In truth, Luo Wenchuan’s actions were indeed driven by worry.
Not long before, he had a dream where Yun Xingze, wielding his pink and blue plasma swords, was being relentlessly pursued during the National Military Academy Mecha Tournament. In the dream, Luo Wenchuan wanted to intervene but was forcibly held back by Ke Lei and others.
After waking up in a cold sweat, Luo Wenchuan resolved to help Yun Xingze improve his physical and mental endurance.
Thus, he became Yun Xingze’s third mentor, alongside Richard and Zhuo Feiyue.
Not only did he oversee Yun Xingze’s nutrition, but he also rigorously supervised his daily training.
One day, after finishing an arm strength session, Yun Xingze tried to sneak in a break only for Luo Wenchuan to appear abruptly, his eyes brimming with concern.
Though he said nothing, Yun Xingze was startled and quickly reassured him, “I’ll just rest for ten minutes!”
Unable to bear seeing Yun Xingze overexerted, Luo Wenchuan gritted his teeth. “Five minutes.”
Yun Xingze bargained, “Eight!”
Luo Wenchuan: “…” Since when did rest times become negotiable?
Unaccustomed to haggling, the Second Prince of Luo was no match for Yun Xingze, who ultimately got his eight-minute break.
Beyond training, Luo Wenchuan also unexpectedly handed Yun Xingze a materials list.
Yun Xingze blinked. “I don’t need this much.”
Luo Wenchuan insisted, “Take it.”
After repeatedly explaining that he truly didn’t require so many components, Yun Xingze finally relented under Luo Wenchuan’s unwavering gaze and accepted the list.
Luo Wenchuan looked at him with the doting eyes of a parent. “Take whatever you need from my warehouse the more, the better. You can use the modification room anytime. Do you still want more phantom silver?”
Flustered by the generosity, Yun Xingze waved his hands. “No, no, that’s enough!”
That day, just as Yun Xingze escaped Luo Wenchuan’s “clutches,” he ran into Lu Ranxu, who had come looking for him.
Lu Ranxu excitedly said to Yun Xingze, “Xingze, we’ve established the Omega Mecha Association to help more Omegas learn about mechas. We already have quite a few members now.”
This Omega Mecha Association was founded with the school’s support.
Historically, Starsea Military Academy hadn’t placed much emphasis on Omega mecha training, as they were generally considered to have limited natural talent. The occasional strong Omega usually just had naturally high mental power, something that couldn’t be replicated.
But Yun Xingze’s emergence broke this pattern.
The school realized that even Omegas without exceptional talent could shine brilliantly in competitions, so they approved the creation of the Omega Mecha Association to nurture more Omega students interested in mechas.
Many members of the association were fans of Yun Xingze. When Yun Xingze arrived at the association with Lu Ranxu, numerous Omegas expressed their admiration for him.
Among the crowd, Su Zinan unexpectedly appeared. He was cleaning when Yun Xingze entered to much fanfare, but his expression remained indifferent as he calmly continued mopping the floor.
Yun Xingze couldn’t help but frown slightly upon seeing him.
After touring the association, Yun Xingze pulled Lu Ranxu aside and asked, “Su Zinan joined too?”
“You know how weak our school’s Omega mecha skills generally are,” Lu Ranxu sighed. “And you’ll be away competing for a long time, so the school agreed to let Su Zinan join the team on the condition that he cleans for three years. Even though I’m the president, Su Zinan’s skills are definitely better than mine.”
“But he won’t cause trouble for you all, will he?” Yun Xingze frowned.
Just then, a voice came from nearby: “Can we talk?”
Su Zinan had just finished cleaning. His presence immediately drew disapproving looks from those around him.
Being ostracized in the association was nothing new to Su Zinan practically the entire school looked down on him now.
Yun Xingze glanced at Su Zinan. Sensing the other genuinely had something to say, he quietly told Lu Ranxu, “Wait for me a moment,” before following Su Zinan to a secluded corner.
“What is it?” Yun Xingze asked coldly.
Su Zinan pressed his lips together, then met Yun Xingze’s gaze. “About what I did in the past, I’ve apologized before but I want to say sorry again.”
His tone was sincere unlike his previous acting, clearly a genuine apology.
Yun Xingze hadn’t expected this. He frowned. “But I don’t want to forgive you.”
“I know,” Su Zinan said with a bitter smile. “How could you possibly forgive me.”
“Are you done?” Yun Xingze interrupted. “Since the school let you join, focus on your duties and don’t stir up trouble. Also, you owe Lu Ranxu an apology.”
