EROS [Zerg]

"No."

Without even thinking, Eros immediately and decisively refused.

Desail looked somewhat disappointed. He said nothing and lowered his head to continue eating.

Eros took out the few remaining cash star coins from his pocket and placed them on the table: "This is all I have left. Keep these safe and don't give them to other female insects."

"..." Desail's gaze lingered on the table, looking at the dozen or so metal star coins bearing the imperial emblem.

Eros thought Desel thought the money was too little, but it was all the cash he had left.

Desel looked at the nutrient solution in Eros's hand and then at the C-type meal in front of him, his face full of doubt: "Are you short of star coins right now?"

……

Eros's smile was almost impossible to maintain: ...Don't say such things with that expression, don't I, an insect, have any dignity?

"Instead of worrying about my financial situation, you should think more about how you're going to get by this month."

“If you’re struggling financially…” Dessell’s eyes were clear: “I can have my brother help you find a part-time job at the college.”

part time……?

Eros wanted to find a part-time job, otherwise, with only expenses and no income, he really didn't know how long his few thousand star coins could last.

However, considering that it was not easy to take leave from the college, let alone find a part-time job outside the school that required fixed hours, Eros had not yet looked for a job that could alleviate his current financial difficulties.

"Inside the academy?" Eros's eyes lit up. If he could find a part-time job inside the academy, that would be fantastic.

But Eros had never seen any part-time job postings at the academy.

Desel nodded: "My brother's maid is the head of the academy's human resources department. I'll have my brother ask him."

After hearing this, Eros felt that he had too much sympathy. If Desail hadn't been mentally damaged, he might have been laughing at his overflowing sympathy.

As Eros thought this, he involuntarily covered his face with his claws, almost bowing 90 degrees to Desail, and grabbed the female insect's claws that were holding cutlery: "Thank you so much, please."

Desail's face flushed slightly as Eros held her paw: "Then can I pursue you?"

“No.” Eros withdrew his claw.

"Huh? Why?"

“Because…because…” Eros’s gaze swept over Desail, finally settling on the two deep dark circles under his eyes: “…because I don’t like bugs with dark circles.”

After saying that, Eros instinctively felt that he couldn't stay there any longer. He wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead, made up an excuse, and slipped away with his nutrient solution.

Desail, who hadn't yet figured it out, was left standing there in a daze.

Eros ran back to the dormitory and grabbed Alai, who was reading a book, to complain to him about what had happened in the cafeteria.

"You can understand how scared I was just now, right?"

Alai gently put down the book in his hand and raised an eyebrow: "I'm sorry, no. Actually, I feel a little sorry for you."

Although he knew Alai was joking, Eros still looked at Alai with mixed feelings.

“Desail may seem a bit silly now, but his male father is Prince Aesop, the brother of the Insect King, and his female father is the Prime Minister. If you have a talk with him, you’ll only gain, and you won’t lose. He’s no worse than your little male.” Alai looked down at his claws, his words revealing a hint of casual sarcasm.

"Female insects don't need sympathy, especially in the Comet Class. You could say that everyone else is an aristocrat except for you."

"Desail is just a little stupid, not stupid enough to be unable to take care of himself. In addition, his personal computer has been set with a health alarm, so even if you starve to death, he won't starve to death."

Eros felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this. Indeed, in this school, he, Eros, was the most likely person to starve to death.

Thinking this, Eros angrily gulped down the remaining half-bottle of nutrient solution. Halfway through, he remembered what Desail had said about part-time work:

"Alai, do you know if there are any part-time positions at the academy that students can take on?"

"You want a part-time job? Hmm... no, we don't see a female insect here who needs to do part-time work for years."

Eros could understand it by thinking about it. Most of the female insects in the First Military Academy of the Insect Star Empire came from prestigious and noble families. How many of them would be as short of money as him?

“If you want to make money at the academy, you first need to have a skill you excel at,” Alai noticed Eros’s predicament and reminded him.

"For example, the mechs in the mech training ground often need repairs. Because the number of military mechanics who can repair mechs is limited, not only are the repairs expensive, but it is also difficult to make an appointment."

"Once you learn how to repair mechs from Teacher Brandt and pass the professional qualification exam, you can earn a decent living by repairing other insects' mechs on campus."

After saying that, Alai paused:

"If you're short on cash right now, I can lend you some."

Eros shook his head and declined Alai's offer: "I'm fine now, don't worry too much about me."

Alai nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Eros, remember to tell me if you encounter any difficulties."

“Okay.” Eros picked up his textbook, nodded gratefully to Alai, and then left the dormitory for Brandt’s office.

Alex sat quietly in his chair, watching Eros leave through the doorway. Only when he heard the footsteps fade into the distance did he rise from his seat, take a small screwdriver from the wardrobe, tuck it into his coat, and walk out the door.

……

Brandt was sitting at his computer in front of his office building a data model when Eros knocked on the door. He had just finished making the final revision to the model.

"Please come in."

“Teacher.” Eros entered the room.

"You're here! Come and see what I think of this mech I designed!" Brandt showed the data model to Eros.

Blue-green lines outlined the shape of an advanced mecha. As the mouse clicked on each part on the screen, their data unfolded one by one, and the dense data made Eros's eyes dizzy.

Eros felt that the mech looked somewhat familiar.

"This mech looks a lot like the 'Corona' I saw in the video, it's very beautiful."

Brandt paused in his mouse click on the parts on the screen upon hearing this, and looked up to see the sincere longing in Eros's eyes.

The beautiful female insect's eyes were fixed on the mecha model on the screen, and her subtle expression revealed her excitement.

"You know about the solar corona?"

“I’ve seen Lieutenant General Evanson’s combat videos…” Eros was saying when he suddenly remembered that Instructor Brandt didn’t seem to like Lieutenant General Evanson very much, and his words stopped abruptly in his throat.

“You can’t tell a military mechanic that his weapon designs are similar to other things, or you’ll offend the bugs.” Brandt smiled and pointed to the mecha model on the screen: “But you’re lucky this time. This model is the modified Corona.”

Seeing the surprise on Eros's face, Brandt said with a hint of pride, "Although I didn't participate in the engineering design of the first generation Corona, I was the chief designer for the modifications of the second and third generation Corona mechs."