Chapter 5: Junior, Have You Mistaken Me For Someone Else?_1

"Oh, the senior has heard about me," said Ye Tong, nodding her head and looking at him with an intriguing gaze.

This time, Zhao Zhihan and the others couldn't find it in them to laugh; although reluctant to admit it, they knew they were outmatched, "Sorry for the trouble, we should communicate more in the future."

Zhou Naiyi could only shake his head, taking Ye Tong's hand, "Junior Sister, welcome. The principal is waiting for you. Let's put away our luggage and go meet him. Marlon, you can step aside now."

"Senior Sister, I hold you in the highest regard, and besides, I am technically an outsider but my heart is with the home team. I've always had a soft spot for Class 16. Please introduce us, Ye Tong, what a beautiful name, is it a reference to the pupils of the moon at night? It sounds familiar. Junior Sister, would you like to join the photography club? Are you interested in drama?"

Marlon was absolutely confident that he had left a deep impression on Ye Tong.

Zhou Naiyi laughed helplessly and said, "Marlon, you've heard of the Eye Goddess, haven't you?"

Everyone around suddenly understood, their eyes becoming more fervent, but they also became more restrained.

Marlon was stunned. No way, it was her...

"Junior Sister Ye Tong, I'm your fan. Can you sign your autograph for me?" Someone in the crowd mustered the courage to ask.

Zhou Naiyi could neither laugh nor cry. She had underestimated how persistent these people could be. Not only did the crowd not disperse, even Zhao Zhihan was not too far off, observing the scene.

Eye Goddess, a big name in the EMP, consistently ranked among the top three in the Asian sector during three years of military school preparatory training. Not only did all the top schools in the USE extend offers, even the prestigious NUP military schools willingly sent out invitations. Two of the top ten NUP schools were included in these invitations. Her final choice of Beijing Mecha caused a sensation.

One word— Infinite Potential.

"Senior Sister, do you have someone in your grade named Li Hao?" Ye Tong suddenly asked.

The atmosphere became awkward.

"Li Hao, do you know him?" Zhou Naiyi was taken aback.

Ye Tong smiled, "Yes, senior sister. I'd like to see him before I visit the principal."

Marlon, beside them, was excited. Damn, what's going on? This is a real story! "Junior Sister, this is fate. I don't know about others, but I know Hao brother quite well. We were bunkmates, close as could be. Look, there he is, the one tidying up the table. Li Hao, over here!"

Marlon waved to Li Hao and the others, who were about to clear up the photography club's posters for lunch.

"Old Third, finish up and let's go grab lunch." said Li Hao. Suddenly, he became aware of a penetrating gaze locked onto him. His body instinctively became tense, but soon relaxed. After all, he was in Beijing now.

As Ye Tong slowly walked towards Li Hao, he furrowed his brows, keeping his gaze locked onto her. Everyone around them could sense something was off.

No one really knew who Li Hao was. However, everyone knew that Ye Tong was a darling of Principal Long. She was the core member of the Beijing Mecha revival team and causing trouble for her would be nothing short of a disaster.

Ye Tong eyed the man in front of her. Even though it had been four to five years, she was sure it was him.

The two stood face-to-face with Li Hao's expression remaining calm, his mind frantically searching for any possible connection. He was certain...he didn't owe her any money.

Ye Tong broke out into a charming smile and stepped forward, significantly reducing the distance between them - so much so that the surrounding crowd held their breath.

Ye Tong leaned in and whispered into Li Hao's ears, "Li Hao, we finally meet."

His nostrils were filled with a faint, refreshing scent, sending his senses into overdrive. Li Hao stepped back slightly, "Junior Sister, I think you may have mistaken me for someone else."

Ye Tong gazed deeply into Li Hao's eyes, "There's no mistake. We...have a long way to go."

Without saying anything else, Ye Tong left with Zhou Naiyi to meet the principal, leaving behind a group of confused onlookers.

......

The atmosphere in the dorm room 4396 was incredibly heated up as they were joined by three curious onlookers.

"Hao Brother, do you know the Eye Goddess???" Zuo Xiaotang asked surprisingly. "The way the Eye Goddess handles guns is really impressive."

"Ye Tong excels in close combat too, following the NUP light mecha line. I assumed she would study on the moon, but she came to Beijing instead. This is interesting." Wuzang certainly appeared interested – there's nothing quite hypnotising like a master.

"Are you guys idiots? Is that even the main point? This is a huge beauty we're talking about! Hao Brother, what did she say to you? Are you guys that close, to the point of whispering to each other?" Marlon felt like a fury of cats were scratching him inside, as there was no connection between these two parallel lines.

Li Hao helplessly shrugged, pointing at his head, "I think she might have mistaken me for someone else, or perhaps something's wrong in here. I definitely do not know her."

Marlon clapped his hands, "I'm sure she's mistaken. I believe in Hao Brother's integrity. Hao Brother, every beauty presents potential risks; Ye Tong is a risky affair among them. It's better not to provoke her."

Zuo Xiaotang couldn't hold it in any longer, "Well, I see you going after Senior Sheng Man and showing off your love life every single day."

"You don't understand. If I don't go to hell, who will? This is compassion in action; it all depends on enlightenment. Beautiful women are man-eaters."

The three dorm mates showered him with scorn.

Li Hao nodded, smiling, "Can we eat now?"

"Bros, the Photography Club got five new female members today. Thanks to all your support, let's have a good meal!" Marlon perked up at the thought, along with the notion of three new male underclassmen who had impressive qualities.

Principal's office.

