Marshal becomes pharmacist (4): It’s embarrassing~

Si Qi had been lying in the hospital for a week, during which many friends had come to visit one after another. The head of the Si family, who was also the original owner’s father, had come the most times, almost visiting at a fixed time every day.

If it weren’t for Si Qi being able to learn from Xiu Xiu about the current dire situation of the Si family, Si Qi might have actually believed the middle-aged man in front of him who appeared calm and said, “Everything is fine at home,” and let him take care of it.

From Si Qi’s observation, this middle-aged man was truly good to the original owner. It was not just about trust in major matters, but also included the small details of daily life. If the situation in the Si family weren’t so dire that it made him too busy, Si Qi wouldn’t doubt for a moment that the man wanted to stay here every day to personally take care of his son.

After all, he was once the pride of the heavens, only to fall to the depths in an instant. After all, he was the child that he had devoted so many years to nurturing, only to face such a huge setback. One can only imagine how much pain was in the heart of the father from the Si family; that kind of sadness was probably no less than that of the original owner.

Previously, when the original owner and Sun Ba had just met, Father Si heard that such a young genius was getting close to his son. He even suggested that his child spend more time with the other person, and ideally, after Sun Ba graduated, to recruit him into their family’s military group, becoming the original owner’s right-hand man in the future.

He also heard that the original owner wanted to cultivate Sun Ba well, providing him with the same generous resources as his own heir. Father Si noticed his son’s affection for that young man and didn’t take advantage of being the original owner’s father, with a prestigious family background, to deliberately break up the original owner’s feelings for the other person. He respected the original owner’s wishes and didn’t plan to arrange a marriage for his son with a legitimate daughter from another family in the future; he just wanted his son to be happy.

However, Sun Ba was a genuine ingrate. The Si family helped him with all their heart, but he turned around and stabbed them in the back.

Attacking the Si family was one thing, but Father Si thought he was just unlucky, bitterly smiling and thinking it was his inability to judge people that caused the problem.

But Sun Baqian shouldn’t have done that, shouldn’t have treated his family’s child like this.

Seeing his own child lying pitifully on the hospital bed, unconscious and unresponsive, Father Si’s heart felt like it was being cut into pieces. He completely hated Sun Ba. He believed his son was in danger all because of the words Sun Ba had said to him before the war. He wanted Sun Ba to die without a burial place, but now Sun Ba was no longer the obscure poor kid he once was. He had connections, power, and means. At this moment, Father Si was too busy with his own problems; even if he were furious, he wouldn’t be able to do anything about this guy.

But who would have thought that on the very afternoon when Si Qi had just woken up from his coma, a post that completely humiliated Sun Ba would spread wildly across the internet. The content inside made Father Si so furious that he almost grabbed a gun and rushed to the Li family’s residence to shoot that damned scoundrel.

Now, Si Qi’s body had mostly recovered, and he no longer needed to lie in that cramped hospital room for treatment. On that day, Father Si had someone handle Si Qi’s discharge procedures and accompanied him all the way back to the Si residence, even inviting two doctors to stay at home to watch over him at all times.

The servants throughout the house and even the facilities for paraplegic patients were meticulously arranged. As soon as the person arrived, they could use them as usual, showing an utmost level of care.

Si Qi sat in the wheelchair, watching as his father occasionally showed signs of fatigue and the visibly increased white hair. With his eyelids slightly drooping, he smiled at his father and said, “Dad, I’m doing well at home. If you have something to do, please go ahead.”

Of course, Father Si was busy. The Si family was now on the verge of collapse, with troubles popping up everywhere, and he wished he could stretch a second into ten just to get through it. He said with concern, “But you’re home alone…”

“Uncle Chen and so many servants are here, so there’s nothing inconvenient. Besides, I’m a bit drowsy right now, so you’ll just be watching me rest.”

Father Si remembered the doctor saying that Si Qi had been sleeping with his eyes closed in the ward this week, and the doctor also said that this could reduce Si Qi’s pain, which was a good thing. So he didn’t say much more, nodded, and said, “Alright, Dad will stay with you until you finish your lunch.”

