The bell signaling the end of the period rang like a salvation for the over-strained minds of class 10A1. Teacher Hoang 'Iron Hand' said nothing more, only giving Lam Minh a deep, meaningful look before picking up his documents and leaving the classroom, which immediately erupted into a buzz of discussion.
"Brother Minh! A god! You're my god!" Hung 'Fat' rushed to Lam Minh's desk, his eyes sparkling with adoration. "Master switch, acupoints... That sounds even cooler than in the movies. And you dared to talk back to Teacher Iron Hand! Your guts must be the size of a stadium!"
Lam Minh let out a lazy yawn and scratched his head. "I was just sleepy and spouting nonsense, don't mind me."
"Nonsense? What nonsense! Did you see Teacher Iron Hand's face? That's the first time I've ever seen him look so stunned!"
While Hung 'Fat' was still chattering away, a clear but serious voice came from the front.
"Lam Minh, can we talk for a moment?"
It was To Quyen. She had turned around, her large, intelligent eyes fixed on him, unblinking. Her expression wasn't one of curiosity, but the intense seriousness of a researcher who had just discovered a new theorem.
Hung 'Fat' immediately fell silent. He looked at To Quyen, then at Lam Minh, his eyes twinkling slyly as if he had just uncovered a universal truth. He nudged Lam Minh's arm, winking furiously before backing away, mumbling, "Ah... uh... I need to use the restroom. You two, go ahead!"
Lam Minh watched the broad back of his best friend retreat and could only shake his head with a wry smile. That guy's mind was always in the gutter. He turned back to To Quyen, the girl he had vowed to love for a lifetime in his previous life. At sixteen, she already possessed the beauty of a campus belle, intelligent and full of charisma.
"Of course. What can I do for you, Class President?" Lam Minh stood up, trying to act as natural as possible.
To Quyen said nothing, merely gesturing for him to follow her. They walked out into the hallway and stopped at a deserted corner of the staircase. The morning sun streamed in, making a few strands of her hair shimmer.
"What you said in class," To Quyen got straight to the point, "Acupoints, meridians, the master switch... Where did you get that information?"
"Ah, well... from an old traditional medicine book my grandfather left me." Lam Minh pulled out the same old excuse.
"What book? What's its name? Who's the author?" To Quyen pressed, her eyes shining brightly. "If it's real, it would be a monumental discovery! It could completely change our combat strategies!"
Seeing the earnestness and passion for humanity in her eyes, Lam Minh didn't have the heart to deceive her completely. He knew this girl would become one of humanity's most important pillars in the future. He sighed, putting on a look of "reluctance."
"That book is very old, almost completely tattered, and the writing is hard to understand. I only grasp bits and pieces of it. I was just talking for fun, it's probably useless."
"No!" To Quyen said decisively. "Even if it's just a sliver of hope, we have to try! Lam Minh, can you let me see that book? Please!"
"About that..." Lam Minh stroked his chin, feigning a difficult position. What damn book? There was nothing to show her.
Just then, a sycophantic voice piped up from behind them.
"To Quyen, you actually believe the words of a guy who sleeps through every class? Acupoints and meridians, don't you think it sounds like something out of a xianxia novel?"
Tran Tuan, the class academic monitor, walked over. He always considered himself the smartest in the class and had a secret crush on To Quyen, so he was particularly annoyed with Lam Minh, the guy his goddess had just initiated a conversation with.
"Tran Tuan, this is none of your business," To Quyen frowned in annoyance.
Tran Tuan paid her no mind, looking at Lam Minh with contempt. "Hey buddy, instead of reading that nonsense, you should spend your time studying the 'Analytical Report on Concentrated Firepower Tactics' from the ASEAN High Command. That's science, that's reality. The military has proven that only overwhelming firepower can eliminate the Madakaros."
"Oh, really?" Lam Minh crossed his arms, a smirk playing on his lips. "Then why is our casualty rate still sky-high? Why can a single Qi Refining Realm enemy still charge into a fully equipped squad and inflict heavy damage before being taken down?"
Tran Tuan was at a loss for words, then tried to argue, "That's... that's because their speed is too great! Our firepower hasn't had time to reach its maximum effectiveness!"
"Wrong," Lam Minh wagged a finger. "It's because you're shooting at a mobile tank. You're trying to use conventional bullets to pierce its thickest armor. Meanwhile, you're ignoring the gaps, the fatal weak points."
He glanced at Tran Tuan, his voice suddenly turning sharp.
"Have you read Report #734 from the 9th Legion? About the case where a Madakaros was killed by a piece of grenade shrapnel that lodged in the nape of its neck? The report concluded it was a 'fatal stroke of luck.' But why the nape, and not the chest or the arm?"
Tran Tuan was stunned. Report #734 was restricted material; how could Lam Minh possibly know about it?
Lam Minh continued, not giving him a chance to react, "Or what about the report from the Blacklight scout team about a Foundation Establishment Realm enemy that was suddenly weakened for five seconds after being struck by a steel bar that fell from a construction site, hitting its lower left abdomen? They also concluded it was a 'random coincidence.' Don't you think there are too many 'lucky strokes' and 'coincidences' directed at very specific locations on the enemy's body?"
Every word from Lam Minh was like a punch to Tran Tuan's face. He had read those reports, but had only skimmed them and accepted the conclusions of his superiors. He had never connected the dots, never questioned why.
To Quyen, on the other hand, was utterly shocked. She had read those reports too. The details Lam Minh had just mentioned, she remembered them clearly. He wasn't just spouting an empty theory; he was using the military's own real-world data to prove it!
"Those points," Lam Minh concluded, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather, "are the 'switches' I was talking about. We don't lack data; we just lack the right perspective to analyze it."
Tran Tuan's face flushed from pale to red, rendered speechless. He wanted to argue, but he didn't know where to start. Lam Minh's reasoning was too tight, his evidence too compelling. He felt like a clown in front of To Quyen.
"Well, all this talking is making me hungry," Lam Minh stretched his shoulders and let out a huge yawn. "Long story short, I don't have a book to show you, Class President. If you want to know, go find out for yourself. Here's a hint: try compiling all the reports on 'unusual' or 'lucky' Madakaros deaths. You might just find a map of their 'electrical grid.'"
With that, Lam Minh shoved his hands in his pockets, whistled a tune, and walked away, leaving behind a frozen To Quyen, her brain working at full capacity, and a mortified Tran Tuan who wished the ground would swallow him whole.
To Quyen watched Lam Minh's retreating back, her eyes no longer filled with doubt, but with utter shock and extreme curiosity.
This guy... who is he, really?