Bai Yuwan taught him several basic instructions, all very simple: lift the left foot, bend the knee, set it down; lift the right foot, bend the knee, set it down. Just six commands in total.

"This is too cumbersome," Zhong Yun felt his scalp tingle. Two steps required six commands—how many commands would an entire battle demand? It was unimaginable; he feared his fingers would be ruined before long.

"Mechs used in actual combat are certainly different from practice mechs; the instructions usually aren't broken down so finely," Bai Yuwan chuckled. "However, the more granular the instructions, the more agile the mech’s movements become, which offers an advantage in a fight."

"As a beginner, the most crucial thing is a solid foundation. The stronger the base, the greater the potential for future development, because no mech operates outside of this system. That's why every introductory coach makes their students learn the most fundamental instructions—it’s precisely to solidify that foundation right at the start."

Hearing his explanation, Zhong Yun felt somewhat relieved. He started practicing, and once he became familiar with those commands, Bai Yuwan taught him a few more.

Zhong Yun thoroughly enjoyed himself; the entire morning flew by. If Bai Yuwan hadn't urged him, he would have happily continued playing.

Unbeknownst to him, by the end of the morning, Zhong Yun had mastered over twenty commands, making walking and even light jogging possible.

Bai Yuwan couldn't stop praising his progress. "Your aptitude is truly exceptional. To manage a jog in just half a day."

He wasn't flattering her on account of the Young Miss; it was genuine admiration. Becoming a Mech Pilot wasn't simple; merely mastering commands didn't guarantee control. If that were the case, anyone could become a pilot.

To become an outstanding Mech Pilot required extraordinary talent. Mechs have reaction times; the speed at which one inputs commands directly influences the mech's actions. Take the simplest act of walking: lifting the foot, bending the knee, setting it down—these are meant to be fluid actions. If one is too fast or too slow, the posture becomes bizarre, and one might even trip over oneself—a common occurrence for beginners.

It takes constant practice to accurately judge the precise moment to issue a command. Accumulating vast amounts of experience naturally teaches one how to proceed, leading to the formation of a personal rhythm. Every Mech Pilot’s rhythm is different.

But some people are simply born to pilot mechs. Their intuition is powerful; they naturally know which command to issue and when. They grasp it after just one or two attempts.

Zhong Yun was one such person. He could make the mech jog in a single morning. In Bai Yuwan's entire life, he had never witnessed anyone like this.

What incredible talent.

Initially, Bai Yuwan assumed Zhong Yun was just some rich young master dabbling in something new, and his dedicated instruction was purely out of deference to the Young Miss—as long as the boy enjoyed himself, that was enough.

But now, he had changed his mind. It would be a terrible waste for such a gifted youth not to become a Mech Pilot. Zhong Yun was destined to become a great one. Perhaps his future achievements would rival even the 'Fangtooth,' the Mech King of Davo.

The thought that he would be the initial instructor to such a magnificent Mech Pilot sent an uncontrollable thrill through Bai Yuwan.

"Having fun?" As they neared the room, they ran into Yu Daoqing.

Although he appreciated her concern, the slightly condescending air she unconsciously carried, as if speaking to a child, irked him slightly.

"If I didn't recognize your voice, I'd think you were my mother."

Yu Daoqing paused momentarily, then a flicker of understanding crossed her eyes. "You're subtly calling me old, aren't you?"

"You look quite youthful, but your heart is too aged."

"I see you’re becoming increasingly impudent lately. Daring to flirt with me?" Yu Daoqing replied with mock annoyance.

"And you, where were you this morning?" Zhong Yun inquired.

"Doing rounds," Yu Daoqing sighed softly. "It’s been a long time since I was here; so much has changed."

"I didn't realize you were so sentimental," Zhong Yun quipped.

As they spoke, two female secretaries approached from the end of the corridor. Seeing the Young Miss and Zhong Yun chatting at the doorway, they offered a brief salute and hurried past.

"Let's not stand in the hall; come in and sit," Zhong Yun invited her inside.

"What relationship do you think Zhong Yun and the Young Miss have?" Once the two were inside the room, the two secretaries who had moved further away began whispering.

"What other relationship could they have?" The long-haired secretary glanced at her companion. "When have you ever seen the Young Miss show such meticulous care for a man?"

"But..." the shorter secretary seemed unconvinced. "Zhong Yun is so young; perhaps the Young Miss treats him like a younger brother?"

"Tch," the long-haired secretary scoffed at her naivety. "Do you really believe there's such a pure relationship between a man and a woman? You are far too innocent."

"No way," the short secretary seemed unable to accept it. "The Young Miss is so beautiful—she would like someone as ordinary as Zhong Yun?"

"Then what kind of man do you think the Young Miss should like?"

"At least someone as handsome, capable, and charming as the CEO," the short secretary said, little stars appearing in her eyes as she mentioned the CEO.

"Little girl, you truly are naive," the long-haired secretary teased. Seeing her companion look slightly defiant, she continued, "With the Young Miss's status, what kind of man hasn't she met? And which man hasn't been instantly captivated by her?"

"These men either completely bow down to the Young Miss, like the CEO, or they shy away from her completely after meeting her, like that one from the Gong family." Mentioning the Gong family member seemed to touch a taboo, as she dared not speak his name aloud. "The Young Miss is so fortunate." The short secretary, picturing the Young Miss surrounded by countless outstanding, pursuing men, felt intensely envious.

"Fortunate, perhaps not," the long-haired secretary seemed deliberately argumentative. "Think about it: if every man in front of you was overly agreeable, never daring to talk back. Initially, your vanity would be immensely satisfied, but what would you feel if every single man you met was like that, day after day?"

The short secretary fell silent.

"Do you know why the Young Miss hasn't found a partner yet? Because she feels there is no man worthy of her." The long-haired secretary heavily emphasized the word 'feels.'

"Do you know why she treats Zhong Yun differently? Because he genuinely is different. Have you ever seen another man converse with the Young Miss so freely and cheerfully?" (Though, perhaps there were others, just not ones she had witnessed.)

"Now that you put it that way, I suppose so."

Yu Daoqing had been back for several months, and these secretaries had followed her all this time; they knew the interactions between Zhong Yun and the Young Miss better than anyone.

"Zhong Yun is average-looking, but looks are utterly unimportant to the Young Miss. She's seen countless handsome men; they hold no novelty. Only sheltered little girls like you get infatuated with a man's appearance."

Seeing figures ahead, the two women alerted themselves and abruptly cut off their discussion before it could continue further.

Just after the two secretaries walked away, a nearby door silently opened, and a figure peered in the direction the women had gone, their gaze complex.

After lunch that afternoon, Zhong Yun pulled Bai Yuwan, who was about to take his rest, back to mech practice. Seeing Zhong Yun's intense enthusiasm, Bai Yuwan was equally invigorated, and fueled by the dream of nurturing an ace pilot, he taught and demanded more strictly from Zhong Yun.

Time passed day by day amidst fulfilling and regimented training.

According to Bai Yuwan, Zhong Yun’s progress was meteoric; now, he could control the mech to perform relatively complex maneuvers, such as jumping and running…

In addition to practice, Zhong Yun also sparred with other members in combat techniques—this was initiated by others; Zhong Yun was merely reacting defensively.

Many people at the base were quite displeased with Zhong Yun, simply because he associated so closely with the Young Miss they admired.

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