The New Year's Eve was quite lively. The incident of the military hospital leaking patient data did not end when Gao was taken to the police station. The continued attention of people from all walks of life in the empire pushed public opinion to an unimaginable height.

New news was constantly revealed by insiders. The media finally found materials that could not go wrong under the situation of rectification in the industry, and the Gao father and son dug deep and hit hard.

From the first day of the holiday, different contents of the revelation could be seen on the Star Network almost every day. From how Gao Ye Elementary School bullied classmates, to Mr. Gao being scolded by his partner's family for cheating for several days, the pile of miscellaneous news was pressed together, completely pressing the Gao family, a newly raised aristocratic family, to the ground.

Lin Sheng did not escape the fate of being implicated by drawing a clear line with Gao. The media had a nose as sharp as a dog and smelled the fishy smell on Lin Sheng. Lin

Sheng, who was implicated and had to fight wits and courage with reporters, was not a perfect egg himself. He spent the entire holiday in a very anxious state.

With such a hot public opinion at the beginning of the new year, the registration phase of the Imperial Research Institute's competition also reached the final deadline.

The debate in the conference room of the institute finally came to an end. Situ took a few big gulps of water and shouted with a smoking throat: "I don't agree. I have to talk to the organizers!"

"Give him a light sword," Bai Li said to the researchers beside him, "Let him use it to talk, it will be more convincing."

Yang Han and others sitting next to him, their frowning faces suddenly relaxed and they smiled.

"It's useless to talk now, the schedule has been set." Zhou Yue participated in the meeting through the virtual screen, "I didn't expect the schedule to be so tight. This time the competition committee did a great job of keeping the entire process confidential, so I didn't find out."

On the virtual screen on the other side was the schedule that had just been received today.

The entire competition was concentrated in the first month of the new year, divided into the main star and several satellite star competition areas. The regional competition was played first, and the players were selected to advance to the finals on the main star.

The mecha research and development circle has developed well in recent years, and the Empire has always been very supportive of this aspect. There are many large, medium and small research institutes, and more participants than Bai Li imagined.

"This schedule is too unethical," Situ began to nag again, "How can there be an opening ceremony in the morning and three consecutive games in the afternoon? There are so many research institutes on the main star?"

"I heard that several satellite stars around were included in the main star competition area," Yang Han said the information he got from his former classmates, "so there are many people, so the schedule is tight."

The tight schedule means that the driver will be very tired.

Everyone is worried about whether Bai Li's legs can withstand such a high-intensity competition.

"It just so happens that the control is particularly strict this year," said a researcher. "Although it has long been stipulated that active members of the first and second echelons of the legion cannot participate in the competition, there have been one or two exceptions in previous years."

This means that the possibility of experienced people like Lu Zhao and Jiang Hao participating in the competition is completely gone.

"The military needs to rectify its conduct and establish its image, so it can't get too involved with this kind of competition open to the public." Bai Li didn't care much. "They want to fight on the front line with real swords and guns, not come out to show off and entertain the public. You wait and see, now the marshal has not yet unified the management of the resident legions. When the military is completely established, like an iron barrel, the resident legions may not come to the competition."

One mecha is matched with one driver. This has always been the custom in the recruitment competition. Only when the first driver has a serious physical problem and cannot participate in the competition can he be replaced. Large research institutes with multiple R&D projects usually send two or three mechas to participate in the competition, but Baili's institute has just started and only has one mecha.

They are gambling with this mecha, betting that the mecha can win, betting that Baili can win.

Bai Li used the public terminal in the conference room to open the registration interface for the Imperial Research Institute's Mecha Contest, and entered the mecha and research institute information one by one, smiling: "Actually, it's good to have a tight schedule. As long as I play fast enough, I can still make it home for dinner."

"If you were like everyone else, I wouldn't have to worry," Situ sighed, "but you...you said what if you really can't hold on?"

"I think you may be wrong," Bai Li said, "this mecha was created for people who are different from the current mainstream. It exists to allow people like me to hold on."

The conference room was silent for a few seconds.

"No opinions?" Bai Li raised his head and looked around. "If anyone has any opinions, give him a lightsaber and let him talk to the competition committee."

