Tianqi Youth Class

The cafeteria at Tianjing University is quite impressive, especially for the Mecha and Starship departments. Today, Ma Long decided to indulge himself and went straight to the second floor. Here, a variety of à la carte dishes were available, with some special ingredients sourced from places like the Moon, Mars, and even Titan from time to time.

Of course, these were still based on Earth cuisine, with the main difference being the ingredients. For example, beef from Titan was unique—"Titan Beef" was famous and considered "out of this world." The meat was tender, juicy, and rich in rare energy, thanks to Titan's unique elemental infusion, which made it a great source of nourishment for warriors. Ma Long was clearly delighted, enjoying a steak by himself while everyone else ate with great satisfaction.

"Have you heard? Principal Long was very dissatisfied with the performance of last year's Mecha Department. So this year, they are going to hold a team selection, and a few captains have already been appointed. One of them is your class monitor, Yi Jie. I think she has a good chance; Hong Tu and Zhao Zhihan are not up to the task at all—they're just playing around." Ma Long, feeling a bit tipsy after a small beer, was in high spirits. "Musashi, you must be one of them, right?"

Musashi nodded and silently ordered another steak. Ma Long's mouth twitched—he had forgotten how much these guys could eat. He had just been bragging about treating everyone, but now he realized he might have been too rash.

"Count me in for another one," Zuo Xiaotang chimed in without hesitation. Opportunities to have Ma Long treat them were rare.

"Come on, where's the humanity in that? At most, one more serving, no more than that! I'm going to go broke!" Ma Long quickly abandoned his pride when he saw how things were going. "So, has Yi Jie picked her team members yet?"

"She has chosen me so far; the others are still unknown."

"Really? Our dorm's No. 3 has the most potential. We might all have to rely on you in the future," Ma Long said without reservation. The Wu family was known for their martial arts heritage, and it was clear that Musashi had been brought up under strict discipline. He didn't have the slightest bit of a spoiled air, and his training was the most serious. With great resources, talent, and more effort than others, who could be more successful?

Musashi seemed a little embarrassed when Shengman arrived. "Sorry, I was a bit late; something came up. What's the occasion today? Why are you all eating so well?"

Before anyone else could answer, Ma Long quickly said, "It's the first day of school, and we're just giving ourselves a little boost. Here, dear, I saved you a seat."

Ma Long had already prepared a seat for Shengman, who smiled gently and sat next to him. Now in her third year, Shengman had fully blossomed into her feminine charm, with every glance and smile carrying a special allure. Although they had been dating for a year, their relationship was genuinely good. As soon as Shengman arrived, Ma Long ignored the rest of them.

Fortunately, Li Hao and the other two were used to this, but somehow, the steak on their plates suddenly didn't taste as good anymore.

At this moment, two more people entered the cafeteria, carrying trays, looking for a seat. The lively discussions in the cafeteria instantly quieted down, and people began to whisper.

It was none other than Zhou Naiyi and Ye Tong. The news of Ye Tong arriving at Tianjing Mecha and Martial Academy had spread instantly—she was immensely popular and one of the most anticipated newcomers this year. Many thought she would join the NUP, given her strength and combat style. To be honest, the NUP could offer better benefits, but she had chosen Tianjing instead.

Zhou Naiyi noticed Li Hao. "Xiaotong, I just want to have a quick word with Li Hao; it won't take long."

"Naiyi, since we're already here, why don't we eat together?" Ye Tong suggested.

Zhou Naiyi didn't mind, and the two of them walked over. Ye Tong went straight to Zuo Xiaotang and smiled slightly, "Senior, could you please move over?"

Zuo Xiaotang was stunned for a moment before he jumped up, "No problem, please sit."

Ye Tong took a seat next to Li Hao, while Zhou Naiyi sat opposite him. The group wasn't quite sure what these two were up to, but Shengman greeted them warmly. She was from the Journalism Department and was quite familiar with Zhou Naiyi and also very interested in Ye Tong.

