Chen Gang's brows twitched when he heard the name "Han Feng."
"I've heard of him."
His voice was calm, carrying a natural sense of distance.
"The one who fixes fighters with 'Intuition'?"
He intentionally stressed the word "Intuition," his disdain unconcealed.
"That's right, that's him."
Zhang Yi leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, as if sharing some colossal joke.
"Liao Ming has been hyping him up to the high heavens, saying he can pinpoint the core of a malfunction without any instruments."
"I think this time, he wants to use this Han Feng to test you."
Hearing this, Chen Gang suddenly laughed.
It was the heartfelt scoff of a tech fanatic hearing what he considered heresy.
"Teacher, you're overthinking it."
He stood up calmly and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window in his office.
Outside was a massive, complex cluster of hangars where countless Maintenance Masters were busy at work.
His tone was sharp and insightful, not at all like that of a young man.
"So-called 'Intuition,' or 'Perception Talent,' can indeed save a little time when dealing with low-level, superficial mechanical failures."
"After all, even experienced old-timers can diagnose some obvious problems just by listening or touching."
"But!"
Chen Gang spun around abruptly, his eyes behind his glasses flashing with the light of reason.
"A modern Spiritual Energy Fighter is the ultimate creation, a fusion of tens of thousands of precision parts and arcane Rune logic!"
He raised a finger and tapped his temple.
"Its core malfunctions are often hidden at the microscopic level."
"It's an anomaly in the turbulence coefficient of an Energy fluid in a certain circuit for one-hundredth of a second!"
"It's an inconspicuous logical redundancy in ten thousand lines of flight control Rune code!"
"These things can't be seen or touched!"
"Relying on Perception?"
The corner of Chen Gang's mouth curled into an almost pitying arc.
"Can he use 'Intuition' to perceive that the Energy conversion rate of a Rune Array has dropped by 0.03 percent?"
He walked back to his desk, picked up the sci-fi-looking multifunctional Spiritual Energy Detector, and spun it elegantly on his fingertip.
"Perception, at best, is just a substitute for the most inefficient visual inspections."
"But truly solving problems relies on a deep reserve of theory, flawless logical deduction, and the masterful use of cutting-edge tools."
"My equipment is ten thousand times more precise than anyone's 'Perception'!"
"His so-called 'special ability' is a relic of a bygone era. Trying to solve the problems of this era with it is simply preposterous."
"Utterly meaningless."
Chen Gang spoke these last two words casually, yet they were filled with absolute confidence.
After listening, Zhang Yi slapped his thigh in excitement!
"Well said! Excellent! As expected of my, Zhang Yi's, disciple. You see things so clearly!"
He clapped Chen Gang heavily on the shoulder, his smile radiant.
"That fool Liao Ming thinks he's found some generational treasure."
"He just doesn't understand that on this path of technology, only knowledge and reason are the sole staircase to the throne of a God!"
"Tomorrow, you will use your strength, your purest skill, to teach that Han Feng and that overconfident fool Liao Ming the most profound lesson!"
"Make them understand what true skill really is!"
Chen Gang nodded slightly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
"Don't worry, Teacher."
"In this field, among my peers, I have no equal."
...
「The next morning.」
Simulation Training Ground Three.
Beneath the massive dome, the atmosphere was electric.
In the center of the field, ten all-black "Hunting Falcon" fighters stood silently, their forms radiating an oppressive aura.
Their fuselages were covered in various man-made damages, all of which looked severe.
Inside, Zhao Yu had personally planted countless logical traps and hidden Spiritual Power ailments.
This was a test of "Hell" difficulty.
The stands were already buzzing with people, and countless gazes were fixed on the two main contenders who were about to enter.
"Look! Instructor Zhang Yi and Chen Gang are here!"
A commotion went through the crowd.
Zhang Yi strode in with his hands behind his back and his head held high, exuding a powerful presence.
