Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 294 Tools of Mathematics

Xuan Chong sent his observations and conjectures about "Ouke" to his superiors in the military; the content should have been sent to the Ministry of War, but it was intercepted by the emperor.

In his study, the emperor put on his "intelligent analysis goggles." Although Liu Haoxing's letter was poorly written and somewhat verbose, the emperor still read it carefully, word by word, four times.

As he put down the letter, he frowned and said, "How can such news be reported so openly and blatantly? That's insensible."

Xuan Chong's account of the frontier Ouke has some merit, but it inadvertently violates a taboo in the imperial court.

Meanwhile, in the capital, the learned scholars were still speculating about the diet and culture of these alien beasts based on their striking appearances.

The two parties, the "benevolent way" and the "hegemonic way," started arguing about this matter.

The "Royal Way" faction believes that these alien orcs are simple-minded and are just interstellar nomadic barbarians.

The Han-style benevolent rulers confidently believed that, given the current pace of technological development, they would be able to land on space and embark on a new journey in a few decades. At that time, these barbarians would still be of use.

The kings said: This alien species from the stars will be useful in the future. If we control them, they can serve as our vanguard.

It's worth mentioning that in this era of rapid technological advancement, various industries in China already have futuristic science fiction concepts. However, in those futuristic comics, spaceships entering outer space are still depicted as being in a riveted state, even complete with neatly arranged chimneys. The rough art style of the Orks attacking now perfectly matches the mainstream viewers' imagination of the future of interstellar space.

Those who advocate the "benevolent way" are optimistic about current technology, believing that they are only one step away from the interstellar era.

As for the "domineering" faction, they believe this is a good opportunity to "control" other disobedient forces in the world. They think that they can just drive these alien species to the West and then use the fame and fortune of resisting foreign aggression to "control" the many forces in the West.

The two factions were arguing fiercely, and if Liu Haoxing's remarks were reported to the higher authorities at this time, they would inevitably be used by those with ulterior motives.

It must be said that among the Three Dukes of the court, the Minister of Works and the Minister of Agriculture had the impression that Liu Haoxing was "capable of handling affairs and stabilized the situation in half a month."

However, Sima's side was a bit sarcastic.

If Xuan Chong can resolve the situation in the north now and achieve great success, he can solidify the good impression of this "promising young man" among the officials, and his promotion will be a sure thing.

In the eyes of seasoned officials, Xuan Chong, as a "pillar of the overall situation," should not, and cannot, be involved in the power struggles within the court. If the "pillar of the overall situation" is exposed as vulnerable and can be manipulated, then many unscrupulous individuals will use this to blackmail others.

Emperor: If this letter were to actually reach the cabinet, how would those Grand Secretaries who had been humiliated think?
He mimicked the tone of these high-ranking scholars: "You little brat, spouting nonsense." —Narrator: Similar to finding fault with someone's writing online when you can't win an argument.

The accompanying eunuch said, "Your Majesty, Liu Xuanchong meant well. In addition, he has rendered meritorious service on the front lines, so it is really inappropriate to demote him."

The Emperor said, "Did I say I wanted to demote him? I just wanted him to learn more."

He then raised his hand and said, "This report will be criticized, but its contents are all gems. It says that this beast can listen to all the trades and professions of humankind and then imitate them. Moreover, it can even identify the leaders of each trade!"

At this point, Liu Lu's expression became very serious, because if what Xuan Chong said was true, the Orcs could see where the "legitimate" groups among humans were, and those who had mastered "legitimate" professions in the present Han Dynasty were strictly protected.

The Emperor said, "Summon several Grand Secretaries from the Cabinet to the Shangyuan for a meeting, and tell them that they are not allowed to bring any unauthorized personnel."

…The decline in political acumen stems from the urgency of the situation…

Returning to the front lines, after the battle in northern Kunlun, Xuan Chong headed to the Yibohai region.

The space beastmen possess the ability to "observe the sociality of the invaded targets and imitate it."

Currently, Xuan Chong is the "social" center responsible for coordinating the large army. Xuan Chong doesn't want the war to spread to the core of the Western Regions! — Speaking of which, before the ruffians in Water Margin fight each other, they all tacitly take off their clothes to prevent them from getting torn, because clothes are expensive.

Xuan Chong doesn't want the bottles and jars of the Western Regions to be smashed to pieces. West of Yibo Sea, on the Yili Plain, there are seven million Han people who cultivate the land and live in peace and contentment.

Xuan Chong had no concerns about "contradicting the will of Heaven and man," but he knew that if foreign invaders were allowed to cross the border and the rear was damaged when the country was so powerful, it would be the greatest disgrace for "guardians of the frontier."

Xuan Chong was certain that by running to the front lines, he could draw the beasts' full attention away from the "center." So he simply went to the front lines and fought the beastmen.

As Xuan Chong fully absorbed the orc leader's "force field," the "waaagh!" he heard grew louder and louder, just like a cat in heat.

Xuan Chong: They're here! They're here to fight!

The perspective shifts to another squad, where Liu Yi has assembled a combat rescue force to head to the Gaotianling area (to rescue the 87th Division).