Si Qi smiled and tried to eat a bit more at the dinner table. Sure enough, he saw Father Si showing a relieved expression, as if he had let out a sigh of relief.

His son was indeed sensible.

Being considerate makes people feel heartbroken.

The servant took Si Qi, who was sitting in a wheelchair, to the study on the third floor. This floor was almost entirely the living area of the original owner. Because the layout was very spacious and bright, even if the servants consciously tried to prevent Si Qi from seeing, Si Qi could still see the scene in the training room. If the original owner was here, he would probably be deeply affected by the sight.

Entering the study, the bookshelves that filled the two large walls were densely packed with esoteric professional books. For example, battlefield command strategies, emergency measures for dangerous situations, combat techniques, and so on.

On the desk, there were no items unrelated to studying; in the corner, there were a few books being read, and in the middle, there was an unfinished notebook spread open, filled with future schedules. There was hardly any space left except for sleeping.

Even an outsider who didn’t know Si Qi would come here and, upon seeing these things, be able to tell from the abundant details how hard the owner once worked and how much he wanted to become an excellent commander.

But now… it was all useless.

Si Qi gently pressed his palm against his chest, trying his best to suppress the bittersweet feeling inside. The sadness that inadvertently showed on his face almost made the butler standing nearby tear up.

“Young master…”

Si Qi shook his head and said with a smile, “I’m fine, Uncle Chen.”

The more Si Qi said that, the more those who cared about him felt sad. Thinking about how Si Qi would never use those things again, the butler said, “Young master, what do you think? Should I help you tidy this place up? Maybe redecorate a bit?”

Leaving those equipment here would only remind Si Qi of the past, so it was better to take them away as soon as possible.

Si Qi nodded, “Get me what I need. I’ll give you a list later, and you can prepare it for me.”

“Yes, sir.”

Si Qi said again, “In a few days, it’s the college’s final exam?”

The butler nodded uncomfortably and said, “Yes, sir.”

Given Si Qi’s current situation, he probably won’t be able to continue studying at the military academy. The master had previously hinted at expelling the young master from the academy, so the butler didn’t plan to send Si Qi back to such a place, which would only cause him unnecessary heartache.

Si Qi, however, said, “You should see things through to the end. I plan to take this final exam. Please inform the school on my behalf.”

The butler’s expression slightly changed, and he said with a difficult tone, “Young master, you…” Why go over there and make things unpleasant for yourself?

With his body in such a state, how could Si Qi still take the exam? If he ended up with particularly poor grades, it would only make people feel worse.

Si Qi didn’t say much either, just said, “Go ahead.”

The butler hesitated for a moment, then could only lower his head and say, “Yes, young master.”

He should go back and ask the master for his opinion, to see if the master could persuade the young master.

……

Mr. Si really did care about his son.

Although he really didn’t want to see his son’s grades plummet and be mocked by others, when he looked into his son’s clear, jet-black eyes, which shone like black pearls, any thought of refusal vanished. His mouth had already agreed before he knew it.

At the end of August, after a month and a half, Si Qi returned to campus and appeared once again before the public.

The students passing by who saw Si Qi sitting in a wheelchair with their own eyes all widened their eyes, somewhat shocked.

Had they ever seen the most outstanding prince in the campus reduced to such a state?

Then, recalling the news they had seen online, a group of students quickly suppressed their unusual expressions, revealing a somewhat complex and somewhat forced smile, their eyes betraying an undeniable pity.

This pitying look made the butler extremely angry, but he couldn’t say anything.

When had the young master of his family ever been looked at with such disdain? This was simply humiliation.

Si Qi seemed to sense something, lifted his head to glance at the butler, smiled, and gently patted the back of the butler’s hand. The butler could only manage a reluctant smile in return.

He took Si Qi to class.

The students who were chattering loudly in the classroom all fell silent the moment they saw Si Qi appear, their eyes collectively fixed on Si Qi’s motionless legs and the highly noticeable wheelchair. In an instant, the entire classroom was as quiet as a pin drop.

The butler’s grip on the cart tightened, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

A few of Si Qi’s friends quickly came up to him, smiling and saying, “Si Qi, you’re here!”

