Within the cavernous workshop, two figures clad in deep-blue protective suits hovered around a bizarre, two-meter-tall machine, gesturing and clearly deep in discussion. The moment Zhong Yun spotted the contraption, which resembled a metallic cage, his eyes lit up. Ever since acquiring the "Lone Swan" from Yang Bingchang, he had become truly invested in mecha technology.

From one-star units to the five-star behemoth confiscated from the Hongxian Federation’s capital, he had meticulously explored every level of mecha, mastering the controls to the point of instinct and disassembling the components countless times. Davos, having poured the entirety of the nation's strength into their final "rescue team," certainly didn't lack mecha; the Mars alone, once the flagship of the Forty-Fifth Fleet, was loaded with nearly a hundred thousand units. When the mecha corps departed, they hadn't taken everything, leaving several thousand behind—some, perhaps, for Zhong Yun to tinker with.

Mecha were classified by one, two, or three stars, which essentially denoted their generation. The earliest models were akin to the training mecha Zhong Yun had previously used: utterly rudimentary, with operating systems that felt like playing an online game. Despite their simplicity, these initial mecha were the genesis of all subsequent designs; every evolution and improvement built upon this foundational blueprint.

The first generation, the one-star mecha, were significantly smarter, incorporating a few joystick-like controls for movement. The second generation, the two-star units, were even more advanced; almost every successive generation brought a breakthrough, elevating performance to a new tier, and specialization by function became increasingly granular. From the initial dichotomy of close-combat and ranged-combat types in the first generation, refinement peaked in the fourth generation, segmenting into Striker type, Firepower Suppression type, Heavy Artillery type, Speed type, Melee type, Assault type, Shield type, and so on.

The fifth generation marked a clear watershed moment. As if reacting against complexity, designers abandoned the intricate structures of the four-star era and began developing multi-role mecha, seemingly trying to cram every possible function into the compact frame. Functionally speaking, the five-star mecha were the most comprehensive across all generations.

Capable in offense and defense, effective at both close and long range, their design philosophy mirrored that of building a warship into a single combat platform. Beyond the sixth generation, mecha lost any fixed form. Starting from the sixth generation, mecha embarked on a path toward high-level artificial intelligence.

Such advanced models were rarely seen outside of mid-tier civilized nations. Although Zhong Yun possessed the "Lone Swan," confirmed to be five-star or higher, its internal optical computer was damaged, meaning it theoretically didn't qualify as a true sixth-generation machine. Zhong Yun had thousands of two and three-star mecha on hand, dozens of four and five-star units plundered from the Hongxian Federation, and the data archives of the advanced civilization Little Zero.

His knowledge of mecha, while perhaps not surpassing that of citizens in high-tier nations, was certainly deeper than that of most individuals in mid-tier states. This metallic cage in the studio—Zhong Yun instantly recognized it as a mecha cockpit. Hearing Duan Yi’s voice, the slightly taller of the two people in the workshop turned around.

Spotting Duan Yi, she laughed and chided him, “Yizi, what mischief are you stirring up this time?” Her skin was porcelain white, contrasting with a pair of large, bright, light-green eyes. Natural allure softened her features, and when she smiled, her eyes shimmered, sending a subtle jolt through Duan Yi. “Sister Zhu,” he quickly corrected himself, pulling Zhong Yun forward.

“This is a first-year student newly joined to the club, Zhong Yun. He possesses a profound interest and extraordinary talent for mechanics. I thought Sister Zhu might need a capable assistant, so I brought him over.” Zhong Yun found Duan Yi’s exaggeration amusing.

We’ve only met once—how does he know I have such a keen interest and towering talent in mechanics? Could it be that legendary psychic ability, “Penetrating Insight”? He didn't expose the lie.

He could immediately sense that Duan Yi held a very special regard for this "Sister Zhu." Bringing him here was likely an excuse to spend more time near her. Sister Zhu’s gaze shifted to Zhong Yun. His attire was always conventional, leaning toward casual wear, certainly not designer labels.

His appearance was unremarkable; most people would glance at him and forget him instantly. This lack of striking looks was precisely why Duan Yi felt safe introducing him to the woman he admired—he wasn't worried about competition. Sister Zhu nodded inwardly.

Absorbed in his studies these past few days, Zhong Yun indeed carried the distinct air of a technician buried in his craft. “Zhong Yun, are you willing to help me here?” Duan Yi, though a bit of a chatterbox, was generally reliable; the person he brought should be trustworthy. Sister Zhu found Zhong Yun reasonably pleasing to the eye and asked, “You need to think clearly.

If you work with me, you must sign a contract first.” Duan Yi’s face split into a wide grin as he looked at Zhong Yun. “Sister Zhu is our club’s top-tier mechanic. She won the Anlai Design Award last year and is the youngest female recipient of that prize.

