Chapter 18: The Superintelligent Being and the Cabbage Parrot

“Hello everyone, I am Navico, specializing in advanced mathematics and hyperspace studies. I will be temporarily taking over as your math teacher,” Navico said slowly, his voice carrying a strong mechanical tone. In short, it was clear but devoid of any emotion.

A student exclaimed, “I know, you are a superintelligent being who abandoned your physical body to achieve immortality.”

“Wow, so cool,” Su Ninglong observed Navico carefully; his body was entirely mechanical.

Interstellar beings were remarkable, using their intelligence and tools to transform themselves, achieving feats even cultivators could not.

“Thank you for the compliment, Ninglong,” Navico replied.

However, the student who had shouted was not praising; rather, it was mockery.

“Little bean, don’t think superintelligences are good. They look strange, are cold and shameless, unworthy of being called human,” said another red-haired boy, his face full of disdain.

“Indeed, superintelligences are a bunch of old immortals. They know much but have lost human emotions, so they are not truly human,” he added.

Navico showed no discomfort, as if the ridicule was not directed at him.

He said, “Young Will, we do have emotions; it’s just that we are more rational than ordinary people. Long years have endowed us with knowledge—the more you know, the more rational you become. This is also a human trait.”

“Your explanation is just a cover-up. You superintelligences are most susceptible to the influence of the Secret Spirits. If you were my teacher, I’d rather skip math class,” Will challenged, “I’m the top student in this class. I’m the only one who has defeated the Secret Spirits. I say you’re unqualified to teach me, so you must leave.”

Oh dear, Su Old Ancestor had lived so long and seen many unruly boys but never encountered such arrogance.

Su Ninglong took a sip of warm water. “Whether superintelligences count as humans isn’t for you to decide. The Interstellar Constitution states they are; therefore, they are. You have no right to judge.”

Will’s face flushed deeply, his pale freckled spots becoming prominent like a dense star chart.

He glared fiercely at Su Ninglong. “Little bean, do you think being a top elementary student lets you change my mind? You just enrolled and don’t understand the harsh realities of the Star Alliance Academy. The Star Alliance governs by strength. I dislike his teaching, so he must leave. Besides, my father is a Star Alliance director and has the authority to investigate him. During the investigation, he can be barred from teaching.”

“Is that so? Then try it. The school values you less than me. I have no objection to Navico; as long as he teaches me well, he is a good teacher. If you don’t like it, then you’re the one who must go.” Su Ninglong lifted her chin, flames flickering in her palm as she increased her spiritual power output, filling the room with heat.

This was akin to slapping Will in the face; the entire class held their breath.

“As far as I know, even if you have special abilities, you can’t control them steadily. I can. So sit down and don’t waste my time. I need to study.”

“You...” Will pounded the desk, deeply frustrated to be suppressed by a four-year-old.

But Su Ninglong truly had the skill—no illusions, no boasting.

The flames burned genuinely out of thin air. The class watched the fire silently, no one dared to speak.

As they said themselves, the stronger one’s power, the more favoritism the Star Alliance showed.

No student stood to oppose Navico on the podium again.

Su Ninglong smiled sweetly. “Teacher Navico, please continue with the lesson.”

After class, Su Ninglong realized Navico was not a passionate teacher—his slow, emotionless voice made it easy to fall asleep.

Fortunately, Su Ninglong had a deep interest in mathematics and physics and listened with great enthusiasm.

Navico was indeed a superintelligent being with vast knowledge.

He had profound insights into mathematics, extending to space and practical applications.

Behind every formula was an interesting story.

Su Ninglong was engrossed until the bell rang and Navico stopped teaching.

She clapped her hands. “Teacher, you explained everything wonderfully.”

Navico glanced at the other students, all of whom were slumped on their desks.

“Thank you for your compliment.”

“Compliment?” Su Ninglong was puzzled.

Being so serious, she hadn’t noticed the others. Looking around, she realized she didn’t care if they studied or not; it didn’t affect her.

“It doesn’t affect me.”

“Teacher Navico, may I have your contact information? I’d like to ask you questions privately in the future.”

“Of course,” Navico replied. “When we discussed hyperspace theory earlier, you seemed very excited. Did you understand it?”

