Stabilizing Madness [Interstellar]

Chapter 31: Rigorous Training (Revised)

Chapter 31: Rigorous Training (Revised)
    The speaker, sporting an exotic look, was quite tall, seemingly over one meter ninety.
    He appeared to have sustained a neck injury, covered with a large bandage.
    With a hint of challenge and disdain in his expression, he chuckled at Xu Qingran, then ambitiously set his own target time at 118 minutes and 30 seconds. He glanced at Xu Qingran again, remarking, "Xu Dasha, you seem quite popular around the campus lately."
    "Every morning I step out, I overhear conversations mentioning your name."
    Xu Qingran accepted all this calmly and confidently, even asking, "Am I only famous on campus?"
    "I need to strive harder. After all, my goal is to be known by everyone in the entire empire."
    The man laughed again, his smile radiating a sunny demeanor.
    But as Xu Qingran looked into his slightly murky green eyes, his own smile turned wry, feeling a chill in his heart.
    After a moment, the man extended his hand, "I'm Feng Wei. I've heard of you, Dasha, for a long time and always wanted to meet you."
    Xu Qingran didn't know him personally, but the name sparked a faint memory.
    If I recall correctly, Feng Wei here is the one who was injured by Lin Qianmu's psychic powers during the final assessment. Due to his early elimination and the events that occurred in the assessment field, he was also assigned to one of the last class groups.
    Xu Qingran didn't reciprocate Feng Wei's handshake, stating bluntly, "But I have no interest in knowing you."
    With that, he walked towards the training field.
    Unperturbed by Xu Qingran's demeanor, Feng Wei followed and continued, "I heard that you also belong to the category of individuals whose soul and psyche mature late."
    "I'm in the same boat. Although my psychic pool has reached 3S, my type remains undefined. Everyone at the academy seems to think we could potentially evolve into E-types. Unlike you, I wasn't lucky enough to receive a special invitation from the academy."
    Xu Qingran glanced at Feng Wei upon hearing this.
    Feng Wei, looking ahead and aimlessly following Xu Qingran to the obstacle course training area, mused aloud, "Do you think if we both become E-types, we'll end up like in the legends, unable to even be friends because of mutual repulsion?"
    "However, they say that before becoming an E-type, one's psychic pool must reach 3S. So, it looks like I might achieve the results before you."
    "Don't worry," Xu Qingran suddenly spoke, "I never intended to be your friend, so don't overthink it."
    After saying this, Xu Qingran walked ahead to the start of the obstacle course, beginning his first attempt to navigate through it as a self-test.
    He wanted to see how long it would take him to complete the course on his first try.
    His classmates also started their training under the supervision of the instructors.
    Any slacking would result in punishment with on-the-spot push-ups.
    Not long after Xu Qingran began, he was scaling a nearly hundred-meter climbing wall, one of the obstacles, when another familiar and noisy voice approached.
    "Go for it, Xu! I'm heading off first!" Feng Wei called out.
    After saying this, Feng Wei hastened his pace, effortlessly surpassing everyone else with ease and quickly reaching the top, then smoothly crossing over the most challenging part of the mountainous path.
    Xu Qingran quietly watched the direction Feng Wei left in, then refocused and continued at his own steady pace.
    In the obstacle course, there's a tall wooden post that serves as the midway checkpoint of the entire challenge.
    When Xu Qingran reached the top, it was already midday with the sun blazing fiercely. Despite the scorching heat, he lingered after pressing the checkpoint button, reluctant to descend immediately.
    From such heights, one can always see more of the world.
    For instance, he could see the hexagonal elite students like Ling Yuege engaged in combat mech training by the seaside. Nearby, another similarly structured obstacle course was visible, abutting their training field.
    The academy's curriculum encompassed around a dozen subjects. Due to the number of students, both the top and bottom classes were further divided into several groups, each starting from different subjects and rotating through the training.
    From his vantage point, he could spot Ni Xiaoyuan's distinct pink-gray hair fluttering as she moved agilely, almost like a leopard. In stark contrast to most of his class, who were struggling and on the verge of giving up, the competition in the adjacent top class was far more intense.
    Most students, like Ni Xiaoyuan, were fully committed and fiercely competitive. Each obstacle had several students simultaneously tackling it at a similar pace, but as a girl, Ni Xiaoyuan still stood out in her group, leading decisively.
