"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