Zi Ye picked out some slightly more neutral clothing—a graphic tee, a waistcoat, slim-fit trousers, and flat ankle boots, topped off with a hat. No matter how she mixed and matched, she looked sharp.

Satisfied with her reflection, Zi Ye habitually turned to ask Xiao Dou Ya, “How about this?”

Only then did she remember that Xiao Dou Ya never liked to speak in public.

The sales associate nearby couldn’t help but chuckle, “It really suits you. However, I suggest you buy a few dresses. Otherwise, people might easily mistake your gender.”

Zi Ye was speechless.

Everyone seemed so obsessed with gender!

Being mistaken for the opposite sex wasn't new for Zi Ye, and she had mostly been indifferent to it. But after coming out into space, being constantly reminded of her gender forced her to confront the issue head-on.

Back on Silver Rune Star, she had taken Teacher Tang Shan’s advice and deliberately dressed as a boy. The safety level for a lone woman residing on a prisoner planet was something one could figure out with their toes. Everyone likely understood her concerns, which was why Hong Fa and Lao Gou, even after discovering she was female, continued to act as if they didn't know.

Zi Ye bought a few outfits. In the accessory section, she spotted a bow—it was incredibly pink and cute. After a moment’s thought, she bought it. Just as Xiao Dou Ya watched her sudden change with surprise, she unhesitatingly snatched it up and affixed it to the stalk atop Xiao Dou Ya’s head.

The gray fluff paired with the pink bow looked quite lovely!

Zi Ye was in a great mood, but Xiao Dou Ya was sulking. As soon as the sales associate turned away, it immediately emitted a small electric pulse, zapping her fiercely in protest.

Zi Ye lifted the wrist bearing her Silver Signal device, activated the camera function, and with a light touch, snapped a picture of Xiao Dou Ya wearing the pink bow, sticking out her tongue playfully at it. Hmph!

After finishing at the mall, Zi Ye headed to the mecha market.

The Qila Market was quite a large mecha marketplace, but mechas, unlike clothes, couldn't just be looked at or casually tried on. Given her young age, it was clear she wasn't a potential buyer, so she didn't get a chance to touch anything, let alone test-pilot one. Many of the models on display were just run-of-the-mill units.

After visiting several shops with the same result, Zi Ye lost the mood to continue and simply left.

She was determined to learn about current mechas but found the door firmly shut to her, which inevitably left her feeling a bit frustrated. She couldn't exactly set up a probe outside the space station entrance like a pirate to scan incoming and outgoing mechas. Moreover, she didn't have the spare cash to buy a high-end mecha just for research. She sighed.

There was no choice but to search online.

However, even on the Mobile Forum, most mechas kept their core technology and crucial details locked away. The few that did disclose core technology were outdated models with little practical use. Some bounties and assignments touched upon key aspects, but they were too fragmented to give a complete picture.

After browsing for a while, Zi Ye decided to switch to taking on Tier Two problems. Only by earning money sooner could she escape her predicament sooner.

To qualify for Tier Three problems, one first had to successfully complete two hundred Tier Two problems with a success rate above 92%. Zi Ye didn't bother checking the details; if it involved core content, she accepted it and began working.

She submitted one problem right after solving it, just like taking an exam. The moment she logged on, Chun Niu spotted her. Seeing her immediately begin accepting tasks, he became instantly energized, anticipating another explosive performance from her.

This time, Zi Ye did not explode; she didn't accept a hundred problems at once. She only took on one.

He felt a little disappointed and turned to look at others' submissions. Who would have thought that just a few minutes later, a 'Ding-dong' sounded, indicating a submission. He opened the backend, and his eyes instantly froze!

Meng Ya Ya had finished an incredibly complex Tier Two problem in just five minutes!

Chun Niu meticulously reviewed her answer, breaking out in a cold sweat. He wouldn't dare claim he could solve that problem error-free in five minutes, and the elegance and clarity of her solution filled him with profound admiration. True to his duty, he ran the data through his debugging checks; there were no issues whatsoever.

This person, regardless of gender, could not be easily let go.

Chun Niu clenched his fist and sent an email to Zi Ye: "Hello Meng Ya Ya, I am Administrator Chun Cun’er. Feel free to visit the instant chat section when you have time. Everyone is looking forward to meeting you."

The instant chat section, essentially a chatroom, was set up to facilitate forum discussions. It was divided into numerous groups, usually with an administrator present. Chun Niu usually lingered there whenever he was online. During the daytime, seven to eight hundred people were typically active; at night, that number dipped slightly, sometimes reaching over a thousand, even exceeding two thousand at peak times.

Zi Ye glanced at the email and navigated to the chat section.

Chun Niu noticed her arrival immediately. He quickly assigned her a member alias and pulled her into the Newcomer Group.

"A new friend, Meng Ya Ya, has arrived! Everyone give her a warm welcome," Chun Niu’s voice, just reaching maturity, carried a natural, boyish charm. He sounded young and approachable.

The chatroom immediately came alive with all sorts of male voices—rough, deep, and booming—flooding in, nearly startling Zi Ye. Even on Silver Rune, video conferences weren't this overwhelming.

