Chapter 71: Laili… So Strong

With a loud bang, Lei Po pulled the trigger, his blood-covered face filled with confidence.

He was just waiting for this shot to eliminate Ji Laili and seize first place.

However—

A wisp of smoke curled out from the gun’s barrel, drifting briefly in the air before vanishing.

“What the hell?” Lei Po was stunned.

He frantically smacked the quantum gun, fingers repeatedly squeezing the trigger.

Only for another puff of black smoke to spray right into his face.

His blood-smeared face darkened, a mix of red and black, as he stared blankly at the gun. In that moment, all his strength and strategies seemed to leave him.

Ji Laili burst into laughter. “Po-ge, I forgot to tell you—just now, that was the last bullet.”

Two minutes ago, the quantum gun had already turned scorching hot, signaling it was out of ammo.

After all, he had fired an absurd number of quantum rounds. The fact that the gun had lasted this long was practically a miracle.

Lei Po: “……”

Without bullets, the quantum gun was useless.

That meant…

Lei Po shot Ji Laili a deep look. From the corner of his eye, he spotted another quantum gun lying on the floor nearby.

It was the sidearm that Zhai Yifei had lost when he was kicked away earlier.

And now, it was the only functional weapon left on the battlefield.

Lei Po tossed his empty gun aside and lunged toward it with sharp agility.

Ji Laili had already anticipated this. They both knew—whoever got their hands on that gun would likely take first place.

There was no time for Ji Laili to dodge the gun Lei Po had thrown at him.

A sharp pain shot through his shoulder as it hit him, making him grunt in discomfort—but he didn’t slow down.

His black combat boots pounded against the cold floor, moving so fast that sparks of pale gold seemed to flicker beneath him.

Halfway there, he leaped, delivering a ruthless kick straight to Lei Po’s chest, sending him flying three meters back.

Final countdown: 10 seconds.

Ji Laili was in the lead.

Lei Po was right behind him, relentless.

The Alpha’s eyes were bloodshot with determination.

Ji Laili barely had time to react when Lei Po suddenly grabbed his arm—veins bulging along his forearm—as he used sheer brute strength to hurl Ji Laili away!

Ji Laili: ?

Are you kidding me, bro? How do you still have this much energy after all that?

As he was flung through the air, he caught sight of Lei Po raising an eyebrow at him.

His blood-crusted brows lifted slightly, as if to say: If I’m not getting first place, then neither are you.

Too bad…

Ji Laili thought to himself, You’re going to be disappointed.

He had sworn to Shen Yu that he would take first place.

Losing now? That would be way too embarrassing.

And honestly—did Lei Po really think this was over?

Final countdown: 4 seconds.

Ji Laili hit the ground, sweat rolling down his forehead. He abandoned the idea of grabbing the gun.

Final countdown: 3 seconds.

Lei Po seized the quantum gun and, panting heavily, fired at him without hesitation.

Ji Laili rolled across the ground to dodge, picking up the light blade Lei Po had discarded earlier.

Under the rain of gunfire, he ran forward—his eyes sharp, unwavering.

“This bastard is even crazier than me,” Lei Po muttered under his breath.

Final countdown: 2 seconds.

Lei Po was seconds away from cursing out loud.

There was no way his aim was this bad—he wasn’t some kind of outline-tracing master!

And yet, Ji Laili dodged with pinpoint accuracy every single time.

It was almost enough to make Lei Po think he was intentionally missing.

With each shot fired, the recoil aggravated his injuries, causing his wounds to tear open again. Cold sweat dripped down his face as he clenched his jaw.

His focus was locked on Ji Laili—ready for him to either try stealing the gun or knock it out of his hands.

Lei Po’s eyes darkened.

Final countdown: 1 second.

Lei Po had always been proud.

He came from a remote star system, far removed from the empire’s prosperity.

If he hadn’t been strong enough, he never would have made it to the central star system.

The Empire, the Federation Military Academy, the entrance exams—none of it had anything to do with him.

But he knew what he wanted.

To be first. To stand at the top.

He never liked Zhai Yifei.

