Character ListQiao Zhiya: Half-elf, half-dwarf MC.
Chu Rong: Marshal ML.
Ren Mo: aka Master Ren. A mecha master making full manually-piloted mecha.
Zhuang Yu: A doctor in MLâs army.
Chu Yan: MLâs younger brother. Is the same age as MC, currently attending intermediate college.
Chu Huai: MLâs older brother, heâs in politics.
Gu Yanâan: Chu Huaiâs wife. Sheâs a doctor.
Yuan Xiu: Chu Yanâs bestfriend.
Ning Kongran: A fifth-grader at intermediate college. Ning family current heir.
Long Baorou: the Presidentâs daughter.
Long Xuyang: Long Baorouâs younger brother. The Presidentâs youngest child.
Princess An Lin: Imperial Princess. Infatuated with Chu Rong.
Prince An Ting: Imperial Prince, An Linâs twin brother. (fourth in line) I mistranslated his name as âAn Jiâ in previous chapters. Iâll retroactively fix it. Advertisement
The people who got the news frantically crowded towards the battle square, and wanted to watch the legendary leaderboard king back then. Sadly, they found that the owner had set a password, and outsiders could not enter at all.
All mecha fighters â be it old or new, powerful or weak â mourned. Marshal Chu was a man called the âMecha Operation Textbookâ. They watched his old battle video for ten years and havenât found a better one!
After wailing, they were jealous of the people who were fighting with Chu Rong, their eyes were bloodshot and they were silent.
vs
Yan San is Chu Yanâs account. The two brothers played against each other and they did not even have the right to be jealous.
The mourning lasted only two minutes, because Chu Yan went offline immediately after getting defeated at a flying speed! But Chu Rong did not go offline! He was still in the battle room, proving that he would continue to fight!
The mecha fighters were shocked and busy sending out a battle application to Rong Tian, but found that his battle application was actually closed, and then a few seconds later, the battle information in the room became vs .
The mecha warriors became jealous again.
There was only one possibility that the battle information appeared when it was closed, that is, Chu Rong had actively invited this ! But who was this ? Why could he be invited to battle by Chu Rong?
Everyone curiously checked this âs information, but found that his information was blank except for the purposefully-hidden part. This clean as a whiteboard account meant this account was brand new.
ââŠA newcomer?â someone wondered.
The crowd was stunned, then they were busy checking out âs match results, and then blinded by the sheer blankness behind this account.
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Actually a newcomer? What is happening?
Sure enough, after a few seconds, the newcomer lost. Just when everyone thought he would go offline immediately like Chu Yan, the battle information after Rong Tianâs name became vs again. Chu Rong actually invited this again!
Everyone roared in their hearts: âWho is this mysterious Qiao!â
Some people even guess that this was the Imperial Princessâ side-account. After all, the Federation and the Empire Starnet cannot be shared, so it was impossible to create a Federation account using an Empireâs ID. But soon, someone discovered the truth.
âIsnât this that Exoplanet Native boy, Qiao Zhiya?â
This realization came from a corner of the battle square, and this one sentence stunned everyone else.
This conjecture made sense â Qiao Zhiya appeared alongside Chu Yan in the festival, and they were the same age⊠but, wasnât Qiao Zhiya just awoken his spiritual power? How could he be able to drive mecha? But isnât he fighting against Chu Rong now? What is this, a complete mecha-driving newbie versus the youngest Field Marshal Chu Rong?
Whatâs the difference between that and a baby fighting against an ancient martial arts master!
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âSo, was the Marshal really online just to play against this youth?
Itâs kinda funny â after decades of never logging online, the first thing he did was to play with a teenager.
âMarshal, wake up! How can you be so low-key? The public wants to see you climb the PVP battle arena and abuse us all again!â They screamed in their hearts.
Qiao Zhiya looked at the battle application that suddenly appeared in front of his eyes, and fixed his gaze on the ID of for several seconds. His breath was subconsciously held, while his head nodded to confirm.
