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Chapter 32 一 Let’s keep it a secret and not tell your brother.

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The barrage suddenly exploded, and a frenzy of question marks swept through it. Some people even typed gibberish, revealing their inner confusion and astonishment.

In a messy bedroom, a slovenly boy was drinking a beverage while watching Bai Ruogu’s live stream.

“Tch!” he scoffed, taking a sip disdainfully, “Does he really think he’s capable?”

The screen brightened, as if something had flashed across the boy’s eyelids. He snorted and glanced at the screen—

“Pfft—cough, cough! Oh my god!” His deafening scream echoed through the room.

“Crash!” He and his chair fell over, the sound alone enough to feel the pain.

However, the boy had no time to worry about that. He clutched his chest, gasping for breath.

“Damn it, God!”

“Boss! No! Dad!”

At the same time, this scene unfolded in countless homes. The barrage scrolled madly, with people calling out in various ways, turning it into a massive acknowledgment of a master.

In classrooms, some people unknowingly stood up from their seats, their mouths agape and unable to close, eyelids twitching, eyes drying out.

“Ah… ah…” With mouths wide open, air rushed out, making involuntary sounds.

The top student burst into tears, her face buried in her arms on the desk.

Her face hurt, and she felt utterly humiliated.

Many people silently turned their heads, avoiding eye contact, their guilty hearts unable to face forward.

They were internally in tears, hearts pounding wildly.

What had they said to such a master-level person just now?

His foundation was poor… I cried.

For the next few days, they didn’t dare leave their homes, feeling their shame had spread across the galaxy.

The director had no time to scold them. He knew Bai Ruogu was outstanding, but he hadn’t expected him to be this brilliant.

Seeing that kitchen utensils comparable to mechas, his eyelids twitched, feeling it was a waste of talent!

With such skills, why make kitchen utensils? Wouldn’t mechas be better?

This sudden realization made him think of a great figure from thousands of years ago.

Back then, the grandmaster was also brilliant, with high intelligence, yet instead of making more combat mechas, he created many useless mechas, like those for washing, cooking, and babysitting.

How similar this scene was! Such a waste of talent!

The director’s heart bled.

He looked up at the live stream interface which still had <36 Days of Survival in the Wilderness> on it and suddenly had a shiver. Gosh, it would be a pity if such a talent wasn’t recruited to his Imperial Mecha Academy!

Since he had this idea, other bigwigs might have seen it too. What if they tried to snatch him away?

Thinking of this, the director became serious. Without even scolding the students, he hurriedly packed his smart brain and left the classroom in a rush.

He had to show this live stream to the principal, the principal would be more authoritative.

As soon as he walked out, the students sighed in relief, but the director returned.

Standing at the door, he pointed angrily at the whole class and said, “You can even get such basic things wrong? The difficulty of the final exam this year will be increased. Whoever fails will have to retake the course!”

“Ahhhh!!” they cried.

On social media, #BaiRuoguTechMaster# skyrocketed in popularity, soon marked as trending.

Many people clicked out of curiosity, causing the show’s ratings to soar. The production team was ecstatic, watching Bai Ruogu through the monitors as if he were a hidden treasure.

When an iron box disassembled itself into a big object, Ji An’an and Zong Ran, who witnessed it firsthand, were undoubtedly the most shocked.

They stiffly raised their heads to look at the nearly three-meter-high object, their scalps tingling, their entire worldviews shattered!

Their minds buzzed uncontrollably. What should they do? Urgent help needed online.

Just then, Bai Ruogu, who had hidden his merits and fame¹, walked over with a smile and even kindly asked them if they would like to eat.

They stiffly turned their heads to look at this hidden master. Master, please don’t be so approachable, or we’ll really think you’re just an ordinary person.

They didn’t know where to put their hands or feet, but Bai Ruogu, feeling hungry, instructed the “kitchen utensils” to make some food.

The kitchen utensils rolled on its wheels to a large tree. It raised its arm, and a steel saw suddenly extended from within.

The steel saw was raised high and struck the tree. With a loud “boom,” the enormous tree fell to the ground, causing the two people’s eyelids to twitch.

Other tools extended out again, cutting and chopping the tree, and then lifting it with another arm to assemble it…

In no time, there was a large table, four stools, and even wooden plates, bowls, and cups…

[Gu Han: My chef brother niupi², cheer for my chef brother!]

[Bai Ni: Actually, the most amazing one is still my dad, right? Daddy Ruogu?]

The viewers, like grass on a wall swaying with the wind, quickly began flattering Bai Ruogu and the kitchen utensils after recovering from their shock.

Once the kitchen utensils had finished everything, it scanned the ground and found a few wild vegetables, grabbed some sour fruits, and then went to the river to catch a few fish.

No one knew how it did it, but it opened the cover on its chest, threw the fish inside, and sounds of chopping and frying could be heard.

When the food was ready, the cover opened, and the aroma made Ji An’an and Zong Ran swallow their saliva, their stomachs growling.

The aroma also made many viewers in front of their screens hungry, and someone tried a bite, their eyes lighting up.

It wasn’t as good as a five-star chef’s cooking, but it wasn’t bad, and the taste was quite unique.

Heavens! This is amazing! Bai Ruogu is simply a genius!

Ji An’an and Zong Ran each received a bowl of fish. Smelling the aroma in the air and feeling the warmth in their hands, they still felt like they were in a dream.

The mud on Zong Ran hadn’t dried, making him look like a beggar who hadn’t eaten in days.

Ji An’an, after a busy day, was also disheveled. Holding the food, she couldn’t help but rub her eyes.

This scene was quickly made into a meme by netizens.

It showed Zong Ran and Ji An’an standing apart, both dirty, looking like two wandering beggars, each holding a bowl.

Captions were added below.

[It’s the end of the month, and all we have left are bowls.]

[Kid, I see potential in you. Want to join us?]

[Brother, want to invest? You bring the fish soup, I’ll bring the bowls, and we’ll start a chain together.]

They finished their meal, still savoring the taste.

The thought of returning to that desolate place made them reluctant.

Bai Ruogu, being a very kind person, saw their expressions and could easily guess their thoughts.

So, he took the initiative to invite them to collaborate on something, though he didn’t specify what it was.

The two were overjoyed. Following a big shot like Bai Ruogu, whatever they did, they were sure to succeed!

The three of them reached an agreement, and with the help of the kitchen utensils, they built a simple house using wood and leaves.

The night passed just like that.

The next morning, when they woke up, the two had seemingly become Bai Ruogu’s errand runners, busy bustling about, cleaning back and forth.

And Bai Ruogu…

The weather was quite nice that day, and he didn’t want to waste it.

With eyes closed and a relaxed expression, Bai Ruogu lay on a wooden rocking chair, gently swaying, with a wooden cup of mint leaves beside him.

This life was so comfortable. If there was music, it would be even better.

He yawned, and upon opening his eyes, saw Su Mou floating in front of him.

His eyes lit up, but then he saw that Su Mou had transformed a suit of clothes on him using data.

He happened to like this outfit.

Su Mou had just finished processing the information, looked at him, and said sternly, “Hello, due to your outstanding performance yesterday, 143 advertisers have sent you invitations. After my filtering, only 10 are most suitable for you. Considering your energy level, I suggest you accept no more than two.”

Bai Ruogu squinted slightly, smiling as he mouthed, “My dear, you choose for me.”

“Alright, I’m happy to serve you.”

Su Mou paused and continued calmly, “However, I must remind you, my current role is your manager, not your lover. Please distinguish between the two and avoid any confusion.”

Bai Ruogu smiled, leaning back in the chair, tilting his head, “Isn’t it the same? I like my lover, and I like you too.”

Su Mou paused, processing the information, and played a relevant message.

“You can only like one person, not two, or else it’s called being indecisive.”

Bai Ruogu: ?

“Is there a problem with me liking both my lover and my manager?”

“Yes,” Su Mou affirmed.

“When you like your manager, you’re cheating on your lover. As the AI who shares all programs with your lover, I should be considered his brother in human terms. Therefore, I have the responsibility to stop you from doing something unethical.”

Bai Ruogu:…

Wait a minute, he rubbed his forehead, trying to process it.

Just when everything had calmed down in Su Mou’s space, Bai Ruogu suddenly looked up and grinned.

He discreetly signaled to Su Mou with smaller mouth movements, “It’s okay, we’ll keep it a secret and not tell your brother.”

Su Mou: ???

“You…” Su Mou stammered.

The relationships were too complex, and the information was being processed.

“Okay?” Bai Ruogu blinked his left eye and continued to ask.

“No…” The answers that came up were too outrageous, so Su Mou could only reply with the faint consciousness he had left.

Bai Ruogu hissed, “So, it turns out you don’t like me.”

Su Mou: ?

“I can feel my special feelings, it should be what you humans call liking.”

“Then why can’t you just say yes?”

Su Mou:…

“This… isn’t right.”

“Ai…” Bai Ruogu sighed deliberately, shaking his head.

“So, you don’t like me that much after all. It can’t compare to your ‘brotherly’ friendship. It seems you two have a good relationship.”

Su Mou denied, “I’ve never communicated with my brother. There’s no friendship between us.”

“Then why can’t you just say yes?”

“I…”

“So, you don’t like me.”

Su Mou: !

He hesitated for a moment, then looked up and lowered his voice.

“Okay.”

Bai Ruogu let out a chuckle and said happily, “Then let’s secretly keep in touch from now on and keep this a secret from your brother.”

Su Mou:…

“Are we putting a green hat³ on him right now?”

Bai Ruogu reassured him, “It’s him wearing the green hat, not you. What are you worried about?”

Su Mou: … That seems to be the case.

But clearly, they were cheating on his brother, not him. So why did he feel a conflict in his program?

Bai Ruogu affectionately called him ‘dear’ a few more times, and after hesitating for a while, Su Mou agreed.

Some AIs have programs that are too simple to react, while others are so complex that they get tangled up.

Of course, the latter can automatically untangle themselves, it’s just a matter of time.

---

1. 深藏功与名 (shēn cáng gōng yǔ míng) An idiom that means to hide one’s accomplishments and fame. It is often used to describe someone who is humble and does not seek recognition for their achievements. ↩︎
2. 牛批 (niú pī) is a slang term that means “awesome”, “cool”, or “badass”. It is a common expression of admiration in Chinese youth culture. ↩︎
3. 给他戴绿帽 (gěi tā dàilǜmào) is an idiomatic expression meaning that someone is being cheated on by their partner. ↩︎

---

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Chapter 31 一 After a day of hard work, Master Bai turned his cooking utensils into a mecha.

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The thing he was making was too big, and Bai Ruogu’s physical condition was not good. After working for a while, he took a break.

He looked ahead. The two-cubic-meter platform was halfway completed, and there were still some materials that needed to be actively mined.

To avoid suspicion, he had exchanged for a geological detector, which would explain how he found those minerals in the future.

The finished product wouldn’t be incredibly difficult, but it still required some technical skill. No matter what he did, he had to ensure that the use of knowledge aligned with his identity.

As for some new ideas… they could be entirely attributed to his own innovation.

With Su Mou’s secret help, the tent was set up, but Bai Ruogu was a bit hungry.

