TCFGBH Chapter 110

The Holographic World.

“…This… a single line… interconnected, using the finest nanometer-level neurons…”

“…”

“After millennia of development, modern mechas can now almost fully synchronize with their pilots. But each command still requires manual input, and in the ever-changing battlefield, a moment’s hesitation can determine victory or defeat.”

Ian held an ink pen in his hand, quickly adding details to the blueprint.

As he refined each section, he explained a couple of sentences to help the young man understand.

This was something Ian had designed himself, so he already had a plan in mind. He worked quickly, and by now—on the fifth day—he was almost done.

He had read about the duel between Xia Yan and Huo Ruihe in the reports he investigated on Xia Yan.

Both were S-Class. Although Xia Yan seemed stronger on the surface, there was no guarantee Huo Ruihe wouldn’t pull off a comeback. As Xia Yan’s boyfriend, Ian felt it was his responsibility to ensure Xia Yan’s victory.

This blueprint was his gift—Xia Yan’s sword of triumph.

Cough! Though he hadn’t expected Xia Yan to find him in the holographic world, it didn’t matter. After all, they were still the same person. Whoever Xia Yan chose, Ian would accept.

“…Finally… assemble them together.”

The young man’s fingers marked the final stroke, completing the clear and polished blueprint. He handed it to Xia Yan with bright, emerald-green eyes and a lively, innocent smile that made him look like the boy next door. Nothing in his demeanor hinted at the ruthless and violent nature of a space pirate.

Xia Yan’s disguise on the star network, though clean-cut, was far from his stunning beauty in reality.

Yet, merely looking at his profile, Ian felt his heart turn into a puddle of mush, as soft and sweet as cotton candy, filling him with warmth. He cupped his face in his hands and playfully whined, “Yan Yan, I’ve been so tired these past few days.”

“Hm.”

Xia Yan casually flipped through the documents, responding absentmindedly.

“…” Ian pouted, puffing out his cheeks. “I’ve helped you so much. Can’t you at least praise me?”

“Just a moment.” Xia Yan scanned the documents and uploaded them to his team of designers. Only after finishing everything did he finally look at the boy beside him.

Ian was inherently young, and his holographic disguise made him look like a fifteen or sixteen-year-old, with a hint of youthful innocence in his features. He appeared so naive and pure, like someone easily deceived.

This exact innocence had once made the original owner target him.

Xia Yan pondered; it was time to follow the plot.

He had to abandon the protagonist shou, let him grow resentful, and seek revenge at the Imperial Central Military Academy.

What a scumbag!

Xia Yan silently condemned himself, but he had no choice. If he didn’t act, who knew if the worldline would experience another massive shift, leading to complete collapse?

Then again… he was kind of getting used to it.

He muttered to himself quietly.

Noticing Xia Yan spacing out, Ian frowned. He hated when the other’s attention wasn’t on him. Suddenly, he said, “Yan Yan, what are you thinking about?”

Xia Yan snapped back. “Nothing.”

Ian studied him for a few seconds, his gaze calm and penetrating. But soon, he masked it, returning to his innocent and playful demeanor. “Yan Yan, you won’t discard me like an old shoe, right?”

“…”

“Whatever blueprint you want, I can design it for you, so…”

Ian’s fingers slid over, gently clasping Xia Yan’s palm, interlocking their fingers. The tactile realism of the holographic world made their touch unmistakable, warm, and searing.

Xia Yan pressed his lips together, instinctively leaning back to avoid the contact. Even though he was no longer socially anxious, he still wasn’t used to such intimacy.

He heard Ian complete his sentence: “…You won’t abandon me, right?”

“Of course…” Xia Yan drew out his words, appearing to address Ian while actually keeping an eye on his information panel. Sure enough, the efficiency of the Xia family’s mecha engineers didn’t disappoint.

In less than three minutes, they responded:

 [Young Master, this blueprint is absolutely brilliant! With it, you’ll be invincible in any battle.]

There was a string of compliments that followed, but pressed for time, Xia Yan skipped them and replied:

 [Can you make it?]

[The steps are very clear. We’ll start immediately and deliver the mecha in 24 hours.]

Perfect!!!

Task three was officially complete.

Xia Yan took a deep breath, his gaze landing on his “boyfriend,” silently mouthing an apology. Then… he very coldly and mercilessly shook off Ian’s hand.

Ian froze. “Yan Yan?”

“You’re just a mere commoner. You’re no longer of any use to me.”

The young man stood up, his refined features taking on an air of superiority. His once-gentle eyes turned sharp, faintly aligning with the arrogance of his real-life self.

“I’ve had enough fun playing with you.”

“…”

Lying through his teeth, Xia Yan racked his brain to say the harshest words: “I’ve spent so much time dating you, and all you’ve given me is a useless weapon modification blueprint.”

The new blueprint was from a mysterious mecha engineer; what did it have to do with Ian in the star network?

Innocent face.jpg

“Brother Xu Yan.” Ian’s voice was as sweet as ever, but his gaze turned icy. “I just helped you analyze the blueprint, and you’re saying this? Now I’m mad.”

Xia Yan retorted, feigning confidence, “Such a small matter—anyone could’ve done it.”

“Your pack of useless subordinates couldn’t.”

“…” Xia Yan averted his guilty eyes before quickly bringing them back, meeting Ian’s gaze with an unflinching expression. “In short, you’re of no use anymore.”