After entering the battlefield, a black mecha appeared on the opposite side. He was busy opening the mechaâs communication system, looking forward yet nervous, âYes, is this Chu Rong?â
The black mecha beckoned at him, signaling him to attack.
âSuch a bold gesture!â
His eyes narrowed and he wanted to pounce and tackle him. After raising his legs, he found that he was still in the junior mecha delivered by the system. Thinking of the previous training, his heart was beating faster, while his legs retracted, springing him forward to attack Chu Rong.
Chu Rong watched the awkward movement of the gray mecha rushing forward. The corner of his mouth ticked upwards, and he leaned sideways to stretch out his arms to easily stop his attack. Then he directly hugged his mecha and said, âYour speed is too slow. â
The picture of the two mechas hugging together was somehow⊠harmonious, making Qiao Zhiya embarrassed. He struggled to get away from him while saying, âArenât you going to fight? Why wonât you attack me?â
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Chu Rong instead replied, âAre you sure you want me to attack you?â
Qiao Zhiya thought of Chu Rongâs handsome photos he saw in the morning, an expectation grew in his heart. He nodded back and replied, âWell, I want to seeââ
âBoom!â
The world turned round, and the mech hit the ground with an impulse. A system prompt popped up, and he lost.
Before he was transmitted by the system, another battle application was submitted, and he hesitated to accept it.
Chu Rong stepped forward and asked him, âAre you going to attack?â
The difference in their strength was too big. Qiao Zhiya used to watch Chu Rong and Chu Yan during practice and could barely see Chu Rongâs movements. Now he has become his opponent, and his perspective is limited. He couldnât even see a sliver of Chu Rongâs mecha before he fell to the ground.
âNo need,â He calmed down a little, obediently shook his head and stopped looking for abuse. He then happily asked, âWhy did you come here? Is it okay for you to log in using your spiritual power?â
âI came here to call you two for dinner,â Chu Rongâs chill voice replied. He then casually stretched his arm and savagely dismantled one of Qiao Zhiyaâs mecha arms. He coldly reminded him, âNext time you are not allowed to play like this. Do you not see the offline request I messaged you earlier? â
Qiao Zhiya found out that it was too late. He opened his inbox message, which was filled with offline requests. He became even more embarrassed and quickly went offline.
Originally, Chu Rong also wanted to tease him. Seeing him down, he paused, and uninterestedly logged out, leaving a group of netizens absolutely flummoxed. âHe actually went offline directly! He only got online for 10 minutes?? Why is he so stingy!â
Qiao Zhiya crawled out of the Starnet Cabin and saw Chu Huai and Gu Yanâan were also there. He apologized and said, âSorry, I forgot the time when I played.â
âItâs okay,â Chu Huai waved his hand and asked with a smile, âIs it fun to drive a mecha?â
Chu Yan, who came out a long time ago, snorted and said excitedly, âDage, Qiao is particularly talented in mecha driving. He could even compete with those who have learned it for years! I feel like he only needs a year and a half of practice to be able to pass the Militaryâs Mecha Piloting exam!â
âThatâs why you dragged him off to play instead of eating dinner?â Chu Rong said as he stepped out of his Starnet Cabin. He stretched out his hands and rubbed Qiao Zhiyaâs messy hair, then squinted at Chu Yan.
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Chu Yanâs neck shrank, and he stopped talking in guilt. Because, it was indeed him who dragged Qiao Zhiya to play for hours.
âBut⊠it wasnât that late. Itâs only about dinnertime. Erge is really ruthless.â He muttered indignantly in his heart, only brave enough to complain inside.
When Qiao Zhiya saw this, he wanted to defend Chu Yan, but suddenly he was afraid to look at Chu Rongâs eyes. His face stayed hot, with an odd sensation tickling his heart. However, he didnât know why.