Situ crumpled up the paper used to wipe sweat and hit him with it.

Bai Li tilted his head to avoid it and filled in his name in the "Driver" column on the registration form.

Two days later, the official list of the Imperial Research Institute Recruitment Competition for this year's competition was announced.

However, the column for the internal recommendation of the legion did not say Lin Sheng's research institute.

Because Lin Sheng lacked Gao's data support, it was determined that the completion of his mecha was not high enough, and the Imperial Research Institute rejected his internal recommendation application.

Lin Sheng's research institute was sent back to the subsidiary star competition area, and had to start from the sub-competition area to qualify for the finals on the main star.

Tang Kaiyuan, who had been in the spotlight because of the publicity of the first successor, also became an inconspicuous name in the corner of the list of the affiliated star zone.

The competition in the main star zone is always the most intense. Baili's research institute and the names of the pilots behind the institute have attracted the attention of the military academy and major military groups.

With the release of the list and models by the Imperial Research Institute Competition Committee, the information of each participating research institute was also announced. The research institutes displayed the advantages and characteristics of their own models on their homepages. Most of them are offensive and strive to maximize the physical ability of alpha.

That night, the military academy and major military groups contributed a large number of clicks to the website of Baili Research Institute, and the mecha forum soon discussed the mechas of Baili Research Institute that were very different from the mainstream.

This year's competition has attracted more attention than in previous years because of the turmoil at the end of last year. Not only are the major military groups and military fans on the mecha forums discussing it fiercely, but even the military academy has joined in the debate.

Si Dong was sitting in the public rest area of ​​the Imperial Military Academy, using his personal terminal to browse the analysis of Bai Li's mecha on the mecha forum.

There were many posts, but he was a little disappointed that not many people were optimistic about it.

Bai Li's idea was too bold, and the forum was divided into two factions. One faction completely denied the feasibility of this type of mecha, and even thought it was ridiculous. The other group thinks that the appearance of this mecha has opened up a new direction for the Empire's mecha research. Bai Li is willing to drive it himself and is indeed very confident in this mecha, but it is all theoretical after all, and whether it can withstand the test of combat remains to be seen.

"Actually, I think Bai Li's idea is good, but a bit unrealistic," the roommate sitting opposite said to another roommate, "Physical defects have a great impact on driving, and gender defects are really difficult to make up for."

Si Dong frowned: "It's very difficult to make up for it, so we need external assistance."

"How can you say assistance is assistance?" said his roommate Xiao Wu. "I am O myself. I admit that I can't drive a mecha. My body can't keep up, and my mental strength is not good enough. Although I want to drive a mecha in my heart, sometimes what the elders say makes sense. You should be suitable for different jobs according to your identity..."

"Then you should go home and prepare to get married, instead of going to a military academy." Si Dong said coldly.

Xiao Wu was stunned and a little angry: "I'm studying logistics management, and I'm going to work in the logistics department in the future. You're great that you're studying mecha combat, but don't look down on us who are studying other majors, okay?"

Another roommate, Sun Peng, quickly interrupted: "Si Dong didn't mean that, don't be angry. It's just a joke, don't take it seriously."

There are not many omegas in the military academy, and there are even fewer Omes in the Mecha Combat Academy where Si Dong studies. There are four Omes in one dormitory, and only he and Sun Peng are in the same major, and the other two are studying logistics management.

"What's the truth for me? I'll just tell you the truth," Xiao Wu said, "Bai Li's mecha direction is good, but what's the problem with me not being optimistic about it? I just think that there are indeed gender differences, and the structure of the body also determines many things. Can't you admit this fact?"

Sun Peng was a little embarrassed. He studied mecha combat and felt that he was not inferior to anyone, but sometimes he still felt tired.

The height he reached with ten points of effort, Alpha may only need to work five points to reach.

"You are right, but..." Sun Peng chose his words carefully.

"You are right," Si Dong closed his personal terminal, "but this is not a reason for us to deny this mecha. You can dislike it, but you should not deny it on behalf of everyone else based on gender differences."

Xiao Wu opened his mouth.

