Chapter 265: Chapter 265: Sending Zoe and the Others to Enlist
His long-standing dilemma now seemed to have a new breakthrough because of Zoe Pierce.
Quentin Ford ended his call with James Jarvis.
He even went to the bathroom to wash his face; the ice-cold water helped clear his head.
Water was still dripping from the ends of his hair.
Drip by drip, like the sound of a heartbeat.
’I need to think this through. I’ve never been a reckless person. I need a more detailed plan.’
’And it needs to succeed on the first try.’
Otherwise, he might never get another chance, and he could even expose himself.
The only problem was that Zoe Pierce was no longer just an Omega. She was someone who could pilot a Mecha and use spiritual power without worrying about her spirit sea being disrupted.
Not to mention, she was S-Class.
’This is very tricky.’
He had observed her several times and found that Chase Shaw and the others were always surrounding Zoe Pierce, never letting her go anywhere alone for a moment.
’It’s too difficult to make a move on the Capital Star.’
Sometimes, Zoe Pierce would even hide away in the Federal Military Academy like a turtle in its shell.
Even though he had promised James Jarvis he would bring Zoe Pierce to him, he still wasn’t confident he could pull it off.
After a moment of thought, Quentin Ford decided he couldn’t let them stay on the Capital Star.
The only opportunity to act on the Capital Star would be to use the Omega physical exams.
’But that would be too easy to expose. They’d be able to trace the problem back to me almost immediately.’
Quentin Ford frowned, staring at the familiar face in the mirror.
The lines between his brows had deepened, as had the ones at the corners of his eyes. There were dark circles beneath them, and his black eyes drooped, lacking their usual amicable look.
Instead, they held a sinister, ruthless glint.
No matter how he ran the scenarios, the success rate on the Capital Star was practically zero.
He had to get Zoe Pierce and her team to leave.
Quentin Ford stood there before the mirror, thinking in silence.
It wasn’t until the sky had fully brightened, the dark circles under his eyes growing even more pronounced, that he seemed to have finally figured it out.
He splashed his face one last time. His eyes were bloodshot as he grabbed a nearby towel to dry his face.
Only then did he leave the bathroom.
Zoe Pierce hadn’t expected the news of their early enlistment to come so quickly.
The notice was issued before she even had her birthday.
In the second week after the Federal Military Academy’s final exams, the group was to head to a designated planet for military drills and practical operations.
Of course, it wasn’t just Zoe Pierce and her team going; there would be others as well.
Director Quinn had already laid the groundwork for this, so it wasn’t difficult for anyone to accept.
"Regarding the Xenobeast Tide, it’s better to act sooner rather than later. Therefore, the relevant parties have jointly decided that we hope you will enlist early and take on more responsibility."
The difference between active-duty soldiers and reserve soldiers was quite significant.
Director Quinn stood with his hands behind his back, his recent pleasant demeanor gone, his expression once again stern.
"In recent months, the frequency of Xenobeast Tide fluctuations has increased by 128%."
Although the decision was sudden, it was well-justified.
Aaron Xavier, who had been personally accompanying Zoe Pierce to all her classes, was a little dissatisfied. "We’ve barely had any days off at all."
"We just finished all our exams last Wednesday, and now they’re calling us back to work."
He had originally thought they would wait until September when the next semester started, but now the timeline had been accelerated so drastically.
He only grumbled a few words. Director Quinn glanced at his expression but said nothing.
He could tell Aaron wasn’t truly bothered by it.
Aaron Xavier didn’t like going out with Zoe Pierce during his personal time.
He had come to understand that nothing was better than being at home.
Outside, he had to maintain his image at all times, to the point where he could barely eat a scrap of meat. But at home, it was different.
He could have a solid, satisfying meal—the kind of delicious meat you could savor and reminisce about.
He didn’t have to worry about anyone else.
He frowned, but after that one complaint, he said no more.
Zoe Pierce also felt it was a bit rushed.
But ever since she became a military cadet, her life had been in this constant state of busyness.
During her few days off, she hadn’t done anything productive.
She had just been messing around wildly with Chase Shaw in their room.
Hearing that she was being sent on a mission was actually a bit of a relief.
After all, a person couldn’t think about that stuff all day, every day. Whenever the two of them were alone, what would happen that night was a foregone conclusion.
"Pack your things. Assemble at seven on Monday morning," Director Quinn said, his lips pursed. "I will personally see you off."
Every academy had slots for early enlistment.
Zoe Pierce and the others would be seeing students from other academies there.
Only this time, they wouldn’t be enemies, but teammates.
"You’ll undergo a period of special training, after which you will be formally enlisted," Director Quinn explained. "By then, you will be true soldiers."
Even their status would change directly; they would no longer be students.
On Monday, the five of them appeared on the Federal Military Academy’s training grounds.
This time, the Federal Military Academy didn’t need to provide a Starship or anything else; a single Hovercar was enough.
Director Quinn sat in the front passenger seat and said to the group in the back, "The next time we meet, I’ll have to address you by your military ranks."
"You’ll probably have the highest ranks in this batch."
After all, the friendly competition alone had set them far apart from their peers.
Not to mention how rare and precious a team composed entirely of S-Class cadets was.
He watched as the Hovercar drove to the gates of the military district, where a robot carefully scanned it before letting it pass.
Director Quinn had already spotted the designated meeting place, and he noticed a few vehicles nearby that didn’t belong to the military district.
As they got closer, he saw that some people had already arrived.
Director Quinn looked at the group of "children" who had completely shed their immaturity and couldn’t help but sigh softly.
Every time he saw them, he could clearly see their rapid growth, which in turn made him lament how old he was getting.
’The next time I see them, I won’t be able to treat them like children anymore.’
Director Quinn got out of the car and gazed at the people on the training ground.
The moment he appeared, he became the center of attention.
Everyone knew that Jasper Quinn represented the Federal Military Academy, and by extension, Zoe Pierce and her team.
The rear door of the vehicle slid open.
Aaron Xavier was the first to jump out. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a few familiar faces.
Some he had met during the special training before the friendly competition, while others were old rivals—the group from the First Military Academy.
Zoe Pierce followed right behind him, getting out of the car.
As they lined up for assembly, everyone couldn’t help but notice one thing.
Zoe Pierce’s squad was still the only one with an Omega.
Even though Zoe Pierce’s influence had already inspired other Omegas to start training, it wasn’t something they could master overnight to the point of being battle-ready like her.
It would take at least another two to three years to completely reverse the current situation.
"Everyone’s here. The teachers can leave now," said a burly, broad-shouldered Alpha standing on the training ground, his voice deep and powerful.
After a sweeping glance confirmed everyone had arrived, he immediately began dismissing the academy instructors who had brought the "children" to the military district.
It didn’t matter that they were all acquaintances.
Jasper Quinn watched as everyone stood in neat rows on the field. After hearing the announcement, he fixed his gaze on them for a few moments longer before slowly getting back into the Hovercar.
One by one, the Hovercars that had arrived full, now departed empty.
