The slots for the Energy Room were extremely precious. For the sake of achieving the third awakening, Su Cha didn’t want to give up so easily. After casually inquiring a bit from Yise and factoring in the Deputy Chief of the Investigation Department, there were a total of six people openly supporting Shen Ningze.
Just as he was still pondering what kind of benefits might be involved, he received another message from Shen Ningze, saying that a birthday party would be held the next day. Su Cha found it baffling—he had just said he wasn’t feeling well yesterday, and now he was celebrating his birthday? Wasn’t he afraid he might celebrate himself into an early grave?
[Tomorrow’s a rest day, you’ll come, right?]
Shen Ningze liked using the starry-eyed emoji, just like how Su Cha always had to reply with a flower emoji. This time was no exception: [Of course~]
Followed by a string of little flowers.
Having received a positive reply, Shen Ningze smiled in rare relief.
Back when Shen Ningze was rescued, there had been no data about him in the information database, and no one came forward to claim him as family, which confirmed his status as an orphan. During his year-long hospital stay, the doctors and nurses treated him very kindly. After Shen Ningze successfully completed his third surgery, they proposed using that day as his “rebirth day,” and he readily agreed.
Originally, Dr. Norton had planned a warm, intimate birthday party for him, but at the last moment, a powerful figure discreetly hinted at wanting something more. While it was still officially hosted by the hospital, the scale of the celebration was significantly expanded, and those figures would also attend. A professional planner was assigned and a venue rented. Their words were full of praise for Shen Ningze’s awakened abilities, without the slightest hint of restraint.
It was indeed a good thing for the boy to finally be appreciated after such hardship, and Norton didn’t decline.
In truth, these powerful people had other motives. The birthday banquet wasn’t just to subtly curry Shen Ningze’s favor; more importantly, it gave them a legitimate excuse to meet him in person, so they could further verify whether he was from Fog Star.
The day before the birthday, Su Cha worked in an orderly manner.
Late at night, instead of sleeping, he was making perfume. Every drop of liquid had been meticulously purified. After being poured into bottles, he added various flower extracts to tint them. Based on the people Yise had mentioned, Su Cha searched online for these officials’ profiles and, judging from their daily accessories and attire, inferred their preferred colors. He deliberately made each bottle of perfume in a corresponding color.
He then wrote out small greeting cards, intending to ask Yise to help deliver them to the bigshots the next day.
Perfume crafted by Su Cha himself had exceptional effects. If someone with unstable spiritual power took a light whiff during an early episode, it might help them regain control of their spiritual form.
“Hard to turn someone down after taking their gift.” Looking at the table full of bottles, Su Cha nodded in satisfaction and resumed his busywork.
He didn’t sleep the entire night.
The next morning, Su Cha was groggy and debating whether to ask Yise or the Principal to deliver the gifts. But early in the morning, he saw a message: Shen Ningze had been too excited to sleep and heard from Dr. Norton that some very important people might be attending the party that night.
There were no such things as perfect coincidences. Su Cha suspected the “important people” Shen Ningze mentioned were the same ones who had recommended him for the Energy Room.
[That’s great!]
This time, Su Cha was genuinely pleased—this way, he wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of pulling strings to deliver the gifts.
Though it was a rest day, students were still up early scrambling for spots in the combat room. Su Cha carried a heavy bucket and floated like a ghost to the administration office.
“Good morning, Instructor.” His voice was hoarse.
“I’d like to request to go out tonight to attend a birthday banquet.”
Li Huai frowned, and Su Cha took out several delicate bottles, explaining the story behind his attempt at “elegant bribery.”
As long as a request form was submitted, it wasn’t hard to get approval for a rest day outing. Li Huai couldn’t stand his erhu-like voice and stamped the travel form immediately. But just then—thud—a large sealed bucket was placed on the desk.
“What the heck is this?”
“Perfume. I didn’t have separate containers. It’s for you, the Principal, the general, and Chief Xie.” Su Cha paused. “This one’s drinkable perfume. Thanks for all the care you’ve shown me.”
With that, he took the approved travel pass and, eyes half-closed in fatigue, ghosted off toward the cafeteria.
It was touching, sure, but the bucket itself looked pretty cursed.
