Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Plot points and events

Jing Yi introduces a primitive but effective cooking method modeled on beggar’s chicken: he wraps Ornithomimus meat in large leaves, covers it with mud, and roasts the mud-covered bundles over a fire. The members of the Joint Squad eagerly imitate him, while the Wild Boar Squad prisoners and livestream viewers remain skeptical about coating edible meat in mud. As the bundles roast and turn brick red, Jing Yi also takes the opportunity to create additional Energy Cards. When the mud shells are ready, he orders everyone to smash them open. The hardened shells crack apart, revealing steaming, tender meat inside.

Character development

Jing Yi demonstrates his creativity, culinary expertise, and ability to improvise despite having few ingredients or seasonings. His background as someone from the “Great Foodie Nation” allows him to recognize unusual food possibilities and apply ancient cooking knowledge to alien creatures. The Grey Eagle Squad members’ enthusiasm shows their established trust in and fondness for his cooking, while the Cheetah Squad members begin experiencing it for themselves. The prisoners and viewers move from doubt to amazement after seeing the results.

Character interactions

Jing Yi directs the others throughout the preparation, and everyone works cooperatively rather than waiting passively. The squads share in the cooking process, strengthening their sense of camaraderie. The prisoners watch with confusion and suspicion, while the livestream audience reacts in parallel with the soldiers. Once the food is opened, the entire group rushes to cut and taste it, united by hunger and excitement.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes resourcefulness, cooperation, and the transformation of unfamiliar or seemingly disgusting materials into something delicious. It also highlights cultural knowledge: Jing Yi’s Earth-based culinary traditions give him an advantage in the alien environment. Food functions as a source of morale and connection, bringing the group together despite their different backgrounds. The scene also uses humor to contrast the sophisticated expectations of the viewers with the harsh survival conditions and the exaggerated enthusiasm of people discovering an unexpectedly excellent meal.

Outcome

The mud-roasted Ornithomimus proves to be tender, flavorful, energy-rich, and safe to eat. The group’s skepticism disappears, and they react with intense satisfaction, openly admitting that meat roasted in mud can be remarkably delicious.

Chapter 262 Summary

Plot Points and Events

• The Grey Eagle and Cheetah Squads share a lavish meal of Ornithomimus meat wrapped in large green leaves, prepared by Madam Qin.
• The soldiers are overwhelmed by the food’s flavor, especially the Cheetah Squad, who had previously only eaten poorly cooked meat. They consider forming an alliance with the neighboring team one of their commander’s best decisions.
• The feast is so entertaining and appetizing that viewers watching the livestream become hungry, despite eating nutrient solutions themselves.
• The audience briefly forgets about the Wild Boar Squad and the people from X-Star, only remembering them after realizing they have been excluded from the current excitement.
• The chapter shifts focus to Carrot Bro, the broadcast commentator, who is suffering professionally after being forced to share commentary duties with his rival, Cauliflower Bro.

Character Developments

• The Cheetah Squad becomes even more appreciative of Madam Qin and their alliance with the Grey Eagle Squad. Their reaction shows how sheltered and inexperienced they were regarding high-quality food.
• The Grey Eagle Squad remains more composed because they have already experienced Madam Qin’s cooking, though they are equally enthusiastic.
• Madam Qin’s reputation grows further: her cooking is portrayed as an extraordinary skill that can win over entire teams and strengthen alliances.
• Carrot Bro is revealed to be ambitious and resentful. He had hoped to become the galaxy’s top host after successfully covering the Grey Eagle Squad, but his opportunities diminish when he is forced to partner with Cauliflower Bro.
• Cauliflower Bro is established as Carrot Bro’s professional nemesis. Their rivalry causes them to interrupt and compete with each other constantly.

Character Interactions

• The Grey Eagle and Cheetah Squads bond over the meal, enthusiastically agreeing with one another’s praise.
• The two teams’ alliance is strengthened through shared enjoyment of Madam Qin’s cooking.
• Carrot Bro and Cauliflower Bro clash during the broadcast, each trying to dominate the commentary.
• Their constant interruptions annoy viewers, leading their leader to impose strict rules: they must alternate half-hour shifts and limit the number of sentences they can speak.

Significant Themes

• Food as a source of unity: Madam Qin’s cooking bridges differences between the two squads and reinforces their alliance.
• Contrast between abundance and deprivation: The soldiers’ feast is contrasted with the viewers’ nutrient solutions and the Wild Boar Squad’s misfortune, creating both humor and envy.
• Professional rivalry and forced cooperation: Carrot Bro and Cauliflower Bro must work together despite mutual hostility, demonstrating how competition can undermine teamwork.
• Fame and frustration: Carrot Bro’s hopes of becoming a celebrated commentator are undercut by circumstances beyond his control, emphasizing the unpredictability of success.
• Comic social hierarchy: The chapter humorously contrasts those enjoying a luxurious meal, those stuck with inferior food, and those forgotten entirely by the audience.

Chapter Summary

Plot and events

The chapter covers the continuation of the livestream after Wild Boar Squad is captured by the United Squad. Cauliflower Bro spends much of his commentary describing the squad’s defeat and the preparation of mud-baked Ornithomimus meat, while Carrot Bro’s segment focuses on gathering fuel and ingredients. Once the food is ready, the livestream reveals the eight starving, bound members of Wild Boar Squad watching helplessly from the shadows while the United Squad eats nearby. Carrot Bro uses the opportunity to suggest that the prisoners are being deliberately denied food as revenge for insulting Jing Yi’s rock paintings and plotting to exploit them politically.
The situation escalates when Jing Yi proposes using the “ready-made meat” nearby instead of hunting again. He begins covering the Wild Boar captain in mud, horrifying both the prisoners and the livestream audience, who fear the United Squad intends to roast and eat them. Qin Meng initially appears to stop Jing Yi, but instead wipes Jing Yi’s hands and then personally begins smearing mud over the captain. The mischievous members of Grey Eagle Squad follow suit, coating the remaining prisoners as well.

Character developments

• Jing Yi displays a mischievous, vindictive, and completely deadpan sense of humor. His calm behavior makes the apparent threat of roasting the prisoners even more terrifying, showing how effectively he can manipulate appearances and intimidate his enemies.
• Qin Meng reinforces his role as Jing Yi’s dependable partner, but also reveals that he willingly indulges Jing Yi’s schemes rather than restraining him. His participation confirms their shared sense of humor and coordinated cruelty toward their opponents.
• Carrot Bro regains confidence after feeling overshadowed by Cauliflower Bro. He eagerly exploits the dramatic reveal of the starving prisoners to produce sensational commentary and compete with his rival.
• Wild Boar Squad shifts from defeated prisoners to comic victims. Their fear, hunger, and desperate reactions make them the butt of the broadcast’s humor.
• Grey Eagle Squad embraces the chaos, joining Qin Meng in smearing mud over the prisoners simply because they enjoy watching the trouble unfold.

Character interactions

Jing Yi and Qin Meng’s interaction is the chapter’s central moment: Qin appears to intervene, then unexpectedly joins Jing Yi’s prank. Their coordinated actions demonstrate their close relationship and shared willingness to torment their enemies. Carrot Bro narrates and exaggerates the situation for the audience, while the viewers react with simultaneous amusement and alarm. The prisoners’ terrified responses contrast sharply with the United Squad’s calm enjoyment and the Grey Eagle Squad’s enthusiasm.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes performance and misdirection, as the livestream’s editing, commentary, and carefully timed camera reveal turn a routine meal into dramatic entertainment. It also explores revenge disguised as humor, with Jing Yi and the others punishing the X-Stars psychologically rather than physically. The contrast between the Mi Star people’s innocent enthusiasm for food and the prisoners’ fear creates much of the comedy, while the episode further highlights loyalty, partnership, and group solidarity within the United Squad.

