The Gaming Pod

"Is this for me?!" Yuqing pushed open the door and saw a pink gaming pod sitting quietly in the room. It was the very one she had wanted most when browsing online stores. "How did you know I liked this one?!"

"I was standing guard outside your door yesterday and heard the game notification sounds from Dark Night." Ers had graduated from a military academy too, and the notification sounds from Dark Night had become muscle memory for him, so he naturally knew that the guide was playing.

Although few guides liked competitive games like Dark Night, gaming pods could also be used to play other games and were popular products in the Federation. To suit her tastes, Ers had ordered the top-of-the-line gaming pod most popular with guides overnight.

"System Bro, this wasn't cheap, was it?" Yuqing had been so focused on the pod's performance when she looked at it that she had only heard the system mention its price in passing.

[Yes. This gaming pod cost a month's wages.]

01010 was also very interested in the gaming pod. It had only connected to smart terminals before, but upon seeing the pod today, it suddenly wondered if it could connect to one too. If it could connect to a gaming pod, then theoretically, could it connect to a mecha as well?

No, it had to try right now!

[Host, if you feel bad about accepting it, just put your wages into the shared account when you get paid next month!] 01010 lay on top of the gaming pod, its eyes shining.

"All right."

Yuqing thought it was a good solution and no longer felt burdened, so she gladly accepted it. "Thank you. I really like it."

"As long as you like it, A-Qing." Ers went on to ask, "Do you need me to adjust the parameters?"

"No, I can do it myself." Yuqing was different from other guides, and her control over her spiritual power was different too. The standard parameters definitely wouldn't work, so it was best to let the system adjust them. "Go on with your work. We can have dinner together tonight."

"Okay." Ers hadn't expected they could have dinner together too, and he nodded quickly. There were still two hours to go, but he was already looking forward to it.

Planet β11-301, Iron Group headquarters building

"Your Excellency, I'm surprised you're not dead yet."

On a black leather sofa, the man's face was hidden in shadow. His handmade, custom-tailored suit fit him perfectly, showing off his figure to even greater advantage.

He swirled the wineglass in one hand as he studied his good friend, who stood by the window with a distinctly melancholy air.

"Heh, thanks to the God of Light's blessing, I won't be dying anytime soon." Carlos turned around, crushing the glass in his hand with a sharp crack. He sneered. "But Cedric, you look like you're about to die."

"Hahaha." Cedric wasn't angry. He set down his glass, undisguised curiosity and ambition that would settle for nothing less than success on his face. "Yes, I'm dying, so... Carlos, can you tell me how you brought your contamination level down?"

Carlos frowned deeply but said nothing for a long while.

He was conflicted. He didn't want to tell Cedric about Yuqing. After all, he was no longer young and was already at a disadvantage when it came to pursuing a guide. But if Cedric really did die from a spiritual power rampage, the situation that had finally stabilized would descend into chaos again.

"Carlos, did you know? I received some unexpected news a while ago..." Cedric's lips curled up. "Our old friend Huosuosi has actually found a guide he likes. For that guide's sake, he wiped out all of Iron's bases on the desolate planet."

"More coincidentally, that guide 'appeared out of nowhere' during our last transaction." Cedric caught the subtle change in Carlos's expression. "It seems... she's the same lady."

"Cedric, what are you trying to do?" Carlos frowned deeply.

"Carlos, don't look at me like I'm some formidable enemy. I'm willing to be a secondary partner." Cedric spoke as though joking, but Carlos caught the determination in his eyes. "Oh, wait, Carlos, it seems you also..."

"Shut up!" Carlos was furious. He had to admit that Cedric's words had struck a nerve. "A man of few words like Huosuosi could never win a guide's favor!"

"So what? The one closest to her has the advantage. Huosuosi is no worse than us in wealth, power, or looks. It would be only natural for a guide to fall for him." If that guide really could enter his Spiritual Sea, Cedric wouldn't mind being the fourth partner.

"Don't be so petty, Carlos." He leaned back, looking relaxed. "High-ranking guides have no shortage of suitors. That's only natural."

"Heh." Carlos snorted and rapped his fingertips hard against the table, producing a dull thud from the unyielding metal surface. "Cedric, you make it sound as though you're already hers. If I remember correctly, you don't even know her name yet, do you?"

The smile gradually faded from Cedric's face.

His fingertips tightened slightly, and his formerly relaxed air abruptly grew colder, carrying the pressure of someone long accustomed to a position of power. "I'll find out sooner or later."

That was how he had always been. Whatever he wanted, he would use any means and pay any price to get it into his hands sooner or later.

"Find out what?"

A youth's cool voice suddenly came from the doorway.

A boy wearing a loose black hoodie walked in, his hood pulled low to reveal the clean lines of his jaw.

Unlike Cedric's naturally imposing presence, his face bore little expression, like a pool of still, stagnant water.

"Nothing." Cedri relit his cigar and looked up at his younger half-brother. "What about you? What have you been busy with lately? You're nowhere to be seen from morning to night."

The boy didn't answer. He walked straight to the table, sat down, and tapped the smart terminal on his wrist.

A pale blue screen spread out instantly, dense streams of code scrolling down it and illuminating his indifferent face. "The main storyline for Dark Night is due for an update. The basic framework is complete, all compiled and developed from the manuscripts Mother left behind, but I think the logic could be optimized further."

"Mother said that you have to experience everything for yourself. She built this game for you. Perhaps you should experience the story from the beginning." The game had been a birthday gift from their mother to his younger brother. Unfortunately, although it had become a sensation across the stars as soon as it launched, the person it was meant for had never played it.

The boy's fingertips stopped on a line of code.

After a long while, he raised his hand, switched off the screen, closed his smart terminal, and stood up. His voice remained flat. "I'm leaving."

Without waiting for Cedric to say anything else, he turned and walked out of the study, soon disappearing at the end of the corridor.

Cedric watched the empty doorway and slowly breathed out a ring of smoke. The smoke blurred his expression. His mother had disappeared so suddenly back then...