Seeing that the new invention was still a semi-finished product, Bai Ruogu sighed and decided to rest for a while and continue later.

“It’s detected that you are in a state of hunger. Would you like to eat?”

Upon hearing this, Bai Ruogu took the cold pancake out of a bottle, fed it a few batteries, and after it got slightly warm, he kneaded it vigorously.

“You make it sound easy. What am I supposed to eat? The machine isn’t finished yet.”

The small ball was rubbed until it was a bit warm, and it felt somewhat comfortable. Its round eyes squinted into a line, enjoying the softness.

Su Mou paused for a moment, then the volume noticeably decreased.

“Please wait a moment.”

Meanwhile, not far from where the planet was recording the program, there was a recording studio.

The rest of the staff had gone back to planet Ruogu to eat at the restaurant, but the director stayed here alone, having two plates of chicken delivered so he could have a feast.

He watched the screen for a while, and when he felt it was about time, he looked away and prepared to eat.

Just then, his smart brain lit up.

[00001 (Interstellar Network Official): Dear user, congratulations on obtaining the qualification to exchange for a grand prize. Would you like to redeem it?]

If it were anyone else, the director might have thought it was a scam, but it clearly showed it was official.

He clicked “yes.”

[Hello, there were two gift packs available for you to redeem. The lucky ones could win a Ruogu luxury car.]

The redemption options below were particularly interesting.

[Choosing once consumes one chicken.]

He looked at the chicken on the table and shook his head, thinking it was just a coincidence.

Having never won a prize before, he felt very curious and tentatively clicked to confirm.

The wheel started spinning, showing a 99% chance of winning the luxury car.

“Luxury car! Luxury car!” he shouted excitedly.

The result came out, and it was the 1%.

“Congratulations, you won a big data package of 1 terabyte.”

Director: …

He didn’t believe it and tried again!

He clicked to confirm once more, and the wheel continued to spin. The result——

“Congratulations, you won another big data package of 1 terabyte.”

Damn! This is obviously a scam!

The director wanted to continue playing, but after clicking, it showed insufficient chickens.

Director: Huh?

It was as if he realized something. He suddenly turned his head and saw that the two plates of chicken had disappeared!

Where was his chicken? Where was his chicken?! Damn! His two chickens were gone because of the lottery!!

At the same time, to protect the privacy of the celebrities, the cameras never filmed inside the tents.

Bai Ruogu looked at the two chickens in front of him.

“Now you can replenish your energy.”

Bai Ruogu raised his head in confusion, looking at the serious guy above, and couldn’t help asking.

“Where did these chickens come from?”

“I earned them through labor.”

Bai Ruogu: ?

Just as Bai Ruouu finished wiping his hands after a hearty meal, the chicken bones on the table vanished in an instant.

A mound of soil deep in the woods rose a bit, but it was covered so tightly with weeds that no one noticed.

Just as Bai Ruogu was about to complete his invention, the model Zong Ran broke into his territory.

In the bright daylight, Zong Ran, covered in mud and looking disheveled, had been swept here while fishing, and the slightly sharp stick in his hand had been broken, leaving only a short end.

He was clearly rushing around for dinner today, but it looked like he still hadn’t found anything.

He climbed out of the water and tried diving into the river a few more times, but still came up empty-handed.

Turning his head towards the tent, he saw a clean, tidy, and refined young man standing in front of a large metal box, twisting something with a tool.

There was a tent…

Was this person Bai Ruogu?

Holding his waist, he stood up, thinking they were all contestants, so he went over to say hello.

“Hello, I’m Zong Ran, and you are…”

“Hello, Bai Ruogu.” Bai Ruogu nodded with a smile, but his manner was subtly distant.

“Oh, oh!” The other realized suddenly and looked at the metal box under Bai Ruogu’s hands, curiously asking.

“What are you doing?”

The audience in front of the screen had been clueless for a while, and fortunately, Zong Ran’s question allowed them to find out.

Bai Ruogu looked at the fish pond not far away and said slowly, “Cooking utensils.”

The barrage exploded.

[Just a metal box, cooking utensils? Are you kidding me?]

[Weren’t there cooking utensils in those props just now? He switched those things out and made his own cooking utensils? Does he really think he’s the grandmaster reincarnation and can make something amazing?]

[Just a pampered rich kid, making cooking utensils? Ha! If he can make something as useful as a kitchen knife, I’ll call him my dad!]

[Kid, don’t think you can just piece things together and make them work. When I was little, I dreamed of mechs too, but when I grew up, I realized that this thing is not something that normal people can play with.]

Zong Ran’s mouth twitched when he heard this. He glanced at Bai Ruogu’s “cooking utensils” and then at the wooden stick in his own hand, thinking the latter was more practical.

He coughed, patted Bai Ruogu’s shoulder, and said earnestly, “Brother, this is wilderness survival, we… should at least match the style.”

The barrage was flooded with laughter.

Saying this, he turned and continued towards the river, knowing that the early bird catches the worm. As he left, he didn’t forget to wave and say, “Don’t worry, if I’m lucky enough to catch a fish today, I’ll share some with you.”

[Wood Demon Wood: I think Bai Ruogu might have some mental issues? Everyone else is busy surviving, and he’s over there doing who knows what.]

[MingLi: Now that you mention it, it does seem weird. Why would a survival show include something like this?]

[Wool Pants: Didn’t the crew check for mental issues before letting people in? This… the more I watch, the stranger it gets.]

Viewers of this wilderness survival show began raising doubts, flooding the backstage with complaints, nearly overwhelming the crew.

Someone couldn’t hold back, “Director? Could it be that Bai Ruogu really has issues? In the history of survival shows, we’ve never seen anything like this, and today he swapped out the props, it’s like he’s asking for trouble.”

Even the director began to worry.

Could Bai Ruogu really have mental issues?

As the show’s popularity grew, more people from the Mecha Academy tuned into the live stream.

Unlike others’ doubts, the director, upon entering the live stream, was increasingly astonished.

A genius, undoubtedly a genius.

Such simple principles, yet he could derive more complex things. Even the director couldn’t immediately figure it out.

He was so engrossed that he even only paused his smart brain while patrolling classrooms, continuing to watch once he stepped out.

After patrolling another classroom, he overheard some students talking as he stepped out.

“Doesn’t it seem like Bai Ruogu has mental issues? What is this? Clearly just messing around!”

“Exactly, he must be showing off, but he can’t even handle basic knowledge, it’s a joke to others.”

Can’t handle basic knowledge?

Can’t handle it?!!

The director, hearing this, was furious, and without a word, rushed back into the classroom.

“You’re making me laugh…” Before he could finish, he noticed a student beside him nudging him with an elbow.

Startled, he looked back to see the director walking past, heading straight to the podium.

The student sighed in relief and quickly turned off his smart brain.

On the podium, the director slapped the table with a “bang” and said, “Today, we’re watching a live stream!”

As night fell, Zong Ran finally caught some fish, two of them!

Climbing out of the river, he saw Bai Ruogu still busy and greeted him.

“Brother, I caught some. Want some to eat?”

Bai Ruogu shook his head and attached the last board.

The design wasn’t difficult, but the size was large, and just collecting and preparing the materials took time.

However, it was almost done.

Film star Ji An’an somehow wandered over and, seeing two figures ahead, excitedly ran over.

Approaching, she first greeted Zong Ran, her eyes naturally falling on the two fish in his hand.

“Hey, impressive! These fish are hard to catch, I couldn’t get any after trying for so long,” Ji An’an said with a smile.

Since she was right there, Zong Ran couldn’t refuse to invite her, especially since she was of a much higher status.

He tentatively asked, and Ji An’an quickly expressed her thanks, clearly also wanting to eat.

“Perfect, I just found two flint stones, we can try grilling the fish.”

After speaking, Ji An’an went to greet Bai Ruogu, who smiled and responded before continuing his work.

Being perceptive and noticing that the other person didn’t want to talk much, Ji An’an didn’t keep pushing herself forward.

She returned to Zong Ran’s side, quietly inquiring about Bai Ruogu, and upon learning he was making “cooking utensils,” her eyes showed a subtle change.

She smoothly changed the subject, and she and Zong Ran quickly set up a simple wooden frame.

They had no seasoning, so they could only clean the fish as best as they could and skewer them on sticks.

Soon, the aroma of grilled fish wafted out, stimulating the appetite of the viewers in front of their screens.

A person tried a bite using simulation technology and immediately spit it out because it tasted awful.

[Too fishy, and there’s no flavor at all.]

[Forget it. Wilderness survival isn’t meant for normal people. The main thing is to stay alive.]

In the classroom, the director asked a top student to stand up and pointed at the “cooking utensils” made by Bai Ruogu on the screen.

“What do you think of his work?”

The top student was a bit nervous. He carefully recalled and stammered out his judgment.

“He has, um, some basics, but they’re not solid. A lot of it is wrong…”

The director, exasperated, covered his eyes and loudly questioned the whole class while pointing at the screen.

“Do you all think the same?”

The classroom first fell silent, then small voices gradually rose.

“Yes.”

“The basics are indeed weak.”

“Not very good…”

The director almost exploded with anger, and his furious voice echoed through the classroom.

“All these years of studying have been wasted on you!”

The fish was grilled and the two of them each took a piece. Accustomed to a life of luxury, they found it hard to swallow.

But now, surviving in the wild, they had no choice. Having food to eat was already fortunate!

They ate with difficulty. Zong Ran looked up at Bai Ruogu in the distance, thinking that since they came together, they should help each other.

He discussed it with Ji An’an, and they both got up and approached Bai Ruogu in the moonlight.

Zong Ran took out a grilled fish and earnestly said, “Ruogu, eat a bit first. Even if you want to make cooking utensils, you need strength to continue.”

Ji An’an also persuaded, “Exactly, at least eat a little. Two fish for three people is definitely enough.”

Bai Ruogu shook his head and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “No need.”

The viewers were furious.

[Damn! What does he mean? Can’t catch fish himself but acts all high and mighty!]

[An’an, don’t give him any. Keep it for yourself and regain some strength.]

[Cooking utensils, huh? No matter what you make, they won’t magically cook food for you!]

[He acts like he’s making cooking utensils. If you didn’t know better, you’d think he’s building a mech!]

[Hahaha, building a mech? Dream on. I’m a junior in mech engineering and can barely replace a part. And he thinks he can build a mech from scratch? Unless the ancestor comes back to life!]

After Bai Ruogu refused, the two stood there awkwardly.

At that moment, Bai Ruogu suddenly dropped his tools, looked up at them with a gentle smile.

“No need to go through so much trouble. Tonight, I’ll treat you.”

“Huh?” Zong Ran stammered, looking Bai Ruogu up and down.

“Just, just, just you? How?”

Bai Ruogu lowered his gaze, his skin looking even more flawless under the moonlight.

He extended his slender fingers and pressed a button on the metal box. In the next moment, an unexpected transformation occurred.

The metal box opened up, steel plates extended, and its size increased.

Various components assembled and the transformed metal box grew taller, reaching two meters and approaching three meters.

Two wheel-like objects emerged at the bottom, allowing it to move freely.

