"You have a grandfather."Inside the Federation's Base 6 on a foreign planet, a woman lying in a hospital bed looked at the little girl before her, her face full of reluctance."Grandfather?""Yes, you have a grandfather.""What is a grandfather?""A grandfather is your father's father.""Can he help me see my daddy?"The woman on the bed was speechless. She didn't know how to explain it to her daughter. Not only was this kind of thing hard to explain to a six-year-old, but the clearer the explanation, the more painful it would be.The most challenging thing for her was that she was about to do something even more cruel. Although it wasn't her intention, it was indeed very cruel."You should ask him this question.""Who is he?""He is your grandfather.""Will he answer me?""He will. He will answer any question you ask, as long as you are obedient.""I'm always obedient."This is a somewhat clichéd story.The front lines on the foreign planet were not just battlefields. The vast dista
For the first time, Ji Xinghe saw a Federation spaceship in person. Previously, he had only seen them on TV, in games, and on his phone. Unlike the spaceships in sci-fi movies, this one looked more like a somewhat bloated airplane. In reality, most Federation spaceships were upgraded space shuttles that needed the help of reusable rockets to reach space.There were indeed cars that could fly directly into space and single-soldier starships that could travel from Azure Planet to the alien front line, but both had limited payloads. Like climbing a mountain, an ordinary person carrying a thousand-pound load couldn't reach the summit, but those who traveled light could reach the world's highest peaks. Sending a two-ton object into space was vastly different from sending a twenty-thousand-ton object.Essentially, the Federation's engine technology hadn't made a leap forward, but none of this mattered to Ji Xinghe. As long as it could get him to the alien front line, that was enough.After
The three-month space journey was long. The spaceship, fully loaded with supplies and passengers, had no extra space for activities, but this didn’t mean the passengers had no entertainment. In the quiet cabin, passengers put on helmets provided by the spaceship and entered a virtual world. Compared to advancements in space technology, the Federation’s immersive virtual reality technology was far more advanced.Even though it was just the local network of a spaceship, the world within was vast, with clear blue skies, boundless land, oceans, forests, mountains, and more. The physical device hosting this data world looked no different from a desktop computer case from 65 years ago, which was nothing for a spaceship where every bit of cargo space was maximized.Ji Xinghe appeared in this world. Unlike the zero-gravity environment of space, he was much more familiar with this world because he had been playing the virtual reality game "Interstellar Glory" for over ten years. Essentially, t
In the world of games, mech heroes naturally possess special game skills, abilities that are impossible in the real world. For instance, Han Li’s mech lacks any special skills, relying purely on operation and behavior patterns that conform to the laws of physics.Originally, the plan for the Ji Xinghe vs. Han Li battle was purely for demonstration. Ji Xinghe’s mech, within the local network of the spaceship, couldn't use game skills, relying only on the performance of the mech itself. No one doubted Han Li would win.But now, Han Li requested to unlock Ji Xinghe's mech's game skills.“Is it possible?”“Yes, it is.”After saying this, Han Li did not immediately enter his mech, demonstrating his determination through his actions.Su He didn’t make things difficult and began applying with the relevant personnel. Shortly thereafter, confirmation was received. The Federation showed great leniency to a major who might become an ace mech warrior.Thus, Ji Xinghe's mech had its game skills un
"Old Ji, what are you looking at?"A young man floated over to Ji Xinghe's side, his tone slightly teasing as he hovered in the air. But Ji Xinghe didn't get angry because it was he who insisted on being called "Old Ji."Some of these young people called him Uncle Ji, others called him Grandpa Ji. It got so confusing that they were all taking advantage of each other, and soon many were calling him Brother Ji. Finally, Ji Xinghe couldn't take it anymore and corrected them, insisting that everyone call him Old Ji.Ji Xinghe himself didn't command such respect. Despite his age and growing fame—his assessments, interviews, and stories were broadcast crazily on various platforms in the Federation's major cities on Azure Star—this fame didn't carry any real authority. Ji Xinghe was just a private.Above him were privates first class, non-commissioned officers, officers, senior officers, generals, and marshals.But Major Han Li had this authority. As a major, Han Li wasn't the highest-rankin
"Mr. Liu, do you remember Ji Xinghe? He was one of your students, from the class of 2042 in the mechanical repair department. He was very tall, about 1.9 meters...""Ji Xinghe? Yes, I remember him.""What do you think of Ji Xinghe?"On the screen, a 90-year-old Mr. Liu lay in a lounge chair in the courtyard of the nursing home, eyes closed, enjoying the warmth of the sunlight, as if he were asleep. The reporter next to him didn't press for an answer but waited quietly. After about a minute, Mr. Liu suddenly opened his eyes wide, as if he had just woken up."Ji Xinghe? Yes, I remember. He was very tall, 1.93 meters.""Yes, that's him. Mr. Liu, how would you evaluate him?"Mr. Liu closed his eyes again, gently rocking in the lounge chair.The reporter's expression twitched slightly, and he explained in a low voice, "Mr. Ji was indeed 1.93 meters tall in his youth, but with age, his body has become somewhat stooped, so he measured only 1.9 meters during a recent physical. Age and time ar