He knew Si Dong was like a mad dog, not like a young master from a noble family at all. He

trained like crazy, and if he couldn't keep up physically, he would train twice as much as others. If he was not agile enough, he would stay in the simulation warehouse 24 hours a day. In the first semester, he was beaten black and blue in a real-life confrontation. In the second semester, he beat half of the alphas in the class so hard that they dared not say a word.

They were all in the same dormitory, and everyone knew whether they worked hard or not.

Although he knew all this in his heart, Xiao Wu was still quite indignant. He couldn't explain why. He admired him and appreciated him, but when it happened to him, he felt uncomfortable.

He was under a lot of pressure to be able to study in the military academy. He hoped to have a greater degree of freedom, but in his heart he would occasionally think of what his father used to say at the dinner table - "People are destined to do things that suit them. If you can't do it, you ca

n't do it. If hard work can make up for innate incompetence, then everyone can do something..." "Si Dong is right," Sun Peng said, "I still like Baili's mecha very much. It's great. If I can drive one in the future, maybe I can join the First Legion and work with Major General Lu--"

"If you can't do it, you can't do it!" Xiao Wu interrupted him loudly, his face flushed, "If it could, why didn't anyone make this kind of mecha before? How many Lu Zhaos are there in the entire empire? Innate defects can't be made up for. Do you think you can really become the second Lu Zhao?!"

Sun Peng was stunned by this shout.

Si Dong put away his personal terminal and stood up.

"No one did it before because no one thought about it, because people in this field were considered unqualified." Si Dong looked at Xiao Wu and said lightly, "You can't become Lu Zhao because you have never thought about becoming this kind of person."

Xiao Wu wanted to say something, but Si Dong pulled Sun Peng, and the two of them stopped talking to Xiao Wu and walked out of the rest area.

"Don't be angry with him, he actually admires you very much," Sun Peng said as they walked, "He had a quarrel with his family before entering the military academy. His family wanted him to get married, but he didn't want to, and he still went through the entrance exam to the military academy."

Walking out of the rest area and breathing the fresh air, Si Dong felt better: "I know." After a pause, he continued, "I just found that many things, many ideas, and many concepts are rooted in people's brains like trees. You cut down the tree, but the roots are still there, they are rooted very deep and cannot be dug out."

Sun Peng sighed: "I like Bai Li's mecha, and I want to be like Major General Lu, but there is always a period of time every year when I feel that I can't do it..."

Si Dong patted him on the shoulder.

There were no classes in the afternoon, so Si Dong asked Sun Peng to take a leave for him from an unimportant elective course, and drove to his brother's research institute.

Although he never said it, Si Dong liked the atmosphere of the research institute very much. Occasionally, he could go to the simulated warehouse a few times, and if Bai Li and Lu Zhao were there, they could give him some pointers, unlike his brother Situ, who would criticize the dishes he prescribed.

Si Dong was a little restless along the way, and his mood improved a little when he drove to the research institute and walked into the sixth laboratory.

The competition was about to start, and the research institute was intensively conducting inspections. Si Dong saw Bai Li standing in front of a huge virtual screen, his hands folded on his chest, watching a substitute battle.

Situ stood beside him and said something.

As he got closer, Si Dong heard his brother say, "This guy is okay, but his mental strength is not up to par, and his performance is not very stable."

"Better than the others," Bai Li said, "Let's pick him, we don't have many other choices." He heard the noise again, turned around and saw Si Dong, and said with a smile, "The kid is here, sit there and wait for a while. Your brother Zhao is in the simulation warehouse, and this game is almost over."

Si Dong knew that they were talking about substitutes. He looked at the mechas fighting on the virtual screen, and the collision of lightsabers brought up a series of light spots. The emotions that had been blocking his chest all the way evaporated to his brain, and he couldn't help but say, "Brother Li, I want to be a substitute."

Bai Li didn't react: "Ah?"

"I want to be a substitute," said Si Dong.

Situ opened his mouth and shouted after a few seconds: "Ah?!"

"I want to be a substitute!" Si Dong shouted louder than his brother, "I fucking want to be a substitute! I want to drive a mecha!"