Confusion

Chapter 34: Lost

"Pfft, so stingy. If it were ten thousand Federal currency, I wouldn't say anything," Su Ming couldn't help but grumble.

"Hmph, stingy as hell. He even went out of his way to get ten-yuan denominations," Chen Tong said, his disgust evident as he looked at the one thousand Federal currency.

"Alright, stop complaining. A thousand isn't that little. The three of you combined got a bonus of three thousand! My salary as a teacher is only ten thousand a month, and I'm not just any teacher, but a specially appointed instructor. Don't take the Federal currency lightly; it has strong purchasing power," Tang Yan said helplessly, trying to comfort Su Ming and the others. Of course, he secretly scorned Roken.

The reward was utterly pathetic. It was clear that Principal Luoken wouldn't have even bothered with a certificate and bonus if he hadn't been taking a photo.

"Teacher, we're not complaining. If you were the one giving us this honor, we'd be happy even without a single cent of bonus. But now it's as if all the credit belongs to him. It's fucking disgusting," Chen Tong said bluntly.

"Alright, I understand how you feel. But you're still young; you'll understand when you grow up. Let's not talk about that anymore. Let's start reviewing," Tang Yan said, seriously changing the subject.

"Okay!"

Su Ming and the other two dropped the matter and began to prepare for class earnestly.

It was seven in the evening.

Su Ming, Su Yuan, and Zhao Ning sat around the dining table, having dinner as a family.

"Honey, how's the processing of the junkyard going?" Zhao Ning asked.

"It's almost done. We've compensated the families of the missing employees, paid the fines for the Thirteenth District, and now our accounts are almost depleted," Su Yuan said dejectedly.

"It's okay, we'll get through this period. If worse comes to worst, I still have some savings," Zhao Ning said with a hint of worry for Su Yuan. Although Su Yuan wasn't very capable, he was, after all, her everything and the pillar of their family.

"No need. How can I use your money? I still have some funds; it should be enough to get the junkyard operational again," Su Yuan replied, shaking his head.

Su Ming listened to their conversation and sighed slightly. It seemed that even though Su Yuan was out of trouble, the penalty was severe.

Buzz~

At that moment, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Su Ming pulled out his phone and glanced at it. A message from an unknown sender popped up.

"Tonight's class starts promptly at eight. Log in to the Star Cluster Website. Room number..."

Su Ming's eyes lit up. He quickly finished his meal and stood up, saying to Su Yuan and Zhao Ning, "Father, Mother, I'm full. I'm going back to my room."

"Son, aren't you going to eat more?" Zhao Ning asked, looking at her son, who was getting thinner by the day.

"No, you guys enjoy," Su Ming said, hurrying towards the stairs. Although there was still time before class, he wanted to prepare in advance to avoid any problems and leave a good impression.

Su Ming soon returned to his room and sat down at his desk, reaching out to turn on his computer. The completely transparent crystal display lit up, and the computer entered its operating interface.

The moment he saw the wallpaper, he was captivated. In the vast, boundless sea of stars, under the brilliant starlight, a magnificent warship traversed through the nebulae. Its hull lines were smooth and elegant, and its metallic exterior gleamed with a cold luster. At the ship's bow, a woman with a graceful figure, dressed in an exquisite blue command uniform, her long hair cascading down her shoulders, and a peerlessly beautiful face, gazed into the distance. Beside her, a phantom of a mecha holding a golden spear, exuding an aura of mystery, could be seen.

Su Ming felt an inexplicable surge of excitement as he looked at the exquisite wallpaper on his computer. Then, his brow furrowed slightly, his expression becoming serious as he stared blankly at the computer. Su Ming knew very well why he felt inexplicably excited – it was because of this body. In other words, the body he had now merged with, along with its original memories, was influencing him in various aspects. Some influences, if he wasn't careful, he wouldn't even notice. In contrast, his past memories were becoming increasingly blurry.

To put it simply, it was as if two distinct personalities were merging, influencing each other. He wasn't sure what the final outcome would be. Because of this, Su Ming felt a mix of confusion, anticipation, excitement, and fear – in short, it was filled with the unknown.

"Hoo~" Su Ming took a few deep breaths to calm his excited heart, then clicked on the browser. The Star Cluster Forum's official website immediately popped up, displaying various latest frontline news updates.

Su Ming looked at the homepage of the Star Cluster Forum, lost in thought.

Actually, the original owner of this body was a veteran military enthusiast. Don't let his flabby body and introverted, socially anxious, and utterly unskilled nature fool you.

He deeply yearned to join the army and was incredibly fascinated by Mecha.

Therefore, he often followed military news and had a certain understanding of the Old Federation's latest situation and major figures.

In fact, this hobby aligned perfectly with Su Ming's own interests. Although he had never touched a Mecha before, he had fallen deeply in love with them the moment he first saw a real one.

Su Ming checked the time on his desk: 7:10 AM. It was still early before the scheduled class.

He briefly browsed the Star Cluster Forum. This forum was a special encrypted platform jointly developed by the Council and the military. It not only allowed for long-distance video communication but was also the Old Federation's largest military news network and exchange platform.

Almost everyone in the Old Federation used this platform.

Of course, even so, this encrypted platform could not be used to transmit classified information and could only be used for daily auxiliary purposes.

Su Ming carefully examined the more significant news headlines.

Latest Bulletin: Old Era Year 4618, May 3rd, 2:00 PM. The Old Federation's Second Joint Fleet, the Remnant Light Legion, returned to the Third Planet for rest. This rest period refused public interviews and reports. According to unconfirmed online rumors, the Remnant Light Legion's flagship, the Star Hidden, was damaged, resulting in heavy casualties among its active personnel. The specific reason is unknown.

Latest Bulletin: Old Era Year 4618, May 4th, 1:00 AM. Old Federation Direct Mining Planet K413 was attacked by the Mechanical Race, resulting in 10,000 deaths. Preliminary speculation points to improper operation of high-power signal devices.

Latest Bulletin: Old Era Year 4618, May 9th, 11:50 PM. A large-scale invasion by Chilami larvae occurred in the Thirteenth District of the Third Planet. Specific casualty figures are unknown and pending release!

Latest Bulletin: Old Era Year 4618, May 10th. The Old Federation Council officially announced a new decree, increasing the interstellar cargo transaction tax by 1.3%.

Su Ming skimmed through the news, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

Although these news items were brief, they revealed significant matters. Just the Chilami larvae invasion incident in the Thirteenth District had nearly cost him his life.