Could he gain some benefits by subduing Qin Yi? The young man's mind began to stir.
Chǔ Jūnguī established a model within his logic judgment module, attempting to analyze what benefits could be gained from suddenly subduing Qin Yi and what the probabilities were for each.
The model began to run, a horizontal tree diagram rapidly branching out, with new branches constantly expanding. When the options reached dozens, the model's operation began to slow, and then gradually fell silent.
Chǔ Jūnguī's head started to ache from the rapid calculation, so he quickly reduced the resources allocated to the model and meticulously re-examined the model's construction, looking for the problem. If the test subject's brain was having trouble calculating, this model must be faulty somewhere.
Upon inspection, Chǔ Jūnguī discovered that the biggest problem lay in judging human hearts. Variables became exceptionally numerous here, and the calculations were particularly complex.
For example, after slapping Qin Yi down, there could be dozens of psychological reactions, ranging from wanting unending revenge to immediately bowing in submission, all were possible. Each psychological reaction, combined with different environmental factors, would then generate different behavioral responses. For instance, even if his inner thought was to bow, he might still speak harshly to cover up his inner shyness.
Chǔ Jūnguī's headache grew, and for the first time, he felt that human hearts were too complex, and the hearts of the rich were even more complex.
Thus, the first attempt at constructing a psychological analysis model ended in failure.
Chǔ Jūnguī thought for a moment, then added the prefix "Xinzheng" before the "4.0" above Qin Yi's head and changed the color to yellow.
Qin Yi, unaware that he had gone from red name to yellow name, drove while recounting his heroic past.
He chattered on the entire way. As Chǔ Jūnguī listened, he subconsciously matched and compared the received information with his known data. The matching analysis yielded no results. The major battles Qin Yi mentioned had indeed occurred, but Qin Yi's name was absent from the battle reports. This meant Qin Yi had not played a crucial role in them.
Qin Yi was currently summarizing, "In short, in the end, I arrived at the right place at the right time and eliminated the key enemy, and that's how we won the battle."
"Hmm, a grunt charging forward..." Chǔ Jūnguī reached a rather unkind conclusion.
Although the data matching yielded no results, Chǔ Jūnguī arrived at an unexpected conclusion related to age.
According to rather unscientific statistical analysis, people who frequently reminisce about the past tend to be older psychologically and physiologically.
Thus, Chǔ Jūnguī looked at Qin Yi and began to seriously ponder his age. Thirty? Or forty?
The car finally reached its destination and stopped in front of a quiet building. Qin Yi finally ceased his endless reminiscing and led Chǔ Jūnguī towards the building.
A display screen stood in front of the building, bearing the inscription: "Special Environment Combat Research Institute."
Chǔ Jūnguī felt a sense of awe once again.
Special environments generally referred to all sorts of extreme conditions, such as high temperature, high pressure, high radiation, or darkness, strong electromagnetic interference, underwater, or swarms of venomous insects, etc. Those who could not only survive but also fight in such environments were the top of the top. Those who could research such matters must be people capable of instructing such experts.
This, then, was the Source of the Version.
Chǔ Jūnguī followed Qin Yi inside and upstairs. As they entered, it seemed like nothing, but Chǔ Jūnguī felt several invisible rays sweep past, quietly completing a scan.
Security measures that seemed lax but were actually tight were fitting for the identity of this building.
The building was quiet, with researchers occasionally passing by quickly without even glancing at them.
"Researchers are so aloof..." Chǔ Jūnguī's anticipation grew even more.
Qin Yi arrived at a security door. After verifying his physiological and electronic identity, the door opened. Beyond it was another security door; only after the outer door closed would the inner door open.
This time, the security measures were even stricter. Chǔ Jūnguī's physiological and electronic identity were also collected, and only after Qin Yi's confirmation did the inner door slowly open.
With a "bang," a strong laser beam shot through the gap in the door and onto Chǔ Jūnguī's face, instantly making him see stars. Then, a deep bass beat rumbled, shaking his combat suit into ripples.
Chǔ Jūnguī finally regained his composure and looked in astonishment at the people drinking and dancing vigorously to loud music and dazzling lasers.
He never would have imagined that within the research building, which appeared so simple and solemn on the outside, hidden behind layers of security measures, was a incredibly lively bar, and not just a few people.
"What are you waiting for? Let's go in!"
Qin Yi pushed Chǔ Jūnguī into the hall and went straight to a central booth, sitting down in the middle. Several people were already there. Chǔ Jūnguī looked around; half of the troublemakers were present, along with a few unfamiliar faces.
"Boss, what would you like to drink?" a waitress approached and asked.
