The annual summary meeting of the Star Alliance Group concluded, followed by the customary dinner for the attendees and an entertainment showcase featuring celebrities Liu Hui had flown in from around the world.

A festive atmosphere permeated the entire Star Alliance Group; everyone seemed overjoyed. Only Liu Hui appeared somewhat listless, uninterested in anything. As he was perfunctorily engaging with the representatives, An Qi walked up to him. Ignoring the gazes of others, she grabbed Liu Hui’s hand and pulled him away, not stopping until they reached a deserted spot.

"An Qi, what are you doing?" Liu Hui asked.

An Qi forced a smile. "Liu Hui, I came here to apologize to you. I’m sorry!"

Liu Hui was taken aback. "Why are you apologizing to me? If anyone needs to apologize, it should be me!"

An Qi looked directly into Liu Hui’s eyes. "Liu Hui, you heard me correctly. I am apologizing to you. I was too naive before. I thought that the old you belonged only to me, and that you could never belong to anyone else, even if I had lost those memories. That’s why I wanted to snatch you back, to make you entirely mine."

Liu Hui stated, "This is not your territory. No one in this world shares a lover with another."

An Qi shook her head. "It’s not like that. I oversimplified things. I was only thinking about our past relationship, but I forgot that you found someone you love during the time you had amnesia. And you love her just as you loved me back then; you can’t leave her either. So, when I tried to force you to choose between her and me, I realized it was unfair to all three of us."

Liu Hui stared blankly at An Qi, unable to comprehend the massive shift in her thinking. Previously, An Qi could vehemently demand that he prioritize her over Hu Xian’er.

He asked, "An Qi, if you were me... what do you think you would do?"

An Qi shook her head. "I am not you, so I don't know what I should do... because that hypothetical is meaningless. However, regarding the relationship between you and me, I have made a new decision. Do you want to know?"

Liu Hui was startled. He hesitated, then struggled to speak, "I really want to know, An Qi. Please tell me your decision!"

An Qi looked at Liu Hui and gently stroked his cheek, then smiled. "Even though my memories haven't returned, both this body and my heart love you just the same. I love you, so I don't want to make things difficult for you. I have decided to step back. I don't want to compete with Hu Xian’er anymore..."

Liu Hui was shocked and quickly said, "An Qi, what are you saying? You..."

An Qi forced a smile. "Liu Hui, don't worry, I haven't finished speaking! While I may no longer contend for status or fight with Hu Xian’er for anything... I still want to stay by your side. Even without a formal title, just as your mistress, I am willing. Because I love you, no one can make me leave you..."

Liu Hui grasped An Qi's hand and found it ice-cold. He stared at her for a long time and said, "An Qi, why are you doing this?"

An Qi smiled. "Because if I don't do this, I might lose you in the end. Then, not only me, but Hu Xian’er might lose you too! I love you, so I cannot tolerate that situation. At least for now, we can still be together, right?"

The live broadcast of the Star Alliance Group's year-end summary meeting immediately shocked and drew global attention once it ended. Although they were already aware of the immense wealth of the Star Alliance Group, they hadn't anticipated this level of affluence. A collective of several million people boasting a Gross Output Value (GOP) ranked fourth globally, surpassing the majority of nations worldwide, leaving even established superpowers far behind.

Especially notable were the subsidiaries under the Star Alliance Group; their sales revenues collectively placed them at the forefront of the world's top five hundred enterprises. While other companies spent lifetimes striving to enter the top five hundred, the Star Alliance Group only needed to launch a new company, quickly elevate it into a super-corporation, and make it the industry leader—a feat that sparked intense envy in countless nations and enterprises.

In a secret military base in Hokkaido, Japan, after watching the live broadcast of the Star Alliance Group’s year-end summary, someone expressed deep envy.

"Professor Juye, our 'Yamata no Orochi' project is complete, but when can it finally be deployed? Watching the Star Alliance Group constantly achieve new milestones while we stand by helplessly causes me great frustration!" a middle-aged man said, kneeling on the floor, addressing Professor Juye across from him.

"Asakusa-kun, you remain impatient. The Star Alliance Group is developing rapidly, but the moment we strike, we are certain to acquire their core secrets. Once we possess these secrets, relying on Japan's powerful spirit of scientific research and the industrious, hardship-enduring nature of our people, we will swiftly catch up. By then, not only this 'Star City' but even the world's number one power, the United States, will be no match for us," Professor Juye stated calmly.

"Professor Juye, please forgive my rashness!" Asakusa replied shamefully.

Professor Juye set down his teacup. "Asakusa-kun, let's go. Although you have been in charge of this 'Yamata no Orochi' project, you haven't seen it firsthand, have you? I will take you to witness it now!"

