Finally, Li Chunyu, still dressed in his little lamb costume, went to see Illya, who had specifically dressed up as a purely innocent girl, yet he acted like a neighbor boy meeting a neighbor girl.

Illya pouted like a little sister next door. "The teams in the final eight are all so amazing; I’m so worried I won't make it to the final four."

If the Twins or Zi Ye had been present, they would have immediately scoffed, What does not making the final four have to do with me?

Especially Ling Yin, who absolutely detested that kind of 'green tea bitch.'

But neither of them was there; instead, the gentle and kind Li Chunyu, the little lamb, was present. Li Chunyu, whose experience with society was shallow, only felt that her expression was sincere, utterly pure, giving him a wonderfully refreshing feeling, and he instantly softened.

Her words especially resonated with him. He said earnestly, "Yes, I feel immense pressure too. But your team is truly outstanding, especially you; you make a bunch of us guys feel inadequate."

Illya looked pitiful. "Oh no, I’m nowhere near as good as you say. But, I really want the championship, what should I do?"

Li Chunyu comforted her, "You work so hard and you're so excellent; you definitely have a chance."

—He certainly wouldn't say she was definitely going to win the championship.

Illya’s eyes lit up as she grasped his hand. "Do you really think I can do it?"

To maintain her pure image, Illya had cleaned her elaborate nails entirely, coating them with a light pink, transparent polish, achieving an effect that looked almost entirely natural. Coupled with her carefully maintained, soft, tender hands, when Illya held him, his very bones felt three parts weaker. Added to the light, intoxicating fragrance she wore, he was almost captivated; he nodded vigorously, "Really."

Illya smiled even more enchantingly. "You'll definitely help me during the matches, right?"

Li Chunyu’s heart skipped a beat, his resolve half-gone. Holding hands like this on a first meeting felt improper, so he quickly pulled his hand back. "I will support you in spirit. Keep up the good work."

Illya was about to say more when Li Chunyu’s Comm-Link beeped. He glanced at it and apologized, "Excuse me, I need to take this call."

She was forced to swallow the words ready on her tongue, watching Li Chunyu leave the private room.

The call was from Zi Ye. "How’s it going?"

The moment Li Chunyu saw her worried yet curious gaze, he instantly calmed down, said a clipped, "We'll talk when we get back," and cut the connection before turning back to the room.

Illya’s eyes widened, looking at him innocently. "What's wrong?" Li Chunyu scratched his head. "Sorry, something came up with my team; I have to go back. Let's chat next time." With a wave, he departed.

Illya watched his retreating back; the exquisitely maintained mask finally shattered, revealing a ferocious face beneath.

She clenched her hand so tightly she didn't notice her nails digging into her flesh.

Chu Qiao, humph, just you wait!

Li Chunyu returned to the lab. Under everyone's intense scrutiny, he recounted the situation exactly as it happened, using only complimentary, praiseworthy adjectives, concluding, "Zi Ye, I think you are prejudiced against Illya. She is just a very simple girl."

Zi Ye couldn't suppress the twitch in her eye, suddenly wanting to slice open Li Chunyu’s head to see what kind of love potion was inside. Illya was skillful enough to have completely charmed their captain.

It was too much!

For a fleeting moment, she wanted nothing more than to rush over to Illya and break her nose with a single punch.

Ling Yin patted Zi Ye’s shoulder. "I'll handle it." She walked over and sat in front of Li Chunyu, activating the Comm-Link screen. "Senior Brother Chun'er, let's take a look at the true face of the goddess you admire."

Li Chunyu looked embarrassed. "She isn't my goddess; I just don't believe she is the type you described."

Zi Ye almost made another snide remark, but Ling Yin raised a hand, signaling everyone to be quiet. "We'll know once we see."

The group sat down again. Ling Yin opened a video without a word.

The video clearly showed Illya meeting with the teams from the other seven finalists.

She had six or seven videos open on her screen; she had approached every single captain of the final eight, switching her attire between sexy-sultry and pure-cute, perfectly tailoring her approach. Three team captains were utterly won over by her sweet-talking. The only time she showed real aggression was toward the captain of the Women's Academy team.

The Women’s Academy captain was a butch, not only looking like a man but also possessing a commanding, masculine demeanor in her speech. Illya apparently disdained having to ingratiate herself with a 'tomboy,' so she decisively adopted a fierce expression, completely dominating and stepping on that captain.

Another notable interaction was with the captain of Angel University’s team, who was a slick operator. They engaged in elaborate flattery, back and forth, each harboring ulterior motives. After a long conversation, they parted happily, yet neither managed to glean any real information from the other.

The Twins exchanged a glance. At least the Angel Domain wasn't completely disgraced tonight; otherwise, the two of them would have gone to deal with that captain themselves to avoid such embarrassment.

After watching all the videos, everyone realized that in less than a day since the final eight were announced, Illya had managed to thoroughly gauge the temperaments and habits of all the captains and strike precisely. This level of ability could not be underestimated.

Li Chunyu was hit the hardest; his face cycled rapidly from red to pale, disbelief etched on his features. "How could she be like this? I don't believe it."

