Yuan Xiu: Chu Yan’s bestfriend.
Xiang Kun: Chu Yan’s (ex-)mortal enemy. Xiang Hui’s younger brother. Mecha manufacturing student.
Sang Bu: MC’s roommate. Transferred from Information System to Mecha Manufacturing.
Bearded Teacher aka Master Shang: Qiao Zhiya’s Mecha teacher in VR. Chu Rong’s mother’s teacher. Is currently a mecha manufacturing teacher.
Luo Li: Qiao Zhiya’s senior older brother. He won the online Mecha Manufacturing Contest.
Feng: The Imperial High Advisor.
Jian: the Imperial High Advisor’s son. Studies History.
Qiao Zhiya noticed that Chu Rong suddenly developed a liking for reminiscing about the past and often dragged him into it whenever they had some free time.
With the combination of military matters and upcoming holidays piling up, Chu Rong’s workload had become terrifyingly immense. He was leaving early and coming home late every day, undoubtedly exhausted. Qiao Zhiya figured that Chu Rong might be under too much pressure and wanted to use chatting as a way to relax his emotions.
Thinking about being considerate of his lover, Qiao Zhiya actively engaged in Chu Rong’s conversations about the past. He even took the time to prepare a large amount of potions in the gaps between researching codes and red patterns, keeping them on standby. Whenever he had the chance, he would feed Chu Rong the potions to help alleviate his physical and spiritual fatigue.
Apart from being quite busy, life seemed to have briefly returned to peace and stability.
The Zergs hadn’t appeared again, the investigations on various planets had concluded, and those contaminated by the Ning family’s drugs were all gathered for centralized treatment. Locations where the Zergs had previously appeared and places potentially containing black hole teleportation devices were thoroughly searched. Chu Rong personally led the military to meticulously inspect the entire Capital Planet, ensuring absolute safety.
If one were to ignore the prisoners held by the military and the piles of investigation materials being sent from various places, and only focus on the lives of ordinary people outside, it seemed that peace had truly returned after the war.
“Is the size just right? Does it feel tight on the shoulders?”
Gu Yan’an, with her pregnant belly, adjusted the small tie on Qiao Zhiya’s formal military uniform and took a step back to admire the overall look. Satisfied, she nodded and said, “Not bad. This color suits you well.”
Blushing, Qiao Zhiya touched the black and gold military uniform he was wearing and shyly replied, “The shoulders are just right.” He couldn’t think of anything more to say. Such occasions of trying on clothes always made him feel a bit awkward.
Knowing that he was thin-skinned, Gu Yan’an didn’t say much more. She sat down on the sofa, supporting her belly, and glanced at Chu Yan, who was eagerly waiting beside her. With a smile, she said, “It’s fine as long as it fits. Alright, go and have fun. You can’t even sit still while trying on clothes.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Chu Yan jumped up, approached Qiao Zhiya, and pushed him back to the room while trying to please Gu Yan’an. “How could that be, Dasao? Your taste is definitely impeccable. Besides, Qiao looks good no matter what he wears, just like you, Dasao.”
Advertisement“You smooth talker,” Gu Yan’an pretended to scold him, but her smile grew even stronger.
Chu Yan made a face at her, then hurriedly pushed Qiao Zhiya back into the room, saying quickly, “After you change, head straight to the mecha combat arena. I’ll go pick up Yuan Xiu, he’s waiting at the entrance.”
Seeing him eager to leave after saying this, Qiao Zhiya raised his voice to stop him. “Wait, I’ve also invited a friend who’s also a mecha manufacturer. When you go to pick up Yuan Xiu, also pick him up.”
“A friend who’s also a mecha manufacturer?” Chu Yan stopped in his tracks, looking at him in confusion. “Did you call Sang Bu?”
Qiao Zhiya’sears twitched, just smiling without answering.
In a hurry to try out the new mecha, Chu Yan thought he had obtained Qiao Zhiya’s consent, so he didn’t ask further questions and left quickly to welcome the helper who would be testing the mecha today.
Qiao Zhiya watched him leave, deliberately taking his time to change clothes. After making sure everyone had been picked up, he calmly took the space button for the mecha and headed to the mecha combat arena.
