As the luxurious hover car came to a stop, Tang Ke stepped out, noticing his mother's red-rimmed eyes and pale face. Yet, despite that, she seemed noticeably more relaxed. He opened his mouth to speak but held back, choosing not to ask.
From the window, Han Yanyan waved goodbye and rolled up the window, the hover car speeding away with a trail of white smoke.
Back at home, Tang Ke couldn't suppress his concern any longer, asking, "Mom, are you okay?"
Xinya smiled gently, "I'm fine, really." She crouched down to look at her precocious child and felt a pang in her heart. With a forced smile, she said, “It was my mistake. I’ve realized that even if you don’t go to Dongchen, you’ll still become an excellent mecha pilot, won’t you?”
Tang Ke nodded vigorously, his voice filled with determination, “I will definitely work hard!”
Xinya patted his head. “Don’t worry about the tuition fees. Aolin’s fees aren’t that high. I will work hard and earn the money.”
She opened her mouth to say more but ultimately decided against it. “There’s no need for Xiao Ke to know about this,” Han Yanyan had told her.
On the way there, this twelve-year-old young lady had guided her on how to apply for a charitable fund using her intellect. With her own authority, she had approved the request on the spot. This fund had reportedly been established by the head of the Han family on her tenth birthday, placed directly in her name.
“There’s no need for Xiao Ke to know. But at the same time, I hope you won't approach my father again. If there’s any difficulty, just come to me directly. It's not easy to maintain balance in that family,” the little girl said with a hint of a smirk.
“Did Sister Yanyan persuade mom?” Tang Ke asked, feeling inexplicably confident about Han Yanyan.
Xinya came back to her senses, falling silent for a moment before nodding.
“She’s a good person,” she replied.
The good-hearted Han Yanyan headed to her mecha club. She had taken on the persona and memories of “young Han Yanyan,” who had started tinkering with mechas when she was only eight or nine. However, this was Han Yanyan’s first encounter with a mecha.
Most mechas were humanoid, some just slightly bigger than a human, like fitted armor, while others were immense, towering two or three stories high.
The world was built according to her design, with details filled in by the system. She decided to create this world as one of mental power and mechas based on the life of that general. At first, she worried whether these two elements would trigger some sort of safety regulation, but fortunately, it didn’t.
It seemed that in Leo’s world, although there wasn't the frenzied obsession with mechas as in this world, mental power and mechas were still commonplace.
The most important aspect was that the details added by the system were genuine and effective.
With mental power, one could accomplish many things. Controlling mechas was just one of those aspects. In this world, however, that aspect was exaggerated to extremes.
Mental power could control mechas, and to enhance mental power, one had to practice controlling mechas constantly. The principle was quite similar to the abilities that emerged in apocalyptic scenarios: training, pushing limits, breaking through, and growing stronger.
Han Yanyan familiarized herself with her designated training room and climbed into her mecha. Thanks to the memories of her persona, she didn’t need to learn; she could start practicing immediately.
The staff outside, responsible for monitoring data, recognized her but were surprised to see this diligent young lady pushing herself even harder than before.
When Han Yanyan finally exited the mecha, her tight-fitting suit was drenched, as if she had been caught in the rain. As she stepped down from the mecha, she almost stumbled but was thankfully caught by staff members who had been monitoring her physical condition.
Han Yanyan was carried directly onto a stretcher and taken into the recovery room.
“Why are you working so hard?” one staff member exclaimed in disbelief.
Whereas Han Yanyan lay entirely exposed in the recovery pod, the hatch closed, with a mask sealing her mouth and nose. Soon, nutrient fluid began to fill the chamber, nourishing her cells and allowing her exhausted body to recover rapidly.
As she floated in the nutrient fluid, it felt akin to those dreary days during the apocalypse, where she experienced similar fatigue after training.
But back then, the conditions were not as pleasant. Ding Yao would carry her back, clean her up, and throw her on the bed, only to push her until she was drenched in sweat, a mix of joy and suffering.
Suddenly, Han Yanyan wanted to laugh.
Ding Yao and Yao Chen had a common trait—they were both wild and daring in bed. But she wondered what the real character of that man named Yao was like. If he came back to life and recalled their encounters, would he feel embarrassed?
If this shared trait of Ding Yao and Yao Chen wasn’t part of the true nature of Yao and was merely a role she imposed based on her preferences, then meeting again in the future would truly be entertaining.
But soon her laughter faded as her body absorbed the nutrient fluid. Initially, it was comfortable, but after a while, as the fluid began to work on her muscle layers, the soreness returned, reminding her of the times she was tortured by Ding Yao.
“Serves you right for reminiscing!” Han Yanyan muttered under her breath, closing her eyes.
While her body could quickly recover thanks to the nutrient fluid, the consumption of mental power could only recover naturally over time. Increasing it was also a slow process. Although some individuals were born with high mental power, for those striving to reach greater heights, immense effort was needed.
