One year later.
Mindu City, Mecha Enrollment Department.
Chu Li and Ruan Ruan squeezed a path through a crowd of tall, sturdy Alphas to reach the registration desk.
The Alphas sized them up with curious looks. When their gazes landed on the symbols for the Lower District on the pair’s necks, strange smirks or even outright mockery appeared on their faces. What were a Beta and an Omega from the Lower District doing here?
Chu Li asked for a Mecha Pilot registration form. Upon seeing this, the Alphas burst into laughter.
“The Mecha Department was established twenty years ago and has never once recruited a Beta. Is he here to humiliate himself?”
Ruan Ruan turned red with anger and glared at the Alpha who spoke. The Beta, however, acted as if he had not heard the mockery. Holding a black pen, he began filling out the form carefully, stroke by stroke.
A sneer suddenly echoed from behind the crowd: “Tsk tsk, look who I see. Chu Li? Ruan Ruan?”
Evans walked into the crowd, his lackeys immediately clearing the way for him. Seeing the registration form in Chu Li’s hand, his smile widened: “Hahaha, Chu Li, did you take the wrong form? The Cook Corps registration is next door.”
The surrounding Alphas roared with laughter.
Chu Li stopped writing and looked up at Evans. It was only then that the crowd saw Chu Li’s face clearly. His eyebrows were neither too thick nor too thin, perfectly complementing his smooth, supple skin. His eyelids were half-lowered, his lips were a vivid crimson, and his features were extraordinarily refined, even more beautiful than many high-quality Omegas.
To think the Lower District could produce such a good-looking Beta.
For some reason, meeting Chu Li’s gaze made Evans feel a momentary, inexplicable flash of guilt. But then he remembered his current status. He grinned, his face full of the smugness of a petty man who had achieved success.
A year ago, he had sold Chu Li to the star pirates and used the money to bribe his way into becoming a personal guard for General Fu Lin. He had followed General Fu Lin to the Southern Warzone and now possessed the General’s deep trust.
He had originally thought Chu Li would be sold to Planet Hecke to become a plaything for some old Alpha until he died. He never expected a complication would arise and that the “Hunt” squad would rescue him.
But so what if he was rescued? He was still just a low-level Beta from the Lower District, still someone to be trampled upon.
Thinking of this, Evans sneered: “Chu Li, your dead grandfather was a cook but always loved to brag about being an officer. Have you gone mad like him, wanting to be a mecha pilot? I suggest you go next door and sign up as a cook.”
The Alphas nearby, seeing Evans wearing a guard’s uniform, chimed in to mock Chu Li.
“Exactly. How can that small body of yours kill enemies on the battlefield? You’re better suited to carrying pots and pans behind the troops.”
Even the examiner could not help but advise Chu Li: “Imperial law dictates that mecha pilots must be Alphas.”
Chu Li did not speak. He lowered his head and continued filling out the form. The examiner shook his head.
After finishing the form, Chu Li pulled a circular gold medal from his pocket and handed it to the examiner: “Imperial law also states that if a Beta or Omega’s family has achieved military merit, an exception can be made for them to enter the Mecha Department.”
Evans and the Alphas were stunned. The examiner frowned, recalling that such a regulation did exist. However, under normal circumstances, Betas or Omegas from decorated families would never choose such a high-risk profession. Over time, the rule had been almost forgotten.
“Military merit? Faking that will land you in prison,” Evans’ voice rang out sharply, tinged with resentment.
Chu Li ignored him: “Examiner, please verify my eligibility.”
“Oh, right.” The examiner collected his thoughts, took the medal, and looked down at the registration form.
The Beta’s information was sparse. The family member section was simple, listing only one grandfather: Chu Qin, who had earned First-Class Military Merit at the Battle of Planet Qiwang.
Wait, First-Class Military Merit?
The examiner froze. Since the Empire’s founding, only four First-Class medals had ever been awarded.
Evans stepped forward and snatched the medal and form. The examiner, knowing Evans was General Fu’s guard, did not dare to protest.
Evans held the medal high and made a clicking sound with his tongue: “Your cook of a grandfather earned First-Class merit? If you’re going to fake it, couldn’t you make it more believable?”
