He refused to believe he couldn't secure her presence!
Wanren Zhe was a small old man, lacking inherent authority, but he understood how to manufacture presence. He gathered twenty to thirty people, creating an entourage that finally bolstered his aura sufficiently.
The little old man arrived before the Junkyard Mountain, flanked by his entourage. The youths working there saw the procession and rushed down, forming two lines to block the old man’s path.
The old man bellowed, “How dare you betray your own kind? Stand aside! I wish to speak with the beauty myself!”
They refused to move.
Ziye was sitting a little further off, deeply engrossed in studying the carrier data backed up by the little bean sprout, completely oblivious to the commotion. When she finished reading, stood up, and noticed the standoff between the two groups, she was genuinely surprised. “What are you all doing?”
The little old man nearly choked on his saliva.
The audacity of it—he had been here for ages, and Ziye hadn't even known!
He stepped forward a couple of paces. “Beauty, I sincerely wish to treat you to a meal. You are truly the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. On this planet, besides myself, who else is worthy of inviting you to dine?”
The youths shouted in unison, “Don’t believe a word he says, he already has several wives!”
The little old man declared, “If you like, Beauty, I can send them all away. They don’t measure up to even one-tenth of you!”
Ziye asked, “And if I don’t?”
The little old man chuckled, waved his hand, and twenty mechs leaped out from behind the Junkyard Mountain. They formed a neat line, their cannons deploying and pointing directly at the youths.
The youths instantly turned pale.
Despite the old man's perpetually sleazy demeanor, he was the planet’s true power broker, possessing hundreds of mechs. Anyone who opposed him usually ended up blasted into dust.
Seeing them falter, the old man roared with laughter. “Those who don't wish to die, move back, lest my mechs develop unfortunate aim.”
The youths retreated in terror.
Ziye frowned slightly. “Wanren Zhe, how about we strike a deal?”
The little old man’s beady eyes immediately shone with brilliant light. “Tell me, tell me! Whatever you desire, I can give it to you.”
Ziye smiled faintly.
The youths grew frantic, crying out, “Don’t trust him!”
The old man remained silent, simply waving his hand again. The mechs’ cannons extended forward a few more meters, ready to fire at any moment.
The youths glared at him with resentment.
Ziye looked from the boys to the old man, then stepped forward to stand before the youths. “I want this planet. Can you manage that?”
The old man burst into laughter. “As expected of the woman I’ve chosen! Such dominance!”
Ziye: “…”
The old man continued, “Since you’ve stated your trade request, I must state mine as well. My requirement is simple: just one night sharing my bed, and tomorrow the planet is yours.”
Ziye proposed, “I have a better method, would you care to hear it?”
The old man felt like the fish was already in the barrel; a little more time wouldn't hurt. “Speak.”
Ziye moved a few steps away and released the Ping’an-class mech from its spatial button. Everyone suddenly felt an intense wave of pressure and hurriedly backed away. Once clear, the Ping’an-class mech stood before them.
Ziye sat in the cockpit, aimed the mech’s cannon at the little old man, and activated the voice system. “My method of trade is this: if you do not agree, I will blast your mechs and you into oblivion!”
The old man’s expression finally darkened.
Any sensible person could see that Ziye’s Ping’an-class was leagues stronger than all twenty of the old man’s mechs combined. Its sleek contours, the cold, noble gleam of its metal, and those dark, menacing cannons—it was easy to imagine one blast shattering all twenty opposing mechs.
The overwhelmingly powerful aura of the Ping’an-class proclaimed its undisputed dominance on this planet.
The little old man felt his authority fundamentally challenged.
He narrowed his eyes, staring at the Ping’an-class for a long moment. “Have you come to seize my planet?”
Ziye countered, “My interest in your planet is exactly equal to your interest in me. If you lose interest in me, I won’t be interested in your planet either.”
The old man snorted, then suddenly thought of something. “How much for that mech? What price would you sell it for?”
Ziye replied, “That... we can discuss when I’m preparing to leave here.”
It was this precise statement that calmed the old man’s nerves.
Ziye intended to leave; she wouldn't stay on the Junkyard Planet permanently, meaning she couldn't threaten his rule in the long term. He softened his tone. “If we discuss it later, perhaps you can put away your cannon for now?”
With that, he waved his hand, and his twenty mechs all retreated.
Ziye watched them genuinely depart on the light screen before shutting down the voice system, retracting the mech, and stepping back onto the ground. The old man, unfamiliar with spatial buttons, just assumed she had made the mech vanish into some place he couldn't see. He felt a knot of resentment, thinking he’d find time later to steal her mech, but then he forced a smile. “It’s getting dark. We should head back for dinner.”
Ziye smiled sweetly, taking the hand of the little G-series loli, and followed behind the old man.
The little old man nearly suffered internal injury.
Seeing the little G-series loli brought back memories of his utterly miserable night.
The little loli was beautiful, sweet, and graceful. But she was an elusive spirit he could never catch. Night after night he chased her, yet never even managed to touch the hem of her garment. After exhausting himself, he finally understood—the little loli was not a quarry he could capture, and even if he had, he wouldn't have had the energy for anything further.
Now, every time he saw the little loli, he was reminded of his fruitless chase.
It was truly tragic.
Of course, the little old man maintained his dignified facade.
After all, the two most beautiful people in the world were standing beside him, accepting the gaze of everyone present. For the little old man, the greatest joy in the world was possessing the woman every man fantasized about!
Back at the little old man’s villa, Ziye ate and slept with calm composure.
The probe robots had completed surveying nearby resources, and Butler W had mapped the vicinity. If possible, they would venture further out tomorrow.
Ziye knew maintaining physical strength was vital, especially with only five hours of sleep available at night.
But Xiao Hei couldn’t sleep.
Walking toward Ziye’s side meant he was forever blacklisted by the little old man. Besides feeling uneasy about that, his greater emotion was envy for Ziye possessing the Ping’an-class mech.
After Ziye turned off the light, some people were still singing love songs from the top of the wall. Xiao Hei guessed she wasn't asleep yet, so he walked to Ziye’s door and knocked lightly.
“Goddess, could you tell me what method one uses to create a mech as formidable as yours today?”