Following her, you will surely learn a great deal.” Zhong Yun glanced with surprise at the alluring woman. Why is it that wherever I go, I encounter women who are both beautiful and brilliant? Are there too many geniuses in this world, or is my romantic luck just ridiculously good?

He hadn't paid much attention to her appearance. Since breaking through to Level Ten, he had become emotionally detached, like an enlightened monk. It was a world away from the impulsive reactions he had toward beautiful women at Level Nine.

If Little Zero hadn't told him this was a normal side effect of reaching Level Ten in physical cultivation, he would have worried he had developed some kind of deficiency in that area. Now, no matter how beautiful a woman he encountered, his heart remained unmoved. He worried that if this continued, he might become completely asexual—a disastrous prospect, considering he had a stunningly beautiful girlfriend waiting for him back home.

While lost in these rambling thoughts, Zhong Yun suddenly felt a gaze fixed upon him. He turned and saw a pair of familiar eyes, sapphire-like orbs containing a hint of amusement. Her?

Zhong Yun recognized the owner of those eyes instantly: Weiwei, the first campus beauty with a cascade of wavy blonde hair, the first person in Mings he couldn't gauge the strength of. This woman was clearly young; the skin around her eyes suggested she couldn't be older than twenty-five. To possess such formidable power at such an age astonished Zhong Yun.

He was currently on the nineteenth level, and yet he couldn't see through her power, implying she was close to his level, or perhaps even higher. Given the meaningful look she sent him, it was evident she had also seen through his deliberately concealed strength. The strongest person Zhong Yun knew remained his girlfriend, Liu Yunqi, who was younger than him by a year.

At just seventeen, she possessed Level Seventeen power. However, she wasn't a combat specialist; her actual fighting ability was less than that of a Level Nine practitioner. People like Yang Tianlie and Yang Siqing were certainly strong, but Zhong Yun hadn't been able to discern their true strength back then, nor did he believe they had reached levels close to twenty.

How strong was Level Nineteen in physical cultivation? Even now, Zhong Yun felt confident he could defeat a four-star mecha with his bare hands! The Kingdom of Mings truly deserved its reputation as a third-stage mid-tier civilization; it was teeming with hidden masters.

Every woman he randomly encountered seemed incredibly potent. Zhong Yun felt a pang of awe, realizing he needed to act with far greater caution from now on. “Xiao Wei, do you two know each other?” Sister Zhu perceptively noted the silent exchange between them.

“We met once at the restaurant,” Weiwei’s voice was soft, like sinking into a ball of cotton—light and weightless. She glanced at Zhong Yun, “He’s a very interesting person.” Hearing her voice, which melted the listener's core, a sudden thought struck Zhong Yun: How delightful would it be to be woken up by that voice? With that thought, his lower body began to react.

“Oh.” Sister Zhu scrutinized Zhong Yun again, this time with serious attention. She and Weiwei had been inseparable since childhood, their bond profound. She had never heard her close friend evaluate anyone in such a manner.

“Zhong Yun, what have you decided?” Regarding this offer, Zhong Yun felt ambivalent. Initially, he favored working alone, given the sheer number of secrets he held. But after seeing Weiwei, he changed his mind.

Despite only meeting her twice, he felt they were cut from the same cloth. Cooperation might just be possible. With this thought, a smile touched his lips.

“I am certainly willing. Thank you, Senior Sister Zhu, for taking me in.” “No need for formalities,” Sister Zhu waved her hand with a surprisingly bold air. “Working here is very flexible.

If you have classes, you can skip them, provided you give advance notice. There's no salary, but you are free to pursue your own projects, provided you cover material costs. You can use all the equipment here for free.

Think it over, and once you agree, we’ll sign a contract.” This arrangement sounded quite good, aligning well with the club’s general ethos. Zhong Yun felt his choice was correct. Seeing that the matter was settled, Duan Yi nudged Zhong Yun’s side, winking slyly.

“Zhong Yun, you owe me a big thank you.” “The Thirteenth Cafeteria, anything you want on the menu,” Zhong Yun was generous; the cost was negligible to him. “Just treating Xiao Yi alone seems a bit unfair, doesn’t it?” Weiwei’s voice, soft enough to make one’s bones feel lighter, drifted over. “If Senior Sister Weiwei and Senior Sister Zhu would grace us with their presence, that would be wonderful,” Zhong Yun replied without hesitation.

“Then tomorrow at noon,” as if afraid Zhong Yun would renege, Weiwei immediately set the time. She then turned to Sister Zhu. “Xiao Zhu, do you have plans for tomorrow noon?” Sister Zhu shook her head with a smile, her gaze toward Zhong Yun becoming increasingly peculiar.

Duan Yi leaned conspiratorially toward Zhong Yun, his expression strange. “How did you two meet?” “A chance encounter,” Zhong Yun’s eyes flicked over to where she stood, meeting that smiling gaze once more.