Chapter 264 Summary

Plot and Events

• Tang Wan’s Cheetah Squad watches calmly as Jing Yi’s group prepares food near the unconscious Wild Boar Squad.
• Because the roasted Beggar’s Bird Dragon smells like delicious meat, the Boar Squad initially feels hungry, but the situation quickly terrifies them. Jing Yi and Qin Meng smear mud over them and make it appear as though they intend to roast and eat them.
• The Boar captain panics, imagining that the Mi Star team may be using the livestreamed competition to eliminate Military Headquarters personnel and sabotage the peace negotiations involving Prince Mishela.
• Diandian warns Jing Yi that the Inspection Team is approaching. Jing Yi orders Qin Meng and the others to knock out the entire Boar Squad, preventing them from exposing the ruse.
• The livestream audience is horrified. Mi Star viewers accuse Jing Yi’s group of abandoning basic morality, while X-Star viewers frantically demand that the organizers intervene.
• Jing Yi then reveals that the group is actually finished with the food and intends to roast the remaining Ornithomimus meat—not the Boar Squad. He explains that the mud was supposedly applied to repel insects and protect the unconscious competitors.
• Brown Bear’s sincere confusion helps Jing Yi maintain the deception, though his explanation about “humanitarianism,” hygiene, and seasoning is clearly meant to tease and mislead everyone.

Character Development

• Jing Yi demonstrates his talent for psychological manipulation and theatrical deception. He deliberately exploits the competitors’ and viewers’ fears, then casually pretends the misunderstanding was absurd.
• Qin Meng willingly acts as Jing Yi’s accomplice, immediately knocking out the Boar captain without hesitation.
• Brown Bear appears straightforward and innocent, asking whether the team is truly going to roast the competitors. His earnest participation unintentionally strengthens Jing Yi’s act.
• The Boar captain becomes increasingly paranoid and desperate, imagining political conspiracies and the possible collapse of the peace negotiations.
• Tang Wan and the Cheetah Squad remain composed observers, contrasting with the panic of the Boar Squad and the livestream audience.

Character Interactions

• Diandian discreetly informs Jing Yi that the Inspection Team is coming, prompting him to conclude the performance quickly.
• Jing Yi gives Qin Meng the order to knock everyone out, and the rest of the group follows.
• Brown Bear questions Jing Yi’s actions, especially the mud and the apparent threat of cannibalism, allowing Jing Yi to deliver an exaggerated “humanitarian” explanation.
• The livestream creates a wider interaction between Jing Yi’s group and viewers from both civilizations, whose reactions reveal their differing fears and moral outrage.

Significant Themes

• Psychological warfare and performance: Jing Yi wins control not through direct violence but by manipulating appearances and exploiting the imagination of others.
• Fear and paranoia: The Boar captain’s political anxieties spiral from a staged threat into elaborate conspiracy theories.
• Moral boundaries: The viewers’ outrage emphasizes that eating intelligent lifeforms would cross an unacceptable ethical line, even amid hostility between species.
• Appearance versus reality: The scene appears to depict cruelty, but the truth is merely a prank involving food, mud, and unconscious competitors.
• Humor through misunderstanding: The chapter derives comedy from the enormous gap between Jing Yi’s intentions, the audience’s assumptions, and Brown Bear’s literal questions.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

Jing Yi successfully deceives the Inspection Team by claiming that the unconscious X-Stars were knocked out to prevent them from overhearing the Joint Squad’s plans, while jokingly implying that the team might otherwise have roasted and eaten them. The inspectors arrive just as the group is preparing more mud-roasted Ornithomimus meat, and their misunderstanding deepens when they see the team calmly cooking. Believing the Joint Squad may genuinely be cannibalistic, they cautiously retrieve the unconscious X-Stars and leave. Once back aboard their spacecraft and reconnected to the network, they realize they have been tricked, since they had missed Jing Yi’s earlier performance due to the competition area’s signal blockade.

Character developments

Jing Yi’s reputation continues to transform in the eyes of the spectators and his allies. He is now viewed not only as fierce, eccentric, shameless, and mischievous, but also as cunning, fearless, and highly capable of manipulating opponents. His outrageous lies and theatrical behavior make him increasingly fascinating.
Tang Wan’s opinion of Jing Yi begins to change. Previously, Tang Wan regarded him as a spoiled, impractical “pretty face” who wasted valuable competition time on cooking and drawing instead of card-making. He also looked down on Qin Meng for indulging Jing Yi. However, after witnessing Jing Yi’s dangerous but effective deception, Tang Wan starts to wonder whether Jing Yi is not useless after all. His judgment remains cautious, but he begins observing Jing Yi more closely.

Significant themes

• Changing perceptions: Jing Yi repeatedly overturns the assumptions of both spectators and teammates.
• Cunning versus conventional competence: Although he appears distracted and unserious, his creativity and psychological tactics produce real strategic results.
• Team bonding through food: The preparation and sharing of the roasted meat help unite the Grey Eagle and Cheetah squads despite their earlier differences.
• Comedy through misunderstanding: The Inspection Team’s fear of being attacked or having the X-Stars eaten creates a humorous contrast with the Joint Squad’s completely ordinary cooking process.
• Breaking expectations: The chapter challenges the idea that useful competition skills must look disciplined or conventional.

Character interactions

Jing Yi openly manipulates the Inspection Team with Qin Meng and the others supporting his act by continuing to cook without explanation. The inspectors respond with extreme caution, while the Joint Squad ignores their suspicions entirely. Tang Wan, who had previously been critical of Jing Yi and Qin Meng, privately reassesses them after seeing Jing Yi’s deception work. His reluctant respect marks the beginning of a shift in their relationship.

Chapter Summary: “Jing Yi Made a Name for Himself”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Wan notices that the Energy Cards used by Qin Meng’s team are unusual and realizes that the team’s calmness may be because they possess a new type of card.
• Qin Meng initially pretends not to understand Tang Wan’s questions, amusing himself by discussing the roasted mud balls instead.
• He eventually reveals that the cards are New Energy Cards, a confidential military development discovered by Jing Yi.
• Qin Meng explains that Jing Yi gave the discovery and production method to Military Headquarters free of charge.
• Although Jing Yi only has C-grade spiritual power, the cards he makes can store approximately 40,000–50,000 units of energy.
• Qin Meng’s careless public revelation causes massive shock throughout the interstellar world. News spreads rapidly among military, political, aristocratic, and royal circles.
• Mi Star citizens celebrate the news, while mech masters become eager to obtain the new cards. Military Headquarters announces that only military-employed mech masters can currently access them.
• The chapter ends by highlighting Jing Bo’s misery and regret. As Jing Yi becomes increasingly successful and admired, Jing Bo is left ruined by his earlier decision to mistreat and sell his own son.

Character Developments

• Jing Yi gains enormous recognition. His invention proves that he is not merely successful in business or entertainment but also a major technological contributor whose work could affect the entire Federation.
• Qin Meng demonstrates his pride in Jing Yi, repeatedly calling him “my wife” and boasting about his achievements. His smugness also creates humorous tension with Tang Wan.
• Tang Wan is shocked and frustrated by the secret of the New Energy Cards. Though irritated by Qin Meng’s teasing, he recognizes the importance of the discovery and tries to learn more.
• Jing Bo is portrayed as increasingly consumed by regret. Jing Yi’s achievements emphasize how badly Jing Bo misjudged and abandoned his son, leaving him trapped in the consequences of his actions.

