What Should I Do If My Ex-Girlfriend's Pheromones Smell Too Good? - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Seeds

Hearing the exchange between Jin Yan and Yan Xiangyu, Shu Qiong cast a curious glance their way. “What is it?”

Yan Xiangyu closed her wristband. “Nothing important.” She ignored the massive compressed file Jin Yan had sent and shifted the subject: “I received notice from Instructor Chu; assemble at the Mecha Hall this afternoon as scheduled.”

“Mhm,” Shu Qiong nodded. “I saw it too.”

That afternoon, when the group arrived at the designated location, they found a familiar face among the instructors: Chu Yimeng.

Chang Xichun stood on her tiptoes to look around, lowering her voice to whisper to her teammates, “Since the base instructors are gone, training from here on might be led by the head instructors of each academy. Sigh, Instructor Chu… sigh.”

Qin Liang’s face slumped. “Sigh. I’d be willing to go vegetarian for a month if Instructor Chu would just avoid using us as her target dummies.”

Jin Yan leaned in. “What do you mean?”

He Xuchou explained with a complex expression, “Instructor Chu is… well, she’s quite heavy-handed.”

Shu Qiong and the other two new members were puzzled. Before Chang Xichun could elaborate further, they heard Chu Yimeng clear her throat.

“This afternoon, I will be explaining the key points of close-quarters mecha combat… Chang Xichun, you look like you have an opinion to share. You go first.”

Chang Xichun froze. “…Yes, ma’am.”

Looking like she was heading to her own funeral, she slowly trudged forward and accurately found her mecha, “Lianzhu.” It was the massive machine that had been shipped to Base Star along with them before the training camp began. For students like her, He Xuchou, and Qin Liang who had habitual machines, their personal mechas were indispensable partners.

Chu Yimeng shed her jacket, using her upper body strength to steady herself as she climbed into a cockpit. Her movements revealed explosive muscle definition in her arms, making Chang Xichun’s eyes twitch.

Chu Yimeng didn’t use her own mecha; she picked a standard-issue base model with average performance and no special features. Compared to it, Lianzhu was relatively lightweight. The problem was that Lianzhu was a pure “glass cannon” sniper-type; it was fine for harvesting kills from a distance, but engaging in melee combat with the experienced Instructor Chu was practically a joke.

Predictably, Chang Xichun was beaten until she lost all dignity, howling and yelping. The comms channel was filled with her noise.

“Instructor Chu! If you don’t let me use thermal weapons, what’s the difference between Lianzhu and a botanical mecha!” Chang Xichun protested in grief and indignation. “I object! Aaaah—don’t kick my butt!”

Mecha combat doesn’t transmit pain to the pilot, but Chu Yimeng chasing and hitting Lianzhu’s rear made Chang Xichun feel like her own face was burning.

Finally, Lianzhu was subdued again, its arms pinned behind its back by Chu Yimeng’s standard mecha. Chu Yimeng used her machine’s knee to press heavily into Lianzhu’s back, her right arm’s thermal blade stopping just inches away from slicing open the cockpit.

Adhering to the principle of “stopping once the point is made,” Chu Yimeng loosened her grip. Chang Xichun immediately seized the chance to spring up like a fish gasping on land, flailing and grabbing the opponent’s lower leg. Lianzhu stuck to the leg like a piece of chewing gum, refusing to let go no matter how hard she pulled, like a heavy, clingy weight.

“Instructor Chu, give me a chance!” Chang Xichun hugged the leg determinedly.

“…Get up.” Chu Yimeng shook her foot. When it wouldn’t budge, her mouth twitched. “Don’t embarrass yourself! Don’t force me to actually beat you here!”

Chang Xichun slowly stood up. Lianzhu’s body was covered in deep and shallow scars from the thermal blade; the joints were particularly damaged, and many areas were scorched grey-black—a truly pitiful sight.

Chu Yimeng “tsked.”

“I’ve never heard of a soldier meeting an enemy on the battlefield and begging for mercy because they aren’t good at melee. Why don’t you ask the enemy to wait five minutes so you can find a teammate better at brawling to PK with them? Shall we set a ‘Gentleman’s Agreement’ before the war starts?”

Chang Xichun climbed out of the cockpit with a pale face, jogging back to the formation with cold sweat on her brow. Just now, she had performed a “Variety of Ways for Mecha Soldiers to Seek Death” for everyone.

“Good work,” Shu Qiong patted her shoulder sympathetically. “I’ll help you repair the mecha when we’re finished.”

Chang Xichun stammered, “…Thank you.”

Through the demonstration, even though Chang Xichun’s melee skills were limited, everyone got a sense of Instructor Chu’s level. Shu Qiong shrunk her neck, silently hiding behind Yan Xiangyu’s tall frame.

Fortunately, Chu Yimeng didn’t call her own students up to be beaten again for the moment. Instead, she called out several soldiers from other academies, including the captain of the Mecha Specialized Joint University—a male Alpha who had reportedly harassed Chang Xichun quite loudly in the past.

Chang Xichun rolled her eyes, pumping her fist and cheering quietly for Instructor Chu. “Go, Instructor! Beat that idiot until he’s paraplegic! I wish I had a gun; I’d definitely give him a headshot.”

He Xuchou smiled gently. “You’ll have your chance on the field later.”

