Gold Medal 567

"Wow, what a shock! We've been in the same dorm for a year, and the only thing I knew about him was that he's the gold medal delivery guy for Bifen Pizza... no wonder, if I were the principal, I'd definitely transfer Li Hao from the Journalism Department to the Mech Department too."

But wait, why did he even apply to the Journalism Department in the first place?

Zhou Naiyi also realized something, and she suspected that Li Hao must have made a pretty serious mistake, one that made Principal Long want to use him but also keep some distance.

The others at the table started to speculate wildly, their thoughts full of curiosity, but Li Hao himself just shrugged nonchalantly. "What's the big deal? It's not like you guys are watching some stranger. I got lucky and was selected, then got into a fight with some Moon people, messed things up, but it's all in the past. They've probably forgotten about me by now."

Li Hao spoke casually, but no one around him could relax. The Moon people were in charge of the venue and funding for the whole project. The four major federations selected the best young talents for a program called the "Apocalypse" plan. The details were unknown, but only about 5,000 people in the Solar System were selected, and only 600 officially joined the youth program. The elimination rate was extremely high. Even those who were eliminated were top-tier in their respective fields, meaning Li Hao had not only been selected but had remained in the program.

Ma Long licked his dry lips. "So, what field were you selected for?"

"Uh, I think it was Starships and Mechs," Li Hao replied, taking a bite of meat and secretly slipping a piece onto Zuo Xiaotang's plate.

This time, the people around the table had nothing more to say. Even if Li Hao kept his eyes closed, it would be hard to imagine him being at the bottom of the list.

Just then, a cheerful voice interrupted them. "Hey, you're all here! That's perfect, I won't have to look for you guys." A group of people suddenly appeared beside Li Hao and the others. "Naiyi, I'd like to talk to you."

It was Gao Yunfeng, the captain of the Tianjing representative team. This year, he was in his fourth year at the Mech Department. Before the Solar System Mech Competition, he was considered a shining star with limitless potential. However, the poor overall performance this time had a significant impact on him, making this year an opportunity for a comeback.

"Gao Yunfeng, just get to the point," Zhou Naiyi said flatly. After the last competition, she had distanced herself from him. Their views were completely different, and they had nothing in common anymore.

Gao Yunfeng was slightly taken aback but maintained a soft tone. "Naiyi, the matter we need to discuss is very important. It concerns the future of Tianjing."

"Gao Yunfeng, you shouldn't be ruining Tianjing's future. What kind of mess was that in the S-Competition? You all were too cowardly. If I were you, I would've quit already," Ma Long said bluntly. Gao Yunfeng was a rival, having also pursued Sheng Man. At first, they were both on equal footing, but after learning about Gao Yunfeng's past, Sheng Man decisively chose Ma Long. Over the past year, Gao Yunfeng had used his position as student council president to make Ma Long's life harder.

For instance, his photography club had been sabotaged by Gao Yunfeng, forcing him to recruit enough new members or face its disbandment.

"Ma Long, how can you talk to a senior like that? Didn't you learn your lesson last time?" Zhao Zhihan mocked, his eyes still fixed on Ye Tong.

Ye Tong, however, was just eating her meal. As a newcomer, she wasn't aware of the tensions between them.

"Zhao Zhihan, if you want to fight, I'll be happy to oblige!" Musashi stood up and said in a deep voice.

Zhao Zhihan was a bit intimidated. Musashi had built a formidable reputation in the Mech Department over the past year—he was tough, aggressive, and fearless.

"Musashi, this isn't your business. Stay out of it. Ma Long, if you're a man, come out and fight me one-on-one. I'm always ready," Zhao Zhihan shouted, his bravado weak beneath the surface.

"One-on-one? What are we fighting over, looks? You should go get plastic surgery—no amount of genetic adjustments can help you!"

Gao Yunfeng saw Ye Tong and intervened, stopping Zhao Zhihan from escalating the situation. He knew Ye Tong was the new talent the principal was trying to recruit and gave a slight smile. "This is Ye Tong, right? I hope you'll join my team. Together, we can build the strongest Tianjing team. Naiyi, last time we had some misunderstandings, but that's behind us now. I hope you'll reconsider joining the team this year, and we'll make up for the past failures!"