Significant Themes

• Recognition and reversal of fortune: Jing Yi, once undervalued and mistreated, becomes influential and celebrated across the interstellar world.
• Regret and consequences: Jing Bo’s downfall contrasts sharply with Jing Yi’s success, showing how selfish decisions can permanently destroy family relationships and personal prospects.
• Power of innovation: The New Energy Cards represent a technological breakthrough with major military and social implications.
• Loyalty and partnership: Qin Meng openly supports and takes pride in Jing Yi, highlighting the strength of their relationship.
• Information and influence: A single public statement rapidly affects governments, military institutions, citizens, and political powers across the Federation.

Character Interactions

• Tang Wan confronts Qin Meng about the unusual Energy Cards, but Qin Meng deliberately avoids answering and jokes about their food until Tang Wan becomes exasperated.
• Qin Meng then reveals the truth while proudly emphasizing Jing Yi’s role, leaving Tang Wan speechless and envious.
• The livestream audience witnesses the exchange, turning Qin Meng’s casual disclosure into a major interstellar news event.
• Jing Yi does not appear directly in the scene, but his achievements dominate the conversation and reshape how the wider world views him.

Chapter Summary: “Continuing the Journey”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jing Bo is consumed by regret after learning that Jing Yi discovered the immensely valuable New Energy Card and gave it to the Military Headquarters. He realizes that driving Jing Yi away may have cost the Jing Family an extraordinary future.
• Overcome by emotional distress, Jing Bo vomits blood and is hospitalized. News of his condition spreads, though it is overshadowed by the larger political crisis surrounding the New Energy Card.
• Qin Meng publicly reveals the card’s origin and specifications, confirming that Jing Yi discovered it and that it has already been transferred to the Military Headquarters. The Military Headquarters publicly backs up this claim.
• The revelation greatly increases Jing Yi’s fame and prestige. He is no longer viewed merely as an entertainer, entrepreneur, or celebrity, but as someone who has made a major contribution to humanity.
• Because the technology is already secured by the Military Headquarters, X Star can no longer gain leverage by attacking or abducting Jing Yi.
• On Planet One, the competition’s battlefield situation favors X Star: 53 blue squads and 499 members remain, compared with 45 red squads and 401 members. Despite this advantage, the political situation changes drastically after Qin Meng’s announcement.
• Empress Catherine of X Star becomes furious, while Prince Mishela of Mi Star nearly demands that the competition be stopped. Mishela accuses Secretary of State Lin Ye of concealing critical information.
• Lin Ye insists that Mi Star’s government was unaware of the Military Headquarters’ plans, but Mishela does not believe him. Lin Ye privately suspects that the Military Headquarters deliberately kept the New Energy Card secret and used the other squads as expendable forces while relying on Grey Eagle Squad as its hidden trump card.

Character Developments

• Jing Bo: Moves from denial to crushing regret. He recognizes that his own prejudice and mistreatment of Jing Yi destroyed the Jing Family’s chance to benefit from Jing Yi’s talent. His emotional collapse becomes physically dangerous.
• Jing Yi: His reputation undergoes a dramatic transformation. His earlier fame as “Jing Xiaoyi” is replaced by the prestige of a humanitarian contributor and technological pioneer.
• Qin Meng: Demonstrates strategic boldness and political awareness by revealing the New Energy Card’s origins at the most advantageous moment. His decision protects Jing Yi and strengthens their position.
• Empress Catherine: Reacts with explosive anger to the revelation, indicating that X Star’s strategic calculations and ambitions have been severely disrupted.
• Prince Mishela: Becomes suspicious and enraged, questioning whether Mi Star’s supposed alliance with the Federal Government is genuine.
• Lin Ye: Feels betrayed and outmaneuvered by the Military Headquarters. Although he defends his government’s ignorance, he understands why Mishela doubts them.

Significant Themes

• Regret and irreversible consequences: Jing Bo realizes too late that his treatment of Jing Yi permanently cost him and his family a transformative opportunity.
• Recognition and reputation: Jing Yi’s public image changes from celebrity to hero, showing how major contributions to society can redefine a person’s status.
• Strategic secrecy and political manipulation: The Military Headquarters’ concealment of the technology allows it to surprise both X Star and Mi Star and potentially reshape the balance of power.
• Power and alliance instability: The revelation exposes distrust between Mi Star’s political leadership and Federal Government, while also highlighting the unequal relationship between the government and military.
• Public disclosure as protection: Qin Meng uses publicity not only to promote Jing Yi but also to make him politically untouchable by ensuring that the New Energy Card’s value is already secured elsewhere.

Character Interactions

• Madam Jing discovers Jing Bo’s collapse, supports him, and arranges his hospitalization.
• Qin Meng’s public statement directly elevates Jing Yi while undermining X Star’s ability to threaten him.
• Mishela confronts Lin Ye, accusing him of deliberately hiding vital information. Lin Ye attempts to justify the government’s ignorance, but she rejects his explanation.
• Lin Ye internally recognizes that Mishela’s suspicion is reasonable: if the Federal Government truly knew nothing, then the Military Headquarters must hold overwhelming power, making the government an unreliable or ineffective ally.

Chapter 268 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Meng’s spectacular display of power humiliates the opposing X-Star and Mi Star factions. Their leaders—including the Empress, Prince Mishela, the President, and the Secretary of State—react by angrily destroying their rooms.
• Meanwhile, the joint squad on Planet One enjoys a second feast of roasted creature meat. The food is even tastier than the previous batch, restoring the soldiers’ energy and leaving them completely satisfied.
• After traveling and fighting for more than ten hours, the squad decides to stop for the night rather than continue through the increasingly dangerous darkness. They reason that everyone is exhausted and that further travel is unlikely to produce results.
• The team searches the cave thoroughly, blocks the entrance and passages, and transforms it into a secure resting area. They deploy compact vacuum-packed sleeping pads and tent canopies supplied by the competition organizers.
• Everyone falls asleep peacefully. The livestream audience also leaves to rest, though many viewers jokingly complain that Qin Meng and Jing Yi were given separate single-person tents instead of one shared tent.
• Viewers also tease Qin Meng for being romantically inexperienced, especially compared with their exaggerated expectations of his reputation.
• After seven hours, the team wakes during the darkest part of the pre-dawn night and prepares to continue.
• Tang Wan, having learned the truth about Jing Yi’s enormous supply of Energy Cards, begins persistently demanding that his own team receive support. He argues that allies should share resources and that strengthening one group benefits everyone.
• Qin Meng repeatedly ignores and rejects him, even while Tang Wan continues muttering about the matter in his sleep.
• The next morning, Tang Wan changes tactics and begins appealing directly to Jing Yi instead of Qin Meng, believing Jing Yi is the real decision-maker.
• He becomes unexpectedly captivated by Jing Yi’s charm and briefly fantasizes about taking Qin Meng’s place, though he recognizes the thought as unrealistic.