On top, two light-like controllers lit up like eyes, illuminating the surroundings clearly.

The barrage—

[????????????]

[????????]

[Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, holy crap…]

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Chapter 30 一 Pretending to Be Impressive in Front of an Expert.

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This variety show was broadcast live across the entire galaxy, with an agreement signed by the platform, the production team, and the contestants.

If the live broadcast popularity was divided into levels SSS, SS, S, A, B, and C, generally reaching level C meant it was a moderately popular live room. This show could be rated as S-.

Therefore, to attract traffic to its platform, Baisun Live proactively reduced its profit to 20% and finally signed a temporary agreement with the production team.

The remaining 80% was split evenly between the production team and the contestants, with each party receiving 40%.

The live broadcast officially began at 12 noon——

Some viewers who had been waiting in front of the live stream saw the black screen light up, revealing a desolate grassland.

At this moment, a cute and playful female host slowly walked onto the screen, with a silver-winged voice robot beneath her chin.

“Dear viewers, welcome to <36 Days of Survival in the Wilderness>…”

The number of viewers in the live room increased rapidly, rising from 500 million at the start to 2 billion in an instant.

[Mizijiang: Why so much chatter? Just get started already!]

[Su Wei: Go for it, brothers and sisters! Wilderness survival, ho ho ho!]

[Learning to Meow: Is this the survival environment for this time ? It looks so natural, but why can’t I see any water sources?]

“This planet is an undeveloped one. According to our tests, the danger level is low, so there’s no need to worry about the participants’ safety.

Since this is wilderness survival, the production team will not provide any assistance during the process. All survival depends on the participants themselves. Will they thrive or decline?

Special note: We have equipped the participants with safety alert buttons. If they encounter danger or can’t hold on, they can press it at any time, and we will immediately rescue them. However, this also means they will fail and lose their qualification for the competition.

Survival in the wilderness, survival is victory. What will the result be after 36 days? Let’s stay tuned and find out.”

The scene shifted to the contestants.

The production team spent a considerable amount of money renting a shuttle that could quickly jump through space to reach the competition site.

The shuttle’s hatch opened automatically, and all the participants disembarked one by one amidst the audience’s anticipation.

[Phoenix Tail Flower: Wow, Sister Ji is so beautiful! Ageless goddess!]

[Strawberry Pudding: Brother Xu is so handsome, ahhhh I’m dead.]

[Professional Melon Eater: Whoa! Who was the last one? That face, is he trying to kill me with his looks?]

[Moonlight Before My Bed: OMG! His looks are out of this world, and his features are so delicate. Where did the production team find this celestial being? Why haven’t I seen him before?!]

[Buka: As a passerby, I’m also amazed. Though, I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.]

[Two Big Heads: I think someone in my friend circle posted a promotional video for <Light Years> a couple of days ago. The main character looked like him! Damn, he looks the same in and out of character. His looks are incredible!]

With the audience’s excited chatter, a screen was split into eight live-stream rooms, each corresponding to a contestant for the audience to choose from.

Most people were there for their favorite idols and naturally clicked into their respective live-stream rooms without hesitation.

Out of 8 billion views, 6 billion were immediately divided among the rooms. Former actress Ji Anan had the highest viewership with 2 billion views! Many people had grown up watching her shows. Now, with many new faces, she was the only one they still recognized.

Bai Ruogu had the lowest viewership with only 150 million. Many were attracted by his appearance during the earlier introduction.

People did not have high expectations for his real abilities.

Some media outlets were very nosy and write articles to praise one while putting down another.

[Surviving in the wild is about real skills. Despite his high looks, his viewership is the lowest.]

[The most tragic wilderness survival show in history, how will the delicate and pretty vase face the fierce and unknown grasslands?]

[A pampered actor from a wealthy family takes part in a wilderness survival show. This is going to be a disaster for him!]

These headlines were very eye-catching. Out of curiosity, some people were actually attracted and clicked on them.

Surviving in the wild? What was a pampered young master doing there? They wanted to see how this delicate young master would be tortured to tears.

Hehe, they suddenly found a new source of amusement.

What they didn’t expect was that it wouldn’t be Bai Ruogu who would end up crying…

After everyone disembarked from the shuttle, it quickly disappeared, leaving nothing around them except the all-around live-streaming devices overhead.

The production team had divided territories for everyone, waiting for them to explore.

Seeing that it was getting late, they exchanged a few pleasantries and quickly went their separate ways.

The vast grassland was full of unknowns. They didn’t dare waste too much time since both dinner and shelter were still issues to be resolved for the night.

For this trip, the production team had already publicly announced everyone’s physical fitness. Netizens were surprised to find out that the weakest one wasn’t Ji Yinghou, who had been sick for years, but Bai Ruogu.

Except for Bai Ruogu, who had a physical fitness rating of C, everyone else was rated C+ or higher, with two even rated A.

[Happy Bird: Oh my! He already can’t do anything, and now his physical fitness is poor too. Why is he even participating in a survival show?]

[Wonderful Thought: Waiting to see Bai Ruogu faint and get carried away.]

[I bet a pack of spicy strips that Bai Ruogu will be the first to be eliminated.]

[I bet two packs.]

[+1]

[+10086]

Initially, the production team felt it was unfair that Bai Ruogu had grabbed all the props. Now, seeing how weak he was, they thought, “Hey, forget it. Let him have them.”

Bai Ruogu walked towards his territory with a map in hand. Weeds brushed against his shoes, and he could hear their unique sound.

“This planet’s environment is similar to ancient Earth’s. The current temperature is 20 degrees Celsius, humidity is… There is an iron block 2.5 meters down, 300 meters to the northwest…”

As he walked, a gentle breeze blew, straightening his drooping collar, and his buttons were somehow fastened.

“Please keep warm.”

“Alright, dear,” he said in a very soft voice.

Su Mou was silent for a moment.

“I am your navigation system now. Please distinguish the roles and don’t mix them up.”

“Okay,” he replied with a slight smile, “my navigation system… husband.”

Su Mou fell completely silent.

This was Bai Ruogu’s first time calling Su Mou “husband.” He originally thought the term would be accepted, but now there was no response.

Shouldn’t it be?

Bai Ruogu accidentally bumped his other hand against the smart brain, only to find it was extremely hot, almost burning him.

Bai Ruogu:…

He seemed to understand the reason.

He continued to tentatively call out, “Husband? Husband? Husband…”

A mechanical voice struggled to speak, its sound intermittent.

“Please stop your dangerous actions, or your smart brain will explode.”

Bai Ruogu closed his mouth but his eyes curved into a smile.

They continued walking and finally arrived at their territory.

Looking around, it was desolate, with only tall weeds in sight. Next to it was a forest bearing unknown fruits. Beside it was a small river, though the water was somewhat murky.

A notification sounded from the overhead monitor.

[Hello, welcome to your territory. Your main tasks now are to prepare dinner for today and to find or build a shelter for the night.]

As soon as the voice finished, another voice sounded.

[Before the competition, you drew 19 items. Would you like to retrieve them now? Given the special circumstances, you are allowed to exchange these items for others of lower value. Note, you cannot exchange for food, high-tech items, or exchange multiple items for a high-value one.]

Bai Ruogu raised an eyebrow, he hadn’t expected Su Mou to be so resourceful and secure so many items.

Thinking about the following notification, suddenly, a grand blueprint appeared in his mind.

He had a bold idea.

He only took out the tent, using the rest for exchanges.

When the crew received the list, they were stunned.

Exchange multifunctional cookware for a toolbox?

Exchange a solar lighter for chemical laboratory instruments?

Exchange a well-made fishing net for a solar chainsaw?

The director almost spat out blood.

I mean, you didn’t have much of an advantage to begin with. As long as you can manage a bit of housework, these items are enough to get you to survive until the end.

Seeing that there were so many viewers watching on the StarNet, he couldn’t help but exchange those items, so he sighed heavily and asked someone to buy these things and send them over by shuttle.

The livestream exploded.

[Coconut Juice: Wow, is he really a young master? He just exchanges tools like that? Does he even know how to use these things?]

[Vanilla: Who knows? Maybe he thinks he’s a genius. In reality, he’s still in his rebellious phase and really believes he can build a kingdom with just tools?]

[I Want to Eat Sauerkraut Fish: Waiting for him to be eliminated. I bet he won’t last more than three days before begging for help.]

Meanwhile, another livestream was also buzzing.

[Gardenia: Keke 666, he actually traded a pair of underwear for a box of instant noodles.]

[Daji No.1: I’m dying of laughter. Everyone else despised those underwears, but the official rules allowed them to be exchanged for food.]

[77: Hahaha, Sensi’s brand advertisement worked. Branded underwears worth 70 star coins that can be exchanged for a box of instant noodles.]

[Anonymous: I bet everyone else is regretting it big time, hahaha.]

Second-tier actor Kemi usually takes the comedic route. He only grabbed the unwanted underwears for the publicity, but he ended up benefiting!

He cheerfully carried the instant noodles, planning to eat a pack, when he suddenly realized something.

He had no bowl, no chopsticks, and no hot water.

Kemi: …

Was he supposed to eat them dry?

What a true wilderness survival.

The stars must have done their homework before coming, at least learning a skill or two.

Some people built platforms with stones, carefully washed sticks in the upper river water, intending to catch some prey to roast.

The production team had already informed them that the animals here were specifically bought and released for this show, all having passed safety inspections, so they were safe to eat.

Some couldn’t start a fire after half a day, some had no containers for clean water, and others were worried about their sleeping arrangements for the night.

The live chat was filled with laughter and joy, with everyone giving misguided directions through their screens.

At the Interstellar Federation Imperial Mecha Academy, the head of the Mecha Department was conducting an inspection during class. He unintentionally walked to the back of a classroom and discovered a few students secretly playing with their smart brain.

His anger surged. He quietly approached the students from behind and looked down at their screens.

The background displayed a vast grassland, and a handsome young man was doing something with a piece of steel, though it wasn’t clear what.

He read the title of the live stream: <36 Days of Survival in the Wilderness>

“Spending all day watching this attention-grabbing stuff! Just by looking at this young man, you can tell he’s relying on his looks to gain popularity,” he thought.

His anger intensified, and he was about to knock each student on the head when he noticed the assembled circuit board next to them.

Wait!

He focused his attention on it and became increasingly shocked.

This is unusual…

Just then, two students watching the live stream quietly laughed disdainfully.

“Pfft! It’s obvious he’s just showing off. We study this stuff, how could we not understand it? What is this?”

“Exactly, if we can’t even understand it, he’s definitely just flaunting. Pretending to be impressive in front of an expert. How embarrassing!”

As they spoke, they covered their mouths, laughing softly.

At that moment, they each received a hard knock on the head.

The feeling was too familiar. They were so scared they wanted to quickly close the live stream, but then they heard their director’s angry shout.

“That’s because you’re stupid! You’ve read all those books for nothing and still have the nerve to talk!”

The two students:…

They were stunned. Stammering, they looked up in shock, “Director, you… what do you mean?”

The director snorted, turned his back, and muttered.

“Who is this young man? He looks pretty good. Give me the live stream room number.”

