Duan Chenhui walked down the hallway. The corridors were quiet in the middle of the night. He took the elevator to the mecha hall, and to his surprise, there were still people there.

Duan Xing was on a platform, wiping down his mecha, even though it was spotless.

Duan Chenhui walked over. “Uncle.”

Duan Xing stepped down from the platform. “Why are you still up?”

“…Couldn’t sleep,” Duan Chenhui said, glancing around. “Uncle, you haven’t piloted a mecha in a long time, have you?”

“Rarely these days,” Duan Xing put the cloth back into the bucket and turned to him. “I didn’t expect you to actually bring him back.”

Duan Chenhui nodded. “He decided that on his own.”

Duan Xing chuckled, not sure whether to believe him or not, and changed the subject. “You’ve been making some bold moves recently. Are you worried about your military rations being cut?”

Duan Chenhui understood what he was really asking. “The king is still reliable. But…” He looked down at his feet. “I really am considering stepping down.”

Duan Xing was silent for a moment. “No other choice?”

Duan Chenhui shook his head. “The research institute says it would take a miracle.”

Duan Xing gazed at his mecha. “Even though I’m a bit rusty, how about we spar?”

Duan Chenhui looked at his uncle and noticed the white strands in his hair. “Sure.” He hadn’t realized how many years had passed.

—

The next morning, He Qing woke up and looked at the spot beside him, unsure of where Duan Chenhui had slept the previous night. He got up, washed, and just as he finished, he heard the door open. Duan Chenhui was back, right on time.

“Let’s go down for breakfast,” Duan Chenhui said, looking at He Qing’s freshly washed face, still soft with a hint of fuzz.

“Where did you sleep last night, General?” He Qing couldn’t help but ask as he walked over.

Duan Chenhui smiled at him. “I have a private villa here.”

He Qing froze for a moment. Then why hadn’t they stayed there instead?

“But during the New Year, everyone stays in the main house,” Duan Chenhui explained further.

“I see,” He Qing silently chanted some calming mantras. So it wasn’t what I thought. “Let’s go have breakfast, then.”

After they finished eating, Duan Chenhui asked him, “Want to go fishing?”

He Qing shook his head, quickly finding an excuse. “No, I… have to play some games.” He still had to rank up or he wouldn’t make it in time.

Duan Chenhui studied him for a long moment, then smiled meaningfully. “I didn’t expect you to be into gaming.”

“Zhang Yi and the others taught me,” He Qing casually blamed Zhang Yi and his friends.

Duan Chenhui chuckled and didn’t press further. He stood up and said, “Go ahead. Maybe I’ll catch a big fish later.”

He Qing waved eagerly. “Good luck, General.”

Duan Chenhui waved back lightly, then turned to leave with the others. He really was going to catch a big fish.

As soon as they stepped outside, Duan Yi was already excited. “Let’s go catch some silverfish! Grilled fish for New Year’s will be delicious.”

Duan Jinyan scolded him. “All you think about is eating.”

Duan Yi pouted. “Hey, it’s a holiday. Come on, bro, what do you think?”

“You guys go fish,” Duan Chenhui said, pulling out his hover car and getting in.

The others were stunned. “Cousin, you’re not coming?”

Duan Chenhui smiled and waved at them. “I’m going hunting.”

Duan Yi practically drooled. “Are you going after those terrifying prehistoric sea beasts? They taste even better!”

Duan Chenhui thought for a moment. “Let’s just say the other party is also a hunter.”

“My brother is great at counter-surveillance. You’ll definitely win,” Duan Jinyan assumed Duan Chenhui was engaged in a battle of wits with a team of opponents.

“See you later.” Duan Chenhui waved as he drove off. “If I’m back in time, I’ll join you for fishing. Keep it secret.”

“Got it!” The group watched him drive away. They were determined to catch a big fish for their cousin to impress He Qing!

—

He Qing returned to his room, took out his virtual headset, and logged into the network to continue challenging others.

News spread quickly across the campus network. Within no time, everyone had heard about it.

#The Mysterious Challenger Strikes Again!#

[I thought they’d given up, 666.]

[Who’s the next unlucky victim?]

[It’s Senior Zhang. Yikes.]

[Is this newbie planning to fight their way through the seniors?]

While waiting for his next challenger, He Qing checked his messages. He had received numerous requests from people wanting to spectate. After some thought, he decided to allow it.

Zhang Yi messaged him: “He Qing, aren’t you worried about being exposed?”

He Qing: “You all said I’d be exposed sooner or later.”

Shi Lei: “Hahaha, Zhang Yi makes a good point!”

He Qing smiled. Just then, a notification chimed—the challenger had arrived. He Qing stopped chatting with them and focused on his next battle. After defeating ten opponents in a row, a new challenge appeared.

He Qing checked the challenge and noticed the opponent was anonymous, with their rank hidden.

Feeling a bit hesitant, He Qing asked Zhang Yi and the others: “Someone’s challenging me anonymously. Should I accept?”

Chu Yan, always aggressive, responded: “Who cares who it is? Just beat them.”

He Qing: “You’re right.”

Zhang Yi & Shi Lei: Why is He Qing becoming more and more straightforward? What do we do? He’s still an Omega! Chu Yan is a bad influence!

Zhang Lin was about to comment on the campus forum when he saw that He Qing had already accepted the challenge. Silently, he closed the campus network, pretending he knew nothing.

Following his friends’ advice, He Qing accepted the challenge. His challenger’s name was Chen Hui—a common name, with an equally ordinary face. Standing side by side, they almost looked like twins.

