The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

“I mean… you’re not anxious because you’re afraid of Huo Qi, right?” Huan Xian repeated.

“Since the first round of supplies came out, you’ve started to have concerns, and you’ve become hesitant. You’ve changed from the person I first met.” He didn’t seem to expect an immediate answer from Jiang Hui, but spoke as if asking himself, or perhaps in a mix of questioning and puzzlement.

“Why is that?”

This time, it was Jiang Hui’s turn to be stunned. Hiss… that question really caught her off guard.

For a moment, the already quiet energy point became eerily still. The others seemed to have also grown tense, their breathing lightening in response to the sudden shift in atmosphere.

Jiang Hui’s expression became a little strange. Though her demeanor was still calm, the subtle change in her expression showed that she seemed to have thought of something, yet also appeared somewhat confused herself.

Eventually, as if coming to a realization, she relaxed her brows and sighed. “It’s true to some extent, but it’s also normal, because I’m not alone anymore.”

When she first entered, she was at her lightest, most carefree. It was just her alone, and when you’re by yourself, you only need to worry about yourself. A small amount of killing didn’t matter; she had no concerns. The only thing was that, at times, she felt a chill down her back, worried that an enemy might suddenly jump out and ambush her—it was an unsettling feeling.

But later, she met Zhou Xiuwen, then Huan Xian, and eventually brought on Xierman and Clarens.

The process of their team forming was much more difficult and obstructed than other teams. In fact, by the time their official team was established, the competition was already nearing its end. But Jiang Hui was certain that every member here was someone she could trust and rely on, including Clarens, who had just joined.

With these teammates supporting each other, their path in the training ground had indeed become much smoother, and she no longer felt the insecurity of having no one to rely on. However, with that came a sense of responsibility, and the weight of that responsibility was growing heavier.

Jiang Hui could no longer be as carefree as before. The more challenges they overcame, the more effort everyone put in together, and the more trust her teammates placed in her, the more pressure she felt. As the pressure increased, she felt she couldn’t afford to let her guard down.

She couldn’t quite describe the feeling. Even though her teammates were very capable, she sensed that there were more and more things she needed to consider. Coupled with the continuous physical exhaustion, she felt her overall state becoming increasingly tense.

Especially since her calf had unexpectedly become an issue not long ago, which disrupted the balance in her mentality. Although she still seemed to perform normally, she no longer felt as confident as before.

Since entering the second round of supplies, she had become more aware that she had gradually become a burden to several of her teammates. This was a situation Jiang Hui, who had always adhered to the “rely on yourself” mentality, found hard to accept.

However, she was also someone who was good at self-reflection. She knew Huan Xian was right. Her state during this short period of time might have been a bit off—she had been too tense, which caused her to lose her sense of balance and feel restricted.

So, it was still a lack of proper rest. When the mindset isn’t stable, it’s easy to become overly anxious and insecure. She was already an adult, but to have a teenager remind her of this really made her reflect on herself.

Jiang Hui thought this would be the end of the conversation and was about to say something concluding: “Sigh, it’s really my…” bad mindset.

“So, is it because of us?” Huan Xian stubbornly continued his earlier line of thought. “You feel the pressure because of us.”

This… this was really a life-threatening question.

Jiang Hui was somewhat startled. How did he come to such an unrelated conclusion? This was taking it way too far.

She quickly waved her hand. “It’s not like that… It’s just that my mindset is off, I’ve been a bit impatient.”

Then Jiang Hui smiled a little. “Actually, I’m not as conflicted as you think. To be honest, everyone gathering here is really just for an internal school competition. If we start talking about collective responsibility or anything like that, it seems a bit too abstract.”

“But the fact that we’re all able to team up together is based on trust and recognition. I just feel that since everyone trusts me, and we’re all in this together, putting in so much effort, as a team member, I naturally want to work harder. I want to win, but not just for the sake of winning.” It would be even better if we could all win beautifully together.

So, silly kid, stop getting caught up in these “philosophical questions.” Even saying that feels a bit cheesy. Am I really going to say something like “I want to lead everyone to win”? That sounds so idealistic and a little embarrassing…

Thinking that she had successfully “explained” things to the stubborn kid, Jiang Hui sighed in relief. But she didn’t expect Huan Xian to be quick with his logic and turn things around on her.

He listened quietly as Jiang Hui finished her lengthy and somewhat convoluted speech, his expression neutral. This was the third time Jiang Hui had seen him look like this, cold and with a face that didn’t seem to belong to a living person. Yet, strangely, Jiang Hui felt that his expression suggested he was actually upset.

“You know we trust you, so you should also learn to trust us… When others have a problem, you rush in to take charge, but when you have an issue, you just step back and leave us out of it. Everything is your problem, and no one else has any problems or responsibilities?”

“Jiang Hui, you’re too naive when it comes to teamwork,” he said. “You’re just setting yourself up to lose.”

Is… that true?

Jiang Hui was momentarily caught off guard, at a loss for words. She opened her mouth to say something, but in the end, she could only sigh and say, “Maybe.”

Strangely, when Huan Xian heard Jiang Hui’s seemingly ambiguous response, his expression softened considerably. He raised an eyebrow and said, “You really should trust us more. This team isn’t just about you.” This is also something you taught me.

“We can win.”

He extended his hand and gave a fist bump towards Jiang Hui.

Jiang Hui was taken aback for a moment, then she understood and couldn’t help but smile, returning the fist bump.

Just as their fists were about to meet, another, relatively pale hand suddenly intervened. Clearly, the owner of this hand wasn’t someone who often went outdoors, and his skin appeared even whiter than Jiang Hui’s.

“Hey, I say, you two are being too much. Am I not part of the team? You’re giving each other a pep talk without even inviting us.” Zhou Xiuwen said, clearly upset.

“And me!” Xierman, who had apparently moved closer and overheard the entire exchange, was also dissatisfied with how the two “leaders” had ignored them.

The atmosphere shifted in an instant, and Jiang Hui couldn’t help but laugh helplessly. “Okay, okay, let’s all do it together… Is that a little too childish?” Then, as if remembering something, she glanced at a figure sitting a bit farther away, who seemed out of place with the rest of them.

The others, almost in perfect synchrony, also looked towards the same direction.

Clarens: …

In the training field, outside the screen—five fists lightly bumped together, and it was as if time itself froze at that moment.

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Author Note: Hahaha, Jiang Hui, who had previously failed to teach Huan Xian, was now being taught a lesson herself. It’s oddly funny. The two of them are equally matched—one subtly sacrificing himself, the other following the path of individualism. They both need to reflect and learn how to distinguish between individual and group perspectives, and how to be an individual within a group. They need to learn to adapt when necessary in order to truly grow into capable and upright soldiers.