That arrogant young master who obsessed over first place, constantly challenging him.

Lei Po only cared about the glory that came with victory.

Maybe family, status, or some other nonsense mattered too—but those were things he never understood.

Though, admittedly, he didn’t dislike Zhai Yifei as much anymore.

The guy did have some redeeming qualities.

Still, Lei Po didn’t believe he would lose.

Just like right now—he never could have imagined that one day, he would be defeated by his own move.

A flash of light—sharp as snow—cut through the air.

Fierce, powerful, overwhelming.

Even its momentum felt exactly like his own attack.

Because it was.

For the first time, Lei Po truly understood how Eugene must have felt.

He looked down.

The red marker on his uniform had been slashed open, torn into a jagged line.

The timer hit zero. The exam was over.

—

Meanwhile, at a railing overlooking the battlefield—

Shen Yu lightly tapped his visor with his fingers, watching as streams of blue light flickered across his display.

Ji Laili’s ranking number fluctuated—

Then, in that final moment, it stabilized.

He had taken the top spot.

First place.

Ji Laili’s voice wasn’t loud, but it rang out clearly.

“Po-ge, I might as well return the lesson—never, under any circumstances, lose your weapon.”

Whether it’s a gun or a blade.

Ji Laili grinned. “Thanks for letting me win. I’ll be taking this first place, then.”

Lei Po scowled, raising his voice in protest.

“…Damn it, can the people in the control room hurry up and kill me already? I’m in a rush to get reincarnated!”

The exam supervisors: “……”

There are oddballs every year, but this year, there are especially many.

But he’ll grant your wish.

The operator smirked devilishly, feeling like he was finally useful.

Lei Po had barely finished shouting when he realized his body was becoming more and more transparent.

Come on, I was just joking, alright?

Clicking his tongue, Lei Po seized the moment and said, “This time, I’ll count it as your win. But next time? Don’t be so sure.”

“And also…”

With his blood-covered face, the Alpha grinned.

“As your big bro, I’m damn proud of you.”

Ji Laili froze for a moment.

Then, he couldn’t help but break into a dazzling smile.

“Thanks, bro.”

He watched as Lei Po’s figure disappeared.

Lifting his gaze to the high platform, he spotted Shen Yu and enthusiastically waved.

“Senior!”

“I’m first place!”

That uncontrollable eagerness, the desire for praise and recognition, made Shen Yu chuckle.

He had the sudden urge to rush over to Ji Laili’s side.

So, he did just that.

Without hesitation, the ever-decisive Senior Shen vaulted over the railing and jumped straight down.

Ji Laili was nearly scared to death.

“Shen Yu!”

“Wait!”

He immediately bolted forward, intending to catch him.

The small hovering broadcaster tried to follow Shen Yu’s sudden movement—only to be kicked away by a stray puppy.

With a loud plop, it was sent flying a hundred meters away.

Ji Laili ran over in a panic—only to see Shen Yu land effortlessly, completely unscathed.

His brain, which had momentarily short-circuited, rebooted.

Right… He finally remembered.

For Shen Yu, this height wasn’t dangerous at all.

Seriously…

Annoyed, he ruffled his own hair.

He had forgotten.

But thankfully, Shen Yu was fine.

Ji Laili’s smile returned as he prepared to jog over.

Before he could, though, Shen Yu had already reached him first.

“You did great. Really impressive.”

Ji Laili was stunned into silence.

Shen Yu, the proud and aloof senior, had probably never praised anyone before.

He only had a handful of words to express it, and they sounded stiff, almost clumsy.

As if realizing it himself, his long lashes trembled slightly.

Then, after a pause, he softly added—

“Lailai… so amazing.”

Ji Laili froze.

“…What?”

Had he misheard?

Shen Yu cleared his throat, a little uneasy, but still resolute as he repeated himself.

Ever since that obnoxious Alpha had called Ji Laili by that name, Shen Yu had been burning with jealousy.

Now, he finally had the chance.

Without any hesitation, and in the most natural tone possible—

He called him Lailai.

“Lailai, you’re amazing. You’re incredible.”