“Why didn’t you tell us? We could have picked you up at the school gate.”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s been so many days since I last saw you, you finally came.”

Someone who didn’t know the situation whispered in surprise to the person next to them, “Why is Si Qi still coming to school?”

“He’s already like this, so coming over is useless, right?”

“And Sun Ba is still here!”

Today was the final exam, and even students who were usually busy outside would stop their tasks and come back to school.

Sun Ba, due to the recent online incidents involving Si Qi, had gained a terrible reputation and had lost his former glory since returning to school. You could say that as Si Qi had fallen from grace, Sun Ba had become equally unpopular among those around him.

However, due to Sun Ba’s current status and the clear support from families like the Li family, very few people dared to say anything to Sun Ba’s face. At most, they would roll their eyes at him behind his back.

Even some shameless people could openly praise Sun Ba and mock Si Qi in front of everyone, making Sun Ba feel much more at ease—what’s the use of reputation compared to having power?

When he later married the legitimate daughter of the Li family, took control of the vast Li estate, and annexed the assets of the Si family, he, Sun Ba, would be the person with the second highest status in the entire empire, second only to the royal family. In the future, he would surely become a marshal, second only to one person and above ten thousand!

By then, who would still dare to bring up those old stories about Si Qi in front of him? They would still have to flatter him the same way.

So, not long after Si Qi had just arrived in the classroom, Sun Ba, with a delicate-looking woman under his arm and a beaming smile on his face, swaggered in and appeared before everyone.

The classroom, which was originally filled with a cheerful atmosphere because of Si Qi’s presence, instantly turned icy.

Sun Ba frowned as he caught sight of the most outstanding young man in the crowd. The other person looked at him with a calm expression, devoid of any emotion. There was no trace of the past warmth or affection in his eyes, not even the previous madness and pain. All that remained was coldness.

This look made Sun Ba very displeased.

If we were to say what made Sun Ba feel the most pleased after his rebirth, the elevation of his status certainly made him very proud, but what secretly made him feel even more delighted was the admiration from Si Qi.

Looking at the marshal who once stood at the pinnacle of the clouds, now swayed by his every word, whether in joy or sorrow, granted whatever he asked for, summoned at will, and completely dependent on him, gazing at him with eyes full of deep love and longing, wishing to give him all the best things in the world. Sun Ba felt an unparalleled sense of satisfaction throughout his entire being, a sense of delight akin to avenging a great grudge, and a secret pride in possessing the world’s most precious treasure.

Just thinking about how Si Qi liked him and then got dumped by him every day could give him immense pleasure countless times.

This kind of pleasure was something no woman could give him, even if the other party was the legitimate daughter of the Li family, even if the other party was a princess of the royal family.

After all, a guy who valued his prophetic abilities and approached him couldn’t compare to the preciousness of a close look from a grand marshal.

Even when he and that woman came before Si Qi and he said to Si Qi, “This is my girlfriend,” Sun Ba’s heart was not filled with pride for dating the daughter of the Li family. Instead, his mind was filled with Si Qi’s heart-wrenching eyes, which had filled with tears because of his words, those pitifully wet eyes that were so exciting just to recall. That secret, indescribable thrill made him wake up laughing in his dreams.

But now, that kind of pleasure could no longer be enjoyed. Even if another woman stood beside him, her fair wrist painted with bright red nails entwined with his arm, the two of them leaning on each other. After seeing this, Si Qi would no longer show any signs of jealousy because of him.

——He even found it disgusting to look at himself for another moment!

At that moment, a surge of anger welled up in Sun Ba, and he instinctively tightened his arm, causing the daughter of the Li family to cry out in pain and angrily say, “What are you doing!!”

Sun Ba frowned impatiently and glanced at the other person, his tone somewhat irritable: “I didn’t do it on purpose.”

The daughter of the Li family had never heard such insincere apologies in her life, and she felt a bit uncomfortable inside.

Upon further observation of why Sun Ba was acting this way, he immediately noticed Sun Ba’s intense gaze fixed on Si Qi, feeling even more displeased.