As a fourth-year student, Gao Yunfeng wasn't easily provoked, and he needed to secure strong players like Ye Tong, Zhou Naiyi, and Musashi to have a shot at advancing through USE.

After finishing his steak, Ye Tong wiped her lips, then suddenly turned to Li Hao. "Li Hao, what do you think? Which team should I join?"

...

Everyone turned to look at the quiet figure—Li Hao? There was someone like him in Tianjing Mech?

"Junior, you should decide for yourself. If you want my opinion, I think Naiyi would be the better choice," Li Hao said.

"Alright, I'll go with your suggestion," Ye Tong replied indifferently.

Gao Yunfeng furrowed his brow, clearly confused. How could someone like Li Hao have such an influence on Ye Tong? "Li Hao, you should join my team with Ye Tong. This is a huge honor for you, and it will help you immensely after graduation. If Ye Tong agrees, I can offer you special treatment."

Before Li Hao could respond, Ma Long burst out laughing. "What honor? Your team is a joke! Did you know Li Hao was a member of the Solar System Apocalypse Youth Class? A full-fledged member!"

Gao Yunfeng and the others were stunned. Zhao Zhihan immediately burst into laughter. "Him? If he's part of the Apocalypse Youth Class, then I'm the president of the Solar System Alliance!"

"Li Hao is indeed a member of the Apocalypse Youth Class, but you're not," Ye Tong said with an innocent look, her gaze full of disdain as she stared at Zhao Zhihan.

The cafeteria fell silent. The Apocalypse Youth Class—many of the most powerful individuals in the Solar System had this label. To think there was someone from that class right here in Tianjing Mech?

While others had little credibility, Ye Tong's identity carried weight.

Gao Yunfeng gave Li Hao a deep, thoughtful look. "Let's go."

A group of them hurried out, and it was clear that the name "Apocalypse Youth Class" held incredible pressure. Even Gao Yunfeng, who had never been intimidated, hesitated when faced with this reputation.

"Come on, guys, it's all ancient history. Don't make such a big deal out of it. People will misunderstand," Li Hao said helplessly once they had left.

"Brother Hao, what happened? The big shot from the Apocalypse Youth Class ended up like this?" Once everyone was gone, Ma Long leaned in and whispered. It was a question on everyone's mind.

"It's all old news. I got into trouble during a fight and got disciplined. Let's not dwell on it. I'm fine now. Class leader, I won't hold anyone back, but I really don't have much free time," Li Hao said with a smile.

Ye Tong kept her eyes on Li Hao, knowing a bit about the incident that had been sealed away. Only a few people knew the full details, and she happened to be one of them. She was even involved to some extent.

"Captain, leave Li Hao to me. Don't worry, I'll help him get back on track," Ye Tong volunteered. "Please take care of him from now on."

Li Hao nodded. Ye Tong... That surname wasn't one he remembered from the incident, though. It was strange, especially since she was with USE. It made no sense that he didn't recognize her. How odd.

That meal became big news within Tianjing Mech. It turned out that there was a member of the Apocalypse Youth Class hidden here, someone who had fallen from grace. After all, the Apocalypse Youth Class was from years ago, and stories like "Zhang Zhongying's downfall" weren't unusual. If he were really that amazing, he would have risen to prominence by now.

Excitement aside, the start of the semester was busy. Zhou Naiyi and Ye Tong had their own matters to attend to, Musashi was focused on training—nothing could disturb his rigorous schedule. Ma Long and Sheng Man were rekindling their romance, naturally spending time on more private matters.

Li Hao, however, was very busy too.

"Li Hao, two seafood pizzas from District 96, five Orleans chicken leg pizzas. Hurry up, you're our ace."

"Got it, boss. Mission complete, Gold Medal 567, heading out now!"

Li Hao, fully dressed, expertly packed the pizzas, donned his helmet, and walked out to his old, slightly battered electric scooter.

"Boss, when are you going to get me a better one?" This delivery scooter was old, and sometimes it even ran out of power.

"Wait until you become the boss. Now, get going!" the bald boss waved a fork at him.

"Got it, boss."

Li Hao quickly went off to make the delivery. He wasn't lying to Zhou Naiyi—he was indeed a busy working man.