Inside the arena, Chu Yan sat in the stands with an expression of deep resentment, to his left was the expressionless Xiang Kun, and to his right was the curious and gossip-loving Yuan Xiu. None of them spoke, and the atmosphere was extremely strange.
AdvertisementQiao Zhiya’s gaze swept across the faces of the three young men, then stepped forward, smiling as he waved to Xiang Kun. “I’ll be counting on you today.”
“No problem, it’s my pleasure,” Xiang Kun said as his expression softened upon seeing him, taking the initiative to get up and greet him.
Chu Yan and Yuan Xiu stared dumbfoundedly at the “friendly interaction” and “pleasant conversation” between the two, feeling like they hadn’t fully woken up yet.
“When did Qiao become so close to Xiang Kun?” Yuan Xiu was the first to regain his senses, grabbing Chu Yan’s arm and squeezing it hard.
Chu Yan was lucky he didn’t cry out in pain. He quickly shook off Yuan Xiu’s hand, his face contorted in discomfort as he said, “How would I know? Qiao never told me, and neither did Xiang Kun. How was I supposed to know when their relationship became so good?”
Yuan Xiu turned his head to look at him suspiciously, sniffing, “Strange, why do I feel like you’re dripping with sarcasm? Don’t tell me you’re trying to compete with your Erge— ah!”
Before Yuan Xiu could finish his unreliable speculation, Chu Yan slapped it away, scolding him without patience. He gave him a stern look and said, “Keep those messy thoughts in your head to yourself. If my Erge hears that, Laozi will go gray overnight.”
Yuan Xiu rubbed his arm, remembering Chu Rong, and quickly shut his mouth, not daring to blabber anymore. However, his curious gaze kept wandering between Qiao Zhiya and Xiang Kun.
“How is Teacher Ronny?” Qiao Zhiya asked as he handed the list of notes for piloting the Knight he had prepared earlier to Xiang Kun. He also took out detailed blueprints of “Knight”, his attitude open and trusting.
Seeing this, Xiang Kun visibly relaxed and replied, “Master is doing well. I asked about you before I came here.”
AdvertisementHe addressed his master with such respect and sincerity that Qiao Zhiya smiled and nodded in response. “I’m glad you’re here. Everyone else is busy, and I have some other matters to attend to. Xiaoyan is eager to try out the mecha, so I had to ask for your help.”
Fate was indeed a mysterious thing. Over a year had passed, and Luo Li and Xiang Kun, who had previously been complete strangers, had somehow come to admire each other. Eventually, they even became master and disciple. What’s more surprising was that Luo Li had taken the initiative in this relationship. According to Master Shang, Luo Li was moved by Xiang Kun’s stubbornness and had insisted on becoming his disciple.
One was a young master who once firmly believed that his own mecha-making techniques were the best and refused to learn any “trash” from the outside world. The other was an unconventional uncle who had his own methods of designing and making mechas and teaching them. Their collaboration seemed a bit strange, but it seemed to be working out well.
The collision of tradition and the unconventional was bound to produce something new and eye-catching.
Hearing Qiao Zhiya’s words, Xiang Kun glanced at him and replied softly without elaborating. After becoming Luo Li’s disciple, he had gained a deeper understanding of Qiao Zhiya’s efforts.
He had tried Luo Li’s rapid learning system after becoming his disciple, but he eventually had to give up because he couldn’t keep up with the curriculum. After discarding his prejudices and gaining a deeper understanding, he now only felt admiration for Qiao Zhiya. His previous cautiousness and suspicions were like nightmares from his youth, fading away with time.
As soon as Chu Yan arrived, he heard Qiao Zhiya’s seemingly thunderous “handing over” remark, and he was shocked, jumping up in surprise. “What are you doing, Qiao? Aren’t you supposed to help me test the mecha? Xiang Kun has only finished second-year courses, and he—”
Seeing Xiang Kun’s expression darken beside him, Chu Yan’s words choked off, and he hurriedly explained, “No, it’s not that I think you’re not good enough, I—”
“I know.” Xiang Kun interrupted him, tightening his grip on the materials and taking a deep breath to suppress his emotions. “I know my skills aren’t up to par, but I’ll do my best. Plus, today I’ll only be doing some basic adjustments for you. You don’t need to worry. I’ve done this many times with Master, so there won’t be any problems.”