She rolled her eyes, gave a delicate laugh, nestled into Sun Ba’s embrace, and looked in Si Qi’s direction with a beaming smile, saying, “Wow, these days even a paraplegic can come to a military academy to study. How interesting~~ What are you here for? Are you going to be our cheerleader with that face?”

After listening, Sun Ba raised an eyebrow and looked at Si Qi with great interest, wanting to see Si Qi show an expression other than calmness because of them.

He indeed saw it.

But it was definitely not anger, hatred, or pain.

On the face as white and precious as mutton fat, the rosy lips gently lifted, forming a provocative arc of disdain. Surrounded by the crowd, sitting in a high seat, he looked down at the two men and women below with a half-smile, as if they were two ridiculous clowns, not worth his attention.

Sun Ba’s pupils contracted, and this time his heart was thoroughly chilled—he knew that Si Qi always had his own pride and understood that according to Si Qi’s character, he couldn’t bring himself to repeatedly cling and beg for pity. But he really didn’t expect Si Qi to be so decisive. In just a few days, their next meeting had turned out like this.

He even doubted whether Si Qi’s initial affection for him was genuine. If the other person really liked him that much, how could he change his attitude so quickly? Didn’t he feel even a hint of regret?

A faint sense of foreboding surfaced, causing his heart to sink to the bottom. It felt as if he had lost something precious, leaving him feeling somewhat empty.

He knew that from now on, he would never get Si Qi back. This person might become a stranger, or perhaps an enemy, but they would absolutely never become friends again…

Sun Ba clenched his fists unconsciously, lowering his head to hide his unwilling expression. Standing next to Si Qi, his friend, who had long despised these two scumbags and bitches, raised his voice in disdain and said, “Where did this barking come from? In this day and age, even beasts and parasites can come to school to learn? All they learn are the tricks of the trade!”

The students around, who were initially a bit angry but didn’t dare to speak, couldn’t help but relax when they heard this sentence. With a hint of suppressed laughter at the corners of their mouths, they watched the two people whose expressions changed instantly.

The proud expression of the daughter of the Li family instantly changed, and she gritted her teeth and said fiercely, “You’re looking for death!!”

Si Qi smiled and spoke, his voice as melodious as a violin, carrying a hint of disdain that seemed to burst forth, completely disregarding the two people, and said to his friends, “Why bother with these clowns?”

The friend immediately nodded in agreement and said, “That’s true! This kind of trash isn’t even worth getting angry over!”

The daughter of the Li family was truly furious this time. She was very dissatisfied with Si Qi’s calm demeanor and maliciously said, “Who was it that knelt in front of me and cried so pitifully last time? Now you’re just pretending!”

Upon hearing these words, Sun Ba immediately lifted his head, staring intently at Si Qi, trying to catch a glimpse of the pain etched on his face.

Unfortunately, his thoughts were destined to be in vain. Si Qi curled his lips and murmured, “If I want to cry, I will cry. What does it have to do with you? In the past, I treated him like a toy, so he was a toy. Now that I don’t treat him like a toy, what is he?”

“You!”

The people around all let out low chuckles. The already furious Li family girl became even angrier and threatened the crowd, “What are you laughing at? Try laughing again and see what happens!”

A friend of Si Qi rolled his eyes and mocked, “Oh, those who know you think you’re a daughter of the Li family, and those who don’t know you might even think the Empress has arrived. Do you really think your Li family can act with impunity in the empire? This is the Imperial Military Academy, where students who graduate will become the backbone of various legions in the future. Which one of them isn’t a talent supporting the backbone of the nation? Can you compare to them? Based on what? Based on the fact that the Li family no longer needs to absorb new blood from now on, right?”

The students who were originally a bit fearful were jolted by these words, and a sense of pride actually began to rise within them. Hearing the threat from the Li girl didn’t scare them as much anymore—after all, they were going to join the army in the future. At worst, they wouldn’t join the despicable Li family. Let’s see who ended up worse off in the end, they or these exceptionally talented students with bright futures.

