TCFGBH Chapter 108

The insufficient funds resulted in the blueprint falling into Xia Yan’s hands, leaving Grover frustrated for a long time.

Fortunately, Xia Yan was a fool—arrogant and aloof, completely clueless about building alliances. Since he and D were still in a mutual disdain phase, Grover saw this as the perfect opportunity to win D over to his side.

Grover wore a smile, but a trace of gloom flickered in his eyes.

If not for Xia Yan’s existence, which cost him his status as the sole heir, why would he need to stoop to pleasing a mecha designer?

As long as he attained the supreme throne…

Ignoring the wary glances around him, Grover carried his wine glass with composed grace into enemy territory and remarked, “Mr. D’s blueprints… I would love to see them. They must be top-tier works of art.”

No one responded.

After a brief pause, he sighed regretfully, “What a shame they ended up in the hands of someone who doesn’t appreciate your genius.”

Xia Yan: “…”

Ian blinked, his disguised brown eyes widening slightly. His upturned cat-like eyes made him look even younger, like a startled kitten with fur bristling in disbelief.

Where did this ugly pest come from, trying to sow discord between him and his boyfriend?!

He really wanted to pilot his mecha and blast him into the sky!!!

Since Ian and Xia Yan’s “conflict” was widely known, everyone naturally assumed Ian was angry at Xia Yan. Instinctively, they positioned themselves between the two.

Ian: “…”

Satisfied with how things were unfolding, Grover took a sip of wine and smiled warmly at Xia Yan. “I heard my cousin’s family has been funding a batch of students, probably hoping to train their own talent.”

In other words, pick me.

Grover’s unspoken message was crystal clear to Xia Yan.

Some schemes, while crude, were remarkably effective.

The original owner, spoiled since childhood, had a vile temperament. Aside from the Emperor and his family, he wouldn’t bow to anyone. Grover had always targeted him, knowing he wouldn’t tolerate it.

Maintaining the original owner’s character, Xia Yan’s expression darkened instantly. “There’s no cousin of yours here.”

“…” Grover chuckled helplessly, his golden hair gleaming like sunlight, exuding a kind of elder’s tolerance, as if pacifying an unreasonable child. “Alright, alright. Whatever you say.”

He always enjoyed provoking Xia Yan like this.

And Xia Yan always took the bait.

Everyone in their circle was well aware—after all, they were seasoned foxes who understood each other’s games. But this time… Grover miscalculated.

Before Xia Yan could explode, his supporters eagerly stepped in to pledge their loyalty.

“Gillingham has no close ties with the Xia family. Your phrasing seems inappropriate.”

 

“Mr. Xia, have some iced water. Don’t let unworthy people upset you.”

 

“Pfft! Some declining families are so desperate to cling to connections. Where do they even get the nerve?”

…

…

Various remarks—some mild, others sharp or sarcastic—formed a barrage of harsh words that pierced Grover’s façade. He could no longer maintain his false smile.

In just a few days, he felt more pressure than when Xia Yan first tested as having S-class mental strength.

Many previously neutral factions had unknowingly sided with Xia Yan, which emboldened him to completely disregard the mecha designer D.

Grover couldn’t help but shift his gaze to D.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? Since D clearly disliked Xia Yan as much as he did, surely he would take his side? However…

The delicate youth cast him a cold glance, his eyes brimming with hostility.

“???”

Wait, what? Does he not understand the situation?

Grover couldn’t wrap his head around it. Regardless, he would never admit his mistake publicly. After offering some vague excuses, he quickly found a reason to leave.

Xia Yan: “…”

He hadn’t even done anything yet.

–

That night.

After learning that D was staying on the 65th floor of the Xika Hotel, Grover, who had previously moved out secretly, returned in silence to try and win him over.

There were four suites on the 65th floor. Grover and Ian were neighbors, so theoretically, they should have run into each other often.

But for some reason, fate didn’t seem to favor their encounters. Frustrated at not seeing Ian yet, Grover decided he needed to act proactively.

He ordered his staff to monitor the first-floor lobby and the area outside the 65th-floor elevator. The moment D appeared, they were to notify him immediately.

At 10:35 p.m., Grover received word from the lobby that D had arrived. Cracking his door open slightly, he prepared to stage an “accidental” encounter.

At 10:45 p.m., D had yet to appear.

Grover: [Where is he?]

[He’s still downstairs,] his subordinate hesitated before adding, [with Xia Yan Gardner.]

?

Why was Xia Yan everywhere?

Wait… Would two people with such personalities really spend all day together if they hated each other?

An absurd thought crossed his mind.

Unable to sit still any longer, Grover furrowed his brows, put on his coat, and took the elevator down to the first floor. Silently, he observed the two from a secluded corner.

The distance prevented him from hearing their conversation.

But removing the initial misunderstanding about their relationship and viewing them as a bystander…

How was this mutual dislike?! This was clearly playful banter between a couple!

Especially D, whose emotions were almost overflowing in his gaze.

Was he blind before?

As he thought of his current situation, a layer of hostility rose in Grover’s eyes. If he could just take care of Xia Yan here and now… He began calculating the manpower he had available, completely unaware of when the two had left.