By now, the campus network was flooded with spectators. Almost every student and teacher was tuned in:

[Holy crap!! That username looks like—]

[Oh my God, oh my God!! Is General Duan here to teach this cocky newbie a lesson?!]

[I’m going to faint! No, wait, I think the General sees potential in the newbie!]

[Come on, livestreamers, give us good footage!]

[Haha, I knew this person would attract the General’s attention! They’re like soulmates or something. After all, the General did the same thing back in the day.]

[Prophet alert! This prediction’s on point!]

Moderator: [Ding. This thread will be deleted after the live stream. Thanks for your cooperation, everyone.]

[What?! Are we supposed to keep this secret?]

…I think they’re trying to protect the mysterious dark horse.]

[Mysterious dark horse… That sounds so cheesy!]

Mysterious Dark Horse, aka He Qing, stepped onto the arena and walked forward. “I’m He Lian. Please guide me.”

“I’m Chen Hui,” the challenger replied, walking toward him at a calm, unhurried pace.

He Qing paused for a moment. Of all the people he’d fought, this was the first to return his formal greeting. He studied Chen Hui’s movements, then looked into his eyes. Both his steps and gaze were unfamiliar, yet He Qing’s sixth sense told him there was something oddly familiar.

“How about a mecha battle?” Chen Hui suggested.

“Sure,” He Qing snapped out of his thoughts, summoning his mecha and getting inside. He had never piloted a real mecha in real life, but in the virtual world, controlling one was easier. As long as he had enough mental strength, he could almost reach a state of oneness with the machine.

He Qing marveled at how similar it was to the sword fusion technique in the cultivation world.

He brought up the display, and sure enough, Chen Hui was observing his mecha. His opponent was definitely someone experienced with mechas.

A moment later, Chen Hui also entered his mecha. The two backed away to create some distance, nodding at each other before standing still.

The audience was getting restless: “Why aren’t they moving?”

“Is this a ‘you don’t move, I don’t move’ standoff?”

He Qing waited for a while, but when his opponent didn’t make a move, he glanced at the time and decided to act first. The moment he moved, his opponent responded instantly.

After exchanging a few moves, He Qing realized that the person in front of him was indeed a master—fast and precise, the very embodiment of man-machine unity.

He Qing’s heart raced. He glanced at the opponent’s mecha again. The sleek black design and hidden flair were undeniable.

“Focus,” Chen Hui’s voice came through, followed by a swift leg strike.

Startled, He Qing nearly had an illusion. He quickly dodged and counterattacked, and soon they were trading blows at high speed.

The livestream audience was stunned:

[Wait, isn’t that mecha…]

[Let me check. It requires SSS-level mental strength to activate…]

[Holy crap… I give up! If I ever face them, I’m surrendering immediately! How can anyone fight that?]

[Don’t you think it’s even crazier that this mysterious dark horse is holding their own against the General?]

[It almost looks like they’re really sparring now.]

He Qing frowned. He was starting to feel reluctant to continue. Just then, the opponent suddenly retreated about ten meters, stopping all movements, and sent a private message: “I wonder if you’ve ever piloted a real mecha?”

The question hit straight to the point.

He Qing touched his chest, wishing he had his prayer beads. He sighed and replied: “Why did you suddenly stop?”

Chen Hui seemed to think for a while before replying: “Because I have urgent matters. You should practice piloting a real mecha in the future.”

“If you’re not continuing, I’ll exit the room.” He Qing didn’t answer the question because he didn’t have a real mecha. Custom mechas were expensive, and he couldn’t afford one.

“Alright, let’s battle again another time.” Chen Hui didn’t press the issue.

“See you next time.” He Qing checked the time. It was only four o’clock—what was the rush?

After they said goodbye, the livestream suddenly went dark.

Campus Network: [??? What happened? Why’d they stop?]

[Feels like they were chatting privately about something!]

[Ugh, I really want to know! This dark horse could become the next General Duan!]

[Damn, this is kind of… shippable. Ah, no, I didn’t mean it! Just saying…]

[Ding. User ID 4546 has been banned.]

[Hahaha! Serves you right! Stop spouting nonsense!]

[Ding. All posts and comments from today will be deleted.]

[…Wait, we didn’t get to save anything—]

Unaware of the commotion on the campus network, He Qing opened his next opponent’s challenge. But suddenly, the dean messaged him.

Dean: “Young man, you could apply to become a livestreamer. We offer rewards based on viewership, and your classmates will send you gifts.”

He Qing: “I don’t need gifts.”

The dean immediately changed his approach: ”…How about this? Do you want your own gold or silver mecha?”

He Qing chuckled and responded to the crafty dean: “Only if you keep my identity a secret.” In the interstellar age, live streaming was a profession, and contracts were signed in person with special paper.

The dean, sitting in his office, grumbled to Qiao Yi, “The central AI betrayed me! It didn’t tell me anything!”

“That was your idea. You wanted anonymity for more suspense and mystery. You said so yourself,” Qiao Yi said, hands in his pockets, completely unconcerned. “Professor, why don’t you just sign a contract with the dark horse already?” He was determined to drag his mentor into this secret-keeping mess with him.

The dean sipped his ginseng tea and pondered. “Good idea. At least I’ll get to meet them in person when we sign the contract.”

“Yes, I fully support this, Professor.” Qiao Yi struggled to suppress his laughter. He was definitely going to record the moment the dean met He Qing.

“Get out! All of you are plotting against me!” The dean waved him away.

“Goodbye, Professor,” Qiao Yi said with a bow before leaving.

The dean sighed heavily, feeling even more frustrated as he took another sip of his ginseng tea.