After a brief period of cheerful welcoming, the chatter gradually quieted when the newcomer offered no response. Zi Ye finally spoke up, "Hello everyone, my name is Meng Ya Ya, checking in."

The chatroom instantly fell silent. To describe it in one word: dead quiet!

The eerie silence lasted a full five seconds, with not a single person speaking or even a trace of background noise. Zi Ye stared blankly at her audio interface, wondering aloud, "Why can't I hear any sound?"

Chun Niu finally reacted, bursting into laughter. "Everyone was afraid of scaring you off! Come on, come on, welcome little sister Meng Ya Ya to the Newcomer Group." Inside, he was positively ecstatic. Sister, she really was a sister, and her voice carried a youthful lilt, clearly indicating she was younger than him!

He had struck gold!

Unable to contain his surging delight, Chun Niu muted his microphone and immediately grabbed his Super Signal to relay the good news to all administrators: "The forum has a sister! A cute sister! And a very young one!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Zi Ye's confused voice asking, "Why?" He hastily put down the Super Signal, unmuted his mic, and chuckled, "Nothing, you'll know in time. Now, on behalf of the Mobile Forum, I'm gifting you 100 Honor points. Please check your account."

Zi Ye was bewildered. "Oh, thank you."

The men in the chatroom finally snapped back to reality, erupting in loud laughter and slapping tables. "It's a sister, a real sister!!" It was so boisterous that Zi Ye wondered if she had entered the wrong place.

The men on the Mobile Forum were terrifying.

Amidst the warm clamor, a male voice suddenly piped up, "Big Sister Meng, why are you ignoring me?" The voice had a deliberate, almost affected cuteness to it. Zi Ye, naturally disliking pretense, felt a deep sense of conversational paralysis. Should she say, "I'm sorry, I don't have a little brother?" or just ignore him?

She really didn't know how to handle overly familiar people.

Chun Niu, however, opened a private line, curious, "Xing Bao, when did you meet Ya Ya?"

The male voice named Xing Bao replied, "She helped me answer a bounty question a few days ago."

Chun Niu’s face darkened.

Zi Ye’s face also darkened. She genuinely didn't know how to respond to him, so she simply muted her audio and pretended not to be there. The moment she did, an internal message notification flashed. She opened it; it was from Xing Bao: "Big Sister Meng, why won't you pay attention to little me?" followed by a dejected emoticon.

Zi Ye imagined this grown man saying those words and felt a wave of revulsion. She closed it and poked Xiao Dou Ya. Xiao Dou Ya was happily floating, not looking back, "Zi Ye, I've found a place that's perfect for you!"

Zi Ye asked curiously, "What place?"

Xiao Dou Ya just smiled.

Zi Ye was dissatisfied. "Don't keep me in suspense!"

Xiao Dou Ya acted aloof, "This great self disdains to keep secrets. You'll know when we get there."

Zi Ye paused, nearly splashing the tea in her cup. She protested, "Nonsense, I want to know now."

Xiao Dou Ya grinned and made a face at her, "Fine, give me back that picture, and I'll tell you."

Ah, so it was about the picture of the pink bow it resented being taken. Zi Ye looked sideways at it, "Not a chance."

Xiao Dou Ya pouted, "Then I absolutely won't tell you, and I've calculated—the probability of you guessing it right now is zero! Hmph!"

Zi Ye looked at its smug little face and wanted to squeeze it into a ball. "Are you laughing at me for being stupid?"

Xiao Dou Ya poked her, "That’s right! Since you admit it, come on, let's go to the gym. I'll take you."

The small villa came equipped with a fitness room, but currently, it was empty, containing nothing at all. Upon entering, Xiao Dou Ya activated the virtual training system. Before Zi Ye could even catch her breath, Xiao Dou Ya communicated with her via brainwaves, "Follow me."

Not physical training after all?

Zi Ye found it strange but also felt a sense of anticipation, trusting that Xiao Dou Ya wouldn't disappoint her.

As Xiao Dou Ya led the way, they soon entered a bustling street scene. Zi Ye blinked in confusion; it felt like she had somehow teleported into an online game.

Moving further, they arrived before a magnificent structure. People were constantly entering and exiting the entrance—all strong, muscular men. As a frail woman, Zi Ye instantly felt immense pressure.

"What is this place?"

Xiao Dou Ya explained, "This is a Pilot Training Base." It hopped onto her head and did a joyful somersault. "It has comprehensive course training. Pilots can spar with each other, and most importantly, the mechas provided here are an absolute surprise. Besides the concept mechas from various corporations, many mechas that have just hit the market or are about to be released are tested here."

Zi Ye's eyes lit up instantly. "That sounds amazing! Can I go in?"

Xiao Dou Ya proudly declared, "In this virtual space spanning the universe, which place can this great self not enter?"

Zi Ye hugged it fiercely and kissed it repeatedly. "Xiao Dou Ya is the best! I love you so much!"

Xiao Dou Ya reveled in the affection but feigned a disgusted expression, "Stop drooling on this great self. You’ll dirty my fur."