Chapter 3: The Pedagogical Tribute
When Luo Xiaolou opened the door with the communicator on his wrist, he was truly taken aback. The three-bedroom apartment was so spacious it seemed almost absurd.
Clean and orderly, Luo Xiaolou stood at the doorway for a moment, unable to find his slippers. He stepped in barefoot. The master bedroom, a guest room, and a study room, which he had requested to be converted, all lay before him. The kitchen and bathroom were generously sized as well.
What surprised him even more was the large balcony connected to the living room, which measured nearly thirty square meters, fully showcasing the abundant real estate resources in this future society. To enhance the aesthetics, the balcony was adorned with numerous plants. Transparent glass covered the surroundings and the ceiling, making it resemble a greenhouse.
Looking out through the enormous glass window, Luo Xiaolou saw a sky filled with crimson clouds, glowing brightly and eerily through the gaps in the towering buildings. This was the place where his new life was about to begin.
With renewed determination, Luo Xiaolou steeled himself, trying his best to remain cheerful as he began to settle into his new home.
He first went to the kitchen, pulled out a food container from the fridge, and quickly reheated it. Ignoring the taste, he ate swiftly to resolve his hunger. As for the few potatoes, he had carefully placed them in the fridge, knowing they would last for some time as a rare food source.
After taking a shower, Luo Xiaolou realized he had forgotten to buy clothes. Deciding to order the missing items online later, he wrapped himself in the large bath towel provided in the bathroom and headed toward the master bedroom.
Lying down on the soft and comfortable bed, the bedside lamp dimmed as he closed his eyes. After the terrifying and chaotic day, he was in desperate need of rest.
A few minutes later, just as he was on the verge of falling asleep, Luo Xiaolou furrowed his brows, feeling something hard under his pillow, which made him uncomfortable. He could barely open his eyes and groped around, his hand brushing against something like a wire. He pulled it closer, only to hear a crisp sound, followed by—
Was he falling? Luo Xiaolou screamed, but before he could fully react, he was already standing firm.
Surrounded by white, a massive screen resembling a computer stood before him, with the words: "Welcome to the Virtual Galactic Network. This is your first login, please enter your name."
Luo Xiaolou immediately realized the miniature computer the attendant had mentioned was likely this wire, though he hadn't expected it to be beneath his pillow.
Shaken by the sudden shock, Luo Xiaolou's mind snapped into focus, and his curiosity about the future network grew. He eagerly registered with the username "Initiate," adjusted his appearance, and connected to the network.
In a dazzling burst of multicolored light, Luo Xiaolou found himself standing in the middle of a bustling street.
Surrounded by pedestrians, the street was lined with various stores.
Luo Xiaolou gaped in awe—this was a real-world setting, and compared to the sparse emptiness outside, this place was teeming with people.
Filled with awe, Luo Xiaolou wandered slowly, observing the information centers, various retail outlets, real-time trading platforms, and online education zones. He took note of the districts offering free lessons, thinking he would frequent these areas.
The most crowded location was the Training and Combat Zone. According to the data, the skills gained here had a 60% application rate in the real world. Additionally, the mechs in the virtual world faced fewer restrictions than in the physical world, which drew many enthusiasts for training and combat.
Luo Xiaolou followed the crowd into an open combat hall and overheard some conversation about a challenge involving a person named Yun Tian.
Who Yun Tian was, Luo Xiaolou didn't know, but he entered and stood nearby.
On the large stage, two mechs—one red and one white—were in combat. Luo Xiaolou had never seen mechs before, but he was deeply fascinated by these symbols of cutting-edge technology and military power. He had only seen them in films before, but now, he was witnessing them in real life!
With the realization that mechs existed in this future world, Luo Xiaolou couldn't help but imagine the possibility of piloting one himself. The thought alone made his cheeks flush with excitement—though of course, in the virtual world, he was merely a set of data.
Even as a novice spectator, Luo Xiaolou could tell the red mech stood no chance against the white one, which displayed impressive agility and formidable power in every strike. The surrounding crowd cheered loudly at each move: "Avat Arc Step! Wow, I saw it!"
"Wow! Incredible!"
Within minutes, the red mech was disabled, unable to rise again. The system declared Yun Tian the victor.
Amid the cheers of the crowd, the white mech turned away from the battlefield and left, while the enthusiastic spectators began to disperse.
Luo Xiaolou, however, remained ecstatic. He had forgotten his original plan—searching for job listings—and was now fully engrossed in gathering information on mechs.
A wealth of data was available for free online, though some advanced materials required payment. The free resources, however, felt like a treasure to Luo Xiaolou. Even if he couldn't fully comprehend all of it, he downloaded everything.
Luo Xiaolou roamed the virtual network, unaware that in the real world, he was peacefully lying in bed, the necklace around his neck faintly glowing green.
He had no idea when he fell asleep, but when the system detected that his brain needed rest, it automatically disconnected the network.
When Luo Xiaolou awoke again, the bright morning sunlight streamed across the bed. Reflecting on the previous night's experiences, he smiled, finishing his less-than-appetizing breakfast with a sense of contentment.
He then retrieved a stack of documents given to him by his personal assistant, Luo Pu. His first task was to review his qualifications and practical skills before searching for part-time work.
His goal was to own and pilot a mech one day, but for now, he needed to plan for his livelihood.
Furthermore, Luo Xiaolou had checked the previous night: the cheapest mech cost fifty thousand credits. It was clear he couldn't afford one in the short term.
With a pen between his teeth, Luo Xiaolou jotted down useful details: Luo Xiaolou, male, 17 years old, a graduate of a secondary school, gene level D, poor physical condition, and barely passing theoretical grades.