The Twins shrugged helplessly, pinching his cheeks from left and right. "Chun'er, wake up. Women are scarier than fierce tigers; how can you not understand?"

Just as Li Chunyu was about to retort, Ling Yin erupted in anger. "What do you mean women are scarier than fierce tigers? Have I eaten you or bitten you?"

Spernt pointed at Bo Bo and laughed. "You haven't bitten us, but you've definitely bitten Bo Bo."

Furious, Ling Yin chased after him, hitting him. Aix settled down next to Zi Ye, resting his arm shamelessly over her shoulder. "What do you think?" Zi Ye replied, her brow slightly furrowed, "Let's see how Senior Brother Chun recovers first."

Although Li Chunyu found the reality hard to accept, he hadn't developed any deep bond with Illya—it was their first meeting after all. Ling Yin and Spernt's playful squabble gave him time to process. After Zi Ye finished two cups of tea, his emotions stabilized. He sighed, "You truly never know a person's heart by their face. I never imagined such a gentle girl had so many facets."

The Twins sang in unison, "Women of the stars are tigers, you must flee when you meet them~"

Everyone chuckled, and Li Chunyu’s small crush on Illya faded away. He sat down calmly again, resuming the discussion of the strategy for the final eight matches.

Ling Yin utilized her strengths, analyzing all the videos and concluding, "I feel Illya’s fundamental goal is reconnaissance. If she can win them over, great; if not, she at least learns their weaknesses. This will help in the upcoming matches. Currently, half the teams have already surrendered their defenses to Illya, meaning our chances of winning against her in the arena are not high." In truth, Illya's real objective wasn't to gain their help, but to establish a psychological advantage so that when they faced her on the field later, their morale would suffer—especially for the Women’s Academy team, no matter how angry they felt toward her, they already carried the subconscious fear of having been manipulated...

Aix didn't care. "Forget all that! We just need to beat her." Spernt chimed in, "Instead of worrying about her strategy, let's focus on how to counter her. Whether it's the final eight or the final four, if we run into her, one solid blast and the problem is solved!"

Ling Yin paused to consider. "That's true. I also have their combat videos; let's study those."

Zi Ye's expression became grim. "We absolutely have to eliminate her!"

The PK rounds for the final eight soon arrived.

Eight teams, by drawing lots.

They were divided into four groups, and teams within the same group would compete against each other.

Chu Qiao was placed in the second group, matched against the God Team from Dongdian University. Fei Fei’s team drew the Women’s Academy team. Thus, Chu Qiao wouldn't face Illya for now.

Zi Ye stared coldly at Illya, humming inwardly, Let her be arrogant for a while longer.

Illya seemed to sense her hostility, looking up. Their gazes met across the air. Illya contemptuously turned her face away, leaving Zi Ye with a devastatingly beautiful back view.

Zi Ye withdrew her gaze, pulling Spernt along. "Let's go, we need to retrofit the mechs."

The Twins shared the same school, grade, and major as the pilot from the God Team, placing them in the class right next to the Twins. The Twins were quite familiar with his combat style. After checking the draw, they calmly followed Zi Ye. "We're definitely winning this time."

The final eight matches served as a crucial dividing line. Teams that advanced to the final four secured a three-in-four chance of placing in the top three. Consequently, the organizers sponsored advertisements for each of the eight teams, plastering promotions everywhere.

On the day of the final eight matches, over a hundred thousand spectators had entered the venue half an hour before the start—an unprecedented spectacle. Chu Qiao was scheduled for the second day, so they all observed from the contestant area.

The first match of the final eight: Fei Luo University won.

By this time, Ling Yin had completed her full investigation of the God Team, handing the data to the Twins. She immediately rushed off to find data on Fei Luo University's pilot and mech.

Since Chu Qiao was guaranteed to win their match in the final eight, she wasn't worried at all.

The facts proved her right.

Chu Qiao faced the God Team and won without any suspense.

Aix took the field this time, and the match became his personal showcase. He toyed with flashy combat techniques, casually making sport of the God Team.

The ace pilot of Dongdian demonstrated his professional skill to the entire interstellar community.

As soon as the match ended, invitations from various legions flew in like paper scraps. A majority were offers for Aix to join their legions—a classic case of getting ahead of the competition, recruiting a future top contender at a price far lower than what he would command once he reached his peak.

Aix proudly held up hundreds of invitations and excitedly sent a message to An Junlie, seeking praise. "Commander Teacher, look how sought-after I am! Hurry up and send me a red envelope, or I might just leave with them, hehe."

An Junlie watched the live broadcast, unconcerned with Aix's showy maneuvers, but genuinely happy for him and for the Angel Legion. He chuckled, "Should I give you a red envelope, or should I come watch you in the final four matches in person?"

Aix’s eyes immediately lit up. "Will you really come to the final four matches?"

An Junlie smiled and nodded.

—Once they reached the championship contention, the offers would multiply. If he, as commander, failed to appear, it might negatively affect the Twins’ morale.

Moreover, there was another important reason: he missed Zi Ye...

-RS