Chapter 729 - 748: I Have a Premonition That My Rank in the Mecha Department Will Get Worse and Worse
Chapter 729: Chapter 748: I Have a Premonition That My Rank in the Mecha Department Will Get Worse and Worse
The Freshman Mecha Competition flew by.
Through round after round of intense matches, the placements for each class rank were gradually finalized.
For the most part, the rankings remained unchanged, with only a few students moving up or down. In Jiang Qiuqiu’s Dorm 501, only Michelle’s class rank had changed. She had leaped from a B-class in the teens all the way to Class B1. Now, she was just one step away from her goal.
All of the top ten finalists came from A-ranked classes, with the vast majority hailing from Class A1. From Class A2, only that little overlord and one other exceptionally diligent student made the cut.
Jiang Qiuqiu, due to the ’limitations’ of her talent, narrowly missed the top ten.
She placed 14th.
After the competition, her roommates all tried to comfort Jiang Qiuqiu, telling her not to be discouraged.
Liu Tingting said, "You’re already amazing! Seriously!"
"You were so close. You’ll be even stronger next time," Meng Chun added.
Michelle said nothing, offering only an encouraging look.
Jiang Qiuqiu... was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry.
She sat in her chair, a little confused. "What are you all talking about? Are you trying to comfort me?"
"No," Liu Tingting said, shaking her head. "How could this be comforting? We’re just talking." ’Just giving you a little pep talk,’ she thought.
"And this isn’t comforting?" Qiuqiu chuckled, her gaze serene. "You really don’t need to comfort me. You should be congratulating me for managing to place 14th."
"For me, that’s an outstanding performance."
"!"
"How could that be?" Liu Tingting was Jiang Qiuqiu’s number one fan; she saw Qiuqiu through a thick filter.
As someone who had watched Qiuqiu every step of the way, as her roommate, as one of the people who spent the most time with her, Liu Tingting knew full well just how self-disciplined she was and how hard she was on herself.
Her schedule was the work of a ruthless time-management guru, and her training was never just performative effort. Every move was carefully calculated. A person like that should succeed at whatever she does.
In Liu Tingting’s eyes, among all the freshmen, only Huo Jia was worthy of making Jiang Qiuqiu yield even an inch. Everyone else? Hmph!
She voiced her thoughts out loud.
Jiang Qiuqiu: ?
Strangely enough, Michelle and Meng Chun felt the same way.
"Pfft."
Jiang Qiuqiu was exasperated. She put a hand to her forehead. "What are you all thinking? I’m not the only one working hard—everyone is."
"Look, the Virtual Machine Rooms, training halls, and Gravity Rooms are getting more and more crowded with freshmen. So many people stay behind after class for extra practice." ’Who on this path isn’t working hard? Anyone who doesn’t has already hit rock bottom.’
"But you’re different!" Liu Tingting blurted out without a second thought.
Jiang Qiuqiu thought, ’You have more confidence in me than I do in myself.’ She blinked. "How am I different?"
"..."
In her heart, she just felt that Qiuqiu was different, but when it came to articulating exactly why, Liu Tingting couldn’t find the words.
"So really, you don’t have to comfort me. I’m very satisfied with 14th place." Moreover, Jiang Qiuqiu mused for a moment, "If I’m not mistaken, in the time to come, the longer I study mecha, the lower my ranking is going to fall."
She had a clear-eyed view of her future.
Her three roommates thought it was too soon to say such a thing.
Jiang Qiuqiu just smiled.
-
「On an odd-numbered day.」
After the Freshman Mecha Competition, the Mecha Department’s curriculum became slightly more focused.
There were more self-study periods.
Most hands-on majors in this era followed this pattern. Once the instructors had established a general ’conceptual framework’ for the students and built up their foundational understanding of the power systems and professional disciplines, the number of formal classes would drop sharply.