"Li Hao, Principal Long has reformed this year's selection mechanism for the Mecha Martial Tournament. I'll be leading one of the selected teams. Are you interested in joining?" Zhou Naiyi asked.

The people at the table were all stunned, and Li Hao was caught off guard. "Me? I think I'll pass. Our dorm already has Musashi, and that's enough."

"What if Principal Long specifically named you to join?" Zhou Naiyi stared at Li Hao, trying to discern something from his expression.

The old principal had transferred him from the Journalism Department to the Mecha Department, and now Principal Long was giving him this opportunity. Given Long Danni's personality, she clearly wasn't doing it as a favor to anyone—it seemed that there was something about Li Hao.

"Can I refuse?" Li Hao was puzzled. "What's going on here? Could it be..."

For some reason, Zhou Naiyi felt that Li Hao was avoiding something. Ever since she offered to help him train yesterday, she had sensed a certain disinterest… a perfunctory attitude.

Yes, it was perfunctory, and that made Zhou Naiyi feel a bit uncomfortable.

"No, you can't. It's a direct order from the principal. You have to participate, and whether you stay will depend on your performance," Zhou Naiyi said firmly.

Li Hao shrugged helplessly, "Class monitor, I can participate, but you know my situation. I often work overtime in the evenings, so my training time might not be very consistent."

For some reason, Ye Tong's eyes seemed to tighten, and she tapped her tray with a sharp knock, drawing everyone's attention.

Ye Tong smiled, "Senior, I'm really looking forward to being on the same team with you. With great power comes great responsibility. Sometimes, it's better to take the initiative."

Ye Tong's words clearly had a hidden meaning, but who was she referring to… Li Hao?

"Li Hao, you've been hiding things well. You always seem so uninterested in everything. Since when did you know Tong Shen?" Shengman asked curiously. Each of the 4396 had a distinct personality: Musashi was obsessed with martial arts and cared about nothing but training and getting stronger. She had even tried to set Musashi up with a girlfriend, but he didn't even go on the date—so rigid! Zuo Xiaotang was a hardcore otaku, yet he had a surprising talent for shooting. As for Li Hao, he was the one with the least presence. However, it was hard to ignore him—perhaps it was his inexplicable confidence and casual demeanor.

Ye Tong looked at Li Hao. "Senior, it seems like they don't know your true identity. It's been so many years, but your personality hasn't changed a bit."

Zhou Naiyi and the others put down their chopsticks, watching Li Hao and Ye Tong.

"Um, junior, is there some kind of misunderstanding?" Zuo Xiaotang couldn't help but interject. He knew about Li Hao's background—he had grown up in an orphanage and later attended some sort of training program. After that, he returned to enroll in Tianjing's preparatory class before being admitted to the Tianjing Mecha Martial Academy. The others were aware of this as well.

"Do you know about the Solar System's Apocalypse Youth Class?" Ye Tong asked.

"Who doesn't know about that? That youth class has practically become a legend. It was the only time the four major federations joined forces to create something, and all the participants became top-notch elites. Later, due to a major accident, the program was discontinued. Quite a prestigious name," Ma Long said. Many of the strong participants in this year's Mecha Martial Tournament had come from that youth class.

"Li Hao, should I say it, or will you?" Ye Tong said with a playful smile.

Li Hao was stunned and chuckled, "I wondered what this was about. Yes, I did participate in that youth class. Later, due to some incident, it was disbanded. That was years ago."

Clang…

Ma Long's spoon fell onto his plate, and everyone at the table stared at Li Hao in astonishment, especially Zhou Naiyi. She had wanted to join that class back then. Ordinary people might not know much about it, but it was highly regarded by the upper echelons of the federations. She had taken the test but was eliminated in the first round.

"Are you saying you know Maxis, the Lunar War God? You know Fan Liwei, the Heavenly King? You… were classmates with Bastar, the Wolf King of Mars?"