Dital and Lan Li were also swept up in the gambling atmosphere, shouting along with everyone else to start, yet only An Junlie remained completely confident, a faint smile playing on his lips as if victory was assured.

Amidst immense anticipation, the dice cover was lifted, revealing exactly the number An Junlie had bet on. The entire venue erupted. Everyone acted as if they had won such a massive stake, strangers and acquaintances alike hugging, jumping, shouting, and cheering.

“Amazing! How did you know?” As soon as Lan Li saw the result, he gave An Junlie a huge, excited hug. It would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous; while he didn't fear trouble, he certainly didn't want to invite it right now. If their money had vanished in that instant, Lan Li couldn't immediately think of a faster way to get rich. As for being enslaved, Lan Li didn't worry at all; as soon as he gripped the contract earlier, Lan Li had cleaned the part concerning human tissue with the special potion in his hand, and the name used was an alias—there was no need to fear being caught later.

An Junlie was unaware of Lan Li’s intricate scheming. He was touched by Lan Li’s trust just moments ago and laid everything bare when asked: “It’s nothing, really. You just need to be able to distinguish sounds and directions. Since the six faces of the die display different numbers of pips, the volume carved out of each face is also different. When each face lands, the friction sound generated with the air, and the thud when it hits the table or ground, are all different. So, it’s very easy to guess the result.”

The surrounding gamblers pricked up their ears, listening intently to An Junlie, hoping to steal some secret knowledge. But after hearing it, they realized that while it sounded simple, putting it into practice was far too difficult; without specialized training, it was virtually impossible.

Lilia was also stunned by An Junlie’s explanation. She began to truly re-evaluate the three standing before her. She was certain that Lan Li and An Junlie were definitely not just ordinary poor children. They surely weren't simple. As for Liduonan, who looked honest and simple and was currently displaying a look of shock, he was older than the other two. He must possess even more formidable abilities, only hidden too well for her to see yet.

If Dital knew the high praise Lilia had just given him, would he burst into tears, overcome with emotion?

In this casino, the most shocked and terrified person was undoubtedly the dealer. With An Junlie possessing such a skill, he couldn't possibly tamper with things secretly. If he had tried any tricks, the acutely sensitive An Junlie would have certainly discovered and debunked them. Although the casino tacitly allowed this method, they could not openly cover up his cheating. If discovered, the bitter consequences would have to be borne by him alone; it offered him no benefit whatsoever.

“Clap, clap, clap.” A sound of applause rang out. The only reason the sound of clapping could be clearly distinguished amidst the noisy gambling hall was because the source was entering in a humanoid mecha, operating it to applaud.

The appearance of the humanoid mecha shocked everyone present. They couldn't comprehend how the casino would allow such a behemoth inside. Judging by its size, although it was considered a micro-mecha among its kind, it still stood over four meters tall when upright. If such a massive thing were to lose balance and fall, more than half the people in the casino would instantly be crushed into meat paste, without even a chance to activate their clones.

The mecha’s owner paid no mind to what those in the hall were thinking. He directly manipulated the mecha to address An Junlie: “It seems your skill dictates your luck. Having such a formidable sound-and-location discernment ability, I imagine your combat skill is no less impressive. Dare you have a match with me?”

An Junlie didn't speak a word; he simply shot into the air, scaling the mecha's shoulder in a few steps, and patted its head: “Apologies, I don't much care for talking up at people. As for a fight, if you’re willing to come out of that big fellow, I’d be happy to oblige. If not, then I’m powerless, because I don't know how to pilot this thing.”

Saying this, An Junlie didn't wait for a reply. He jumped down from the mecha’s shoulder, executing an aerial somersault to dissipate all downward momentum, landing steadily on the ground to a round of enthusiastic applause.

Seeing An Junlie's swift movements, the mecha owner couldn't believe An Junlie truly didn't know how to pilot a mecha. He felt An Junlie was simply ignoring him, deeming a match beneath him.

“Tell me, how much will you charge to fight me?” The mecha operator pressed on relentlessly, pestering An Junlie.

An Junlie turned to Lan Li and asked, “Hey, wasn't what I said in Galactic Standard Language? Why can’t this guy understand?”

An Junlie’s question was sincere, but Lan Li was laughing so hard internally he felt injured. Who could have imagined that the highly skilled An Junlie genuinely couldn't operate a mecha? Ha ha, this fool was demanding An Junlie pilot a mecha for a duel—it wasn't that he refused; it was that he couldn't, young man.

Lan Li patted An Junlie’s shoulder, urging him to calm down, then stepped in front of An Junlie, looking up at the mecha: “Listen, it’s not an issue of money. We are still under the contract period, and we have no way to break it to have a match with you involving mechas. Besides, do you think we are so poor, so destitute that we resort to selling ourselves for gambling stakes? How could we possibly afford mechas to learn combat? This guy truly doesn't know how to pilot a mecha; he isn't playing tricks on you.”

