Silicon Invasion

"Oh, right, Luo Rui, there's a competition in a few days, remember to participate then." Having eaten his fill, although Luo Rui wasn't very full, the dishes were already finished. He couldn't possibly order two more dishes, so he could only pretend to be full as well.

Niu Wei leaned back in his chair, suddenly remembering something. He straightened up and turned to Luo Rui.

"What competition?"

"Well, it's an intra-school selection competition. You know, our school has quite a few combat teams, so we always have to compete to see who is qualified to represent the school in battle," Tong Yue interjected with a smile.

"Represent the school in battle?"

"That's right. In a few months, there will be an internal exchange meeting between several academies. In reality, it's to showcase their respective teaching achievements. If we can win, not only can we bring glory to the school and receive school rewards, but we can also add an honor to our resume."

"Do I have a chance to participate too?"

"Of course, you're a substitute member of our team. Even if you don't get a chance to play, the sidelines are still an excellent viewing spot." Niu Wei winked. That position was indeed good, a VIP among VIPs.

"Don't listen to his nonsense. You're only a freshman now, learn and watch more. You'll always have a chance to play in the future," Tong Yue gently patted Niu Wei and turned to Luo Rui with a smile.

"That's right, the future belongs to you young people."

Looking at Niu Wei's simple and honest face, which looked ten years older than everyone else, Luo Rui could tolerate him calling himself a young person. However, he only thought about it in his mind and didn't dare to say it out loud.

However, Luo Rui still had a question. He thought for a moment and asked, "Are these honors beneficial for joining the military later?"

"Huh?" Everyone was stunned. Niu Wei scratched his head, "You don't even know this? Oh, I forgot you're still a freshman, and haven't learned the knowledge yet."

Luo Rui felt that Niu Wei really didn't live up to his appearance, always speaking in a sarcastic tone, making him particularly want to beat him up.

But he was indeed puzzled by this question. He knew there must be benefits, but he didn't know the specifics.

Tong Yue was the most patient in the team when it came to answering questions, a veritable understanding older sister: "Well, you'll definitely know this in the future, but since you've already joined the team, it wouldn't hurt to learn about it in advance."

"You should know that in the past, only about 30% of students had grades that met the qualifications for joining the military, and these honors are all bonus points. Secondly, after joining the military, the treatment between students is also very different."

"Mecha are expensive to build, and even though pilots are also difficult to train, at this stage, the number of pilots is still far greater than the number of mecha. So even if you join the army as a mecha pilot graduate, you won't immediately have your own mecha, let alone go on missions."

"According to the process, new recruits must undergo a long period of retraining before they have the opportunity to operate a mecha. And the honors on your resume can shorten this process. If you can win certain major competitions, not only will your military rank be much higher than others when you enter the army, but you can even immediately have your own mecha."

Tong Yue said patiently. The others were silent and didn't interrupt. Everyone was striving for this goal. Luo Rui was both a teammate and a competitor. Fortunately, this overpowered competitor wasn't in the same class as them, so everyone was in a good mood.

"Haha, these are all small matters. Actually, being noticed and joining a combat team already surpasses many people. With this alone, you have a 70% chance of joining the military after graduation. As for owning your own combat mecha, as long as you train step by step, it's only a matter of time. In fact, many combat teams are just muddling along, and only top teams like ours will strive for various honors."

Niu Wei winked at Luo Rui. It was hard for his simple and honest face to make a winking expression, but unfortunately, he didn't get a response from Luo Rui.

However, Niu Wei didn't feel embarrassed. He continued to say to himself, "Various honors can indeed shorten your training time in the military, helping you become a true mecha pilot faster, a mecha pilot who can operate a mecha and go on missions. But these are not the most important things for us."

After Niu Wei finished speaking, he leaned back, crossed his legs, and started shaking his leg rhythmically. He even squinted his eyes as if dozing off, with no intention of continuing.

"Then what's important to us?" Seeing his smug look, Luo Rui had no choice but to cooperate and ask.

"Fourth-generation mecha!" As soon as Luo Rui asked, Niu Wei suddenly straightened up and blurted out four words, startling Luo Rui.

Niu Wei continued, "You must have played the game 'Ace Mecha Pilot'. Many of the mecha in it are based on real mecha data transferred to the internet. So have you ever thought about who uses the fourth-generation mecha in reality when we practice with third-generation mecha all day long?"

Without Niu Wei saying the answer, Luo Rui figured out the meaning. Who uses them? Naturally, the top pilots use them. So how do you distinguish the top pilots?

"Can the school control this?" Luo Rui was a little puzzled.

"How can't they control it? I don't deny that there are those who achieve great things late in life, climbing up step by step from ordinary pilots, but this accounts for too little. Rather than casting a wide net, it's better to distinguish between the three, six, and nine grades from the moment they graduate…"

"What three, six, and nine grades? Don't listen to his nonsense." Tong Yue interrupted Niu Wei before he could finish.

"Hey, the meaning is just that. Let me give you an example. Now there are ten thousand ordinary students and one hundred elite students, those who can skillfully pilot mecha in the simulator and prove that they have extraordinary strength through tests, competitions, and other means. Luo Rui, if you were a high-ranking military officer, would you choose to train ten thousand people and then find pilots suitable for fourth-generation mecha in this vast sea of people, or would you focus on training these one hundred elite students and then find suitable people among them?"

Luo Rui only thought for half a second before he had the answer. Of course, he would train elite students.

Picking the best from ten thousand people versus picking the best from one hundred already elite people. Not to mention anything else, the number of instructors, machines, and various support personnel required, etc., just considering the cost, it's clear which one is the most cost-effective.

And Luo Rui understood Niu Wei's meaning. Passing a combat team's assessment greatly increases the probability of entering the ranks of those "ten thousand people", but to prove that you are one of those "one hundred people", you must have enough achievements and honors.

"Moreover, fourth-generation mecha are not the end point. There are also fifth-generation mecha and exclusive mecha later on, but to get their entry tickets, you can't do without these things in school."