Li Huai snapped a photo and sent it to the Principal and Yise:
[Perfume from Su Cha. We’re supposed to share it. Come pick it up this afternoon.]
He added a separate note for Yise: [Tell Xie Rongjue, he has a portion too.]
…
Investigation Department.
Xie Rongjue was in the middle of scolding subordinates when he got the message. He glanced at his communicator dismissively, but after a second, his eyes returned to the screen, zooming in on the picture.
It was his first time seeing perfume delivered in a bucket.
He summoned a trusted aide, whispered a few words, and the aide nodded and left to carry out his instructions.
Busy with daily affairs, Yise also sent someone to collect his share. Since the camps were different, the two aides glared at each other in mutual disdain. The soldier under Yise twitched his mouth—trust the Investigation Department to be so extreme. They even brought a measuring cup and scale just to divvy up perfume.
Meanwhile, Su Cha went to the library to cram on repair knowledge for next week’s surprise quiz.
At around 4 PM, Ji Tianjin called to ask where he was. Su Cha packed up and went outside to answer the phone.
“Heading out to buy a gift.”
He had already heard some rumors, so Ji Tianjin immediately guessed, “For Shen Ningze?”
Su Cha gave a quiet “mm.” “Still haven’t figured out what to give.”
Their friendship was shallow—too expensive wasn’t worth it, and something cheap would look bad.
“I’ll come to your dorm.”
The call ended. Su Cha had to hurry back. As soon as he went upstairs, he saw Ji Tianjin waiting at his door with gift ribbons and wrapping paper.
Then Ji Tianjin said something strange: “The manufacturer probably sent you freebies.”
Su Cha nodded and pulled a big cardboard box from under his bed. It was full of promotional items.
Ji Tianjin put it on the table. “Scissors.”
Su Cha handed him the scissors. Ji Tianjin began neatly wrapping the cardboard.
“Super glue. Twelve packs of Jialejia fertilizer.”
Su Cha quickly picked them out. Ji Tianjin fetched some wooden boards from the supply room at the end of the hall, arranged them with the spokesperson’s face up into a heart shape, and glued them down. Then he started filling the inside with more promotional products. The largest shampoo bottle became the heart’s core.
The third floor was far stuffier than the upper-floor apartments. Sweat dotted Ji Tianjin’s temples. Su Cha wiped it away with a tissue, feeling like a nurse assisting a surgeon.
“More fertilizer packs.”
Ji Tianjin repeated the process on a second board. Then he called Rong Shao, who showed up with a toolbox for further transformation.
Rong Shao did the welding on the balcony. Su Cha could only vaguely make out the arc flashes.
With nothing more to contribute, Su Cha sat in the hallway with a little stool and read. After about half an hour, Rong Shao called out: “Come look.”
Su Cha entered and was stunned by a three-dimensional heart shape: entirely made of his own endorsed products, each gap inlaid with glittering gems.
“These cheap gems aren’t worth anything,” Rong Shao explained. “There are tiny lightbulbs inside. Press the middle of the heart—it lights up.”
He demonstrated. The internal lights refracted through the gems and nearly blinded him.
Even Rong Shao was impressed and muttered to Su Cha, “Can’t believe you came up with something this disgusting.”
Meaningful, handmade, covered in brand items and gems—no one could pick faults with it from any angle.
“Wasn’t my idea.”
Rong Shao, who was about to be late for the Repair Association, reflexively replied, “If not you, then who?”
He didn’t wait for an answer and rushed out with his toolbox.
Su Cha paused, looked at Ji Tianjin, and asked faintly: “What kind of person am I in his eyes?”
Ji Tianjin skipped the question and helped move the gift out for dimensional compression. The heart-shaped gift wall full of Su Cha’s face startled people along the way.
Shen Ningze’s birthday party started at 7 p.m. Su Cha went alone in a hover car. Ji Tianjin had offered to take him in a flying vehicle, but Su Cha declined. He knew Shen Ningze—if he saw Ji Tianjin, he’d definitely invite him in, and Su Cha didn’t want to be forced to prepare an extra gift in public.