Sun Ba didn’t care at all about how furious his girlfriend was right now; his mind was consumed with Si Qi’s disdainful gaze and the words “What is he?” from earlier, making him feel like he was about to explode.

He lowered his voice and said indignantly, “Si Qi, I told you before, we’re just friends. There’s no need for you to be so unreasonable just because I started dating someone. You’ve really disappointed me!”

Sun Ba’s tone was full of resentment, as if Si Qi had done something terribly wrong to him, leaving the people around him utterly incredulous.

Indeed, over the years, Sun Ba had never publicly admitted to liking Si Qi. He treated Si Qi very well, but had never made any intimate gestures towards him, and their interactions were always very proper.

But that was definitely because Mr. Si was keeping a close watch, not allowing his underage son to have overly intimate actions with his boyfriend, and privately warned Sun Ba that everything should wait until both of them graduated from school and became adults.

Otherwise, with Sun Ba’s deliberate nature of playing with people’s feelings, he would have tried to trick the future high-ranking original owner into bed while they were still in school, causing him even greater harm. It wouldn’t have been as simple as just holding hands and exchanging glances.

Moreover, even if the relationship between the two parties had not been officially established, those who had witnessed the original owner’s gaze towards Sun Ba, those with eyes, could tell how much Si Qi liked Sun Ba.

Father Si often hinted to those around him, “Sun Ba is one of our Si family, please take good care of him.”

Therefore, the relationship between the two parties really just hinged on a single word, and everyone around who knew the situation was tacitly aware of it.

Just when Sun Ba was about to turn against him, he stubbornly insisted that he didn’t notice Si Qi’s feelings at all. To make matters worse, during the most difficult time for the Si family, he started dating a direct descendant from a rival family that was currently thriving. What kind of nonsense was this?

He just wanted to kick the Si family aside after using them, but he talked so grandly, really acting like a scoundrel while trying to build a reputation.

Everyone felt ashamed by Sun Ba’s despicable actions, their faces full of disdain. However, Si Qi couldn’t even be bothered to show such disdain, only indifference remained, devoid of any of the original owner’s sorrowful emotions.

Looking at the person with a half-smile, as if he were a ridiculous clown, he repeated his previous words, even more seriously than before, saying, “You’re really not worth anything. Did I say something wrong?”

Sun Ba opened his eyes wide, finally confirming that Si Qi really had no feelings for him. He felt an inexplicable surge of panic in his heart.

Si Qi chuckled, “Do you really think you’re so capable? Just a few compliments from others and you’ve become all high and mighty, thinking you have it all. But without me supporting you and giving way to you, would you be enjoying such glory?”

Sun Ba’s face turned red with anger as he pointed at Si Qi’s head and said, “Si Qi, don’t think you’re so noble. You were the one who came to me first, not me begging you!”

“This life is so long, how can one not meet a few scumbags? Knowing you is my misfortune!” Si Qi raised his slender hand, as white as jade, gently cupping his cheek, and looked at the man below who was fuming, as if watching a play. His tone was indifferent: “Moreover, what I can give you, I can naturally take back.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Sun Ba’s feeling of having a stone hanging in his heart that couldn’t settle down became even stronger. He remembered Si Qi from his previous life; at that time, he was also so high and mighty. It was as if he were a god controlling all the powers of the world, and no one could resist his will. The direction he pointed his sword was the path everyone followed, and he was the absolute authority. So proud, so domineering, that it instilled fear, making people dare not look him in the eye.

If before, Si Qi’s complete obsession with him made him feel elated, now the sober Si Qi only made him feel fear.

He could take advantage of the fact that he was over a decade older than the other person to toy with his feelings, but once he realized that the person standing in front of him was the former marshal, Sun Ba felt his legs go weak and secretly terrified.

His throat suddenly felt dry, and he unconsciously swallowed, forcibly suppressing the strange look on his face, telling himself it was nothing. No matter how much potential the other party had, he was already a cripple. He didn’t have over a decade to become a marshal, his family was on the brink of collapse from his own suppression, and he didn’t even have the qualifications to enter the army!

What was there to be afraid of from such a useless person?