Asakusa was overjoyed, quickly standing up and following Professor Juye into the core of the secret military base. They passed through multiple checkpoints before finally reaching the innermost sanctum of the base.

This core area was an immense chamber. In the absolute center of the room sat a gigantic crate. What exactly was stored inside this container was impossible to discern from its exterior. "Professor Juye, is the thing inside this crate our 'Yamata no Orochi'?" Asakusa asked excitedly.

Professor Juye shook his head. "Asakusa-kun, if by 'Yamata no Orochi' you mean the serpent from Japanese mythology, then what is inside this crate might disappoint you. Although this object is related to the 'Yamata no Orochi,' even we cannot be entirely certain if it is the actual creature."

Asakusa looked confused. "Professor, haven't you been researching this object all along? How can you not be clear about what it is?"

Professor Juye explained, "We discovered this object inside the crater of Mount Fuji, and based on analysis of the surrounding environment, we concluded that it was likely the resting place of the mythological 'Yamata no Orochi.' Therefore, this object has a high probability of being it. However, because its external appearance differs so vastly, we cannot definitively confirm if it is the 'Yamata no Orochi'."

Asakusa was momentarily stunned by the Professor's explanation. Just as he was about to speak, Professor Juye signaled to his assistant standing nearby. The assistant immediately performed a series of operations on the room's computer, and the massive crate in the center of the room slowly opened.

As the crate opened, a cloud of white mist billowed into the room. When the mist cleared, Asakusa saw a colossal humanoid mecha standing in the center. The mecha radiated a sci-fi silver gleam.

"This... this... what is this?" Asakusa gasped, utterly unable to believe his eyes at the sight of the silver humanoid mecha.

"This is precisely why we cannot confirm if this thing is the 'Yamata no Orochi.' Don't you think the difference between a humanoid form and a serpentine form is quite significant?" Professor Juye countered.

"Professor, the 'Yamata no Orochi' is a monstrous beast from Japanese myth, but this thing turns out to be a giant humanoid mecha. This truly exceeds my wildest imagination!" Asakusa’s mind seemed to freeze. After a long pause, he sighed in awe.

Professor Juye chuckled. "Initially, we also found this situation beyond our imagination. But later, we realized something. In our myths, the 'Yamata no Orochi' was omnipotent, possessing endless power—like a true god. If the 'Yamata no Orochi' was actually this high-tech humanoid mecha, then in the eyes of the people of that era, the combat power displayed by this massive machine would indeed resemble that of a deity. It is understandable that ancient people, unable to comprehend its power, would regard it as a god."

Asakusa still couldn't reconcile the two concepts. He continued to inquire, "But how could such a high-tech mecha exist in ancient times?"

Professor Juye gazed at the colossal humanoid mecha emitting its sci-fi silver-white light and remarked with emotion, "This humanoid mecha embodies extremely advanced high technology. Even now, we cannot analyze the materials used to construct it, nor can we grasp its fundamental structure. The technology utilized within far surpasses Earth's current capabilities. This leads us to a staggering conclusion: there are extraterrestrials in this world. Aliens must have visited Earth thousands of years ago, and this humanoid mecha is something they accidentally left behind."

"Aliens..." Asakusa felt his mind spinning rapidly.

"Precisely, aliens. Otherwise, none of this makes sense. This humanoid mecha, manufactured by extraterrestrials, holds immense scientific value. If we could replicate the technology contained within it, Japan’s technological advancement would see a monumental leap. At that point, crossing beyond Earth would become trivial, and no nation or power could impede our rise," Professor Juye began to fall into a state of fervor.

But soon, Professor Juye grew dejected. "Unfortunately, despite years of intensified research on this humanoid mecha, we have yielded no definitive results. The only thing we have established is that its combat power is immense. If a comparison must be made, it is as formidable as a god from legend. Furthermore, this mecha is operated by a human, as it contains a cockpit capable of housing a pilot who controls all movements from within."

"We also discovered that the pilot controls the mecha using brainwaves. We have successfully intercepted the frequency of these control brainwaves. Through our research, we found that any person whose brainwave frequency exhibits a compatibility rating above 90% with the operating frequency of this mecha can activate and control it."

Hearing Professor Juye’s explanation, Asakusa suddenly understood. "Professor Juye, this is why you were collecting brainwave frequencies from the entire population previously, isn't it? You were trying to find a pilot capable of controlling this powerful mecha."

Juye nodded. "That was precisely our plan. Although finding a suitable pilot took some time, we have finally located someone who barely meets our criteria. After over half a year of training, she has mastered the skilled operation of this mecha and can preliminarily demonstrate its formidable combat capabilities. Now, she is ready to execute the next phase of our plan."