To Chǔ Jūnguī's dismay, this waitress was wearing an academy-standard portable terminal on her wrist, clearly indicating she was also a formal student. Judging by her walk, she was graceful yet agile, and her skills should be good. However, her practiced movements and way of speaking clearly showed she was serious about being a waitress.
"You again," Fāng Yù walked over, sat down next to Chǔ Jūnguī, and casually draped an arm around his shoulder.
With a "snap," Qin Yi tapped her hand with a spoon, saying, "Take your paw off! Don't scare Jūnguī, can't you see he's frozen?"
"Oh really?" Fāng Yù withdrew her hand and, as she did, stroked Chǔ Jūnguī's face.
Chǔ Jūnguī remained motionless like a statue, indeed frozen.
"He really is, haha!"
Qin Yi looked left and right, asking, "Where's Ā Chēn? Where's Sū Xuě? Where did those two run off to?"
"They had something come up and couldn't make it today."
Qin Yi frowned, "What could be more important than drinking?"
"Ā Chēn recently developed a new business, and it's at a critical stage. I heard he's researched a brand-new repayment model that can make most defaulters obediently pay up."
Qin Yi's interest was immediately piqued, and he asked, "What method is it, and is it effective?"
Fāng Yù leaned over Chǔ Jūnguī and whispered something into Qin Yi's ear.
Qin Yi slapped his thigh and praised, "So it's only... oh, never mind! That's great! How did that kid come up with that?"
Fāng Yù snorted, "Honestly, I felt like shooting him at the time."
Qin Yi said carelessly, "No need! Think about it, there are countless student loans of various names in the academy. For almost any normal need, you can borrow money. You can imagine what kind of people would go to Ā Chēn to borrow money."
"That's true," Fāng Yù nodded.
"Um..." Chǔ Jūnguī finally spoke.
Fāng Yù looked down, "What is it?"
"You've been leaning on me this whole time."
Chapter 30: Linghu Chong
Fāng Yù returned to her original position, her hand still resting on Chǔ Jūnguī's shoulder, saying, "Just getting a little benefit, what are you nervous about? Unconvinced? Fine, when you can beat me, I naturally won't touch you. What do you say, want to try now?"
"No," Chǔ Jūnguī shook his head.
What was there to try? They were on completely different levels. As long as he had a close-quarters weapon like a heavy machine gun, he could completely dominate Fāng Yù no matter how many times she came.
"Alright, I can't bear to bully you anymore." Fāng Yù evidently understood he meant something else.
Beside them, Qin Yi raised his wine glass and said loudly, "Welcome Jūnguī, come, everyone first drinks... drink as much as you want."
"Linghu Chong?" someone suggested.
"No problem!" Qin Yi replied readily, picked up the wine bottle, and poured it into the decanter. In a moment, a decanter was placed before each person.
Chǔ Jūnguī was still matching and searching for the meaning of the name Linghu Chong when a decanter was stuffed into his hand. He imitated the others, picked up the decanter, and drank it down in one gulp, suddenly understanding what "Linghu Chong" meant.
After a decanter of strong liquor went down, Qin Yi exhaled and said, "Jūnguī, give me your hand."
Before Chǔ Jūnguī could react, Qin Yi grabbed his hand, opened his personal terminal, and read the account information.
On the screen in Qin Yi's hand, rows of numbers scrolled by, finally totaling a balance of -113,655 yuan.
This long string of red numbers sobered him up considerably. He frowned, "This much debt? In just one day?"
Qin Yi began to check the specific income and expenditure information of the account. Upon seeing that besides the initial subsidy, Chǔ Jūnguī's account had only increased by 2015 after one trip home, Qin Yi frowned, already understanding something of Chǔ Jūnguī's family circumstances.
Looking further down, the expenditure items were all academy benefits. These so-called benefits were actually discounted, but each still cost money.
As a formal student of Can Shang Academy, each person had a credit limit of 150,000, used to pay for various supplies and benefits purchased from the academy or for tuition fees. While this sum might be insignificant in Qin Yi's eyes, he knew very well what it meant to Chǔ Jūnguī.
Qin Yi looked up and glared fiercely at Fāng Yù. Fāng Yù looked visibly guilty, turned her face away, and didn't dare to look at him, slowly trying to move away.
"Come back, sit properly."
Fāng Yù obediently returned, sitting close to Chǔ Jūnguī, like a naughty primary school student.
"Jūnguī's matter..."
Before Qin Yi could finish, Fāng Yù immediately interjected, "I'll pay it back!"
"You don't need to meddle!" Qin Yi glared at her again.