Sun Ba suppressed that stirring emotion, forced a smile, and shook his head at Si Qi, saying, “Si Qi, you’re too arrogant. Everything I have now is all thanks to my own abilities. Do you really think your little bit of help is that important to me? Without you, I could still have reached this point.”

The legitimate daughter of the Li family next to her also sneered a few times and disdainfully said to Si Qi, “Hmph, with your little favors, you really think you’re something. What your Si family can offer, my Li family can afford just as well!”

After listening, Sun Ba frowned, always feeling that the other person’s implication was as if her Li family had given him many favors. He looked at the woman with dissatisfaction.

In his heart, he considered himself equal to the Li family, even to the point where the head of the Li family begged him to cooperate and promised his daughter to him, rather than him being the one who was inferior and had to marry into the Li family.

Could it be that, in the eyes of outsiders, everyone saw him as a parasite who could only rise by relying on others? How ridiculous!

After Sun Ba made his decision, he planned to have a serious talk with the woman about this matter, preferably giving her a stern warning, to prevent any misunderstandings about him in the future.

A group of people were talking here, the class bell rang, and the teacher walked into the classroom.

After glancing at the two opposing factions in the room, the teacher looked up at Si Qi with a complex expression, feeling distressed that a student they once held such high hopes for had fallen to such a state.

He had received a reminder from the butler in advance and knew what Si Qi’s purpose was in coming this time.

Like the butler, he also didn’t think Si Qi would perform well in the exam, and it might even lead to public embarrassment.

But from what the butler said, it seemed that Si Qi couldn’t just let go of the life he had pursued for over ten years all at once. He wanted to formally bid farewell to his past life, which was why he wanted to complete the final exams properly and then leave the school.

Therefore, the teacher ultimately agreed with Si Qi’s decision, allowing Si Qi to take the final exam along with the other students…

The content of the exam was no different from the past. This was the command class, where the main focus was on military command, real combat competitions, emergency medical care, and a series of skills that commanders should master.

On the surface, it’s said to be a way to test the students’ grades through the final exam, to see what level everyone was currently at. In fact, the teachers had a pretty good idea of everyone’s actual performance based on their daily observations.

The top students were Si Qi and Sun Ba, among others. Si Qi was the most outstanding captain before, but later, due to Sun Ba’s influence, Si Qi became distracted and his grades slightly declined. Instead, the previously inconspicuous Sun Ba suddenly rose to become the captain.

Now Si Qi had encountered trouble, and his grades were estimated to be only in the middle range. The top position, without a doubt, would still be taken by Sun Ba.

A group of people arrived at the simulation command room, and in front of each person was a horizontally placed light screen, approximately half a meter long.

Si Qi’s friend escorted Si Qi to his exam seat and adjusted it to the appropriate height. The light above the desk turned on, revealing a projection that seemed almost tangible.

In this exam, each candidate would face an intelligent computing program. Candidates needed to achieve victory in battle in the shortest time and with the least cost. The commands issued during the process would be recorded by the intelligent program and converted into corresponding scores.

The exam bell rang, and all the students instinctively adopted calm expressions, methodically analyzing the content of the exam questions, calculating the troops in hand, or the data on the map in front of them. At this moment, it could already faintly be seen in them the shadow of a commander.

Xiu Xiu wagged its tail in Si Qi’s consciousness space, eagerly saying, [Master, do you need Xiu Xiu to directly change the score to full marks for you?]

Si Qi laughed and said, [You think I can’t get a perfect score?]

Xiu Xiu immediately shook his head: [That’s not it, but the exam will be very tiring, right?]

Si Qi: [I won’t get tired. This body is very good at this kind of thing; analyzing data is twice the result for half the effort.]

So Xiu Xiu stopped talking.

However, it wasn’t long before he reappeared: [Then Xiu Xiu should go mess with the Son of the World! Find a few question types that the original owner never guided him on and let him take the test. Let’s see what kind of score he can get without the original owner’s help!]

Si Qi’s eyes curved up, thinking this idea was not bad, and finally added, [By the way, help us set up a live stream.]

Xiu Xiu was so happy, [Master is so bad~]

Xiu Xiu liked it!