“He’s from the Lower District after all. He probably thinks First-Class merit is easy to get.” “This Beta probably doesn’t know the violet flower in the center of every medal has a special code. One scan and the truth is out.” “Why risk prison just to apply for mecha training?”
As Evans listened to the Alphas chattering, he already imagined Chu Li being dragged off to jail. He turned to Ruan Ruan: “Ruan Ruan, once Chu Li is arrested, come with me. Be my Omega, and I’ll take good care of you.”
Ruan Ruan’s face flushed with rage: “Evans, you’re just as disgusting as you were a year ago!”
Evans leered and reached out to grab Ruan Ruan’s fingers. Chu Li was faster, jerking Ruan Ruan behind his back.
The smile on Evans’ face vanished. He barked at the examiner: “Hurry up and bring the scanner!” He wanted to see how long Chu Li could keep up the act.
The scanner was brought quickly. The examiner scanned the medal.
Throughout the process, Evans stared at Chu Li, hoping to see panic or fear. But Chu Li’s expression remained as calm as ever, which actually made Evans feel uncertain.
A string of green holographic information projected upward. The crowd involuntarily read along:
“Chu Qin, soldier of the Hunter Regiment. In the star-year 4032, he single-handedly saved 1,200 soldiers on the Qiwang battlefield. Distinguished service, significant contribution: awarded First-Class Military Merit.”
“How is that possible?” Evans’ expression distorted with disbelief.
How could that old man, who could barely walk a few steps without panting, have earned First-Class merit? When he joined the army, he carried a cooking pot on his back. If he wasn’t a cook, what was he?
Chu Li snatched the form and medal back from Evans. He looked at him silently. The wordless contempt in his eyes stung Evans’ fragile ego more than any words could.
Whispers broke out around them.
“I didn’t expect his grandfather to really have First-Class merit. That’s usually only awarded posthumously.” “Looks like we misunderstood him.”
Evans’ face turned bright red. The whispers felt like knives stabbing him. He did not want to stay another second. He glared at Chu Li and spat out a threat: “We’ll see about this. This isn’t over.” Then he left with his lackeys.
Chu Li watched Evans leave. A flash of killing intent appeared in his calm eyes for a fleeting second before vanishing. He smoothed the form and handed it to the examiner: “Examiner, any other questions?”
“No. Remember to attend the mechanical and resonance tests next Monday. Only after passing those will your enrollment be officially successful,” the examiner said, his tone much warmer.
Chu Li had not expected two more tests. He did not even know what they would entail.
On the way back, he heard several Alphas from the Lower District complaining.
“Where would we have ever seen a mecha? How are we supposed to establish resonance right off the bat?” “This rule is clearly designed to keep us out.”
Hearing this, Ruan Ruan tugged at Chu Li’s sleeve: “Xiao Li, did you ever operate a mecha at old man Zhong’s repair shop?”
Chu Li shook his head helplessly: “Old man Zhong’s shop repairs appliances, not mechas. I haven’t seen many.” Even if he had, they were small, harmless civilian models discarded by the Upper District. He had never touched a military-grade combat mecha.
“What are we going to do then?” Ruan Ruan frowned. Chu Li remained silent.
The Alphas walked away, their voices fading: “Luckily, I have a relative who works under General Lu Jin. He should have mechas there. I’ll go practice with him.”
Chu Li paused. He looked into the distance, his eyes somewhat unfocused.
As they passed the junction, a massive boundary wall of reinforced concrete loomed between the Upper and Lower Districts, separating them. To the left, the Upper District was filled with skyscrapers, hovering tracks, and holographic advertisements, exuding a high-tech luxury. To the right, the Lower District was a wasteland of garbage and dilapidated shacks on scorched earth, smelling of decay and hopelessness.
A row of heads hung in the center of the wall. They were the heads of Lower District rebels, displayed high to warn any restless souls that the wall could not be toppled.
Ruan Ruan, frightened by the heads, hid behind Chu Li. Chu Li guided him through the guard checkpoint and saw him home.
Ruan Ruan stood at his door and sighed: “That bastard Evans is back. Life is going to be hard for us.”
“He won’t be arrogant for long,” Chu Li comforted him. “The Empire has been catching moles for the star pirates. Now that he’s back, we just wait for him to slip up.”
