can handle it. It is better than the whole class going hungry.” he may be weak but he never liked to have others suffer because of him. That said, he walked to the entrance of the canteen. He was spotted by a few battle class students who stood guard.
Watching him arrive, one of the guys looked inside and said, “Yo, Jenkins, he is here.”
Jenkins was the strongest among the battle class. His name was enough to deter almost the whole student body. Not only was it because of his strength, but also the family name behind him. Jenkins Edwards. Son of the First general.
Shi Lang stood at the entrance with a calm face. Following the announcement of his arrival, he heard a voice, “Let him in along with his classmates.”
The cronies at the gate motioned him to get in along with his whole class. Shi Lang followed in and immediately looked for the villain, Jenkins Edwards. Gray hair, two meters tall, burly physique, handsome face. The aura he radiated was nothing that ordinary people could compare with. He sat on the chair with a standard alert stance.
He waited for Shi Lang to come closer. Then he spoke in a deep voice, “You are the guy who came to our class last time for cleaning, right?”
Shi Lang nodded and replied, “Yes.”
Jenkins said, “Did you forget that you are not allowed to wear shoes inside our class?”
Yes, this was the rule of the battle class that none of the outsiders were allowed to wear shoes inside their classes. They were not to contaminate their holy space. Shi Lang nodded. Jenkins asked, “What is your defense?”
“Sir, I was aware that your classes will start soon, but I was delayed by my other duties, so in a hurry, I crossed the classroom threshold with my shoes on. But I did not take anymore than one step. I apologize to you and the rest of the battle class students.” Shi Lang did not raise his eyes during the whole time but kept looking at the floor.
The students of the technology class saw this and silently gritted their jaws, and the hatred in their hearts was raised to another level. Shi Lang was the most humble guy in the class. His goodwill outgrew that of the class representative, Tim. He was on friendly terms with everyone. The last time another classmate made a mistake, Shi Lang stepped forward to substitute the punishment and got his hand broken.
The mistake the other student committed was to accidentally touch Jenkin as she was pushed by the latter’s classmate. This was the level of their tyranny.
Jenkins nodded and said, “Since you accept your mistake, I will be lenient in punishing you this time. I will take a step on you as well.”
The people had not yet processed his words when Jenkins had stood up and kicked Shi Lang in the chest. The impact was so strong that the people all heard a cracking sound as Shi Lang flew over a distance and fell outside the canteen doors.
Jenkins left after kicking the boy, and the rest of his classmates followed him as they snickered. Lucas and Jane were the first to rush over to check their friend. They found Shi Lang holding his ribs, with blood seeping out of his mouth.
Tim, the class representative, had already called over Rosa Blues. The lady happened to arrive only when Shi Lang was being carried to the infirmary. She wanted to approach him, but Jane said with a cold expression, “You do not have to worry about us, Miss Blues. We are weak, so we have to suffer. Thank you for taking out time to come here and watch the show.”
Their whole class held Rosa Blues accountable for the humiliation they have suffered over and over ever since she had come over to teach them. With gritted jaws, they escorted Shi Lang to the infirmary.