This isn't even getting started.

Hiss~ Is this Raven Big Shot alright? Why is he asking me about high school knowledge?
The next day, Luo Ming arrived at the "Mailroom" to find a stack of unread messages piled up from the "Tavern," all sent by the same Big Shot from the previous day. They were earnest requests for clarification on various fundamental concepts.
Though puzzled, Luo Ming patiently replied to each message, attaching detailed links to resources.
After all, the Mailroom's workload had always been light.
He barely turned around before receiving a flood of thanks:
Thank you, Professor Luo.
Luo Ming glanced at the timestamps. From 11 PM last night, when the first message arrived, to now, a new question had popped up every few dozen minutes.
Is he planning to pull an all-nighter?
He couldn't help but recall his own youth, when he'd spend nights poring over books, then rush to his teachers early the next morning with a stack of questions.
Since I don't have a graduate student to mentor, I'll just play with a high school kid.
Luo Ming chuckled wryly and replied:
"No problem. Feel free to ask me anytime if you have any questions."
Xiao Bai was deeply moved by this reply. In the Tavern, a place where knowledge came at a price, to find such a kind-hearted person was truly a blessing.
Professor Wang's recommendation was spot-on!
He couldn't help but wonder why the other party showed no curiosity about what Xiao Bai was studying biology for.
"Are they intimidated by my status as a visiting researcher? Or has even their curiosity been worn down by time?"
"Whatever. As long as they're a good person, that's enough."
With that, Xiao Bai's gaze shifted as he began the next online lecture.
In this way, he entered a simple yet fulfilling period. Each day, aside from studying, he would open the testing software to gain practical experience, then continue his studies.
Ten days later, after completing the problems Lao Luo had given him, he received an evaluation:
"If I were still teaching, Big Shot, you could come take my graduate entrance exam."
This meant that Xiao Bai had, in just ten days, mastered the biology curriculum from high school through undergraduate level, and with decent grades to boot?
At least, when he looked at those research papers now, he was genuinely reading and understanding them, not just forcing himself to memorize them.
This speed would be astonishing for an ordinary person, but Lao Luo merely remarked that Xiao Bai was "diligent and hardworking."
This was hardly surprising. Xiao Bai's photographic memory, like a hard drive, was merely the foundation of what it takes to be a genius. His comprehension and reasoning abilities, however, were barely adequate for a construction site surveyor.
Besides, in t he fifty years since the emergence of Paradise, humanity had entered an era of dazzling brilliance, with geniuses erupting like geysers across all fields. Even a Double Doctor like Lao Luo had been relegated to the mailroom. What chance did Xiao Bai stand?
Yet Xiao Bai took it all in stride, unfazed.
"My whole life has been like walking on thin ice," he mused. "My greatest asset has always been my diligence and perseverance. I can go without food, sleep, or even bathroom breaks. Can anyone else do that?"
"Come to think of it, I call him 'teacher,' and he calls me 'big shot.' We're both just talking past each other, aren't we?"
As he spoke, a message arrived from the Tavern:
"Big Shot, the pilot you thrashed yesterday asked me to ask you: Did you use the latest haptic feedback system? How were you able to fly so fast?"
"Uh... Professor Luo, how did you find out?"
"That guy is a high school classmate of mine. He mentioned you in our private group chat yesterday."
Xiao Bai then received a snippet of the chat:
It was from a small group called "Desperate Middle-Aged Men Banding Together for Warmth," with only eight members. One member, Lao Li, had said:
"Brothers, I encountered that immortal again. Second Master Tai shaved me bald with his speed. Damn, he moved so fast, like a ghost drifting in and out. I barely saw him before he sliced me in half."
"Oh? You mean that 'Raven'? Did you meet him in the Simulation Program?"
"Yeah, sent by the higher-ups for this test mission. I've been playing mecha for years, but this was the worst beatdown I've ever taken."
"Haha, now Lao Wu can't claim that gif was AI-controlled, right? There's no way an autonomous machine could exist in this Simulation Program!"
"I only said it in the heat of the moment! Why are you all still on my case? I didn't recognize a big shot when I saw one, alright?"
"Alright, alright, enough already. Lao Wu works in finance, so it's understandable he wouldn't know about this... Hey, Lao Luo, are you still in touch with that Big Shot?"
"What, Lao Li, you're calling him 'Big Shot' now? Didn't you used to call him a madman?"
"I was just being shortsighted, okay? I never imagined he'd be this incredible, even manipulating Second Master so effortlessly... Lao Luo, are you there? Speak up!"
"I'm here. What is it?"
"Ask him if he used that motion capture system. It's got me wanting to try it out too. My Contribution Rank should just barely qualify."
Xiao Bai finished reading the chat log and pieced together the general sequence of events, feeling a little awkward.
To be strict, his achievements in that simulation were actually the work of his "hands"—the ones operating the controls.
Initially, he hadn't thought much about it. He'd simply chosen a classic close-quarters combat specialized Guardian Mecha, fine-tuned its components, sacrificed some defense and firepower, and optimized it for maximum mobility—mobility closest to his own physical capabilities.
There was no help for it. Many of the parts on his actual mecha weren't available in the Simulation Program. Even attempting a Full-Armor Form was out of the question; just replicating a light combat configuration was pushing it.
Xiao Bai eagerly selected a level 3 hazard Demonic Beast to practice on.
Moments later, an explosion left only the bloody word "Noob" on the screen.
Undeterred, Xiao Bai tried several more times, discovering that "Noob" would transform into "Deadbeat," "Loser," and "Suck" with each failure.
Frustrated, he activated auto-battle.
Logically, this should have been impossible. As "Old Zhou from Next Door" had pointed out in the chat records, why would the Simulation Program provide auto-battle for testers? Wouldn't it be simpler to just simulate AI-controlled enemies?
Yet the result proved otherwise. Xiao Bai's "hands" instantly regained the muscle memory for combat, effortlessly dispatching the virtual Demonic Beast.
"It seems auto-battle has become an integral part of me, an instinct and a talent. So this doesn't count as cheating."
Later, Xiao Bai began using the Simulation Program as a stress-relief game. Whenever he felt tired during class, he'd pop in for a few rounds, getting to see more Demonic Beasts and observe other Mecha Warriors' combat styles.
He never expected to run into an "old acquaintance" here.
"I didn't sign up for the motion-sensing gear. I'm just here to spar," Xiao Bai replied to Lao Luo, then casually inquired about Lao Li's background.
He sensed that the other wasn't weak. Someone who could hold out for several seconds even while piloting the Second Master was clearly stronger than many opponents he'd faced. He couldn't help but wonder: What level would this person be in the real world?

Chapter end