The forest was empty. Only the rustling of leaves in the wind broke the silence.
Chi Zhan narrowed his eyes slightly, scanning for any place a person could hide… but there was no one in sight—just a squirrel darting past his feet.
Still, just now, he had felt it—a piercing sense of being watched.
He turned back around and continued forward.
They had learned the general layout of this planet while aboard the starship: ninety percent ocean, ten percent land. There was nowhere to run. Eventually, all the third-year students would run into each other in this forest.
Chi Zhan glanced up. The sky above was dotted with starships. One by one, parachutes bloomed into the air, trailing white smoke in graceful arcs—each one signaling a growing likelihood of encounters to come.
Better to strike first.
He strained to listen, but the forest was full of noise. Many small animals had made their homes here. Barely five minutes in, he had already tracked the movements of three different squirrels.
It was difficult to tell whether anyone was drawing near.
He circled around several times before finding a source of fresh water.
The island’s climate was hot, and his combat uniform was thick and non-breathable. Chi Zhan was already feeling thirsty. He finally paused, found a safe spot, set down his bags, and began searching for a container to filter water.
You couldn’t drink from a wild water source directly—it had to be filtered. As he bent down to search, a sharp, instinctive sense of danger blared in his mind.
He immediately twisted to respond, but before he could finish the move, a whooshing sound sliced through the air.
Chi Zhan whipped around, ready to pull the same maneuver as before. But this time, his opponent was no amateur—he adapted instantly, seized Chi Zhan’s wrist, and with one clean motion, locked his arms behind his back. Chi Zhan couldn’t move his upper body at all.
Very few people could counter that move of his.
His heart sank, but his body didn’t hesitate. In the next second, he pivoted and launched a brutal kick, aiming directly for the most vulnerable spot with twice his usual force.
Had it landed, the opponent would’ve lost most of his ability to fight. But the man behind him merely chuckled, as if amused. He released Chi Zhan’s wrists just in time, and as Chi Zhan reflexively went to flex them, the man deftly sidestepped the incoming kick, gripped Chi Zhan’s shoulder, and yanked him downward.
The world flipped upside down.
His head, still hazy from the earlier jump, hadn’t fully cleared. In that brief moment of daze, he missed the best window to counter.
By the time he registered what had happened, there was a crisp click—something cold and unfeeling clamped onto both his wrists.
Standard-issue military-grade handcuffs.
The latest tech from the weapons division—equipped with an intelligent locking system. No matter how skilled you were, you couldn’t break free once restrained.
Which meant… Chi Zhan had lost any chance of regaining the upper hand.
But seriously… these things were included in the supply kits?
Chi Zhan’s temple twitched.
He really should have checked the bag first thing.
But a loss was a loss.
He waited silently for the man to take his name tag.
A hand lifted his chin, and Chi Zhan finally got a look at the man’s face—
A head of striking silver hair, dazzlingly handsome features, combat uniform worn sloppily with a few buttons undone, exposing his collarbones. He was grinning as he stared down at Chi Zhan.
Chi Zhan looked away immediately.
“You were amazing just now, sweetheart,” the man said, voice dripping with a casual flirtation that made Chi Zhan furrow his brows. He turned his head, lifting his chin slightly to avoid the man’s hand, refusing to answer.
Which academy is this guy from…? Strong, sure—but completely unserious.
He didn’t realize that the way he had just moved revealed the graceful lines of his jaw and neck in full view.
“Why so quiet?” the man teased again. “Did I hurt you? I just wanted to say hi earlier. How was I supposed to know you’d…”
“You talk too much,” Chi Zhan said coolly. “If you want the name tag, look for it yourself.”
The man fell silent.
He stared at Chi Zhan for a long moment, and for a second, Chi Zhan thought he caught a flash of… hurt?
He must have imagined it.
“…Fine,” the man said sheepishly. “I’m Xiao Xing. I’m from the Mecha Division.”
Xiao Xing… The name was the same as a singer Chi Zhan happened to like.
But he didn’t think for a second they were the same person. No way a military academy student was also a pop star.
What surprised him more was why the guy had introduced himself. There was no need.
Still, now that he knew the name—there might be a chance to return the favor later.
Xiao Xing began searching Chi Zhan’s combat uniform. His movements were sloppy, barely skimming over him. After a moment, he muttered, confused, “Huh? Where is it?”
“……”
It was in the chest pocket. Right in the chest pocket. How the hell did this guy pass the entrance exam?
“Did you hide it somewhere else, hmm?”
Xiao Xing asked seriously, fingers brushing up against Chi Zhan’s throat, lightly tapping his Adam’s apple.
It didn’t feel like a real search—more like something suggestive. Especially since Xiao Xing’s touch was so gentle, the calloused pads of his fingers sliding downward made the skin he touched flare with a soft itch.
“So where is it?” Xiao Xing asked again, tone still teasing.
Chi Zhan said nothing, lips pressed tightly shut.
He was starting to suspect Xiao Xing was doing this on purpose.
Pretending not to find it. Forcing him to say where it was.
It was a psychological tactic, a mind game used in interrogation.
“If you won’t talk, I’ll just find it myself,” Xiao Xing said, tilting his head slightly. He watched the faint flutter of Chi Zhan’s lashes at his words and noticed a subtle blush spreading over the skin he’d just touched.
Tsk… So sensitive, huh? Just a little teasing and you’re already blushing, sweetheart?