So he not only opened the live stream but also posted several messages to announce it to everyone.

In no time, a large crowd of onlookers flooded into the live stream room, and seeing a few familiar faces on the screen, they began to discuss animatedly.

“What is this?”

“Ah, it’s Si Qi!”

“Is he okay?”

“I saw Si Qi’s wheelchair, is he really paralyzed?”

“Damn Sun Ba, this guy actually has the nerve to show up in front of Si Qi! Bah!!”

“Hmm? Isn’t this the command room of our military academy? Let’s see… Oh right, today is the final exam!”

“So they are taking an exam?”

“I have to say, these future commanders look really cool when they get serious!”

“Is there anyone who can help us translate their current situation? I can’t understand at all what this screen is testing or what the situation is.”

Among the hundreds of thousands of netizens, there were also professionals. Moreover, as the number of viewers increased, such professionals were becoming more and more common, and they were indeed providing real-time translations for the netizens.

“Although Si Qi is young, his professional skills are truly impressive. I watched for a while and noticed that his timing in deploying troops was spot on, perfectly countering the enemy’s forces. It was as if he could see through every move the enemy made, never wasting a single troop and never holding back either. His ability to control the scale is absolutely remarkable!”

“A textbook-level response… I even feel like he has a hint of the future master in him!”

“Wow, did you see that command from Si Qi just now? It was absolutely mind-blowing! I got goosebumps all over!!”

“I saw it, I saw it! I just jumped up from my chair! It was amazing!!”

“This kid is really impressive.”

“Uh, what are the people upstairs talking about? I completely don’t understand.”

“I can’t understand it, I just feel an inexplicable sense of dread.”

“So, Si Qi’s professional level is indeed impressive, right? Now I can rest assured. It seems that what was said in that post is true!”

“Of course it’s true! Haven’t you seen that Si Qi has always been second in exams at school? He used to be first all the time!”

“Si Qi is second? Then is Sun Ba even better than Si Qi? I haven’t heard anyone praise Sun Ba.”

“Tch, what’s so great about Sun Ba? Just mentioning his name makes my eyes dirty!”

“……You really can’t imagine, I just went to check on the situation over at Sun Ba, and it’s truly beyond words.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

Many netizens focused their attention on the second screen in the live broadcast room. On the screen, Sun Ba’s forehead was dripping with sweat, and his eyes showed a look of anxious distress. Even ordinary netizens who couldn’t understand the battle situation could indirectly sense his condition through his reactions.

“Ah, did you not do very well on this exam?”

“Isn’t it said that Sun Ba is a genius and completely crushes Si Qi in every aspect?”

“Really disappointing, how can someone like this become the captain? What’s going on with the Imperial Army?”

“Hehe, I see that without Si Qi’s help, you immediately exposed yourself, huh?”

As soon as this statement was made, it immediately received a lot of agreement from netizens: “I knew it! Sun Ba was always useless, and now that he doesn’t have Si Qi’s help, he’s really exposed!”

“Sun Ba was always working in Si Qi’s team before, right? The commander back then was always Si Qi. Later, everyone said that Sun Ba helped Si Qi recover from defeats several times, saying he had command talent, but was unfortunately dragged down by Si Qi. Now it seems that’s not the case at all!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the screen in front of Sun Ba emitted a piercing warning sound, startling the nearby students, who looked over in surprise.

Sun Ba’s face, illuminated by the blood-red warning on the screen in front of him, turned a sickly shade of red and green, making him look utterly ghastly. His eyes flickered, and he shook his head in disbelief, muttering to himself, “Impossible, how could this happen? How could I lose? This isn’t right?!”

The surrounding classmates also looked at him in confusion, thinking to themselves, “How could Sun Ba fail even this kind of test? That’s just too funny.”

The teacher furrowed his brows and walked over, saying to Sun Ba: “What’s going on?”

Sun Ba, flustered and irritable, said, “Is there a problem with this program? The enemy on the other side is too strong!”

Teacher: “Everyone’s difficulty level is the same.”

Sun Ba raised his voice, “Impossible!”