Character Developments

• Qin Meng: Continues to project overwhelming strength and confidence. He remains unmoved by Tang Wan’s pleas and appears deliberately indifferent to the matchmaking jokes surrounding him and Jing Yi.
• Jing Yi: Is established as the key source of the team’s abundant Energy Cards and as someone whose presence makes the mission considerably more comfortable. Tang Wan begins viewing him as both powerful and extremely attractive.
• Tang Wan: Shifts from competitive persistence to shamelessly affectionate pleading in pursuit of Energy Cards. His willingness to beg on behalf of his entire team makes him more likable and endearing to observers.
• The joint squad: Demonstrates discipline and practicality by prioritizing rest, security, and resource management after their exhausting journey.
• The audience: Becomes increasingly invested in Qin Meng and Jing Yi’s relationship, humorously interpreting Qin Meng’s reserved behavior as romantic innocence.

Significant Themes

• Rest and preparation: The squad recognizes that conserving strength is essential in a dangerous environment; stopping to recover is portrayed as strategic rather than cowardly.
• Resource inequality and teamwork: Tang Wan’s demands highlight the contrast between teams with abundant resources and those struggling to survive, while also emphasizing the obligations of alliance.
• Power and humiliation: Qin Meng’s performance has political consequences, provoking rage among the opposing factions while strengthening his team’s morale.
• Romantic comedy: The chapter uses the separate tents, audience commentary, and Tang Wan’s growing attraction to Jing Yi to create humor around Qin Meng and Jing Yi’s relationship.
• Public perception: The livestream audience turns the contestants’ actions into entertainment, speculating about their personalities and relationships.

Character Interactions

• Qin Meng dismisses Tang Wan’s repeated requests for Energy Cards, forcing Tang Wan to seek another approach.
• Tang Wan appeals to Jing Yi directly, treating him as the person with real authority over the team’s resources.
• The squad cooperates in securing the cave and preparing their sleeping arrangements.
• The audience humorously “ships” Qin Meng and Jing Yi, criticizing the organizers for not giving them a shared tent and teasing Qin Meng for his apparent lack of romantic initiative.

Summary

Plot points and events

Tang Wan successfully pressures Jing Yi and Qin Meng into giving his side three New Energy Cards. He and Qin Meng compete over Jing Xiaoyi’s attention, with Tang Wan persistently provoking Qin Meng and Qin Meng acting protectively. The Joint Squad then travels before dawn and enters a village, where they discover the mission item, Stardust Grass. Because the grass glows and emits a calming gas, many dangerous predators gather peacefully around it, making it difficult to collect. Tang Wan volunteers to retrieve it, leading two Cheetah Squad members—also equipped with Jing Xiaoyi’s Energy Cards—in a direct assault. They enter the Stardust Grass’s territory and provoke a Blue-Plumed Dragon, a Red Dragon, and other unidentified dinosaurs. Combat begins as the creatures attack, but the chapter ends before the outcome is revealed.

Character developments

Tang Wan becomes increasingly confident after receiving the Energy Cards and is eager to demonstrate his enhanced strength. His shameless persistence and competitive nature are emphasized, especially in his rivalry with Qin Meng. Qin Meng remains vigilant and protective of Jing Xiaoyi, recognizing Tang Wan’s attempts to poach his allies and refusing to be outdone. Jing Xiaoyi is amused by the rivalry and appears to enjoy Tang Wan’s efforts to irritate Qin Meng. The two Cheetah Squad members also gain confidence from their new equipment and imitate Tang Wan’s boldness.

Significant themes

The chapter focuses on rivalry, competition, and masculine pride, with Tang Wan and Qin Meng attempting to outdo one another through both social maneuvering and combat ability. It also highlights teamwork and strategic coordination: although Tang Wan’s group leads the attack, the entire squad is assigned support, defense, extraction, and rear-guard roles. Another theme is the tension between showmanship and practical military discipline, as Tang Wan wants to prove himself while Qin Meng insists on maintaining control and using the encounter as training.

Character interactions

Tang Wan repeatedly tries to get closer to Jing Xiaoyi, while Qin Meng physically and emotionally blocks him, comparing his behavior to a thief threatening a dragon’s treasure. Their rivalry influences the distribution of Energy Cards and continues into the mission. Tang Wan uses the Stardust Grass operation as an opportunity to impress Jing Xiaoyi and tempt Qin Meng’s people to defect. Qin Meng sees through this plan, dismisses Tang Wan as an “idiot,” and orders the squad not to intervene immediately, forcing Tang Wan and his companions to prove themselves against the dragons.

Chapter 270 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Wan and two teammates initially dominate the dinosaur predators but are quickly overwhelmed and forced into a humiliating retreat. They continue taunting the others over the Team Channel to recover their pride.
• Qin Meng takes command and organizes the remaining mechs into a coordinated unit. Rather than fighting the predators directly, he uses clever military tactics and diversions to steal the needed Stardust Grass.
• The group successfully obtains the grass and escapes after five minutes without losing any mechs or weapons.
• At dawn, all nineteen mechs are exposed to the cameras. The audience laughs at the contrast between the relatively intact mechs and Tang Wan’s heavily battered silver-white mech.
• Irritated and embarrassed, Tang Wan moves ahead of the group to scout and clear the path.
• A Little Red Dragon suddenly attacks him. The group quickly kills it.
• Jing Yi learns from Diandian that the dinosaur had been heading toward a Ronghorn Dragon nest to lay its egg there.
• The group discovers five bluish-gray Ronghorn Dragon eggs and one enormous dark-red Little Red Dragon egg. Shocked by the obvious difference in size and appearance, Jing Yi concludes that Ronghorn Dragons are extremely unintelligent and overly trusting.
• Tang Wan prepares to destroy the parasitic Little Red Dragon egg, ending the chapter on a moment of impending action.

Character Developments

• Qin Meng demonstrates strong leadership, tactical intelligence, and composure. He avoids unnecessary combat and maximizes the team’s effectiveness through strategy.
• Tang Wan suffers repeated humiliation: first from being chased by predators, then from public mockery over his damaged mech. His frustration drives him to take the lead, but his bad luck continues when the Little Red Dragon attacks.
• Jing Yi shows strong moral sensitivity toward the Little Red Dragons’ parasitic behavior and the destruction of their foster siblings. His reaction reflects his dislike of cruel natural instincts.
• Diandian remains useful as an observer and information source, alerting Jing Yi to the nearby nest.

Significant Themes

• Strategy over brute force: The team succeeds by using deception, coordination, and tactical maneuvers rather than overpowering the predators.
• Humor amid danger: The chapter contrasts serious survival situations with comedic embarrassment, especially Tang Wan’s battered mech and the team’s insults.
• Cruelty and survival in nature: The Little Red Dragons’ reproductive behavior highlights the harshness of the natural world, where survival often depends on exploiting others.
• Public image and pride: Tang Wan’s embarrassment and attempts to regain dignity emphasize the importance the contestants place on appearance and reputation before the cameras.

Character Interactions

• Tang Wan and his two teammates trade insults with the rest of the group after their retreat.
• Qin Meng takes control of the team, directing everyone into effective positions.
• The group collectively defeats the attacking Little Red Dragon.
• Jing Yi uses Diandian’s information to investigate the nest, while Qin Meng pilots the mech toward it.
• Tang Wan takes the initiative to destroy the parasitic egg, though his action is not yet completed by the chapter’s end.

Summary

Key plot points and events

The team discovers a Little Red Dragon egg near the Ronghorn Dragon’s territory. Tang Wan assumes they should destroy it to help the Ronghorn Dragon, but Jing Yi stops him, suggesting they eat it instead. Tang Wan explains that Little Red Dragons lay only one egg and concentrate exceptional nutrients and survival traits into it. Jing Yi becomes intensely tempted by the enormous, rare egg, especially after hearing about its superior flavor and nutritional value. However, transporting it in their mecha would be dangerous because the shell could crack and ruin the vehicle. Jing Yi struggles between his desire to keep the egg and the impracticality of carrying it.

