After Winning The Esports Championship, I’m going To Pilot A Mecha

18. You’ve been transferred


Ji Mingzhu wasn't worried about being recognized.


When he met Kai Yang that night, he wore a cartoon mask throughout the encounter, so the other person had never seen his true appearance. Moreover, Kai Yang was a new member who had just joined the Big Dipper squad. He had only heard of Ji Mingzhu's name before and had never actually seen this ace pilot from Netherworld.


So logically speaking, even in this close contact, Kai Yang wouldn't recognize him.


Indeed, Kai Yang only glanced at Ji Mingzhu out of curiosity, showing no signs of recognition.


It was rare to see a student from Zongbingyi Academy, a well-known and prestigious elite school, on a tram, which was considered a form of public transportation for ordinary people.


Ji Mingzhu looked at the towering buildings passing by outside the window, lost in thought.


To be honest, if it weren't for meeting Kai Yang that night, he wouldn't have been able to detect that this ordinary office worker, with no special characteristics whatsoever, was a member of Netherworld with remarkable mecha piloting skills.


So, how many people like this were there?


In addition to Kai Yang, there was also Bai Weng, the famous philanthropist and tycoon. If it were someone else, they probably wouldn't be able to tell that they were different from ordinary people. Netherworld was massive, lurking under the nose of Sky City for many years, so the number of related members must be significant.


What's more, Ji Mingzhu didn't have the memories of the original owner, so he didn't know who the members of Netherworld were.


Perhaps the owner of a nearby breakfast shop, a passerby on the street, or even someone within Calamity Control Bureau could be a member of Netherworld.


As the tram arrived at the station, Ji Mingzhu watched as Kai Yang unconsciously followed the crowd and exited the tram, heading towards a distant office building. He noted the name of the company where Kai Yang worked, then slowly withdrew his gaze.


...


Zongbingyi Academy was located in the center of Shangjing City, covering a vast area. Its grand and majestic buildings resembled an ancient city, combining futuristic elements with a sense of antiquity. The interior was adorned with numerous high-rise buildings.


At the entrance of the academy, expensive shuttles and hovercars shuttled back and forth. This place gathered the offspring of the most influential individuals in the human world, who had access to the top educational resources from an early age. Their exposure to the mecha field, which ordinary people could hardly dream of, started from childhood. They were not on the same playing field as the common people.


This also indirectly reflected the excellence of the original owner's resume. Leaving aside other talents, the fact that Ji Mingzhu, as an orphan from a welfare institution, could be admitted to Zongbingyi Academy was enough to make him a target for cultivation and recruitment by numerous conglomerates and organizations.


Following the process, Ji Mingzhu found his own class and settled into a seat towards the back.


There were already quite a few people in the classroom. Many of these young people from affluent circles knew each other. After greetings like "You're in this class too?" and "We're classmates now," the conversation shifted to discussions about their respective family businesses and potential future collaborations.


Heirs of conglomerates, children of government officials, descendants of renowned mecha pilots... Amidst the discussions of these prominent young students, Ji Mingzhu, sitting silently in the back row, seemed out of place.


A few people noticed Ji Mingzhu in the back row, but because his face was unfamiliar and his attire wasn't extravagant, he appeared to be a good-looking bookworm. Their gazes lingered on Ji Mingzhu for a moment before quickly moving on.


Ji Mingzhu diligently played his role, his gaze focused on the book in front of him. He listened to the conversations of his classmates while keeping himself busy. Meanwhile, Axiu continued to operate tirelessly, collecting information and resumes of the people around him.


"Hello."


While Ji Mingzhu was reading, he suddenly heard a greeting in his ear. He turned his head and saw a bespectacled boy holding a book, standing next to him with a curious look in his eyes. The boy asked, "Can I sit here?"


Ji Mingzhu's gaze flickered, displaying a hint of skepticism and shyness. He shifted slightly and whispered, "Sure."


Relieved to find Ji Mingzhu accommodating, the boy's attitude became more familiar. "Nice to meet you, I'm Ye Qun."


Ji Mingzhu responded with a simple "Hello, I'm Ji Mingzhu."


"I noticed you at the entrance. Did you come here on the tram?" Ye Qun asked, leaning in with curiosity. "It's quite rare to see someone from Zongbingyi Academy using public transportation. Wasn't your family too busy to send you by shuttle?"


Ji Mingzhu smiled and replied, "No... I don't have a shuttle."


Ye Qun nodded in understanding, quickly assessing Ji Mingzhu. He didn't pursue the topic further but instead became even more familiar in his attitude. "I also took the tram here. My father runs an ordinary grocery store. Your grades must be excellent to be admitted to Zongbingyi Academy and come from a humble background."


Listening to Ye Qun's implicit message of "we are the same kind of people," Ji Mingzhu nodded and lightly acknowledged.


He appeared somewhat introverted, but Ye Qun didn't mind. He had encountered many individuals who used silence and aloofness to hide their insecurities in unfamiliar environments, especially among students from prestigious backgrounds like Zongbingyi Academy.


Still so young ah.


That's what Ye Qun thought. Although his circumstances were similar to Ji Mingzhu's, he had learned how to utilize the resources around him and how to improve his own situation. Especially in a place like Zongbingyi Academy, for someone without a notable background, they needed to know how to navigate social interactions. As long as they could associate themselves with a prominent offspring of privilege, the opportunity for social ascension would be within reach.


