Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

“Uncle didn’t spend any credit points; this technique was recorded for me by Vice Commander Wang. He doesn’t charge for it,” Captain Lin said earnestly.

“My mother once said that a debt of gratitude is more precious. I’m sorry for putting you in a difficult position, Uncle,” Ruo Manni replied seriously.

Captain Lin smiled reassuringly. “Manni, don’t think too much about it. Uncle is just his subordinate, and in the future, being loyal and diligent in your duties is enough repayment.”

Ruo Manni understood that things weren’t so simple; there was no such thing as a free lunch. However, seeing Captain Lin’s attitude of “I’m the elder, you’re just a child, focus on your training,” she chose not to press further.

Gratitude is remembered in the heart, and it should be repaid when the opportunity and ability arise, rather than just spoken about.

Hard work always yields rewards. After less than two months of diligent training, Ruo Manni received her Level Two Mecha Manufacturing badge at the task hall in the game. Meanwhile, her warrior level also rose to late Level Three.

When Ruo Manni shared the good news with Mentor Fang and his wife, they were thrilled. That evening, they took her and their son, Lin Shangke, out for a celebratory meal and each gifted her a present.

Here, the differences between men and women were evident: Mentor Fang gifted her a beautiful dress, while Captain Lin presented her with a silver long whip.

What girl doesn’t like a beautiful dress? Ruo Manni was no exception. Even if she had little time to wear it, just having it filled her with pleasant anticipation, looking forward to wearing it on a nice outing someday.

However, for Ruo Manni, who was deeply immersed in her training, Captain Lin’s gift of the long whip brought her even more joy.

The silver whip handle was embedded with green gemstones, and the deep purple whip itself looked stunning, lacking the sharpness of swords, making it perfect for a girl to carry.

Yet Ruo Manni knew that this whip was entirely different from the one she had purchased for a thousand credit points; this one was crafted from the tendons of a Level Seven Ziyang beast and would cost at least fifty thousand credit points.

After some consideration, Ruo Manni realized that the contributions of her elders couldn’t be measured by their monetary value. If she were to repeatedly decline, it would only hurt their feelings. So she decided to keep it in her heart. She thanked them and happily accepted the gift.

Seeing her genuine and unpretentious happiness brought smiles of relief to Captain Lin and his wife. Elders appreciate seeing obedient and well-mannered children.

As the meal neared its end, Captain Lin mentioned that the entrance exam for the Xuan Gu First Military Academy was approaching and advised Mentor Fang and Ruo Manni not to let others know about her promotion to Level Two Mecha Maker—not even at school.

The assessment for the Mecha Guild could wait; it would be just fine to handle it after Ruo Manni successfully enrolled in the academy.

Captain Lin’s serious demeanor left both teacher and student a bit confused. When Mentor Fang pressed for a reason, Captain Lin merely waved his hand and refused to explain.

Seeing his expression, Ruo Manni sensed there was more to the story and chose not to press further. She trusted that Captain Lin’s decision was undoubtedly in her best interest.

Ruo Manni had an inkling of Captain Lin’s intentions. After returning home, she logged onto SkyNet and searched for relevant information based on her suspicions.

In the Gus Empire, for a Level One Mecha Maker to advance to Level Two, the fastest record, given sufficient credit points, was two years.

Ruo Manni had received her Level One Mecha Maker badge at the age of fourteen, and it had only been a year since. Now at fifteen, being a Level Two Mecha Maker, while not unheard of, was considered genius-level throughout the Gus Empire, especially on a low-tier planet like Topaz Star, where such talent appeared only once in several decades.

Currently, media outlets across the Gus Empire were digging up news about exam candidates. If Ruo Manni applied for her Level Two Mecha Maker certificate during this sensitive period, it would undoubtedly attract attention from the media on Topaz Star.

Ruo Manni guessed that Captain Lin was concerned about her background and felt that attracting such attention could negatively affect her exam preparation, hence his advice to keep a low profile.

This was undoubtedly for her benefit.

Otherwise, if her achievements were publicized, both Captain Lin and Mentor Fang would gain positive reputations, which could easily lead to personal gains, particularly for Captain Lin.

Ruo Manni appreciated Captain Lin’s genuine care. However, this could only be a temporary concealment. If she successfully enrolled in the Xuan Gu First Military Academy during the exam, her information would surely be uncovered by the media on Topaz Star.

But by then, she wouldn’t mind. As a young genius Mecha Maker, she figured that, aside from Aoi Dan, very few would harbor malice against her.

Without malice, there was no intent to kill. Ruo Manni believed that for the time being, Captain Lin could still protect her from being plotted against on Topaz Star.

At the Imperial Capital Star, students of the Xuan Gu First Military Academy could reside on campus regardless of holidays, making it difficult for Aoi Dan to carry out any schemes.

As long as she didn’t frequently leave the military academy, even if her talent for mecha-making attracted attention, anyone wanting to make a move would first need to find her.

By the time she graduated, she expected to have considerable strength. At that point, entering Captain Lin’s army on Topaz Star would make it even easier to avoid the calculations of powerful families.

Ruo Manni felt confident that becoming a Level Three Mecha Maker within a year was entirely feasible, and she could directly aim for that qualification.

This confidence stemmed from her strong mental power and the threefold bonus she received from earning gold coins in the game.

Without the pressure of credit points, Ruo Manni didn’t have to waste time earning them, allowing her to focus more on learning and practicing.

Although the days of training and studying were monotonous, time flew by, especially for someone like Ruo Manni, who had lofty goals. It felt like just a blink, and over two months had passed; the recruitment assessments for various military academies were about to begin.

Traditionally, the Xuan Gu First Military Academy held its exams first, followed by others.

With Mentor Fang’s reminder, the reborn Ruo Manni returned to school for the second time.

Seeing her emerge after two and a half months of seclusion, the instructors noticed that her warrior level had risen to the late third stage. All the mentors, upon learning of her adventurous experiences, felt a mix of joy and concern for this reckless girl.

Last month, the terrifying side effects of the second-generation gene serum were exposed. Up until that point, many people had died after taking the second-generation gene enhancement serum, leading to pharmaceutical companies being sued in court by the victims’ families. Due to the numerous deaths and devastation, the Supreme Council of the Gus Empire personally issued a ban on its sale.

Knowing that Ruo Manni had also used the second-generation serum, anyone who didn’t wish her harm couldn’t help but feel a chill for her, leading to her receiving a stern lecture.

“You must be blessed to have survived such a disaster,” Mentor Fang said, wiping the sweat from her brow. “With your current abilities, as long as you’re careful and avoid making mistakes, you should definitely be able to get into the Xuan Gu First Military Academy.”

“Remember, caution is the most important thing. Don’t get any wild ideas or try any tricks—stability is key,” Mentor Fang repeatedly advised. She felt that while the girl seemed quiet on the surface, her nature was innocent yet impulsive, which made her worry.

The dark underbelly of the private sales of the second-generation serum was truly frightening; the more Mentor Fang knew, the more afraid she became.

Half a month ago, due to the immense profits tied to the second-generation gene serum, the various factions involved were too powerful. After the ban on sales in the Gus Empire, the police forces on Topaz Star were insufficient to suppress the underground market’s influence. Consequently, Captain Lin personally directed his subordinates to cooperate with the police to capture the underground forces, which helped to bring the situation under control.