Behind him, Chen Gang wore a stern expression, dressed in a crisp elite student's uniform and carrying a silver toolbox that gleamed with a metallic luster in one hand.
The toolbox was branded with the Celestial Craft Group's "Gear and Star" emblem, and a faint halo of Spiritual Power flowed across its surface. It was clearly a luxury item with a built-in High Level diagnostic module.
"Holy shit, is that the Celestial Craft Group's 'Explorer III' toolbox? A single set must cost hundreds of thousands of Contribution Points, right?"
"More than that! I heard it can bypass the academy's terminals and connect directly to the Celestial Craft Group's internal database! That's a completely different league!"
"Can't be helped. Chen Gang's a monster. Zhang Yi really spared no expense for him!"
"How can anyone even compete? Comparisons are odious."
Amidst the crowd's gasps of awe and envy, another group appeared at the opposite entrance.
Liao Ming walked in front.
Beside him was Han Feng, dressed in a faded gray work uniform.
Han Feng also carried a toolbox, but it was a standard-issue tin box from the academy. Its corners were covered with dents and scuffs, filled with the vicissitudes of time.
Behind them, Pang Hu, Xiaoli, and Zhou Wen nervously held up a rather homespun banner.
"GO, MADMAN!"
The crooked, giant lettering looked completely out of place in the high-tech surroundings.
"PFFT—"
A burst of suppressed laughter erupted from the stands.
When Zhang Yi saw this, his face twitched, and the contempt in his eyes nearly overflowed.
"Pathetic bid for attention."
He spat out the four words coldly.
The two groups met in the center of the field.
Zhang Yi stopped, a smirk on his face as he stared at Liao Ming.
"Old Liao, you've certainly made a big scene. But the assessment depends on Hard Skills, not a shouting contest."
Liao Ming, not to be outdone, chuckled and retorted.
"Can't be helped. My disciple is popular, and his buddies insisted on supporting him. I couldn't stop them if I tried."
"Unlike some people, who are all alone. It's quite pitiful, really."
Zhang Yi's expression stiffened, and he snorted coldly.
"That is the solitude of a genius. You Mortals wouldn't understand!"
He turned his head and said to Chen Gang with pointed meaning.
"Gangzi, go easy on him later. Don't make his loss too ugly. He's a colleague, after all. We have to be considerate."
Chen Gang nodded slightly.
His gaze finally moved past Liao Ming and, for the first time, settled properly on Han Feng.
The legendary opponent.
Very ordinary.
Even a bit shabby.
Other than his eyes, which were a little too bright, there was nothing else about him worth noting.
The last faint trace of caution in Chen Gang's heart completely dissipated.
He couldn't even be bothered to speak, merely giving Han Feng a detached nod as a greeting.
His posture was condescending, completely dismissing Han Feng.
Han Feng wasn't annoyed. He simply smiled and nodded in return.
He could clearly perceive the intense confidence emanating from the other man—the arrogance befitting someone at the pinnacle of his craft.
'A week ago, an opponent like this might have actually been tricky.'
'But now...'
'Sorry, I'm using a cheat.'
'And my cheat just got a version update.'
Just then, the sound of steady, powerful footsteps approached.
The clamor in the training ground came to an abrupt halt.
Zhao Yu had arrived.
He wore an immaculate black B Level Engineer uniform, his expression cold. Two assistants holding clipboards followed behind him.
His gaze swept across the entire arena, lingering on Han Feng and Chen Gang for a second each.
"Let's dispense with the pleasantries."
Zhao Yu's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, carrying a cold, metallic hardness.
"Maintenance Masters speak with their skills."
"There are ten fighters on the field. Each has more than twenty complex malfunctions."
"You have three hours. Find and repair all malfunctions to pass."
"The one who finishes in the shortest amount of time will earn a spot on my project team."
He raised his wrist and glanced at the time on his terminal.
"The assessment begins now!"