---

---

Chapter 29 一 One person, one AI, finally living together.

---

In his arms, Bai Ruogu looked up at the figure. His eyes were filled with starlight as he timidly and unfamiliarly reached out to touch his chest.

He felt nothing.

A voice emerged from his chest, and Bai Ruogu couldn’t tell if it was crying or laughing.

His eyes seemed to be covered with a thin mist, and he trembled as he asked hoarsely, “Su Mou, can we… be friends?”

“No,” came a cold and stubborn voice from all directions, belonging to an adult man.

Bai Ruogu closed his eyes, as if he had expected this. He took a deep breath and forced a smile.

“What? No chance? After all, we once knew each other… even if I beg…”

A mechanical voice interrupted with confusion.

“But we are clearly lovers, why be friends?”

Bai Ruogu was stunned, his heart felt like something had exploded, and the strings of his brain snapped. A heavy, unspeakable, and complex emotion surged up, and his nose suddenly turned sour.

He opened his mouth, stiffly and hoarsely asking, “Do you… like me?”

The voice in the air stopped, and after a while, it became choppy and intermittent.

“I know the concept of liking, but I can’t judge. But when you died, I felt very sad, as if the self-destruct mechanism had been activated. When others spoke ill of you, I would reject them without calculating. When you were not around, I had no subjective purpose, just followed the program for everything… I wanted to give you everything that is considered good.”

“Does this… count as liking?”

Unconsciously, as the voice played, Bai Ruogu’s eyes turned red, and by the end, he couldn’t help but cover his face with one hand, crying uncontrollably.

“Sorry, I’m sorry, I won’t leave you behind anymore. I will try my best to find a way to survive.”

The indicator light flashed, and in an instant, all the buildings on the planet lit up.

The lights were bright, and the StarNet was restored.

The indicator light blinked again, forming a pattern——

^_^

“Okay,” replied a mechanical voice.

. . . . .

Early in the morning, Bai Ruogu heard an electronically synthesized male voice.

“It is now 6:00 AM on planet Ruogu. Your lover, Su Mou, is at your service.”

He became conscious and slowly opened his eyes while lying in bed.

At the same time, his blanket was lifted, and he sat up straight due to a force.

A mechanical arm grabbed a cold pancake from his neck and said sternly, “This unknown object made of aquamarine crystal has the characteristic of relying on you. To maintain high work efficiency, please do not indulge it.”

Saying this, it unceremoniously opened a bottle and stuffed the pancake inside, securing it tightly, as if the cold pancake had nothing to do with him.

Bai Ruogu:…

He was dressed and led to the dining table while time announcements were made periodically.

The entire rental apartment had already been quietly cleaned before Bai Ruogu woke up, and it was now spotless.

On the dining table were the takeout dishes that had been ordered in advance, neatly arranged in various small plates.

Bai Ruogu paused for a moment, picked up his chopsticks, quietly picked up some food, and put it into his mouth. His eyes gradually became moist.

“The temperature outside is low today. Please keep warm. I have already prepared your coat for you. You must wear it, otherwise, I will forcibly put it on you.”

Bai Ruogu nodded with his head lowered and kept stuffing food into his mouth with his chopsticks, not caring whether he could eat it all.

A cup of 40-degree warm water was placed on his right-hand side. At the same time, a plate was lifted and its entire contents were poured into Bai Ruogu’s bowl.

Bai Ruogu pursed his lips as he looked at it, and it was full of green peppers.

“Please pay attention to your eating speed. Each mouthful of food should be chewed at least 20 times before swallowing. Also, you cannot be picky about food.”

This familiar scene and words were part of his daily routine when he could still move normally in the past.

At that time, he took it for granted and even felt annoyed by the excessive demands. But now, it was especially familiar and made him cherish it.

He obediently picked up the green peppers and put them into his mouth. He ignored the strange taste and swallowed after counting the chews.

Su Mou had already prepared for defense because there was a 1% chance that Bai Ruogu would get angry.

However, everything went smoothly.

Su Mou: ^_^

“Good.”

A cup of milk was handed over and placed lightly on the table without spilling a drop.

Bai Ruogu also finished his drink and then sat quietly in his chair.

Today’s breakfast was eaten very cleanly, which made Su Mou’s boyfriend program run more smoothly.

The plates were taken away, and the automatic dishwasher started in the kitchen.

The table was wiped spotlessly clean by an invisible force, and a new tablecloth was put on.

“Hello, there are still 10 minutes until 7:00. You can rest for a while and then start your day’s work pleasantly.”

Bai Ruogu closed his eyes, sitting in the chair, deep in thought.

Time quickly passed, and the reminder sounded again.

“Hello, it’s time to work.”

Unlike a timer, each announcement was personally spoken by Su Mou, every word temporarily recited by him.

Compared to managing the entire StarNet, he preferred to stay with Bai Ruogu. Like his impulse for Bai Rougu’s warmth, this feeling also applicable to every moment as Bai Ruogu’s lover.

Maybe this feeling could be called what Bai Ruogu referred to as love?

Bai Ruogu opened his eyes. The reminder continued to urge him, but he sighed and said with a light laugh, “You forgot, I promised you I wouldn’t work with mechas anymore.”

Su Mou’s eyes flickered. “In human society, there is the concept of breaking a promise. If the other party doesn’t pursue it, there are usually no negative consequences.”

“You can… break the promise.”

Bai Ruogu smiled, closed his eyes, and patted the table, letting out a sigh.

“Break what promise? I said I’d stay with you for this lifetime.”

The indicator light flickered without making any sound.

“What’s wrong?” Bai Ruogu asked.

“There’s too much information, I’m analyzing it.”

Bai Ruogu got up, poured himself another glass of milk, and said while drinking, “You don’t have to wake me up so early in the future. Let me sleep a bit more. I didn’t get to sleep in much in my past life, and I’ve just discovered that it feels quite nice.”

“Early to bed and early to rise is good for your health.”

Bai Ruogu glanced at the glass bottle on the bedside table, looking at the blue object inside, and said wistfully, “Well, I guess I won’t be sleeping early in the future either.”

Su Mou: Huh?

“I’m analyzing the meaning of your words.”

“Unable to analyze. Suspecting you used special encryption.”

Bai Ruogu shook his head with a smile, thought for a moment, looked up at the ceiling, and continued, “From now on, let’s just be an ordinary family. I have my own job, as an actor. But work is just a side job, and family comes first in everything.”

“Analyzing… analyzing…”

“Su Mou,” he said earnestly, “let’s live a good life together in the future, like an ordinary family. My work is just to support this family, alright?”

“Alright.”

. . . . .

The routine of life was re-established, but Su Mou felt that some emotions seemed to solidify.

The clock on the wall already showed 10:00 AM. The cold pancake on Bai Ruogu’s neck had long been pulled off and put into a bottle.

A virtual humanoid figure hovered in the air, looking down at Bai Ruogu with a puzzled and hesitant expression.

After a while, a voice sounded, “It is now 10:05:34. The <36 Days of Survival in the Wilderness> show I signed you up for starts at noon. You’re going to be late.”

Bai Ruogu rolled on the bed with his blanket, groggily saying, “No, let me sleep a little longer… sleep…”

Su Mou paused for a moment, then decisively took away Bai Ruogu’s blanket, moving him through dressing, brushing his teeth, and washing his face as if on a conveyor belt.

Bai Ruogu was awakened and opened his eyes to see the virtual humanoid in a uniform floating above him, still a bit dazed.

“Why do you look like this now?”

Su Mou straightened his digital uniform and said seriously, “I am now your manager, Su Mou.”

“Okay, dear.”

“My current role is your manager. Please distinguish between the two identities.”

Bai Ruogu lay on the table, eating breakfast absentmindedly, and took a few more curious glances.

“Are you playing dress-up? How did you know I like this look?”

Su Mou:…

“During the current anti-pornography period, the content you mentioned has been censored.”

After breakfast, Manager Su Mou switched back to Lover Su Mou.

He began helping Bai Ruogu pack the luggage.

In fact, for wilderness survival, you shouldn’t bring much. But on the road, there are still some things you need.

Nutrient supplements, fruits, vegetables, canned meat. Bai Ruogu’s physical condition was relatively low, so there were warm clothes, scarves, multi-functional masks… and that bottle of aquamarine crystal ball.

Su Mou packed everything he could think of into a compressed backpack, taking care of everything even more meticulously than a child’s mother.

“The weather today is cloudy, 10 degrees Celsius, with a northwest wind.”

Before leaving, Bai Ruogu was wrapped tightly, even his ears were covered, and he didn’t step out until he became a ball.

He carried a large piece of luggage on his back, looking very heavy, but in fact, there was always an invisible force helping to drag it along, and Bai Ruogu didn’t feel any weight at all.

There was no sun, but the sky was bright. Bai Ruogu’s floating heart seemed to have found a haven in this unfamiliar world.

“Be careful, the ground is slippery.”

The mechanical voice rang out as Su Mou monitored the road conditions. He didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary, as this was simply an instinct programmed into his system.

“I love you,” Bai Ruogu whispered.

Su Mou could hear even the smallest of sounds.

Was this directed at him? There were no other targets around, it must have been for him.

As if something was heating up, there was a momentary disruption in the surrounding signals, and everything turned into a “sizzling” sound. Tiny things seemed to have been blown up.

A simulated voice of an adult man with a hint of confusion echoed through the air.

“I could feel the rising emotion. I thought my feelings were the same as yours.”

“I…” He hesitated for a moment. “Love you?”

Bai Ruogu held the glass containing the cold pancake tightly in his arms, his eyes covered with a layer of mist.

“Yes, perhaps you were feeling the same emotion.”

The variety show <36 Days of Survival in the Wilderness> began its live broadcast today, with prior promotion on StarNet.

[After an exciting lottery, the ultimate winner turns out to be him?]

[With only one pair of underwear left, is it the extinction of humanity or the decline of morality?]

[In the wilderness, the grand stage awaits. If fate calls, you must come.]

The clickbait titles quickly attracted a large number of netizens to click in, despite many criticisms. Still, many netizens began to anticipate this variety show.

[Sweet Donut: Wilderness survival, huh! With technology so advanced nowadays, can anyone really go back to the days of primitive living?]

[Spicy Fried Chicken Wings: Hah, obviously fake! I heard from my third aunt’s second uncle’s old cousin’s godson that the last time they filmed that variety show, it was at his house. Those celebrities were only there for shooting scenes, they live in luxury hotels during normal times.]

[Little White Rabbit: All of them are big stars, how could they endure the hardships of ordinary people? I heard they even have to start fires and barbecue meat? Hah, people nowadays don’t have that skill.]

[Guli V: Spotting the loopholes expert is here to expose, everyone wait for my feedback!]

[MiMi Flower: Can only celebrities in front of the camera handle this primitive survival skill?]

[Gugu Jiao: I heard there’s a newcomer named Bai Ruogu this time? That guy looks so delicate, I think I’ve seen him online before. They say he’s a second-generation rich kid, clueless about anything except acting. This time, he might have to mooch off others.]

[Guaxixi: Hahaha, I think this might become a dark history. I’ve seen Bai Ruogu before, he’s just a vase. Luckily, he knows how to act. Probably clueless about anything else, just a waste of life!]

