Establishing a residential area on a desolate, inhospitable moon in a remote star system—the sheer manpower and capital required for such an undertaking must be staggering.

"You built this?" Zhong Yun stared at Yu Daoqing beside him, astonishment etched on his face.

"I frequently have to travel to other nations via spaceship. For self-preservation, I need to cultivate a group of trustworthy mech pilots. No amount of money spent is too much for that," Yu Daoqing explained from the side.

Landing within the habitat, Zhong Yun looked up at the reflective transparent shield hundreds of meters overhead. It wasn't just for sealing the area and preventing the atmosphere from leaking into space; it was also an incredibly sturdy barrier, over three meters thick, capable of resisting two thousand units of energy attack for half an hour.

Stepping onto the metallic floor, Zhong Yun felt no sense of weightlessness. It appeared that standard gravity was maintained throughout the habitat to facilitate human living.

Having received word of the young mistress's arrival, the base administrator and key personnel were waiting early on. Yu Daoqing exchanged some pleasantries, offered words of comfort and encouragement to the members, and then proceeded to the lodging quarters, accompanied by the group.

As a guest, Zhong Yun’s room was situated right next to Yu Daoqing’s, meaning he received excellent treatment.

He sat in his room, reporting his safety to Xiao Ling. Since the last incident, he had learned his lesson and now carried a dedicated communicator with him everywhere for direct contact with Xiao Ling.

In truth, traveling by spaceship wasn't tiring at all. Aside from slightly restricted movement, it was no different from being on land; there was the virtual network to pass the time, although he couldn't connect...

Just as he finished his call with Xiao Ling, the doorbell chimed. It was Yu Daoqing. "Are you settling in okay?" she asked, surveying the room and nodding slightly, clearly satisfied with the facilities provided.

"What's there to be unaccustomed to? Do you think this is the first time I've left Wole Star?"

"That’s good then," Yu Daoqing said, her eyes sparkling as she continued, "It’s stuffy just staying in the room. Want to go for a walk?"

"Sounds good," Zhong Yun agreed, having the same thought. He stood up and moved towards the door.

"I'll take you on a tour to get acquainted with the base first."

The two walked out of the building side-by-side, wandering aimlessly. The structures in the base were boxy, clunky behemoths—not aesthetically pleasing, but undeniably sturdy.

Few people were visible in the base, making the route feel unusually empty. Zhong Yun asked, "Are all the base members out training?"

"Not entirely." Yu Daoqing rubbed her hands together. It was currently rest time on the base, and to conserve energy, no heating was provided outdoors, making it quite cold.

Zhong Yun took off his gloves and placed them on her hands. Inside the base, because the protective shield filtered out harmful radiation, the clothing worn wasn't as specific as it had been on the ship. Yu Daoqing found changing cumbersome, so she hadn't worn gloves when they stepped out.

Yu Daoqing gave Zhong Yun a sweet smile and then explained, "This base was originally built to standards accommodating fifty thousand people, but so far, only two thousand residents occupy it, which is why it seems so sparsely populated."

Because this moon had no axial rotation, one side perpetually faced day while the other faced eternal night. There were zones that experienced both, and the base was situated right there. However, the rhythm of day and night was erratic; it happened to be nighttime currently.

A lamp was placed every hundred meters throughout the base, illuminating when night fell.

These were things Yu Daoqing explained to Zhong Yun, offering a description whenever they encountered a peculiar structure. That tall, slender object protruding out toward the shield, for example, was a probe, used for scouting enemy movements and external communication.

"This scene feels quite familiar," Zhong Yun murmured suddenly after walking for a while.

Yu Daoqing certainly hadn't forgotten—it brought to mind the primitive tribes on that primeval planet. A knowing smile touched her lips; thinking back, that had been an unforgettable experience too.

"Speaking of which, you were quite fierce back then, routing those monsters until they soiled themselves. Nothing like the delicate look you have now," Zhong Yun chuckled, recalling her face smeared with pigments.

"Oh really? If you dare speak about me like that," Yu Daoqing playfully reached out to twist his ear. "Such disrespect!"

Zhong Yun easily caught her hand. "As if you're so much older. If we walked down the street, people would certainly mistake you for my little sister. Believe it or not."

"Nonsense," Yu Daoqing retorted verbally, but an undeniable delight shone in her eyes; she was clearly pleased by the remark.

"Say 'Brother' for me to hear then," Zhong Yun pressed his luck.

"Dream on," Yu Daoqing shot him a sidelong glance.

Before they knew it, the two had traversed the entire base—though not every single corner, just along the main thoroughfares for a general overview.

Zhong Yun estimated the base spanned roughly one thousand square kilometers. The buildings were not densely packed; much of the area was open space, with many clearings designated for planting vegetation.

Regrettably, there was no sign of any mechs. Yu Daoqing explained that all mechs were currently in storage undergoing maintenance and wouldn't be viewable until the next day.

Seeing they had explored enough, the two returned to their respective rooms for rest.