“Not completely. I’m just interested in some phenomena of the hyperspace experiments. You mentioned that if the shuttle’s calculations go wrong, creating a non-Euclidean geometry in hyperspace, escape would be impossible unless someone from outside breaks the structure…”

A four-year-old seriously talking about hyperspace phenomena was quite amusing. Navico did not hesitate to discuss it with her.

He soon realized she indeed had some uniquely original ideas.

“That’s worth thinking about, but there’s no data to support it.”

“No worries. Since humans can already utilize hyperspace, someday we’ll be able to experiment.”

“You’re right.”

As Su Ninglong and Navico left, the students whispered among themselves.

“She’s the new student who scored twenty points extra to pass, right? Amazing. Even from the edge of the classroom, I feel the heat.”

Will stubbornly said, “She walks with Navico, so she’s destined to be a loser, ending up a cold coward.”

“Will, watch your words. We’ll soon have the Hunter exam. If we fail, we’ll be ordinary students or just guides. Navico is only a temporary teacher. If not a teacher, he can continue as a scientist.”

Will had nothing to say and sulked alone.

Walking down the school corridor, Su Ninglong admired the panoramic glass railing, offering a view of the beautiful, deep forest in the distance.

“Brother Yuan, why do the older kids in class dislike the math teacher so much?”

When Xing Yuan came to pick up Su Ninglong, he had seen Navico and knew the math teacher was a superintelligence.

“Do you like him?”

“I like his cool appearance. He’s very learned, but I don’t know him well. Of course, aside from my godmother, I definitely like you more. If you make sweet and sour ribs for dinner, I’d say you’re my favorite.”

Affection could vary depending on food—such was the capriciousness of the Old Ancestor Su.

Xing Yuan pinched Su Ninglong’s cheek and told her about the origins of the superintelligences.

“Superintelligences are an ancient group that once resembled humans physically. They were smart and curious about the nature of things. According to their history, their race has lasted twenty thousand years. Before the Great Interstellar Integration, their civilization was undergoing transformation. A small faction sought immortality and conducted many inhumane experiments. Victims included their own humans and many others from different star civilizations.”

“In the end, they succeeded. Countless superintelligences were born, ushering in an ‘immortality’ era. But many lost their humanity and became emotionless machines.”

“Some wanted to return to human form, leading to even crueler experiments. They even opened the Abyssal Gate to deep space.”

“They couldn’t resist the Secret Spirits, which are contagious. Many superintelligences went mad and committed suicide—only one in ten survived. Escape became their only way to save themselves.”

“At that time, the galaxy was chaotic, full of wars. No one welcomed them, so they wandered endlessly. Until all humans united against the Secret Spirits, forming an alliance, they finally settled down. If you want to know more, ask Teacher Funi—she’s an expert in interstellar history. I can only tell you this much; I’m afraid of misleading you if I go deeper.”

“The alliance is the Star Alliance?” Su Ninglong asked first.

“No, the alliance refers to cooperation between nations. The Great Interstellar Integration happened then. It was signed about two hundred years ago and unified ten years ago. Five years ago, Principal Yan led the Hunter Training Program, known as the Star Alliance.”

After Xing Yuan’s explanation, Su Ninglong understood why others disliked superintelligences.

Some wounds, no matter how much time passes, cannot be erased.

“What exactly are the Secret Spirits? Where did they come from? With such advanced technology, why haven’t they been dealt with in over two hundred years?”

“That’s what you’ll study and explore in the future.” Xing Yuan asked, “After hearing about the superintelligences’ history, what do you think of Navico?”

Xing Yuan looked intently at Su Ninglong.

Her eyes were clear and sincere. “I need more time with Navico before forming an opinion.”

“That’s a very good approach. We shouldn’t blame innocent people for the faults of a few.”

“That’s wisdom for life,” Su Ninglong said proudly, then asked, “What about you? Would you dislike Navico because of the superintelligences’ past?”

“The Xingqi people haven’t been persecuted by superintelligences.”

“Brother Yuan, you’re sly, avoiding a direct answer.”

“That’s life wisdom too.”