Fāng Yù glanced at Chǔ Jūnguī somewhat nervously. Seeing his bewildered expression, her heart settled slightly.
Qin Yi said sternly, "Jūnguī, Fāng Yù is a bit thoughtless, don't take it to heart. However, I've looked at the benefits she chose for you; they are all necessary for the future, so keep them for now. As for the money, you can owe it for now, and I'll apply for an interest-free loan for you. Don't worry about earning money; I'll arrange it for you right now. Fāng Yù!"
"Boss, yes," perhaps because she had made a mistake, Fāng Yù was exceptionally obedient.
"Don't you have a work-study program? Get Jūnguī in on it."
"That program? The core or the periphery?"
"Of course, the core."
Fāng Yù glanced at Chǔ Jūnguī worriedly and hesitated, "The core might be a bit dangerous."
"If he's not tempered properly, his danger will be even greater by year's end," Qin Yi said coldly.
"Alright, I'll take good care of him."
Qin Yi clapped Chǔ Jūnguī on the shoulder, saying, "Alright, you have a place to earn money. Now, let's drink!"
No longer worrying about money for the time being, Chǔ Jūnguī put his worries aside and began to drink. He didn't understand drinking etiquette, just imitated others, accepting every offer, and then toasted anyone who toasted him three times more. In the blink of an eye, his consciousness began to feel hazy.
He suddenly remembered a question and asked as it came to him, "Isn't this a research institute? Why is there a bar here?"
"This isn't a bar; it's a training base."
Chǔ Jūnguī had already called out "Linghu Chong" countless times by now, his brain's processing speed had dropped a notch, and he couldn't react immediately. This was clearly a bar; what did it have to do with a training base?
Qin Yi's eyes were already a bit glazed. He beckoned to Fāng Yù and said, "You explain it to him."
Fāng Yù hooked her arm around Chǔ Jūnguī and pulled him closer, pointing to the bar counter and the dance floor ahead, saying, "Wherever there are gatherings of people, there will be bars; this is a very common special scenario. Many target individuals in missions appear here. So, the academy built a dedicated bar to train how to eliminate or capture specific targets using various means in such environments. Everyone you see here, from customers to cleaners, are students in disguise. We are training now, not drinking, understand?"
"So it's for training," Chǔ Jūnguī realized.
"Clever!"
But looking at the guys in the booths who were already swaying, Chǔ Jūnguī still felt like they were just there to drink.
Before he could figure it out, Fāng Yù leaned in close, sloshing the decanter in her hand in front of Chǔ Jūnguī, and said, "Training has begun! Come on, Linghu Chong!"
Training was serious business. Chǔ Jūnguī trained earnestly, his face turning red and his consciousness blurring in no time.
After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly broke out in a sweat and woke up. The first thing he saw was a pair of snowy white legs pressed against him.
Chǔ Jūnguī steadied himself and saw they were Fāng Yù's legs. She herself was sprawled on the sofa, fast asleep.
Looking to his left, Qin Yi was also completely passed out from drinking.
On the table in front of them, empty wine bottles were piled high. No one in this booth was sober.
The servers seemed accustomed to it, continuing to attend to the other patrons who were still conscious.
Chǔ Jūnguī rubbed his head, checked the time; it was already three in the morning.
Yueyong Star was similar to the Mother Planet, with 26 hours in a day. 3 AM was when most people were deeply asleep. Chǔ Jūnguī wanted to return to his dormitory, but first, there was no transportation, and second, he was somewhat worried about these guys who were dead drunk. So he just sat there. Not long after, the effects of the alcohol surged, and he too fell into a deep sleep.
After an unknown period, a voice calling his name woke Chǔ Jūnguī from his slumber.
"Jūnguī! Wake up, it's time to get up!"
Chǔ Jūnguī opened his eyes and saw Fāng Yù's face close to his, her beautiful large eyes occupying almost his entire vision.
"I'm fine."
"Still saying you're fine? With such a low alcohol tolerance, don't challenge me again. " Fāng Yù patted Chǔ Jūnguī, saying earnestly.
Chǔ Jūnguī's impression was that she had passed out first last night, so why did she seem to have forgotten everything that happened?
"No!" A sudden roar came from beside him, followed by muffled sobs.
Chǔ Jūnguī turned his head and saw Qin Yi lying on the sofa, clenching his fists, his whole body trembling. Tears streamed down from his tightly closed eyes.
Fāng Yù sighed, "The boss is thinking about his comrades again. In that battle, only half of them returned. You'll know later, the boss always gets like this when he drinks too much."
