Chapter 17 Assessment
Everyone entered the assessment area in a shuffled order generated by the machine. Zhou Jiu looked at the order displayed on the computer and found that she was in the third group.
Zhou Jiu observed the entire assessment site, which featured a complete obstacle system including artificial steep walls, trenches, minefields, triangular rocks, glass knife mountains, and barbed wire. The assessment task was to pass through these obstacles within a specified time.
Soon it was her turn. Zhou Jiu and the other trainees in the third group did warm-up exercises together to prepare for the upcoming assessment.
"Zhou Jiu, Zhou Jiu, beat them and take first place!" Wu Ke'er cheered loudly.
Zhou Jiu paused slightly, feeling a little embarrassed as she sensed the students being stared at by the shout.
"Zhou Jiu, you're quite popular, you even have supporters."
"Haha, she's my roommate." Zhou Jiu laughed it off, trying to cover up his embarrassment.
"Third group, take your positions." The instructor's voice rang in my ears.
Zhou Jiu stood in the designated position, and the moment he heard the order, he rushed out. Zhou Jiu easily passed the three-step stakes and crossed the trench. With his toes lightly touching the ground, without using any leverage, Zhou Jiu relied on his own jumping power and arm strength to leap over the low wall...
Zhou Jiu was far ahead of the other five trainees in the third group and was the first to complete the assessment.
In the monitoring room, Xiao Wen looked at the time recorded on the personal computer when Zhou Jiu passed the assessment, compiled it into a report and sent it to his superiors. He then said to Liu Shan beside him, "Her physical fitness, agility and strength are now fully capable of performing missions as a soldier."
As Liu Shan watched the trending topics about Zhou Jiu's divination videos rise online, he said, "Sir, this is too much of a coincidence. These videos suddenly gained popularity online when she was divining that Grae Baird was still alive. I suspect that someone is deliberately pushing this behind the scenes."
Xiao Wen narrowed his eyes. "So what? All everyone wants is Grabeld's whereabouts. It doesn't matter who's behind this; they'll come out sooner or later. It's a real shame."
It's a pity that Zhou Jiu is not much different from the other trainees.
After the assessment, Zhou Jiu was called away by Lin Xiu, who had finished the first group's assessment.
"What happened to you guys?" Lin Xiu brought up the matter.
Zhou Jiu leaned against the wall, playing with the copper coin in his hand, and said casually, "It's nothing, just some differences in ideas."
After a long silence, Lin Xiu finally said, "Can't we make up?"
Zhou Jiu tossed a copper coin up into the air, caught it, and said with a smile, "Guess heads or tails?"
"Can you stop grinning like that? I'm serious." Lin Xiu said, somewhat annoyed.
"To be honest, I don't know. I went to military school because I had to serve. Rather than being a soldier, I'd rather learn more and become an officer. I came to Military Academy No. 1 because I really believe in my divination. Heaven gave me a sign, and I didn't want to run away, so I chose Military Academy No. 1. But Sun You is different. She made up her mind and had a goal." Zhou Jiu put the copper coins into her pocket and patted them lightly twice. This time, she was really in a dilemma. Going meant jail time, not going also meant jail time. The specifics concerned her, but she couldn't calculate the details. She hated this kind of troublesome thing.
Seeing Lin Xiu looking a bit troubled, Zhou Jiu patted Lin Xiu on the shoulder, "Relax, there's always a way out. Why worry so much? It's not like the sky is falling."
"Zhou Jiu, I'm talking to you seriously again." Lin Xiu pulled away Zhou Jiu's hand that was about to pat her shoulder.
“But some things can’t be resolved just by talking.” Zhou Jiu walked towards the direction of the base and met Sun You who was coming over.
“Zhou Jiu, we are a team, we swore an oath.” Sun You’s tone was calm, but with a hint of reminder.
Zhou Jiu twitched his lips but didn't say anything, returning to the assessment base with a normal expression.
No one expected things to happen faster than ever before.
The team was integrated. Zhou Jiu looked at the other five members of his team: Ye Yang, Lu Qi, Feng Ziyue, Sun You, and Lin Xiu. So Sun You's worries were all false. In order to make the mission go smoothly, they would provide as much convenience as possible, such as familiar personnel arrangements. They had already seen the video, so they could see the tacit cooperation between the three of them.
Everyone was taken to a warehouse. Wow, Zhou Jiu's eyes lit up. She was immediately drawn to the fiery red mech at the front.
"The L series of mechs are light mechs, h is heavy all-around mechs, and S is offensive mechs. Choose the mech you want based on your physical abilities and preferences, and open the mech hatch to enter."
Xiao Wen took the lead and entered the fiery red area at the front. "This is my partner, named Hongyan. She has fought with me in nearly a hundred battles against alien beasts."
Zhou Jiu chose a pure black Assault series mech, entered the mech's cabin, touched the keyboard inside, adjusted the seat back, fastened the seat belt, took off the helmet, adjusted everything, and began to check the instrument panel.
"Adjust your positions. Now we'll begin the most basic checks: are the instrument panel, energy meter, weapons cache, and all indicator lights functioning properly?"
"Now, follow me and pilot the mechs to the training ground." Xiao Wen's voice rang out from the speakers inside the mech cockpit. "I suppose I don't need to repeat the basic manual operating instructions for walking, do I?"
Zhou Jiu pressed the command to walk. Of course, they didn't need to. They weren't asking for a scolding. The military academy exam included mecha simulations. Except for those of them from impoverished planets who used simulation room mecha operations, the first five star systems used real mechas for their assessments.
It was the same testing location, but on the other side. The obstacles had changed, but the differences weren't significant.
"I'll demonstrate for you once. I've already sent the manual control commands to your personal computers. You'll now train on this section." After saying that, Xiao Wen started controlling Hongyan to run.
Immediately afterward, the mecha leaped through the air and crossed a two-meter wall. Then, the pilot skillfully navigated a five-meter rope net and smoothly passed through the obstacle. The next obstacle was a single pole, 50mm in diameter.
With a slight hunch, the mech leaped forward, then, at the opportune moment, switched from using its feet to its wheels, gliding over the single bar. Ahead lay a tall obstacle with a small window, about a meter wide, opening at a height of eight meters. Just as the mech was about to hit the wall, suction cups appeared on its arms, gripping the surface before releasing and climbing upwards. Reaching the small window, the mech moved with the fluidity and agility of a human, gliding through it with remarkable ease.
Xiao Wen returned to his original spot and said, "Just a heads-up, if you make too much noise, stones will come flying off the wall, something like this."
Xiao Wen's mecha fired a bullet at the wall. Soon, the wall became uneven where the bullet hit, and several dark round lumps appeared above the bullet.
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