Long Danni, 35, currently a core member of the USE's 'Young Faction', with her short black hair tidy and neat. She was dressed in a sharp, silver, USE Federal Army junior general uniform. A scar ran down the left side of her forehead, partially marring her beauty, yet it added a certain ineffable flair. Her aura was overwhelming, her carriage exuded heroism. She had participated in regional wars, hunted down interstellar pirates, and climbed from the rank-and-file to become a battle-hardened leader.

Upon receiving notification of her transfer, Long Danni did not hesitate. The condition of the military academy directly determined the combat power of the USE, and she, having personally experienced various wars, was acutely aware of the USE's shortcomings.

A knock sounded at the door, Long Danni put down the documents in her hand, "Come in."

Zhou Naiyi and Ye Tong entered, standing at attention and saluting.

Long Danni faintly smiled, "Ye Tong is here, welcome. Please take a seat. Afterwards, Naiyi, you can give Ye Tong a tour of the school."

"Yes, Principal."

"Thank you, senior sister."

Long Danni invited the two with twin motives in mind: the importance of Ye Tong and other matters. In fact, reforms had already begun within the USE. Class 16 of the Imperial Capital had served as an initial attempt, but due to overall limitations, no obvious results were seen. The Solar System Mecha Competition was like losing their last fig leaf, but she thought the gains outweighed the losses.

"Naiyi, Ye Tong, I called you here today to hear your perspectives on the current state of the Imperial Capital's Mecha Martial Arts department," Long Danni smiled. Her assistant stepped in from outside the door to pour water for both of them.

Zhou Naiyi and Ye Tong did not immediately respond. As both were highly intelligent, they knew not to speak carelessly in front of Long Danni. After all, the principal was not from a research background, but a seasoned combat veteran.

"Ye Tong, you can go first. In fact, I am quite curious. So many colleges tried to recruit you, why did you choose the Imperial Capital Mecha Martial Arts?" Long Danni inquired, smiling.

Zhou Naiyi appeared surprised on the side, everyone outside thought Ye Tong chose the school because of General Long.

"Principal, I don't understand the situation with the Imperial Capital Mecha Martial Arts. Still, based on the standards of the Solar System competition, the Imperial Capital's team members have inadequate individual abilities, outdated tactics, and lack aggression. The matches they should have won weren't decisive enough, and whatever could have been fought for crashed," Ye Tong responded, devoid of tact. She was not here to sugarcoat things, "I hope to have more freedom at the Imperial Capital."

Long Danni nodded, "Naiyi, you were the top freshman last year. If I were to appoint you as team captain, would you be able to put together a team superior to the old one?"

Zhou Naiyi pondered for a moment, "Principal, if Ye Tong were to join my team, I am 90% confident!"

This was what she intended to do. Now they had Musashi; if they could add Ye Tong, it would be like giving wings to a tiger.

The human race had reached its current status of dominance through three core technologies: "Curvature Space Technology", "Event Gene Natural Adjustment Technology" and "Somali Terrestrial Planet Gravity Modification Technology". The maturity of the Event Gene Natural Adjustment Technology had also dramatically increased the physical and mental endurance of humans to adapt to other planetary environments. Some even possessed the "Golden Gene", displaying dominant abilities, offering enormous opportunities for female mecha pilots.

"Very well, Captain Naiyi, Vice-captain Ye Tong; the team is your full responsibility, just submit the list,"

"Yes, Principal!" Zhou Naiyi was a bit excited. Usually, these kinds of opportunities only came along in the third year.

"Naiyi, there's a guy called Li Hao in your class. How's his performance?" Long Danni suddenly asked.

Zhou Naiyi was startled; this was today's second surprise. Was it possible...she thought about it, "Principal, although Li Hao's grades aren't ideal, he is well-balanced in all aspects. He can easily complete an hour of daily training under double gravity. As long as he pushes himself, I believe he can improve his performance. Please give him a little more time."

Ye Tong beside her showed a hint of surprise in her eyes, and Long Danni nodded thoughtfully.

"In that case, add him to your team. Of course, whether to use him or not is up to you," Long Danni suddenly spoke.

Zhou Naiyi looked surprised, but nodded nonetheless.

After leaving the Principal's office, Zhou Naiyi showed Ye Tong around the main buildings of the Imperial Capital Mecha Martial Arts. In terms of hardware, as one of Asia's top facilities, it was indeed impressive. However, Ye Tong did not pay much attention to this. The two chatted along the way. Girls are strange creatures. If they don't get along, for a group of four, they can split into three factions and engage in betrayal at multiple levels. If they get along well, they instantly seem like old friends reunited despite this being their first meeting.

"Ye Tong, how did you get to know Li Hao? It seems like he doesn't recognize you," Zhou Naiyi couldn't help but ask. Today was odd. Neither Ye Tong nor the principal was expected to inquire about Li Hao, and their reactions were too strange. It seemed like there was something she didn't know.

Ye Tong slightly smiled, twirling her hair lightly, "I have some grudges against him. Oh, is his girlfriend from our school?"

"I never heard about him having a girlfriend," Zhou Naiyi shook her head. Given Ye Tong's conditions, nobody would think too much. "His comprehensive assessment last semester placed him dead last in our class. I was initially worried that there would be problems, but it seems the principal does not think it's an issue."

"Sister Naiyi, scores don't represent everything. Anyway, I heard the beef in the Tianjing cafeteria is exceptional. Since I'm new here, I'll have to owe you a meal," Ye Tong said, linking arms with Zhou Naiyi.

Obviously, Goddess Tong isn't really that chilly. But... Li Hao, with no background, transferred from the Journalism Department to a special class in Mecha Department. Was there something she overlooked...?

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