TL: Hua
Chapter 36
Compared to him, Ji Xuan’s expression was much more serene.
“Could I have a reason, sir?”
The officer’s mechanical smile didn’t waver. He seemed accustomed to such questions, answering in a purely professional tone: “This arrangement was made after considering both trainees’ overall qualifications, as well as stability and safety requirements during the training period.”
“Oh, ‘overall qualifications.'” Pei Yingye nodded thoughtfully, his gaze shifting between Ji Xuan and himself before settling back on the officer. “I see. It seems that in certain ‘qualities,’ there is indeed an… innate gap between him and me in North Star’s evaluation system.”
“Sometimes I think it’s quite nice for an Alpha to be born into the right family, isn’t it?” His words were direct and full of sarcasm. He even turned to wink at Ji Xuan. “Even if an Alpha gets pinned to the ground by you in a fight, they can still land a better position just by being born right.”
Is he actually insulting himself just because he’s angry? Ji Xuan couldn’t help but be amused.
However, the officer was clearly not amused. “Trainee Pei Yingye, please mind your language. The assignment complies with Fortress Post requirements and safety regulations. Placing Omega trainees in relatively safe logistics units is for their protection.”
Pei Yingye gave a cold laugh. “Well, that is a very considerate regulation.”
“In that case, I would like to apply for a transfer to the Material Allocation Office.”
As soon as he said this, not only was the officer stunned, but even the usually expressionless Ji Xuan looked genuinely shocked.
“Trainee Pei Yingye, the posts have been confirmed. Your assignment is the Azure Bird First Guard Assault Team. It is a vital position; do not treat it as a joke.”
Pei Yingye shrugged, his expression innocent. “I’m not joking, Officer. Ji Xuan and I showed perfect chemistry during the annual assessment. We were practically inseparable. I believe this kind of rapport significantly boosts work efficiency. If we are considering the suitability of the posts, then placing me with my best partner is the most appropriate arrangement.”
He emphasized the words “inseparable” and “best partner,” his eyes darting toward Ji Xuan with a touch of playfulness and mischief.
“You…” The officer was momentarily speechless at this warped logic, only able to repeat, “Your assignment is the Azure Bird First Guard. Please follow your orders.”
“Orders received,” Pei Yingye nodded smoothly, then changed his tone to one of great sincerity. “However, I believe an Alpha like myself, impetuous and with extremely unstable mental power, would struggle to adapt to the high-intensity demands of the front line. I must start my training and learning from the most basic logistics department. If a transfer report is required, I can write it right here. I guarantee it will be emotionally moving and well-reasoned so as not to cause the officer any trouble.”
He paused for a moment, as if suddenly remembering something, and added leisurely, “Will the report be forwarded to General Ying Xun? I recall him saying at a meeting last year that ‘reasonable job assignments should be based on ability rather than stereotypes, to maximize everyone’s potential.’ I think placing an unstable factor like myself in the logistics department to temper my character aligns perfectly with the General’s vision.”
The officer’s face finally changed.
He took a deep breath, used his terminal to contact someone, and eventually gritted his teeth as he operated the device.
“…Application received. Trainee Pei Yingye, transferred to the Logistics Department, Material Allocation Office.” He practically squeezed the words out. Then, without looking at either of them, he said stiffly, “Now, report for duty immediately!”
“Yes, Sir! Thank you for your understanding and support.” Having achieved his goal, Pei Yingye returned to his usual flamboyant self, even giving a proper salute.
Then, he gave Ji Xuan a nudge and chattered away as they headed toward the logistics department.
After a few steps, Pei Yingye lowered his voice and leaned into Ji Xuan’s ear. “I don’t know where that rule about keeping Omegas away from the front line came from, but it certainly wasn’t set by Ying Xun. Even though he’s an Alpha, he isn’t that chauvinistic; he would never look down on an Omega.”
“A small matter like assigning posts to trainees definitely wouldn’t have crossed Ying Xun’s desk. They probably just decided it amongst themselves. It’s the New Star Calendar era, and they still have such feudal thoughts.”
Ji Xuan glanced at him and said, “You didn’t actually have to come with me. The assault team is indeed a better destination.”
Hearing this, Pei Yingye looked a bit displeased. He didn’t stop walking but turned his head, his blue eyes staring at Ji Xuan with a hint of grievance. “Why wasn’t it necessary? We’re grasshoppers on the same string. If the logistics department is best for you, then it’s best for me. If they look down on you for being an Omega, then they also look down on me—the ‘Number Two’ who was suppressed by you.”
Ji Xuan let out a soft laugh and reached up to pat Pei Yingye’s head.
“No one looks down on your ‘Number Two[1]‘.”
Pei Yingye: “?”
Why the sudden dirty joke?
He was in the middle of such a heartfelt confession.
“But thank you anyway,” Ji Xuan said with a smile. “Being in logistics alone might indeed have been a bit boring. I’m glad you’re willing to accompany me.”
And so, Pei Yingye was once again sent into a state of bliss by a simple sentence.
Ji Xuan seemed to always have the knack for easily manipulating his emotions.
—
The two stepped into the Material Allocation Office one after the other.
A young Beta wearing thick glasses sat behind a workstation near the door. Hearing them enter, he jerked his head up, nearly knocking over a theory book by his hand.
“Hello… you are the new trainees from Mars Military Academy, Ji Xuan and Pei Yingye, right?” He hurriedly closed his book, switched off a dense collection of exam questions on his terminal, and pushed up his sliding glasses. His gaze darted erratically between the two. “The system just sent a notification. My name is Chen Shuo, I’m the coordinator here.”
