Chapter 379: Two-Pronged Approach

Aofei smiled and made a gesture of invitation. Li Hao went in happily; after all, the place had already been chosen, and there was no frustration that couldn't be resolved by a good meal.

After ordering, Aofei drank slowly, "Second Brother, why have we fallen so far behind?"

"Ah, why would you think that?" Li Hao smiled.

"I know it's hard to beat the Fire God, but to be shut out completely is still hard to accept." Aofei was still very relaxed in front of Li Hao, but she felt unconvinced and uncomfortable, unable to eat at all. In fact, experts are also human; they aren't as confident as they appear on the surface.

Li Hao's mouth was stuffed full. Damn, this is authentic! This truffle crispy chicken, what is it? The skin is golden, crispy, and fragrant, while the inside is delicate, tender, and smooth. The aroma of the truffle has completely permeated the chicken meat—it's incredibly delicious. He took a sip of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, sweet with a hint of astringency, cutting the grease and enhancing the flavor. It was a heavenly experience. He took a deep breath, "A person who won the S8 championship can still keep a low profile and prepare for two years. Do you think he is better prepared, or are you?"

Aofei fell silent. She was unconvinced because her fame had been great for these years, which made her unwilling to accept it. But thinking about it carefully, what had Basta done in these two years? After winning the championship, he rarely accepted interviews and even let Romero and Duanwu constantly appear in the spotlight, stealing his thunder. If it weren't for having a more ambitious goal, given the personality of a Martian, how hard would it be to achieve this step?

Everyone kills their own impulsive self to gain power.

"Second Brother, although your comforting skills are truly poor, it seems to have had an effect." Aofei slowly let out a sigh of relief. She had to admit that Basta was more ruthless and decisive. Compared to the Wolf King, their daily lives were too comfortable. Watching Li Hao gorge himself, she actually felt a bit hungry, but...

Li Hao finished a large glass of pomegranate juice in one gulp and raised the glass solemnly: "Waiter, refill."

The sweet-looking waiter almost doubted if she had heard correctly. Aofei couldn't help but laugh, finally breaking her composure and letting out a series of pleasant laughs, "He's joking. Bring another pitcher, and another serving of this truffle crispy chicken, and a serving of foie gras sauce as well."

"Is Sea Dragon strong now?" Aofei's mood relaxed. She was not a hesitant person; once she knew the gap, she stopped struggling with it.

"Strong, you know Xilian's personality." Li Hao wiped his hands and set his sights on the slow-cooked beef ribs. The juices burst upon the first bite; it was fragrant but not greasy. The key was that the beef was also very tender. Damn, these corrupt Moon People.

"If I had known this would be the result, I might as well have joined Tianjing Mech!" Aofei suddenly said with a hint of resentment.

Li Hao chuckled, "Then it's over. The Round Table Knights and Tianjing Mech would likely never have anything to do with each other. Your principal could find the old dragon for a real-life PK. Haha, the S Tournament is just an experience. Whether it's fulfilling or not, it's just a part of life. Look toward the money."

"Don't be so old-fashioned. We're about the same age; what's all this about? Anyway, we aren't going back for now. We'll be the sparring partners for Tianjing Mech later and properly curry favor with this year's champion!" Aofei laughed, looking at Li Hao with burning eyes.

"Cough, cough, why do you always drag me into your bragging?" Li Hao quickly looked around, fortunately, no one was there, "Participation is what matters."

"How are you planning to fight Eternal? Fan Liweite is definitely holding back his anger. His mind is meticulous; he was very difficult to deal with back then, and in these few years, he has gone to great lengths to recruit soldiers and horses, carving up the Shadow Scouts, otherwise he wouldn't have won the championship." Aofei didn't believe Li Hao's nonsense at all.

Li Hao gnawed on another chicken leg, turned it around in his mouth, and only the bone was left, "He hasn't won against... *slurp*, *gulp*..."

"You can't let your guard down!" Aofei said.

This isn't just a win or loss. The outcome of Tianjing Mech is actually crucial. If the USE cannot produce good results, it will be a major blow to the overall morale and may even cause a large number of the new generation to study abroad in the NUP or ROM, leading to a massive brain drain. In fact, this has already become apparent in the last two years.

Li Hao smiled and licked his lips, "How about we pack a portion? I can only work hard after I'm full."

For the sake of the meal, Li Hao accepted Aofei's kindness. Tianjing Mech still really needed Aofei, especially Zhou Naiyi. The two had similar styles; Zhou Naiyi had actually been imitating Aofei and was greatly influenced by her. At this critical moment, if Aofei could provide help, it would definitely be a blessing for Zhou Naiyi.

Aofei watched Li Hao leave. After a long while, she smiled to herself and turned back to the base. Somehow, her mood had improved. People all need someone they can trust and rely on.

In fact, the foundation of the Hunters was already very solid back then, but after the internal strife, Aofei and Chao Qinglong grew distant, and the others fought their own battles even more. These few years, they indeed lacked a certain spirit and a leader, which to a certain extent affected everyone's room for advancement. By comparison, although the Moon lost Xilian, it liberated Maxis and Fan Liweite, and the New Big Dipper was also very harmonious. As for Mars, the Three Wolves were all present, and this situation was exactly what Mars wanted to see most, so the Wolf King won the S8 championship directly.

Xilian's strategy was at least half successful. If Nangong Yuhang, Li Hao, and Chao Qinglong had joined forces, what kind of scene would Earth be?