“…”

“We’re breaking up. I don’t need you anymore.”

“Are you sure about that?”

The arrogant young noble never wasted a second glance at those he deemed worthless. He opened the virtual screen, ready to log out. Just as he was about to tap, his hand was firmly grasped.

Ian’s smaller hand gripped him tightly, locking him in place like a vice.

“What are you doing? Physical attacks are banned on the Star network. Do you want your account banned?”

“Doesn’t matter. I have plenty of accounts.” Ian smirked, his grin bold and wicked, an undercurrent of danger emanating from him. The innocence from moments ago melted away like snow under a blazing sun.

“???” No way… is he going to hit me?

Before Xia Yan’s imagination could run wild, Ian spoke again: “Are you sure you want to break up, Yan Yan?” He paused, emphasizing his next words: “Young Master Xia of the prestigious Xia family.”

What?

Huh??

HUH???

Xia Yan froze in shock, unable to control his expression as he stared at Ian, his face screaming: How do you know my identity?!

Ian narrowed his eyes. “You hid it so poorly; it’d be strange if I didn’t know.”

“…”

Xia Yan was dumbfounded.

Well… since Ian would find out about his identity sooner or later, knowing it a bit earlier shouldn’t make much of a difference… right?

“You should give me a little treat now to seal my lips.” Ian tilted his head and pointed to his lips with a playful smile. “I’ll forget everything you just said. Boyfriends should forgive each other’s occasional tantrums, don’t you think?”

Xia Yan’s mind raced at lightning speed.

Three seconds later, he curled his lips into a smirk, his smile carrying a hint of malice. “So what if you know?”

“…”

He leaned in closer, looking down at the boy who was half a head shorter than him. “I’m the son of a duke, an S-class warrior, and the top student of my second year. Whether it’s status, rank, or combat ability… I’m at the very top.”

“Who would believe that I had to deceive you to analyze a design blueprint and use it to defeat Huo Ruihe? They’d only think it was my natural strength.”

Without warning, his fingers gripped the boy’s neck tightly, leaving red marks on the vulnerable skin.

“If you dare show your face, I’ll kill you.”

“If you don’t want to die, behave yourself and disappear from my life for good.”

Despite being threatened so cruelly and hearing such harsh words, Ian’s reaction wasn’t fear. Instead, he appeared exhilarated. “What if I refuse?”

“Seems like you really want to die.” Xia Yan tightened his grip, his fingers digging into Ian’s neck as the boy’s breath grew ragged. Coldly, he added, “I’ll kill you and throw you into a wormhole where your body will be obliterated.”

“Ugh… cough, cough…” Ian coughed uncomfortably and tilted his head slightly, his expression oddly spirited. “What do I do? I like you even more now.”

Xia Yan: “…” Damn, this guy is crazy!

Ian was fundamentally different from the protagonist shou Xia Yan had encountered in the previous two worlds. As a space pirate, his identity destined him to be neither kind nor innocent. There was a streak of madness in his very nature, a mix of chaos and order.

For any ordinary person, discovering that the one who deceived them was Xia Yan, the heir of a noble family, would probably result in a few curses at best.

But not Ian.

As a space pirate, he wasn’t afraid of the Empire’s bounty. Using a fake identity, he infiltrated the Empire’s Central Academy, partnered with the protagonist gong, and ultimately took down the original owner.

Xia Yan had planned to make him feel disgusted.

But instead… Ian said he liked him.

Who could Xia Yan even complain to about this?

Unable to keep acting, Xia Yan released his grip decisively and logged off in one swift move. Although Ian still had a hold of his left hand, it was just virtual data and didn’t prevent him from leaving.

What surprised him was that Ian didn’t seem upset, even flashing him a bright smile.

In the last second before the screen turned black, Xia Yan heard Ian say, “See you in a bit.”

Xia Yan: “??!!!”

Crap! Ian lives just one floor below him!

Help! He can’t be caught right now, or the storyline will completely fall apart.

The moment Xia Yan exited the holographic world, he immediately contacted his bodyguards and prepared to leave on a private spaceship.

“Young Master, the spaceship is undergoing maintenance,” the bodyguard replied. The original plan was to leave tomorrow, so engineers were currently performing routine inspections and repairs to ensure a safe journey.

“How soon can it be ready?”

The bodyguard made a quick phone call. “The technician says two and a half hours.”

“Too slow.” Xia Yan ordered his attendants to pack only the essentials. “Forty-five minutes. I want to take off. You all have five minutes to gather your things and head to the docking bay now.”

“Understood, Young Master.”

“And if anyone asks to see me, deny them.”

“Understood.”

The bodyguards, trained professionals, moved swiftly. In just three minutes, they had gathered everything.

This hotel had been constructed by Xia Yan’s grandfather, and apart from the public elevators, there was a hidden staff elevator. To avoid running into Ian, Xia Yan took the alternate route.

The group arrived at the underground vehicle bay, where the bodyguards split into four teams. One team followed Xia Yan into the main transport vehicle, while the other three surrounded him as added protection.

The urgency in their young master’s behavior alerted the guards to a potential threat.

Seated in the transport vehicle heading for the spaceship, Xia Yan’s heart still raced.

So, to summarize: Mecha Designer D is Ian, Ian is a pirate, and pirates generally operate near border regions.

And he… happens to be on a border planet.

Is he planning to hijack the ship?!

Life!!! In!!! Danger!!!