Chapter 94: The Strongest Iron

"Of course you look good." This wasn't Li Hao speaking against his heart; he didn't know Arths, nor was he a fan.

A Youyou giggled, "You're so righteous and confident."

"Not at all, I'm being serious. To each their own."

"Oh, Senior, can I take this as you confessing to me?" A Youyou said with a smile.

The atmosphere suddenly turned a bit ambiguous. If not for Ma Laoshi's constant nagging and instructions, Li Hao might truly not have known how to react, and might even have felt embarrassed. At a time like this, one absolutely must not chicken out; one must express oneself directly. Of course, depending on the stage of the relationship, one couldn't just pounce at any given moment.

"Is that okay?" Li Hao looked at A Youyou. He couldn't help it; this girl was exactly his type. Everything about her felt good, and the key was that the feeling of his heart racing wouldn't stop.

"As for that, I'll have to think about it seriously," A Youyou said.

Li Hao smiled happily.

"What are you smiling at? Is it that happy? I haven't agreed to you yet."

"I know. It's great that you're willing to think about it seriously."

"Hmph, you're so weird!" A Youyou smiled slightly, then focused on eating her meal.

As it turned out, A Youyou ate more by the end of the meal. Li Hao walked A Youyou back to her dormitory before returning.

Li Hao returned to Dorm 4396 feeling happy. Zuo Xiaopang was snoring thunderously. For Zuo Xiaopang, today had been a series of drastic ups and downs; it was truly stimulating.

Wuzang had already returned and was arguing with Ma Long about the Armor Leopard. The Puppet's battle had pushed the Armor Leopard onto the trending list. It wasn't just military cadets discussing it; even some mecha experts were debating it. Because with a thing like a mecha, either you can't bring out its potential, or once you do—even if only once—it proves the mecha possesses that performance, and then you have to look for the problem with the pilot.

"Things in the Xuni Qu really can't be taken seriously. There are so many Concept Mechs that aren't suitable for widespread use at all. Mecha still need to be stable. On the battlefield, reducing casualties is what's important."

"That's not the point. On a local battlefield, Super Mecha are better. They can maximize the survival rate of special forces. Ordinary mecha are at too much of a disadvantage against Giant Insects."

"I've used that thing. When I was a freshman, I also fantasized about proving the Armor Leopard, but facts proved that using that thing is a faster way to commit suicide."

"Yo, the love guru is back!" Seeing Li Hao, Ma Long immediately sat up from his bed.

"Why am I a love guru? I went to train."

"Hao Ge, look at me. Who am I? I am Ma Laoshi. You definitely just met a girl, and it was A Youyou!" Ma Long said with extreme certainty.

"How did you know?" Wuzang asked curiously.

"Heh heh, he has a faint, lingering fragrance on him. How could we rough men have that? And it's definitely not from Tan Ziyuan and the others; I can tell. Secondly, for a straight guy like him, it couldn't be anyone but A Youyou," Ma Long analyzed. He had just been chatting with Sheng Man; Li Hao had left right after dropping her off. More importantly, this guy's luck was heaven-defying—Tan Ziyuan actually had a crush on him. They say a woman chasing a man is like a layer of gauze.

And Li Hao... he was truly oblivious to romance. When he liked someone, he would automatically avoid the affections of anyone else, which was actually a very dangerous thing in a relationship.

Li Hao helplessly gave a thumbs up, "You're the best."

"Seeing you so happy, is there progress? Come, let Ma Laoshi analyze it for you." Ma Long was energized. Even Wuzang sat up like a curious baby; this was a brand-new field for him too.

Li Hao said simply, "She said she wants to think about it."

Ma Long jumped right off his bed, "Hao Ge, it's over. You've met a master. This girl is something else. Wuzang, you listen too. The three of you—I'm so worried about you."

Li Hao and Wuzang were completely bewildered.

