Chapter 44 Network Information

Thanks to Guan Yuqi's reminder, she was truly introduced to an entirely different world.

What initially seemed like a mere child's plaything turned out to be remarkably useful once she gave it a try—at least, far superior to sheer rote memorization.

Since Guan Yuqi no longer imposed strict time constraints, she could focus on what was advised: building a solid foundation.

Although the two-week deadline for memorizing theoretical material was gone, she still needed to study, but now she could do so in an orderly fashion. Most of her energy could now be dedicated to practical execution and foundation-building.

Ever since Cheng Yifei handed her those two introductory books, she had also begun venturing into the library on her own to find books suited to her needs.

She was no longer confined to basic subjects; instead, whenever an area sparked her curiosity, she would hunt down specialized literature and dive straight into it.

The outcome of this approach was that she learned exceptionally fast in the fields that interested her, while progressing much slower in those she wasn't particularly fond of.

Yet she remained unconcerned. Even her slower-paced studies met Cheng Yifei's standards, while her extra learning stemmed purely from a budding fascination with the era's digital networks.

She had always harbored a deep curiosity about the network systems of this world.

"What on earth is this?" Cheng Yifei blurted out instinctively. "I don't recall asking you to look into these things, did I?"

Observing this reaction, Xu Qiao glanced down at herself and then at the screen. "What's wrong? Is something amiss?"

She practically lived in the simulation room during every spare moment.

With that permission, coupled with the extra time granted by Guan Yuqi, she considered herself truly fortunate.

Through these days of exploration, Xu Qiao's fascination with next-generation network communication equipment grew increasingly profound.

Consequently, her interest in these domains soared, and her current understanding far exceeded what Cheng Yifei had originally prescribed.

Realizing this, Xu Qiao nodded directly. "So, what kind of position will I eventually be assigned to?"

In truth, their equipment was remarkably advanced; their training facilities even utilized genuine communication systems.

Cheng Yifei snapped back to reality and hurriedly shook her head. "There's nothing wrong, it's just... aren't you studying things a bit too advanced for your current level?"

Yet she never expected that upon returning to the computer room, she would find that the books in Xu Qiao's hands had long since changed.

Since her specific assignment was still undetermined, learning a bit more in the meantime didn't seem like a bad idea at all.

Xu Qiao's current academic pursuits extended far beyond what Cheng Yifei was teaching her right now.

People who could master everything did exist, but one could not demand that of everyone; most people could only learn one trade and perform one task.

Noticing the flicker of disappointment in her expression, Xu Qiao understood that a metaphorical sword currently hung suspended over the entire communications squad.

The most miraculous part was the ability to hack into an opponent's computer—something utterly unimaginable when she first encountered it, never dreaming that such a method of attack existed in this world.

Furthermore, she had completely bypassed the standard baseline of fundamental knowledge.

Connecting to the network multiple times, Xu Qiao discovered that not only could she communicate normally, but she could also utilize it to gather network intelligence.

And when Cheng Yifei, who had simply tossed a book at her and told her to figure it out on her own, finally remembered to check up on her, she received quite a start.

With that thought, Xu Qiao could only let out a helpless sigh. "Tell me... do you think they won't assign me to any post for a long time?"

Coupled with the uncertainty of how the reorganization would unfold, a gloomy atmosphere hung heavy over the entire communications squad.

Hearing this, Xu Qiao did not hesitate. She skillfully logged into the simulated communication system interface and began operating it.

Seeing her maneuver the system, Cheng Yifei cautiously stepped closer, only to realize that the operations Xu Qiao was performing long surpassed what she had taught, and the reference books even exceeded the ones she had originally gathered.

Xu Qiao smiled and pointed to the book in her hand.

Xu Qiao stated directly, "I've already finished reading the materials you gave me, and I've figured them out."

Thus, she hadn't bothered waiting to see if Cheng Yifei approved, choosing instead to study in the direction of her own preference.

At the very least, she could concentrate on learning these subjects free from outside interference.

"That's not certain yet, and there are far too many variables right now. By the time you finish learning all this and are ready for job placement, the current model might not even exist anymore."

Cheng Yifei sighed helplessly as she spoke.

"As long as there's no problem, being too advanced doesn't matter. Learning a bit more can never hurt," Xu Qiao said, visibly relaxing.

No one could predict what aftermath this exercise would bring, nor how they would be restructured.

It was essentially a sword of Damocles, waiting to fall at any moment.

Her apprehension wasn't fear of Xu Qiao, but rather the fear that the squad leader would reprimand her for failing her mission.

"I... haven't studied that aspect. My post has no use for it."

Raising her gaze to meet Cheng Yifei's, she added, "Still... since you didn't leave me with anything else, I just picked up some other books from the library. I have no idea if they're suitable for us, but reading something is always better than reading nothing."

She learned that besides transmitting data, the system could also employ various methods for interception and attack.

Ever since Cheng Yifei spoke up for her last time, their relationship had eased considerably, so her tone was no longer as abrasive.

This was the first time Xu Qiao had ever heard of such a thing as specialized posts, though she supposed it made sense; not everyone could be a jack-of-all-trades.

For her present self, she wasn't afraid of learning too much—eventually, everything would find a use.

One could say all this time belonged entirely to her.

This time, Cheng Yifei made no attempt to hide the truth, telling her directly, "For the time being, there shouldn't be any changes."

Now that the veteran soldiers had left—along with those who didn't want to leave but were forced to go—the low-spirited atmosphere among the remaining personnel sank even deeper into depression.

"You don't need to dwell on other things right now. Just focus entirely on mastering your technical skills."

As for electronic jamming and anti-jamming measures, it immediately reminded her of the electronic warfare unit.

Upon watching her complete a series of operations, Cheng Yifei could hardly believe her eyes. Just moments ago, she supposedly knew nothing, yet now she could operate the system with such fluency?

She stared at Xu Qiao in momentary disbelief.

After a brief hesitation, Cheng Yifei remarked, "I'm afraid these won't be of much help to you."

Within the communications platoon, lacking a permanent assignment meant she mostly just trained alongside everyone else; whenever others went on duty, she simply found herself idle.

At that thought, she immediately looked up at Cheng Yifei and asked, "Right, I've been researching these network countermeasures lately. Could you take a look and tell me if I'm doing this right?"

Yet Cheng Yifei remained stunned upon hearing this, hurriedly turning around to approach the computer terminal. "Show me how you operate it."

Naturally, launching network attacks was also an option, though she hadn't yet grasped the underlying principles.

However, she could certainly use it to monitor various types of communications.

Though their communications squad did not handle heavy information traffic during periods devoid of missions or exercises, a few transmissions still passed through daily.

Xu Qiao discovered that through her operations, she could actually view the messages transmitted or received by her own squad.