Not hearing any retort but receiving such an almost self-deprecating explanation instead, Chu Yan began to scratch his head in confusion, unable to come up with anything to say for a while. Without their usual way of interacting, he really didn’t know how to deal with Xiang Kun anymore.
AdvertisementQiao Zhiya timely pulled the confused Chu Yan aside, saying, “Xiao Kun grew up with you, so he understands your attack routines better than I do. His mecha manufacturing skills are also quite mature, and he’s already self-taught how to assemble mechas. There’s absolutely no problem with him testing his mecha for you. I have to go to the military department for a bit. You and Xiao Kun should get along well. I’ll leave first.”
With that, he smiled at Xiang Kun and waved to Yuan Xiu, then turned and left with light steps.
“Hey, Qiao…” Chu Yan was too late to stop him. His neck stiffened as he turned away, not daring to look in Xiang Kun’s direction, feeling completely twisted up inside.
Xiang Kun hadn’t expected Qiao Zhiya to know about his progress in self-study. After a moment of bewilderment, he regained his senses. Reflecting on Qiao Zhiya’s slightly affectionate address, his previously sour mood, stirred up by Chu Yan, subsided once again. He cast a faint glance at Chu Yan, who appeared exceptionally foolish at the moment. Furrowing his brow, Xiang Kun shoved the space button containing the mecha into Chu Yan’s hand, almost commanding him, “Get into the mecha and power it up.”
As Chu Yan reflexively grasped the space button, his stiffened neck finally turned, his gaze quickly scanning Xiang Kun’s expression. Seeing Xiang Kun’s serious demeanor, he suddenly felt a bit suffocated. He twisted his neck, finding Xiang Kun oddly handsome in this state. His mouth moved, and in the end, he obediently responded, “Mn.”
In the observation stand, Yuan Xiu watched in disbelief as Chu Yan and Xiang Kun, who had just finished their harmonious interaction, began to debug the mecha. He rubbed his eyes, swallowing hard after confirming it wasn’t an illusion. Rolling his eyes, he slumped back in his chair, deciding not to force himself to figure out the psychological activities of these “naughty” children any longer.
After leaving the mecha arena, Qiao Zhiya contacted Fan Xiangnan to make sure he had arrived at Chu’s residence before heading straight to the front gate. Sitting in the hovercar, he asked, “What’s going on with the military department? Is something wrong?”
He had originally planned to help Chu Yan debug the mecha all afternoon, but before lunch, Chu Rong suddenly called and asked Fan Xiangnan to take him to the military department for something urgent. However, he didn’t specify what it was, as they seemed to be very busy and didn’t have time to explain in detail.
“It’s an issue with the containment pod for the experimental subjects,” Fan Xiangnan explained after closing the hovercar door, his tone relatively calm but with a hint of urgency. He elaborated, “This morning, there were strange noises coming from some of the containment pods, and then a timed self-destruct program was activated on top of one of the pods. The military personnel couldn’t open the containment pod to see what was inside, so they had to ask you to come over.”
Qiao Zhiya was stunned at the news and asked in surprise, “The containment pod still hasn’t been opened?” It had been almost a month since the containment pods were discovered, and he had assumed they had been opened by now.
AdvertisementFan Xiangnan shook his head helplessly at his question, remembering the rare hesitation of the Marshal in this matter. Giving Qiao Zhiya a glance, he sighed inwardly.
If it weren’t for the sudden problem with the containment pod, and everyone’s persuasion, Chu Rong probably wouldn’t have bothered Qiao to come over. Moreover, the Marshal’s thoughts had become increasingly unpredictable lately, and his spiritual power was often unstable. He even forbade them from telling Qiao Zhiya and Chu Huai, always taking the stabilizing potion secretly.
Seeing his expression, Qiao Zhiya felt a bit worried and very puzzled.
It had been a month, and the containment pod still couldn’t be opened. Why hadn’t Chu Rong come to ask him for help, or even mentioned this matter at home? With the assimilation magic array in place, opening the containment pod should have been a simple task for him.
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