Chapter 54: Theoretical Class (Part 1)

Well, the snacks actually tasted pretty good.

Jiang Hui was already eating away, though it was clear the organizers never really intended for them to have a proper meal with these pastries. It was just a formality... Before she could even finish her first bite, the entire conference hall fell silent because the staff members in charge of the curriculum seemed to have entered.

She watched as the adults in the front rows filed in orderly, streaming in to find their respective seats. Then followed a brief flurry of activity as assisting corporate employees bustled about making arrangements, quickly getting everything into place before someone closed the front doors.

The lights in the conference hall seemed to instantly brighten, making the entire space luminous in an instant. The room grew completely quiet—so quiet that one could probably hear a pin drop.

Interstellar citizens were remarkably disciplined, and their work efficiency was impressively high. Various groups cooperated smoothly with the proceedings, allowing such a large-scale event to settle down with incredible swiftness. Back on Blue Star, perhaps only a general assembly could achieve this level of order.

Jiang Hui naturally placed her half-eaten pastry back into the box and put on a solemn, proper expression just like everyone else around her.

"Hello, everyone." A young man's voice suddenly broke the silence from somewhere unknown.

Before she could look ahead to search for the speaker, the strange row of metal panels at the very front of the workstation suddenly flipped open, and a large, clear image was projected out of thin air.

The hands Jiang Hui had clasped behind her back tightened slightly, and her body instinctively leaned back in defense. The sudden appearance of the light screen had genuinely startled her without warning.

However, having already grown accustomed to all sorts of bizarrely functional high-tech products in the interstellar era, she quickly recovered. Her expression remained unchanged as she began to carefully examine this device she had never seen before.

It somewhat resembled a three-dimensional projection composed of light particles, with the embedded circle of metal in front of the workstation serving as the base for emission. Once projected, it hovered around the entire workstation in a three-dimensional image that was remarkably clear.

No wonder the organizers weren't worried that people in the back wouldn't be able to see or hear the lecture in such a massive conference hall—it turned out they projected the content accurately to every single seat.

Just slightly distracted by this, Jiang Hui quickly redirected her attention back to the young man who had spoken first in the projection.

After drawing everyone's attention, he welcomed everyone on behalf of the corporation to the event. He then introduced himself as the director of the Dongbo branch in this district, responsible for overseeing the hands-on mecha experience class. Without wasting any breath, he moved straight into a brief list of precautions, covering reminders such as "keep the venue quiet," "do not wander around arbitrarily during the event," and "pay attention to safety."

The entire speech practically stopped just short of telling all the little kids to watch their safety and avoid any dangerous operations. From this, the nature of the event was already quite apparent, especially since even the organizers clearly understood who the primary audience for this course was likely to be.

Still, since she was already here, there was no point in dwelling on it. Although she hadn't paid any registration fee, the transportation cost from her apartment to the inner ring wasn't cheap, and she was spending a whole day here.

Besides, truth be told, Jiang Hui probably knew even less about mechas than the children present, so there was no need to feel embarrassed about attending such a class. She couldn't just leave empty-handed, right?! She would study diligently and wouldn't lose out.

With this thought, Jiang Hui quickly immersed herself in the public lecture alongside the other participants.

This hands-on mecha experience class was actually divided into two parts. One part was theoretical—essentially popular science—while the other was the practical, hands-on portion, namely the final mecha-crafting segment.

Jiang Hui was more interested in the latter, but the former was equally what she needed most at her current stage.

The theoretical section would reportedly be taught by three instructors. The one speaking first was a professor from the permanent Mecha Association, tasked with explaining the major weapon transformations since humanity entered the interstellar era and how mechas came to be.

Although this professor looked elderly, his teaching style matched his age quite well, carrying a heavy and somewhat dull tone. Many of the young kids in the conference hall struggled to keep listening, but for anyone studying mechas, this was considered a mandatory course. If they were to enter higher education institutions in the future, passing this course was a graduation requirement. Learning it early now meant she wasn't losing out.

Jiang Hui, however, found it thoroughly fascinating. She didn't find it dull at all, because this was precisely the kind of knowledge she needed most. It touched upon the history of human interstellar development, with the speaker placing special emphasis on analyzing humanity's developmental needs and how those demands and conflicts drove and facilitated the birth of mechas.

Content resembling such foundational principles was admittedly a bit too dry, so the organizers didn't allocate too much time to it, covering it only in broad strokes. Finally, the professor concluded this portion of the lecture under Jiang Hui's lingering, unsatisfied gaze.

What a pity.

Jiang Hui decided that once she returned, she would look for related books to read to make up for the regret of not being able to listen to her heart's content.

Conducting the second part of the lecture was a sharp, capable-looking professional woman who reportedly hailed from an experienced intermediate mecha artisan stationed at the Mecha Artisans' Branch Association.

The grading system for interstellar mecha artisans was very simple, consisting of three examination levels: junior, intermediate, and advanced. However, a mecha artisan's true capability could not be simply distinguished by their rank alone.

Generally, young people who had just graduated from school could only qualify for the junior mecha artisan exam. Even with great talent, they would be restricted by age and seniority requirements and could not immediately take the next level.

If someone truly wanted to take the exam without sufficient seniority, they could only obtain the qualification to take the intermediate mecha artisan exam through a special recommendation from a superior mecha artisan. This rule seemed archaic, but it was an ironclad rule that maintained the normal operation of the Mecha Artisans' Association for several stellar centuries, virtually unbreakable by anyone.

Meanwhile, intermediate mecha artisans formed the largest group among all qualified mecha artisans across the interstellar world, possessing the most solid foundations. Most of these artisans possessed robust fundamentals, rich experience, and adequate professional competence.

As for the qualification of an advanced mecha artisan, it could not be taken casually. The vast majority of non-professional interstellar citizens still did not know the criteria and methods for obtaining this qualification.

Those who bore the title of advanced mecha artisan had usually already achieved worldwide fame long before obtaining the qualification.

It could be said that advanced mecha artisans were synonymous with global renown and masterhood. Not a single advanced mecha artisan was obscure or unknown.