Stabilizing Madness [Interstellar]

"Chapter 32: The Trap"

"Chapter 32: The Trap"
    "[Chapters 30-31 have been revised, so returning readers may want to take note.]
    "==The main text starts below=="
    "'Young Master, you were really holding back on your first day of class, weren't you?'"
    "Feng Wei, who was training in the same area, exclaimed in awe: 'Normally, even with a month's time, it's impossible to improve that rapidly!'"
    "For example, he considered his own abilities to be top-tier, but even after three weeks, he had only progressed from 200 minutes to around 155. To improve from around 290 minutes to 170, how terrifying is that rate of improvement?"
    "Xu Qingran remained noncommittal."
    "The body is a strange thing, like climbing a mountain, the first attempt is always unimaginably hard. This body, having been pampered before, struggled with the initial effort, but with persistence, it began to adapt to the intensity."
    "The end-of-month ultimate assessment day for the project arrived in the blink of an eye."
    "In the final week, Xu Qingran further reduced his completion time, almost catching up to the pace of 3S Feng Wei, with a mere 5-minute difference."
    "Xu Qingran thought that by leveraging mental power during the official assessment to enhance his physical resilience, he could probably achieve around 150 minutes."
    "Well, that's already among the top ranks in the advanced class."
    "Xie Nanjun had mentioned his own record was 134 minutes, still holding a place in the military academy's historical top 100, demonstrating that Shen Tingyu's record was not easily breakable in the short term."
    "The night before the evaluation, Xu Qingran, following his usual routine, went downstairs to make final adjustments at the training ground. Xie Nanjun, whom he hadn't seen for several days, was waiting for him downstairs, dressed more formally, similar to when he first arrived at the base."
    "Xie Nanjun's gaze on Xu Qingran was complex."
    "After observing that day, he couldn't believe what he had seen and spent the entire week, almost obsessively, monitoring Xu Qingran's training. It turned out Shen Tingyu was right; this young master from the Xu family was a significant figure. Not only did he absorb what Xie intended to teach in just a couple of days after a single glance, but he also knew how to review and improve on his own."
    "As a military officer, Xie Nanjun admired such a person."
    "He remembered laughing along with others when the news of Xu Qingran causing a scene at Lu Cheng's engagement party broke out, and suddenly felt terribly guilty."
    "Xu Qingran interrupted his wandering thoughts, 'Colonel Xie, you're looking for me again?'"
    "Xie Nanjun coughed lightly, adopting a senior's demeanor: 'Ah, nothing much.'"
    "'My teaching stint at the military academy is temporarily over, and you're somewhat related to Shen Tingyu, so I thought I'd check on your situation before leaving. What if the first thing he asks about when I return is you?'"
    "Xu Qingran chuckled lightly."
    "His laughter lacked much emotion: 'Don't misunderstand, he and I aren't friends.'"
    "Xie Nanjun: '?'"
    "'Really?'"
    "Before Xie Nanjun could respond, Xu Qingran asked, 'So, your guidance is also at his suggestion?'"
    "Xie Nanjun paused for a moment."
    "This feeling of being easily seen through, much like dealing with Shen Tingyu, that old fox!"
    "To avoid the stress-induced hair loss he experienced with Shen Tingyu in the past, he abandoned the idea of hiding it: 'Yes, Shen Tingyu, such a cold-hearted man! To suggest that I help you, isn't that enough to be considered a friend?'"
    "Xu Qingran replied, 'No, this is him blatantly mocking me.'"
    "Others might do this with genuine intentions to help, but Shen Tingyu's mind cannot be gauged by ordinary standards. If Xu wasn't wrong, Shen simply wanted to use Xie to convey that even if he taught him how to speed up the course, he still couldn't break the record."
    "Xu Qingran clicked his tongue in annoyance."
    "Just because I gave him a few punches? He's so petty."
    "System: '...'"
    "Wanting to say something in favor of the attack target, but fearing it might backfire, it chose to stay silent."
    "Xie Nanjun initially thought Xu Qingran was just deeply resentful towards Shen Tingyu, suspecting him of ulterior motives in everything."
    "—Although he often shared similar thoughts."
    "But it wasn't until he boarded the aircraft leaving Hailan Star and casually mentioned this to Shen Tingyu that he realized something."
    "Hearing Shen Tingyu's light laughter on the other end, 'Then he indeed knows what I'm thinking.'"
    "And Shen even casually added, 'It's surprising that you, knowing me for so long, don't understand as clearly as this later nephew-in-law of mine.'"
    "Xie Nanjun: '...?'"
    "He internally grumbled — it's both of you whose thinking doesn't align with normal people!"
    "Xie Nanjun ended the call with Shen Tingyu, his face a picture of disbelief."
    "He suddenly felt he had responded too quickly to his sister that day, realizing now that these two were clearly a perfect match!"