    Xu Qingran's gaze then shifted to Feng Wei, who was also resting a few obstacles away. Feng was seated at a high point, his attention fixed on the adjacent field but focused solely on one individual.
    It was Lin Qianmu, who was in the same class group as Ni Xiaoyuan.
    Feng Wei's gaze towards Lin Qianmu was peculiar, almost unsettling. Sensing Xu Qingran's observation, Feng Wei turned and waved at him with a smile, the oddity in his eyes vanishing.
    Xu Qingran openly scrutinized him until Feng Wei resumed his course after his break, and only then did he continue his training.
    The physical exertion demanded by this training was indeed substantial.
    Yet, Xu Qingran pushed himself to complete the entire course.
    Including his rest time at the wooden post, he finished in 292 minutes and 33 seconds.
    Feng Wei, who had finished much earlier, hadn't left yet. He waited at the finish line and approached Xu Qingran as he arrived, teasing, "Xu Qingran, as a specially invited student of the academy, you really need to step up your efforts."
    Feng Wei, with a stronger physical foundation than others in their class group, completed the unfamiliar course in just around 200 minutes on his first attempt, the fastest among them. This wasn't surprising, given that his skills merited placement in the top classes.
    Xu Qingran still hadn't responded to him.
    Although Feng Wei had figured out his background, his interest in Xu Qingran had diminished slightly since the start, "With one month left, I believe, young master, that you can definitely improve your clearance scores."
    "I've completed today's task and the instructor said I could leave early. See you tomorrow!"
    Xu Qingran watched Feng Wei's departing figure silently. After sufficient rest, he turned and began training back from the finish line. He aimed to familiarize himself with all the obstacles as soon as possible and then figure out the most efficient and fastest way to clear them.
    Soon, the instructor announced the end of the day's training.
    Xu Qingran wasn't sure about the situation of the earlier batch of students in his class, but in his group, over 90% hadn't completed the course until the end. The instructors were quite responsible, constantly monitoring everyone, preventing any slacking.
    However, for the new students in the latter batch, the expectations for the first day couldn't be too high; they had to settle for that for the time being.
    In the evening, after a hearty meal and ample rest, Xu Qingran prepared to go downstairs for his nightly running exercise.
    The door of Room 6037 opposite had been repaired.
    Just a few steps after closing his door, he encountered a classmate heading to the bathroom for a shower. It was the same student who had cried after being scolded yesterday, also in the same class group as him.
    "Hello, Xu student, good evening!" the junior's eyes brightened upon seeing him.
    After yesterday's incident, the people in their dormitory now saw Xu Qingran as someone radiant. Especially after today's practice where, despite being an A-level like them, he managed to complete the full course just like the S and even 3S-level students; it was truly impressive!
    Xu Qingran nodded politely in response to the greeting, and as he was about to step away, the junior hesitated and added, "By the way, Xu student, I saw you getting along well with Feng Wei today. Have you become friends with him?"
    Xu Qingran remained silent.
    As a villain despised everywhere in his previous life, he found it quite unusual to frequently be approached about making friends.
    "Ah, sorry, I don't mean to restrict or interfere with your friendships! It's just that, if it's Feng Wei, you might want to be cautious in your interactions."
    This piqued Xu Qingran's interest slightly, "How so?"
    The classmate struggled before quietly saying, "Feng Wei's mood can be quite unpredictable."
    "We come from the same place, so I know a bit about him. In high school, he had a good friend, the class president. They were close, but one day the president criticized him a bit harshly over some homework, and ended up beaten into a vegetative state."
    "He's still in the hospital."
    Xu Qingran raised an eyebrow, "Such a big incident, and his family didn't sue him?"
    The classmate sighed sadly, "Feng Wei's mother is the sister of the Imperial Monarch, belonging to the royal nobility. The laws of the empire... they're there to control us common people. The powerful have many ways to quell such issues."
    "The class leader's family background was simple, just ordinary people."
    "The royal family, affluent and willing to pay for medical expenses to settle matters, left families desiring their children's survival no choice but to agree. Refusal meant losing both money and peace, potentially leading to an 'accidental' disappearance."
    Xu Qingran listened without comment and went downstairs to exercise.