Asakusa rejoiced. "Professor Juye, does this mean we can finally utilize this mecha to implement our plan?"

Professor Juye smiled. "Of course we can. Our 'Yamata no Orochi Project' consumed so much national funding; it’s finally time for it to offer some return to the country."

Asakusa requested, "Professor, could you allow me to witness the marvelous utility of this mecha?"

Professor Juye agreed. "Certainly. As the person in charge of this project, understanding its combat power will aid you in devising the subsequent steps."

Following Professor Juye’s command, the staff in the room took their positions. Professor Juye walked to a wall safe, inputting a long password, verifying his voice print, and scanning his palm and iris before the safe finally opened. As Professor Juye revealed the contents, Asakusa immediately spotted a small stone emitting a soft white glow lying inside.

Asakusa asked in surprise, "Professor Juye, could this stone be..."

Professor Juye carefully picked up the small white stone. "Indeed. This small stone is a high-grade energy crystal that our intelligence agents risked their lives to steal from the Star Alliance Group headquarters in Hong Kong several years ago. We mobilized extensive personnel and resources to uncover the secrets hidden by the Star Alliance Group, but unexpectedly, on the day of our operation, a researcher defected from the Star Alliance. We immediately aborted our primary mission and lay hidden nearby. That’s when we accidentally discovered the hiding spot where the defector had stashed something, allowing us to acquire this priceless treasure. Although we paid a heavy price to obtain it, overall, it was well worth it."

"Because you would never imagine that such a small high-grade energy crystal contains a colossal electrical energy equivalent to ten billion degrees. It is the most suitable power core for the 'Yamata no Orochi Project.' Before obtaining this super energy core, we simply could not activate the mecha."

Asakusa inquired, "This high-grade energy crystal is certainly miraculous, but where did the Star Alliance Group acquire such stones?"

Professor Juye replied, "After acquiring this high-grade energy crystal, we subjected it to rigorous testing, but beyond confirming the immense electrical energy it holds, we drew no other conclusions. We later hypothesized that the Star Alliance Group likely possesses more than one of these stones, and their current vast achievements might be directly attributable to obtaining them. By extension, if our nation could secure these high-grade energy crystals, with our intellect and diligence, we could surpass the achievements of the Star Alliance Group. As for where the Star Alliance Group found them—perhaps they excavated an alien base, or perhaps they encountered true immortals—who knows!"

Under Asakusa's fervent gaze, Professor Juye personally carried the high-grade energy crystal to the humanoid mecha. He pressed a button on the mecha's exterior, causing a small hatch to appear on its abdomen. Professor Juye inserted the energy crystal into the small opening, and the hatch immediately sealed itself. After only a moment, the entire humanoid mecha suddenly shuddered, bathing itself in a gentle white light. The sound of machinery operating emanated from within, as if it had come alive.

Asakusa watched the clearly activated mecha with excitement. "Professor Juye, may I touch this mecha?"

Professor Juye laughed. "Of course. This mecha is extraordinarily durable. Forget just touching it—even gunfire or explosive charges could not cause it the slightest harm."

So, Asakusa approached and excitedly touched the mecha's futuristic silver exterior. He had grown up reading mecha comics, and now that he could see a real one, he was overwhelmingly thrilled.

"Huh! What is this thing?" Asakusa suddenly noticed a red button on the mecha's torso and quickly asked.

Professor Juye smiled. "We don't know what this button does. We pressed it briefly once, but nothing happened, nor were there any anomalies, so we concluded it might be a broken button."

Hearing that pressing it wouldn't cause any disturbance, Asakusa curiously pushed the red button. Indeed, nothing unusual occurred after he pressed it. He then shifted his attention elsewhere. He observed the mecha with great interest for over ten minutes before leaving the room to watch from outside the glass door as Professor Juye demonstrated the mecha's formidable combat capabilities.

In his momentary distraction, Asakusa had failed to immediately release the red button after pressing it, and Professor Juye hadn't paid particular attention to it either, leaving it in its activated state. Unbeknownst to them, although they had failed to detect the function of the red button, a set of mysterious data within that room was instantly transmitted in a manner undetectable by current human technology, shooting out toward space and into the vast cosmos.

Inside that room, the pilot of the mecha finally appeared. She was Maeda Atsuko, a former member of AX, who still looked beautiful, but her face was now consumed by murderous intent, and her eyes burned with killing spirit—she had completely transformed into a killing machine.

"Alright, our brave Warrior Maeda is in position. Now, let her show us the might of this mecha..." Professor Juye declared triumphantly.