During the time Cyril wasn’t by his side, Ning Qing’s popularity actually improved quite a bit.
The customer traffic at Gardenia Bar hit a new peak. To strike up a conversation with this handsome young man wearing a black mask and carrying an extraordinary aura, everyone was eager to try their hand.
On the first day, Ning Qing, working as a part time bartender, politely declined around forty customers who used the excuse of ordering a drink to try and add his terminal contact.
On the second day, sick of the pickup lines, Ning Qing set up a simple combat arena next to the bar, declaring that the top five contenders could meet him backstage.
On the third day, the five lucky winners who excitedly followed him backstage discovered there was no bed there, only several holographic helmets connected to simulation pods.
What was going on? Where was their romantic encounter?
Ning Qing took off his mask, turned around, and smiled at them. “Gentlemen, you are all healthy Beta men with solid physical conditioning and good stress resistance. Welcome to the first round of testing for the Mecha Training Camp. I am Ning Qing.”
The Betas were dumbfounded. Holy crap, the bartender’s face was ten times better looking than they had imagined.
…Wait, who did you say you were?
The Ning Qing who was the best at piloting mechas among the Betas?
Ning Qing tossed the helmets into their hands, ignoring whether they were willing or not. Like a beautiful tutorial NPC straight out of a game, he began explaining the basic parameters of the mecha training camp.
According to the Imperial standards for mecha combat, only about one out of a billion Betas possessed mental power strong enough to pilot a mecha, which was still far below the average Alpha level.
However, Ning Qing believed that piloting a mecha didn’t require such high mental power. With sufficient physical strength, endurance, and willpower, combined with proper training, one could also develop the ability to pilot a mecha.
That was why when the Leader of the Resistance Organization, the Cleaner, asked him what his plan was that day, Ning Qing replied that he wanted to try teaching Betas how to pilot mechas.
“Our ancestors lived on Earth for generations without secondary differentiation or awakening mental power, yet they were still able to pilot spacecraft relying on their willpower and thorough training. Betas do not lack mental power, so why set limits for yourselves?”
Whether through force or persuasion, Ning Qing always had the ability to make people listen obediently.
A meeting that was supposed to carry an ambiguous tone was turned into a classroom just like that, and Ning Qing transformed from the attractive little bartender whom everyone wanted to kiss into a strict teacher whose name made everyone shudder.
Building on the foundation of the popular mecha game Journey, Ning Qing referenced the simulation system of the Imperial Military Academy to modify a simplified training method, allowing ordinary people to learn mecha operation and combat control.
Less than seven hours after uploading a few video clips, the topic #NingQingTeachesYouToPilotMechas shot straight to the top of the StarNet trending searches.
The surge in popularity came so unexpectedly that several friends, including Moli Aige, suggested he strike while the iron was hot. Taking their advice, he picked up his long dusted StarNet account and posted an instructional video featuring himself, gaining over a million followers in no time.
[Wife wife wife wife]
[Baby is so beautiful today as well]
[Does Ning God have a partner? My StarNet ID is XXXXXXXX]
With more people came harmonious and unharmonious voices alike.
A user named [AAA Cold Blooded Rival Killer] began spamming Ning Qing’s private messages relentlessly.
[Streamer streamer, I don’t want to squeeze in with so many people. If I donate thirty million Imperial Credits to the training camp, can you give me private instruction?]
[It would be even better if you wore a dress]
[Starship Cannon x99]
Counting the tip notifications, this person sent hundreds of messages in a row, nearly crashing Ning Qing’s terminal. Fortunately, Ning Qing was quick on his feet and blocked him immediately.
For some reason, that smug yet inexplicable tone felt somewhat familiar to him.
Hmm, can’t remember. I’ll think about it later.
In the far reaches of deep space.
A military starship was speeding through an asteroid belt on the edge of the First Star Region. Pushing its power to the maximum, it narrowly grazed dense asteroid debris, clearly driven by a desperate rush to get home.
Due to the high latency of long distance communication on the starship, while waiting for his father’s delayed replies, Lyle couldn’t help but rewatch Ning Qing’s video thirty times on mute.
In this video that lasted less than five minutes, the creator initially forgot to turn on selfie mode. The wallpaper in the background was yellowed and peeling, just looking at it was enough to imagine the smell of mold.
Lyle’s thoughts couldn’t help but wander. Without his care and attention, Ning Qing must be having a very hard time.
Next, Ning Qing let out a soft, trailing “Hmm?” before turning the camera around. At first, it wasn’t in focus, so he curiously brought his face closer, showing his curled eyelashes in full detail.
He seems to have gotten thinner again, and the pinchable softness on his cheeks has diminished a bit. It’s clear that without seeing me, he doesn’t even have the appetite to eat.
As for the rest of the rambling words, something about Betas, something about tutorials, babbling on about who knows what, Lyle didn’t listen to a single word.
Interfered with by the asteroid belt, the signal on the starship wasn’t great to begin with. Coupled with the need to prioritize the military frequency, Lyle could only split his screen and continuously refresh the chat box.
At this moment, he hadn’t yet realized what was about to happen next.
“Reply to me quickly, reply to me quickly, Ning Qing.”
It wasn’t until next to the message he finally managed to send out, a blood-red exclamation mark appeared.
[User Ning Qing has blocked you]
Lyle slammed his desk in anger, startling the adjutant monitoring the starship’s autopilot system and causing his father to fall silent for a few seconds as well.
“What are you dissatisfied with, Lyle?”
Lyle read aloud, “I am doing great. I have no dissatisfaction. My mind is currently filled with nothing but thoughts of going home for vacation.”
The Marshal. “It better be. It’s good that you’re back to assist your brother, we’ll be short handed soon anyway. You previously acted on your own authority and leaked classified information, so I have locked your terminal permissions. Do not show your face under the identity of Cyril anytime soon. Do you understand?”