    However, when Feng Wei came the next day to pester him again about forming an acquaintance, Xu Qingran, contrary to his previous aloofness, lightly laughed and said, "Sure."
    Feng Wei, who thought he would need more time to persuade him, was surprised: "Didn't expect you to change your mind so quickly, Xu."
    "I just realized," Xu Qingran replied nonchalantly, "everyone likes to know strong people. Having one more powerful ally like you isn't a bad thing."
    Feng Wei grinned, "Exactly, I think so too."
    Time flew by, and a week passed before they knew it.
    That evening, Ren Ping yawned as he returned from the bathroom and saw Xu Qingran's bed empty again: "Did Xu go for his nightly exercise run again?"
    Zhang Zhihe, doing push-ups on the floor, lowered his body as he answered: "Yeah, I heard their group's project recently is the toughest obstacle course. They're exhausted during the day, yet he still insists on exercising every night."
    Always the first to leave the dormitory and the last to return.
    Despite initial doubts and resistance towards Xu Qingran, his roommates now held immense respect for him.
    He's a tough one!
    Tough on others and even tougher on himself; no wonder he's so outstanding!
    ·
    Downstairs, Xu Qingran found himself near the dormitory entrance without realizing it.
    Suddenly, the system urged him to look up ahead.
    In front of the dormitory entrance, several people stood late at night.
    Dressed in lavish attire, they respectfully conversed with a blonde-haired man.
    Xu Qingran initially found the man familiar but didn't recognize him until he casually popped a candy into his mouth.
    He then remembered seeing him on the news.
    The colonel from the Golden Wing Camp.
    As Xu Qingran pondered, the system pointed to another man in the scene, a middle-aged man with graying hair.
    His eyes were hazy, appearing intoxicated, and he dismissively spoke a few words to the blonde man before stumbling away.
    The system informed, "That man was your mother, Qi Shengxue's, first love."
    Xu Qingran: "?"
    Comparing Xu Yan with the aimless, drunken man leaving, he couldn't help but comment, "Qi Shengxue's choice in men seems rather poor."
    "That's not entirely fair to say. His current state is partly because of Qi Shengxue's death," the system explained.
    "They were deeply in love back then, but your father, Xu Yan, intervened. The Qi family, traditional and conservative, favored a high soul compatibility match over fleeting emotions, believing in long-lasting relationships based on soul compatibility."
    "So, Qi Shengxue was unwillingly married to Xu Yan, compensated with a significant dowry from the prosperous Qi family."
    "But the compatibility data that matched Xu Yan with Qi Shengxue actually belonged to her and her first love," the system continued, alleviating Xu Qingran's fatigue from running, "Remember, your stepmother's sister worked in the official Soul Mate system."
    "Your stepmother and Xu Yan were already together, planning marriage. But when Xu Yan, newly in charge of Xu family's business, faced a major crisis, fearing loss of control over the Xu family, he eyed the Qi family, then a business giant."
    "In collusion with your stepmother's sister, they swapped the compatibility data to marry Qi Shengxue."
    "That's why Xu Yan was so cruel to Qi Shengxue. He never loved her; it was always utilitarian, his true love was your stepmother."
    Xu Qingran paused, then voiced a long-held doubt, "How is it that the Xu family seems to easily swap soulmate compatibility data? Isn't it supposed to be difficult?"
    "It is difficult," the system replied.
    "Only five people in the entire empire possess this technology, and coincidentally, two of them are your stepmother's younger sister and her close friend. The process appears simple but is actually complex, requiring a chosen I-type soul with the ability to use part of their spirit pool's energy for the swap."
    "It's manageable once or twice, but frequent changes can diminish the spirit pool, leading to degradation of spiritual rank and reduced lifespan. That's why most people's data remains protected; hardly anyone is willing to risk their talent and lifespan frivolously."
    "Even those willing to pay for the service do so sparingly. Your original world's Xu Qingran, burdened with the 'abused protagonist' debuff, unfortunately had two such individuals capable of aiding the Xu family in their schemes."
    "The stepmother's aunt profited from it and was willing to assist occasionally."
    "Including Xu Qingan's visit to that close friend, she helped out of gratitude for past support and ambitions to climb higher, leveraging her aunt's influence."
    During the chat with the system, Xu Qingran noticed the blond man near the dormitory entrance approaching him.