Shu Qiong watched thoughtfully as the boy was kicked to the ground by Chu Yimeng, losing his balance and falling face-first. This time, Chu Yimeng actually used a whip-type weapon. The steel whip in her hand curled around the opponent’s legs and swung them violently to the side. With the mecha’s thrusters engaged, the force was staggering, slamming the entire machine into the buffer wall.

Everyone present felt the floor vibrate even from a distance, and their hearts turned cold. Terrifying. Truly terrifying. They were certain Instructor Chu had gone easy on Chang Xichun earlier.

After each round of guidance, Chu Yimeng would point out numerous flaws and improper responses in the combat process in a cold but detailed tone. The Mecha University captain hung his head, returning to his team with a face as dark as water.

Jin Yan let out a “Whoa” as if watching a show. “Looks like he still needs more hitting; he looks very unconvinced.”

“A person should have self-awareness,” Shu Qiong curled her lip imperceptibly. “And some people clearly lack that fine quality.”

Chu Yimeng’s selection was completely random. Those not chosen watched with rapt attention, a mix of anticipation and fear. It had to be said that the Military Academy’s lead instructor had a sharp eye and immense experience. Although the cadets fighting her bore massive psychological pressure, they gained insights from her pinpoint critiques. Observers could also use the sessions to reflect on themselves; by the end of the afternoon, they had learned a great deal.

Shu Qiong was lucky enough not to be picked, so she concentrated on taking notes and recording videos. Yan Xiangyu was the only other Military Academy team member called besides Chang Xichun. To Chu Yimeng’s surprise, this new regular student performed quite impressively.

Chu Yimeng knew Yan Xiangyu also used a whip, but her moves showed an “unorthodox” style that lacked formal training. Thus, Chu Yimeng intentionally corrected her improper movements, providing particularly detailed guidance. At the end, a rare hint of a smile appeared in her voice: “Not bad.”

For Chu Yimeng, this was a high compliment, as her typical closing remarks were usually “Another wet noodle” or “Yet another wet noodle.” Even the Mecha University captain, who was fairly skilled but too reckless, had only received a “Muffish brute with commendable spirit.”

Shu Qiong immediately noticed that many cadets in the surrounding area were casting wary and scrutinizing glances at Yan Xiangyu.

The training over the next few days was mostly completed under the guidance of lead instructors from the other academies. This included the application of cold and thermal weapons, mastering long and short-range attack methods, and various evasion techniques. Shu Qiong’s horizons broadened considerably.

Among them were senior instructors as excellent as Chu Yimeng. In fact, the guidance was a two-way observation; the high-level students were also cross-examining the different tactical ideas and teaching styles of the various instructors.

As the only Commander in the team, Jin Yan stroked her chin. “Actually, you can tell the general style of each team by the temperament of their head instructor.”

Take the Mecha Specialized Joint University, for instance. She had no doubt that the arrogance of their team came from the influence of their instructor. That male instructor showed a clear bias; he set the bar very low for female cadets, which wasn’t a good thing for those wanting to slack off. He would often ignore their potential for development, while offering plenty of encouragement and spurring to the male cadets, especially the male Alphas.

This behavior drew cold looks from many cadets from other academies. Fortunately, he only led for half a day. Shu Qiong and the others pinched their noses and endured his thinly-veiled discrimination; they knew it would pass.

When training ended that day, He Xuchou suddenly spoke: “Actually, Mecha University has a bit of history with our Military Academy. Long ago, they split off from us. The reasons were complex, involving various interests and political maneuvering. Back then, mecha research wasn’t as refined as it is now, and the Alliance leadership had different considerations regarding whether to deploy them to the battlefield in large numbers.”

“Later, once mechas became a trump card for the Alliance military, Mecha University and the Military Academy discussed the possibility of them returning to us to establish a Mecha Department. But ultimately, they couldn’t reach an agreement. The Military Academy then built the current Mecha Department with a brand-new faculty.”

He Xuchou glanced at Shu Qiong. “The reason I know this is because the catalyst for the failed negotiations was related to Ms. Shu Ci. At the time, both sides engaged in an exceptionally fierce talent war for this mecha genius who had suddenly appeared.”

Shu Qiong was stunned. There was such a thing?

She only knew her mother was an alumna and the top graduate of the first Mecha Department class—her portrait still hung in the school’s Hall of Fame. Shu Qiong knew before applying that Shu Ci’s class had made the new department an instant success, silencing critics who claimed the old academy couldn’t innovate.

However, the specific details were unknown to her. When Shu Qiong was small, Shu Ci rarely talked about her brilliant achievements or the hardships along the way. This led Shu Qiong to only vaguely hear from people like Auntie Jin that her mom was impressive, but she hadn’t realized she was that legendary.

It wasn’t until she was around the fourth or fifth grade that her school organized a trip to the Military Museum. The guide pointed to a scarred mecha remnant covered in slashes and corrosion, introducing it as the remains of the machine Ms. Shu Ci used in the Battle of Bolton. Because it was beyond repair, it was put on display.

The guide then rhythmically described Ms. Shu Ci’s extraordinary contributions to that famous battle, explaining the profound impact of the victory in simple terms children could understand. Back then, the two little sprouts, Shu Qiong and Jin Yan, had eyes as wide as saucers, letting out gasps of pride and wonder.

Shu Qiong still remembered pressing her face against the glass of the display case, a small but determined flame jumping in her chest, as she told the other kids:

“That’s my mom.”

Yes, that was her mother. The sowing of a seed only takes a moment, but how long does it take to grow into a towering tree? Perhaps ten years, perhaps longer.