The next morning, Zhong Yun was awakened by a loud bell chime. Checking the time, it was only five in the morning. In reality, it was hard to distinguish morning from evening here; one had to rely on the chronometer to maintain order.

As he pondered the reason for the early bell, someone knocked. It was Yu Daoqing’s personal secretary, come to summon him for breakfast. Zhong Yun followed her out.

Yu Daoqing was already waiting outside her door. "Good morning," she greeted him.

"Are we eating breakfast outside?" Zhong Yun inquired.

They walked forward side-by-side, two or three female secretaries trailing behind. Yu Daoqing explained that all base members were required to dine in the mess hall, her status notwithstanding. Zhong Yun found this regulation rather interesting, immediately recalling the communal meals during university military training.

"That rule was established by the previous Captain Liu," Yu Daoqing stated.

The mess hall was quite a distance from their quarters. Base Administrator Captain Gu had thoughtfully assigned them a four-wheeled ground vehicle for transport, as the base's limited space prohibited the use of shuttle cars; only these buggies were used.

Seeing a vehicle strongly resembling the Hummer models from his previous life, Zhong Yun felt a sense of familiarity.

Along the way, they encountered a squad of base members jogging toward the mess hall in neat formation. Seeing the vehicle approach, they automatically stepped aside.

Zhong Yun glanced at Yu Daoqing. "Your mech pilots have excellent discipline. Like an army."

"We hardly dare compare ourselves to the military," Yu Daoqing replied modestly, though a flicker of pride shone in her eyes.

They reached the mess hall. After a few minutes of waiting, all members had arrived, and upon Captain Gu's command, everyone began to eat.

"Is this your first time dealing with mechs?" asked Bai Yuwan, the mech pilot assigned to instruct Zhong Yun. Bai Yuwan was a fair-skinned, refined young man, perhaps twenty-four or twenty-five, with hair parted in the middle that reminded Zhong Yun of his studious university roommate who perpetually won scholarships.

"Yes," Zhong Yun answered honestly.

"I see." Bai Yuwan pondered for a moment, then told him, "Follow me." He led Zhong Yun to a warehouse door, opened it, revealing a humanoid mech kneeling on the ground, about six or seven meters tall. The mech’s surface bore no paint, displaying only a chilling silver sheen beneath its dark hue.

Zhong Yun felt a surge of excitement; he was finally seeing a real mech.

"This is a beginner's training mech. All its weapons have been removed, and it cannot fly." Seeing the slight disappointment on Zhong Yun's face, Bai Yuwan smiled. "Every pilot starts by operating a training mech like this. Even the legendary Mech Emperor, Ci Ya, began this way."

"Don't underestimate this practice mech; passing the qualification isn't easy. Come on, let’s go try it out." Bai Yuwan urged.

"Us?" Zhong Yun looked surprised.

"Of course, us. It's too dangerous for a novice like you to control a mech alone; I need to supervise." Bai Yuwan stated matter-of-factly.

The mech's cockpit was located in the chest area. Bai Yuwan pulled Zhong Yun onto the mech's outstretched palm. "Hold steady. Practice Mech Number Four, activate."

As soon as Bai Yuwan finished speaking, the mech moved, bringing Zhong Yun and Bai Yuwan up to its chest. The thick breastplate hissed open, and Bai Yuwan stepped inside first, followed closely by Zhong Yun.

The cockpit of the training mech could accommodate two people, with Zhong Yun in front and Bai Yuwan behind him.

Bai Yuwan instructed Zhong Yun to remain still, then piloted the mech into an open area.

The shock absorption system in the cockpit was excellent; even as the mech sprinted, Zhong Yun felt no vibration. His head, torso, and feet were secured by restraints; only his hands were free.

Before him were six displays: four large and two small, showing the mech’s situation in the six directions—front, back, left, right, up, and down. It took Zhong Yun a while to decipher them, but seeing the six directional views displayed together was certainly an acquired taste.

The mech halted, and Bai Yuwan’s voice sounded at the same time. "To control a mech proficiently, you must master one hundred and fifty-two basic commands and several thousand composite commands. You must not only master them but integrate these thousands of commands into your instinct."

Starting the lesson, Bai Yuwan’s voice sharpened. "To achieve this, there is only practice, practice, and more practice. Understood?"

"Understood!" Zhong Yun boomed, a habit formed during his time at Yang Siqing's base.

Quite satisfied with his attitude, Bai Yuwan’s tone softened slightly. "Now, I will teach you a few basic commands first."

Following this, something resembling a keyboard appeared before Zhong Yun, featuring thirty or forty keys, though he recognized none of the symbols on them.

"The controller has forty-five keys in total, and all commands are executed using these keys. You must familiarize yourself with every single key until you can press them accurately even with your eyes closed."

"Yes," Zhong Yun acknowledged, thinking, Isn't this just touch-typing? Is operating a mech the same as playing a game?

In reality, it was vastly different.

P: There will be another chapter tonight. The gap has widened again, everyone attack! Throw your monthly tickets! If I surpass the person ahead, I’ll add an extra chapter.