Whats's it like to have a fleet that can only recuirt female soldiers?

The two of them were very close, their conversation filled with tension that seemed to hang in the air.

Zhao Chen had ignored them earlier, which had deeply displeased Zhang Haoran. Taking this opportunity to stir up trouble, Zhang Haoran brought up Zhao Chen's past feelings for Jiang Shasha.

Jiang Shasha, standing quietly beside them, frowned slightly. She had only agreed to "spend some time together" with Zhang Haoran, but now he was claiming they were officially dating. His presumptuousness annoyed her.

At that moment, Zhao Chen looked up, glanced at Zhang Haoran indifferently, and uttered a single word:

"Oh."

Zhang Haoran's face twitched in frustration. What's wrong with this guy? Wasn't it widely rumored that Zhao Chen liked Jiang Shasha? Why was he so calm and unaffected by the taunts?

Even Jiang Shasha was taken aback. She couldn't help but feel that Zhao Chen was... different now.

"Heh, you're really living up to your reputation as a useless baron—a piece of trash who has accomplished nothing." Zhang Haoran sneered, trying to provoke him further.

Unable to bear it any longer, Li Wei, who was seated beside Zhao Chen, spoke up, his voice sharp and angry: "Zhang Haoran, don't push your luck!"

"And who are you?" Zhang Haoran shot back disdainfully. "If Zhao Chen is a useless baron, you're not even worth mentioning. Didn't you fail your final exams three years in a row? If it weren't for your father's connections, you'd have been kicked out ages ago."

Zhao Chen, now calm and composed, turned to Zhang Haoran. His voice was steady, but his words were sharp: "So what if you have connections? Facts are facts. Without your father's influence, you'd be nothing but a dropout."

"You..." Zhang Haoran's face burned with anger and embarrassment. Zhao Chen had hit his sore spot—his poor academic record.

But Zhang Haoran quickly regained his composure and smirked. "So what? My father even arranged a T2 starship for me next semester. I bet you'll only be able to scrape together a T1 model for the upcoming combat exercises. Your T1 will just be target practice for me, hahaha!"

Suddenly, a system notification appeared in Zhao Chen's mind:

[Random Task Triggered]: Challenge Zhang Haoran to a starship duel and defeat him. Do you wish to accept?

Zhao Chen's heart skipped a beat. A duel? Right now? The task seemed challenging, but compared to the daunting quarterly tasks he'd faced before, this one felt manageable.

And the rewards were tempting—a task point and 300 system points. Task points were crucial for unlocking items in the system store, and Zhao Chen desperately needed one.

"Go back to your remote interstellar territory and stop embarrassing yourself," Zhang Haoran continued smugly.

Zhao Chen's lips curved into a faint smile. He raised his head and met Zhang Haoran's gaze for the first time, his eyes filled with calm provocation.

"Who's humiliating themselves? That's still up for debate."

[Task Accepted.]

The notification confirmed Zhao Chen's decision.

"You don't even own a starship!" Zhang Haoran barked. "What makes you think you can even challenge me?"

"There's still a month before the semester ends. Let's schedule the duel then," Zhao Chen said coolly. "If I lose, I'll voluntarily drop out. But if you lose..."

"I'll drop out!" Zhang Haoran interrupted, grinning confidently.

Li Wei stood abruptly, placing himself between Zhang Haoran and Zhao Chen. "Zhang Haoran, if you're so confident, why don't you duel me instead?"

Zhang Haoran smirked but didn't rise to the bait. "This is between Zhao Chen and me. Everyone here saw him issue the challenge."

"Li Wei, let me handle this," Zhao Chen said, placing a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder.

"But—"

"If you trust me as a friend, believe in me." Zhao Chen's tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.

Li Wei hesitated but eventually backed down, glaring at Zhang Haoran as he did.

A holographic projection appeared between Zhao Chen and Zhang Haoran.

[Zhao Chen has challenged Zhang Haoran to a starship duel. The date is to be confirmed within one month. Do you accept?]

By now, their argument had drawn a crowd. Starship duels were rare at the North Star Military Academy, given their potential for real damage and even casualties.

Zhang Haoran scoffed and tapped his ID card against the projection. "I'll make you regret this decision."

The duel was officially registered in the academy's database.

"Li Wei, have you finished eating?" Zhao Chen asked, brushing off the tension as if nothing had happened.

"Huh? Oh... yeah," Li Wei mumbled, still shaken.

As Zhao Chen and Li Wei left the cafeteria, Zhang Haoran watched them go, a sneer on his lips.

"A guy without a starship thinks he can challenge me? I'll make sure he regrets it."

Jiang Shasha remained silent, her gaze fixed on Zhao Chen's retreating figure. Something about him felt unfamiliar—distant and unyielding.

For the first time, she realized Zhao Chen hadn't looked at her directly, not even once.