Character developments

Jing Yi’s extreme appetite and adventurous palate are emphasized. He is willing to consider eating almost anything, but the dinosaur egg represents an especially rare and valuable delicacy, making him unusually conflicted. His reputation has also grown dramatically during the competition: once viewed as a useless burden chosen only because of Qin Meng’s favoritism, he is now recognized as highly capable and entertaining. Tang Wan acts as the practical counterbalance to Jing Yi’s impulsive food obsession, questioning the safety and logic of carrying the egg. Qin Meng is indirectly praised for having recognized Jing Yi’s worth early.

Significant themes

The chapter humorously explores food, survival, and instinct, presenting the egg both as a valuable biological treasure and as an irresistible meal. It also highlights misunderstanding and differing priorities: Tang Wan sees a nest-related problem requiring intervention, while Jing Yi sees a once-in-a-lifetime culinary opportunity. Another major theme is the reversal of public opinion. Jing Yi has transformed from a suspected liability into a beloved celebrity, showing how success can overturn prejudice. The chapter also satirizes celebrity culture and gambling, as viewers obsess over the team’s victories and Jing Yi’s increasingly famous image.

Character interactions

Tang Wan tries to stop Jing Yi from destroying the egg and explains Little Red Dragon customs, but Jing Yi counters with the possibility of eating it. Their exchange highlights Tang Wan’s sense of responsibility against Jing Yi’s shameless foodie nature. Jing Yi’s thoughts also reflect Diandian’s influence, since Diandian supplied the egg’s culinary information. Meanwhile, the spectators’ reactions create a broader interaction between the team and the public: viewers mock, admire, and increasingly celebrate Jing Yi, unanimously labeling him the “Ultimate Foodie” after his history of eating bugs, insects, dinosaurs, and now dinosaur eggs.

Chapter 272 Summary

Plot and key events

• Viewers secretly crave Jing Xiaoyi’s food despite teasing him, trusting that anything made by Jing Yi will be high-quality gourmet cuisine.
• Diandian claims to have a solution to the group’s problem of carrying the enormous little red dragon egg. Jing Xiaoyi realizes they can use it as food rather than continue transporting it.
• He recalls that Dry Fruit Trees grow near Demon Cherry Trees on Planet One. Their enormous fruits contain nutritious, mostly dry starch that can serve as a staple food.
• The group locates several Dry Fruit Trees and establishes camp beneath them. Brown Bear’s team hunts a young Terror Horn Dragon for meat while others prepare the campsite and set guards.
• Jing Yi has Qin Meng harvest and open the dry fruits. The starch inside is still slightly moist but suitable for cooking.
• Using stone slabs over the fire, the group combines dry-fruit starch, the little red dragon’s egg, edible mushrooms, vegetables, seasonings, and salt to prepare a substantial meal.

Character development

• Jing Xiaoyi demonstrates practical knowledge, resourcefulness, and leadership by recognizing that the team needs more balanced nutrition than dried meat.
• He becomes increasingly appreciative of the natural resources and ecosystems of the alien planets, realizing that nature provides treasures that artificial foods cannot match.
• The squad leaders and other competitors grow more willing to trust Jing Yi’s judgment, accepting his plan despite initially considering cooking a waste of time.
• The team’s exhaustion and hunger become apparent once Jing Yi points them out, reinforcing their dependence on his observations and planning.

Character interactions

• Diandian gives Jing Xiaoyi the idea that leads to solving the egg problem.
• The squad members initially advise Jing Xiaoyi to abandon the cumbersome egg, but he persuades them to follow his plan.
• Jing Yi explains the ecological connection between Demon Cherry Trees and Dry Fruit Trees, educating the group about Planet One’s ecosystem.
• He directs Qin Meng and the others in gathering ingredients, preparing stones, building the fire, and organizing camp.
• The group cooperates smoothly under Jing Yi’s leadership, with both squad leaders agreeing to follow his arrangements.

Significant themes

• Nature’s interconnectedness: Demon Cherry Trees, Sand Midges, and Dry Fruit Trees form a linked ecosystem, emphasizing the complexity and wonder of natural food chains.
• Adaptation and survival: The competitors must use unfamiliar alien resources creatively to maintain their strength during the seven-day competition.
• Trust and leadership: Jing Yi’s expertise earns the group’s confidence, even when his suggestions initially seem inconvenient or strange.
• Food as comfort and community: Cooking provides not only necessary nutrition but also a welcome change from monotonous meat and a moment of shared cooperation amid the competition.

Chapter Summary: “A Nutritiously Balanced Breakfast~”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jing Yi prepares a large batch of batter using a giant dinosaur egg, water, shredded mushrooms, and wild greens.
• He heats an enormous stone slab, oils it with leftover animal fat, and cooks thin, colorful egg pancakes.
• The mech warriors eagerly observe and assist, treating Jing Yi’s meals as the highlight of their days after previously surviving on nutrient solutions and cold jerky.
• While the group focuses on breakfast, Qin Meng detects dinosaurs gathering around them, attracted by the food’s smell. The dinosaurs remain cautious because of the humans’ powerful mechs.
• Qin Meng takes over pancake-making, efficiently folding and removing the pancakes from the naturally nonstick stone slab.
• Jing Yi begins roasting the two massive hind legs of a Terror Horn Dragon rather than cooking the entire carcass, minimizing waste and avoiding further provocation of the watching dinosaurs.
• Tang Wan and Bedrock rotate the enormous legs over the fire with ease, while Lone Wolf and Brown Bear repeatedly slice off cooked meat and apply more seasoning and fat.
• Once the cooking process is running smoothly, Jing Yi gathers tender yellow leaf buds from nearby shrubs, presumably to add another component to the meal.

Character Developments

• Jing Yi continues demonstrating creativity, resourcefulness, and practical knowledge despite having limited equipment. His growing collection of handmade tools shows that he is gradually becoming more comfortable and capable on Planet One.
• His culinary skills have also made him an informal teacher. The mercenaries carefully record his household and cooking techniques, hoping to reproduce them later.
• Qin Meng shows both leadership and adaptability. He notices the approaching dinosaurs, warns the group, and then successfully takes over cooking duties.
• Tang Wan and Bedrock display extraordinary physical strength by handling the huge dinosaur legs like ordinary cooking ingredients.
• Lone Wolf and Brown Bear contribute efficiently to the communal meal, showing coordination and practical teamwork.
• The mech warriors’ attitude toward food has changed significantly: meals are no longer mere survival necessities but a major source of anticipation and enjoyment.

Significant Themes

• Resourcefulness and adaptation: Jing Yi transforms alien ingredients and primitive tools into a satisfying, varied meal.
• The importance of food and domestic life: Cooking provides comfort, pleasure, and a sense of normalcy in an otherwise dangerous environment.
• Teamwork and community: The meal becomes a shared project, with everyone contributing according to their abilities.
• Civilization amid wilderness: The carefully prepared breakfast contrasts with the surrounding dinosaurs and harsh planetary conditions.
• Human ingenuity versus nature: The group’s technology and cooking skills attract dangerous predators, but their organization and equipment allow them to remain in control.
• Improving quality of life: Jing Yi’s presence helps the mercenaries move beyond bare survival, introducing them to better food, practical skills, and more refined living.