Following the navigation, Su Cha transferred vehicles midway, walked quite a distance, and watched several flyers pass overhead. After half an hour on foot, a luxurious villa finally came into view. As the only one who arrived on foot, the guards gave him an extra look.
He showed them the e-invitation from Shen Ningze. While they verified it, Su Cha scanned the surroundings. This birthday banquet was no small affair—security was tight.
Clearly not Shen Ningze’s doing. The bigshots valued him more than Su Cha had expected.
Su Cha lowered his eyes, sensing that his goals for this visit might be hard to achieve.
“Hope you have a pleasant evening,” said the guard as he was let in.
Every corner of the villa was decorated with care. Su Cha’s arrival drew attention. Now seen as one of the “Empire’s Twin Stars” alongside Shen Ningze, comparisons were inevitable.
In terms of influence, Shen Ningze currently had the upper hand. This birthday party was a public show of support from the powers that be.
“Su Cha.”
In the festive crowd, Su Cha turned toward the voice. Shen Ningze, with soft blue hair and a retro-style formal outfit, looked like a dazzling little prince tonight.
“That’s a beautiful brooch,” Su Cha complimented first.
“It was a gift from the Chief of Justice,” Shen Ningze said. “It was so expensive I hesitated for a long time about accepting it.”
Su Cha looked up at the chandelier, its light casting the shadow of a phoenix.
“The planners picked a phoenix theme for the banquet. I don’t really get it,” Shen Ningze said, noticing Su Cha’s curiosity. He added with rare sincerity, “But it’s the first time I’ve ever felt truly valued.”
He seemed to worry for Su Cha: “I heard you haven’t chosen a guardian yet.”
“No rush,” Su Cha said honestly. “I’m keeping things balanced.”
With many guests in attendance, Shen Ningze couldn’t chat long before his expression changed again: “The Deputy Chief of the Investigation Department is here.”
“Let’s go say hello together,” he said.
Su Cha shook his head. “The Deputy Chief is afraid of me.”
Shen Ningze was momentarily stunned, his expression hard to describe.
Seeing that he didn’t believe it, Su Cha helplessly took two steps forward with him. Almost at the exact moment Shen Ningze moved, the Deputy Chief of the Investigation Department stirred.
Here he comes—the fainting sheep has arrived!
Having been “framed” several times and deeply scarred, the Deputy Chief immediately turned 180 degrees and began chatting with someone behind him, pretending not to see them at all.
Su Cha shrugged and took a glass of water from a passing server’s tray. “You go ahead, I’ll just have a drink.”
While Shen Ningze went to greet people, Su Cha took the opportunity to seek out several key figures. He first spotted the Chief of Justice standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows and quickly approached with a polite greeting. “Hello.”
The Chief looked slightly surprised to see him but responded with a warm smile. “Hello.”
“I’ve heard General Yise mention you often.” Su Cha invoked Yise’s name, then took out a bottle of perfume. “This is a product I’ve recently developed. I’d like to conduct some market research across various groups.”
As he spoke, he opened the bottle. The scent wafting out subtly soothed the mind.
It was a gift that was hard to refuse. In that moment, the Chief of Justice understood why Xie Rongjue valued Su Cha. The boy’s words were smooth, his presence calm—if he didn’t join the military and instead pursued a political path, he’d do just as well.
Unfortunately, Su Cha’s growth would take too long, and Fog Star’s arrival was imminent—less than two days away. The Chief preferred to seize more immediate benefits.
“My line of work is quite serious. If I wear this, I might become the center of attention,” the Chief declined tactfully.
Meanwhile, Shen Ningze finished his greetings and happened to catch sight of Su Cha failing to give his gift. Suppressing the ridicule in his eyes, a flicker of satisfaction rose in his heart. He was currently enjoying the benefits of Su Cha’s identity, like an energy chamber slot offered to him on a silver platter, while the real Fog Star heir had to grovel.
Walking up the spiral staircase to the second floor, Shen Ningze looked down from above at Su Cha’s forced smile and persistent gift-giving, the corners of his lips slowly curving upward.
Just as Su Cha was rejected for the fifth time, a server finally located tonight’s main guest on the second floor and quickly ran over. “Time to cut the cake.”
Shen Ningze nodded and returned to center stage.