Many hands make light work. With collective brainstorming, Ji Xinghe not only completed the blueprints for the mech but also successfully created it using data in the virtual world.“Old Ji is truly a talented individual.”In the virtual world, many people looked at the giant mech, which reached a final height of 6.3 meters, and expressed their heartfelt admiration. Due to the limited communication aboard the spaceship, they hadn't seen the documentary about Ji Xinghe or heard others call him an unrecognized genius. Thus, they called him talented.Talent is not the same as genius. There is a fundamental difference between the two. When the thousand people on the spaceship called Ji Xinghe talented, there was more of a joking tone than a serious one.They called Ji Xinghe talented not because he single-handedly created a mech. After all, hundreds of people had truly participated in its creation. It was a product of collective effort, not something Ji Xinghe designed alone.Nor was it b
Why did I place the cockpit of my mech at the front?Because if I ever need to drive the mech, it means my granddaughter's life is in danger. I don't want anything to happen to her, so I need to ensure she escapes safely. When my enemies are behind me, the back armor of my mech needs to be stronger.Jixinghe silently answered one of the questions about his "Old Man's Joy" in his mind. He would never tell anyone about this idea because he was currently a soldier in the Federation, and the people asking him these questions were also soldiers in the Federation.Retreating before a battle is a military taboo in any era, especially since Jixinghe hasn't even truly set foot on the battlefield yet. Even when he reaches the alien frontline, he will stay at the base, the safest place on the frontlines.If even someone like Jixinghe is thinking about how to escape, Major General Tu Yuan, who used his authority to specially recruit Jixinghe, might personally come in a mech to hunt him down.Crac
Having decided to participate in the orbital drop mech warrior test, Ji Xinghe did not leave Base Five immediately. It wasn’t that he had hesitated again; the “education” from Ji Rongxinyue had been very effective. The delay was simply because the necessary equipment required time to manufacture.“Lieutenant Ji Xinghe, we have reviewed your relevant physical data and estimate that it will take ten days to customize your orbital drop mech suite. Please confirm once again if you want to continue using the Federal standard 16th generation mech?”“Yes, I want to use the Federal standard 16th generation mech.”Ji Xinghe confirmed his choice. If possible, he would have preferred to pilot the Federal 1st generation standard mech, the one he first encountered and used the most. However, the initial models, still usable in the game Starry Glory, had long been phased out on alien battlefields. Therefore, he chose the 16th generation standard mech, which he was second most familiar with.In term
Ji Xinghe and his Xinghe Squad finally returned to Base No. 6, but they didn’t have much time to reunite with Master Liu and the others. As soon as they arrived, the transfer convoy between Base No. 3 and Base No. 6 was already prepared, and they received orders to depart immediately.“Thank you, and take care.”Ji Xinghe accepted the gift they had prepared for Ji Rong Xinyue, waving goodbye without saying "see you again," because he knew that "goodbye" might mean "forever."The journey was uneventful, and the transfer convoy took three days to finally reach the relatively safe Base No. 5. Despite the sudden influx of people, Base No. 5 did not face any resource shortages as the Federation had already made preparations.Ji Rong Xinyue was very happy to receive the gift, but even happier to see that Ji Xinghe had returned unharmed.“Grandpa, what does orbital drop mean?”For many, this information was still classified, but Ji Xinghe revealed it to Ji Rong Xinyue without reservation, ev
At the start of a video conference, all the elite mecha warriors participating watched footage from a battle recorder. The footage showed Ji Xinghe’s fight in the canyon.In this battle, he single-handedly destroyed fourteen Empire mechas, bringing his total number of gold stars to thirty-six, placing him at the middle rank among the Federation’s three hundred and twenty-seven active elite mecha warriors.The first scene depicted a pale blue energy shockwave bursting from a diamond-shaped metal object, sending Federation Level Two mecha warrior Zuo Qiyu flying. He then got up and chose to charge forward.The combat recorder’s audio had not been removed, so all 116 elite mecha warriors participating in the video conference could hear Left Hand’s voice: “Go, Old Ji, don’t look back, run, run fast, I can hold them off.”Through Ji Xinghe’s mecha’s perspective, the elite mecha warriors watched the Federation mecha charging at the Empire mechas and heard the pilot’s shout. Even though all