Seeing this, the teacher thought for a moment and said, “Why don’t you switch machines and retake the test?”

Sun Ba bit his lip in frustration, walked up to the new machine, and started the program to retake the exam.

Netizens are debating: “Why should he get a second chance?”

“This is unfair to the other students!”

“Hey, Sun Ba has the Li family backing him. It’s just one more chance to take the exam, what’s the big deal?”

“I think the teacher believed that Sun Ba has always been the top student and wouldn’t fail to even pass, so they just took his word for it.”

“So that program really had issues, huh? Disappointing.”

A few people were talking, and their attention hadn’t yet shifted from this side when suddenly, another sound echoed in the room. This time, it wasn’t puzzling but rather frightening.

The students almost made a mistake because of this, hurriedly stopping their actions and looking in surprise at Si Qi not far away.

Si Qi calmly withdrew his hand. The 3D screen in front of him was slowly rotating with the word “Victory.” He turned to look at the equally astonished teacher and smiled faintly, “Teacher, I did well on the exam.”

The teacher was both surprised and delighted, completely ignoring Sun Ba’s face, which was as dark as a pot bottom. He strode over, his eyebrows dancing with excitement, and said, “It’s only been five minutes!”

He opened the backend data for this match, pulled up Si Qi’s command flow, and was astonished as he read the first few lines of instructions. He gasped and said to Si Qi, “Can it be done like this?”

Si Qi’s battle command methods were completely different from the common textbook operations, but with a little consideration of the situation, it became clear that such decisions were perfectly reasonable. It could be said that he took an unconventional approach, striking straight to the core, creating a completely new style.

Si Qi smiled faintly, and his calm demeanor made people regard him even more highly. The teacher, unable to contain his excitement, eagerly followed the data downwards. The more he looked, the more amazed his expression became, and he couldn’t help but praise the screen, repeatedly saying, “Good, good, good, really impressive, really impressive!”

Now, even without the translation from the online expert, the audience would still know how Si Qi did on the exam.

Many people naturally say, “Si Qi has been a genius since childhood, so it’s normal for him to have good grades!”

“Eh, it’s a pity that he is now… it’s really a pity.”

“That Sun Ba is a disaster!!”

The teacher really liked Si Qi’s set of conducting procedures, repeatedly reviewing them over and over again, as if they were a treasure.

“If you publish this conducting piece, it will definitely be able to be featured in magazines or even win awards!” The teacher’s tone was very certain.

Si Qi smiled and said, “As long as you think it’s good.”

The teacher looked at Si Qi’s calm demeanor and suddenly figured it out, exclaiming, “You weren’t hiding your skills all along, were you?”

The audience erupted the moment they heard those words.

“What?”

“Si Qi concealing his skills?”

“Why?”

“Could it be because of Sun Ba???”

Si Qi said apologetically, “It’s my fault.”

The teacher’s expression went blank for a moment, then turned into a mix of helplessness and anger, truly a bit of a “frustrated but resigned” look: “You, you! I told you before, why your grades are dropping instead of improving, you really are… sigh!”

The live stream audience and the surrounding students were all bewildered. The netizens behind the screen were excitedly chatting non-stop, while the students were secretly complaining, thinking to themselves that discussing these matters at this time made it impossible for them to focus on the exam, with their minds filled with gossip.

Sun Ba was the most affected one. Originally, he had made a mistake in his own exam, and Si Qi had won ahead of time, which had already flustered him a bit. Now, hearing Si Qi admit that he had been hiding his true abilities all along, and thinking about Si Qi’s top-notch qualifications to become a marshal in the future, he suddenly felt an indescribable fear and jealousy in his heart.

In such a poor state, he was pressed and beaten by the completely unpredictable enemy on the other side a few more times, and the situation was completely defeated from then on. Unable to hold on for a few minutes, he was once again warned by the red light and lost utterly.

This time, when everyone looked at Sun Ba, it was not with confusion, but with mockery and disdain.

Sun Ba looked around at the surrounding students with a pale face, his heart plummeting to the depths. An ominous premonition surged like sediment from the ocean floor, rapidly engulfing all his thoughts in darkness and murkiness.