“I already apologized to him.” Su Zinan said, lowering his head. “He wouldn’t forgive me either.”
Now Su Zinan not only had to clean for the association but also worked at a restaurant washing dishes and cooking; the very fate of “you’re only fit for laundry and cooking” he’d once taunted Lu Ranxu with had become his own reality.
“There’s really no need to forgive you,” Yun Xingze said coolly.
“I’ll pay back the money I owe you, with interest,” Su Zinan looked up at Yun Xingze. “I won’t go back on my word.”
“Good,” Yun Xingze turned to leave.
“And, I want to thank you.” Su Zinan suddenly called out in a trembling voice. “Thank you for not letting Luo Wenchuan deport me back to the wasteland planet.”
Yun Xingze paused, turning back to look at Su Zinan before pursing his lips. “Don’t misunderstand, I just wanted you to repay the debt.”
“You probably don’t know this, but the wasteland planets have a rule: high-compatibility Alphas and Omegas must bond.” Su Zinan’s eyes reddened slightly. “I risked everything to escape that place. I just wanted to establish myself on the Imperial Capital Planet. What I did to you; I was blinded by jealousy. ”
Yun Xingze had heard rumors about this rule but had always been skeptical. Now, Su Zinan confirmed it.
“I despise being an Omega. If you’d lived on a wasteland planet, maybe you’d understand.” Su Zinan wiped his tears, quickly regaining composure. “There, I had no rights. Once I came of age, I would’ve been forcibly bonded to an Alpha. At first, this rule only applied to the most remote wastelands, but then it spread to my star system.”
No one knew when this rule might suddenly apply to them.
Yun Xingze frowned involuntarily.
“I won’t comment on your experiences,” Yun Xingze said calmly, “but given your situation, you should’ve known better than to ostracize other Omegas to curry favor with Alphas.”
Su Zinan suddenly smiled.
Sunlight streamed through the window onto his face. He no longer looked as striking as before—the exhaustion of constant menial work had dulled the hopeful sparkle he once had for the Imperial Capital Planet and this school.
“And, thank you for helping me realize something,” Su Zinan said, his gaze a mix of guilt and gratitude.
He didn’t specify what that realization was.
But Yun Xingze remembered that day when Su Zinan had turned against Chi Yu and He Haoming and the answer became clear.
In the original story, Su Zinan had started as a scheming character but gradually understood that relying on others was futile.
The difference now was that Yun Xingze had been the one to make him see it.
“Reflect on your mistakes and repent,” Yun Xingze said, his eyes devoid of emotion or pity. “And don’t you dare bully Ran Xu—or I won’t let you off.”
“Of course I won’t,” Su Zinan lowered his gaze, then opened his holoscreen. “There’s something I want to give you.”
Yun Xingze blinked. “What?”
“Some data I collected last year when I was a substitute. I’m sending it to you now,” Su Zinan met his eyes. “Don’t worry, it’s not malware.”
Seeing his sincerity, Yun Xingze pressed, “What kind of data?”
“A list,” Su Zinan replied. “The ‘Mecha Star’ account IDs of students from all the top military academies.”
Yun Xingze’s eyes widened slowly.
“Against those three elite schools this year, our academy is just lambs for slaughter,” Su Zinan said seriously. “Since you made it onto the team, I’m giving the list to you.”
“Why not give it to someone else?” Yun Xingze asked.
“Alphas are all unreliable trash,” Su Zinan said without hesitation. “Take this data and challenge the students from Gikot, Yuanshan, and Saint Clythus in Mecha Star to collect their combat statistics. This is peak training season, so many will be practicing there.”
Yun Xingze took a deep breath, understanding the importance of this list.
Su Zinan continued slowly, “I’m not giving you this list to earn your sympathy or forgiveness. Consider it thanks for not expelling me from the academy. Take it or leave it—believe it or not, that’s up to you.”
In the end, Yun Xingze accepted the list and sincerely thanked Su Zinan.
As he turned to leave, it marked the end of any connection between them.
Watching Yun Xingze’s retreating figure, Su Zinan found himself tilting his head upward as if needing to look up to gauge Yun Xingze’s stature now.
A complete reversal from before.
After obtaining the list, Yun Xingze carefully reviewed the names, selecting his first challenge target.
To his surprise, the top-ranked “L” had no name attached—Su Zinan hadn’t managed to uncover this person’s identity.
“You’ll do,” Yun Xingze marked a check beside “L.” “First challenge target.”
Starting with the top contender seemed logical; plenty of time remained to challenge the others. No need to rush.
