บท 12: Chapter 12: Frogs in the Well without the lines:
"Tch," Chen Tong scoffed but refrained from saying more.
At this moment, all eyes were on Su Ming, who was steadily piloting the training mech, gradually increasing its pace. Inside the Ironhead training mech's cockpit, Su Ming's hands worked the control levers continuously, his focus razor-sharp. He gently pushed the power lever forward, increasing the mech's energy output.
Though his nerves were taut and beads of sweat dotted his forehead, he thoroughly enjoyed the experience—it was exhilarating.
He glanced at the display panel and noted that his training session was almost over. Only five minutes remained of the allocated half-hour. Taking a deep breath, Su Ming adjusted his posture, focusing his mind, and cautiously pushed the power lever further forward.
The training mech's engine roared louder as its pace quickened, transitioning into a light jog.
"Wow!"
"That's incredible!"
The watching students erupted in awe, their admiration clearly audible.
Even Mr. Tang was thrilled, his face lighting up. He hadn't anticipated such an impressive result from Su Ming during their first hands-on training with real mechs.
The training time eventually came to an end. Su Ming guided the Ironhead mech back to its starting position, bringing it to a steady halt.
The cockpit hatch opened, and Su Ming climbed out, his movements a bit clumsy but fueled by satisfaction.
Applause rang out, startling Su Ming. He looked up to see Mr. Tang approaching with a broad smile, followed by the other students.
"That was fantastic, Su Ming! Excellent work!" Mr. Tang praised warmly.
"Yeah, you were amazing, especially that sprint at the end—it was so cool!"
"Absolutely! That was incredible!"
The students, including Zhao Ran and others, eagerly showered Su Ming with compliments, their excitement palpable.
A bit embarrassed by the attention, Su Ming scratched his head and smiled. "Thank you."
Seizing the opportunity, Mr. Tang turned to the rest of the class and encouraged them. "See that? If you work hard and focus, you can do just as well as Su Ming!"
"Got it, Mr. Tang!" the students replied enthusiastically.
Meanwhile, Zhang Tai stood on the observation platform, watching the scene below with a disdainful sneer. Seeing the group of novices celebrating something as basic as walking a mech, he couldn't resist taunting them.
"A bunch of frogs in a well—what's there to celebrate?" he said condescendingly.
His words hit like a bucket of cold water. Mingke and the others, who had been riding high on excitement, turned to glare at him, their anger rising.
"What did you just say?" Mingke demanded, his tone sharp.
"Did I say something wrong?" Zhang Tai smirked, his arrogance undiminished. "Let me put it simply: Your current skill level is like a baby's first steps. The moment you try anything complex, you'll topple over. Forget combat—you're not even close to being useful yet. And let's be clear, while we're the same age, we've already moved on to real combat scenarios. The gap between us is like the clouds and the dirt."
Zhang Tai's cutting remarks left Mingke and the others momentarily stunned. Their earlier excitement deflated like a punctured balloon.
Mr. Tang, witnessing Zhang Tai's uncalled-for ridicule, felt his anger rise. He had gone to great lengths to arrange this rare opportunity for his students, hoping to ignite their motivation and build their confidence. Zhang Tai's derision threatened to undo all that hard work.
Just as Mr. Tang was about to reprimand Zhang Tai, a voice called out from the door.
"Mr. Tang, could you step outside for a moment?"
Turning toward the entrance, Mr. Tang saw a man in a teacher's uniform with graying hair and a face lined with wrinkles—it was Mr. Chen Yi.
"That's Mr. Chen Yi, isn't it?"
"Yeah, what's he doing here?"
The students murmured among themselves, curious.
"I'll be right back," Mr. Tang said to his class. "Mingke, you're in charge while I'm gone. Keep everyone on track with the training."
"Understood, Mr. Tang!" Mingke replied promptly.
As Mr. Tang stepped outside, Chen Yi wasted no time lowering his voice. "Mr. Tang, bringing your entire class to the real mech training field? That's against the rules."
"I know," Mr. Tang admitted with a sigh, "but I wanted to give them this opportunity."
"I understand, but this might draw criticism from the administration. You might even lose your year-end bonus if they decide to reprimand you," Chen Yi warned.
"It's fine. I'll take the hit," Mr. Tang replied firmly.
"Alright, suit yourself. Just don't say I didn't warn you."
"Thanks for the heads-up. By the way, why are you here?"
"My students are training here, of course."
"Your students?" Mr. Tang asked, a suspicion forming in his mind. "Don't tell me Lin Chuyu's group is under your guidance?"
"That's right," Chen Yi confirmed with a proud smile. "And there's something else—I've already secured 28 quotas. If all goes well this year, I'll reach the 30 required for a promotion and transfer."
"Congratulations," Mr. Tang said, his tone tinged with envy.
"Thanks. How many quotas have you managed so far?"
"Only three," Mr. Tang admitted bitterly. "At this rate, who knows when I'll reach 30?"
"Take it slow. You'll get there eventually," Chen Yi said, patting Mr. Tang on the shoulder before heading back inside.
Inside the training field, Mingke noticed the morale among the students had dipped after Zhang Tai's remarks. Determined to rally them, he raised his voice.
"Listen up, everyone! We're in the prime of our youth. As long as we work hard, we'll see results. I believe in us—we can shine in the city exams and get into the Royal Military Academy together!"
"That's right! We can do it!"
"Yeah, we just need to put in the effort!"
Buoyed by Mingke's encouragement, the students began to regain their confidence.
Su Ming glanced at Mingke, a newfound respect in his eyes. As a class monitor, Mingke was indeed exemplary.
At that moment, Lin Chuyu and her group, including Zhang Tai, descended from the observation platform, preparing to leave the training field. Hearing Mingke and the others discuss the Royal Military Academy, Zhang Tai couldn't help but scoff.
"Frogs in a well—and dreaming in broad daylight," he sneered.
"Don't go too far!" Mingke snapped back, his anger flaring. "Why can't we have our own goals and aspirations? Are you saying only you're allowed to aim for the Royal Military Academy, and we're not?"
Shoving his hands into his pockets, Zhou Wei chuckled and shook his head. "As much as I can't stand Zhang Tai, he's not wrong this time. You guys don't seem to realize just how strict the Academy's admission standards are. Sure, there are 10 slots for our district, but do you know how many people got in last year?"
"How many?" Yellow Hair asked, curiosity piqued.
Su Ming also turned to Zhou Wei, eager for the answer.
"None. To be exact, our entire district hasn't produced a single successful candidate in five years." Zhou Wei grinned as he delivered the crushing truth.
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