The lights dimmed, music played, and the cake trolley was slowly pushed in. A single spotlight shone down on Shen Ningze.
As he was cutting the cake, an unfamiliar face appeared beside Su Cha. It was the Chief of Justice’s personal guard, who slipped him a limited-edition watch.
“A gift from our Chief. He said you reminded him of his younger self—he sees great potential in you.”
Adults never truly make choices. The Chief of Justice’s gift was meant to soothe Su Cha’s feelings. There was still something worth investing in.
Su Cha quietly accepted the gift. Meanwhile, Shen Ningze had already finished cutting the cake and, after saying a few words of thanks, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, “Birthday boy, make a wish!”
Shen Ningze dutifully closed his eyes and began to wish.
“Hello, this is from Councilman Zhao.”
Councilman Zhao was another bigwig Su Cha had approached earlier. Like the Chief, he didn’t commit outright, but clearly sent a gift just the same.
What surprised Su Cha most was the voice of the deliveryman—it was the same guy who had just yelled for Shen Ningze to make a wish.
So his real purpose was to make Shen Ningze close his eyes… so he could sneak over and deliver a gift?
Su Cha’s mouth twitched. “Thank Councilman Zhao for me.”
When Shen Ningze finished his wish, the crowd applauded and wished him a happy birthday.
“Let’s pour the champagne tower!” A woman in a red evening gown was even more enthusiastic than him, personally opening a bottle and handing it to him.
Shen Ningze played the part, looking flattered as he accepted it. His gaze casually swept toward Su Cha’s direction—who remained hidden in the dark. This time, there was no need to hide his smile. He lowered his head and began pouring the champagne.
As he did, the woman quietly approached Su Cha. “Hello, I’m Lilia, secretary to the Governor of West City. The Governor was impressed by your performance in the Ten-School Tournament and asked me to deliver his cherished fountain pen as a token of encouragement.”
The pen was platinum with a diamond-encrusted cap.
As Shen Ningze finished pouring, someone called out, “Let’s open all the gifts in one go! A symbol of continuous blessings!”
For nearly ten minutes, Shen Ningze barely had a moment to lift his head. The gifts ranged in size, with the larger ones utilizing spatial folding.
As expected, the person who had incited the crowd to make him open all the gifts in one go now approached Su Cha.
“Delivering a gift?”
The man was startled. “How did you know?”
Even if Su Cha and Shen Ningze didn’t get along, he couldn’t help but feel a little sour on his behalf. These bigwigs… really were shameless.
Unaware of Su Cha’s thoughts, Shen Ningze finally reached Su Cha’s gift. The moment dozens of spokesperson faces popped out of it, he nearly dropped it in shock.
Thankfully, his self-control held. He forcibly turned his trembling into excitement. “This…”
Su Cha looked hopeful. “A few friends and I spent the whole morning making it. Do you like it?”
He even pointed out a button that would light up.
Under the glowing heart, Shen Ningze’s smile didn’t falter. “I like it.”
Su Cha said sincerely, “It’s thanks to these endorsements that I won the Ten-School Tournament. Now I want to pass that luck on to you.”
No one present truly appreciated the gift, but seeing how both giver and receiver seemed delighted, they played along, praising its creativity.
Just as Shen Ningze’s smile was about to crack, the most grand moment of the night finally arrived.
The Empire’s capital wasn’t entirely peaceful—star pirates and rogue beasts occasionally infiltrated. Fireworks were tightly regulated and required prior approval. Everyone gathered on the terrace. At first, only a few streaks of light shot into the sky, then faint bursts lit up half of West City.
It had been ten years since such grand fireworks were seen in the Empire. The shock was indescribable. As Shen Ningze looked up at the sky filled with sparks, only one thought filled his mind: he, too, would one day shine like these fireworks.
The surprise wasn’t over. Another round of fireworks exploded, forming an “S” in the sky.
The Chief of Justice raised a glass to the sky and declared, “May he always shine brilliantly.”
Under the fireworks, Shen Ningze beamed with joy.
In a quiet corner of the terrace, Su Cha stared at that “S” for a long time. It seemed it could also stand for Su. He recalled the Chief had toasted to the fireworks, not a person. Was this a toast for two?
