The Age of Mechs

"Player, please adjust your character's appearance!"

An electronic voice echoed through the void. A spirited young man in his early twenties stared at the virtual avatar, identical to himself, with a thoughtful expression.

Then, he began to make adjustments.

"Hmm... a slightly higher nose bridge...

A bit higher cheekbones too...

Make the distance between the eyes a little wider...

For the hairstyle, let's go with this mohawk...

..."

Soon, the great hero of this generation, "Caveman," appeared before the young man. The young man then controlled the virtual character, turning him around, and then suddenly made him turn back.

He then provided a voice-over in the Tianjin dialect:

"What's up?"

"Whoa, that's quite impactful!

If that monkey were born into this world, it would probably be incredibly exciting..."

The spirited young man chuckled at his creation, then felt a slight pang of melancholy.

This young man's name was Wang Qianduo, and he was 26 years old.

The name "Qianduo" meant "lots of money," a straightforward and unpretentious wish from his parents.

Unfortunately, Wang's parents' wish had not come true. Although he was called a child prodigy in his childhood due to being a "transmigrator," over twenty years had passed, and he was now just a "wage slave."

Let alone having lots of money, he was deeply in debt (...a mortgage).

That's right, Wang Qianduo was one of the many Earth transmigrators, but he had disgraced his predecessors.

Although his life, from the perspective of others in this world, was the epitome of the "child next door," he had possessed a maturity beyond his years as a child, excelled in academics, and had good moral character.

After graduating from university, he directly joined a Fortune Global 500 company and became a junior supervisor in less than three years...

But compared to those invincible predecessors, it was...

Not even worth mentioning!

In most novels, people become top billionaires by twenty-five or twenty-six, right?

Most importantly, he was still single.

However, this couldn't be entirely blamed on Wang Qianduo. After all, the world he transmigrated to was a future interstellar era.

It was the year 3021!

His knowledge from Earth, in a world a thousand years ahead, was somewhat lacking.

Moreover, he was an ordinary person in his previous life, unable to remember lyrics or scripts, so he couldn't pursue an entertainment career.

He could only study hard and become an ordinary wage slave...

As for the game he was playing now, it was called "Mech Era," a simulated virtual online game centered around piloting mechs.

However, this game had not just launched; it had been operating for a year. Otherwise, he wouldn't be amusing himself like this.

Wang Qianduo actually enjoyed playing games, especially mech-type games; he loved them.

But the year-plus after graduation was a critical period for his career at the company, and he had regretfully missed out on this once-popular game.

Now, he had no choice but to enter because, during the game's first-anniversary celebration, something shocking had happened.

The core of the game, the "Demon Energy Mech," could actually be brought into reality.

As soon as this news broke, the game exploded in popularity.

In this era, mechs had already been developed and put into use for a long time, but they were still high-end items accessible only to frontline soldiers and researchers.

Much like the missiles on his original Earth, they were strategic assets.

Not to mention their astronomical cost, the specialized knowledge required to pilot them was enough to deter most people.

Now, with a game that allowed players to directly acquire a mech, and with official guarantees, its popularity was naturally explosive.

Wang Qianduo's company had even mandated that all employees must enter the game, with extra rewards for those who made contributions.

"Sigh~ I wonder how long it will take to catch up to those early players?"

Wang Qianduo dismissed the virtual character settings in front of him, then sighed and made minor adjustments to his original appearance.

"Do you confirm your avatar? Once confirmed, it cannot be changed!"

Wang Qianduo did not hesitate and chose to confirm.

He didn't have the courage to enter the game as the great hero "Caveman."

Besides, a virtual avatar couldn't differ from the real person by more than 20%. He was just messing around earlier.

After creating his avatar, he had to choose a nickname. Wang Qianduo had a nickname he'd used since childhood: "Qian Duoduo."

But the system prompted that the nickname was already taken, so he had no choice but to change it.

This game was really popular. Wang Qianduo tried ten or so nicknames before finally settling on "Qian Wang."

After creating his character, Wang Qianduo didn't enter the game directly. Instead, he chose to log off.

