Chapter 513 - 156: Super Star Mecha and Spectating Drama (Part 3)
Upon reaching his nephew’s territory, he intended to pilot the mecha and unleash chaos.
During the journey, Admiral Bai never once showed a displeased face, and when others made mistakes, he refrained from scolding. Everyone felt as if they were basking in the warmth of spring.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t suppress his smile. His secretary reminded him several times that his two rows of teeth were showing, very prominently.
Not like someone who can’t contain their emotions at his age.
Admiral Bai shook his finger, "You wouldn’t understand." It was like while others were pedaling bicycles, he’d already found a way to soar into space.
The kind of smugness of having something others don’t is indescribable.
...
Meanwhile, Su Xiaocai went to find Wu Qingqing, right in time for the meal.
The vegetable farmers who would never miss a meal were obviously at the canteen.
The canteen, which could accommodate hundreds of thousands of people on the battleship, was naturally large, yet even so, they had to dine in batches.
In the corridors outside the canteen, there were stand-up tables available, so Su Xiaocai walked over, seeing many people dining while standing, the majority of them in military uniforms.
Soon enough, she found Wu Qingqing.
Hu Ping, beside Wu Qingqing, was being sneaky, taking advantage of Liu Xun’s conversation with Li Shanchun to secretly grab some beef brisket from Liu Xun’s plate.
He successfully speared a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth.
Liu Xun noticed some movement, turned his head, and oh boy, Hu Ping had snatched his biggest piece of meat.
"Brother Hu, you’re stealing my meat again." The military provides free meals, and if not enough, one can get more.
Getting more, however, requires waiting in line.
Hu Ping laughably ate a piece of meat from his own plate, an expert at bullying junior brothers.
The laugh was filled with slyness.
The handsome man turned into a walking meme.
Hu Ping waved his hand: "Xiao Susu, you’re finally out?"
Liu Xun immediately turned his head, seeing Su Xiaocai, feeling like he found his squad.
"Caicai, quick, yell at him, he stole my meat."
Su Xiaocai, speechless, said, "Can’t you guys learn something good?"
Hu Ping finished eating, "I’ve learned alright, you need energy after eating." He intended to make room for Su Xiaocai, but the stand-up table was designed for people over one meter seventy-five.
She got close to the table, and it was slightly taller than her chin.
Looking at it, Su Xiaocai was genuinely petite to the extreme.
Su Xiaocai frowned, "You did this on purpose, didn’t you?"
"Should I hold you while you eat? I won’t charge." Hu Ping displayed his robust muscles.
Su Xiaocai squinted with a smile: "Do you think I can’t train you, so you start messing around."
"Nah." Hu Ping toned down a bit. Coach Su’s smile was no ordinary matter.
"I’ll go get your meal."
"No need, you have bad intentions." Hu Ping had once served a large dish of fish mint to her, and a little bit she could tolerate, but a full plate was torturous for her tongue.
"Then Ji Heng and I will go train, join us later for a match, okay?"
"Okay."
Only Xing Miao and Wu Qingqing stayed behind, everyone else went to practice.
Xing Miao pinched her cheek, "Come, come, I’ll take you to the special dining area, reserved for some professors."
As professors are gentle and can’t compete with soldiers.
Though there were no esteemed professors aboard this battleship, the space was still reserved, and Su Xiaocai was the one receiving special treatment. Her small stature made her look like a schoolchild.
While she was a formidable presence online, in reality, she resembled a little kid, with a stark contrast.
No one underestimated her, but they couldn’t associate her with "battle prowess," or "impressive" and similar terms.
Passing military officers always showed her indulgent smiles.
It was rare to see such a cute little one on a battleship; she was just like a child.
Su Xiaocai discovered, quite woefully, that the meal station windows were also quite high, requiring her to tiptoe to see what was available.
Everyone watched her hop up to check the dishes, then she took two plates, Xing Miao did the same, and Wu Qingqing followed suit.
All helped Su Xiaocai take her meals.
