The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

Wondering how Xierman was feeling right now? He was nearly moved to tears, feeling like all the bad luck he’d faced along the way was worth it just for this moment. Finally, he had found a proper team—this was truly salvation at the edge of despair, a light at the end of the tunnel.

When Huan Xian called him over, he was still a bit confused. But he did understand the instruction to drop his weapon, and without hesitation, he tossed his nearly broken gun to the ground. As for the part about someone wanting to meet him, that must be the leader of the group, right?

He got it—it was time to pay respects to the boss.

Whoever it was that could get such a skilled marksman to follow him or her, Xierman felt nothing but relief. As long as they didn’t change their mind, he was set.

And any thoughts of being used or tricked? Not a worry for him. After all, what was there to gain from him?

When he finally reached the group’s meeting point, he scanned the area—and then saw Jiang Hui standing there…

Xierman: What?!

“Jiang Hui! What are you doing here? I’ve been looking for you for ages! You’re in this team too? Heaven above, I’ve finally caught a break! You have no idea what my last twenty-plus star hours have been like—almost got tricked right out of the game by some unreliable guys. If only I’d run into you sooner!”

Seeing him ready to rush over, Zhou Xiuwen quickly stepped forward to block him.

It wasn’t out of hostility—Xierman had made it this far, and after Jiang Hui confirmed he was her friend, they both let down their guard. Besides, Huan Xian still held his gun in the back; if Xierman tried anything, they didn’t know if he would be quicker or if Huan Xian’s shot would reach him first.

Still, Xierman looked a bit too excitable. If he really pounced on Jiang Hui without thinking, it might aggravate her already fragile injury. Then they’d be left wondering if they should punish him to avenge her or forgive his foolishness.

Luckily, he wasn’t completely thoughtless. After a moment of excitement, he quickly composed himself.

Now, everyone was crouching low to the ground, except for Jiang Hui. Her posture was noticeably different; she wasn’t crouched—rather, she was sitting directly on the ground, unable to squat. She sat with her legs stretched straight out, back resting lightly against a rock. Though her posture was upright, there was a slight weariness to it, making her look vulnerable.

The next moment, Xierman understood why. Her right calf had a torn patch in her training uniform, now wrapped in thick medical bandages. A faint red seeped through, with blood having lightly stained the edges. The air held a faint, metallic scent, and Jiang Hui’s pale, tense face made it clear she wasn’t in good condition.

“Jiang Hui?” Xierman stammered, suddenly at a loss for words. The string of things he’d wanted to say was now forgotten.

Jiang Hui quickly noticed his awkwardness and gathered enough energy to greet him warmly.

They were old friends, even more familiar than she was with her current teammates. With Xierman joining their team, she, as the one connecting everyone, felt responsible to speak up.

Xierman glanced cautiously at the intimidating Huan Xian, then at the unfamiliar Zhou Xiuwen, and finally sat down cross-legged beside Jiang Hui.

“You can see for yourself—I injured my leg in a mishap. I was doing okay, but this will definitely affect my ability to keep up. If you’re joining our team, you’ll have to consider that carefully,” she said earnestly. Although she directed her words at Xierman, she was really speaking to everyone.

The team needed five members to be officially formed, and they already had four, meaning they only needed one more person to activate the advantages of a full team in the competition.

But Jiang Hui wasn’t naive. She understood perfectly well why Huan Xian had suddenly wanted to build a team—because of her unexpected leg injury. Her ability to move and survive had been significantly reduced, and Huan Xian, though he hadn’t said it, was trying to make up for that weakness by bringing others in.

However, adding another member would bind them all together completely.

Even now, the four of them were already tied to one another, but Jiang Hui’s leg injury was unfixable—it would inevitably hinder the whole team’s mobility.

Jiang Hui genuinely didn’t want to drag them down. After all, even in a team, scores were calculated individually, and points couldn’t be shared. She had a high chance of becoming a burden, potentially forcing the others to work around her limitations.

If Huan Xian and Zhou Xiuwen wanted to split off and go their separate ways, Jiang Hui wouldn’t have any objections. After all, this was a competition.

“Jiang Hui, you have no idea how rough it was for me flying solo out there. I was tricked badly and barely got any points. I was always on the run, being hunted down. But now, meeting up with you finally—it’ll be way better than before. As for points, I’m not worried; it’s all about individual skill anyway,” Xierman said, his response exactly as Jiang Hui had expected. Since the day they met, he’d always had a blind trust in her. And after a month of training together, where he’d helped her a fair amount, Jiang Hui had no problem acknowledging him as a friend.

With his willingness clear, Jiang Hui saw no need to persuade him further. She was glad to have an additional teammate. With just one more person, they’d be able to compete without having to constantly look over their shoulders.

As for Zhou Xiuwen, he was the same as always. He’d mentioned before that he was just here to get by, so Jiang Hui didn’t bother asking his opinion again, just gave him the option to join.

Naturally, Jiang Hui’s gaze landed on the only dominant figure in their group of four.

The other looked at her, slightly exasperated, and met her eyes for a few seconds. “…What are you staring at me for? Go ahead and add him already—it has to be done from your side.”

Since Jiang Hui was the one who initially started the group, both Huan Xian and Zhou Xiuwen had been added under her. As a result, the temporary team system recognized Jiang Hui as the leader, so adding a new member had to be done from her end.

Xierman, of course, was more than willing to comply, and he smoothly became the fourth member of their team.

Looking at their newly formed team, Jiang Hui couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. Other teams had likely formed twenty hours ago, while they had only managed it halfway through the competition—it was almost funny.

Now, the only question left was: where was their last teammate?