The parched, hot Gobi Desert was marked by a winding track, like an extremely elongated snake.
At the serpent's head, a humanoid creature was struggling to crawl.
The person's entire body, made of silver metal, glinted under the scorching sun.
This was Xu Jie.
Now, his legs were crippled, yet his gaze was exceptionally calm.
After crawling for an unknown duration, his prosthetic hands snapped with a "crack," oozing black liquid.
But he felt nothing.
His full-body prosthetics had removed all his neurons and he had been injected with emotion-inhibiting drugs.
He could not feel cold, warmth, pain, or love, only an infinitely magnified hatred.
A burst of static came from his prosthetic ear, followed by Hong Lian Zhi Wu's voice: "I never imagined you were still alive!"
Due to the loss of the liquid maintaining his prosthetic body, Xu Jie was extremely weak. He slowly said, "Save... save me."
The static in his ear disappeared. Apart from the howling, dry wind, there was no other sound.
After another unknown period, a black mecha appeared in the sky. Accompanied by the roar of its engines, a Black Star Walker transport mecha landed in front of Xu Jie.
Seeing his rescuers, Xu Jie's vision blurred, and he fainted.
He didn't know how long he was unconscious. When Xu Jie opened his eyes again, he was lying on a repair platform.
He slowly turned his eyes.
He was drawn to a list of parameters and a faintly visible data stream in his field of vision.
"What... what happened to me?"
Xu Jie struggled to push himself up, looking around suspiciously.
It was a very neat room, and the dim fluorescent lights illuminated every corner.
Directly in front of him was a large, dark glass window. The window, illuminated by white light, had become a mirror.
Xu Jie hesitantly looked forward, and his reflection appeared in the glass window.
His entire body, including his head, had been transformed into a prosthetic body emitting a silver metallic sheen.
"What... what did you do to me?"
...
There were still two days left before he could officially enter the mecha academy.
Gu Ya used these two days to secretly investigate the mysterious youth.
He had inquired at various shops and factories within a few kilometers of his home, as well as among pedestrians, to see if they had seen a youth of similar age and appearance.
The answers he received were all negative.
Meanwhile, on Ling Ling's end, the transformer motorcycle mecha program for Gu Ya and Wu Xuan was nearing completion.
That morning, Ling Ling specifically called Gu Ya to inform him that the first installment had been sent to his bank account.
Gu Ya checked it with his communication bracelet and was surprised to see 150,000 White Star Coins.
"So much?" Gu Ya was a little surprised.
150,000, my goodness, enough to cover You You's schooling until graduation.
Ling Ling then sent another message: "This is the initial payment. After mass production, payments will be made according to sales. After deducting taxes, technical updates, and various other fees, you will receive 600 White Star Coins per motorcycle."
"400!?" Gu Ya was shocked again.
Selling one motorcycle was more than a month's living expenses for him and You You.
Gu Ya immediately thought of the happy life he could have with money, but it only lasted for a few seconds.
This money also belonged to Wu Xuan.
Furthermore, the Proletariat Alliance was in urgent need of funds.
Not only did they need to build new housing and form new communities, but they would also need to establish schools and cover various welfare expenses in the future, all of which required substantial capital.
This small amount of money was not enough to support the entire operation of the alliance.
In the afternoon, after You You finished school, Gu Ya took You You to the scrap yard.
They rode Gu Ya's new motorcycle. This motorcycle was arranged with Ling Ling: Gu Ya would receive the first unit after mass production, and Ling Ling had readily sent this motorcycle to him.
When Gu Ya operated the motorcycle to transform into a mecha, You You, sitting in the back, cheered excitedly.
Gu Ya smiled and said, "Hold on tight!"
You You quickly wrapped her arms around Gu Ya's waist. With a crisp and melodious engine sound, six jet ports exhaled pale blue flames, and the motorcycle mecha soared into the air.
