Fatty Qiao Shuangyi was sleeping. After all, fighting in those tunnels was incredibly tough. He always had to run after Brother Chen and constantly seize opportunities; if one wasn't careful, those Subterraneans would get away.

So, being woken up made Qiao Shuangyi very unhappy. He said irritably, "Only fifty-one."

And when it came to military achievements, Qiao Shuangyi was also quite annoyed. He originally thought he had a chance to surpass the Hundred-Kill achievement. If he could get just one hundred and one, Qiao Shuangyi's dad would dare to go out and boast, "My son, a Two-Hundred-Kill achievement!"

One hundred and one, round it up a bit, a Two-Hundred-Kill achievement isn't a problem, right? In a few more years, Dad could round up that two hundred to a thousand, and voila! A Thousand-Kill achievement, no problem, right?

Now, he was stuck before the Hundred-Kill achievement.

For the first time, Qiao Shuangyi felt that having a Big Brother who was too overwhelmingly protective might not be such a good thing after all. A little brother like him got no glory to claim.

He decided that when he returned, he would invite Brother Chen to a meal and seriously discuss this matter with him, to offer some "counsel."

Talk about getting ahead of oneself! Qiao Shuangyi's current state was a perfect example—absolutely, no rounding needed.

The moment Qiao Shuangyi said that, he felt the hand on his shoulder suddenly tighten its grip.

"OUCH—" Qiao Shuangyi turned his head and glared. "Does your Liao family from Qinghun Star think you're all that now?"

Liao Mingliang was completely oblivious, still gripping his shoulder tightly and asking, "How many?"

"Fifty-one, fifty-one, fifty-one! Are you freaking deaf? Let go of me now!"

Liao Mingliang did let go, but he couldn't believe it. "You? Fifty-one kills?"

Buddy, I'm not looking down on you, but this number... it's unreasonable.

Qiao Shuangyi glared back. "Me, fifty-one! What about it? You got a problem? It's all recorded on the personal terminal. Go check it! Verify it however you want! I, Qiao Shuangyi, am His Excellency of the Hundred Kills from this day forward!"

Liao Mingliang and Bai Zhijin both felt their hearts sink, especially Liao Mingliang. He had one kill less than Bai Zhijin, which meant the top three were now out of his reach.

Bai Zhijin didn't feel much better. With Qiao Shuangyi at fifty-one kills, Bai Zhijin was now third. To actually be ranked beneath a worthless scion like Qiao Shuangyi... How infuriating!

Suddenly, Liao Mingliang had a realization. The colonel said Chen Gu took good care of everyone. I know exactly what kind of person Qiao Shuangyi is. How could he possibly have so many kills? It must be because Chen Gu helped him! If Chen Gu could look after Qiao Shuangyi, he could also look after Lin Xiaochen.

He quickly asked again, "What about Lin Xiaochen? How many does he have?"

Qiao Shuangyi was even more annoyed. It was thanks to me, this Young Master, that Lin Xiaochen managed to latch onto Brother Chen's coattails, and yet his kill count is even higher than mine! Is there anyone in this world more wronged than I am?!

"Sixty-nine," he replied resentfully, before pushing Liao Mingliang away and going back to sleep. "Don't bother me again!"

Liao Mingliang and Bai Zhijin both slumped back into their seats. It's over. The top three are completely out of reach now.

They looked at each other, both extremely unwilling to accept it.

They had fought bravely and returned full of expectations, thinking they would at least make it into the top three. But all our efforts... couldn't compare to someone riding coattails! What kind of world is this? Even Liao Mingliang found himself inwardly raging about the injustice of it all.

However, unlike Bai Zhijin, Liao Mingliang's eyes glinted as a thought struck him. Riding coattails? I can do that too! It's not like it's some high-level professional skill. You all just wait! The next time there's a school event, I'll be the first one to throw myself at Brother Chen's feet!

In the vehicle, some were disheartened, others expectant, and still others were sound asleep and snoring.

Behind them, beneath the surface of Maoshi Star's Wilderness Area 64, the human army swept through the Subterraneans' defenses like an unstoppable force, utterly routing the Subterraneans, who had already lost nearly all their Shamans.

As reports from all fronts were consolidated, Ling Yitong's eyebrows rose involuntarily. He quickly realized that his task was no longer just to defeat the Subterraneans but to eliminate as much of their effective strength as possible, striving to ensure this battle would prevent the Subterraneans from causing trouble for centuries.

This task, in truth, had been half completed by Chen Gu for him. If he couldn't handle the remaining half well, he would lose all face to continue as this commander.

Orders were issued one after another as Ling Yitong continuously adjusted his deployments based on frontline reports—this was a moment that distinguished a field general's talent from that of a strategic commander. In this era, the standard was the ability to direct large troop formations in coordinated combat.

The battle proceeded smoothly, but Ling Yitong still felt a lingering unease.

In the Central Operations Room, Bai Xianya finished reporting the situation on Maoshi Star. Looking at her uncle, who could barely suppress his triumphant mood, she asked, "Why don't you call Ling Yitong and scold him? Knowing your personality, since Ling Yitong disobeyed your orders and then you sent Zheng Zhixing over, nearly ruining things, I'd expect you to at least give him an earful, even if you weren't going to formally punish him."

Bai Yunpeng glared at her. "In your eyes, is your uncle really such a petty and superficial person?"

Bai Xianya sincerely replied, "You are."

Bai Yunpeng glared again but still relented—She has the Old Man backing her.

"Ling Yitong has been an old subordinate of mine," Bai Yunpeng said. "He will take the initiative to call me."

Ling Yitong was fully aware of his old superior's temperament. If I don't let him have his moment to gloat, I'll have a hard time later. Besides, I really did mess up this time.

His "unease" was precisely because of Marshal Bai.

Ling Yitong smiled wryly to himself. Forget it. I'll call Marshal Bai and admit my mistake as soon as the battle is over. But still... who could have imagined that a college freshman could single-handedly create the perfect strategic window for a major battle? Impressive indeed. A true dragon is not meant for a small pond!

Thinking about Zheng Zhixing again, Ling Yitong shook his head, his respect for Marshal Bai growing even more. When it comes to judging character, I am far inferior to Marshal Bai. Looking at Zheng Zhixing now, while it might be a slight exaggeration to say his tactics are *purely* 'armchair strategy,' his lack of magnanimity certainly shows he doesn't have the makings of a great general.

...

The Huai Shan Branch School's dedicated aircraft slowly descended behind the school. The hatch opened, and Director Xue led the students out.

On the trip back, the rankings from the freshman military training had already been settled.

Despite Bai Zhijin's regrets, Chen Gu was the undisputed first place. It wasn't just about the number of enemy kills but also his contribution to the entire war.

Following him were Lin Xiaochen in second place and Qiao Shuangyi in third.

Bai Zhijin managed not to fall further behind, securing fourth place. But the treatment between the top three and fourth place... was worlds apart in any field.

The ancient Olympics always awarded medals only to the top three finishers.

Director Xue told everyone, "Go back and rest. School will start in a few days."

Wang Chengqian would be in charge of the subsequent procedures, and Director Xue left on her own. Fifteen minutes later, she stood next to the principal's bungalow.

The principal was enjoying a rare moment of 'leisure' today. With all his female confidantes absent, he exuded the calm and composed air of a profound master.

There was no helping it; age inevitably brought moments where his energy didn't match his desires. Even though he was a supreme expert, his 'opponents' in these matters were no weaklings either...

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