Lyle replied lazily with a “yes.”
However, before disconnecting the communication, he threw out another context-free sentence:
“Father, after this is accomplished, I want to ask you for a gift.”
Lyle adjusted his mindset very quickly. As for Ning Qing, a soft-hearted little white flower from a poor background like him. I can just nag him later and say a few nice words to fool him into letting it go.
Besides, I have plenty of alt accounts.
Seven days flew by in the blink of an eye. Ning Qing flipped through the calendar on his terminal; to discuss the arrangements for the upcoming competition, tomorrow was the day he had to meet Cyril.
In the past, it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but at this particular juncture, it was inevitably a bit awkward as they were currently at odds.
Looking back at his chat history with Cyril.
An hour ago, Cyril: [Senior, is this offline meeting time and location convenient for you?]
In the past, they would always discuss things directly in the dorm or living quarters without formally booking a conference room. Because of this formal tone, Ning Qing felt even more uncomfortable.
Polite, courteous, and restrained, completely different from his former noisy and unruly behavior.
Even more coincidentally, the stranger on StarNet who had been relentlessly harassing him recently sounded very much like the old Cyril. But this person was clearly much bolder and more shameless, not only wanting to meet him alone but also wanting him to film special “fan service” videos, specifically the kind showing his legs.
Ning Qing blocked one, only for another to appear less than half an hour later. They were simply an endless stream of cockroaches crawling out of a trash can.
Moli said those sketchy new accounts were definitely the same person.
After blocking the eightieth “Mr. Cockroach,” Ning Qing grew tired of it and asked Moli to help him craft an excuse that would definitely make the other party give up.
[Hello, thank you for your affection. Unfortunately, I already have a lover. We are not suitable for each other. Goodbye.]
Ning Qing couldn’t hear the sound of Lyle’s heart shattering on the other side of the Capital Planet.
The world fell quiet.
He spent his days very productively during this period, diligently receiving gland treatments, teaching Betas mecha driving techniques, researching opponents and rules for the next round of competition, and filming videos in passing.
To prevent himself from being pestered by more weirdos like Mr. Cockroach, he changed his nickname to Ning Qing (Has a Lover Version).
The effect was immediate.
At the same time, while Ning Qing was busy, the situation across the entire Empire suddenly grew tense.
The Astarte Autonomous Region in the Fifth Star Region lost contact with the Empire. It was currently unclear whether they were under attack and actively cut off communications, or if they had chosen independence.
Just like Ning Qing’s home planet, some newly opened planets developed by noble lords or local civilians could not be controlled by the Empire.
Yet, there was no reaction from the Royal Palace.
The Emperor was elderly and chronically ill, while his only surviving grown prince suffered from intellectual disabilities and couldn’t even speak clearly.
So, on this battered and sinking ship that was about to capsize, what should people do?
Ning Qing chose to meet with Cyril.
The first snow of winter began to fall that day, with snowflakes drifting down in abundance. As the star rail passed through the central district of the Capital Planet, only the colorful lights of neon signs could pierce through the gray, misty wind and snow.
Ning Qing caught sight of Cyril’s figure being broadcast on a loop across the largest and most prominent shopping mall screen. Just a moment ago, wearing a military uniform, Cyril had delivered a speech in the Parliament as an outstanding student representative.
“…Recently, insect plagues have increased along the border, and several martyrs have unfortunately made the ultimate sacrifice on the front lines. Compounded by His Majesty the Emperor’s ill health, people within the Empire are feeling anxious.”
“I can understand everyone’s feelings. No matter how angry the citizens of the Galactic Empire may be, they do not wish to overthrow this country that has endured for four hundred years, rather, they want a job that can support their families and a peaceful, stable life.”
“I would like to implore everyone to trust the Empire and trust our young people. We will certainly overcome the current difficulties and welcome a bright future.”
The star rail stayed at this station for a relatively long time. During the five minutes it lingered, the vast majority of passengers looked up to watch Cyril’s speech, visibly moved by his words.
Truly a terrifying gift for public speaking.
Ning Qing had to admit this point. Compared to the intellectually disabled prince of the royal family and those arrogant nobles who held their heads high above everyone else, Cyril still possessed a considerable advantage.
Of course, it wasn’t that Cyril lacked arrogance, he simply hid it much deeper.
Despite his overwhelming workload, Cyril still managed to arrive on time for their appointment. When he sat down opposite Ning Qing, he was still wearing the same understated, solid black suit he had worn at the Parliament.
“The next match was originally scheduled to start three days from now, but the rules and venue will undergo changes this time.”
According to the precedent of previous years, the venue would be a semi-barren planet that had once been invaded by Zerg but was now mostly cleared.
“The Star Region level matches and the finals will take place on the same planet. The only difference is that the former will be held on the outer perimeter with lower difficulty, while the latter requires going deep into an active Zerg hive.”
“The place we are going to this time is Agate Planet, which is very close to the Astarte Autonomous Region. Therefore, we also have an additional mission: to establish contact with the Astarte Autonomous Region.”
In his heart, Ning Qing silently filled in Cyril’s unstated implications. Agate Planet was located in a remote area with an extremely low degree of reconstruction, which meant the Imperial Space Force might not be able to guarantee their safety.
They continued their discussion until evening. The snow outside the window grew heavier, accompanied by howling northern winds.
Ning Qing suddenly snapped out of this immersive atmosphere. “I need to head back, or I won’t catch the bus.”
Unfortunately, a notification popped up on his terminal right at that moment. Due to severe weather conditions, tonight’s late night star rail services have been suspended.
Cyril handed him a key with a gentle smile. “Senior, it’s very late now anyway. Why don’t you stay over at our place for the night?”