Character Interactions

• The mercenaries closely watch Jing Yi cook and enthusiastically imitate his methods, treating him as both a chef and a source of survival knowledge.
• Qin Meng interrupts everyone’s meal-focused distraction with a warning about the surrounding dinosaurs, reasserting discipline and security.
• Qin Meng then works alongside Jing Yi by taking over pancake preparation.
• Tang Wan and Bedrock cooperate in rotating the heavy Terror Horn Dragon legs, while Lone Wolf and Brown Bear coordinate the carving, seasoning, and oiling.
• Jing Yi directs the overall process, moving between cooking tasks and gathering plant ingredients while relying on the others to maintain the rhythm of the meal.

Chapter Summary: “Interrupting a Meal Is an Unforgivable Offense”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Diandian identifies edible shrubs growing near the nut trees. Though slightly bitter and fibrous, the leaves are nutritious and refreshing when eaten with rich meat.
• Jing Yi and the others finish grilling egg pancakes and Terror Horn Dragon meat, combining starch, eggs, meat, and vegetables into large stuffed meals.
• Cooking is extremely dangerous because the food’s aroma attracts nearby predators. The guards protect the group by killing a few overly aggressive creatures, frightening the rest into holding back.
• Jing Yi realizes that enduring the constant howls and danger has strengthened his mental resilience. Meanwhile, Qin Meng and Tang Wan remain impressively calm despite being surrounded by predators.
• Tang Wan tries to look impressive for the livestream camera but becomes annoyed when it focuses much longer on Qin Meng. He attempts to give Jing Yi a meat-filled egg pancake, while Qin Meng also moves to claim it.
• Before the food can be eaten, Tiger Cub detects approaching enemies. Two squads are advancing: one of six mechas and another of nine, separated by about five kilometers. Their weakened radar gives the group only about thirty seconds to prepare.
• The team hurriedly distributes the cooked egg pancakes among the mecha pilots. Each warrior stores two large pancakes in a lunch box, but leftover meat, vegetables, and unfinished pancakes must be abandoned.
• Qin Meng carries Jing Yi to safety, and all nineteen mechas board, secure themselves, and prepare for battle.
• The approaching squad soon becomes visible, and the group discovers that it belongs to their own side, creating an unexpected turn.

Character Developments

• Jing Yi demonstrates growing courage and psychological strength after cooking under intense pressure from predators. His irritation at the interrupted meal also highlights his increasingly food-focused, humorous personality.
• Qin Meng remains calm and authoritative in a dangerous environment. His instinctive act of picking up Jing Yi and helping him board the mecha shows protectiveness and familiarity.
• Tang Wan displays his playful vanity and competitive relationship with Qin Meng, trying to attract the livestream camera’s attention and subtly compete for Jing Yi’s food.
• The entire team shows impressive coordination and discipline, rapidly switching from cooking and eating to emergency combat preparation.

Significant Themes

• Food as comfort and morale: The elaborate meal provides pleasure and a sense of normalcy in a brutal survival environment.
• The absurdity of survival: Even with enemies approaching, the team prioritizes saving their hard-earned food, creating comic contrast with the danger around them.
• Growth through adversity: Jing Yi’s improved composure reflects how repeated crises gradually build resilience.
• Teamwork and preparedness: The group’s guards, radar system, mechas, and improvised lunch boxes all demonstrate the importance of cooperation and preparation.
• Entertainment amid danger: The livestream turns the team’s survival efforts into a spectacle, emphasizing the contrast between serious threats and viewers’ amusement over food and personal rivalries.

Character Interactions

• Jing Yi works with Diandian and the others to identify and prepare the edible plants.
• Tang Wan poses for the camera, becomes jealous of Qin Meng’s longer close-up, and tries to give Jing Yi an egg pancake.
• Qin Meng nearly takes the same pancake and later physically assists Jing Yi by carrying him to the mecha.
• Tiger Cub alerts everyone to the approaching squads, allowing the group to finish securing their food and prepare for confrontation.
• The chapter ends with the team expecting an attack, only to realize that the first squad approaching is allied with them.

Chapter 275 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Meng and Tang Wan’s Joint Squad encounters the badly damaged six-member White Bone Squad, who are fleeing from the X-Stars.
• The White Bone Squad captain contacts them and warns that the X-Stars possess enormous pills capable of driving ferocious beasts berserk and forcing them to fight alongside the X-Stars. He urges them not to let the pills be ignited.
• Seeing the Joint Squad’s nineteen intact, battle-ready mechas, the X-Stars immediately abandon their pursuit and flee.
• The White Bone Squad, eager to recover their dignity after being humiliated and nearly destroyed, charges after the X-Stars instead of simply accepting rescue.
• Several controlled dinosaurs are left behind as cannon fodder by the fleeing X-Stars. The White Bone Squad attacks through them while explaining the enemy’s tactics.
• The X-Stars had used manipulated beasts as vanguards, prolonged battles, surrounded opponents, and launched sneak attacks to drain their enemies’ limited energy.
• The White Bone Squad reveals that their energy reserves are completely depleted. They had been prepared to make a suicidal final assault, and one of their attacks had already destroyed one X-Star mecha, reducing the enemy from ten to nine.
• The Joint Squad pursues the fleeing X-Stars, moving like predators closing in on prey.

Character Developments

• White Bone Squad captain: Shows both relief and bitterness upon finding allies. His rapid warning reflects his desperation and hatred of the X-Stars. Despite his squad’s exhausted state, he insists on fighting back to preserve their pride.
• White Bone Squad: Their earlier cowardly-looking retreat is reframed as a desperate survival tactic. With nothing left to lose, they become willing to launch a suicidal attack and reclaim their dignity.
• Qin Meng and Tang Wan: Immediately accept the White Bone Squad’s communication request and provide the support the battered squad needs.
• Jing Xiaoyi: His extraordinary ability to create cards while traveling is emphasized, as is his astonishing spiritual control and success rate even under difficult conditions.
• Joint Squad: Their intact equipment, coordinated formation, and aggressive response establish them as a powerful and intimidating force.

Significant Themes

• Desperation and survival: Limited energy transforms every battle into a life-or-death calculation. Once a mecha’s energy is exhausted, it becomes helpless.
• Pride and dignity: The White Bone Squad refuses to remain passive victims. Their counterattack is partly motivated by the need to prove they are not cowards.
• Cruelty and unfair tactics: The X-Stars exploit controlled beasts, attrition, ambushes, and prolonged engagements rather than relying on direct combat.
• Alliance and mutual support: The meeting between the two human squads demonstrates the importance of cooperation in the competition’s hostile environment.
• Hidden strength: The Joint Squad’s pristine condition and formidable formation dramatically reverse the power dynamic, turning the hunters into the hunted.

Character Interactions

• The White Bone Squad captain urgently contacts Qin Meng and Tang Wan, warning them about the X-Stars’ beast-controlling pills.
• The Joint Squad’s presence gives the White Bone Squad the confidence to turn around and pursue their former attackers.
• The X-Stars react to the Joint Squad with immediate fear, abandoning their advantage and fleeing.
• The White Bone Squad and Joint Squad effectively combine forces, with the former attacking out of wounded pride and the latter providing the overwhelming combat power needed to chase the X-Stars.

