The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

“Hmm?” Principal Jason, who was watching with the group, suddenly expressed confusion.

Teacher Duan shot him a sidelong glance, not even blinking, his face seemingly written with “What kind of trick are you up to now?” Clearly, he was very familiar with the principal’s style.

This reaction to the topic… it had been so pretentious for so many years.

Jason seemed completely unfazed by his old partner’s disdainful gaze and remarked with a hint of amusement, “It seems I didn’t make a mistake asking Dennis to help design the competition segment. This year is definitely more interesting than last year; it’s quite engaging and worth the investment.”

“That old man Dennis is someone only you would dare to approach. God knows, I thought you were crazy when you brought him up… You were probably planning to throw in a fortune just to see a bit of excitement. I’m afraid you’d not only dump all the funds in but also end up losing your own fortune,” Teacher Duan replied, somewhat exasperated.

At this point, Principal Jason’s expression became a bit awkward because the other party was not exaggerating.

Dennis Sullivan, a professor in the Mecha Department for the second-year students, was an extremely well-known mid-level mecha engineer at this school and notoriously known for his tendency to squeeze every penny from his clients.

Not only was his salary exorbitant, but his custom mechas were also famous for being incredibly expensive, known far and wide—even the nearby star systems and central star systems had heard of him.

This time, Jason spent a significant sum to ask that guy for help. Even with the school and investors significantly increasing the budget, it could still be considered a “huge sum.” Based on past years’ experiences, as Teacher Duan said, he might have had to dig deep into his own pockets to make it happen.

However, Principal Jason certainly didn’t want to admit it; he wasn’t foolish enough to cover the costs himself. It was because the school was funding it and said money wasn’t a problem that he dared to hire someone. If it really required him to pay, he would rather not do it at all.

Furthermore, while Dennis was indeed expensive, he was also quite skilled. Otherwise, why would so many people be willing to pay for custom orders from him? His schedule was booked solid from the start of the year to the end, and taking orders depended entirely on his mood.

This time, they were lucky to have him design the competition arena and props since he just happened to have time available; otherwise, they might not have gotten him at all.

“Alright, alright, I know Teacher Duan, you’re doing this for the school’s benefit. But shh… we’ve already invited him to do the work, so everything will turn out fine. Just be careful not to let others hear this, or it’ll be hard to backtrack,” Principal Jason quickly interjected, cutting off the other person’s remarks.

Although they didn’t come today, who knows if there are any of their people nearby? If word gets back to them, they can forget about ever hiring that person again. If the other party is even a little petty, they might have to find a high-ranking lecturer again.

Teacher Duan couldn’t help but roll his eyes, recalling how he had quarreled with Dennis before, complaining to his face about how expensive he was. In the end, they had no choice but to retain him at a price 1.1 times higher.

He was furious at the time, venting to him for an entire day.

Now that the other party had helped them out—especially for payment—business delivered right into their hands, and you immediately said he was great… Do you even realize how substantial that amount is? So, Principal Jason, you really are a child of a famous wealthy family from the capital, inherently lacking an understanding of the value of money.

But it doesn’t matter; Dennis indeed has real skills. The school was always worried that he would abandon them and jump ship to another institution, often instructing them to talk to him, fearing he might leave.

The principal’s actions actually aligned with the school’s intentions; he and the principal were both playing their roles, one as the good cop and the other as the bad cop, essentially completing the same task.

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Of course, the outside was just a minor interlude. The focus returned to the training ground—not, or perhaps more accurately, the supply point.

The screens in the viewing area had nearly shifted all their footage to the supply point, observing the status of all the contestants entering from various angles and directions.

The broadcast center informed all participants that they could enter the supply point for resupply and energy restoration, but didn’t provide them with more information about the supply point. However, that didn’t mean the people outside were unaware.

These hidden details were fully reported to the outside audience.

They could clearly see on the observation screens that three supply locations appeared simultaneously in the two training grounds.

The vast majority, or rather, nearly all contestants who could hear the announcement chose to enter the relatively nearby supply point. This action was almost completed within a few minutes, as they were afraid that if they were even a moment late, they would miss out on the resources.

Of course, some people didn’t believe this and thought of taking an alternative route, opting not to enter the supply point. Little did they know that the moment they made that choice, they were already destined for elimination.

According to the rules, all contestants must wear simulated vests until the end of the competition. This item serves not only as a standard tool for judging the results of the competition but also as a multifunctional protective device custom-made by Dennis, a mid-level mecha engineer, for all students. Its purpose is to ensure the safety of all contestants during the competition.

After all, this is just a contest. These young and vibrant students have a long journey ahead of them and greater missions to fulfill; they must not suffer injuries due to a momentary thrill. This is also the principle of both the military and the school. They hope to genuinely prioritize safety first and competition second.

The energy consumption of the simulated vest varies depending on the mode of protection being used, so the energy usage differs from person to person.

However, under such high-intensity operating conditions, it can only maintain an average of about eleven to twelve hours at most before the power is expected to run out.

At that point, recharging is necessary, which is what the school refers to as “energy replenishment.” Jiang Hui and the others guessed correctly; this energy replenishment is indeed specifically designed for the simulated vest. Once the energy of the simulated vest is depleted, the user will be directly eliminated from the competition, ensuring the user’s safety.

This means they must enter the supply point for energy replenishment to continue using the simulated vest; otherwise, they can only wait for the next quarter of the competition. But will the simulated vest last that long? In other words, those who choose not to enter the supply point essentially give up the ability to continue in the competition, making it impossible for them to proceed.

Of course, the broadcast center did not announce this, as it serves as a small test—a test of everyone’s decisiveness—whether they will be satisfied with momentary comfort or abandon the opportunity before them due to potential dangers.

However, for those who entered the supply point without hesitation, it will not be so easy to pass through; everything has only just begun.

New venue, new rules, an unknown journey… everyone will face new challenges.