"What do you mean!"
Xu De looked as if he couldn't be bothered to say more. Although the burly man had gotten his spot, his eyes were practically bulging out of his head.
His goal hadn't been to cut in line at all. He'd wanted to establish his authority, to make an example of someone!
He'd provoked Xu De to secure his place in the Moebius selection and discourage anyone else from challenging him.
He'd thought throwing his weight around and establishing dominance over an outsider would be a piece of cake, but Xu De was nothing like the cautious young man he'd been before.
The burly man stepped forward, his face burning with humiliation and rage.
The muscles in his thick arms rippled, looking fearsome enough to make Hans take a step back.
The others had mixed reactions: some were worried, while others watched with disdain, eager to see how things played out.
It had been less than sixty years since the Reconstruction War ended. Even among the allied nations, history was rife with hostility over all sorts of issues.
And Blue Cosmos's underlying doctrine was essentially just "our people first." It would've been strange if there were no discrimination.
"If you want to fight, get permission first. If you don't, then go ahead."
Xu De's tone didn't change at all. He simply replied with the same calm indifference.
Behind him, Hans kept poking him, clearly urging him to back down.
But Xu De wasn't going to back down, especially not to someone from the Atlantic.
Give an inch, and they'd take a mile.
As the two faced off, more and more people turned to look their way.
Quite a few noticed that Xu De seemed different, but they didn't pay it much mind.
Who knew what had gotten into Xu De? It wasn't their problem.
Even if Thomas couldn't take action right now, given how vindictive he was, Xu De was sure to be thoroughly dealt with later.
While everyone watched the show, the instructor, who had already gone up to the observation room, noticed the scene too.
But the redneck merely gave a contemptuous smile. He had no intention of stopping them.
They were God's chosen people. In his eyes, people like Xu De were little better than lowlifes. It made no difference whether they died sooner or later.
"Who's that?"
Just as the redneck was sneering to himself, eagerly anticipating how his prized top student would crush that arrogant little ant, the slouching man in a lieutenant colonel's uniform seated in the middle of the observation room asked a question.
The lieutenant colonel was only middle-aged, but he was a seasoned veteran and an elite in his field. He commanded an entire flight squadron, a team of fifty Mobile Armors.
The elite's eyes glittered as he looked toward Xu De.
The young man's posture and the impression he gave off were like a sheathed blade.
One ready to strike a fatal blow at any moment.
That was common enough among elite pilots, but seeing it in a new recruit was unbelievable.
"Sir, that reservist is Thomas, the top student among my trainees," the instructor reported, looking immensely proud.
"I asked about the young man facing him."
Revil didn't bother sparing him the embarrassment, merely smiling faintly.
As a lieutenant colonel and the officer in charge of this assessment, he had every right to look down on the instructor.
"...That's Xu De."
Hearing the commander's question, the redneck felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. Confusion crept into his mind.
He couldn't understand why an elite squadron leader under the Third Fleet would ask about Xu De instead of the top student.
Surely he couldn't be interested in him?
That weakling? Impossible.
He was probably just amused that Xu De had dared to provoke someone stronger.
Revil had no interest in what the other man thought. He watched the young man on the screen with keen interest.
If Xu De had enough potential, he might be worth developing.
Just as Xu De had thought, they needed elites who could adapt to space combat and meet the threats of the future.
That was why they were holding this assessment.
Xu De had no idea that Thomas had brought him to Revil's attention.
He was still facing off against Thomas.
"The test is about to begin. Everyone, please remain where you are."
The instructor's announcement brought the tense standoff to an abrupt halt.
After the announcement played a second time, the top student glared viciously at Xu De.
"Once we're dismissed, you'd better watch your back."
"Thanks for the concern."
Xu De's tone and expression didn't change at all, despite his words of thanks.
That only made him even more infuriating.
"...Hmph."
Thomas clenched his fists, each as large as a cooking pot. After getting riled up again, he ultimately held back.
"We'll see about this later."
Xu De didn't reply. He simply shrugged.
"Are you crazy? Why'd you provoke Thomas?"
As soon as the standoff finally ended, Hans grabbed Xu De by the shoulder and whispered in his ear.
"I didn't."
Xu De shook his head. Then, remembering how bad the bullying was here, he added a reassuring word for Hans.
"Don't worry. It'll be fine."
"I'll go back by myself later."
If Thomas tried to start something, Xu De would just fight back. What was there to worry about?
"How is this fine..."
Though Hans said that, he remembered how Xu De had carried himself just now, so unlike before, and the way he stood straight as a pine.
Somehow, it felt as if Xu De truly didn't consider being targeted by the top student a big deal.
Then he thought about how he'd cowered behind Xu De and hadn't dared to say a word, and a fresh sense of frustration welled up inside him.
"You can't go back alone. We'll go together!"
Xu De had just been about to watch the people ahead of them fly the planes. Hearing Hans, he paused, then gave him a genuine smile.
"Thanks."
His childhood friend from the same orphanage really was a good guy.
After all, based on the memories he'd inherited from the original Xu De, he knew how terrifying it was to be targeted by the top student.
Hans had said that knowing he'd be beaten and humiliated alongside Xu De.
Of course, if Thomas made the first move, Xu De could fight back in self-defense.
If he took first place this time, someone would naturally protect him, and he'd be treated fairly.
Strength and value determined everything. That was the rule here.
"We'll be fine."
As Xu De spoke, his gaze passed over Thomas, who was still grinning viciously at them, and settled on the big screen in the middle, where the first fight was already underway.
"That's right. We can report the instructor too!"
At Hans's words, Xu De only smiled without replying.
There was no way that redneck would step in.
But when Xu De said they'd be fine, he wasn't talking about that good-for-nothing new-recruit top student.
He meant the battle a week from now.
Only with a fighter at his disposal would he feel safe.
Before you continue