Chapter 58

The imperial base suddenly fell silent.

The screen was filled with a barrage of comments:

【Wow, I didn’t know it could be played like this.】

【Shen Qinglan previously coerced interstellar cooperation, but before even entering the examination room, the situation has already reversed.】

【Hilarious, really looking forward to seeing their expressions when they come out.】

Holding 120ml of rare gilded gold, Han Siyin’s eyes sparkled incessantly. This was a condition that even made her heart race.

Not to mention the others in the Imperial Elite Class.

Superstar-level elites are extremely rare.

The scene came to a standstill, and in this silence, the sound of many people’s intense breathing was even more pronounced.

Zhou Xingyu glanced at Ji Fu in slight surprise. He hadn’t expected her to be so bold.

However, he lifted his gaze and gave Fang Yuan a deep look.

The condition of rare gilded gold was enough to tempt 90% of the people present, but there were still exceptions.

A typical example was Fang Yuan, also from one of the three great families and a core member, never lacking precious materials.

Sure enough, the mech in front stopped, and Fang Yuan sat in the cockpit, his fingers lightly tapping the control panel in front of him.

Gilded gold was not enough to move him.

Fang Yuan’s expression was indifferent. Another point was that he disliked being coerced.

Especially by someone with low talent.

However, the Imperial Elite Class group chat was exceptionally lively at the moment.

Obviously, those unmoved were in the minority.

Fang Yuan glanced at the continuously scrolling messages. They seemed to forget that they were still in the examination room. If they were really tempted by what Ji Fu had, they could simply take it from her.

She was merely an S-level, and Zhou Xingyu couldn’t protect her until the end of the exam.

But before he could say anything, he saw Han Siyin’s message in the small group chat.

This small group was exclusive to superstar-level elites, and the content was private, opening in a privacy mode.

Han Siyin: 【Check this out, rare gilded gold is not just ordinary gilded gold.】

She attached a document to her message, and after Fang Yuan opened it, his expression changed slightly.

It was clear the Imperial Military Academy members were privately communicating. Ji Fu’s maneuver was indeed risky. With three superstar-level mecha soldiers in the Empire, if they decided to seize it by force, the situation would become chaotic.

However, she had stored the item in a special mechanism, and no one present could access her optical computer.

That was one thing.

The second was the peculiarity of the rare liquid core.

The item was called a liquid core, an exotic plant inner core that held liquid.

The outer shell of the liquid core was a top-tier material, but the liquid inside was the key to its significance.

Broken Dwarf is not ordinary gilded gold. Besides repairing mechas, it has a particularly special effect—it can enhance mecha performance.

There are many materials that can enhance mecha performance, but few reach the superstar level, and gilded gold of this type is even rarer.

Since gilded gold is itself a top-tier material for repairing mechas, it means this material can enhance during the repair process, effectively serving a dual purpose.

Although it can’t directly elevate a superstar-level mecha to superstar+, the difference between these two levels is too vast, and no top-tier material can achieve that.

However, as long as it has enhancement properties, even a slight improvement makes it an absolute top-tier material.

Mechas experience wear and tear, and using Broken Dwarf not only repairs this wear but also ensures a certain degree of enhancement.

This is beyond what ordinary gilded gold materials can achieve.

The empire’s superstar-level individuals like Zhou Xingyu and Fang Yuan might overlook common gilded gold, but not such an exceptional material.

Among them are two mecha engineers, and Broken Dwarf is a rare material. Although rare, it is documented.

A superstar-level mecha engineer cannot fail to find this information.

At the superstar level, even the slightest difference can have a significant impact.

Due to her deliberate misdirection, the people from the empire mistakenly believed that all the materials were with Zhou Lu Hai. They couldn’t believe an S-level person would stand among them with top-tier materials so brazenly.

And facing Zhou Lu Hai, whose capabilities were still unclear, they wouldn’t act rashly.

Moreover…

【…Are you saying we should agree to this S-level’s proposal?】 Fang Yuan asked grimly.

Zhou Xingyu replied unhurriedly: 【Yes.】

【The materials are with Zhou Lu Hai. If we make a move and fail, we will lose the right to negotiate directly.】

He paused briefly, then hinted: 【In four days, the Han Hai Academy will enter the examination room.】

After this message, the group fell silent.

They all knew that given Shen Qinglan’s personality, as soon as the interstellar side contacted him, he would agree without hesitation.

Boss Shen’s nickname didn’t come from nowhere.

He is someone who creates profit out of nothing, let alone when substantial profit is right in front of him.

