17 Provocation.
Shi Lang walked forward to check up on what the fuss was about. He heard an arrogant tone, “Say, nerd club, what is the name of this ugly thing?”
None of the technology class students spoke, the arrogant boy was a lack from Jenkins club. Shi Lang sighed and said, “So, Jenkins, sent one more of his rabid pups to be treated.”
His words and tone were no less arrogant than the person who spoke earlier. Yet the shock they brought to the people of his own class was even bigger. They have never seen Shi Lang like this. The aura he radiated was domineering and suffocating. The guy looked at Shi Lang with a gritted jaw and said, “What did you say again?”
Shi Lang walked through the crowd and stood in front of the boy. He said, “I said, Jenkins, sent one more of his rabid pups to be treated.”
He spoke one word at a time at a calm pace. The person raised his hand and wanted to punch Shi Lang when the latter said, “If you wish to be disabled before the exam, come on.”
The person on the opposite side was aware of what Shi Lang was capable of. He just said, “I want to see for how long can you hold on to that smirk. Trash.”
Shi Lang replied noncommittally, “Long enough for you to despair.”
The person wished he could attack Shi Lang but they were now in the open. Shi lang said, “You better go back to your dog house and lick Jenkins’s feet. We have to prepare.”
With that said, Shi Lang raised his hand and slightly pushed the boy away. Tyson was watching all this happening from the side of the Mech Bay entrance. He had no intention to intervene, at least not until they started to get physical. The technological class students passed the exams this time and they were now being watched by the whole school.
They were now precious stones waiting to be carved into treasures. Shi Lang was the crown jewel. This fact was well known to the old soul inside the boy. He was sure of one thing, humans may have changed their ways and names a bit but they were still the same human at the core of it. They will protect their interests at any cost.
Shi Lang had interested them in himself. Till he was not doing anything excessive they will be protecting him. The technology class began to do the final check on the Mech before the invigilator. The Battle Class did not have any such thing to do, there were technicians.
Jane asked Shi Lang in a low voice, “Boy, what were you thinking by provoking these guys?”
Shi Lang showed her his trademark smile and said, “What happens when you lose your calm?”
Jane rolled her eyes and said, “You get angry?”
Shi Lang shook his head and said, “You think too shallow, anger is the enemy of your wisdom. If you face an enemy with your mind clouded with anger, you will be defeated, and thoroughly at that. I wish for them to have a clouded mindset. Their strength will be for naught if they came to the group battles like that.”
Jane was surprised by this logic of his. She did not think that the classmate she has been with three years, could be so scheming. She spat, “Sneaky thing you are, Lang.”
Shi Lang just winked at her and they finished the checks. Soon the invigilators came over wearing Blue formal coats. They all had one badge on the lapel of their blazers. The badge was made in the shape of a mech.
After they checked the Mechs from the school. They came to check the mech made by the technological class. The design made them both have a complicated look. One of the men had a hooked nose and grey hair. He asked Shi Lang, “What is the logic of such a design?”
His voice was filled with contempt. This was a design that went against the trend. He could not find it in himself to appreciate it.
Shi Lang replied, “Sir, what is the purpose of a Mech?”
The man replied, “To enhance the destructive capability of a soldier when facing the enemy.”
Shi Lang nodded and said, “My mech can do that. That is the reason and logic behind this design.”
The man raised his eyebrow. He did not expect to be shot down by a teenager. However, this did not prove anything. He will never acknowledge this odd design. Tyson was aware of the mindset this person had and he did not want them to escalate the situation. So he stepped forward and said, “Eckhart, finish with the inspection. The time is short.”
The man nodded reluctantly and began to perform checks on the mechs with his partner. Contrary to him, the partner was a younger man, and he was very eager to watch Shi Lang perform. After five minutes they performed all the checks and Eckhart nodded to Tyson. He turned his head to gaze at Shi Lang and then he left the mech bay.
Shi Lang watched his leaving back and said, “Lucas, go check it once more. Throughout. Tally each and every part of the mech with our initial built list, use the blueprint to go through the check.”
He was wary of Eckhart, the gaze he received when the invigilator left, he did not know why but gave him a bad premonition. Lucas and Tim wanted to ask more but watched his paranoid expression. They still performed the check on the Mech.
…
Tyson looked at his clock and said, “Okay, all pilots suit up. You will be later piloting the mechs. Go.”
Shi Lang was also asked to suit up in his pilot uniform. The suits of a mech pilot were very costly, so he could not buy one, but the school still gave him a standard one, the black, and white matched with the Mech.
He went to the dressing room only after the battle class was done with the changing. The technological class in the meantime. Finished working with the mech and waited for his return.