After speaking, Lan Li lowered his head and twisted his neck, thinking: My neck is so sore. If only I had An Junlie's powerful close-quarters combat ability, I could just leap onto the mecha’s shoulder so gracefully and talk to him.

The mecha operator considered what Lan Li said and found it quite reasonable. He could only ask, disappointed: “Really? You’re not deceiving me?”

“Of course, how could I lie to you? We are truly poor, and this fellow genuinely can't pilot a mecha.” Lan Li didn't even bother lifting his head this time, muttering inwardly, I’m really not lying to you, An Junlie really can’t pilot a mecha. As for me? You didn’t ask, so why should I tell you?

“Then how much is your indenture worth? I’ll buy your freedom. This casino belongs to my father; he is very rich and can certainly redeem you. After buying your freedom, I'll take you to Paradise General Star Academy to study mechas, and then we must have a match.”

So, it turned out to be the casino owner's young master making a blunder. Lan Li silently labeled the mecha guy a second-generation rich kid. But listening to what this rich kid said, he seemed quite endearing. It was a pity; under different circumstances, he might have actually been willing to follow this rich kid to Paradise General Star Academy for some fun, but right now, the timing and the location were wrong. All he could say was sorry.

To avoid further complications, Lan Li took all the chips given by the casino side, planning to exchange them for universal cosmic currency and leave.

“Hold it.” The casino security guards had been watching them since they started winning, preparing to follow protocol: force them to gamble a few more rounds until they lost everything and became slaves before allowing them to depart.

Lan Li did not stop as the guards instructed, instead calling out to the mecha guy without looking back: “Hey, mecha pilot, you said earlier you sincerely wanted to invite us to study at Paradise General Star Academy?”

“Absolutely!”

“Then it’s settled. After I take this money back to settle my family, I will find you at Paradise Star General Academy,” Lan Li said upon hearing the mecha guy’s firm confirmation.

The mecha guy seemed delighted and nodded while operating the machine: “Then we have a deal.”

“Ah, a deal,” Lan Li waved his hand behind him and walked away.

“Hold it!” the mecha guy suddenly called out.

Lan Li stopped. An Junlie immediately became guarded, while Dital moved to stand in front of both Lan Li and An Junlie.

“We haven't exchanged names yet; how will you find me then?” The mecha guy seemed oblivious to the tense standoff and continued speaking.

Lan Li breathed a sigh of relief and offered a meaningful smile: “No need. I suppose you study at Paradise General Star Academy, right? I figure if I find the most formidable person at the academy, I’ll surely find you.”

“Just finding the strongest person at the academy will lead me to you?!” The mecha guy gazed at the scene painted by Lan Li’s words and nodded heavily, actively maneuvering his mecha to block their path. “No one is to pursue them; they are not violating the contract right now. From this moment on, they are my friends, and I will not allow you to harm them.”

Lan Li pulled An Junlie and Dital, utilizing the moment the mecha guy intercepted the guards, and swiftly fled the casino. They didn't know any other routes and could only flee back the way they came. Fortunately, the mecha guy's words seemed genuinely effective; there were no pursuers behind them, and they escaped the casino smoothly with the huge sum of money.

“I never thought it would go so smoothly,” Dital said, glancing behind them, his heart still pounding.

“Don’t worry. I already swapped the contract you signed. No one will know our true identities, and they certainly won't be able to steal our skin cells using that sticky pen residue to trace our galactic citizen status,” Lan Li explained to reassure Dital.

“No wonder you told us to coat our hands with a thick layer of transparent film on the way there; that was the purpose, wasn't it?” Dital realized he understood Lan Li less and less. How could a noble understand so many profit-making tactics usually known only by low-tier upstarts?

Lan Li knew Dital was full of questions, but he didn't want to elaborate, and now wasn't the time. The immediate priority was to exchange these so-called unregistered cards embedded with hidden codes for truly secure unregistered cards. “Old Man Dital, now is not the time to study me. The key is how we convert this voucher into actual unregistered cards. You aren't naïve enough to think the casino would let us walk away with such a huge sum of funds so easily, are you?”

Dital blinked, then laughed. “Haha, I thought nothing could stump you two. Truly, the longer I spend with you, the more I feel you are like all-powerful gods. I always forget you are only fifteen-year-old children. Don’t worry, leave this matter to me. I haven't stayed on this planet for so long for nothing; I know some useful people.”

With that, Dital led Lan Li and An Junlie to a seaside wooden cabin in the Paradise Star sea region. This small cabin was constructed from spliced logs; it was tiny, and there were no windows inside, allowing sunlight only to filter through the gaps between the logs. The entire room was dim and hazy.

“Old fellow, a big deal is here; come out and greet the guest,” Dital bellowed indoors as soon as he stepped over the threshold.