Frowning, Luo Xiaolou realized his academic qualifications were of little use. However, there was a note about being a freshman at Saint Miro Academy, which seemed worth mentioning—wait, what was that?
New student notice: Tuition is twenty thousand credits per year, payable in full on the first day of school. Total duration: five years.
"Oh no!" Luo Xiaolou groaned, clutching his head. He should have looked at the enrollment notice earlier. His family had only given him the money for tuition, probably to control him for the next five years.
What should he do now? He didn't even have half of the tuition fees, and Luo Xiaolou understood that without admission to Saint Miro Academy, he would have no chance of attending any other university.
Without a degree in this entirely unfamiliar world, he might never be able to support himself. And the mechs he loved? He could only watch them online every day.
He couldn't let this happen. He had to come up with the money within a month.
With renewed determination, Luo Xiaolou opened the computer in his study and began searching for job listings. However, he was soon disheartened. There were many job postings, but few suitable for him.
The positions requiring high academic qualifications were out of the question, and even those that didn't demand advanced degrees often required professional certification, such as a Level 2 mech repair certificate for the most in-demand role: mech repair technicians. Even miners were required to hold a B-level driving license.
Luo Xiaolou felt like crying as he scrolled through one listing after another, only to close each one in disappointment. Finally, he numbly clicked on an inconspicuous ad: "Hiring laborers. Contact Mr. Yang, phone: XXXXXX."
The ad didn't mention the salary or specific qualifications. Naturally, advanced technicians wouldn't consider applying for a laborer position.
Biting his lip, Luo Xiaolou decided that no matter the salary, he had to go and inquire.
The next day…
"Xiaolou, these are the parts you need to install," the factory manager called.
Luo Xiaolou nodded, wearing a thick work uniform, and pushed the transport cart inside. He had contacted Mr. Yang the previous afternoon with a glimmer of hope. After asking about his age, education, and health, Mr. Yang had readily agreed to hire him, scheduling his first day of work. The pay was two hundred credits per day during the three-day trial period.
Though the salary was far from enough to cover his tuition fees, Luo Xiaolou was relieved. At least his meager savings wouldn't dwindle further, and this was a good start. He was grateful Mr. Yang hadn't asked about his graduation grades.
When he arrived at the workplace, Luo Xiaolou realized it was a factory that manufactured and repaired mech components. His task was to install small parts on the assembly line. After some training, he quickly became proficient.
Luo Xiaolou was young and had an excellent memory, which made him an ideal worker. Mr. Yang was pleased with his progress.
The factory employed dozens of workers, each responsible for different components. For reasons of confidentiality or other unknown factors, each worker had their own private workspace.
While browsing online the day before, Luo Xiaolou had noticed how impressively sharp his memory was. Now, he discovered another surprise—his fingers were incredibly nimble, which astonished even him.
It seemed that in compensation for his unfortunate rebirth, fate had granted him many advantages. Aside from his strength being much the same as before, almost everything else had improved dramatically.
Each part required ten steps to install. Luo Xiaolou, initially slow and unfamiliar with the process, grew quicker and more skilled, completing twenty parts during the morning shift.
He wasn't sure if his speed met the factory's standards, but he had done his best.
At lunch, the factory provided meals, but workers were also welcome to bring their own food. Luo Xiaolou smiled as he accepted his meal, feeling as if the person who had complained about the poor food days ago was someone else entirely.
After lunch, Luo Xiaolou informed the manager that his work was complete and proceeded to send the next batch of parts. The manager paused, staring at the twenty completed parts before exclaiming, "How did you finish so fast?"
Luo Xiaolou was taken aback but smiled, relieved that he no longer had to worry about his probation period.
The manager quickly took the parts and brought in another batch—twenty more. Every worker received parts in batches.
Luo Xiaolou stretched his fingers and focused intently as he began to install the next set. He became engrossed in the repetitive task, finding it far from boring. Everything seemed new to him, and as he installed each part, he couldn't help but reflect on the principles he had learned and imagine where these perfectly curved pieces would be used.
Meanwhile, outside his window, two figures were watching him closely.
When Luo Xiaolou finished the new batch of parts, he stretched and stood up. The day's work was complete. While it hadn't been exhausting, it was far from easy.
At that moment, the door to his workspace was knocked twice. Normally, if a worker didn't leave voluntarily, no one would come in.
Luo Xiaolou was surprised and said, "Come in." Mr. Yang entered with the manager.
"Is there something you need?" Luo Xiaolou asked, carefully observing Mr. Yang's expression, hoping he hadn't made any mistakes.
"Haha, remarkable! Remarkable! Xiaolou, I watched you work this afternoon, and your speed is incredible! There's no rookie faster than you, not even the veteran workers!" Mr. Yang said with a laugh.
"I just try to finish as much as I can," Luo Xiaolou responded modestly, though inside, he was secretly pleased.
Mr. Yang was clearly satisfied with his new hire. It was rare to find someone so quick and diligent. In their factory, workers were paid by the day, so no one was expected to do more than one batch per day.
It wasn't about laziness—most workers couldn't even complete one batch, let alone do more.
After a few words of praise, Mr. Yang thought for a moment and said, "Here's the deal, Xiaolou. You've done more work than expected, and paying you per day isn't fair. I've decided to pay you per part. You'll get ten credits per part you process. So, today, your pay will be four hundred credits."
Luo Xiaolou was overjoyed—his wage had doubled! And if he could work even faster—well, for the sake of his tuition, he was determined to give it his all.