The Most Powerful Brain in the Interstellar Space

Chapter 356 Score
Zhou Xiuwen didn't bother with the issue of how he was addressed, or rather, he didn't care. It's just a name; friends can call each other whatever they want.

He simply shook his head. This was the first time he had met Lieutenant Colonel Zong. Although the other man was already of a high rank and held some position in the military, he was still very young. When he was a child living in the Central Star Region, the other man should not have been able to reach this level, so naturally, he didn't know him.

Moreover, even if Lieutenant Colonel Zong Ting had heard about it back then, it probably didn't have a good reputation. Or rather, his family, which was a complete mess, was notorious for being a huge rip-off in the Central Star Sector.

Of course, he was referring to certain members of that family. According to his father, this Lieutenant Colonel Zongting himself was an extremely good person. His father praised him highly and secretly lamented that such a good boy had ended up in such a family. Fortunately, however, the boy had escaped the abyss and no longer needed to suffer.

"Speaking of which, both Jiang and Clarence should thank him. It was he who happened to stop the falling mech, which gave you the chance to come out alive from below..." Zhou Xiuwen was in the command post at the time and saw everything clearly.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Hui immediately looked over. So this was the person. No wonder she felt the other person's outline was somewhat familiar when she first saw him; she had seen him briefly in the light when he crawled out from under there earlier.

So it turned out that she hadn't even remembered to say thank you after someone had left things in front of her for so long. Thinking about it, she realized how thoughtless she had been. Jiang Hui immediately felt a little uncomfortable.

Suddenly, she felt someone pat her shoulder. Jiang Hui looked up and asked, "What are you thinking about? Were you startled? Why do you seem so quiet?"

It was Zhou Xiuwen.

Huan Xian, who had barely spoken since they met, also looked over silently, his eyes revealing a questioning look.

Jiang Hui shook her head, then realized she had nodded too quickly. She had been holding her breath since earlier and hadn't recovered yet; she was probably genuinely frightened.

"...It's nothing, I just didn't expect it was this lieutenant colonel who saved us. I should thank him properly later," Jiang Hui said.

Zhou Xiuwen didn't seem to care much: "Actually, you didn't have to say it. To be honest, this was originally the responsibility of the reconnaissance department. Their analysis and monitoring of the area was very inaccurate. The area marked in red was completely off, which is why they didn't expect you to get involved. Lieutenant Colonel Zong was just trying to cover for them. The military will take responsibility for the near-fatal mistake you made. They should give you a substantial compensation afterwards."

Jiang Hui: ? ?

“Besides you and Clarence, we should all receive some. All the people who were injured while trying to get in will receive a corresponding accidental compensation, which will be credited to our accounts by the next business day at the latest. So eat and drink well, don’t be too frugal.” Zhou Xiuwen told a very lame joke.

Is this compensation for their fright? It's quite fitting; the whole day was fraught with danger... she was practically scared out of her wits.

As they were talking, Zongting had already completed the inspection of the spaceship, and the boarding gate was lowered in front of them, gesturing for them to board.

The return journey is about to begin.

This spaceship was temporarily assigned by Zong Ting. His adjutant piloted it all the way to the hospital, and naturally, he was also in charge of the return trip. So, there was no need for Lieutenant Colonel Zong to personally take over the piloting.

Jiang Hui had originally planned to meet with this officer this time so that she could properly thank him, even if he probably didn't care, because he had saved her life.

But things happened too coincidentally. As soon as they boarded the spaceship, the other party received a communication call. Perhaps due to classified information, the other party went to a quiet, soundproof area to continue the call and didn't emerge for a long time. Jiang Hui's plan to thank the person was naturally thwarted. Jiang Hui and the others could only chat idly while waiting to return to the Zhou residence.

"Click—" The soundproof barrier opened over there, and I could see out of the corner of my eye that the person on the other end of the communication line had stood up. The high-top military boots tapped against the cold wooden surface, producing a series of dull thuds as they drew closer. Then…

Another call came in via optical computer, but this time the person connecting to the optical computer was Jiang Hui.

The long-awaited communication call came through via the personal terminal. Jiang Hui didn't hesitate to answer without thinking about how to start the conversation with the officer. After all, if she didn't answer now, given the intermittent signal, she didn't know when she would be able to get back in time, and besides, she didn't have anything confidential to report, so she just answered.

The screen of the quantum computer was suddenly enlarged, revealing the person on the other side.

"...Where are you now?" The person on the other end seemed to breathe a sigh of relief the moment they saw her.

“Yes… Uncle Tang.” In the end, Jiang Hui still used this form of address because, even through the screen of the quantum computer, she could clearly see the intense worry and a hint of lingering fear in the eyes of this usually stern Uncle Tang.

Perhaps the surroundings were already quiet, but Stark's voice made everyone even quieter.

Although the other party's attitude relaxed considerably after seeing that she was safe, they did not let their guard down. Their brows furrowed even more, and before she could answer, they asked her where she was for the second time in a short period of time.

Jiang Hui had no choice but to answer honestly, but she hesitated when it came to where they planned to stay. She could tell from the people's attitudes that Zhou Xiuwen was no ordinary person, and she wondered if there would be any problems if she simply mentioned they were going to stay at his house…

However, Zhou Xiuwen, who was standing next to her, immediately answered for her.

Even Zhou Xiuwen felt a little intimidated by this notoriously strict instructor from the combat individual soldier department. But he wasn't deaf; how could he not have heard the way Jiang Hui addressed him earlier... It seemed their relationship was quite special.

The other party calling under these circumstances must want to hear that Jiang Hui is safe and to assure her of the safety of her upcoming trip, so it's best to make things clear to avoid worrying them.

Upon hearing the Zhou family's address, the other party seemed somewhat surprised, raising an eyebrow but saying nothing. He then glanced at the group on the opposite screen and said, "You guys... never mind, you don't need to come back for the next few days. I'll ask the school for leave for you, and we'll discuss it further when they let us know."

Is this telling them to just stay at Zhou Xiuwen's house for now, waiting for notification to return to school? Or are they just going to skip classes altogether?

"Don't get distracted and neglect your studies." Without even asking, Stark read their thoughts and cut them off immediately.

Jiang Hui's homeroom teacher is terrifying. Although thinking this is a bit unfair to Jiang Hui... it's fortunate that he's not in Class 1, otherwise, if he had to train with such an imposing homeroom teacher every day, he probably wouldn't be able to eat. Hillman thought to himself.

And Jiang Hui is truly remarkable. In terms of imposing presence, she's almost on par with Lieutenant Colonel Zong Ting on the other side, even possessing an added air of authority characteristic of an elder who has weathered many years. How does she manage to maintain such composure in front of her?

(End of this chapter)