“What big deal is more important than my sleep?” A stooped, wrinkled, short old man emerged from the inner room. The old man rubbed his sleepy eyes, clutching his messy bird's nest of hair, grumbling in dissatisfaction.

“I say, old fellow, you’ve made so much money, why hoard it? Why not get yourself a better shell of a body, ending up looking like this? With that appearance, no matter how much money you have, no woman will come near you,” Dital teased, seemingly very familiar with the old man.

The old man squinted slightly, glanced at Dital, and said impatiently: “Did you wake me up just to critique my appearance?”

“Of course not. Who has the leisure for that? I’m here hoping you can help me convert these unregistered universal cosmic currency cards into truly unregistered ones. The amount on this card is my thanks.” Dital handed over all the newly acquired cards and pointed to one with a one-million credit limit as a thank-you gift.

The old man weighed the card in his hand and looked at Dital: “Young man, you've struck it rich lately? The amount here isn't small.”

“Heh heh,” Dital smiled without speaking.

The old man understood and stopped prying into Dital’s privacy.

“Hey,” the old man held the voucher in his hand and shouted a sound.

An Junlie’s eyes instantly brightened; he sensed an aura similar to that of his master. Only after the old man finished his action and returned the card to Dital did An Junlie step forward respectfully: “Senior, may I ask what connection you have with the Solar Star Domain?”

An Junlie’s question startled the old man. Seeing the old man remain silent, An Junlie recalled his master saying that people from the Solar Star Domain who traveled in the technological star sectors usually kept a low profile to avoid disruptions to their cultivation, rarely showing themselves. To gain the old man’s trust, An Junlie squatted into a horse stance, channeled his energy, and a force of the same origin as the one the old man just emitted burst forth from An Junlie’s palm.

The old man sensed the power and looked at An Junlie with pity, which baffled An Junlie.

“Senior, why do you look at me like that?”

The old man sighed heavily. “Alas, it seems you are also someone rejected by that Star Domain. I imagine someone used to lead you around until you turned fifteen before leaving you?”

An Junlie’s eyes widened, confused how the old man knew about his past.

Seeing An Junlie’s wide, incredulous eyes, the old man knew he was correct: “You don't need to be surprised; no one told me your experience. What I just said was merely my own experience. Judging by your current mental state, you are much luckier than I was. Back then, my father left without a word. My father, who doted on me for fifteen years, I couldn’t understand why he would abandon me when I turned fifteen. Initially, I couldn’t accept it, searching the entire universe for traces of him, even contemplating searching for the mysterious Solar Star Domain.”

An Junlie froze.

How similar this was to his own experience?

The old man continued: “It wasn't until I was fifty-five that I met a cultivator from the Solar Star Domain. From him, I learned that for some unknown time, every hundred years, a child would appear in the Solar Star Domain who could not adapt to its environment. To ensure the child survived and continued to grow, they had to be taken on journeys until they turned fifteen and could live independently, only then would they leave. The powerful beings of the Solar Star Domain informed the child's relatives that this was a choice made by the rules of the universe; no matter how this child lived, they had to experience this period of solitary displacement. The reason I say you are luckier is that the one who guided you found a reliable friend for you before deciding to leave you.”

“Heh heh.” An Junlie felt that apart from those two sounds, he had no other words to express his current feelings. Using vocabulary he’d learned from recent reading, he thought: Can the plot get any more melodramatic? Why not make his background even more tragic? I shouldn’t have played the selling-self gambling game; just revealing his miserable story should be enough to apply for a tourist visa to Paradise Star.

“When one is old, memory also degrades. Do the truth and falsehood really matter that much? An eagle will eventually spread its wings and fly alone. Just consider it as voluntarily leaving your parents to travel alone,” the old man said, unable to bear seeing An Junlie laugh from sorrow.

An Junlie seemed unreceptive. He turned and walked out of the cabin, staring silently at the ocean filled with crowded capsule sleeping bags.

Lan Li understood that anything said now was superfluous; he could only place his hope in the fact that the master who guided An Junlie had trained his psychological resilience as thoroughly as his physical training.

Dital had no clue about the full context. He had only vaguely heard the old man mention it occasionally; the old man was unwilling to talk much about his own affairs, and Dital had no habit of prying into others’ privacy, so he didn't ask further. Now, from these few scattered words, he could only vaguely guess something connected to what the old man had said before. But even that little bit of understanding was extremely weak and unhelpful. It was also inconvenient for him to approach An Junlie and say anything, lest he make things worse.

Seeing An Junlie simply turn and leave silently, not shouting that he was a liar or hysterically crying out that he didn't believe it, as most people would, the old man understood that An Junlie’s guide had taught him very well—practically achieving all-around development in morality, intellect, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor. He nodded with satisfaction, knowing this young clansman, fated to die far from home, would not follow his own path of desperate helplessness.

(.)RU