People can be scummy—but this scummy?
Su Cha took a light breath, wondering if he was overthinking it. Just then, the Chief’s gaze swept over and he nodded slightly, raising his glass.
“…”
After the fireworks, Su Cha sought out Shen Ningze. “I’m heading back.”
Shen Ningze raised an eyebrow. “There’s still a fun program coming.”
“The last hovercar leaves at nine. I still need time to walk to the station.”
His humility pleased Shen Ningze, who didn’t insist.
Just as Su Cha turned to leave, he couldn’t help but stop and pat Shen Ningze on the shoulder. “Ningze, fireworks are beautiful, but they only bloom for a moment. Don’t let them blind you.”
A warning not to place his hopes on these high-ranking figures.
Shen Ningze smiled and nodded.
…Bitter, aren’t you?
Su Cha left alone. His silhouette looked lonely beneath the night sky. Behind him, the villa buzzed with celebration—someone started singing the birthday song again. Even after walking a distance, he could still hear it.
Peak hour had passed. The station was nearly empty.
Lately, something big seemed to be brewing in the capital—drones patrolled from alleys to main roads, and patrol vehicles were everywhere.
After a long, slow trip, Su Cha finally returned to the affiliated school just before 10 p.m. There wasn’t a soul in sight. He occasionally looked up at the moon and, just as he was about to do so again, he spotted a familiar figure under a streetlamp.
Ji Tianjin held a book in one hand. Hearing footsteps, he straightened up and looked over.
Su Cha blurted out, “You were waiting for me?”
Ji Tianjin nodded.
Maybe it was that first impression—he always saw Su Cha as that fragile, needy boy from the hospital. Going to Shen Ningze’s party couldn’t have been pleasant.
And it wasn’t. Su Cha forced a smile. “Things didn’t go very well today.”
The energy chamber slot was lost.
Ji Tianjin frowned. “Someone gave you a hard time?”
Su Cha shook his head. He’d walked too far and wanted to rest on the curb, but his bulging pockets forced him to take things out first.
Once seated, he leaned his head on his arm and murmured, “No one even wanted one bottle.”
Ji Tianjin glanced at the limited-edition watch on the ground, recognized the pen as one of TH’s ten most expensive, and the prayer beads—if memory served, Councilman Zhao never parted with them. That made it a token of trust.
Su Cha had offered gifts too suddenly, and the bigwigs hadn’t prepared return gifts in advance—so they’d given him whatever they had on hand. Things they carried with them were inherently priceless, far beyond what Shen Ningze received.
Su Cha slowly recounted the evening. Ji Tianjin more or less understood—he had gone to offer perfume, they refused it, and turned around to give him gifts worth millions. No wonder Su Cha felt wronged.
After a moment of silence, Ji Tianjin was about to speak, but Su Cha shook his head first. “No need to comfort me. It’s just a setback.”
He gave a faint, weary smile. “I can handle it.”
“……”
***
Thanks to that birthday banquet, Shen Ningze successfully broke into high society. Seeing powerful figures celebrating him, others followed suit without knowing why.
The list of energy chamber slots was released. As expected, Su Cha wasn’t on it.
Li Huai gave him a brief word of comfort. “There’ll be other chances.”
They both knew how critical this slot was for deep awakening. Li Huai wanted to say the Emperor might have made other arrangements, but the Emperor’s thoughts were impossible to guess. He could offer no guarantees. In the end, he just lightly patted Su Cha’s head.
Another day passed—the hottest in half a year. The weather bureau had issued an early high-temperature warning.
As the capital residents complained about the heat, several warships flew over the capital. Twenty-seven more were stationed just outside, and the rest—over a hundred—were docked on frontier planets under the Galan Empire’s rule.
Was war coming?
The communicators showed no emergency wartime alerts. No sirens were heard from the palace either.
Citizens paused, looking up at the sky. Even from a great distance, the dread of those passing warships could be felt.
In Galactic Year 396, the Fog Star people successfully crossed the interstellar battlefield to arrive at Galan Star. On that same day, the Galan Empire’s Foreign Chief publicly announced that the two nations would soon begin a cultural exchange.
The news shocked the entire galaxy.
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