He has no reason to refuse.

Fang Yuan’s expression was icy. He said nothing further but suddenly left the cockpit and put away his mecha.

When that superstar-level mecha disappeared, everyone present understood.

The empire had reached a consensus.

Zhou Xingyu turned to Ji Fu and smiled lightly: “Pleasure working with you.”

The live broadcast room became incredibly lively.

【Damn, the empire actually agreed to such an outrageous demand?】

【Hahaha, Ji Fu is too cunning.】

【It makes sense from the empire’s perspective. Even if they agree, the initiative is still in their hands. Once Zhou Xingyu recovers, breaking the agreement is a simple matter for them.】

【…Is that the point? Isn’t it more impressive that this audacious person successfully negotiated with just 120ml?】

With an omniscient view, countless people marveled at Ji Fu’s bold maneuver.

Some even doubted that Ji Fu would actually give the 120ml.

Jokingly, she had taken a large container of material and still remained unperturbed while negotiating 120ml with others.

Someone even sharply commented: 【This is way more ruthless than Shen Qinglan.】

However, the Imperial Military Academy remained cautious.

Setting aside the issue of preparing a potion for Zhou Xingyu, the empire made an immediate request upon confirming the cooperation that evening.

“They want the materials first?” Li Yunyi laughed. “The task isn’t even completed, and they want the commission first. Is there any mercenary in the world like this?”

Everyone laughed when they heard him mention mercenaries.

Tan Xi looked at Ji Fu and asked, “Should we give it?”

According to the joint exam rules, the one who acquires the material owns it. Broken Dwarf was found by Ji Fu, so she naturally had the right to decide.

Ji Fu was fiddling with an instrument. Without looking up, she said, “Yes, give it.”

Li Yunyi was surprised to hear her agree so easily.

Then he saw Ji Fu say indifferently, “According to international practice, we’ll give a deposit—twenty percent.”

“Give them 24ml.”

As she spoke, Li Yunyi was drinking nutrient solution and almost spit it out at her words.

Good, good, Ji Fu always has a way.

She even came up with the idea of giving a twenty percent deposit.

And she was precise to the unit, giving 24ml instead of 30ml. The empire could take it or leave it.

The person receiving the message on the empire’s side twitched at the number.

But Zhou Xingyu still agreed.

The materials were air-dropped to the Imperial Elite Class by drone, surprising the empire. Han Siyin activated the highest cruise protection system to safeguard the drone’s descent.

From the interstellar side, Shi Xueying softly remarked, “The empire is usually assertive. Why are they so agreeable this time?”

Ji Fu, still repairing the severely damaged Yan Yan, replied without looking up, “They want to confirm something.”

Confirm what?

Naturally, to confirm whether Ji Fu really had Broken Dwarf.

After all, the empire had never seen the actual item, and when Zhou Xingyu arrived, he only saw the root.

They hadn’t even seen the shadow of the Dwarf liquid core.

They weren’t worried about Ji Fu reneging but feared she was bluffing, claiming to have something she didn’t.

【…The Empire probably never imagined that the liquid core of the Broken Dwarf actually contained a bellyful of Broken Dwarf Grilled.】

To confirm Ji Fu’s suspicions, the Empire immediately tested the 24ml of Broken Dwarf upon receipt. Han Siyin conducted the test in front of the entire elite class.

After verifying that it was indeed genuine Broken Dwarf, the atmosphere within the elite class became quite delicate.

How they would divide the scarce 24ml and what issues might arise from any perceived unfairness was no longer Ji Fu’s concern.

She hadn’t tampered with the material or diluted it. Her aim was to incite internal strife among them.

Though Broken Dwarf is precious, to her, it was just an inanimate object, and she never needed external aids to enhance her mecha’s performance.

24ml of this gilded material wasn’t even enough for a single repair session for a superstar-level mecha.

But it could certainly spark conflict among the seemingly harmonious noble families—what a profitable deal.

For two consecutive days, she peacefully repaired mechas at the base, hearing plenty of jokes.

On the third day, news came from Zhou Xingyu’s side, inviting her to help prepare a potion for him.

Ji Fu agreed.

Upon arriving at the Imperial base, she discovered that they had equipped Zhou Xingyu with a premium medical pod.

This wasn’t just any facility; having access to such a top-tier medical pod within the examination room was an extravagant affair.

Ji Fu paused, her expression calm as she opened the medical pod’s interface.

Proposing to mix a potion for Zhou Xingyu wasn’t solely to control the situation within the exam room. She also wanted to use this opportunity to examine these ‘super geniuses’ physically.

