The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

At midnight, Jiang Hui only had a small desk lamp on as she lay on her bed reading a newly borrowed book. She had just returned from her mental space recharge and was feeling wide awake.

In fact, even if she had slept in the mental space, she would still try to get a few hours of sleep in reality, treating it as a break. After all, if she truly lived a 48-hour day, sleeping for seven or eight hours wouldn’t be enough.

However, the peculiar nature of this mental space was too strange. Even though she operated on a 48-hour schedule, her sensory rhythms had to adhere to normalcy. It didn’t matter how long she slept on either side; she simply couldn’t indulge in being a “sleepyhead.”

Today, when she emerged from the mental space, she felt particularly energetic. Not only was she not in the mood to sleep, but she was also a bit hyper because, during her time in the mental space, she had whimsically treated herself to a meat buffet. The feeling of being stuffed lingered in reality.

Ugh… I can’t think about it anymore; I’m feeling a bit too full now.

She had finished reading the book in her hands, and with this one, she had borrowed three hefty volumes in total, which she read through in one night, just like a novel. Unfortunately, these books weren’t as interesting as novels and were quite dull, serving only to pass the time.

Yes, Jiang Hui now realized that her current situation was quite strange. The more she read that day, the more real and solid her sensory experience became in the mental space. Even her mental state in reality would receive some positive effects. So now she enjoyed finding a book to read whenever she had the chance, treating it as a way to recharge.

Suddenly, the girl frowned, put down the hefty book in her hands, and pressed the automatic switch by her bed. The curtains opened, revealing the same pitch-black darkness outside, with nothing but the night sky.

However, Jiang Hui felt a strange sensation, as if the air was thick with some unsettling, floating presence. She had already looked around several times and couldn’t help but step out of her door to take a quick look down the hallway, but she didn’t see anyone or anything.

Could it be that the teacher was coming to check the dorm again tonight? She had felt this way several times this evening.

Jiang Hui couldn’t sit still any longer, so she got out of bed, put on her clothes, and walked around her room a few times. Still feeling uneasy, she peeked outside again, but still found nothing.

Feeling worried, she rummaged through her room and pulled out the collapsible pole she had used on the day of the inspection, setting it aside as a backup.

…

“Is everything still normal over here?” Someone was walking towards her, and the person in the darkness didn’t need to turn around to know that another was coming.

“Normal. What could be abnormal? It’s already deep into the night; aren’t they all supposed to be sound asleep?”

“During the day, it’s been hard on them. No wonder these kids sleep like little pigs. I can’t imagine what kind of chaos will emerge when they come out in a bit.”

“Actually, it’s not all of them. There’s something strange over here; there’s a student on the sixth floor of Building N who, for some reason, doesn’t go to sleep until very late. She keeps opening her door to peek out; it’s happened several times, and I just saw her again. If it weren’t for the early warning we got, I would have thought she noticed me.”

“With your skills, if you were discovered, that would truly be a reason to go back to the drawing board. How could that happen? She’s probably just a kid who’s over-trained, her nerves a bit overexcited. If she can’t sleep, she might just want to sneak out for a stroll.”

The person didn’t think Jiang Hui would be able to discover him, but he didn’t quite agree with the officer’s assessment either. Jiang Hui didn’t seem like someone who wanted to sneak out; her expression and actions indicated that she really sensed something unusual.

However, the officer wasn’t wrong either. He had received specialized reconnaissance training in the squad. Although he wasn’t on a particularly dangerous mission right now, his ability to remain hidden wouldn’t disappear so quickly, especially not to a student who hadn’t received any formal training.

“Alright, alright, shift change. You can head down now; you’ve been standing here for almost half the night. There’s about half an hour left until the emergency summons, so you might as well go back. I’m in charge of this area now.”

Upon hearing this, the other person nodded in agreement; after all, the newcomer was his superior, and it was always wise to comply.

After giving a salute, the man quietly left. A different person stood guard in silence as night fell.

Hmm?

The newly arrived person looked somewhat puzzled at a dormitory in the southwest direction, which was the last building for the girls’ dormitories, close to the boys’ dormitories.

Suddenly, there was some movement on the sixth floor near the balcony, and a door was opened. The young man in the distance narrowed his eyes and saw someone slightly open the door to take a look, then wander around the balcony for a while before walking back inside.

Could this be the student that guy was talking about? …She looks somewhat familiar. Lando looked closely and ultimately confirmed that this student was indeed familiar.

How could she not be familiar? He had seen her in the cafeteria a few days ago. Isn’t she the girl from Captain Stark’s class?

Speaking of Captain Stark, he was nearly the most esteemed officer in their grade, quite well-known. The sergeants training the new students in various classes, as well as several junior officers, held him in high regard, and he was naturally one of them.

Lando hadn’t paid much attention to this student at the time; he had only glanced at her a few times and had a vague impression.

He hadn’t expected to encounter her again during this emergency nighttime drill, especially in such a situation.

Is it possible that this girl really sensed something?

Because just a moment ago, Lando had also felt that her gaze was directed towards him. Although her positioning seemed slightly off, the fact that she could vaguely find this general direction was quite remarkable.

What a sharp kid, he thought to himself.

On this side, Jiang Hui ultimately gave up the idea of wandering outside. She didn’t want to cause a misunderstanding like last time. In a school setting, it was likely that the administration had some form of surveillance on campus, so it probably wasn’t a big deal. With that thought, Jiang Hui decided to let it go.

At three o’clock in the morning, the alarm bells outside suddenly rang.

It was indeed an alarm, unmistakably coming from the school’s broadcasting system.

Jiang Hui, who hadn’t yet fallen asleep, was so startled that she nearly tossed the heavy book on her lap across the room.

What was happening?

The alarm only lasted for a short period, but Jiang Hui figured that everyone who was supposed to be awake was now awake.

Then, a broadcast from some unknown location began to play: “All new students of the 89983 level, please gather at the nearest assembly point to the dormitory. Please gather at the nearest assembly point to the dormitory.”

This announcement was direct and to the point, with no unnecessary words, and the broadcast stopped after repeating it twice.

Jiang Hui had already swung her legs off the bed and listened intently for any further announcements, confirming that there was nothing else.

She couldn’t help but marvel at how combat-oriented this school really was, with its atmosphere oscillating between tension and relaxation. It had started off so intense, only to suddenly dissipate, making it easy for people to feel complacent.

With that in mind, Jiang Hui put on her hat from the shelf, fully geared up, and headed out the door.