"Brother! Let's fly to the upper city! Hahaha!" You You shouted excitedly.
"No, the upper city has very strict no-fly zones and is guarded by the most elite mecha pilots. You can't enter without proper authorization. I'll take you there later," Gu Ya said with a smile to comfort her.
"Okay!" You You was still very excited.
They arrived at the new community next to the scrap yard, where they found Wu Xuan and Old Man Gan Tou.
After a brief discussion, Gu Ya left 10,000 White Star Coins as living expenses. Wu Xuan stated that all his money would be used for the alliance's operations.
Future expenses would be retained by Gu Ya first, and when they reached 90,000, it would be remitted, as transferring over 100,000 incurred fees.
Everyone agreed.
After discussing some alliance matters, Gu Ya left with You You.
As soon as they got home, Wu Chuyang sent a message asking Gu Ya to bring You You over for dinner, mentioning that Liu Feng and Ye Ying would also be there.
Gu Ya readily agreed.
When they arrived at Wu Chuyang's place, it wasn't large, just a regular apartment.
As soon as they entered, Liu Feng greeted him happily, saying, "Did you receive your acceptance letter?"
You You ran off to play with Ye Ying. They sat on the sofa, and Gu Ya said, "I did. It's quite nicely made."
Wu Chuyang emerged from the kitchen, dressed in casual wear and an apron, a stark contrast to his usual sharp appearance. Gu Ya was a little shocked and exclaimed, "Instructor Wu, I didn't realize you had the potential to be a good husband."
Wu Chuyang waved his hand and laughed, "Haha! If I were a good husband, I wouldn't still be single. Sit down, dinner will be ready soon." He then returned to the kitchen.
Liu Feng leaned in and whispered mysteriously, "Do you know? Ye Ying and Instructor Wu live together."
Gu Ya's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. The feeling was peculiar, a mix of anxiety, disbelief, and even a touch of reluctance.
But Gu Ya immediately concealed his emotions and calmly whispered, "Ye Ying is Instructor Wu's student. She doesn't have a place to stay here, so it's normal for her to be with Instructor Wu."
Liu Feng was worried for Gu Ya and whispered, "You're really clueless!"
Gu Ya sighed inwardly, there was nothing he could do.
Ever since he met Ye Ying, their relationship had been very subtle. Not like friends, but not like strangers either.
Ye Ying always seemed distant, as if there was a wall in her heart.
Gu Ya quickly changed the subject, "What about Fu Yafang and you?"
As soon as Liu Feng heard Fu Yafang's name, he seemed to transform, sighing, "I can only chat with her once or twice a day. She always contacts me, and always from a different, unfamiliar number."
"She said she's undergoing training and will be going abroad soon."
Gu Ya asked curiously, "Abroad? What exactly does she do? Could she be... a spy?"
Liu Feng smiled wryly and nodded, saying dejectedly, "Anyone with eyes can see it. She never says anything, but I can guess she's going to the Black Star Empire."
Gu Ya also sighed and said, "Since you've chosen, don't give up."
Liu Feng nodded firmly.
You You and Ye Ying were watching the holographic TV and laughing happily.
Gu Ya looked at Ye Ying, and honestly, Ye Ying was indeed very beautiful.
But thinking of her calm and cold tone during combat, Gu Ya felt a shiver. She seemed like a completely different person.
"Even if you stare yourself blind, she won't be yours," Liu Feng said with a mischievous grin. "If you're going to make a move, hurry up!"
"Alright!" Wu Chuyang called from the kitchen, "Come and get the dishes, it's time to eat!"
Gu Ya stood up, and Ye Ying also stood up.
They exchanged a glance, but both lowered their heads, blushing, avoiding each other's gaze, and walked into the kitchen together.
Liu Feng looked at You You and whispered, "I'm so anxious for them, help your brother!"
You You raised her little hand and made an "ok" gesture, whispering, "Don't worry, I've been helping, hehe."