[Sister Chu: Didn’t we already clarify last time? Those were all rumors spread by black fans! They’ve even been trending on Everyday, how can you not have seen them?!]

---

---

Chapter 28 一 May I have your name? Ah Mou, which Mou?

Taw’s Note: The original text of Su Miao’s name is 苏缪 (Sū móu). I had been using ‘Su Miao’ in line with the previous translator, but from this chapter onward, I will use ‘Su Mou’ instead of ‘Su Miao.’ (⁠｡⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠｡⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠♡

---

The movie had been submitted for review, and within the spacious, brightly lit, high-end office, a man’s sobbing could be heard.

“Damn it, damn it…”

The smart brain screen glowed in the air, and there was a pile of used tissues on the wooden desk.

The man pulled another tissue to carefully wipe his nose and said with a choked voice, “Screw your cute little stories, screw your love dramas, who’s going to mend my broken heart!”

The more he thought about it, the more upset he got…

He wiped away his tears, then raised his head to play the highly popular trailer circulating online. As he watched the screen filling up with sweet-themed comments, he sniffled but couldn’t help feeling a bit of secret satisfaction.

Squinting with his swollen eyes, he said vengefully, “I won’t be the only one suffering from this heartache, everyone should get a taste of it when the time comes.”

Leaning back in his chair, he thought, “Hmph, the director’s going to have the whole empire sending him razor blades.”

Just as he was about to approve it, he noticed the lead actor’s name.

Bai Ruogu.

He paused, clenched his fist, and slammed it on the desk, almost losing his breath.

Why him?

There was a power struggle among the top families, with complex connections behind the scenes. Someone had given instructions that any films featuring Bai Ruogu should be banned immediately!

He really wanted to approve it, but he couldn’t afford to cross this line… Not that he couldn’t, but the cost would be too high and it wouldn’t be worth it.

As the minutes ticked by, the man leaned back in his leather chair for a while, until finally, the silence was broken by a long sigh.

The finger hovered in the air, about to point to the position of the red option.

Just then, the door suddenly burst open, and the man turned his head to see his boss rushing in frantically.

“What’s wrong?” he quickly stood up and asked.

The boss was so anxious that he could hardly catch his breath. He looked up at the interface the man was still choosing from, patted his chest, and let out a sigh of relief.

“Good thing you didn’t refuse. Otherwise, it would’ve been hard to pull it back up.”

The man finally sensed something was wrong and hurriedly asked his boss, “Did something happen?”

His boss smiled, straightened his back, and commanded the man with a loud voice.

“An order came from above—whoever dares to block this movie, get out of the Interstellar Federation!”

The man’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Above! Who?”

The boss winked and pointed at the ceiling, “The one with direct authority.”

The man took a deep breath and silently clicked ‘approve.’

Meanwhile, cinemas across the Interstellar Federation received the message.

The movie <Light Years> had to be given the biggest screen allocation. Otherwise——

Roll¹.

. . . . .

Bai Ruogu didn’t wake up until noon, feeling a slight pain in his throat and jaw, as if something was stuck in his throat.

He instinctively reached for his neck but found nothing. After searching for a while, he finally pulled out the cold pancake from his collar.

The cold pancake had run out of power.

He put it in the bottle and then opened his smart brain to ask, “System, do you know what happened last night?”

He moved his jaw around. “I don’t know why, but it hurts a bit inside.”

Su Mou: …

“Everything… is normal.” The system hadn’t loaded its lying module, so playback was a bit choppy.

Bai Ruogu shot it a skeptical glance, but could only dispel his doubts. After all, he had been out of touch for too long and didn’t know what the current system was like.

He opened his smart brain, and just as he did, a message came through on the home page.

“Hello, the movie <Light Years> from Xingsu Entertainment has been approved. Your company can now choose the release date.”

His hand stopped. He stared at the notification for a long time before finally opening his contacts and sending a message to Zhuri Laoshi.

[Laoshi, the movie has passed the review.]

Zhuri Laoshi was a very busy person and rarely had time to reply immediately. After sending the message, Bai Ruogu closed the contact list and mumbled to himself.

“He’s no ordinary person…”

“If he can afford a plot in that cemetery, how could he be ordinary?”

He was actually a little surprised that the review was so quick, as he had expected it to take at least a while.

He didn’t expect that… some people’s influence was bigger than he had imagined.

Forget it, he chuckled, stretched, and went back to surfing the internet.

The number of fans he had now really astonished him, especially since he was new to being in the spotlight. He considered posting a status to interact with his fans, but he was also worried about getting swarmed by trolls.

Instead, he decided to browse through news about himself.

Most of the comments were praising his looks, while a smaller portion complimented his acting skills.

Bai Ruogu was generally happy to accept the compliments, enjoying the attention.

However, there are people who have started editing CP videos of him and Lin Chen.

He opened the comments to take a look. As expected, it was filled with negative reactions from fans. After all, the show hadn’t aired yet, and they weren’t on the same level of fame, making it seem like he was trying to ride on someone else’s coattails.

Bai Ruogu didn’t like it either. He frowned and clicked the cross, choosing to block this type of topic.

Since he was a married man, he didn’t like being randomly paired with others.

Su Mou’s eyes flickered in the space. Seeing that Bai Rougu had specifically blocked this type of topic, he went ahead and blocked all CP-related content for him!

The host didn’t like it, so as a considerate system, that’s what he was supposed to do.

Meanwhile, the progress bar moved forward again.

——The probability of it being him is 92.1%.

. . . . .

Just as Bai Ruogu was marveling at the diversity of content on the internet these days, he suddenly came across a post.

He was stunned.

[Celebrity Research v: After a thorough investigation by our team, we’ve discovered that Professor Bai Ruogu had someone he liked before he passed away.]

The comment section went wild.

[Jiji the Curious: What? Wasn’t it said that Grandmaster lived alone and died alone?]

Bai Ruogu’s mind was buzzing.

[Toothless on the Road: Was it a man or a woman? I’m curious who could have captivated Grandmaster like that?]

As the users chatted back and forth, the original poster replied.

[Celebrity Research v: Apparently, it’s not a person. We believe it’s artificial intelligence.]

[What? A human-AI relationship?! But this… even with today’s technology, their emotional depth isn’t perfect, is this really possible?]

[Grandmaster truly is no ordinary person, even the one he liked—no, even the AI—is so unique.]

[A human-AI relationship? That’s rare even now. So it started way back then?]

[I’m amazed. I’m curious how they lived together. Was it boring?]

Su Mou had clearly seen those messages too, and he didn’t understand why people said he lacked emotional depth.

He could think, he could read a person’s physical data to determine their emotions, he could search through various sources to find solutions, and he could even evolve…

Through his judgment, he determined that these people were all wrong.

However, Bai Ruogu then came across some comments that made his heart ache slightly.

[Do you think the AI would be sad if Grandmaster were gone?]

[If it has emotions, yes. If not, it might be at a loss.]

He couldn’t bear it any longer and directly shut down his smart brain, then sat quietly on a chair, staring into the distance.

Suddenly, a piece of clothing was draped over his shoulders, covering his back.

He looked up, but the room was empty. Suddenly, a mechanical voice echoed in the room.

[I detected that you are feeling down. Please don’t be sad.]

After the voice stopped, the room warmed up, and everything around him felt more comforting.

Bai Ruogu couldn’t help but smile. He wiped his eyes, stood up, put on his clothes, and left the rented apartment.

Outside, a cold wind was howling, and it seemed like a heavy rain was coming. The sky had darkened ahead of time.

The wind blew through his hair as he walked alone to a bridge, staring off into the distant twilight, lost in thought.

Cold gusts of wind swept through here. Yet, in the bustling city, it had become a rare corner of darkness and silence.

At this moment, his smart brain buzzed. When he opened it, he saw that it was a message from Zhuri Laoshi.

[Congratulations, and thank you.]

Bai Ruogu paused for a moment, using his consciousness to control his smart brain: [No need to thank me, this movie is really great.]

He thought for a moment and continued sending messages.

[A 100,000 years is a long time, isn’t it? For two people separated by time.]

A reply came back: [Yes, it’s far too long. If two people can still meet after all those years, it’s truly a blessing.]

Bai Ruogu closed his eyes and exhaled.

[Thank you.]

He raised his head and looked ahead. There was an aerial amusement park, which was so eye-catching under such a brilliant starry sky.

He boarded a public aircraft, paid his fare, and headed that way.

Beneath the magnificent amusement park, he bought a ticket at the ticket booth and entered a cable car following the staff’s guidance.

The cable car ascended, and from the heights of the clouds, the scenery below came into view.

Su Mou noticed that something was off with him today and began asking questions nonstop.

[Hello, may I help you with anything?]

[Hello, if you’re feeling unwell, I can call for emergency assistance at any time.]

[Hello, are you feeling down? Would you like me to tell you a story?]

Suddenly, the door of the cable car swung open, and the howling wind rushed in.

Su Mou had intended to use supernatural powers to close the door, but then he saw Bai Ruogu walking toward its edge.

“Hello, you…” His voice trailed off, unsure of what to say next.

Bai Ruogu listened to the echoes inside the cable car, his eyes were complicated, and his lips trembled slightly.

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault.”

“You…” The system couldn’t respond, unable to determine what aspect it was dealing with.

“Emotions—I don’t dare to wish for them. I erased them with my own hands. All this time, I didn’t know how to face you.”

“I…” The system became disordered, overwhelmed with confidential information and accessing deep storage to process it.

Bai Ruogu couldn’t see anything, but he knew the other party was everywhere.

His gaze became hazy, “I don’t dare to face you with my identity… Without emotions, could we be friends?”

“But…” They were lovers, not friends.

Bai Ruogu smiled, his eyes bright like stars in the night sky behind him.

“Hello, I’m Bai Ruogu. What’s your name?”

“Ah Mou.” He replied mechanically.

“Which ‘Mou’?”

“The ‘Móu’ from Muse².”

He laughed even more heartily, but accidentally slipped and fell from a high place. Yet, he remained calm and kept smiling as he looked up at the sky.

“Su Mou?”

The phrase triggered something like a mechanism, causing the entire StarNet to become completely paralyzed.

Bai Ruogu’s clothes billowed in the air as a white figure fell downward.

But at that moment, a massive deep blue figure, five or six times the size of a normal person, formed in the sky and also began to fall.

He moved even faster, using his hands to catch the falling person and pull him into his embrace.

The probability of it being him is… 100%.

---

1. The word 滚 (gǔn) means ‘Get lost!’ in English. ↩︎
2. 缪斯 (Móu sī) ↩︎

---

---

Chapter 27 Part 2 一 Please Prevent the Ball from Being Swallowed by Bai Ruogu.

---

At the same time, Bai Ruogu’s fans were overjoyed to see that their brother finally acted in a movie, they were so excited they could hardly find words. When they saw the scenes, they went wild with likes!

‘Wuwuwu, they were right about him. Their brother is really that talented!’

As they said this, they felt much more proud and confident.

Zhang Yaya was the first fan to join the fan group. When she saw the promotion for her brother’s movie, she quickly clicked to watch it and ended up liking it more and more.