    ·
    "At the academy base."
    "After seeing off Xie Nanjun, Xu Qingran headed back to the training field to run through the course once more. Tomorrow was the big day, and the number of students in the field tonight was at its monthly peak."
    "With the assessment looming the next day, Xu Qingran only did a single walkthrough of the course tonight, not staying as late as usual. On his way back to the dorms from the training field, his mind was busy replaying every crucial move and speed needed for each obstacle."
    "He didn't notice the well-hidden presence at the corner of the building and was suddenly sprayed in the face with a strange mist."
    "Xu Qingran instinctively closed his eyes and swiftly grabbed the hand of the person who attacked him, using his keen perception. But the assailant was surprisingly strong and quick to react, struggling against him briefly before managing to pull away despite Xu's gripping strength."
    "The spray bottle clattered to the ground."
    "Xu Qingran's eyes stung slightly from the spray, and a strange pressure seemed to envelop him, making his body feel unusually heavy. He leaned against the wall in the darkness, listening to the fading footsteps of the assailant, calmly trying to alleviate the discomfort."
    "Until another set of lighter footsteps approached from behind."
    "'Xu Qingran?'"
    "It was a somewhat unfamiliar female voice, sounding rather aloof."
    "Xu Qingran remained silent, not responding."
    "At this moment, everyone in the academy was a suspect to him, and he wasn't keen on engaging with anyone."
    "The one who unexpectedly encountered Xu Qingran was Ling Yuege, who had just finished her mecha training."
    "She was on her way back to the girls' dormitory when she stumbled upon Xu Qingran, who appeared to be in a bad state, on a secluded path that was rarely traversed by others."
    "Typically, Ling Yuege, as a proud E-type, wouldn't bother even if she saw someone fainting on the roadside. However, this was Xu Qingran, who had made a lasting impression on her since the day of enrollment. Hesitating for a second, she decided to approach and investigate."
    "About to inquire, she suddenly noticed the spray canister at his feet."
    "Picking it up, she expressed her surprise, 'A mental suppression spray?'"
    "'What is that?' Xu Qingran, who had been silent until now, finally spoke."
    "Ling Yuege glanced up at the person in front of her."
    "His brown, slightly curly hair was disheveled from training. Affected by the spray, his tofu-like fair skin was slightly reddened, as if allergic, and his tightly shut eyes were a bit swollen."
    "Despite this, he still looked as calm as a seasoned adventurer who had weathered great storms."
    "Ling Yuege, holding the spray bottle, withdrew her gaze, looking down as she examined it closely and explained, 'It's a type of aerosol that limits the outburst of mental power, but it only works on those whose souls and spirits are not yet fully formed.'"
    "'This kind of aerosol is usually used on individuals showing signs of soul formation.'"
    "'You should know, there's a period of soul fluctuation and restlessness before a soul sets. The academy, having high-level students, keeps such medicine in the medical room for emergencies.'"
    "Xu Qingran thought to himself that he really didn't know this."
    "He then asked, 'What effects does it have if sprayed on someone?'"
    "'There's no life-threatening danger,' Ling Yuege paused, 'but it temporarily suppresses the target's mental power level down a notch.'"
    "For instance, the destructive power of a 3S-level individual would be reduced to around a double S-S level. This way, in case of an emergency, it's easier for those around to control the target."
    "After Ling Yuege finished, there was another stretch of silence."
    "Moments later, she spoke again, 'Your last class group has an obstacle course assessment tomorrow, right?'"
    "Everyone knew this was a devilishly demanding task, draining both physical strength and mental power."
    "And with the spray's effects lasting about one to two days, it would severely impact tomorrow's assessment. Clearly, he had been set up."
    "Xu Qingran didn't say much, but after recovering a bit, he requested, 'Classmate, could you lead me to a place with water?'"
    "He wanted to wash his eyes."
    "Ling Yuege was initially hesitant, not one to seek out trouble or naturally inclined to help others. However, she found guiding Xu Qingran quite effortless. He didn't require any physical assistance, accurately following her footsteps and discerning turns and directions."
    "This once again altered Ling Yuege's perception of him."
    "She was one of the few who remained neutral when Xu Qingran's scandal broke. Having experienced similar situations herself — being slandered by those close to her and treated as a monster by her own family — no one understood better than her the terrifying power of rumors and their truthfulness."
    "In reality, Xu Qingran himself was nothing like the cowardly, love-struck figure portrayed in the rumors."
    "As for his temperament and character—"
    "Ling Yuege recalled his actions at Xu Qing'an's advancement party and in Arena No. 2, deciding to reserve her judgment for now."
    "Meanwhile, Xu Qingran finally managed to wash his eyes at the pool, able to open them and see the world. He immediately noticed the tall girl leaning against the other side of the washbasin, hands in her pockets, appraising him."
    "Xu Qingran was quite surprised to find that the person who had helped him was Ling Yuege."