With a medical pod available, it made things easier.

She logged into the pod and conducted a full-body scan on Zhou Xingyu.

As a pharmacist is also a doctor, and since it’s logical to examine a patient before treatment, her actions were entirely justified. Zhou Xingyu did not refuse.

However, to protect Zhou Xingyu’s privacy, the premium medical pod activated its privacy mode. This meant that apart from Ji Fu and Zhou Xingyu, no one else, including those watching the live broadcast, could see any details.

After about ten minutes, the pod produced a detailed health report.

Ji Fu sat at the console, scrolling through the data.

Judging by the data alone, everything seemed normal.

Zhou Xingyu’s injuries were indeed severe, with his life signs at only 57%.

Moreover, various metrics had declined.

Since she entered, Zhou Xingyu had been observing her actions.

He heard her say calmly, “You’ve been in a major contamination zone?”

Zhou Xingyu’s expression shifted slightly.

After being injured within the legion, the legion’s doctors had examined him thoroughly, but none had deduced his entry into a major contamination zone merely by glancing at the data like Ji Fu did.

A major contamination zone is where black holes frequently occur and where the legion primarily operates.

These areas not only have extremely formidable high-level alien beasts and plants but even the star systems are affected, hence the name ‘major contamination zone.’

Given Zhou Xingyu’s level, even entering such a zone shouldn’t have caused such severe injuries.

The issue lay in that he had already been injured before entering, but he had hidden his injuries and didn’t report them. He was then attacked by an invisible superstar+ alien beast and, while gravely injured, managed to eliminate an entire system’s mutated creatures.

This led to his body being contaminated and seriously injured.

With black holes appearing for so long and contamination zones rampant, medical pods have become adept at treating contaminated patients.

But he was wounded upon wounded.

Moreover, the cause of his initial injury was quite special…

Ji Fu raised an eyebrow, “A light sword wound?”

A superstar+ quantum light sword, judging by the wound’s trajectory, meant the one who injured Zhou Xingyu was highly skilled with sword techniques.

Using heavy weapons, light swords, and even martial arts techniques from billions of years ago with mechas isn’t unusual.

However, at the superstar+ level, few could master sword techniques.

Zhou Xingyu coughed lightly and asked her, “Can you heal me quickly?”

He avoided her question, and Ji Fu didn’t pursue it further.

She responded softly, “Given your current injuries, you need at least six months of bed rest.”

She was speaking as a conventional doctor. If she treated him as she treated Canglan, Zhou Xingyu’s injuries would be minor.

In half a month at most, she could restore him to normalcy.

But…

He wasn’t Canglan.

Zhou Xingyu paused, about to ask something, but Ji Fu smoothly added, “With my potion, at most three months.”

Halving the recovery time.

Zhou Xingyu’s heart skipped a beat.

Ji Fu’s guess was correct. The Zhou family’s private doctors and the legion’s medics had given longer estimates—eight months from the family doctor, and the legion suggested ten months of rest.

But here, she claimed only three months.

This indeed pushed the timeline to its limits.

However, even if he recovered in three months, the joint exam would be over.

Three months without full recovery meant he could pilot Canglan but wouldn’t be as effective as at peak performance.

If…

Not mentioning that, even facing Han Hai directly, he might not win.

Though Han Hai had no overt superstar+ mecha, Zhou Xingyu knew Shen Qinglan had a trump card.

“Is there any way to make it faster?” he asked Ji Fu.

Ji Fu shook her head directly.

Zhou Xingyu’s eyes flickered, but he didn’t say anything. “Then I’ll leave it to you.”

He didn’t fully trust Ji Fu. However, with the premium medical pod present, any issues would trigger alerts, so he felt secure enough to let Ji Fu proceed with the treatment.

“The materials required are extensive.” Ji Fu listed them, instructing him to gather them.

Many of these materials were unavailable within the exam venue.

Zhou Xingyu glanced at her. She added, “Unavailable items can be substituted with similar or lower-grade materials, but this will reduce the efficacy to some extent.”

Seeing his expression soften slightly, Ji Fu continued, “Also, I need to see all the medications you’re currently taking to avoid any drug interactions.”

This request was reasonable; Zhou’s family doctor would have done the same.

Zhou Xingyu paused briefly before handing her a few vials.

Ji Fu glanced at them. They were effective medications for treating contamination, mixed with high-grade nutritional supplements.

However…

None of them included the premium nutrient solution she saw Wu Yang use in the live broadcast.