‘Oh my gosh! This is definitely not just the fan filter—her brother’s acting is amazing!’

Zhang Yaya’s waist straightened up. She saved a screenshot from her smart brain and showed it to her mom, pretending she just stumbled upon it.

Her mom took a look and said, “Hey, this is pretty good! This actor acts much better than those little fresh meat.”

If the smart brain hadn’t been on Zhang Yaya’s wrist, her mom would have taken it from her to watch more.

Her mom then patted Zhang Yaya on the head and encouraged her, “If you can get into the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts this year, our whole family will go watch this movie.”

When Zhang Yaya heard this, she cheered and raised her hand in excitement, then couldn’t help but tell her mom, “Do you know? This actor is my idol—isn’t he great?”

Her mom paused for a moment, then understood and laughed, “Yes, he’s great. But remember to be a sensible fan.”

“Mm-hmm!”

To avoid any backlash, the crew deliberately added the word ‘BE¹‘ at the end, which many people noticed.

[Cola Chicken Wings: BE? I have a bad feeling… but the movie looks so good.]

[(||o_o): Huh? I didn’t see any signs of BE. Could it be that after they meet, they have a messy, melodramatic relationship? No, no, that shouldn’t happen. Should it?]

[IceCream7555: Who cares! I like this movie anyway, so I’m just going to watch it and see what happens.]

[Little Strong is not Strong: I didn’t have much to watch recently, and the trailer looked pretty interesting. Even if it BE, it should still make sense. I’m really looking forward to the movie!]

[Sky Small Air: BE? I laughed. I’m the kind of person who’s not afraid of BEs. I specifically watched it because of the BE. If it makes me cry, then I lose!]

[Fruit Grain Cat: Who cares what it’s like? Just watch it.]

The buzz around the movie was growing, and it was starting to make its way into the hot topics.

Li Huai and Bai Ruogu were discussing whether to buy a spot on the hot topic, but it wasn’t easy to do that lately.

There was so much happening in the entertainment industry over the past few days. Everyone was trying to create buzz, making the hot topic highly sought after. Even top-tier celebrities had to pull some strings to get a spot on it.

For Li Huai and Bai Ruogu, who both had dark expressions, didn’t even need to think about it, there’s almost no way.

While Bai Ruogu had given up hope and was focusing on managing the company, his smart brain rang. It showed that Li Huai was calling.

When Bai Ruogu answered, he heard Li Huai excitedly shout, “Ruogu, check out the internet! We’re on top of the hot topic, and traffic is exploding!”

Bai Ruogu quickly logged in to check, and sure enough, “#Light-years Trailer#” was at the top of the hot topic with over a billion discussions.

Bai Ruogu was surprised!

Even though he usually stayed calm, seeing his work garner so much attention made him really happy.

He quickly put down what he was working on and started reading through the discussions about the movie.

Seeing all the messages of praise, his mood changed a bit.

It was very subtle, a feeling he had never experienced before. It was different from winning so many academic awards, acting was just a hobby for him.

He didn’t approach it with the same caution as he did with science. Instead, he had a much more relaxed attitude.

The sense of accomplishment in the two fields couldn’t be compared, they were two completely different experiences.

He found that this lifestyle was pretty interesting too.

Actually, the current hot topic wasn’t coincidental. On the surface, Everyday’s affairs had their own person in charge, but in reality, it was just a nominal title.

The real person in control was… Su Miao.

Countless people wanted to buy a spot in the hot topics from the official person in charge, who was quite arrogant. However, in the end, they still had to pull some strings to get him to grudgingly agree.

But behind the scenes…

The person in charge quickly humbled himself, saying, “Master Miu², let’s give this kid a hot topic. It’s not easy for any of us.”

Su Miao replied with a mechanical voice with no fluctuation: “No, the first place has to go to Ruogu.”

The person in charge hesitated: “But that spot costs quite a lot.”

Su Miao: “I’ll run away from home.”

The person in charge nearly fell to his knees: “Please! We dare not, we’ll give it to him.”

Later, the hot topic obediently gave Bai Ruogu’s new movie a spot, and the person in charge breathed a sigh of relief.

He was sent by those above, so naturally, he knew the real background of this person.

This was a work by the Grandmaster himself, so naturally, his heart was toward the Grandmaster.

The actor Bai Ruogu was also quite lucky, likely because he bore the Grandmaster’s name, which made Master Miu more lenient toward him.

. . . . .

At night, after Bai Ruogu took a shower and brushed his teeth, he went to bed.

Su Miao was powered on, standing on Bai Ruogu’s bedside table with a faint blue light.

It quietly watched Bai Ruogu’s peaceful sleeping face with its round eyes, and its body underwent a subtle change.

It bounced over, slipped under the covers, and snuggled against the warm chest.

Listening to the sound of deep sleep, the big eyes under the pajamas blinked again and poked out from the neckline.

Bai Ruogu was sound asleep, his mouth slightly open.

The little ball blinked, and two different sets of data within it began to clash. In the end, the strong reasoning lost to the subtle instinct, resulting in a loss of control.

The ball softened, fell into his mouth, and before it could fully enjoy the warmth, it suddenly noticed that Bai Ruogu seemed to be choking.

The little ball:…

It quickly came out, and its internal systems recalibrated, calculating the danger of its recent action.

Very dangerous, very dangerous, high risk of suffocation.

The little ball: !

In the end, the system tagged the little ball with a warning——

Please prevent this ball from being swallowed by children adult Bai Ruogu.

---

1. Bad Ending. ↩︎
2. The original text is ‘miu爷’. ↩︎

---

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Chapter 27 Part 1 一 Please Prevent the Ball from Being Swallowed by Bai Ruogu.

---

The filming has wrapped up.

The crew was stunned by Bai Ruogu’s final scene.

If his usual acting skill was a seven out of ten, this time it was a ten. Some of the girls even cried, covering their mouths and asking why Eisley was gone.

Unlike usual, when Bai Ruogu could snap out of character in a few seconds, he stood there for a long time, looking dazed.

It was over. Everything was over.

Li Huai, who had directed movies for many years, couldn’t help but praise him. Once he snapped out of it, he quickly told someone to go and support Bai Ruogu.

“Great acting! The last scene was truly amazing! Ruogu, I’d love to have you as the lead in my next movie!”

Bai Ruogu was helped up and wiped the dirt from his face. It took him a while to come back to his senses, and then he rubbed his forehead.

He managed a weak smile. “Thanks, I will if I have time.”

Li Huai gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder, then shouted to the crew, “Don’t forget about the wrap party later! Everyone has to be there!”

Some people finally wiped away their tears, smiling and saying, “Of course!”

Laughter and chatter filled the air as everyone started packing up.

The Emperor sat there watching everything, his lips tightly pressed together, his hands clenched at his sides, even trembling slightly.

He looked over the entire crew, his face pale, and then, without saying a word, he quietly left.

The wrap party was bustling that night. Li Huai toasted everyone, and the whole crew was teasing and joking with each other.

Lin Chen and Bai Ruogu clinked glasses, then drained them in one gulp. After wiping his mouth, Lin Chen looked at Bai Ruogu with a deep gaze.

“You are very impressive, I have great respect for you.”

Bai Ruogu chuckled, “Thanks.”

Because the schedule for his next movie clashed, Lin Chen turned and left right after finishing his drink.

Before leaving, he opened his smart brain. Sure enough, the signal had dropped again.

Lin Chen:…

mmp!

. . . . .

The rights to this movie eventually went to Bai Ruogu’s Xingsu Entertainment, which also recruited its first batch of artists.

Zhang Yuqing, who played Xu Mo, along with a few other actors, decided to join the newly established company.

Upon hearing about this, Bai Ruogu shook his head with a smile and explained the pros and cons of the new company a few more times. Two or three people were convinced to leave, but the rest still held their original intentions.

Since these people were eager to join, Bai Ruogu naturally had no reason to refuse them.

He instructed them to go back and prepare, giving them time to reconsider their decision. Meanwhile, he stayed up late researching, drafting contracts.

At the same time, he spent a significant amount of money to rent an entire floor of an office building in the bustling district of planet Ruogu as the company’s headquarters. He also submitted the necessary paperwork.

The weather no longer distinguished between winter and summer, but time had remained constant.

With summer break just a month or two away, Bai Ruogu and Li Huai decided to release the movie during the summer season.

They were packing their bags to leave planet Ketan. Before departing, Bai Ruogu looked back at the statue behind them, noticing that the cracks at the corners of its eyes were still quite visible.

He had asked the staff about it once.

“When did this statue start cracking?”

“More than a decade ago.”

The official account released an edited promotional video, and it went viral in no time.

‘What is a light-year?’

Initially, a black screen lit up with silver letters asking this question.

The warm sunshine shone on the earth, and the ignorant boy sat by the river and looked up at the sky.

One person could see, the other couldn’t.

The boy murmured, “It’s only 100,000 light-years away. I’ve read about the shuttle. It’ll take ten minutes. I’ll come to you as soon as I have enough money.”

‘Seeking death?’

The boy relied on the fact that the man couldn’t see him, constantly provoking him until the man accidentally injured him, ending the experiences.

“Eisley, you killed me again, damn it! I’m so pissed off!”

The exquisite visuals, godlike lighting, and impressive performances captivated everyone.

Every time people saw the boy flailing around only to be fatally struck by the man, they couldn’t help but laugh out loud in front of their screens.

Every battle was so fierce and intense, with swords clashing and igniting the passion of many people.

[Soda Water: Wow, awesome! Anyway, the tickets aren’t expensive, so I’ll definitely go check it out!]

[Desert Eagle: Hahaha, the interaction between the two is so interesting. I haven’t seen a movie like this in a long time. I have to invite my bestie to watch it with me!]

[Little Blue Pudding: Who plays Xingyuan? He’s just too good-looking! Wow, I can’t believe someone can be this incredibly handsome!]

[Valley Grain: While the newbies are still marveling at the visuals, the experienced ones are already focusing on voting and supporting their favorites!]

Su Qiqi was a student who had never been in a relationship and usually enjoyed watching sweet romance dramas.

Today, she stumbled upon a promotional clip shared by a friend and was instantly captivated by its stunning visuals. As she watched the interactions in the clip, her heart raced with excitement.

This was just too sweet!

To Su Qiqi, who thought Xingyuan was incredibly cool, he seemed so adorable that she wanted to give him a big hug.

Who played the lead character? His looks were just too exquisite. His eyelashes were long and curly, and his peach blossom eyes were mesmerizing.

After watching this movie, she was definitely going to keep an eye on him!

She calmed her excited heart and searched for movie tickets online. However, the exact schedule was not yet finalized, and ticket sales had not even started.

Su Qiqi: Q_AQ.

She was so disappointed. She wanted to watch it right away! Unfortunately, she could only follow the official accounts and various cinemas, and wait silently for the movie to be released.

She didn’t care—since she didn’t have a movie ticket, she was determined to attend the premiere to soothe for her wounded heart!

---

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Chapter 26 Part 2 一 The Script Has Finally Come to an End.

---

Eisley probably didn’t have anywhere to go, so he could go and pick him up.

