The Ring

The pointer hit 5 o'clock. The fat man plopped down onto the floor with a gasp, gulping water from his bottle as sweat poured off him like rain.

Mu Fan tossed his arm guards aside, his voice showing no trace of fatigue. "Harry, that's enough training for today. I don't know any martial techniques, so I can only do my best as your sparring partner. If you can keep this up, I believe there will be changes."

An afternoon of training had left the fat man too exhausted to say a single word. He wiped his face with his thick palm and muttered hoarsely, "I'm going all out... Tomorrow we continue. Big Fatty here is going to show those bastards a thing or two."

After washing up, the two walked out of the training room as the alloy door slowly closed behind them. The fat man shuffled along, one step at a time, leaning against the wall, his body trembling unsteadily. His suit could no longer project any of his usual swagger. Even the swaying hips of a passing waitress failed to catch his attention. If you got close, you could hear him muttering over and over, "I want to go home, almost there... I want to go home..."

Mu Fan followed the fat man down the stairs. In the lobby on the first floor, a group of people were already packing up their gear.

"Getting paid! Getting paid!" A big man rushed past Mu Fan.

Mu Fan looked in the direction he was heading. A small crowd had already gathered there, including a few he'd seen at lunch. It seemed it was time to collect wages.

So Mu Fan called out to the half-dead fat man ahead of him. "Harry, I need to go over there to get my pay. You go on ahead."

"Ah, alright then. Where do you live? I'll give you a ride." The fat man forced himself to answer.

"No need. The gym probably has to arrange tomorrow's work. You go on." Mu Fan didn't want the fat man to take him. First, he was used to running back. Second, he didn't want to reveal even a hint of Black's secret.

"Alright, I'll head back and arrange things with Uncle Wu. See you tomorrow. I'm dead tired today, this young master can't take it anymore. Gonna die, gonna die, gonna die." The fat man's face drooped as he turned and continued shuffling toward the entrance.

Mu Fan walked over to the gym staff member nearby. "Report your name and venue."

"Mu Fan, second floor, VIP Room 9."

"Mmm, Mu Fan, here's your pay." After checking the electronic roster, the staff member handed over 500 Star Coins. Mu Fan took them solemnly with both hands. This was the first time he'd earned so much in a single day.

"Be at the gym at 8 AM sharp tomorrow. Latecomers get docked pay." Then, as if by routine, the staff member informed Mu Fan.

Mu Fan agreed, gripped the Star Coins in his hand, and headed to the changing room. Along the way, he saw a few colleagues already sporting injuries. Mu Fan's brow furrowed slightly, then relaxed.

When he walked out again, Mu Fan had changed back into his own tattered clothes, though the smell of machine oil on him was much lighter.

He looked up at the sky. Luoqie Star sat on the edge of the Federation's territory, and night fell especially early here. Now the starry curtain was spread anew, the dark night hanging low. Mu Fan took a deep breath of the mixed air and glanced around. Crowds of people in suits and dresses, surrounded by the sounds of laughter and chatter, scattered about. The nightlife of District 22 had already begun, with neon lights of every color lighting up the district.

He patted his pocket, where the 500 Star Coins lay quietly. Mu Fan felt in an exceptionally good mood today. Oh, and that fat man too. The thought made the corner of his mouth twitch slightly.

After several twists and turns, he reached the edge of the district. He turned back to look at the city, did a few stretching exercises, then swung his arms and started running toward the suburbs.

"What the hell is that?" In a hover car heading into the city, the driver flicked a cigarette butt out the window and caught a glimpse of a flickering, leaping black shadow in the distance. His body shuddered. He tossed the cigarette and recalled all kinds of terrible rumors. "Step on it. It's too dangerous out here at night."

Mu Fan had no idea that someone in a hover car heading into the city had noticed his movements. Even if he did, he wouldn't have cared. His world was simple: just survive. Now he'd added one more thing: earn a neural computer. In the future, he wanted to pilot a mech and roam the starry universe. Of course, he didn't know what to do after that. That was a problem for later. The fat man's words had stirred something deep inside him. He couldn't quite describe it, but he felt like his sky was too monotonous now. He wanted to see what lay beyond.

His mind wandered, but his feet accurately found the flat stones and paths in the dark night. His body always brushed past branches and rock walls by a hair's breadth. Mu Fan moved like a ghost in the darkness, light and swift, with endless endurance.

Thump. One foot landed on a half-buried, slanting deadwood. His body lightly twisted midair with the momentum, his back grazing the branches beneath him as he leaped over. Mu Fan glanced sideways. There were signs of animal activity in the forest beside him. He heard the sounds of animals moving, but he didn't care. Lunch had been satisfying. He didn't need to worry about his stomach now. Time to go home! Home!

The abandoned factory sat silently in its place. The sky had turned pitch black. The factory blended seamlessly into the darkness, not a single glimmer of light. But Mu Fan's eyes shone brightly.

"No footprints on the ground at the entrance. The detection line by the wall hasn't been touched. The shape of the fire pit hasn't changed. Hmm... no footprints in the ashes around the Black Egg..."

"Black!! Mu Fan, call me Black, not Black Egg!" As Mu Fan stroked his chin and quietly muttered while checking the warning signs he'd left that morning, he was suddenly startled by a voice from the scrap pile.

"Aren't you in self-diagnosis?" Mu Fan's face showed no trace of embarrassment.

"Detection of a keyword triggers automatic wake-up." Mu Fan could clearly sense a hint of anger in the voice coming from the scrap pile.

Speechless, Mu Fan lit the fire and dug Black's carrier out of the scrap heap. He watched as the antenna with the White Sphere rose and pointed at him.

"You seem a bit different now."

"30% of my intelligence was used to simulate 10% of emotions. Lord Black is no ordinary AI. I am an intelligent lifeform with autonomous thinking ability. I must be distinguished from the common kind." The White Sphere twisted vigorously when it saw Mu Fan's expressionless face.

Mu Fan remained deadpan. "Oh."

Then, before Black could protest, he continued on his own, "I've found a way to get a neural computer."

Ding. The White Sphere suddenly projected an expression, a blue smiley face appearing in the air.

"Mu Fan, I have completed a preliminary first-level self-diagnosis. Secondary program organization and self-repair no longer require the current carrier." The bright blue smiley face faced Mu Fan.

"Black Egg."

"Present."

"Black Egg."

"Host, please give your orders."

"Black Egg."

"Mu Fan, go ahead."

"Black Egg."

"Mmm..."

Mu Fan was finally satisfied. Seeing that Black's projected smiley face was still bright and clear, he nodded approvingly. "I'm working at a martial arts gym. I made a friend. He wants me to teach him combat and enter the PO Battle Network with him. He promised to give me a neural computer."

"A neural computer and the Battle Network!?" The blue smiley face suddenly turned shocked. "When?"

"The fat man will come again tomorrow."

"Mu Fan, I need the data of your current world. I will formulate a training plan suited to your physical condition based on that data. I need the optical brain to connect to the network for the self-improvement of my virtual personality. Please take me with you."

Mu Fan glanced at the giant egg before him, his brow twitching.

As if sensing Mu Fan's confusion, the White Sphere suddenly retracted its carrier. After a few seconds of silence, a slender mechanical arm extended, its tip holding a tray. On the tray lay a ring—though it lacked ornate gems, gilded luster, or even extra texture, it was slightly thicker and wider than an ordinary ring.

PS: Thanks to fellow reader Yipin Xuanji for a 600 Starting Point coin tip! Thanks to fellow readers Discrete Math, Aluba, and I Am the One Who Drives the Tiger to Swallow the Wolf for their generous tips!