    Muttering as if on a call, the man approached.
    "Sister, why are you so interested in that Xu family's eldest son?" Xie Nanjun's expression was extremely displeased, "I just arrived at the military academy, and you're already pressing me to go to the dorms to find someone."
    The woman's voice, mischievous and mysterious, replied, "Oh, you wouldn't understand! I have my reasons; just take a quick look for me, will you?"
    "Me, a colonel of the Golden Wing Camp, sneaking into a student dorm at night to find a nobody from a lower class. What excuse should I use?"
    Xie Nanjun, with a sneer and sudden realization, asked in alarm, "You're not interested in him, are you?!"
    "I warn you, dad won't let you marry someone from the Silver Dragon, especially not the notorious Xu Qingran. Not just dad, I, your brother, won't agree either!"
    "What are you talking about?" Xie Nanyi, sarcastically through the communicator, said, "Besides, he might end up being some big shot's predestined treasure. How dare I snatch him?"
    Confused, Xie Nanjun hesitated, "You mean Lu Cheng?"
    "Didn't they break up centuries ago?" Xie Nanjun's attitude shifted instantly when mentioning someone from the Silver Dragon Camp, "And what's there to fear about the Lu family of Silver Dragon? If I really like someone, even if they're from the Lu family, I'd snatch them away!"
    "But to fancy Xu Qingran, I really can't fathom your bizarre taste..." As Xie Nanjun spoke, his gaze suddenly caught a figure.
    Extremely attractive, with an aura of gentleness and compliance.
    Judging by his appearance and outfit, he seemed like a diligent student committed to training even at night.
    Appreciating such dedication, Xie Nanjun, with a playful twist of his tongue, shifted the candy in his mouth and asked admiringly, "Student, are you out for training?"
    "Yes," the young man responded calmly with a nod.
    "Good, good," Xie Nanjun echoed with nods of approval, "By the way, do you know a student named Xu Qingran? I have some business and would like to meet him."
    "I'm looking for him."
    As Xie Nanjun asked, he saw a subtle, enigmatic smile form on the student's face.
    The next second, the young man replied indifferently, "I am Xu Qingran."
    "I wonder if I'm the person Colonel Xie is looking for."
    The evening breeze was cool, and the surroundings fell into utter silence.
    Pondering for a moment, Xie Nanjun then asked skeptically, "Are you the Xu Qingran from the Silver Dragon Camp, the son of Xu Yan of the Xu's Construction Group?"
    "Coincidentally," Xu Qingran's smile was serene, "that's exactly who I am."
    Silence fell once again.
    Eventually, the two sat opposite each other in one of the dormitory area's cafeterias.
    It was nearing midnight, and the kitchen had long since closed.
    The lights were dimly lit, casting a subdued glow in the hall, which apart from them, was deserted.
    Xu Qingran sipped water from a cup he filled at the dispenser, his expression composed. Xie Nanjun's earpiece buzzed with his sister Xie Nanyi's excited voice, seemingly indifferent to her brother's predicament.
    "Did you meet him? How is it? Is he good-looking?"
    Xie Nanjun glanced at Xu Qingran and replied truthfully, "Extremely good-looking."
    "What about his physique?"
    Xie Nanjun commented, "A wardrobe change and he's runway-ready."
    "Hmm, and his personality?"
    Xie Nanjun thought, shouldn't the answer to this question be readily available online?
    Yet, he pondered before answering, "...He's very diligent."
    That was the only trait he could discern so far.
    "Really?" Xie Nanyi paused and then added, "So, do you think he's a match for your colonel?"
    "Match—" Xie Nanjun, intending to give a nonchalant reply, suddenly halted, disbelieving, "My sister, who are you referring to?"
    "Who else but Shen Tingyu."
    Xie Nanjun: "..."
    He suddenly remembered that Xu Qingran was indeed staying at Shen Tingyu's place and recalled the Shen family's recent announcement declaring him as the future high-compatibility partner for their youngest, Shen Tianyi.
    His sister was stirring up trouble?!
    Although he was eager to find someone to cure Shen Tingyu's illness, wasn't it inappropriate to forcefully take his nephew's fiancée?
    "It probably... isn't right," said Xie Nanjun hesitantly.
    He remembered when Xu Qingran first moved into Shen Tingyu's house; for several weeks, the general's mood at work was notably sour, showing no smiles while directing them to clear disaster areas.
