Chapter Sixty-Five: Ye Zhong’s Philosophy

Leaf never visited only the Aurora in the Gutisda District and the Mecha Pilot Training Base whenever he logged onto the virtual network anymore; now, he began to browse everywhere. He had resolved to thoroughly understand this world that was still so unfamiliar to him. Leaf knew well that to survive in any place, one must first understand it—the deeper the understanding, the better the chances of survival.

His daily conversations with Mu were moments of enlightenment for him. He went out more often now, enjoying the act of observing pedestrians on the street. Though they were not his prey, he applied the same methods he used for prey: scrutinizing everyone with a hunter’s gaze, meticulously noting their movements, habits, manners, and physical strength.

With each passing day, Leaf’s understanding of his surroundings grew more profound.

Today, he planned to visit Old Grandpa Xu, but work was still his priority. Although Leaf now understood that Grandpa Qian’s small shop could never earn enough to keep him here, he also knew that people did not live by money alone. The feeling of home that Grandpa Qian gave him was something no amount of gold diamonds could buy. Leaf did not consider himself particularly clever, but he grasped this principle well.

He kneaded the dough with force, shaping it skillfully in his hands. His craftsmanship had improved, thanks to his precise control over strength; it lent his noodles a unique flavor that set them apart.

If only his life included a mecha—even if it were just a Blackbird—then everything would be perfect!

Sun Xuelin and A-Xiu came to find Leaf.

They waited quietly by the side until Leaf finished his work. Sun Xuelin tugged A-Xiu’s hand and whispered, “Leaf…”

Leaf glanced at them, his expression blank. “What is it?”

Seeing his indifference, Sun Xuelin grew nervous, stammering, “Leaf… Leaf…”

Leaf looked at them; A-Xiu kept her head down, not daring to look up, while Sun Xuelin grew even more anxious. “Leaf… I… we want to ask you for a favor!”

“A favor?” Leaf frowned.

Once she spoke, Sun Xuelin’s nervousness faded. “Do you know how to modify mechas?”

“I know a bit,” Leaf replied.

Sun Xuelin continued, “Well, we’d like your help. Next week, our school is hosting a Mecha Pilot Competition, and one of the events requires a mecha modification specialist. We’d like you to help!”

“You want my help?” Leaf looked at them.

Under Leaf’s calm gaze, Sun Xuelin grew inexplicably uneasy. “Yes, we’re asking for your help!”

Leaf considered for a moment. “All right, but I’ll charge one thousand two hundred and fifty diamonds per hour.”

Sun Xuelin was stunned; her expression changed instantly. “You—you… you’re charging for a favor like this? You… I didn’t expect you to be this kind of person! Hmph, we really misjudged you!” Her tone dripped with contempt. A-Xiu looked up in surprise, obviously not expecting Leaf’s response.

Seeing their faces, Leaf frowned slightly. Had he made another mistake? He didn’t even have a mecha modification license, so he had quoted the market average price at fifty percent.

Leaf silently asked Mu, “Mu, isn’t fair trade one of the fundamental principles?”

Mu replied, “According to the data, your reasoning is completely correct, but most believe it’s shameful to ask friends for payment when helping them.”

Leaf wondered, “Are they my friends?”

Mu offered no help on that point. “That’s for you to decide.”

Leaf declared decisively, “Of course not!” Friends? What a joke—they barely knew each other; from any angle, the term didn’t apply. Since they weren’t friends, charging a fee was perfectly reasonable. What was so strange about that?

Since he hadn’t done anything wrong, Leaf saw no reason to continue the conversation. He cast a cold glance at the pair and said, “Suit yourself,” then turned and walked away.

Sun Xuelin’s face went white with rage as she dragged A-Xiu out in a huff.

The incident had no effect on Leaf. After greeting Grandpa Qian, he wandered out onto the street. He no longer felt lost as he once did; in fact, he felt quite at ease. Observing the people along the road had become one of his favorite pastimes, and he found it fascinating.