If Evans or the pirates made a move, they would be wiped out. Lu Jin had promised him he would handle the pirate situation.
By the time Chu Li got home, it was already dark. The door to Uncle Su Nuo’s room next door was tightly shut. The bowl of porridge he had left for him that morning was empty. He took the bowl back to wash it.
For dinner, he made porridge again. Watching the steam rise from the pot, he fell into a memory.
His grandfather said that after retiring with the stigma of being a “deserter,” he wanted to return to the battlefield to reclaim his glory. Chu Li knew that wasn’t the whole reason; his grandfather also wanted to help him fulfill his dream of being a mecha pilot. Chu Li had tried to stop him, so his grandfather lied, saying he was just a logistics cook and wouldn’t be in danger.
When he left, his grandfather took the family’s cooking pot with him. Chu Li really believed he was a cook until after his death, when he learned the flat pot was actually made from the “Twin Scimitars,” a weapon of the Hunter Regiment.
When the porridge was done, Chu Li placed a bowl on the window sill next door and tapped lightly: “Uncle Su Nuo, tonight is purple rice porridge.”
The Beta uncle next door never ate on time. Before leaving for the war, his grandfather had specifically told him to leave a bowl on the sill whenever he cooked. There was no response, so Chu Li went back inside.
A moment later, the old window frame creaked. A sliver of cold moonlight shone on a figure in a wheelchair, so thin they looked like a sheet of paper. A withered hand slowly reached out and took the porridge.
That night, Chu Li could not sleep, his mind occupied by Monday’s tests. He logged onto the Star-Net and searched for information. People said the standards were strict and nearly impossible to pass without systematic training. Moreover, civilian and military mechas were vastly different; it was best to train with military ones.
Military mechas.
Just then, a news alert popped up on the virtual screen: [Flash! General Lu Jin Successfully Recaptures Planet Qiwang! Millions of Zerg Eggs Destroyed in Fire!]
Lu Jin had commanded the Hunt squad, the Hunter Regiment, and the Mecha Corps to surround the planet from three sides for a final stand. After half a month of fighting, the Zerg on Planet Qiwang were eliminated. The Empire had predicted it would take three years; Lu Jin did it in one.
The news photos were stirring, and the comments were filled with fans:
“General Lu is too handsome! Covered in blood, but still perfect!” “How can such a perfect Alpha exist?! I hate that I’m not an Omega!” “Even if you were an Omega, it wouldn’t matter. I heard General Lu likes Betas.” “I don’t understand how someone so brilliant ended up with a Beta for a fiancée.”
Chu Li closed the terminal and stared at the ceiling. Having made a decision, the unrest in his heart vanished, and he soon fell asleep.
The next morning, he woke up before dawn. He heated the leftover porridge, left a bowl for his neighbor, and took the hovering rail car to the Nebula Manor.
Nebula Manor was located in the center of Mindu City in the Upper District. Artificial mountains formed a natural shield around it. A shimmering lake lay at the front, and a wide area of red sand lay at the back. In the center stood a magnificent white building with no greenery around it, looking cold and isolated—a byproduct of extreme technological development that had lost its natural touch.
Chu Li stood at the gate and was allowed through after a full-body scan by a pillar-shaped robot. He rang the bell. Soon, the white door turned into transparent glass and projected a hologram.
A young, unfamiliar face sized Chu Li up. Seeing the Lower District symbol on the right side of his neck, the man’s eyes turned dismissive: “Who are you looking for?”
Judging by his clothes, Chu Li guessed he was the new butler. “I’m looking for General Lu.”
“The General is not home,” Qu Yi said, moving to close the projection.
“Then please contact him for me. I have an urgent matter.”
Qu Yi frowned. This person had passed the manor’s security scan, so he must have some connection to Lu Jin. But why wouldn’t he just call Lu Jin himself?
Wary that it might actually be important, he reluctantly made the call. A minute later, the connection was made. Chu Li could not see the other end, only Qu Yi.
Qu Yi put on a gentle smile, his voice light: “General, someone named Chu Li is at the door. May I ask who he is to you?”
“His fiancé,” Chu Li said succinctly.