The two introduced themselves.
Chen Shuo nodded. He didn’t seem to interact with people often, and his voice carried a nervous tremor. “Welcome. Director Lin just went to inspect the warehouse area and told me to show you around first.”
He paused, looked at them, and couldn’t help but add, “Um… to be able to train at North Star Fortress… your grades must be very good? That’s amazing.”
His admiration was sincere, without a hint of jealousy; it was more like a poor student’s natural respect and heartfelt sigh toward top students.
Pei Yingye took the blunt praise well, raising an eyebrow slightly. “It’s alright. Are you preparing for an exam?”
His gaze swept over the book on Chen Shuo’s desk: “Space Combat Information Theory.”
Chen Shuo smiled bashfully. “Yeah, I want to see if I can transfer to the technical department. Logistics is… very stable, but I always feel, well, you know.”
He added vaguely, “And there’s no official permanent establishment here.”
Ji Xuan didn’t quite understand why he emphasized “establishment,” but he figured it was probably like how rogue cultivators in his old world liked to find a major sect to affiliate with. So, he gave a faint response: “Good luck.”
“I’ll take you to your workstations first; system permissions should be active now.” Chen Shuo led them inside, introducing the functions of various areas while reminding them in a low voice, “Normally, we just need to complete assigned data audits and material dispatch confirmations on time. Occasionally, we might need to pull night shifts in the warehouse area. As long as there are no major errors, there shouldn’t be a problem passing the training.”
The workstations were in a relatively quiet corner, and two optical computer screens were already lit up. Chen Shuo helped them confirm basic permissions and sent over a material coding manual and an operation guide.
“Familiarize yourselves first. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.” After saying that, Chen Shuo returned to his station and reopened his theory book.
Pei Yingye remarked teasingly, “The exam genes of Ancient Earth people certainly have a long history.”
Ji Xuan gave him a puzzled look.
Pei Yingye shrugged and smiled without explaining.
Although the coding manual was complex, the logic was clear. Mastering the basic operations wasn’t difficult. Ji Xuan got the hang of it quickly; for the first time, the demon lord who had run rampant in the cultivation world for years experienced the taste of an office job.
Compared to his inner peace, Pei Yingye next to him wasn’t having such a good time. He irritably shifted the hand propping up his head over and over, finally flopping face-down onto the desk. He muttered gloomily, “I thought Mecha Overview and Space Communication were annoying enough. After last year’s exams, I thought I’d never deal with such a headache again.”
But despite the complaining, after a short rest, he propped his head back up indignantly. “I’m going to complain to the Central Command. I’m going to appeal to Ying Xun.”
How cute, Ji Xuan thought absentmindedly while familiarizing himself with the system.
A few hours later, a low hum sounded. Chen Shuo looked up with a start, rubbing his aching temples. He looked at his two new colleagues in the corner and found that the progress bars for their basic entry tasks were already halfway finished. Their efficiency was staggering.
“Uh, it’s time. We can get off work.” Chen Shuo stood up and greeted them a bit awkwardly. “Dormitories for trainees are arranged uniformly. Shall I take you there? I’m heading to the living area anyway.”
Pei Yingye swiftly saved and exited the system, stretching his limbs as his joints let out a soft pop. “Sitting here for an afternoon is more painful than training.”
He looked at Ji Xuan; the other man’s expression was calm, with no sign of fatigue on his face.
“Sure, thanks for the trouble,” Ji Xuan said.
Chen Shuo nodded with a slight blush and led them out of the Material Allocation Office, merging into the crowd of people leaving work.
Soon, they arrived at the C-Block dormitory management station. Chen Shuo guided them through swiping their ID cards at the self-service machine.
Half a minute later, Pei Yingye fell into a pensive silence as he stared at the two identical room numbers on the screen.
“Bro, in a place as big as North Star Fortress, do they not care at all about separating Alphas and Omegas?”
When assigning posts, they were so righteous about Omegas needing “special treatment,” but they forgot all about it when assigning dorms?
“Ah…” Chen Shuo also let out a confused sound. “Maybe it’s because accommodation in the logistics department is quite… limited? And usually, nobody comes here for training, so there aren’t many reserved rooms. I heard a batch of old dorms went under maintenance recently. Looking at this, it seems this is the only vacant room available for immediate check-in.”
He looked at the two somewhat awkwardly. “Should we go to the management office to see if they can coordinate something?”
Ji Xuan was silent for a moment before saying flatly, “No need.”
Rather than wasting time on coordination that might not succeed, it was better to settle in early. Besides, given his simple views on gender, he didn’t see anything wrong with staying with Pei Yingye.
Interstellar people just had too many rules and regulations.
But Pei Yingye suddenly turned to look at Ji Xuan, his eyes full of disbelief. “You…”
Ji Xuan glanced at him. “It’s not like we’re sleeping in the same bed. What are you nervous about?”
Is THAT the point?!
Pei Yingye forcibly calmed his racing heart and took a deep breath. Then, he looked at Ji Xuan with a half-smile and squeezed a sentence through his teeth: “If you don’t have a problem with it, I certainly don’t either.”
“…After all, sharing a room is more unfriendly toward an Omega,” Pei Yingye ground out word by word. “I was clearly thinking of you.”
“You can’t eat me, and I won’t eat you—” Ji Xuan smiled at him. “So, what are you afraid of?”
[1] Number two (老二 lǎo èr) is sometimes used as a slang term for the male reproductive organ.
Purchase complete translation in EPUB format HERE.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152