Chu Luochi perked up when he saw a little cat charging over, full of fire. “Hey, isn’t this the kitten I rescued at the arena? You brought it here too?”
The moment Xu Linlang saw the kitten, her gaze locked onto it.
It looked thinner than before—clearly, it had suffered in the trial grounds. And its so-called master, Qiye, hadn’t even bothered to feed it properly.
At least Qiye had kept his word and let the kitten come to her today.
Chu Luochi casually picked up a snack from the tea table and dangled it in front of the kitten. “Still remember me? I saved your life back then. If not for my shield, you’d have been a lion’s appetizer.”
He waved until his arm was sore, but the kitten ignored him. Embarrassed, he muttered, “This little thing’s got a rotten personality, not affectionate at all. I really don’t get why you like it so much.”
The kitten slapped the snack out of his hand with a sharp paw swipe, leaving shallow red scratches across the back of his hand.
Chu Luochi hissed and pulled back, the snack falling onto the table.
He even tattled, “Your cat scratched me.”
Xu Linlang shot him a look and scooped the kitten into her arms. “You bad-mouthed it. Of course, it won’t like you. Don’t think animals can tell how people feel about them.”
Chu Luochi grumbled, “Still pretty damn vengeful.”
The kitten puffed up its cheeks, glaring at him. With an irritated flick of its tail, it curled tightly into Xu Linlang’s embrace—like it was staking its claim.
Seeing the little puffball bristling with mock ferocity, Xu Linlang couldn’t help laughing. She tapped its tiny backside. “And you—don’t be so fierce to people, got it?”
The kitten’s eyes went wide, every hair on its tail standing on end.
She—she actually smacked its butt?!
So… so improper!
And she did it so naturally—had she done that to other cats too?!
The tips of its white ears burned bright red. The once-proud little ball of fluff collapsed into a flustered mess, burying its face and refusing to look at either of them. It felt like its whole coat was about to combust.
At last, the kitten wriggled free from her arms, hopping onto a dining chair and glaring at them from a “safe” distance, sneaking glances back every few seconds.
Xu Linlang chuckled at the sight. Who’d have thought the kitten could be shy?
Meanwhile, Chu Luochi, baby-faced as ever, pulled up a light screen. “Anyway, Miss Xu, you have to cooperate with me on studying these next few days. If you don’t, I’m the one who’s screwed.”
Xu Linlang pulled out her e-notes. “Alright, Teacher Chu, let’s start.”
The sudden title made him blush. “Then, uh, let me explain the whole process of applying to the program.”
“There are three stages: testing, registration, and interview.”
“Except for pilot applicants, the other three majors all start with a mental power test. It’s both an evaluation of ability and a way to help applicants understand their own level—so they don’t overreach and end up dumped in the worst department.”
“The test isn’t exactly hard, but it isn’t simple either. It mainly involves assembling and processing mecha parts. You’ll get full instructions on the steps, but what’s really assessed is how you use your mental power and handle practical operation.”
“Once you finish the part, you input your student ID and place the finished product into the bin for the program you want. After that, the academy publishes all results. The programs then interview the students they’re interested in. Passing the test means you’ve stepped through the door; the interview just decides which mentor takes you.”
He explained thoroughly, and Xu Linlang quickly got a clear picture of the whole process.
Then Chu Luochi uploaded two files to her terminal.
She opened them—pages and pages of part diagrams.
“What’s this?”
“Fifty years of past exam questions and thirty years of hot-topic predictions,” he said.
Xu Linlang: “?”
Wait a sec… isn’t this just the interstellar version of 5-3 practice books?!
She’d slogged through three years of those in her previous life, only to transmigrate into space and face them again? Earth was gone, yet 5-3 still haunted her.
Flipping to the end, she found over a thousand different parts listed. She was expected to study all that in just a few days?
Chu Luochi explained that it was impossible to assemble every single mecha part in such a short time, so it was better to focus on real test questions to get the feel.
“When in doubt, grind past exams. The technical points are all similar—master those, and you’ll at least get a passing score.”
Xu Linlang closed the file and smiled thinly. “So I’m supposed to finish all of these?”
“Of course,” he replied matter-of-factly.
She seriously considered quitting right then and there.
Seeing her expression sour, he awkwardly added, “I don’t want to be this strict, but if you don’t prepare well, Madam might actually kill me.”
Xu Linlang: “…”
So in the choice between offending her or offending Rong Ruyue, Chu Luochi had decisively chosen to offend her.
Fine. Grind questions, grind soul, grind your way to the top.
Two days later, she saw mecha parts every time she shut her eyes. She even dreamed she was a part.
After finishing two rounds of practice exams, she personally sent Chu Luochi off with her bot C8.
Standing at the door, reluctant to leave, he quizzed her: “What are the three key points for the MIRO-L component?”
Xu Linlang rattled them off without pause: “First, watch the light-sensing alignment. Second, check the connection nodes. Third, do fine polishing.”
Chu Luochi was deeply moved. He clutched Xu Linlang’s hand and repeated “Good, good, good!” several times.
“Finally, I won’t get chewed out by Madam anymore!”
Xu Linlang had been about to tease him, but remembering how miserable he looked whenever Rong Ruyue scolded him, her gaze softened with a trace of sympathy.
Lucien On ABRWF Chapter 34.1