The gray-white armored troops of Gaochang City are boarding airships. Compared to the elite forces here in Xuanchong, whose "Black Guards" nano-armor is often two and a half meters tall and can easily leap over waterfalls and ravines a few meters high.

This white armored unit, consisting of only powered exoskeletons, titanium alloy armor plates, and helmets, appears somewhat cheap.

After all, Jianye is the wealthiest place in the world, and during the strict defense of Yandu, the number of Lin Group combat personnel was strictly controlled, and everything was top-notch.

This Tiger Group's directly subordinate force is responsible for the Western Regions, projecting outwards, and has a relatively large number of personnel. Furthermore, the Kansai Group is the poorest of the four major economic zones, and to this day, the Western Regions corps still maintains a large number of cavalry units. Therefore, when planning the future equipment for the Tiger Group's directly subordinate corps, it is necessary to simplify the process as much as possible.

Of course, the Tiger Group's direct combat force, no matter how cheap its equipment was compared to other groups, was still mechanized infantry. Codenamed the Taigeng Brigade, their weapons were automatic firearms, and their combat power far exceeded that of this era.

Beside the mechanized infantry are two types of unmanned machines: mechanical dogs and mechanical spiders.

The difference is that the mechanical dog carries a grenade launcher and walks on roads that people can walk on; while the mechanical spider can climb walls and infiltrate places where there are no roads.

However, just as the troops were preparing to board the transport airship, Liu Yi received a telegram from the rear. He frowned, and the airship's takeoff was temporarily halted.

Ma Feiyan blinked for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully.

Liu Yi glanced at her, clearly annoyed at being spied on.

The reason she was flashing in place was because she activated "time freeze," allowing her to see the contents of Liu Yi's screen in an instant.

Space reigns supreme, time is paramount; those who possess time-manipulation abilities disdain asking others. Liu Yi is now gradually understanding why the powerful figures within the Han Dynasty dislike this Heavenly Rank member of the Tiger Group.

Liu Yi frowned; the photon barrier she had just set up had been breached, but with a formidable enemy at hand, she was unwilling to retaliate.

Even if he's unhappy, there's nothing he can do; this woman is often just that assertive.

Liu Yi: "The battle plan has been reset. Don't try to get the main force (the three divisions of Xuan Chong and others) to cooperate anymore." His finger circled around the front of the Han army's regular troops, intending to launch a surprise attack on the rear nodes of Ork.

This is a message from the Emperor. According to Xuan Chong's theory, "the more humans cooperate, the faster the Orks will imitate and improve," but if they "ignore everything and charge in alone," it will be right in the Orks' blind spot.

Ma Feiyan: It doesn't matter. (Time advantage can disrupt any teamwork.)
Liu Yi nodded, then seemed to remember something: "Yes, Master, these 3rd Division are the elite troops of the Imperial Army's western garrison. Please do not let them be sacrificed."

Ma Feiyan glanced at it and said, "I will try my best to protect the brave men who shed blood for the country." Behind this statement was Ma Feiyan's past "disobedience."

It is said that the Western Regions were also Han territory, yet a force of five thousand men, known as the "Tai Geng Brigade," emerged there, which was not recruited or funded by the imperial court. This was quite unusual.

The current top brass seems to have "an elephant in the house," turning a blind eye to certain actions of the Tiger Group and the Kansai Group behind it.

…The grand stage of the Western Regions…

In mid-December, the orcs intensified their attacks once again. After a period of silence of seven or eight days, they seemed to have regained their confidence.

That day, Xuan Chong heard a deafening "waaagh!" sound. Xuan Chong, who was still in bed, immediately sprang up, donned his nano-armor, and rushed to the command center.

After the 2.5-meter-long nanomuscle armor enveloped him like a liquid python, it originally required half an hour of basic adjustments to ensure that the probes inserted into the acupoints were synchronized with the muscle's internal energy. Xuan Chong, however, took immediate action, actively controlling his muscles to synchronize with the nanomechanical muscles.

It's worth mentioning that if others don't perform this step, the movements of the nanomuscles will differ from those of the wearer. During strenuous exercise, the nanomuscles will move out of sync with the human body, and the wearer's internal energy, acting as an information transmission medium, will vibrate due to this misalignment. This vibration will give the wearer a "cramping" or "spasmodic" sensation.

Many members of the team found the process of disassembling and maintaining the nanosuits and then putting them back on extremely troublesome.

This set of nano armor is just like the armored cavalry of Li Han hundreds of years ago. The armored cavalry requires special people to help them get on and off the horse, and it takes half an hour.

This advanced armored equipment requires five hours to test and put on.

These past few days, Xuan Chong has been thinking that this "start-up" process is too slow.

So Xuan Chong began practicing the standard movements: standing like a pine tree, walking like the wind, and sitting like a bell. When all his movements were as precise as a "machine," his muscle and skeletal data, although in motion, were also stable, allowing them to immediately synchronize with the recorded nano-armor.

Xuan Chong's experiment reduced the "synchronous frequency" of those entering the nano-armor from five hours to within ten minutes, allowing them to walk, run, and exercise.

