“In summary, in future wars, spiritual energy user squads reorganized in this manner will undoubtedly exhibit stronger combat power and versatility.”
Yu Lian used his phone to convert the recorded audio into text, completing a several-tens-of-thousands-word-long thesis.
He quickly scanned it, feeling that he needed to change some Imperial-style translations into Earth terminology and make some informal spoken language more “academic.”
Additionally, since the main framework was complete, he could now fill it with… ah, no, fill it with arguments.
Some of Jiafeier’s original arguments were particularly Imperial and aristocratic, and some were based on events that would happen years later, so they naturally couldn’t be used.
However, with the long history of Galactic civilization, wasn’t it easy to find suitable arguments?
Don’t think there’s anything wrong with establishing a conclusion first and then finding arguments.
In this day and age, if you don't know how to play this game, let alone be in academia, you can't even be a keyboard warrior.
In short, the thesis was basically formed; with some revision, polishing, and… well, well-reasoned and well-supported filling, it would become a magnificent magnum opus.
Five years later, Countess Jiafeier’s article would receive attention from various countries in the universe.
The Empire even directly began experimenting with new spiritual energy user tactical groupings based on her theory, finding that combat power had indeed significantly increased.
Countess Jiafeier’s path to fame as the “Crimson Valkyrie” began there.
Of course, Yu Lian didn’t think he could achieve fame with a single article like the Countess.
After all, she was Queen Su’s confidante and best friend, a young lady from a prestigious family, a genius in spiritual energy and martial arts, and a favored child of heaven; he, on the other hand, was just an “ordinary” military academy student.
An article of the same quality, written by an unknown versus a celebrity, would naturally have vastly different traffic and reputation.
But even so, this was still an article with substance, argumentation, logic, feasibility, and even a touch of literary flair, making it perfectly suitable as his graduation thesis.
Moreover, he had just participated in combat as a spiritual energy attacker, so presenting such a thesis was naturally reasonable and legitimate.
In short, any examiner who knew their stuff and hadn’t had their brain trampled by an Aether Dragon should give it an A or higher.
This way, he might actually get a tiger amulet.
If the spiritual energy user unit currently being formed by the Commonwealth could be reorganized according to his thesis, it might somewhat strengthen Earth’s combat power.
Of course, Yu Lian still believed that the outcome of war was determined by more firepower, more Titans, and more Colossus, but he wouldn't speak recklessly about such matters.
Therefore, he wasn't at all worried that his thesis would be leaked; let everyone continue to deepen their research on the skewed tech tree.
Having made up his mind, he prepared to return to his dorm for a long sleep.
He truly missed the idiotic guys in his dorm after not seeing them for so long.
However, just as he stood up, he saw seven or eight young people in school uniforms pouring out of the building opposite, carrying sticks, rods, and swords—of course, they were unsharpened practice weapons.
“Yu, you’re going too far! We have so many people, and you dare to come knocking on our door?”
“You, you mere gigolo, I, I’m not afraid of you!”
“Beat him! Beat him!”
What was going on here?
Yu Lian looked at these outwardly fierce but inwardly cowardly guys in confusion, observing them for nearly half a minute before finally piecing together their appearances from a certain gyrus in his cerebral cortex.
It seemed, well, vaguely, perhaps, they were some peripheral members of the Blueblood Brotherhood.
In plain terms, they were the third-rate among the rich kids?
That was all he knew.
As for the rest, including their names, ages, and departments, he knew nothing.
This was understandable; the original owner had always disdained the so-called “Blueblood Brotherhood,” and even had no particularly positive impression of their leading figures.
Even during the Pulan investigation, when they forcefully suppressed the Brotherhood and provided Yu Lian with some convenience, all they got in return was a comment like “they still have a conscience.”
After all, Yu Lian, without his future memories, had no idea what historical standing these school bullies, the legendary 830, would have in the future.
Yu Lian glanced at the group, confirmed that none of them were familiar to him, and thus felt no need to be polite.
He said impatiently, “What’s wrong with you guys acting crazy in the middle of the night? What if you disturb other students’ rest?”
“You, you mustn’t push your luck! I, I’m telling you, our discussion here is just a normal gathering, definitely not because we knew you were back and are planning how to retaliate against you!” someone shouted loudly.
Yu Lian looked at the other party with a gaze of pity, similar to how one would look at a disabled person, truly unable to comprehend how this guy got into college, and Central Defense University at that.
It couldn’t be through donations, could it? He’d never heard of military academies accepting donations.
Indeed, not just Yu Lian, but even his companions took a few steps away from him with expressions of bewilderment.
Actually, Yu Lian truly wronged him.
When he was collecting evidence, someone interfered, and he naturally retaliated.
Sometimes, the methods of collecting evidence were not exactly harmonious.
And the person in front of him was one of the unlucky ones who had developed a slight PTSD from his somewhat “overzealous” information gathering methods back then.
However, there were several such unlucky people, and student Yu Lian treated them as tools, discarding them from his mind after use, to the extent that even Ranger Yu Lian couldn't recall them.
In short, pitiful people with PTSD can do all sorts of pitiful things, and we should show sympathy.
Although he couldn’t recall, Yu Lian found this kid quite interesting, so he quietly turned on the recording function of his personal terminal again, looked directly into the other’s eyes, and said, “So, if you’re not planning to retaliate against me, who are you planning to retaliate against?”