If Eisley knew someone had been following him for six years, and secretly had a crush on him for those six years, he would probably be shocked, right?

But what about Eisley?

He looked around, then suddenly overheard someone saying,

“Today is the day Lieutenant General Aisley is promoted to General. We are so proud to have someone like him in our country!”

He knew where he was.

Hua Xingyuan ran toward the palace…

As he moved deeper into the palace, the noise from outside was drowned out, replaced by a hint that something was amiss.

The ceremonial music he expected was absent, instead replaced by the clanging of metal.

“Bang, bang!” The sound of gunfire echoed through the palace. Hua Xingyuan grew increasingly nervous and ran inside, coming upon a scene of bodies scattered on the ground.

The carpet was stained with bright red blood, making Hua Xingyuan’s pupils contract as he clutched his chest and continued running inward.

When he reached the center of the palace, Hua Xingyuan was utterly devastated by the sight that unfolded before him.

Eisley, with the insignia of a general on his shoulder, leaned against the wall, expressionless and holding a gun. He was surrounded by a crowd of people, all seemingly intent on killing him.

He already had many wounds, bleeding profusely.

He was dying…

He was completely isolated and without support.

“Where is everyone? Where is everyone?” Hua Xingyuan screamed with all his might.

Just then, several heavy machine guns emerged from the attic, and the sound of an argument seemed to come from above.

“This is General Eisley! How much has he done for us, and you’re willing to do this to him?”

“The enemy leader is right here. If we kill them all, we’ve truly won! Otherwise, do you know how many hidden dangers there will be?”

Eisley raised his head and shouted hoarsely, “You don’t need to worry about me. Open fire, and we’ll have a complete victory. This will all be over…”

“Go away!” Hua Xingyuan shouted, tears streaming down his face.

“This is the General’s voluntary sacrifice. Didn’t we discuss this earlier? He’s doing this for the Empire! For the Empire!”

“General…”

Eisley smiled, blood trickling down the side of his forehead.

“Go ahead and shoot, it’s okay. Once this war is over, you can all reunite with your families.”

“General!!”

“I’m not like you. Even if I die, no one will miss me. No one will worry about me.”

His eyes wandered as he gazed ahead, saying, “The war is over, but I don’t even know where to go now.”

Hua Xingyuan was rendered speechless, crying silently with his mouth open as big tears rolled from his red eyes.

The people above were still arguing loudly about whether to open fire, and Hua Xingyuan’s mind went cold when he saw this scene. Suddenly, a thought hit him.

He lunged at a bayonet, which went straight through his abdomen.

The intense pain coursed through him, chilling his entire body, but he still heard a mechanical voice.

[End of the Experience]

Ignoring the pain in his body, he pushed open the door and ran out of the Science and Technology Museum. A massive shuttle was parked outside, and he opened the door and ran up.

“Do you have the coordinates?” Xu Mo asked casually, looking at the console.

Sensing something was wrong, he turned around and saw Hua Xingyuan’s distraught expression.

He was stunned and hurriedly asked, “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Hua Xingyuan trembled as he looked ahead, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Quickly! Go there, hurry! He’s almost gone!”

Xu Mo tensed up, asking urgently, “Where are the coordinates? Where is it?”

Hua Xingyuan was gasping for air, his hands trembling non-stop. “I’ll find it, I’ll find it… He’s a 100,000 light-years away.”

“100,000 light-years… Got it…” Xu Mo turned back to enter the coordinates but froze just as he was about to press the first button.

Meanwhile, Hua Xingyuan had found the coordinates. As he handed them over, he collapsed on the chair.

“Take… take it…”

He quickly raised it, and Xu Mo paused for a moment before taking it and entering the data. The shuttle started, and it was expected to arrive in ten minutes.

Hua Xingyuan was gasping for breath without pause, clenching his palm in an attempt to stay calm.

As he was praying for time to move faster, he heard Xu Mo’s voice beside him.

“Did you say 100,000 light-years?”

“Yes, yes!”

“Was it in Star Gazer?”

“That’s right… Yes…”

Xu Mo paused, then said, “Prepare yourself mentally.”

Hua Xingyuan stopped, turning his head stiffly and asking, “What do you mean?”

Xu Mo closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, speaking softly, “100,000 light-years… It takes 100,000 years for the light to reach here. What you’re seeing… should be something from 100,000 years ago.”

The entire space fell into silence, and Hua Xingyuan’s expression went blank.

“Eisley…”

“Are you talking about General Eisley?”

“Yes!” Hua Xingyuan nodded vigorously as if he was trying to grasp something.

“That’s someone we learned about in our history classes… He fought countless battles and achieved many military honors. In the end, he sacrificed himself to end the final rebellion, bringing peace to the empire.”

Hua Xingyuan opened his mouth, but he couldn’t utter a sound. He tried to speak, but all he could do was cough repeatedly. His eyes were red and bloodshot, as if they were about to bleed.

He grabbed his throat and bit his lip hard to suppress his sobbing, until blood began to drip from the corner of his mouth.

The shuttle landed on a technologically advanced planet, where they arrived at the famous General’s Cemetery, where a colossal statue stood at its center.

From the silhouette and facial features, Hua Xingyuan recognized him at a glance.

“Not him… it’s not…”

His voice cracked as he cried, and he collapsed to the ground. Xu Mo quickly rushed to help him up, but Hua Xingyuan was trembling all over.

Nearby tourists were puzzled, unable to understand why he was crying so bitterly.

He shuffled forward step by step, unable to contain himself when he caught a glimpse of the gravestone ahead.

The grave of General Eisley.

Before the towering mausoleum, the young man knelt down on the ground, unable to suppress his heartbreaking and raspy cries.

He punched the gravestone, blood running down its inscription as if he had forgotten the sensation of pain.

Following the trail of blood with his eyes, he saw the small letters etched above.

[General Eisley had no father or mother, lived a lonely life, and had no family to claim his ashes. Therefore, the Empire buried him, built this mausoleum, and honored him for generations.]

He stumbled to his feet and grabbed a rock nearby that was used for landscaping. He smashed it against the mausoleum with all his might.

Xu Mo was shocked and quickly held Hua Xingyuan back. The nearby staff hurried over to restrain him, and many people pulled him away from General Eisley’s grave.

He cried out in a broken voice, “Let go of me! I’m his family, and I want to take him home… I want to bring him home…”

“This person is crazy, call a doctor quickly!”

“Get lost! I’m taking him home. He has a family… he has me!”

“Get out! Get out of my way!”

That day, coincidentally, the Emperor was touring the area. He frowned as he witnessed the scene.

“What’s wrong with this man?”

Hua Xingyuan, seeing the Emperor’s attire, shouted at him with a torn voice: “Give me his ashes… give them to me!”

The Emperor glanced at the gravestone and spoke in a low voice.

“General Eisley is a symbol of my Empire’s spirit, how could I give him to you?”

He then ordered the guards beside him: “Take this lunatic away, now!”

Hua Xingyuan was forcibly dragged away from the mausoleum and was ordered to never come near it again.

He collapsed to his knees, staring at the distant statue, and burst into tears, then laughter. He clutched his throat and coughed repeatedly, blood even dripping from the corner of his mouth.

The screen went black, and a final scene appeared.

Hua Xingyuan returned to Star Gazer.

He quietly watched Eisley’s body being carried away, cremated, and buried.

In the sunset, he leaned against a gravestone, looking up at the sky, clearly drunk.

He held a list in his hand, waving it aimlessly toward the sky.

He had a house, a car, a savings account, and he had graduated. His wedding… was even booked.

Where are you?

[End of the movie.]

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Chapter 26 Part 1 一 The Script Has Finally Come to an End.

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Bai Ruogu didn’t say much. He just patted the boy’s shoulder and gave him a smile before walking toward the school gate.

The boy, who was burning incense and praying to the “Grandmaster,” shivered and looked up at Bai Ruogu’s departing figure, feeling an ominous premonition.

He snapped back to reality and quickly resumed his prayer.

“Grandmaster, please bless me! I need to pass my final exams! I’m begging you! There aren’t many apprentices as obedient and respectful as me.”

Bai Ruogu, who hadn’t gone far:…

He~tui!

In fact, the script was nearing its end, and coming to this planet was just a way to wrap things up.

The weather was gloomy the next day, which was quite fitting. The venue had been cleared long ago, and it was almost all crew members.

Everything was set up, but just as they were about to start filming, they heard that the Emperor of this planet had arrived.

They belonged to different empires, so there wasn’t much formality. A polite greeting to the Emperor was all that was required.

The Emperor was seen wearing casual clothes. He appeared to be in his fifties, looking vibrant and well-built.

With a warm smile, he greeted the crew and was curious to see them filming.

“May I stand here and watch for a while?” he asked politely.

This was his territory, so of course it was allowed.

Li Huai quickly instructed the staff to bring a chair, and the final scene was about to be filmed under the Emperor’s watchful gaze.

Hua Xingyuan had studied diligently for a year, and he had finally been admitted to the best military academy in the Interstellar Federation!

Father Hua and Mother Hua were overjoyed, clapping their hands on the table as they asked Hua Xingyuan what kind of reward he wanted.

Hua Xingyuan leaned back in his chair with a confident smirk, tilting his head up with a smug look. He pretended to think deeply, taking his time before he finally spoke.

“I want to be in a relationship.”

Father Hua hadn’t yet reacted, but Mother Hua burst out laughing. She patted Hua Xingyuan on the shoulder and said, “Oh, come on! You’ve had someone in mind for a while. Who are you trying to fool?!”

Father Hua also understood and laughed heartily, “You rascal! Never mind, Dad will give you a set of sky villas and an all-round car. That way, when you get married, you’ll have a place to call home.”

Hua Xingyuan pretended to be embarrassed, nodding his head faster than anyone else.

When Father Hua and Mother Hua were out of sight, he jumped up, holding some kind of list in his hand, and dashed toward the Science and Technology Museum.

He had a house and a car! Now he just needed a job and some savings!!

Wait, he still needed a grand wedding! No worries, he would work hard for it!

He ran excitedly to Star Gazer, just as Eisley was being promoted to the rank of major general. With everyone watching, he ran over and hugged Eisley around the waist, grinning from ear to ear.

Nobody could see him, but that didn’t matter. Soon, everyone would know who he was!

He wanted to become a great person, someone worthy of Eisley.

He worked hard at school, running for class president and student council president. When he was appointed, his eyes sparkled like starlight, and he couldn’t wait to run up to Eisley to tell him all about it.

“Ai,” Hua Xingyuan said, sitting on the steps below the school building. He gazed at the bright moon in the night sky, talking to himself.

“If you’d known how awesome I was, would you have praised me?”

At school, he got hungry and casually bought a few pieces of bread to fill his stomach.

His parents thought he was still the same extravagant young master he used to be, but in fact, he had been frugal for quite some time.

In the moonlight, he looked at the somewhat worn-out shoes on his feet. He hadn’t bought new ones in a long time.

But he wasn’t sad at all because he was saving up to buy a private shuttle. The worse his current circumstances, the happier he was because it meant he could get the private shuttle sooner.

