The new substitute teacher, Lan Ya, possessed a familiar yet unfamiliar aura, one that felt like a distant memory.
Gu Ya stared dazedly at Lan Ya, finding it hard to believe.
Lan Ya and Dou Mei were complete opposites in appearance and personality, yet Gu Ya couldn't help but associate the two.
But Dou Mei was dead, Gu Ya had seen it with his own eyes.
Lan Ya activated her holographic wristband and called out with a smile, "Attendance!"
Reaching the last name, Lan Ya paused slightly, cleared her throat, and called, "Zhan Yan!"
"Here..." Gu Ya answered calmly.
Lan Ya smiled slightly at Gu Ya and got straight to the point, "Class begins! Today we will discuss the relationship between weapon deployment angles and flight speed during stable mech gliding..."
Until noon, Lan Ya lectured without a break, delivering a full morning of lessons.
The students left the classroom in small groups.
Gu Ya was, as usual, the last to leave, wanting to review and solidify the day's knowledge.
There was no homework here; learning was entirely self-driven.
He could now use the [Blueprint Construction] to simulate the knowledge taught in textbooks, effectively a walking review machine, learning was to be learned thoroughly.
When he opened his eyes again, an hour had passed.
The classroom was empty, which Gu Ya was accustomed to.
Loneliness was not a hardship for him; he even enjoyed it, savoring it, as it afforded him more time for independent thought.
Of course, it also brought him endless longing.
Having been separated from Ye Ying for over two months felt like twenty years to Gu Ya.
Whenever his mind was idle, he would think of Ye Ying.
"It's only been two months, and it might be even longer. We just have to endure, there will be a day when we reunite."
If Dou Mei were here, Gu Ya could have learned about Ye Ying from her.
Dou Mei was dead, no need to think of her anymore.
Gu Ya stood up, left the classroom, and headed to the mess hall.
It was past lunchtime, so there weren't many people in the mess hall. Gu Ya chose his food and added a bottle of nutrient solution.
He still felt dizzy and hungry this month, and often experienced leg cramps at night.
He hadn't stopped growing yet; after all, he'd only been growing for half a year.
One day, Gu Ya measured his height: 176 centimeters, one centimeter taller than when he first arrived.
"Eighteen, nineteen, grow taller," with his birthday still seven months away, he might even reach 1.8 meters.
After all, in his original world, Gu Ya was only one centimeter short of 1.8 meters.
Because of that single centimeter, he failed to be selected for the school's flag guard, leaving Gu Ya melancholic for three years of university.
"Zhan Yan," Fang Fei called from behind him and naturally sat down next to Gu Ya.
She always ate late.
Gu Ya knew she had some social anxiety and disliked crowded places.
They often avoided other students, eating later, and since they were paired for training combat, rumors began to spread.
For this reason, Fang Fei had even argued with a female classmate.
"You've improved a lot recently," Fang Fei said while eating. "You can even fight me to a draw now."
Gu Ya now understood that training combat was about consolidating fundamentals, not about fighting to the death. It was sufficient to master the standard movements taught in textbooks.
In reality, the teachers knew that these cadets were eager to go all out, but rules were rules.
Therefore, the academy would dispatch some cadets on missions to other places in rotation, allowing them to unleash their natural inclinations.
"Still not enough," Gu Ya dipped a wrench mushroom in soup and put it in his mouth, chewing as he spoke. "It's obvious our strength is at the bottom of the class. And I can only fight you to a draw these past two days, which means I'm at the very bottom of the class."
Fang Fei said, "But you've persisted in repairing your own mech. Your mech repair skills are definitely the best in the class. Don't be discouraged; take it slow."
"Oh, right. Next week, it's our turn to go on a mission outside. I heard from classmates that we'll likely encounter danger."
Gu Ya's expression was indifferent, but his heart was overjoyed. "Excellent! I can finally show what I can do."
"Sigh!" Fang Fei dropped her chopsticks, pouting. "Now it's perfect. Those people will have more to talk about."
"Should I feign illness and withdraw?" Gu Ya asked with a smile.
Fang Fei became even more upset. "Then there will really be something wrong! You... can't you find a girlfriend? That way, I can be freed."
Gu Ya said innocently, "I have one, but unfortunately, she's not here."
If Dou Mei were here, perhaps she could have used her connections to transfer Ye Ying here, Gu Ya suddenly thought.
"I've had enough of those rumors," Fang Fei finished her last bite, wiped her mouth with a napkin, picked up her plate, and left.
Gu Ya also finished his meal hastily and headed to the scrap depot to prepare for the afternoon mech training class.