"Right, I told you, you have to show your relationship status as soon as possible, otherwise after a long time, you really just become friends. This is critical when getting along with girls. But didn't you notice? The other party was the one who proactively pointed it out."

"Doesn't that show that A Youyou also has feelings for me?"

"Big brother, based on my experience, this only shows that she has complete control of the initiative. You have no secrets to her. But then again, your level is truly at the Iron rank. Wuzang, what the hell are you laughing at? You're at the Plastic rank. Zuo Xiaopang is stronger than both of you!" Ma Long said, feeling frustrated that they wouldn't improve. "That 'think about it seriously' is even more dangerous. You've likely been categorized into her fish pond and become a backup tire!"

"Backup tire?" Li Hao was confused.

"That's right. As it stands, it's likely a backup tire, not a jack. Perhaps that's the only thing worth being happy about," Ma Long analyzed. Not bad, he'd met a master. She likely decided this after seeing Li Hao become a team leader and having a future. And her methods were very clever—deliberately not attending the victory banquet to make herself seem special, then making a comeback to arrange a private date. She had master-level skills in emotional manipulation. Too bad she met him, the Challenger. Hmph!

"Jack? Is the mecha broken?" Wuzang looked blank.

"I can't be bothered to explain it to you. To summarize: this girl has a bit of interest in you, but it's not the same as how you feel about her... Hao Ge, what is that silly grin for???"

"Nothing, I just think it's quite good. We haven't known each other long; she should think about it seriously," Li Hao laughed.

Ma Long covered his forehead, "So everything I just said was for nothing? I was telling you to be careful!"

Li Hao waved his hand dismissively, "Don't overthink it. I think it's fine this way. Just follow your feelings. Besides, there's nothing for me to scheme for. I think A Youyou is great."

"See, see? This kind of thinking is no good. Relationships are a game. Creatures like women will quickly lose interest in men who are easy to control. Let me give you a common, easy-to-understand example: when we guys buy things, don't we go straight to the point, buy it, and leave?"

Li Hao and Wuzang nodded.

"But girls aren't like that. They like to browse. They always think the next one will be better. Even if the one in front of them is great, once they see through it and have complete control, they lose the sense of mystery and freshness. If there's something even slightly novel outside, even if it's not as good as this one, they'll be attracted to it!" Ma Long said.

Li Hao and Wuzang looked at each other. They understood every word, yet they didn't understand at all.

Looking at the two blank faces, Ma Long felt helpless. This was a matter of life experience. Two little virgins who hadn't experienced or grown wouldn't understand. To be precise, this was a cognitive gap.

"Hao Ge, isn't Senior Tan Ziyuan good?"

"She is good. A very excellent person."

"Then why don't you like her?"

"I like A Youyou."

"Big brother, you can't be like this. Remember, never reveal to a woman that you get all her good points. That's when you're finished. You'll become a slave to love."

Wuzang didn't understand, and Li Hao just smiled, "Everyone is different. I am very grateful for her appearance; it's not for the sake of having a result."

That one sentence made Wuzang nod repeatedly, while Ma Long was stunned. He stood there blankly for a long time, completely at a loss for words. These were the words of the highest realm of returning to simplicity, which only a top master like him could say after encountering a true love that would never part through life and death.

"In the name of Ma Long, the love guru, I bestow upon you the title of the strongest Iron in the field of love!"

Ma Laoshi took his basin and went to wash his face. Encountering this was more depressing than encountering a contrarian.

Li Hao took his clothes and went to shower. The water splashed over his head, seemingly washing away all his worries.

His life had not entirely belonged to him since the moment Bleem appeared. A Youyou's appearance was a splash of color in his gray world. The future might be even more dangerous, but having met the right person, he truly couldn't control it. If one day A Youyou left, he would probably be the one who felt relieved...

(I often run into duos when playing ranked. Listening to them chat, it feels like those born after '95 and '00 are all masters of emotion; their emotional control is super good.)