The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

Seeing the boy jump out from the bushes in a disheveled state, Huan Xian’s expression remained indifferent. He didn’t bother to step forward, simply maintaining his stance as he fixed his gaze on the target who had emerged on his own.

Although the other seemed to have accepted Huan Xian’s terms, he was still on high alert. His eyes showed a hint of resignation, but his posture made it clear that he remained wary, like someone who had reluctantly given in but was still a bit unwilling.

“You have two star minutes and twenty two star seconds left,” Huan Xian said. “I can choose not to eliminate you.”

Xierman was still trying to process what was going on.

What was this guy talking about? Star minutes and seconds? Why was he reporting numbers now? He had just threatened to eliminate him, and now he was suddenly saying he could spare him… What?

Was this person actually offering him a chance to avoid elimination? And giving him a time limit? So… this was an invitation to join his team?

The time limit made sense now. If he couldn’t prove himself or didn’t do something to impress the other within those two star minutes, he’d lose this chance to join—and in just under three star minutes, he’d be eliminated.

“Two star minutes and seventeen star seconds,” the other reminded him calmly.

Ugh! How was he supposed to make a good impression right now? Couldn’t this guy speak a little more clearly? Anyone would be rattled in a situation like this, especially with a ticking clock adding pressure. Who could think straight?

Fine, whatever. Xierman had already accepted the possibility of getting eliminated. If he happened to match what this big shot was looking for, great—he wouldn’t have to exit, and he might even get a free ride by joining their team.

But what did “making an impression” even mean here? Did they want him to pull out his gun and fire a shot to prove himself? Not only would that look like he was resisting, likely earning him a shot on the spot, but with Xierman’s poor shooting skills, there was no guarantee the guy would even find him worth keeping around.

Although Xierman still couldn’t understand why this person, who had effortlessly taken out the other targets, would spare him and then unexpectedly offer him an invitation to join his team, he decided to go with it.

Gritting his teeth, Xierman went with a simple, honest introduction: “My name is Aier Xierman, from Class One, Single Combat Division…”

Huan Xian was momentarily dumbfounded. What was that? He’d imagined all kinds of responses from the guy, perhaps some convincing words or a display of confidence to accept the invitation. But a grade-school-style introduction? That was not what he’d expected.

This guy was even more clueless than Zhou Xiuwen.

At first, Huan Xian had found Xierman interesting enough, especially with his stealth abilities. He had nearly managed to evade even Huan Xian’s sharp senses. That rare skill had piqued Huan Xian’s curiosity, making him consider whether this guy might be a good addition to their team. But now he wondered if he’d misjudged the situation.

In the beginning, Huan Xian hadn’t planned on bringing anyone else into their team. The three of them had solid shooting skills; even Zhou Xiuwen, the least skilled, could handle follow-up shots well enough. With Huan Xian’s own capabilities and Jiang Hui’s strategic planning, the trio had been able to handle nearly any enemy without much trouble.

More importantly, the three had already gone through several challenging situations together and built a strong sense of teamwork. Introducing an outsider could disrupt their cohesion, and Huan Xian didn’t want to risk that.

But why did he suddenly consider adding another member? Because of Jiang Hui.

Jiang Hui was injured—and it wasn’t a minor wound. An injury to the legs would inevitably affect her performance. Huan Xian knew she could endure the pain and push through, but the threats in the competition would only escalate. If they encountered a more dangerous situation, her injury would prevent her from escaping as easily as she might need to.

He’d also noticed Jiang Hui’s intense desire to win. Her determination for victory was stronger than anyone else’s on the team. It wasn’t something he could detect directly; it was more of an intuitive feeling, like an undercurrent he’d picked up on. Her ambition was fierce yet quietly concealed.

So be it. After everything they’d been through, Jiang Hui had always supported them without hesitation, never asking for anything in return. Now, it was his turn to step up.

Since she wants to win, he would help her do just that.

The top priority was to find two more people and form a full team of four. This would give Jiang Hui three chances to survive—essentially, three opportunities for error. Huan Xian was confident she could make good use of such a rare advantage.

But he might have misjudged his latest recruit. This new teammate didn’t seem to be the brightest… Would adding him actually end up slowing them down? Huan Xian thought about it seriously and concluded that—

“Xierman?” Someone suddenly spoke, clearly surprised after hearing the rather amusing self-introduction.

Huan Xian turned his head slightly. Although his mental focus was still largely on his target, Xierman, his attention was suddenly drawn to Jiang Hui’s curious question.

“You… know him?” Huan Xian asked.

“Yes, he’s a friend of mine,” Jiang Hui replied, her voice sounding a bit hoarse.

She hadn’t expected to run into him here. With the competition already halfway through, it was both unexpected and inconvenient.

“You’re thinking of inviting him to join our team?” Jiang Hui asked softly.

Not seeing any reason to hide it, Huan Xian gave a barely perceptible nod.

“Forget it. You just eliminated his teammates—it’s better not to complicate things,” Jiang Hui murmured, thinking that it would have been much simpler if they’d run into each other earlier.

Besides, they didn’t even know if he had formed a temporary alliance with others. Inviting him now could mean bringing others in as well, which would just be messy.

“No, those weren’t his teammates. He’s most likely alone,” Huan Xian replied, shaking his head, though his expression had softened.

“Oh, then are you still going to assess him?” Jiang Hui asked.

Huan Xian shook his head, realizing that he’d already made his assessment as soon as he noticed Xierman. He just hadn’t expected that Xierman would coincidentally know Jiang Hui.

“His character is fine, and he’s skilled enough. If you think he’s a good fit, feel free to invite him to join the team,” Jiang Hui said.

After hearing this, Huan Xian already had his answer. He looked thoughtfully at Xierman, who was standing stiffly behind the bushes, and after a moment’s silence, he finally spoke, “Xierman, right? Would you like to team up with us? If you agree, drop your weapon, cross your arms, and come over here—there’s someone who wants to meet you.”

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Huan Xian: My boss wants to meet you.

Jiang Hui: … What? You’re making me sound like some kind of mafia boss.

Aier “Number Four” Xierman: Boss!