Inside Base Six, many people were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the convoy from Base Three, hoping to reunite with familiar faces.The surface area of this alien planet couldn't compare to the Blue Planet, and the Federation's controlled area wasn't vast. But the extreme difficulty of transportation and the scarcity of resources meant that many people who met and became familiar on this alien planet might never see each other again after parting.They had promised to reunite on the Blue Planet after winning the war, but some would never return. Even their ashes could only remain on this alien planet, buried deeper and deeper under the orange-red dust, until no one would remember where they were buried.Perhaps one day, when humanity fully occupies this planet, technology will advance enough to change the planet's environment, creating a real atmosphere. Seeds will be scattered across the alien land, taking root and sprouting, carried by the wind to spread new life.When countless se
A squad of nine mechas was moving swiftly through the canyon. They were a support unit, initially tasked with escorting a convoy to a designated area before returning. However, unexpected developments forced them to turn back.“Have we established contact yet?”“No, the Xinghe Squad is still out of contact.”“Damn it, what the hell are they doing? I could understand if Ji Xinghe and Left Hand went silent, but why did the support team, Blind Man’s group, also go dark? Couldn't they have left someone outside the blackout zone to maintain communication?”When the Xinyue Fox battleship bombarded the area from space, this mecha squad did not advance at full speed. But when a flare illuminated the alien night sky, they accelerated to maximum speed. The flare, following the bombardment, indicated ongoing enemy presence, necessitating immediate support.But they had no intel.“It's a new team after all, lack of experience is understandable. I heard that Blind Man and his group came from the R
One, two, three.Faced with encirclement by eight Imperial mechas, Ji Xinghe seized every opportunity he could. After single-handedly taking down three Imperial mechas, he finally ran out of chances. There were still five mechas left in pursuit, with enough distance between them for him to take them out one by one, but the canyon held more dangers than just those five. While Ji Xinghe wasn’t sure how long it would take to completely destroy the rhomboid metal construct, the Imperial mechas’ previous caution suggested it wasn't invulnerable to mecha attacks.The six Imperial mechas assigned to destroy the construct could join the pursuit at any moment. If Ji Xinghe waited until they appeared, he would lose his chance to escape.He didn’t want to die, so he chose to run before the opportunity vanished completely.At full speed, the sixteenth-generation Federation standard mecha dashed through the dark canyon, kicking up a trail of dust. Behind him were eleven Imperial mechas that had al
Six Federation mechas gathered together, now in full power mode, advancing quickly in an assault formation toward the depths of the canyon. The previously lively communication channel had fallen silent, with only the faint sound of each other’s breathing audible.They had already increased their speed once when they entered the canyon, shifting from reconnaissance mode to fast-advance mode. But when the signal flare's light pierced through the dark canyon and exploded in the night sky, their speed reached its peak.If they wanted to go faster, they would have to charge, but now was clearly not the time for that."We are about to enter the communication blackout zone. All units, take note: if the enemy's numbers are overwhelming, Niuma, Heavy Cannon, immediately retreat to maintain communication. If necessary, withdraw at full speed."Blind Man’s command was met with no objections, not even from Su Chuanyun, who had just become Niuma. Despite his personality, he didn’t argue. He knew v
As Ji Xinghe once again destroyed three Imperial mechas, the total number of Imperial mechas in the canyon didn't decrease; instead, it increased.Twenty-two, exactly matching the number of golden stars on Ji Xinghe's mecha."The warp gate has disappeared. They're gone. They've stopped."Left Hand exclaimed in surprise. In his sight, the diamond-shaped metal warp gate vanished suddenly, as if it had run out of energy, just as the thirtieth Imperial mecha descended from it. The diamond-shaped metal reverted to being an inert metal ingot.Their reinforcements were gone, and they had stopped moving.After breaking eight Imperial mechas in total, the third batch of four Imperial mechas chasing Ji Xinghe and Left Hand finally halted. They chose not to continue their charge, maintaining a safe pursuit distance from Ji Xinghe and Left Hand's mechas.The eighteen Imperial mechas guarding the diamond-shaped metal also remained motionless, as if their systems had shut down.But Ji Xinghe showed
“Old Ji, you should have run, really.”Left Hand stared at the three Imperial mechas two hundred meters away, which had stopped their charge, and the ten more mechas near the rhombus-shaped metallic structure further back. He still believed Ji Xinghe should have run.The two Imperial mechas he was holding off had been destroyed the moment Ji Xinghe joined the battle. Up to this point, the two of them had already taken down five Imperial mechas, and neither of their mechas had suffered any substantial damage. It was a rare and complete victory, but the number of Imperial mechas remained overwhelming, and they kept increasing.“We still have time to run,” Left Hand continued to persuade. “We’re right near Base No. 3. They’ve got heavy defenses there, and Blind and the others are ready to back us up. If we run together, we might be able to link up with them. By then, with eight mechas fighting together, they might just give up chasing us. Plus, once we get to a zone where communications