In the evening, everyone was reviewing and training. Today's two matches were full of substance, especially for Zhou Naiyi. She analyzed them in detail, and there were many things worth pondering inside. It's just that she wasn't the person involved; she really wanted to ask, but didn't know how to ask. Her Skycom rang.

"Captain, where are you!" Zhou Naiyi was in the middle of her thoughts when someone bumped into her.

"Class Monitor, why such a temper? Haven't I been running around for our team? I just treated Aofei to a big meal, which cost me a fortune. Look, it's done. Aofei is willing to be our sparring partner. I'll come find you in a while, and you two can have a good exchange." Li Hao said smugly.

"Class Monitor? What's wrong?" Li Hao tapped his Skycom. Damn it, is the signal bad? Why is it lagging? Or is it because I've been blacklisted for too many missed payments? Evil capitalists.

"I... am sorry, I misunderstood you. Don't worry, I will never hold us back!" At this moment, Zhou Naiyi's heart was surging. She had thought Li Hao went on a date, never expecting he was racking his brains to help her. She needed Aofei's help too much right now.

"Ha, haha, Class Monitor, don't take it too seriously, participation is what matters... Uh, there's a Skycom coming in, I have other things to do..."

Li Hao felt a bit guilty. He hoped Aofei wouldn't expose him too much.

It was Kevin's Skycom. Li Hao looked around. As soon as he picked it up, Kevin on the other end said impatiently, "Second Brother, major discovery! We guessed right. Three of the companies secretly controlled by Noah's Ark are related to the development of Kepler, and they even hold shares in Base 5!"

They first came into contact with the organization Noah's Ark through the Bleem Mission, and now the two sides have long since become mortal enemies. Kevin had also been looking for clues. It is impossible for a secret organization to act, especially on such a large scale, without leaving any traces. However, the other side's power was indeed very strong, and their actions had to be quite low-key.

Connecting it to the recent Bleem Mission, the first thing he thought of was whether it had anything to do with Noah's Ark. This organization uses all kinds of forbidden technologies without any scruples. They seem to have no psychological barriers to colluding with Giant Insects; they probably even find it exciting.

He and Kevin acted separately. Kevin was investigating the connection between Noah's Ark and Kepler. Given the situation of Noah's Ark, it was impossible for them not to be interested in K23 and Kepler, and with their capabilities, it was impossible for them not to be able to reach it. This made things interesting.

"Can you get further information?" Li Hao said.

Kevin heard the desire for battle in Li Hao's voice, "Hehe, I'm not good at fighting, but in this regard, no one is better than me. As long as it exists, I will definitely be able to dig it out. Wait for my news. By the way, this kid Zhuang Zhou's sixth sense is really awesome."

As long as they got the list and screened it further, the scope would narrow down.

Li Hao couldn't just wait for a rabbit in a tree on Kepler. He would use a two-pronged approach. He was very curious about what the "courier" would look like, what kind of goods were being delivered, and what kind of goods could cause such serious consequences—just one person.

At 7:00 PM, at the Galaxy Center No. 1 Venue, Tianxing Mech vs. Fire Cloud. At the Galaxy Center No. 2 Venue, Carmela vs. Gruu Team. Facing the chance to advance to the top eight, everyone had to risk their lives.

The Arena was already packed with people. The Tianxing Mech match was the most popular. Arths had already arrived at the scene, and the cheering squad for Tianxing Mech was massive. In terms of ranking, Tianxing Mech was actually behind Fire Cloud. Being fourth in the NUP was no empty reputation; this was second only to the Three Wolves. The cheering at the scene resounded through the sky, completely suppressing the Martians until they had no temper at all.

All the members of Tianxing Mech were also prepared. Whether A Youyou was there or not had nothing to do with Dita, but it had to be admitted that Alzi, Feynman, Jiasen, and the others were full of fighting spirit. To stir up their morale, Dita even specially had A Youyou record an exclusive cheering video to give these guys a boost. As for A Youyou, being a display piece was still quite good.

The captain of Fire Cloud was Guibian, the strongest of the Ghost Martial Sect. The vice captain was Sa Wutian, the young master of the Ghost Martial Sect and one of the hottest Supernovas in Mars this year, as well as the future leader of Fire Cloud Academy. Guibian was a senior, and this was his last year guarding the Fire Cloud team. A championship was unrealistic, but there was still a chance to break into the top eight or even the top four. Guibian also wanted to put a period on his S Tournament.

Fire Cloud was undoubtedly the foundation of the Ghost Martial Sect. Although the captain was Guibian, Sa Wutian's status was essentially higher. It was also time for a changing of the guard. This time was to let Sa Wutian gain experience in the big tournament, and everyone was there to escort him.

Sa Wutian was too excited, incomparably excited. This was the World Championship, this was the stage for all of humanity. This was a completely different experience from showing himself at Fire Cloud Academy or in a single city. Looking at the countless Earthlings, Moon People, and Spacers, he began to understand the desire for conquest in the bones of Martians. These ants were only fit to be trampled under his feet!

Dita was quite sensible. In the pre-match interview, Dita expressed that he wanted to face him, which was implying that he was the trump card and the strongest of Fire Cloud. Originally, the captain should have been him. If it weren't for Guibian's seniority and it being his last year, how could he be qualified to stay above him? Vice Captain... damn it, it sounded terrible.

Carmela and Gruu in the second arena had always been veteran teams. Camelia Interstellar Academy had always lived in the shadow of Galaxy and Eternal. In fact, they were really just a line away. Super Limit Free Style was a very powerful school of the Moon, and the academy's foundation was very deep. The only problem was the upper limit.