Han Yanyan centered her thoughts, enduring the discomfort of her muscles repairing, repeatedly recalling the sensations of using mental power from her earlier experience.
In this world, she was smuggling her intentions. Mechas were indeed spectacular, but her true goal was her mental power.
She needed ample time to etch deep memories into her mind. She must remember how to use and operate her mental power!
She couldn't take this ability out of this world, but she could take the memories with her!
Although she couldn’t physically feel her body right now, her true self must be able to feel what she was feeling in this moment. She had sensed the power within her teetering on the edge of release, but it had never burst forth. Yet, that showed she possessed the strength all along.
What she needed was to learn to use it and engrave the memories of wielding that power deeply into her very being!
The head of the Han family believed that in due time, Xinya would seek him out again. He excelled at discerning what others “desired” and was even better at negotiating based on how strong that desire was. Xinya desperately wanted to create better conditions for her child.
Such “desires” would inevitably escalate. For this continually growing “want,” people often bit the bullet and paid more than they initially intended.
That’s just the way of the world.
As the head of the family became preoccupied with his tasks, he suddenly remembered after a significant time had passed since Xinya’s last visit. Curious, he inquired about the situation and discovered that Tang Ke had transferred to Aolin while Xinya had found work. The report brought to him even noted that Xinya had secured funding from a Han family charity fund, allowing her to receive a steady sum of money.
That money was enough to bring her peace of mind, enabling her to live steadily with her child without the worry of other burdens.
During dinner, he asked Han Yanyan, “What’s this funding for your cousin Tang Ke?”
“Oh, that? During my last chat with Auntie, I found out that after Uncle passed away, she has been facing some difficulties. I sent her some funds,” Han Yanyan replied, her expression unreadable.
Her father followed up, “What made you think to suggest Aolin for Xiao Ke? Isn’t Dongchen better?”
“Have you forgotten what school life was like?” Han Yanyan retorted, “What kind of environment is Dongchen? They’re all like wolves! A child who can only take the bus to school wouldn’t survive in there. He’s just too cute; I can’t bear the thought.”
Her father responded, “You could look out for him.”
“I can’t protect him twenty-four-seven,” Han Yanyan countered. “A bit of kindness now and then is fine, but having it become my responsibility would be bothersome. I just don’t have the patience for that.”
The head of the Han family felt pleased.
“Very good,” he said. “As long as you're aware of that. A little charity here and there to let others feel our glow is fine. Just don’t take it too much to heart.”
“I think Xiao Ke is cute too,” Han Yanyan teased, glancing at her father. “Isn’t it the same reason you wanted to help Auntie Xinya because you found her attractive?”
The head of the Han family smiled softly, reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ear. “So clever, just as I expected from my daughter.”
Han Yanyan glanced over at the empty chair beside him. “When will Mom be back?”
“Let her be,” the head of the family replied indifferently. “She’ll come back once she’s had her fun.”
Han Yanyan’s mother was also an S-grade mental power user, blessed with excellent genes. This marriage was a result of genetic selection.
With superior genes and strong mental powers, there was a greater chance to become a mecha pilot, achieve a better life, and marry someone of good genes to bear children with excellent traits. This cycle continued, with the affluent class typically possessing good genes, and those with superior genes being generally wealthy.
Xinya had been clear-headed enough to realize that her cousin merely coveted her looks and had no intention of marrying her, especially since her mental power was only rated B.
Her father was more concerned than her mother, as inheriting the family name also meant taking over the family business. His care manifested in subtly teaching her to be a competent head of the family.
This man was not shy about exposing her to the darker, more ruthless aspects of life, believing it would help her grow up faster and get through the innocence of childhood sooner.
“Have you shown any signs of your first period yet?” he asked.
Han Yanyan rubbed her temples.
Natural mental power is stronger than acquired mental power through genetic therapy.
Intrinsic mental power users experience two natural outbursts in their lives: one around the ages of six to eight. Regardless of whether their mental power showed earlier, it’s at this point that they are confirmed to possess intrinsic mental power. Tang Ke had just gone through his first outburst and was measured as an A-grade. Xinya had been both surprised and delighted, which prompted her to put aside her pride to create better conditions for her son’s growth.
The second outburst occurs after a girl's first period or a boy’s first wet dream. The maturation of the body invites another surge. This moment is particularly important and essentially solidifies their final grade.
Han Yanyan currently held an A-grade, but she was the child of two S-grade powers, the result of genetic optimization. The head of the Han family firmly believed that this child could reach even greater heights.
He hoped she would surpass to S+. Men like him often found themselves asking about their children’s physical development, much like other fathers.
Being inquired about by her father regarding such things made Han Yanyan feel this world was utterly absurd.
“Tang Ke, why don’t you just collapse this world?”