Even after removing his armor, his movements remained perfectly in the standard of a soldier, with every action representing discipline.

Xuan Chong's actions inspired Lu Changfeng and others to follow suit, which also greatly reduced the time it took for them to wear the armor.

This group has more practical skills and experience than the novices in Jianye.

…a strange excitement…

Back to the present, Xuan Chong quickly arrived at the command post. The officers who were smoking hurriedly stubbed out their cigarettes and turned on the exhaust fan. The adjutant clasped his hands in a salute to Xuan Chong and asked, "General, you're here so early today."

Xuan Chong blurted out, "I think there's going to be a big 'waaagh!' today!", but then realized it was wrong and quickly corrected himself, "The beasts are going to come at us today."

The soldiers' expressions were stiff, but Xuan Chong said: Don't be nervous.

Xuan Chong has been a little too excited these past few days. It's the first time he's had such a brilliant "computation problem" to solve.

Calculate the distance to each road on the battlefield and determine the most effective way to project ammunition.

This excitement is like the passion I had when I first started playing a new real-time strategy game in my past life, eagerly exploring the efficiency of "firepower" and the enthusiasm to find alternative ways to beat the game.

Perhaps "fighting spirit" would be a more appropriate description, but Xuan Chong's own logic rejects such a childish term.

Xuan Chong tried to correct his abnormal mindset: "War means death, we have to be serious."

Despite repeatedly emphasizing it to himself, he couldn't suppress the inexplicable excitement. Xuan Chong himself did a self-diagnosis and found that he didn't have hyperthyroidism, just a slightly higher metabolic rate.

Regardless of all that, Xuan Chong looked up and saw a ruler-shaped line extending to the sky twenty kilometers behind him.

Xuan Chong frowned and whispered, "Friendly forces are here."

Xuan Chong could not only hear the beasts' huge, "organized" waaagh before the battle, but he could also gradually sense the "organized" movements of his own side under high mobilization, although it was very faint and he had to be very patient to hear it.

Let's assume this "organized" sound is the sound of quantum messages being transmitted between different brains during cooperation between intelligent life forms like humans. (Xuan Chong: I don't understand it either, but when in doubt, I use the quantum effect.)
…Spacetime and Measurement…

Ma Feiyan, who was seeking an opportunity on the stealth airship in the distance, suddenly took two steps back and stared at that direction with a very peculiar expression.

In Liu Yi's eyes, this was already the first time. She remembered that at first she was surprised, then she was curious, and now she looked fierce, like a little girl whose braid had been touched.

Liu Yi was very curious about what had happened, but Ma Feiyan wouldn't ask. A time-manipulation user didn't need to speak at all; they could simply assume the future to find out—that is, travel to the future one second later to ask, receive an answer three seconds later, and return to the present with the known answer.

But Liu Yi had a general feeling that it was related to Liu Haoxing!
This is a distance of twenty kilometers! Liu Yi was very curious as to why Liu Haoxing could provoke Ma Feiyan, the "strongest ability user" in Hanzhong, from such a distance.

The title of "strongest ability" is not an exaggeration. There are at least seven or eight Dragon Power users in Hanzhong whose abilities can interfere with Ma Feiyan's spacetime abilities to varying degrees. But in terms of countering her, there are basically none.

Dragon Power possesses a very special ability to withstand two moves under the influence of "time manipulation".

Liu Yi couldn't help but start to think: Liu Haoxing's abilities seemed to be more than they appeared.

Indeed, when Xuan Chong's ruler drew lines that extended outwards, Ma Feiyan had just arrived at this position in "Future Journey".

Ma Feiyan "suspended above Xuan Chong four hours later" by unfolding a "future" timeline, but just happened to encounter Xuan Chong's current "torque radar network" in that time and space.

Xuan Chong's lines seemed to "bleed through the paper," transcending time and space. As a result, Ma Feiyan, who had just been walking in the future, was frozen in a state of "not being able to move an inch." Only after Xuan Chong finished "measuring" did Ma Feiyan return to the timeline. However, she had just been punished by being made to stand in the "future."

This led to Ma Feiyan, who had always been "free and disdainful" of her surroundings, suddenly encountering "annoying" constraints. Or perhaps it was the "present" embracing the "past and future".

Over the next few minutes, Ma Feiyan avoided Xuan Chong's torque network lines when observing the battlefield.

The key issue is that even now, when she tries to avoid him, Xuan Chong keeps glancing at Ma Feiyan, drawing a line between her eyes, and poking her. Yes, that's pretty much the description; it's like a mischievous child poking a tiger with a stick while it's lying down. It's simply—"incredibly annoying."

…special stationery…

Why could Xuan Chong see Ma Feiyan? At this moment, a "digital watch" appeared in Xuan Chong's hand. That's right, it was the same watch he wore as a junior high school student before the math exam.

After the electronic watch flashes, Xuan Chong can see "color difference fluctuations" in spacetime. Each "color difference fluctuation" is "one second". However, in some places, "one second" is faster, that is, the color difference fluctuation jumps faster, as if time has been stolen.

Mathematics! That is, calculation and measurement.

(End of this chapter)