    Clearly, he disliked Xu Qingran, the intruder in his territory.
    Xie Nanjun missed the live stream incident involving Xu Qingran but heard that Shen Tingyu was furious in a meeting room that day, possibly influenced by the young master's actions...
    Contemplating this, Xie Nanjun watched Xu Qingran sitting quietly, serious and unsmiling, exuding an aura seemingly at odds with Shen Tingyu.
    So, he was more convinced: "I don't think it's a good idea."
    Xie Nanyi scoffed, "Is that so?"
    "By the way, isn't there a mid-year break in their academic year? How about this: you try to get on good terms with them, and during the holidays, bring them over so I can have a look and get a feel for them?"
    "I always feel that you men see things differently from us women—"
    Xie Nanjun rolled his eyes and ended the call.
    Looking up, he heard Xu Qingran ask, "Are you close with Shen Tingyu?"
    Xie Nanjun shrugged, "We're alright."
    "Mainly because our families are old friends, we grew up together, and many years ago, his advice saved my sister's life. Apart from his difficult personality, everything else about him is quite good."
    Xu Qingran roughly understood.
    Speaking so nonchalantly usually meant the relationship was indeed good.
    "You... I heard you've been living with him recently. How do you get along? With Shen Tingyu's troublesome character, I couldn't imagine him living with anyone other than his little nephew."
    "It's fine," Xu Qingran nodded in response, "It's just a matter of occasionally wanting to kill each other."
    Xie Nanjun: "......"
    Xu Qingran added, "But before I kill him, I need to sleep with him first."
    He said this seriously.
    "......?" Xie Nanjun was stunned.
    What kind of bold statement was that? Was he supposed to hear this? And was this even appropriate?
    ——And, does his boss know about this?
    After leaving Xie Nanjun with this bombshell, Xu Qingran returned to his dorm to rest, leaving the golden-haired colonel alone in the canteen, questioning his existence.
    ·
    "The weather remains clear today."
    "Xu Qingran has now familiarized himself with the obstacles on the field and managed to shorten his clearance time to around 220 minutes."
    "What's next is to increase speed."
    "Off the field, Xie Nanjun stands with arms crossed, silently observing Xu Qingran's training, accompanied by a junior cadet."
    "Ever since he entered the academy this morning, he's been hearing Xu Qingran's name everywhere."
    "Students discuss it, and even the military instructors and drill sergeants at the academy are talking about it."
    "Xie Nanjun's impression of Xu Qingran had been of a weakling, desperately in love with Lu Cheng, causing a huge embarrassment. So, he was curious to see this recent sensation who, as if emboldened by a lion's heart, dared to covet their general."
    "The more he watched, the more astonished he became."
    "Xu Qingran's performance was far from that of an untrained young master. Xie even began to wonder if this man could become an E-type, matching their general with his seemingly seasoned skills."
    "Xie Nanjun watched in amazement."
    "This continued until a junior cadet quietly reminded him, 'Colonel Xie, we need to move to the North 8 Zone.'"
    "Xie Nanjun is an exceptionally talented mecha pilot. The most difficult and temperamental mechs become docile and perfectly controlled in his hands. Hence, every year at the academy's opening, he, an alumnus, is invited to teach the elite students about mechs."
    "Hearing this, he quietly put on his hat and left without drawing much attention."
    "This week, Xu Qingran learned from his instructor that the obstacle course field was also open at night for students preparing for the assessment, so he switched his nightly running routine to practice on the course."
    "In the adjacent advanced class field, many were training hard. Surprisingly, students from his lower class also felt a sense of urgency and were training against the clock."
    "All were students who had worked hard to enter the prestigious Grandis Military Academy; even those in the lower class were not willing to slack off completely."
    "Xu Qingran glanced around and noticed the absence of the enthusiastic and noisy Feng Wei."
    "Then he focused and started practicing earnestly."
    "180 minutes and 03 seconds!" On the daytime training ground, the instructor, marveling at Xu Qingran's constantly improving records, found it unbelievable.
    He couldn't help but exclaim, "This performance is almost on par with the average level of the students in the advanced class next door!"
    "As instructors, everyone appreciates a student who is diligent, ambitious, and can achieve impressive results."