Chapter 31: Student Loan Program
"Let's go, I'll take you back to your dormitory and tell you about that project," Fāng Yù dragged Chǔ Jūnguī up. Ignoring everyone else, she led him away from the research building and back to the dormitory.
Soon, Fāng Yù's car entered the second campus. Her car seemed special; the checkpoints along the way automatically recognized and cleared it.
After the car stopped below the dormitory building, Fāng Yù said to Chǔ Jūnguī, "Won't you invite me up for a drink?"
"Can't drink anymore, can you?" Chǔ Jūnguī didn't want another headache.
Fāng Yù laughed heartily and said, "Then I'll be going. Don't forget about the project, report back in three days."
"Don't worry."
Fāng Yù didn't linger and sped away.
Chǔ Jūnguī checked the time; it was only seven in the morning, two hours before class. He returned to his dormitory, took a shower first, and then sat at his desk, brought up his personal terminal, and began creating a schedule and study plan.
On the way back, Fāng Yù had already given Chǔ Jūnguī a general overview of the project's content.
As a military academy founded in the border starfield, Can Shang Academy placed great importance on practical combat training, perhaps to an obsessive degree. The academy organized countless practical training exercises of various scales, including numerous survival training sessions for a hundred people on alien planets, not to mention the myriad of tests and assessments within the academy.
Can Shang Academy had over three hundred practical training grounds. These included training fields simulating various planetary surfaces, terrains, and landscapes, as well as those simulating various cities, villages, and ruins. There were even special training halls for combat in simulated zero-gravity space environments.
Can Shang Academy placed particular emphasis on teamwork, which was also in line with the style of the Great Tang Dynasty. Many team or student assessments were conducted through practical combat tests. The results not only affected academic grades but also directly determined their post-graduation assignments. Some outstanding students, after only two academic years, would be reservated by Xinzheng's elite troops, and there were even cases of being directly recruited by Celestial Dynasty forces.
Practical combat tests often required an opposing force to simulate combat scenarios under various environments. Fāng Yù was responsible for organizing such opposing forces.
The so-called opposing force was established to test the combat effectiveness of the assessed units. Volunteers were paid a certain remuneration based on the mission content of different combat scenarios. Although the amounts varied, overall, they were quite generous; a basic assessment could yield thousands of yuan.
There was a reason for the generous remuneration. Many practical combat exams required the assessed units to annihilate the enemy, meaning that as a member of the opposing force, one would most likely take an electric shock round, and one might not even be enough. The feeling was unpleasant; who would be willing to endure such hardship without sufficient compensation?
Furthermore, in some survival battles, the attacking side would often use heavy equipment to test their combined combat capabilities. As the enemy force defending positions, their emplacements might be raked by heavy artillery. In such scenarios, there would be certain casualty quotas.
Fāng Yù had a practical combat assessment scheduled in three days. The combat scenario was an infantry position attack and defense. The enemy force, to which Chǔ Jūnguī would belong, was to defend a high ground, relying on pre-constructed positions to counter the assessed team's offense. In this combat scenario, the assessed team had nearly two hundred people, while Chǔ Jūnguī's side had only thirty people and no heavy weapons.
Among various assessments, this scenario was considered moderately difficult for the opposing force.
Fāng Yù was initially worried that Chǔ Jūnguī might be intimidated and refuse, but surprisingly, Chǔ Jūnguī agreed immediately. The reason was quite simple: upon hearing that the remuneration for this battle was fifteen hundred, Chǔ Jūnguī stopped listening to anything else.
Having accepted the job, he naturally had to do it well. After opening his personal information terminal, Chǔ Jūnguī began to review materials related to position attack and defense.
As the defending party, Chǔ Jūnguī could only use light weapons, and the types were limited. The most powerful was a platoon-level medium-caliber heavy machine gun, followed by light machine guns, assault rifles, and high-precision assault rifles. There were no indirect fire weapons or other support fire.
After understanding the content, Chǔ Jūnguī found two courses in the curriculum materials: Basic Light Weapon Combat and Intermediate Light Weapon Combat. He then habitually checked the version numbers and found that the basic version was 2.1, while the intermediate version was 2.0. For publicly taught courses, these version numbers were quite high, indicating at least one fundamental major revision had occurred.
However, after Qin Yi's guidance, Chǔ Jūnguī looked at the version numbers more carefully this time and indeed saw the marks of Xinzheng and Can Shang Academy in the description. This meant that both versions were developed by Xinzheng based on the Celestial Dynasty's 1.0 version, and could not be compared to the Celestial Dynasty's own 2.0.
Over the next two days, in addition to the basic Armored Combat he had already chosen, Chǔ Jūnguī added Basic Light Weapon Combat to his schedule.