Ye Qun began conversing with Ji Mingzhu. "Don't just focus on reading... This isn't an ordinary school. Having good grades alone doesn't mean much here."


"You see that person up front with the white emblem on their chest? That's the third son of the Zhuang family. Their family has collaborations with the government and the Calamity Control Bureau. They have sponsored the construction of several buildings in Zongbingyi Academy."


"And the one with blue hair is the son of a top-ranked mecha pilot in Shangjing City. However, it seems like he didn't inherit his father's talents. He was screened out during the mecha combat class entrance exam."


"And also, there's..."


It was evident that Ye Qun had done quite a bit of research, knowing the backgrounds of several students in the class by heart.


In fact, Ji Mingzhu had already acquired this information through his AI companion, Axiu, even more comprehensively than Ye Qun. However, Ji Mingzhu didn't show any signs and maintained a cautious yet curious attitude, occasionally responding to Ye Qun's remarks.


Observing Ji Mingzhu's pretense of aloofness, Ye Qun felt somewhat frustrated, regretting that Ji Mingzhu had wasted a good opportunity.


Every year, there were individuals like Ji Mingzhu, commoners who entered based on their academic performance. They would bury themselves in their studies, and if they were lucky enough, they could secure a job in a corporate conglomerate or become a grassroots employee in the government or the Calamity Control Bureau. Although it could be considered a form of social advancement to some extent, that would be the extent of their lives.


Despite the numerous prominent figures within Zongbingyi Academy, the true elite were the students in the mecha combat class.


In an era where the outside world was teeming with foreign creatures, mechas were humanity's best weapon for resistance. However, most corporations and organizations didn't have the qualifications to pilot mechas, let alone high-level A-grade or above mechas.


Those who made it into the mecha combat class would become genuine mecha pilots in the future. They were the true treasures of humanity and the ones that many corporations and organizations sought to curry favor with.


Ye Qun couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.


The scene of their conversation in the back row was also noticed by many people. They didn't know Ji Mingzhu, but Ye Qun was known by quite a few individuals. He was a young man who knew how to navigate social situations, and his admission to Zongbingyi Academy had caught many people off guard.


To be associated with Ye Qun... probably didn't come from a wealthy family.


Children of influential families and conglomerates typically received a good education. Even if they had certain thoughts in mind, they wouldn't openly express them. However, their gazes intentionally or unintentionally disregarded Ji Mingzhu. In the spacious classroom, an inexplicable sense of segregation emerged as everyone formed their own small groups.


Ji Mingzhu lowered his head to look at his book but occasionally lifted his head to observe the people around him.


In his mind, he wondered if any of these individuals could be undercover agents from Netherworld.


After observing for a while, he quickly gave up. Based solely on appearances, he couldn't discern anything. If it were that easy to identify someone's identity, the Netherworld Organization probably wouldn't have managed to evade the Calamity Control Bureau for so long.


As a middle-aged person entered the classroom, the lively discussions and conversations finally quieted down.


"Quiet down."


The middle-aged person had a serious expression and lightly tapped the table. His gaze swept across the young faces in front of him as he took out a sheet of paper. "Roll call."


"Yan Mo."


"Here."


"Xu Tianjiang."


"Here."


"Ye Qun."


"Here!"


...


"Ji Mingzhu."


Upon hearing his name, Ji Mingzhu set down his book. "Here."


The teacher was about to move on to the next name when he suddenly paused.


He carefully brought the paper closer, took another look, and then raised his head, closely scrutinizing Ji Mingzhu.


This peculiar behavior caught the attention of others, signaling that something was amiss.


"What's going on?"


"Is there a problem?"


"Could it be a case of mistaken identity? The data doesn't match?"


"Hahaha, no way."


"You are Ji Mingzhu, right?"


The teacher looked at Ji Mingzhu with a hint of surprise in his tone.


Here it comes.


Ji Mingzhu stood up, still wearing that shy and quiet expression, looking like a bewildered little creature. "Yes, teacher..."


The teacher on the podium nodded. "Just wait a moment."


Saying that, he walked straight out of the classroom, took out his terminal, and made a call, seemingly confirming something.


Whispers filled the classroom.


"Could he really be a replacement?"


"Judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem to have any background. He probably got in as a commoner."


"Maybe his grades were falsified and he got caught? Hahaha..."


Ye Qun looked at Ji Mingzhu standing there, appearing somewhat lost, and silently pondered to himself.


Soon, the teacher walked back in.


"Ji Mingzhu, right?"


The teacher cleared his throat softly, and compared to his serious expression from before, there was a touch of gentleness. "You have been transferred to another class."


Ji Mingzhu appeared confused. "Ah? Which class am I transferred to?"


"The Mecha Combat Class."


As soon as he finished speaking, the noisy discussions in the classroom instantly quieted down, plunging into silence.


Ji Mingzhu wore a similarly shocked expression, seemingly taken aback by this news.


Axiu kindly reminded him, "Your expression seems a bit exaggerated."


"Does it?"


Ji Mingzhu quickly adjusted his micro-expressions, making himself appear less dumbfounded. "Like this?"


"Much better."


Ji Mingzhu was satisfied and maintained his facial expression, asking in a dazed manner, "There's no mistake, right, teacher?"