As he passed the administrative building, he heard the sound of confident high heels behind him.
Gu Ya turned his head and saw it was indeed Lan Ya.
"Good afternoon, teacher," Gu Ya greeted calmly.
Lan Ya merely glanced at Gu Ya coldly from the side, ignored him, and walked forward briskly.
After a few steps, she suddenly stopped, turned back to look at Gu Ya again, and then smiled, "Oh, it's classmate Zhan Yan. My apologies, I didn't recognize you. Have you eaten?"
Gu Ya smiled and replied, "I have, teacher. I'm going to the mech repair bay; it's training class this afternoon."
Lan Ya nodded with a smile, her eyes never leaving Gu Ya.
Gu Ya couldn't quite explain it. Lan Ya had the image of a very sunny and cheerful big sister, exuding a vibrant aura.
Yet, Gu Ya couldn't help but be reminded of Dou Mei.
Perhaps she was also a member of Special Ninth Division, perhaps she was the one coming to replace Dou Mei's position.
"I don't have classes this afternoon, and I'm idle. Take me on a tour!" Lan Ya said with a smile.
Gu Ya and Lan Ya took the pedestrian elevator together to the academy's hangar.
Lu Hua, whenever he was on duty, would always be the first to finish repairing Gu Ya's mech.
It had become second nature to him, not even worse than Gu Ya's.
"Is this the new teacher?" Lu Hua grabbed Gu Ya and asked in a low voice.
Gu Ya smiled and whispered, "Yes, she looks very young. And seems quite capable."
Lu Hua nodded, his gaze fixed on Lan Ya.
Lan Ya's appearance was of a more robust style, with sharp features, standard facial structure, and a charming feminine charm.
She was very attractive to men who were new to the world.
Who wouldn't like a woman who was both strong and gentle, like an older sister?
"Zhan Yan!" Lan Ya called from a distance, pointing at Gu Ya's mech. "Can you start it up for me to see?"
Lu Hua nudged Gu Ya, who gave him a look and quickly ran over.
"Stand back! Be careful not to get injured by the mech's energy," Gu Ya shouted as he climbed into the mech's cockpit.
After closing the cockpit and quickly starting it up,
The mech, which had been kneeling, steadily rose, gradually extended its limbs, and emitted a crisp and pleasant mechanical transmission sound.
As the pleasant engine sound grew, the mech's rear exhaust ports shot out sparks.
A warm airflow immediately swept through the area.
Lan Ya placed her right hand on her head, preventing her wildly dancing hair from obstructing her view.
She squinted, carefully examining the mech, then shook her head slightly and waved for Gu Ya to stop.
Gu Ya stopped the mech and emerged from it.
Lan Ya had already removed her jacket, wearing only a loose white teacher's shirt with her sleeves rolled up. She walked over and said, "There's a problem with your mech."
Gu Ya was surprised. What problem? He and Lu Hua had worked on it together for over a month, thoroughly examining every inch of the mech. If there had been a problem, they would have found it long ago.
Lu Hua was also confused.
Their gazes followed Lan Ya's movements.
Lan Ya walked over to the mech, looked up, and said, "Did it feel jerky when you started it?"
Gu Ya nodded.
"Yes, your mech, pieced together from old parts, has less coordination and compatibility than a complete unit. The jerky sensation is due to an outdated main aggregator that doesn't match the current mech system," Lan Ya explained.
Gu Ya actually knew about this issue; it was a hidden malfunction, and there was nothing he could do about it. It was the best and most up-to-date model he could find here.
However, Gu Ya was still surprised that Lan Ya had immediately identified this not-so-obvious fault.
Lan Ya looked at the mech again and reached for the ascent handle.
The ascent handle lifted her to the mech's cockpit level.
As soon as she stepped onto the cockpit's edge,
Because she was wearing high heels, Lan Ya lost her balance, flailing her arms wildly, and fell backward, headfirst!
It was ten meters down! Falling from this height would surely cause an accident!
Lan Ya's white shirt collar caught on a protruding bolt on the mech's outer armor.
With a "Chira—!" sound, her white shirt ripped open from the back with a large tear!
Gu Ya quickly activated [Adrenaline Burst] and rushed like a gust of wind to the bottom of the mech, extending his hands and catching Lan Ya steadily.
"Whoosh—!" Lan Ya gasped for air. "That was close, thank you!"
Her shirt was torn open at the back, revealing her bare back, which Gu Ya saw entirely.
"You're welcome..." Gu Ya didn't want to take advantage of her, averting his gaze. As his eyes swept across,
He saw something that surprised and puzzled him.
"A star-shaped birthmark! You!" Gu Ya was stunned.