At noon, Su Ninglong had lunch in the cafeteria, chattering non-stop about her critiques. “This vegetable variety is no good—bland and definitely not organic. The fries are a bit burnt, not as tasty as yours. The braised ribs’ sauce is just so-so, lacking something.”

Xing Yuan briefly shielded himself from her grumbling signals. He had work too and couldn’t cater to every meal.

In the afternoon, besides the Secret Spirit and Natural Biology courses, there was a field investigation class for teenagers over ten, taught by a retired star police officer.

It was Su Ninglong’s first encounter with this subject, and it opened her eyes.

The teacher showed some simple pictures for them to analyze who the culprit was.

Students eagerly shared their reasoning.

In the end, the teacher explained the culprit and the deductive process, which fascinated Su Ninglong, finding it even more interesting than forging.

On the way to the Secret Spirit class, she was still pondering the teacher’s assignment.

When the bell rang, she realized she might be late for the next class and hurried to the forest edge.

Seeing her arrive, Charlie immediately let go of Haiyu’s hand and ran to her, grinning. “Sister Su.”

“Hmm. Stand still, don’t get close to me.” Su Ninglong instantly turned cold, hands in pockets.

Charlie obediently stood at attention, fingers tight against his pants. “Sister Su, I miss you so much. Why are your classes different from ours?”

“Because my IQ is online, and yours is questionable.”

“My mom says my IQ is just right. Before becoming excellent, you thought so too, huh?”

Haiyu covered her forehead. “Too sycophantic.”

Little Charlie clung to Su Ninglong like an unwanted puppy, circling her.

“Kids are innocent; don’t take it too seriously.”

Haiyu cast a sidelong glance at the beaming Xingqi person. “Can I understand that as sarcasm?”

Xing Yuan folded his hands behind his back, relaxed. “Friend, I don’t want you to misinterpret me.”

Haiyu rolled her eyes; this guy’s tail was practically wagging. If he had a peacock’s tail, it would be fanned out by now.

Because this class had no walls to restrict the children’s activity area, the guides could only watch over them closely to prevent them from running off.

Soon, Teacher Yang arrived in a vehicle, pulling a large covered object behind it.

Parking the car, Teacher Yang greeted warmly, “Hey, kids, come over, class is starting.”

At his call, more than fifty children left the guides and happily ran to the vehicle.

“Hello, Teacher Yang.”

“Hello, Teacher Yang.”

Surrounded by adorable kids, Teacher Yang chuckled heartily, patting his big belly and stroking his beard.

Suddenly, a small green parrot’s head poked out from the beard.

“Teacher, is this your pet?”

“Yes, this is Baicai. Don’t touch it for now; it’s afraid of strangers.”

Some kids ignored the warning and reached out to pet it.

“Dumpling babies, so scary.” The parrot seemed startled, flapping its wings and flying out.

“Baicai, come back!” Teacher Yang jumped up to catch it but missed.

The colorful feathers of the little parrot fluttered above dozens of kids’ heads, attracting their attention.

“I’m your grandpa! Dare to touch me, and you’ll pay!” the parrot shouted fiercely.

“Baicai, you dare—”

“Dare, dare, I do dare!” Baicai cried out, then randomly “flew.”

A blob of yellow-white bird droppings fell.

Su Ninglong grabbed Charlie’s collar, pulling him aside to avoid the mess.

The droppings landed on little Phoebe’s shoes.

“My new shoes! Wah...” Phoebe cried loudly.

The parrot didn’t stop attacking, swooping down again aggressively. “Damn bear cub!”

The children were frightened; some covered their heads and ran, others fell.

The scene was chaotic; several kids got scratched by Baicai.

“Baicai, no, come back. They haven’t hurt you; you can’t do this,” Teacher Yang said anxiously.

Baicai ignored him, targeting Charlie again, ready to dive-bomb. It folded its wings, preparing to strike.

A small white hand was faster.

Baicai was grabbed by the throat. “Gurgle, I’m doomed, caught by the naughty kid.”

Su Ninglong caught Baicai. Teacher Yang sighed in relief. “Great, can you give it to me? I’ll give it a good scolding; it’s too naughty.”

The parrot in her palm protested and struggled. “Let go of the nest, let go of the nest.”

Su Ninglong covered its beak. “Mmm mmm mmm…”