    "The instructors guiding Xu Qingran's program, who had previously heard unfavorable rumors about him, have recently revised their opinions. With demonstrated strength, one earns their respect."
    "Feng Wei, standing beside him, patted Xu Qingran's shoulder: 'Wow, Xu the Young Master is indeed amazing! In just under three weeks, you're only 15 minutes behind me!'"
    "'It's just more practice,' Xu Qingran replied calmly and humbly, 'You could also practice more in the evenings.'"
    "He was not particularly satisfied with this result; it was still far from Shen Tingyu's record."
    "Of course, Xu Qingran was well aware that surpassing Shen Tingyu's record in just a month was an impossible feat. His past life was a distant memory; in this life, both physically and mentally, he was far behind Shen, and breaking the record would be unrealistic."
    "But the significant difference did bother him."
    "So, he wanted to test his limits, to see how far he could push himself if he gave it his all."
    "After the instructor left, Feng Wei sighed, 'Alright, alright, if I have the energy, I'll join you in the grind.'"
    "Yet this self-assured 3S-grade player still didn't show up."
    "Xu Qingran didn't mind."
    "That evening, as usual, he left the dormitory to train."
    "But as he descended the stairs, he saw Xie Nanjun, who had been standing outside the dormitory building for an unknown length of time, chewing bubble gum, seemingly waiting for him."
    "Xie Nanjun was casually dressed in sportswear tonight: 'No other intention, I just suddenly missed the hard days of my school life. Felt like visiting your training ground for old times' sake.'"
    "Xu Qingran remained silent, it was unclear if he believed this explanation."
    "Xie Nanjun was inwardly troubled."
    "A few days ago, he couldn't resist contacting Shen Tingyu, who was far away, to tell him about his current stay at the Grandis Military Academy base and his encounter with Shen's future niece-in-law. After much hesitation, he still didn't dare to convey Xu Qingran's explosive words to Shen."
    "Upon hearing about Xu Qingran's efforts to break his record, Shen Tingyu laughed and said, 'Good, then guide him.'"
    "At that moment, Xie Nanjun felt his CPU was about to burn out: '...What?'"
    "He had thought that given their poor relationship, Shen Tingyu would scoff at the idea."
    "Shen Tingyu's voice was casual: 'He's not like us, never having been exposed to these things before. But he's smart. You don't need to do much, just show him once, and he'll understand.'"
    "Partly out of a sense of duty and partly out of curiosity to see if Xu Qingran could indeed prove Shen Tingyu right, Xie Nanjun came over, having nothing else to do late at night."
    "He accompanied Xu Qingran to the training field, finding an excuse to say, 'As your senior, I suggest you watch me complete a full course from the spectator's stand tonight. You might learn something useful from me.'"
    "Xu Qingran didn't refuse."
    "Then Xie Nanjun actually ran the entire course, while Xu Qingran watched intently, his expression thoughtful."
    "When the timer stopped, it was around 136 minutes. This was only 2 minutes slower than Xie Nanjun's official record during his school years, not a significant difference."
    "Xie Nanjun, drenched in sweat, was exhausted by the end of the run."
    "Internally grumbling about why he had to help Shen Tingyu, that jerk, and familiarize himself with people for his sister's sake, he still carefully advised, 'Oh, and a life tip for you: from today onwards, including your daytime training, try to avoid using mental power as much as possible.'"
    "'If anything unexpected happens on the day of the official assessment, you'll thank me.'"
    "Having said this, Xie Nanjun waved his hand and left with flair, walking away while holding his waist and muttering, 'Damn, coming back after years, this thing is still the scariest program in the entire school!'"
    "After seeing off Xie Nanjun, Xu Qingran stood still for about ten minutes to digest the information, then turned to immerse himself in training."
    "The next day, Xie Nanjun was again observing Xu Qingran's training performance from outside the training field."
    "The instructor announced his new record with surprise: 170 minutes, 54 seconds!"
    "Xie Nanjun: '?'"
    "Was this the time for completing the entire course without using mental power? He had only run it once in front of him yesterday, right?! He was prepared to find excuses to run several more times to help Xu Qingran understand!"
    "Xie Nanjun's expression changed dramatically."
    "He thought to himself, 'What kind of devil is this Xu Qingran?!'"
    "With such talent, how could he possibly be just at an A-level?"