“No, no, no, we wanted to discuss retaliating against you, but it’s not time yet; we still need to retaliate against the student council girls first,” he said in a very honest tone.
“Oh, really? Go on,” Yu Lian said.
Everyone nearby was dumbfounded, indicating that they had known this guy for so long, and he had never been this honest!
However, the person continued, “Don’t the student council girls have a dedicated changing room? We plan to throw a smoke bomb in when they go to change, and then take pictures when they run out in disarray! Maybe we can even threaten them to do this and that, hehehehe, they’re all beauties, hehehehe…”
Yu Lian began to clench his fists with a cracking sound, but the other party continued, “Also, we’re still investigating, yes, investigating the whereabouts of that rotten-ass kid, we must…”
His companions finally reacted and quickly rushed to cover his mouth.
But before that, he displayed an initiative and courage that left his cronies dumbfounded, letting out a wild boar-like howl and charging at Yu Lian with a collapsible baton.
Perhaps the average IQ of this group of Brotherhood peripherals was similar to that of migratory birds, all exhibiting a herd mentality; or perhaps it was simply loyalty, not wanting to let their friend go to his death alone; in any case, a few indeed followed suit and charged forward.
The others, who had some brains, felt that something was terribly wrong, but it was already too late.
The peripheral who spoke so honestly and with such courage, let's call him Peripheral A from now on, had already taken a swift stride, with the most decisive and agile movements of his life, rushing in front of Yu Lian.
Just as he raised his collapsible baton above his head, it was twisted and parried away, and he immediately received a direct jab to the stomach.
Immediately after, Yu Lian stood up and swung his hand, causing the face of the second peripheral to “conveniently” collide with the baton, splattering white and red everywhere.
Then he delivered a kick that sent him flying backward, followed by a sidestep to evade the collapsible batons and resin knives simultaneously brought down by two people, striking their chests with his shoulder.
All of this happened in a matter of seconds.
Yu Lian neither used spiritual energy nor went all out, perfectly managing to injure without killing; even the guy whose face was splattered with red and white would be fine after a few hours in a culture dish.
But this scene, for these ordinary rich kids, was truly terrifying; four people were on the ground in a few exchanges, while their side hadn't even touched a single hair on Yu Lian.
“Yu, Yu Lian, it’s all a misunderstanding! This guy is talking nonsense!”
“We really were just having a gathering!”
“Yes! Sorry, truly sorry for disturbing you, we’ll move, we’ll move…”
They smiled ingratiatingly while retreating step by step, but Yu Lian wasn't about to let them off so easily.
He casually snatched an unsharpened practice sword and looked at Peripheral A, who had just been affected by his “mind control.”
This guy was currently curled up on the ground, clutching his stomach, looking exactly like a nearly scalded shrimp.
Yu Lian kicked him in the butt, forcing him into a very convenient angle for attack, and then, raising the reinforced resin sword, thrust it into the middle.
Then, ignoring the other party’s screams, he swung the collapsible baton, preparing to pursue.
However, just as Yu Lian moved a few steps, a figure darted out from the opposite side, leaping to position himself in front of him.
The opponent extended an arm, parrying and deflecting, actually using the hardest part of his elbow to strike away the sword tip, then his right hand, changing from a fist to a palm, rushed towards Yu Lian’s face with a “whoosh.”
“Shattered Crystal Fist… tsk.”
Yu Lian guessed that the newcomer must be that person; if he didn't use spiritual energy, he probably wouldn't be able to block this strike.
He immediately performed a tactical lean back and a jump, avoiding the opponent's punch.
A hint of joy flashed in the attacker’s heart, and he wanted to follow up with a fierce lunge, which was one of the fighting styles his Shattered Crystal Fist excelled at.
But just as he adopted a posture for a fierce lunge, he saw Yu Lian had already raised his sword, pointing it straight ahead.
If he truly tried to lunge and attack fiercely, his throat would be struck first, so he could only forcefully twist his charging posture back, which made his whole body ache and grimace.
“Yo… Brother Deng.” Yu Lian greeted him with a forced smile.
“When did you gain such skill?” Deng Zhengqing, also a fourth-year student from the Ship Command and Management Department of Central Defense University, and a member of the future 830 Party, stood in place, frowning and greatly puzzled.
“Oh, it seems your information is quite outdated. Where’s Horatio Wien? He hasn’t died in some wine barrel, has he?” Yu Lian sneered.
“Don’t worry, pretty boy, he’s been hoping you’d one day dissolve into powder from all that makeup, and then he’d tap dance at your funeral!” As this voice rang out, several figures approached from a distance.
In the center, surrounded, was a burly, handsome, and resolute young white man with a head of fiery red hair; he was the one who had just spoken.
“Ha, Wien!” Yu Lian greeted.
“Hmph, Yu Lian!” The other party nodded in response.
His name was Horatio Wien, 22 years old, born into a prominent military and political family.
He was also a student in the 830 Party’s Strategic Research Department, “Yu Lian’s sworn enemy,” and the current president of the “Blueblood Brotherhood”—in short, the school bully boss of Central Defense University.
Of course, he had another identity: the leader of the famous 830 Party in later generations, and one of the most legendary heroes of the Commonwealth and Earth people in the future.
However, for now, he was just an ordinary school bully boss.
“I have a nickname now: ‘Yu, the Future Hero Slayer, Lian’!” Yu Lian thought.