The canteen auntie knew her, instructed by higher-ups to give the smallest child whatever amount of food she wanted without leaving her hungry.
Su Xiaocai pointed out what she wanted, and they gave extras, the meat portion being twice that of others.
She ate six large plates alone, such an appetite shocking many people.
Su Xiaocai ate unfazed, while Xing Miao and Wu Qingqing sat nearby, "Caicai, did you see anyone from Tairuo?"
"No, why?"
"They’re a bit annoying, the second squad reportedly composed of young masters, and their team mechas are all Star Level Mechas." Wu Qingqing said softly, "They bullied a girl on the first day. She’s a maintenance master from a school, a bit overweight."
"How’s her ability?"
"Average, relying mainly on mecha enhancement and brute force pushing. Ranked just at ten thousand and three."
Su Xiaocai understood; those ranked from one to ten thousand two opted out after getting lucky, allowing them in.
After the rankings were released, surely there’d be some antics.
Solved with money, it seemed disgraceful.
Su Xiaocai curiously asked: "Did Tairuo’s first squad not stop them? What about their coach?"
"No, Tairuo’s first squad looks down on them, it seems like they don’t like to hang with the first squad either."
Two squads from the same school having animosity is quite rare.
Su Xiaocai: "Did they provoke you guys?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Wu Qingqing said pitifully, "They called us sneaky, constantly scheming, and poor, without custom mechas."
"Poor?"
Calling the Wu Family poor? Who on Capital Star doesn’t know the Wu Family now?
Seeing Su Xiaocai’s puzzled face, Wu Qingqing explained: "My family may be famous in the Capital Star’s business circle, but on other Commercial Stars, not so much."
"That’s fake poverty, not real poverty." Su Xiaocai was baffled why the vegetable farmers imagined Wu Qingqing couldn’t afford custom mechas with her as their sponsor coach.
It might be a deliberate provocation.
"Didn’t you have the impulse to challenge them in a fight?"
"Brother Ji outright said to ignore them," ignoring is more damaging than bickering.
Every vegetable farmer was rational; Su Xiaocai warned them if they became too impulsive, unable to control their emotions, they shouldn’t train with her.
What she needed were teammates who could remain calm at all times. Training everyone to become commanders served this purpose, to think more.
Commanders are among the most difficult to provoke with anger.
Others might call them cowards, but mature-minded people prefer intelligence, emotional stability, a quality every captain and commander should possess.
Thus, Tairuo couldn’t provoke the vegetable farmers.
Even if they shouted that vegetable farmers were cowards, vegetable farmers faced it with nonchalance.
"They call us cowards, we inwardly laugh at them for not even matching cowards."
Thinking this way is correct; had the vegetable farmers immediately taken up the challenge.
The ones to be looked down upon would be the vegetable farmers.
Su Xiaocai’s seclusion drama was the most intense, other gossips seemed trivial, so Xing Miao and Wu Qingqing simply didn’t bring them up.
Just about done eating, Senior Sister Fu appeared, hopping over and hugging Wu Qingqing from behind, "Qingqing Junior Sister."
Su Xiaocai looked up, Senior Sister Fu reached out and couldn’t resist checking her cheeks, "Hello, Coach Su."
How audacious, claiming she’s their coach but treating her like anything but.
She had three large bottles of milk, and Xing Miao handed her a long straw.
Senior Sister Fu’s eyes twitched as she watched her sip through the straw; the milk bottle, seven hundred plus milliliters, was emptied in less than thirty seconds. She unscrewed the second bottleneck, swapped the straw for another bottle of milk, this time sipping slower, but not by much.
Resolved within a minute.
Then the third bottle.
Senior Sister Fu looked down at her belly, worried she’d burst, "Drink slowly, there’s more."
Su Xiaocai nodded, "Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh."
She planned to carry on drinking while checking out Hu Ping’s training.
On the battleship, they mainly conducted physical training to maintain good fitness.
Once Su Xiaocai stood up, many around followed suit.
