The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

As Jiang Hui and her group left their position to search for prey, they noticed the training field seemed strangely empty. Normally, there were people everywhere, making it easy to locate targets. But ever since they’d left the supply point, the whole field had fallen into a quiet lull; those who used to be easy to find were now hidden, reluctant to show themselves. This made their hunt much more challenging.

But that didn’t stop them—they had Huan Xian.

The group’s teamwork was only getting stronger. Despite their prey becoming more skilled at staying silent and hidden, with Huan Xian leading, they still managed to take down several small, temporary teams.

Each of them scored some points according to their needs. However, unlike before, they avoided going out of their way to collect the resources dropped by those eliminated. They no longer needed them.

Yes, they were now “bold” and even a bit “arrogant.”

In yet another skirmish, Jiang Hui focused on her firearm, easily taking down three contestants whose presence was clearly exposed nearby.

This was the fifth area they had scouted, and by now, it seemed unlikely they’d find any more “prey” within a few miles’ radius. With no need to maintain their previous formation, they regrouped.

“It’s a shame we can’t see our scores from here—yours must be off the charts. You must have taken down at least a dozen people just now; even Huan Xian hasn’t shot that many,” Zhou Xiuwen remarked, patting Jiang Hui’s shoulder with admiration.

He genuinely respected Jiang Hui. Her demeanor was calm, almost too unassertive, and she rarely seemed combative or aggressive outside of serious situations. But somehow, this unassuming person excelled in multiple ways, inspiring a quiet confidence in others.

Zhou Xiuwen felt lucky to have encountered someone like her, tagging along and building a friendship with Jiang Hui had been one of his better decisions.

“He’s letting me take the shots,” Jiang Hui said, glancing at Huan Xian. That seemed like the only explanation.

This guy clearly had some game-breaking abilities, with practically unfathomable shooting skills, yet he’d been playing laid-back the whole time. Meanwhile, she hadn’t held back—every target in range, she took the shot, focusing on racking up points and honing her skills.

“No, I wasn’t letting you,” Huan Xian denied flatly, shaking his head.

“Alright, alright, enough of you two praising each other,” Zhou Xiuwen interjected, laughing. “You’re just making me look even worse by comparison. And don’t go holding back for me either. Points would be wasted on me anyway. But have you two thought about aiming for the top three? I heard from my family that the prizes this time are pretty nice.”

“There are so many students in military programs; it’s hardly likely to be me,” Jiang Hui replied, shaking her head. “And anyway, sitting here guessing without seeing the leaderboard doesn’t do us much good.”

“So humble…” Zhou Xiuwen looked a bit thrown by her response. He’d assumed that people with Jiang Hui’s skill level would come in confident, aiming straight for the top.

Ever since they’d entered the training field, she’d displayed an intense desire to win, her whole body language radiating determination. He’d figured she was dead set on securing a high ranking.

But here she was, saying, “Maybe,” “Not sure,” and “Not expecting to win.” Was this humility or just a quiet confidence?

If it was humility, then it was almost too much, Zhou Xiuwen thought. After all, apart from a bit of a scuffle back at the supply point, no one had lasted a single round against her outside it. Seeing her downplay her odds in a field of military students almost made him feel a bit arrogant by comparison. Still, he had a gut feeling she’d make it to the top three. Not that he was bragging, but Zhou Xiuwen’s intuition was rarely wrong. They’d see, maybe in another ten or so hours. He was pretty sure Jiang Hui would be among the top ranks.

Meanwhile, Huan Xian remained quietly in the background, though the others didn’t mind; they’d gotten used to his pattern of slipping into a scouting mode to check their surroundings.

So when Huan Xian suddenly spoke up after a long silence, the two of them stopped their conversation, turning to him with a serious look.

“There’s something up, about three and a half kilometers southwest…”

They didn’t hesitate. After quickly gathering their things, they followed his lead in that direction.

Little did they know that this trip would drag them into a sizable brawl. Although they ended up swooping in at the right moment to claim victory, the intensity of that skirmish was something only they could fully understand.

“That was close—almost didn’t make it out. We’ve come this far; can’t afford to go down now,” Zhou Xiuwen said, clambering up from the ground, looking a bit too pleased with himself. Then he suddenly remembered that there could still be enemies lurking nearby. Acting so carefree was practically asking to be ambushed.

“The enemies are all dealt with,” Huan Xian reassured, glancing around. He seemed to have already scoped out the area, and he relaxed for a moment, then his expression changed as he turned to Jiang Hui.

During the recent chaotic skirmish, they had indeed played the role of the “hunters waiting for their moment,” but the opposing teams were no pushovers. They quickly realized something was wrong, and the situation devolved into a full-blown melee.

Luckily, they were the better team, while the others were caught off guard, losing the advantage. It took some effort, but they managed to take down those few squads—around a dozen enemies in total.

However, in one of the opposing teams, a skilled fighter, under the guise of attacking a nearby squad, had twice targeted their group, nearly taking Jiang Hui down. In the end, Jiang Hui reacted quickly enough to dodge but ended up hitting the ground hard, with all limbs sprawling.

But she’d stayed down for a while, longer than seemed normal. If her vest hadn’t indicated she hadn’t been hit, Huan Xian would’ve thought she’d been injured.

Finally, Jiang Hui began to slowly get back up, her movements looking mostly okay, her joints working fine… yet something seemed a bit off. Huan Xian noticed she shifted her balance three times just getting up, avoided the easiest spots for leverage, and even froze briefly mid-movement—a hint that something might be wrong.

Without hesitating, Huan Xian moved forward, offering her a hand to help.

Once Jiang Hui finally sat up, Huan Xian realized why she’d been moving so cautiously.