Chapter Summary: “The Ignorant Are Happiest~”

Key Plot Points and Events

• White Bone Squad and the Joint Squad pursue an X-Star team through a region crowded with dinosaurs.
• The fleeing X-Stars throw giant pills behind them. Some pills explode or activate, while others fail, but the large dinosaur population allows the successful ones to affect many creatures.
• The pills drive the dinosaurs into a frenzy and effectively turn them into expendable obstacles meant to delay the Joint Squad. The tactic causes unnecessary dinosaur casualties and is viewed as especially cruel.
• The nineteen mechas of the Joint Squad avoid fighting the dinosaurs directly, weaving through them to focus on chasing the X-Stars.
• Both sides accelerate recklessly, consuming enormous amounts of energy. The X-Stars assume the Joint Squad will run out of power first, but the chase continues for more than half an hour in a series of circles.
• When both teams finally stop, the X-Stars attempt a desperate counterattack. However, the Joint Squad—particularly the exceptionally powerful Grey Eagle Squad—overwhelms them completely.
• The X-Star mechas are dismantled, and all nine members of the Octopus Squad are forced to retreat into their protective energy shields and surrender by raising white flags.

Character and Group Developments

• The Joint Squad demonstrates remarkable endurance, confidence, and combat ability. Their abundant energy reserves allow them to maintain extreme acceleration and use more powerful weapons.
• Grey Eagle Squad is revealed to consist entirely of highly capable fighters, unlike the X-Star team, which relies more heavily on card makers and lacks comparable close-combat strength.
• The X-Stars become increasingly desperate and frustrated as their attempt to outlast the Joint Squad fails. Their confidence turns into fear, anger, and humiliation.
• The Octopus Squad develops intense hatred toward the Joint Squad after being unexpectedly cornered and defeated.

Significant Themes

• Endurance versus overconfidence: The X-Stars assume the contest will be decided by energy consumption, but misjudge the Joint Squad’s reserves and capabilities.
• The cost of victory: The X-Stars’ use of controlled dinosaurs as cannon fodder highlights the moral ugliness of winning through reckless sacrifice.
• Competition and safety: The chapter explains that the event is designed to promote cooperation rather than produce real casualties. Strict regulations and Small Energy Shields prevent deaths, even when mechas are destroyed.
• Ignorance and miscalculation: The title reflects how the X-Stars remain unaware of the Joint Squad’s true strength and energy supply until it is too late.
• Pride and humiliation: The X-Stars’ refusal to retreat leads to a crushing defeat and a public surrender.

Character Interactions

• The Joint Squad relentlessly pursues the X-Stars, ignoring distractions and focusing entirely on defeating them.
• The X-Stars attempt to delay their pursuers by weaponizing the dinosaurs and then engage in a prolonged acceleration contest.
• When the X-Stars finally turn to fight, the Joint Squad defeats them decisively rather than being dragged into a mutual-destruction attack.
• After their mechas are reduced to scrap, the nine Octopus Squad members glare at the Joint Squad from inside their energy shields before raising white flags, ending the confrontation in humiliation.

Chapter Summary — Page 277

Key plot points and events

The Joint Squad is attacked by the fast-moving Octopus creatures just as they are preparing to eat the egg pancakes, grilled meat, and vegetables they received. They defeat the creatures, but the Inspection Team arrives immediately and removes the Octopuses before the squad can retaliate. As a result, their meal becomes cold, leaving everyone frustrated despite how delicious it is.
While eating, the squad realizes they abandoned the White Bone Squad, who had been pursued by the same rampaging dinosaurs. Concerned that their fellow Mi Star competitors may have been killed, they turn back to search for them. They eventually find the six members of the White Bone Squad still alive, surrounded by Raptors and barely holding out. The Raptors flee as soon as the Joint Squad arrives.
The Joint Squad discovers that the White Bone Squad has eaten all the food they left behind, causing them great disappointment. The White Bone Squad’s captain reconnects with them and introduces himself as Mao Youyou.

Character developments

The Joint Squad demonstrates growing responsibility and solidarity by returning to rescue the White Bone Squad instead of simply continuing toward safety. Their concern reflects a stronger sense of unity among the Mi Star participants. Mao Youyou is revealed to be a well-known and highly capable mercenary leader who was once recruited into the elite Bluepoint Military Academy. Despite his exceptional talent and grades, he was rebellious enough to drop out and later establish a successful mercenary group. He is also noticeably embarrassed by his unusual name.

Significant themes

• Camaraderie and mutual responsibility: The Joint Squad refuses to leave their fellow competitors to the dangers of the wilderness.
• Comedy amid danger: The characters’ anger over their cold food and heartbreak at discovering it has been eaten provides humor during a life-threatening situation.
• Survival and adaptation: Both squads endure attacks from Octopuses, Raptors, and ferocious dinosaurs, relying on quick decisions and cooperation.
• Reputation versus personality: Mao Youyou’s impressive background contrasts with his awkwardness and embarrassment over his name.

Character interactions

The Joint Squad jokes and complains together over their ruined meal, then collectively decides to return for the White Bone Squad. Upon being rescued, the White Bone Squad reacts with enormous relief and gratitude. Captain Mao Youyou formally thanks them, surprising the Joint Squad when they recognize his famous identity. Jing Yi asks Qin Meng about Mao Youyou, leading to an explanation of his history as a gifted but unruly military student turned successful mercenary leader.

Chapter Summary: “A Bet”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jing Xiaoyi remains suspicious of Mao Youyou’s claim that he is harmless, especially because Mao is famous and was being chased despite supposedly formidable abilities.
• After the Joint Squad rescues Mao Youyou and his White Bone Squad from the Octopus Squad, the groups introduce themselves and join forces.
• Mao’s first concern is food. His squad is starving, so the Joint Squad gives them all its jerky. The White Bone Squad devours it enthusiastically, revealing how desperate their recent circumstances have been.
• The Joint Squad asks whether Mao noticed the mysterious yellow objects on the boards earlier, but he admits he was too busy fleeing to see them.
• The combined group continues onward. After defeating the Octopus Squad and taking their supplies, the Joint Squad now possesses nearly two-thirds of the competition’s required mission items.
• The competition’s structure is explained: supplies are scattered around the arena, encouraging teams to fight one another, steal resources, and gain points. The event is effectively a survival contest in which the last remaining squad becomes the strongest.
• Mao Youyou’s White Bone Squad is in terrible condition, with many mecha missing limbs. The Joint Squad’s technicians, including Wrench and Jing Xiaoyi, help repair and maintain them.
• Mao explains that his squad’s technical specialists—repairmen, card makers, and similar members—were eliminated early by the X-Star team, leaving only six survivors. Mao is the only remaining member with even limited repair knowledge.
• Mao’s poor condition and the contrast between the battered White Bone Squad and the polished Joint Squad become a source of humor and sympathy.
• The chapter ends with Mao beginning to explain his squad’s misfortunes while chewing on a blade of grass, a substitute for cigarettes since smoking is forbidden in the competition.

Character Developments

• Mao Youyou: Introduced as a famous but surprisingly bedraggled and unlucky captain. His hunger, self-deprecating humor, and damaged squad make him seem more vulnerable and approachable than his reputation suggests. His long mercenary career is also reflected in his smoking habit and rough, roguish demeanor.
• Jing Xiaoyi: Remains observant and skeptical, questioning how Mao could be both famous and apparently helpless. He also proves his technical usefulness by helping repair the White Bone Squad’s mecha.
• Qin Meng: Acts protectively toward Jing Xiaoyi and reacts sharply when Mao’s teasing seems to involve her.
• Tang Wan: Shows sympathy for Mao’s plight but also enjoys teasing him and is eager to hear the story behind the White Bone Squad’s misfortune.
• The White Bone Squad: Their condition reveals how severely they have suffered, while their grateful reaction to ordinary jerky emphasizes their desperation.
• The Joint Squad: Demonstrates generosity by sharing food and providing technical assistance, strengthening its alliance with Mao’s group.

