The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

The so-called “adjusting the position” wasn’t as complicated as everyone imagined.

Jiang Hui wasn’t a professional coach. She had learned swimming when she was young, and to maintain her skills, she would swim for a period each year, so she was relatively familiar with water.

She had spent quite some time learning to swim and knew that it was impossible for someone to overcome their fear of water in a short amount of time. Even though she had learned to swim years ago, she still couldn’t reach the natural state of coexisting with the water, a state that only naturally gifted swimmers could achieve.

However, the more she swam, the more she picked up some skills, as practice makes perfect.

Jiang Hui realized that the water was an extremely soft and fluid substance. It was visible and touchable but impossible to hold onto, and though one could scoop it up, it was impossible to shape or control it. What humans could do was simply move through it.

But human survival requires a large amount of oxygen. Even with interstellar advancements and the passage of endless years, humans could survive by absorbing other types of gases, but they still couldn’t adapt to being in water.

Especially water without any gases or gaps in it, where being submerged felt like being in a non-Newtonian fluid, making it hard to swim or move freely. If one couldn’t escape, suffocation would be inevitable. Moreover, the water in space often contained other substances and structures, making it even more dangerous.

Many types of water sources in the galaxy were terrifying, far more dangerous than those on Blue Star.

Interstellar people usually avoid water sources because no one knew what kind of dangers lurked beneath the surface.

This was also why someone like Zhou Xiuwen, a noble from a prestigious family, or Huan Xian, who seemed naturally skilled in combat, couldn’t swim. It wasn’t because they couldn’t learn or didn’t want to; it was simply because they had never thought about learning such a thing.

Of course, this was just a small, directional orienteering exam, and no one’s life was at stake. The water they encountered was an imitation of the water on their home planet, filled with symbiotic gases, so even if they were submerged for a long time, they wouldn’t drown. The danger was minimal.

That’s why, even though Jiang Hui and the others had been swept by the water for so long, losing consciousness at one point, they hadn’t been eliminated, and their simulation vest had only lost a little bit of energy.

If this was on Blue Star, someone who fainted from being submerged in water would have been dead within three to five minutes.

Yet, they all woke up to find that their simulation vest had only used up about 20-30% of its energy—it was practically like being immersed in water without any harm. The school had gone to great lengths to ensure the safety of the students.

However, Jiang Hui and the others were unaware of these details and were focused on figuring out how to overcome the obstacles posed by the water flow.

She recalled the movements her coach had taught her when she first learned to swim, holding Zhou Xiuwen’s waist to lift his entire center of gravity off the ground, allowing him to float on the surface of the water and experience the sensation of buoyancy.

This was especially important when learning how to swim.

When someone unfamiliar with water first enters it and loses the vital air they rely on, panic naturally sets in. This fear causes them to struggle uncontrollably, expending a lot of energy, which in turn accelerates the tendency for their center of gravity to sink, creating a vicious cycle of struggling and sinking… Eventually, the result is drowning.

So, regardless of whether someone can swim, the most important thing is to conserve energy and try to keep the body in a relatively energy-efficient state, which helps maintain the ability to swim for longer.

Relaxing and spreading out one’s arms and legs is the most energy-efficient position.

Jiang Hui couldn’t teach Zhou Xiuwen how to swim in such a short time.

But fortunately, they had the simulation vest. Due to its material, it allowed them to float lightly on the water’s surface. In particular, people who had lost consciousness would float effortlessly due to the subtle relaxation the simulation chest armor provided, effectively serving as a life-saving aid.

Right now, this item had become a useful tool, helping Zhou Xiuwen and Huan Xian learn how to float on the water in a short period.

With this assistance, if Zhou Xiuwen could learn how to relax his limbs and simulate that floating position, he would probably start to float.

So, she worked hard to lift his body, helping him get used to the sensation of floating on the water.

Zhou Xiuwen clearly still didn’t quite understand, feeling nervous. Jiang Hui had to move from supporting him with one hand to using both hands to hold him up.

Well, this was a little bit inappropriate, but in an emergency, there was no time to worry about manners.

Jiang Hui put all her strength into lifting him, keeping him in this awkward position above the water. She repeatedly told him to relax and assured him that he wouldn’t sink.

Finally, after much effort, Zhou Xiuwen barely managed to stay afloat. Though his head often dipped under the water due to improper weight distribution and he struggled to keep it above the surface, causing him to cough and swallow water, at least he was floating.

After going through all that struggle, both Jiang Hui and Zhou Xiuwen were exhausted.

Especially Jiang Hui—she was so tired, even more so than when she was learning how to swim.

This guy was just too heavy, even in the water! She still had to be careful with her own treading water, making sure not to get too close to his hands, elbows, or feet, or else they would both sink together.

Her legs were also incredibly tired from constantly kicking and paddling in the water. She really wanted to swim back and rest for a bit, otherwise, she might end up cramping up soon.

“Ahhh, I can swim now! Am I swimming?! I really can swim, I’m floating!” Jiang Hui weakly rubbed her forehead, fastened Zhou Xiuwen’s safety belt at his waist, and then pulled him back towards the platform, dragging him while he was still lost in the joy of learning how to swim.

“Save your energy. What you’re doing isn’t swimming, it’s just floating like a dead body. Don’t move around too much, or you’ll sink again. I might have to pull you back in a bit.”

Jiang Hui sat on the platform, pinched her ankle, tried to relax her muscles, and quietly sighed in relief. She couldn’t help but think to herself that she was actually quite good at teaching.

But once she finished teaching one, there was still the other. She couldn’t help but glance in the other direction, where the other person was silently watching her.

Was it her imagination, or did his lips look even paler, and his eyes seemed a bit unfocused? Was he scared? Could it be that frightened?

Well… it was hard to say. For people who were afraid of water, it truly was a terrifying monster, capable of taking their lives at any moment. It was clear that Huan Xian was one of those kinds of people.

Jiang Hui had only started teaching Zhou Xiuwen first because of the way Huan Xian was acting.

Zhou Xiuwen’s reaction wasn’t as severe. He had been submerged in the water for quite some time and was still able to move freely, even suggesting to take the next step on his own, showing that his fear wasn’t as intense.

But Huan Xian was different. Even though he had adjusted his posture and appeared relatively normal, anyone could see the fear hidden deep in his eyes.

This guy was extremely afraid of water.