Old Grandpa Xu’s home was quite far from Grandpa Qian’s shop. At his current pace, it would take too long, so Leaf broke into a run. He didn’t sprint; he now knew his speed was shockingly abnormal compared to ordinary people. The first mouse to stick its head out was always the first to die, and Leaf understood that well. Ah, if only he could use a mecha—he wouldn’t have to walk at all! Thinking of that all-white mecha, Leaf felt a bit discouraged. Unfortunately, all he had was a training mecha. If he had a Blackhorn combat mecha, he was certain he could take down that fellow!

If only Mu were willing to help, Leaf believed that the white mecha would have no chance of escape. Yet, for some reason, Mu refused to intervene—a mystery that perplexed Leaf deeply.

Leaf ran leisurely through the bustling streets. His breathing remained steady, his rhythm unchanged; this level of exertion barely registered with him. His strange body baffled Mu, but Leaf didn’t think anything was amiss. It was a good thing—why worry if he couldn’t figure it out?

Xu’s home was nearby; he would arrive soon. Last time on the virtual network, Old Xu had broadcast the news that YC was on Blue Ocean Star to all the old-timers. Suddenly, everyone admired and envied Xu, and several even threatened to visit Blue Ocean Star just to see Leaf. Those living in other districts of Blue Ocean Star gave Leaf their addresses, urging him to visit whenever he had time.

The rich scholarly atmosphere of his discussions with Xu made Leaf feel comfortable, even captivated. Thinking about seeing Grandpa Xu soon, Leaf grew slightly excited.

Mu suddenly called out to Leaf, just as he was about to approach Grandpa Xu’s house. “Leaf, be careful. Don’t go over! Four mechas are monitoring this area, and there’s one more person—possibly the commander.”

Leaf’s heart skipped a beat. “Where?” He kept his pace unchanged, passing in front of Grandpa Xu’s door as casually as any other pedestrian, without the slightest pause.

Mu said, “Two mechas on the rooftop opposite, and another two at a hundred and twenty-degree angle from them. The commander is likely on the twenty-first floor of the building directly facing Xu’s door.”

The commander needed to be eliminated first, and quietly—otherwise, things could get troublesome. Leaf calculated his options.

Leaf sneered inwardly. Were these people here to cause trouble for Xu? Most likely. Whatever the case, their intentions were clearly hostile. Since that was so…

Leaf continued running, calm and steady, betraying nothing unusual.

When he reached the building in front of Grandpa Xu’s house, Leaf stopped and entered.

He found a self-service terminal in a corner of the lobby and pretended to check information. Within two seconds, Mu had fully infiltrated the terminal.

The screen’s original display vanished, replaced by a schematic of the entire building, with the observer’s location marked: Room 065 on the twenty-first floor. Mu also highlighted every surveillance device, noting that the building’s monitoring was quite comprehensive, with few blind spots. It seemed impossible to slip in unnoticed.

Leaf remembered Mu’s mention of “evidence” last time and asked, “Mu, if my records show up, can you erase them?”

“Based on the data, the odds of success are over ninety-seven percent,” Mu replied with strong confidence.

“So, if I erase all records before they notice, they won’t be able to trace me?” Leaf pondered.

After a moment, Mu answered, “There’s a seventy-nine percent chance they won’t find out, but a twenty-one percent chance they could discover it by other means.”

Leaf weighed the odds, then decided, “In that case, strike first. Rather than wait for them to come to us, we’ll go to them!” In Leaf’s mind, there was no such thing as waiting for the enemy to make the first move. Once hostility was confirmed, he would act without hesitation. His words brimmed with fierce confidence and determination—Leaf was now like a beast resolved to fight!

Mu had no objections to this plan.

Once the decision was made, Leaf sprang into action.

He quickly ascended to the twenty-first floor and stopped before Room 065. The door was locked tight. Though Leaf was confident he could force his way through the alloy door, doing so would alert the person inside, putting himself at a disadvantage. With four mechas outside, he couldn’t guarantee victory if he was surrounded. He needed to take out the target quietly, minimizing his risk.

But how could he eliminate the person inside without alerting the other four?