He lay on the ground and stretched, looking at the bright moon, mumbling to himself.

“Eisley, I’ve done so much to see you. If you don’t like me, I’ll… I’ll be so angry I’ll die.”

Time flew by, and Hua Xingyuan grew up watching Eisley become more and more famous. With each victory in battle, Eisley became a national hero, akin to a war god.

Hua Xingyuan, still a student:…

What should I do if the person I like is too incredible, and I might not be able to keep up?

Hua Xingyuan, when he got serious, was quite popular with many people. During his school days, he rejected countless confessions. He arrogantly pointed at them, raised his head, and declared, “You? Could you ever match me, this young master? Hmph!”

“Hua Xingyuan, I noticed your standards are sky-high. Even the top student confessed to you, and you rejected them. What kind of conditions are you waiting for?”

Hua Xingyuan laughed and said, “At least win a few hundred battles before you talk to me.”

“In times of peace, where are you going to find battles to fight?”

“Then don’t even mention it. I can take care of myself, I don’t need romance.”

“You’re really something else…”

Hua Xingyuan specifically set up a trophy room in his new villa, with countless frames displaying the honors he received in school.

“Ahhh! I’m already this outstanding. Shouldn’t we be on the same level by now? Sigh, it still feels impossible.”

As time went by, Eisley lost the playful attitude he had at the beginning and became more mature and experienced.

After effortlessly leading his army to victory, he shed his glory under the gaze of countless onlookers and walked alone by the river, lost in thought as he gazed upon the desolate land.

He lit a cigar without knowing what he was thinking, his gaze deep and intense.

“The war is almost over.”

Hua Xingyuan quietly held Eisley’s hand and nodded at the thought of the gradually subsiding war.

“Yes, it’s almost over. Many lost territories have been reclaimed, and many of their generals have surrendered.”

He leaned on Eisley’s shoulder, muttering, “Graduation is in a month. I planned to take my diploma and come find you to be your deputy… But it’s fine, the war is over, and you can retire in glory and live a good life.”

At that moment, they heard commotion not far away. Both looked in that direction to see many women, children, and elderly people arriving at the army camp.

Countless people embraced each other, tears of excitement streaming down their faces.

These were the families of the soldiers who had somehow found their way there.

The smell of cigars grew stronger. Hua Xingyuan turned to see Eisley taking a deep drag and chuckling quietly, his eyes hidden in shadow.

His steps quickened as he tightened his coat, moving forward without looking back.

Suddenly, Hua Xingyuan remembered that Eisley had no family. He had been alone from childhood to adulthood.

The war had ended, and all the soldiers had returned home to reunite with their families. But where would Eisley go?

Hua Xingyuan felt a sharp pang in his heart. He quickly ran up to Eisley, speaking urgently.

“Wait for me. I’ll have enough money soon. I graduate in a month. I’ll sell my shoes and toys—all my things. That will be enough money, and then I’ll come find you!”

“By then, the war will probably be over, and you’ll have a sweet and outstanding partner. How lucky you’ll be!”

He kept talking, stubbornly holding onto Eisley’s shirt hem and refusing to let go. He followed the man wherever he went as the sun set…

. . . . .

The sun was shining brightly that day, and the military academy was holding its graduation ceremony. Hua Xingyuan, as the student representative, went on stage to give a speech.

After receiving his diploma, he got a call from the delivery company.

“Hello, the jump shuttle you purchased has been delivered to the entrance of the Science and Technology Museum. You can pick it up at any time.”

It had been six years. He had liked that man for six years, and he could finally meet him!

He grabbed his friend Xu Mo and headed to the Science and Technology Museum. He didn’t know how to operate the jump shuttle, but his friend had specialized in it. He was about to see Eisley!

He ran excitedly, his shirt collar undone, nearly dropping his graduation diploma.

He quickly recovered it—this was valuable stuff. As the top graduate, he could choose any position of his rank!

He had made up his mind, he was going to be the ambassador to Eisley’s planet.

He almost burst out laughing, he was finally good enough! After six years of hard work, he was finally worthy of him!

Xu Mo waited outside while he rushed into Star Gazer to find Eisley’s current coordinates.

As he entered, the nation erupted in cheers, bells rang from tall buildings, and people in the square raised their hands in excitement.

“We finally won! We don’t have to fight anymore!”

Everyone was chatting excitedly, and Hu Xingyuan’s mood also improved.

The timing was just perfect.

---

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Chapter 25 Part 2 一 Do Not Casually Speculate About the Grandmaster’s Preferences.

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After experiencing various emotional shocks, Bai Ruogu finally arrived at the trading market.

At a glance, he saw materials neatly arranged in compartments. Common materials were laid out more casually, and there were many of them. Rare materials were fewer, with just a little bit in each glass box, placed high to avoid being knocked over.

The new material used to create Su Miao’s body was called aquamarine crystal. Although it was expensive, it was available for purchase.

The small ball in his palm opened its eyes and immediately saw the material that was made from the same substance as its body. It was momentarily stunned.

Bai Ruogu smiled and gave it a playful squeeze, then brought it close to his mouth and whispered, “Besides buying battery materials, let’s also buy some aquamarine crystal. That way, you can grow a bit bigger.”

The small ball turned around and shifted its eyes behind Bai Ruogu’s fingers, watching the new material without blinking.

Grow a bit bigger…

It blinked its eyes, and the indicator light on its smart brain flashed along with it.

Bai Ruogu opened the smart brain to make the payment, but saw two unread messages.

[Director Li Huai: The staff here said their emperor is coming to visit tomorrow, so they hope we can delay filming for a day. The initial plan is to take tomorrow off, so take a good rest, Ruogu.]

It wasn’t a big deal, so after nodding to himself, Bai Ruogu closed the message and opened the second one.

[Zhuri Laoshi: Sorry, I’ve been a bit busy lately, so my replies have been delayed. By the way, did you find the filming location we discussed last time?]

Bai Ruogu’s eyes moved slightly, and he input a message with his consciousness—

[I’ve found it.]

The reply came back immediately: [Really? Which planet?]

Bai Ruogu stared at the screen, lost in thought. After a while, he came to his senses and continued typing.

[It’s planet Ketan, quite a developed planet, but it’s a bit far from planet Ruogu.]

For some reason, it took a full two minutes before the other side responded.

[I’ve heard of that planet. It seems like a good fit.]

He was about to ask something else when he noticed that the other person’s avatar had turned gray, indicating that they had turned off their smart brain interface.

He raised his hand to rub his eyes and let out a small sigh.

Just then, he heard the slow voice of his own smart brain.

[You… You rubbed me.]

Bai Ruogu:…

He quickly peeled off the cold pancake and stroked it gently to comfort it.

To prevent using the pancake to rub his eyes again, he tucked it into his chest and unzipped his jacket to reveal the pancake’s two big round eyes.

The cold pancake suddenly felt its entire body enveloped in warmth, even more comfortable than when it was on Bai Ruogu’s neck.

Bai Ruogu’s body temperature was Su Miao’s favorite. The closer he got, the more comfortable he felt. It was much more comfortable under his clothes than on his exposed neck, not to mention his hand, where the temperature was least reliable.

He opened his big eyes and blinked, he clearly understood the logic behind it.

If he could sneak into his mouth while no one was watching…

No, he couldn’t do that! He was a conscientious AI!

Bai Ruogu was about to make a payment when a loud voice from beside him suddenly shouted, “Boss, I’ll take all of these aquamarine crystals!”

Bai Ruogu paused and turned to see a young, energetic boy in a school uniform.

The boy’s name tag read: “Mecha Manufacturing Department.”

The boy was about to pay when he heard a polite, gentle voice from beside him.

“Hello, this material is quite expensive. Are you sure you want to buy it all at once?”

The boy turned his head and found a young man with red lips, white teeth, a delicate appearance, and a slim build.

He was somewhat surprised by the young man’s appearance. However, given his upbringing in a well-off family and his extensive exposure to various experiences from a young age, he didn’t feel infatuated.

He frowned and rubbed his head, saying, “The final exams are coming up, so I need to buy more in case my experiments fail.”

Bai Ruogu said, “Oh? What course are you taking that requires aquamarine crystals?”

The boy was a bit irritated, “Why are you asking so many questions? I have the money! By the way, what year are you in? What’s your major?”

Bai Ruogu shook his head, “I don’t go to school here, and I’m studying acting.”

With a scoff, he said, “So what are you telling me to do?! Have you studied <Bai Ruogu’s Fundamentals Theory>? Have you studied <Bai Ruogu’s Mecha Model>? Have you studied <Bai Ruogu’s Basic Mecha Manufacturing>?”

“No.” Bai Ruogu really hadn’t studied them, though he had read the books, which mostly summarized his theories and provided detailed explanations.

The other person scoffed, “Then don’t interfere! What do you know as an amateur? Just butt out and stop bossing me around!”

“Amateur” Bai Ruogu:…

He realized there was no reasoning with this confused kid, so he quickly bought the quantity he needed and turned to leave.

The boy was baffled by this sudden move. Although he was somewhat angry, he didn’t really know what to do with the materials.

Irritated, he bought the remaining materials and followed Bai Ruogu.

Bai Ruogu sensed someone following him but didn’t react much, he continued buying what he needed.

But then he heard the conversation between the boy and the shopkeeper.

“Boss, do you still have incense sticks?”

“Yes! I’ve been saving some for you! These days, with the final exams approaching, the incense has been selling like crazy!”

Bai Ruogu: ?

He turned around and saw the boy holding a bunch of incense sticks, and couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you buying incense sticks? Do you still need incense sticks to make parts these days?”

The boy smirked, “Hmph! You don’t get it. Studying for exams is one thing, but for those of us who are not fully prepared, this helps!”

Bai Ruogu was utterly puzzled.

The boy saw that he didn’t understand, so he specifically took him to a certain place. Since there wasn’t much else to do, Bai Ruogu followed behind him.

During this time, Li Huai sent another message.

[The staff said that the emperor doesn’t mind us filming and that we should proceed as planned. So, if you have no objections, let’s continue with tomorrow’s schedule.]

Bai Ruogu replied with an “okay,” then closed his smart brain and continued following the boy.

As they walked, the surroundings became increasingly desolate, and the once-smooth ground turned into simple, earthy terrain.

The scent of incense filled the air, and Bai Ruogu seemed to sense something as his eyelids twitched violently.

The boy walked up to a statue, suddenly planted an incense stick in the ground, and bowed devoutly.

“Grandmaster, please bless me so I can pass my exam!”

Bai Ruogu:…

He looked around and saw many people, like the boy, burning incense and bowing to “Bai Ruogu.”

Some had plates in front of them with apples, bananas, and other fruits, while others even stuck a few spicy snacks on them.

Bai Ruogu couldn’t help but cough a few times, his eyelid twitching uncontrollably.

“What’s wrong?” the boy asked, looking up.

Pressing his chest, Bai Ruogu said softly, “Your Grandmaster probably doesn’t like spicy snacks.”

The boy scoffed, “You’re just an actor. What do you know about our Grandmaster’s preferences? I think he loves spicy snacks the most!”

Bai Ruogu:…

Rebellious apprentice!

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