It was his work hours, and he still had work to do. He only created the character to fulfill his company's task.

You're saying this game can bring mechs into reality, allowing you to "rule the world"?!

Don't be ridiculous. Setting aside the fact that you're already a year behind, just the skill alone. How can an ordinary person compete with professional players who treat gaming as their career? Or can you outdo those interstellar mech pilots?

There's a saying that's very fitting: "Don't use your hobby to challenge someone's livelihood."

Do you think your hobby can compare to people who train diligently for over ten hours a day?

He was aiming for ordinary players, and even if he wanted to catch up quickly, there was no rush.

"Old Wang, logging off so soon? Didn't you get to experience it?"

As soon as Wang Qianduo took off his VR helmet, a voice came from behind him.

Wang Qianduo replied without even turning his head, "Aren't you the same, Old Wang?"

The person who arrived looked to be in his thirties but was actually over forty. Dressed in a suit, he looked like a typical corporate elite at first glance.

And indeed, he was. The man's name was Wang Jun, Wang Qianduo's direct superior, the head of their department.

Wang Jun was a decent and optimistic person, the type who got along well with his subordinates. He had a good relationship with Wang Qianduo and greatly admired this "exceptionally realistic" young man.

Wang Jun: "I played before. Although I haven't finished the beginner's quest and haven't gotten a mech yet, it's different from you!"

"Yes, yes, I know you're the senior. I'll finish this month's work summary, and I'll go level up when I get home. I'll try to surpass you, alright?" Wang Qianduo said helplessly.

"That's fine, but you must work hard! The company is holding an internal competition at the end of the year, and it affects your year-end bonus.

We're counting on you to achieve good results for our department's old, weak, sick, and disabled!" Wang Jun nodded upon hearing this.

"End-of-year competition, and it affects the year-end bonus?!

Who came up with this stupid idea?

There are less than a few months left until the end of the year, right? Our company is so large, how many pioneers are there?"

Wang Qianduo was shocked when he heard Wang Jun's words. This was too absurd!

He never imagined that a game would affect his year-end bonus. What a joke!

"I came up with it. Do you have any objections?"

As soon as Wang Qianduo finished speaking, a pleasant female voice came from beside them. However, this pleasant voice sent chills down Wang Qianduo's spine.

The person who arrived was wearing a fashionable office skirt suit, paired with black stockings and shiny, novel high heels. It was impossible to look away.

Her willow-like eyebrows, long eyelashes fluttering slightly, bright gem-like eyes, fair and flawless skin with a hint of blush, and thin lips as tender and delicate as rose petals.

She was simply a real-life "enchantress" of unparalleled beauty, stunningly captivating.

But Wang Qianduo was in no mood to admire her now.

"Manager, hello!" x2

Upon hearing the voice, they both immediately turned around and said to the newcomer, while silently chanting in their hearts:

Don't look at what is improper! Don't look at what is improper!

This "enchantress" of a beauty was the head of their department, Wang Jun's direct superior.

Wang Qianduo's boss's boss...

Offending a superior leader on the spot, Wang Qianduo was now in a situation of social death.

What's more, this leader had only recently been transferred in.

Emmm...

The "enchantress" was named Lin Qimeng. Her ability to reach such a position at her age had nothing to do with her appearance.

It was entirely due to her outstanding capabilities and a "tiny bit" of help from her grandfather, who was the chairman.

"Young man, you have a lot of objections?"

Lin Qimeng approached him, her trusted subordinate, and said softly.

This "enchantress" clearly intended to use her charm on men to teach Wang Qianduo a lesson.

But who was Old Wang? With two lives combined, he had lived for decades. Although he was still a bit overwhelmed, he held his ground.

"I wouldn't dare, I just felt it was a bit inappropriate!" Wang Qianduo said "calmly."

"Inappropriate or not, you have to endure it. If your ranking in the end-of-year competition isn't good, I'll tell you your year-end bonus will be gone!"

After speaking, Lin Qimeng gave Wang Qianduo a beautiful eye-roll and walked away without looking back, leaving the two Old Wangs staring at each other in bewilderment.

Lost in the wind.