They all went together outside, ready to take the two youths for a graduation dinner celebration. As soon as they were ready to return to their rooms to change clothes, Chu Huai and Chu Rongâs communicators rang together. After a while, Gu Yanâan and Chu Yanâs communicators also rang, leaving Qiao Zhiya as the sole person who didnât receive a call.
âI got an inquiry from the President asking you about Lao Erâs log-in,â Chu Huai glanced at the communicator, shook his head helplessly, and went over to pick it up.
Chu Yan also glanced at the communicator and rolled his eyes and said, âYuan Xiu called me about it too.â With that said, he picked up the call.
Gu Yanâan was called by her natal family about the same matter.
Qiao Zhiya looked at the three of them back and forth and turned to see Chu Rong.
Chu Rongâs communicator has always been in a âDo Not Disturbâ state. Only a few handful people could bypass this state. He only glanced at the caller before hanging it up immediately, giving the caller a busy tone. Then, he pinched Qiao Zhiyaâs drooping ears and said, âGo change.â
Qiao Zhiya moved his ears, obediently nodded, and just before turning back to the room, the communicator on his wrist rang.
Chu Rong narrowed his eyes, looked at his wrist, and his expression became unsightly. âWho was so daring to call Qiao Zhiya to inquire about my matter?â
âItâs Ning Kongran,â Qiao Zhiya glanced at the communicator, wondering. He avoided Chu Rongâs scalding gaze and connected the communication request, asking, âKongran, whatâs wrong?â
Chu Rongâs expression only got darker. His fingers pinched Qiao Zhiyaâs ear and rubbed them until itâs a bit red.
âKongran? Why has the favored grandson of the Ning family appeared too frequently recentlyâŠâ
âSome people had paid you extra attention lately, so if you must go outside, stick with Chu Yan as much as possible,â Ning Kongranâs voice was almost a whisper, as if he was afraid of other people finding him about this matter. He quickly added, âI heard from someone that the Imperial Princess might want to trouble you. Please pay more attention. Be careful.â Then, Ning Kongran hung up before hearing Qiao Zhiyaâs response. Qiao Zhiya frowned, confused and anxious.
This raised two questions. First, why did the Imperial Princess want to target him? Secondly, why was Ning Kongranâs state so weird? Itâs rather worrying.
âDonât be afraid of that princess.â
Suddenly the back warmed. He found himself being carried from the back by Chu Rong, embraced in the Marshalâs arms. Then, a gentle touch skimmed past, scorching his ears. His head was also patted roughly.
âShe will be cleaned up soon, rest assured.â
Qiao Zhiya stiffened, even his ears did not dare to move. His eyes were round, somehow focusing on the decorative pillars of the living room. On those pillars, stood two blurry figures, overlapping with each other.
That pillar had a tall mirror.
âJust now⊠is that a kiss? Why does this action feel so familiarâŠ..â
âQiao Zhiya,â Chu Rong suddenly raised his eyes, looking at his eyes through the mirrorâs reflection. He bent slightly, and whispered in his ear, âYou know, I have poor patience. Since you have forgotten something for so long, itâs better for you to remember it quickly. Before you remember it, you will sleep alone at night, okay?â
The warm breath sprayed on his ears, bringing a strange shudder all over his body. Qiao Zhiyaâs legs suddenly became soft, so he had to lean back into Chu Rongâs arms. He was firmly held, turned around so they were eye-to-eye, then pushed.
âGo get changed.â
He passively took a step forward and looked at Chu Rong, only to find that the other party had turned around and was talking to Chu Huai who came back after finishing the communication.
âWhat I forgotâŠâ He glanced at his side and walked forward, his hands covering his burning ears. As his thoughts floated in the clouds, he kept muttering about the thing that he supposedly forgot about.
The holiday officially began, and Qiao Zhiya resumed his routine before the exam. He went to online class from Monday to Friday, made weapons on Saturday, and practiced disassembling and reassembling parts on Sunday. He was busy every day.