A discreet call interrupted his thoughts.

“…What is it?”

“Your Highness!!!” The man on the other end was breathing heavily, his voice filled with excitement. “Xia Yan used a banned drug! He doesn’t have S-class mental power.”

The massive revelation hit Grover like a tidal wave, throwing his mind into overdrive. He subconsciously tightened his grip on his communicator, forcibly swallowing the gasp that nearly escaped his throat. “What did you say?”

The man, clearly also stunned by the bombshell news, stammered incoherently for a while before finally making sense.

As everyone knew, mental power levels were determined at birth and couldn’t be upgraded. Yet, there were always geniuses—or madmen—who sought to change the rules, creating unstable drug formulations.

Most of these drugs were highly dangerous, with unpredictable effects. Half the time, they would destroy the user’s mental power entirely, leaving them as useless husks unable to even access the network.

After being assessed as having A-class mental power, Grover had once considered using such drugs.

But after further investigation, he abandoned the idea.

Who would’ve thought… Xia Yan had actually dared to upgrade himself with a banned drug, gambling his future by secretly buying it on the black market.

The reckless youth, oblivious to the consequences, lacked the ability to cover his tracks. When his parents, Xia Jiuqian and Lina, discovered the truth, they were too preoccupied with nursing him back to health to clean up all the evidence.

Now, years later, that negligence had given his enemies the leverage they needed.

Grover’s mind spun rapidly. The suffocating pressure he had felt earlier vanished, replaced by a sharp sense of opportunity. Suddenly, he asked, “How many days until Xia Yan’s duel with Huo Ruihe?”

“Eight days.”

Grover’s lips curved into a cold smile. “He won’t beat Huo Ruihe.”

“You know what to do,” he said, his voice gentle but laced with venomous delight. “Just like every other time we’ve handled such things. I want Xia Yan’s reputation… utterly destroyed.”

“But…” The subordinate hesitated. “What if Xia Yan wins?”

Logically, a true S-class against a fake S-class should be an easy victory for the former.

But Xia Yan had this inexplicable aura about him. His unwavering confidence and arrogance forged an image of invincibility.

It was hard to imagine him ever losing.

Grover narrowed his eyes, remaining silent for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle. “I remember the research institute has been working on more precise detection devices. They haven’t been released yet, but we could use one… couldn’t we?”

The subordinate immediately understood. “Got it.”

After ending the call and erasing all records of their conversation, Grover stepped into the elevator, a spring in his step. His years-long scheme was finally coming to fruition.

As for Xia Yan… Though it was a shame to let such beauty turn to dust, the threat he posed was far too great. Grover couldn’t afford to gamble. A decisive blow was his only option.

–

Meanwhile, the subject of Grover’s scheming, Xia Yan, was utterly baffled.

The crowning jewel of the auction—a design blueprint valued at five billion credits—was the most expensive item of the event. Its exorbitant price tag saved it from being lumped into the “miscellaneous” category; instead, it was carefully held by its new owner.

The design itself was intricate and ingenious, prompting even an outsider like Xia Yan to marvel at its brilliance.

D had also gifted Xia Yan a new design sketch as a bonus for successfully bidding on the blueprint.

Compared to the auction blueprint’s near-perfection, this new design was an absolute mess—sloppily drawn, with ink stains in the corners, leaving anyone who looked at it utterly baffled.

But!!!

The moment Xia Yan received the sketch, his mission was completed!!!

[ Task 3: Obtain the design blueprint from interstellar pirate Ian Hyde (Complete).

Task 4: Defeat Huo Ruihe.

Task 5: Participate in the Interstellar Mecha Tournament.

Task 6: To be refreshed.]

Silence reigned over Xia Yan’s thoughts.

The young man’s strikingly handsome face was filled with confusion. His golden eyes stared blankly at the sketch. […D gave me this, saying it was something he doodled when he was bored.]

Even the system was momentarily stunned. [Yes.]

[But the mission is complete?]

[…Yes.]

[So…] Xia Yan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. [The mysterious designer D is actually Ian Hyde, my ‘boyfriend’ who’s been going on nightly dates with me.]

The system, now fully dissociating from the trainwreck of the story, muttered a dazed [Yes.]

[No wonder he always acted so weird whenever I claimed to be single.] Xia Yan patted his chest, grateful. [Good thing I’ve been staying in character, or I’d have blown my cover by now.]

[…]

After celebrating his success for a moment, Xia Yan suddenly froze, a thought striking him. He bolted upright. [Wait a minute… Shouldn’t I be asking someone to modify my mecha now? Time is running out!]

The system snapped back to attention. [Yes, focus on the mecha.]

Xia Yan happily sent the design sketch to one of the Xia family’s mecha engineers. As one of the family’s most esteemed members, he had access to round-the-clock service.

The engineer quickly acknowledged receipt of the sketch. However, parsing the design would take some time, so Xia Yan decided to take a bath while he waited.

Yet, when he returned, he was hit with devastating news.

[Apologies, young master. This blueprint is too complex. We likely won’t be able to complete the modifications within eight days.]

Xia Yan: ???

Wait! What about my duel?!

So, in the end, he’d have to rely on designer D, wouldn’t he?