Before coming to the Empire’s base today, she had encountered Si Fan.

Due to the gilding incident, all the Empire’s students were unusually attentive to her.

Si Fan, injured by Zhou Xingyu, was holding a nutrient solution when she saw him.

Ji Fu instantly recognized it as the premium nutrient solution.

Si Fan’s injuries weren’t as severe as Zhou Xingyu’s, yet he used the premium nutrient solution while Zhou Xingyu didn’t.

Without showing any reaction, Ji Fu gave Zhou Xingyu a few instructions before leaving.

As she walked, she absentmindedly scrolled through her optical brain.

Zhou Xingyu might not know, but Ji Fu had already memorized all his physical data during their brief interaction.

Now, she opened Wei Lan’s stored physical data on her optical brain.

Comparing from memory, she raised an eyebrow after a few glances.

Zhou Xingyu was a superstar+, while Wei Lan was currently just a superstar.

Logically, Wei Lan’s metrics should be lower than Zhou Xingyu’s.

But that wasn’t the case.

Wei Lan was only slightly inferior to Zhou Xingyu in a few physical skills, while most metrics were comparable, and one even far exceeded Zhou Xingyu’s.

That was—instantaneous explosive power.

Mecha soldiers knew that explosive power represented their maximum potential.

Higher explosive power was better.

Wei Lan’s explosive power was indeed terrifying. Three years ago, as a star-level mecha soldier, he could cross levels and kill a superstar.

Now, it was reasonable for his explosive power to surpass Zhou Xingyu’s superstar+ level.

However, Wei Lan’s injuries were far more severe than Zhou Xingyu’s, and he wouldn’t be a match until fully recovered.

Even then, he would need a better mecha.

Zhou Xingyu’s strength was not just his own; the top-tier superstar+ mecha, Rose, significantly contributed, possibly even more than his own capabilities.

…Still, Ji Fu found his overall metrics slightly lacking.

She hadn’t seen other superstar+ mecha soldiers’ data, making it hard to judge Zhou Xingyu’s talent.

It might be due to his current severe injuries, causing temporary drops in his metrics.

While not as bad as Wei Lan’s, his injuries were definitely destructive.

Especially the light sword wound.

Fluctuations in values were normal.

One thing was clear: Zhou Xingyu did not use that premium nutrient solution.

In fact, it wasn’t just Zhou Xingyu.

Ji Fu had observed that the Empire’s superstars seemed not to have used that premium nutrient solution.

…It was hard to believe so many superstars hadn’t utilized extracted talents.

This suggested that the premium nutrient solution was likely unrelated to extracted talents.

The process itself was secretive, and Ji Fu doubted they’d openly consume extracted talents.

Such talents needed to enter the body through special means and would be rejected if not their own, posing risks.

It was unlikely to be in nutrient solution form.

However, Wu Yang and Si Fan frequently consumed that premium nutrient solution, indicating a connection to extracted talents.

She needed to obtain a sample for analysis to understand it fully.

Leaving the Empire base, Zhou Lu Hai followed her at a distance, looking lazy.

After a few steps, his optical brain vibrated.

A message from someone ahead: 【Haizi, do you want the liquid core or the gold?】

The materials were collected together and should be shared.

This was Ji Fu’s attitude towards classmates. With companions like Wei Lan and Qin Chu Yue, she wouldn’t bring this up.

The three of them had come from the wild, always sharing everything without the need for allocation.

His optical brain vibrated again. Zhou Lu Hai quickly replied: 【Neither is useful to me. You keep them.】

Ji Fu raised an eyebrow and replied: 【The gold then.】

Zhou Luhai: 【?】

Ji Fu: 【I’ll use the gold to upgrade your mecha once. Of course, if you insist on not wanting it, just pretend I never mentioned it.】

The amount of gilding broken dwarf they acquired this time was substantial. However, using too much of it would only yield repair benefits, making it a consumable.

As for the liquid core shell, Ji Fu really needed it, so she didn’t hesitate to take it from Zhou Lu Hai.

She guessed that Zhou Lu Hai probably had another mecha, which is why he was indifferent about the liquid core. The gold was her gesture of sincerity.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Lu Hai responded immediately after she sent her message:

Zhou Lu Hai: 【It’s settled then, it’s a deal.】

His response implied that he was worried she might retract her offer.

Ji Fu raised an eyebrow but hadn’t replied yet.

Then a loud announcement echoed in the exam venue.

【In three minutes, Hanhai Academy will enter the exam venue.】