Chu Yan was the one who made sure he was updated to the current news, specifically about the Imperial Twins. Such as: that time when the Imperial Prince took a lot of money to buy a top mecha; the Imperial Princess ran into the presidentâs son Long Xuyang; the presidentâs daughter Long Baorou personally accompanied the Imperial Princess to shopping and gave her a precious Ice Crystal Necklace⊠In short, even if he didnât go out, Qiao Zhiya knew the movement of those twins.
But now he has no time to pay attention to these gossips. He had roped Zhuang Yu and the butlerâs help to strengthen his memory, by using medicines or food. Still, his effort was futile â he was still unable to regain those two monthsâ worth of lost memory.
Chu Rong kept his promise. They never slept on the same bed since then, even though they could get along as usual during the day. But this made him even more anxious. If he keeps the pace of pulling his hair in frustration like this, he would end up bald soon.
âAnd that earlobe kiss⊠No, I canât think about it. I canât⊠I need to do other things.â
It was another Saturday. Qiao Zhiya, who had forced himself out of his slump, used a combination of Star Sand and secondary-mutated red tin ore to make a mecha weapon. He also tried to add a little of Xiao Heiâs mother scale as a finishing touch. Later, because Chu Yan was in a hurry to pull him to learn the mecha driving online, he gave the weapon to Master Ren without testing the data.
The account of was almost overwhelmed by various friend requests. Fortunately, Chu Yan was beside him, and he quickly taught him to turn off the friend system and various external communication systems before he finally calmed down.
The learning of mecha driving was very smooth. Qiao Zhiya was really talented. In one week, he completed the primary training course and made rapid progress. Chu Rong had actually wanted to personally teach him more, but Qiao Zhiya still remembered his complicated emotions and his out-of-control expression when facing him, so he plainly refused.
Chu Rong didnât say anything, only dragged Chu Yan to have a small sparring session. Later, when Chu Yan took him to learn mecha, Chu Rong didnât let him play mini-games anymore. He only let him do proper training sets.
One day a week later, Master Ren suddenly handed an invitation letter to Qiao Zhiya for a famous auction. He was asking him to attend on account of him only ever staying at home, not taking proper vacation outside.
Qiao Zhiya was not good at rejecting his kindness. He went there alongside Chu Yan, who also received an invitation letter, and went out happily. This was also the first time he went out after the holiday.
With the invitation in hand, Chu Yan was very excited. After he got in the car, he pulled him excitedly and said, âMaster Ren can actually get us this! Let me tell you this, Qiao: this auction is an exclusive invite-only event, and we can only get in after getting an invitation from a senior member! Of course, I havenât had a chance to attend. Actually, Dage and Erge got an invitation too, but they never allowed me to attend in their places! How stingy!!â
âThat exclusive?â Qiao Zhiya was also interested when he heard about it. He turned the invitation back and forth and saw a lot of details attached to it. He curiously clicked it.
Chu Yan also came to see the detail â it was actually the items catalog.
âWow⊠a super mecha! Even the opening item is so hot!â
âOh my god, out of print weapons⊠The creator is a legend, but sadly, he has passed away. Naturally, his works are a rarity to see nowadays.â
âFuck! A grade 10 material! Although we have this at home.â
âWell, what is this? Mysterious weapon as the finale? But this shapeâŠâ
During the whole commentary, Chu Yan was only excited. But now, he trailed off and paused, turned his gaze back to his blond friend.
Qiao Zhiya blinked confusedly, and repeatedly looked at the shape of the mysterious weapon of the finale. Finally, he hesitantly said, âHow does this shape look like the twin daggers I made last weekâŠâ
âI think so too⊠is it reallyâŠâ
The two looked at each other silently. Chu Yan remembered the strange attitude of Master Ren before they went out, and finally connected the dots.