Significant Themes

• Survival through cooperation and conflict: The competition is designed to force teams to fight, steal resources, and absorb one another, making alliances both necessary and temporary.
• Misfortune versus reputation: Mao’s fame and supposed strength contrast sharply with his squad’s repeated disasters, suggesting that reputation does not guarantee success.
• Compassion amid competition: Although the event encourages ruthless behavior, the Joint Squad chooses to help the starving and damaged White Bone Squad.
• Humor in hardship: Food, broken mecha, Mao’s grass “cigarette,” and his self-mocking comments lighten an otherwise brutal survival situation.
• Unequal preparation and loss: The elimination of the White Bone Squad’s technical members shows how early setbacks can cripple a team’s long-term prospects.

Character Interactions

• Jing Xiaoyi questions Mao’s credibility and later works alongside him during the mecha repairs.
• Qin Meng and Tang Wan formally introduce themselves to Mao and become involved in hearing his story.
• The Joint Squad shares its food with Mao’s starving members, creating an immediate bond of sympathy.
• Qin Meng reacts protectively when Mao jokes about Jing Xiaoyi’s missing mecha.
• Tang Wan places an arm around Mao and presses him to explain what happened, prompting Mao to begin recounting his squad’s disastrous journey.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mao Youyou carelessly bites a blade of grass despite Jing Yi’s warning not to. The plant quickly causes him to lose control of his speech and body, making him gibber and twitch like he is having a seizure.
• The team panics and prepares to use one of their limited universal antidotes, but Jing Yi stops them. He correctly identifies the grass as mildly poisonous and explains that Mao will recover naturally within minutes without lasting effects.
• After roughly five minutes of convulsions, Mao regains consciousness, though he remains temporarily slurred and confused. The livestream audience finds the incident hilarious, while Mao’s fans are embarrassed by the collapse of his supposedly impressive image.
• The joint squad finishes making the best repairs possible with their limited tools. The six mechas remain badly damaged: three are missing limbs, including two that have lost legs. Since replacement parts cannot be manufactured on the planet, the affected pilots appear likely to be forced out of the competition.
• Mao promises his injured subordinates that he will avenge them by finding and defeating the enemies who damaged their mechas.
• Jing Yi challenges the assumption that the two pilots must withdraw, implying that he has another solution. Mao, still embarrassed and irritated by Jing Yi’s earlier warning, looks to Qin Meng to control him.

Character Developments

• Jing Yi demonstrates extensive knowledge of the planet’s flora and toxins, as well as calm judgment under pressure. Despite being new to the group, he has already earned authority and respect, particularly from Tang Wan and Qin Meng.
• Mao Youyou is revealed to be both reckless and extremely unlucky. His foolish decision to chew unfamiliar grass reinforces the White Bone Squad’s reputation for misfortune, while also damaging his charismatic public image. Nevertheless, he remains loyal and protective toward his subordinates.
• Tang Wan shows practical concern by immediately removing the grass from Mao’s mouth and later expresses admiration for Jing Yi’s knowledge.
• The White Bone Squad remains deeply loyal to Mao. Their exaggerated worry over his poisoning highlights their attachment to him, though the incident also suggests that some of their “bad luck” may result from their own carelessness.
• The injured mecha pilots are emotionally devastated because they view their mechas as extensions of themselves. Jing Yi’s statement gives them unexpected hope.

Significant Themes

• Competence versus recklessness: Jing Yi’s careful knowledge contrasts sharply with Mao’s impulsive behavior, showing how survival depends on caution as much as combat ability.
• The dangers of the natural environment: The primitive planet presents threats beyond predators and battles, including inconspicuous poisonous plants.
• Teamwork and trust: The group cooperates to protect Mao and repair the damaged mechas, while Jing Yi gradually gains influence within the squad.
• Public image versus reality: Mao’s fans expect an impressive male idol but instead witness his ridiculous poisoning, exposing the gap between celebrity persona and actual behavior.
• Hope in seemingly hopeless situations: Although the damaged mechas appear unusable, Jing Yi suggests that withdrawal may not be inevitable.

Character Interactions

• Jing Yi warns Mao not to bite the grass, but Mao ignores him and suffers the consequences.
• Tang Wan responds quickly by pulling the grass from Mao’s mouth, while the others prepare an antidote.
• Jing Yi calms the team and prevents them from wasting their limited medicine, strengthening his position as a trusted authority.
• Mao’s teammates support him during his recovery and react emotionally to the loss of their mechas.
• Mao vows revenge on behalf of his injured subordinates, but Jing Yi interrupts with a possible alternative to their withdrawal. Mao, embarrassed and irritated, silently appeals to Qin Meng to restrain Jing Yi.

Chapter Summary: “Jing Xiaoyi Is Tarzan~”

• Conflict and provocation: Qin Xiaomeng defends Jing Xiaoyi after Mao Youyou implies that Jing is useless because he lacks a functional mech. Jing privately mocks Mao as another “stubborn, self-important idiot,” accidentally insulting both Mao and Tang Wan by implication. Mao overhears everything and demands an apology, insisting that a legless mech cannot keep up with the others.
• The wager: Jing Xiaoyi confidently claims that his legless mech can still keep pace. Mao raises the stakes, promising to kneel and sing “Conquest” if Jing can prevent his two brothers from being eliminated. Jing accepts with sarcastic confidence, telling Mao to choose which version of the song he wants to sing. Mao becomes furious, while the audience and Jing’s fans find the exchange hilarious.
• Hidden significance of “Conquest”: The phrase has a history connected to Jing Xiaoyi’s former identity and became a famous interstellar saying after he used it in an online argument. Jing nearly exposes himself when Mao repeats it, but quickly hides his reaction. The moment hints at Jing’s secret past and his continued effort to conceal it.
• Jing’s response: Rather than continuing the verbal argument, Jing calmly walks away to prove himself. The contestants and hundreds of millions of viewers wait to see how he plans to win the bet.
• The storage pack: Jing opens the Grey Eagle Squad’s spatial “pack,” a standardized hundred-cubic-meter storage device issued to each team. The pack is already filled with enormous mission items gathered on Planet One, including dinosaur horns, dragon-like spikes, and large energy stones. The viewers, familiar with the squad’s extraordinary packing ability, anticipate that Jing may use its contents in an unexpected way.

Character Development and Interactions

• Jing Xiaoyi remains witty, fearless, and highly capable. He uses humor and confidence to counter prejudice against his damaged mech, though his instinctive reaction to “Conquest” reveals the danger of his concealed identity.
• Qin Xiaomeng openly supports Jing, physically and emotionally protecting him while sharing playful, flirtatious glances with him.
• Mao Youyou is hot-tempered and easily provoked. His pride drives him into making an extreme wager, which may leave him humiliated if Jing succeeds.
• Tang Wan becomes irritated after realizing Jing’s remark about “another” stubborn idiot may have included him.
• The audience and fans amplify the rivalry, enjoying the spectacle and eagerly waiting for Jing to prove himself.

Significant Themes

• Judging by appearances: Mao assumes Jing is weak because his mech is legless, while Jing intends to disprove the belief that physical limitations determine ability.
• Confidence versus arrogance: Mao’s boastful challenge contrasts with Jing’s calm, controlled confidence.
• Hidden identity and foreshadowing: The “Conquest” reference connects Jing to a famous past persona and suggests that his identity may eventually be exposed.
• Humor and public spectacle: Personal conflict becomes entertainment for a massive livestream audience, turning the wager into a dramatic competition.