    "Wasn't she an E-type? This didn't quite fit the typical disposition they were known for."
    "Being a man of clear debts and grudges, he wiped the water off his face and said, 'Thank you.'"
    "Ling Yuege nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders, as if to suggest it was a trivial effort."
    "Assured he needed nothing else, she stood up to leave, casually saying, 'Good luck,' as she departed."
    "After speaking, she left without looking back."
    "Xu Qingran watched her departing figure, contemplative."
    "She was the first E-type he had encountered who didn't immediately try to challenge him to a fight upon meeting. Of course, this didn't change his ongoing equal suspicion of everyone at the academy."
    "He took the spray bottle Ling Yuege had left by the sink and inquired with the dormitory management. They were surprised to see it and confirmed Ling Yuege's explanation: it was a prohibited item among students, only accessible to doctors in the medical room."
    "Regardless, the night came to an end in this way."
    "Xu Qingran wasn't particularly angry."
    "He acknowledged that his own carelessness, due to a bit of over-relaxation, had led to this incident, and couldn't blame anyone else. Plus, thanks to Xie Nanjun's intensive training, such effects didn't pose too much of a problem for him."
    "The next day's evaluation commenced vigorously."
    "Students from various project groups underwent their respective tests. Those residing in the high-rise dorms saw, upon waking, the top students already soaring across the sky above the dormitory area in their mechs, heading towards the coastal region."
    "Xu Qingran also headed to the familiar training field."
    "Given Prince Mu Ziyu's instructions and the astonishing predicted results that had been circulating for the past month, many instructors he knew and didn't know arrived at the observation deck on the day of his evaluation."
    "Xu Qingran was surprised by such an assembly but assumed it was just the instructors' serious approach to the assessments."
    "Glancing around briefly, he noticed his ex, Qi Shengxue, was also there."
    "Uncharacteristically sober, Qi wore a hat, looking up disdainfully at the blazing sun, then continued to watch the field with a world-weary expression."
    "The system expressed concern for him: 'Oh my, Host, most of these people are here to watch your performance!'"
    "'But after what happened yesterday... if your performance isn't up to par, will they find an excuse to expel you from the academy?'"
    "There were many students in his class group."
    "To complete the project assessments within a day, everyone was divided into several groups, with a new batch setting off every ten minutes."
    "As the first group of students began, Xu Qingran walked to his starting position, replying calmly, 'I've said it before, they invited me here, and it won't be easy to get rid of me.'"
    "With the whistle sounding, Xu Qingran commenced his assessment alongside the second batch of students. The instructors on the observation deck sat up straight, their expressions focused and serious as they intently watched the live broadcast on the screen, with most of their attention fixed on Xu Qingran."
    "After watching for a while, their expressions gradually shifted to confusion and disappointment."
    "Wasn't this Xu family scion supposed to be quite exceptional, fully matching the level of a top student in the advanced class? What's going on? His pace and proficiency seemed barely sufficient to pass."
    "Xu Qingran's overall performance was actually quite stable."
    "Only, compared to his usual practice sessions, it was far too stable."
    "The obstacle course consisted of about a hundred challenges, each with a set maximum time for passing. The bare minimum passing time for the entire course was 188 minutes. Exceeding this limit meant failing the assessment, necessitating a retest at the end of the year."
    "Failing even one item in the retest meant not graduating."
    "Today, Xu Qingran seemed to be barely scraping by, just meeting the passing time for each challenge."
    "An instructor who usually had high expectations for him watched Xu Qingran's constantly updating progress on his tablet with a worried expression."
    "Halfway through the course, with Xu Qingran still hovering dangerously between passing and failing, the observing instructors gradually lost interest. Only the middle-aged man, standing at the edge of the observation deck with his mechanical leg crossed over the other and hands behind his back, grew increasingly grave."
    "A junior instructor, closely monitoring Xu Qingran's checkpoint data, showed a subtle change in expression when Xu Qingran completed two-thirds of the course. It was as if he had discovered something astonishing and surprising, prompting him to scroll up and scrutinize the data from start to finish again."
    "Then he looked even more amazed."
    "Finally, when Xu Qingran reached the last obstacle, climbing up to the high platform and pausing to catch his breath before pressing the timer stop button."
    "The junior instructor, who usually trained him, excitedly reported at the same time, 'It's over! 188 minutes! Not a second more, not a second less, just perfect!'"
    The other senior instructors smirked.
    Someone said indifferently, "That's just normal for an A-level, what's so special about it?"
    A junior instructor looked down at his tablet, where the screen displayed data so perfect it was satisfying even to those with OCD.
    A total time of 188 minutes was indeed not unusual.
    ——But what if, across a hundred or so obstacles, each move was executed so flawlessly it left no room for error, and the check-in times were precisely on the minimum passing mark, not a second more or less?