IWYTBW - Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Valuing Others' Opinions Too Much Might Turn You into a People Pleaser.
Ai Ling Tianxinshi had already encountered Yi Zhen, her red hair making her features strikingly vivid. Light freckles adorned her fair cheeks. Her battle suit was stained and splotched, as if she had just come through a fierce struggle.
Her expression, once a gently exhausted smile, now sank as she encountered Yi Zhen.
“Uncle Guan, how did he get here?” Ai Ling asked Yi Zhen with a disgusted expression and a bad tone. “Why aren’t you in your own room? Why did you run out?”
In that split second, the room fell silent. The servants’ glances flickered back and forth between the two, their gazes unspoken yet unmistakable.
“Strange,” Yi Zhen didn’t look at her again, but took a tentative bite of steak, “Did I break my leg, or is there poison in the air? As soon as I go out, will I die without a place to bury my body? None of the above, right? Then why can’t I go out?”
“He even dares to talk back today!” Ai Ling was surprised. The old butler rushed to defend Yi Zhen, “Mr. Yi rarely leaves his room. I’m also delighted that he came out to eat today...”
“Uncle Guan, you’re always being so polite...” Ailing said coldly. “He has the audacity to eat here, but I am the one who is too ashamed to look! This shameless guy... you know very well how my classmates have been spreading rumors about him. I am already rushing to avoid him, and yet you let him out!”
Yi Zhen: “...”
Truth be told, this world of his was an exhausting one where even a beautiful widow becomes the subject of public humiliation... Damn those yellow books! You owe me for this!
T0 m5ke m3 st0p putting these annoying ass phrases everywhere, read on https://rottentledits.blogspot.com/ ... hehehe, it's fun tho
However, the beef was delicious. Yi Zhen nodded, properly placing the forked steak back on the plate. When it comes to gourmet food, one should always embrace a sense of gratitude.
“Listen carefully, because I won’t repeat what I’m about to say.” Yi Zhen turned towards her, staring into her eyes as he spoke.
“First, shut up.”
Ai Ling exclaimed in shock and anger, “You audacious little-”
“Secondly, although I’m not the master of this house, I still hold some authority over the family AI. Do you understand what that means? It means that if I lift a finger now and mark you as an intruder, you wouldn’t even have time to turn around before you’re reduced to a pile of minced meat. Oh, and there’s no need to rush to call your mecha. Both of you would share the same fate, beaten into a pulp.”
Ai Ling was shocked, and the old butler was completely speechless.
“You...” Ai Ling stared at Yi Zhen, trying to find even the slightest hint of pretense on his face.
But she was disappointed. As Yi ZhenF{}r b3}st c{}nt3nt, visit {}ur s1t3 d1r2ct1y @ https://rottentledits.blogspot.com/ quietly gazed at her, she realized he was serious... A person truly determined to do something will never make a grand display or noise for all to know. Instead, they will remain exceptionally calm, just as Yi Zhen appeared at that moment.
“Are you out of your mind?” Although her gaze was still full of disdain, Ai Ling’s voice had unconsciously lowered quite a bit. “Lay a finger on me, and you’ll see what my brother will do to you. Plus, I’m a registered B-level Driver, way above you, who’s nothing but dead weight...”
“After death, all troubles vanish. If you provoke me, this madman, again, I really can’t guarantee what I might do,” Yi Zhen said, not yet accustomed to using a knife and fork, gesturing awkwardly. “So, could you please be quiet?” He gazed at Ai Ling, a smile blooming across his face. His pristine teeth peeked out from between his rosy lips, a sight so brilliantly vivid yet casting an inexplicably sinister vibe.
Ai Ling’s mouth opened and closed, but in the end, she couldn’t think of a retort on the spot. She looked at Yi Zhen incredulously, as if she were looking at an alien creature with eight hands.
The old butler sliced a hand across his neck urgently, signaling her not to provoke Yi Zhen any further. Ai Ling, after a standoff, had no choice but to sit down, feeling both angry and resentful.
Yi Zhen set down his knife and fork with dissatisfaction and said to a servant beside him, “Please cut it into small pieces and then… could you bring me a spoon? It’s easier to eat that way.”
The servant received the plate and skillfully cut the food using the spare utensils.
Ai Ling quickly seized the opportunity and, finding an opening, snidely remarked, “You can’t even grasp dining etiquette; truly, it’s a wonder what value a waste like you has in living.”
“Do you really care about what others think of you?” Yi Zhen looked at her with interest, unable to suppress a smile. It must be said, this kind of bantering game was truly filled with the joy of teasing a cheeky child.
Ai Ling seemed to have been pricked by a harsh tone, she rose, clenching her fists, “What did you say?!”
Yi Zhen chuckled, accepted the plate without asking, and poured the sliced steak cubes into a bowl. Then, he picked up a spoon and began to scoop them into his mouth.
“I’m eating the food from my own plate in my own home. Of course, I can eat however I want. Even if I strip and dance while I eat with chopsticks, why would it be any outsider’s business?”
“You should put on some clothes first!” Ai Ling, exasperated and seething, mocked viciously. “...No, that’s wrong. They have every right to laugh you to death!”
“Trying to laugh me to death is about as useful as cursing single dogs to a life without children[e/n: alternative ideas: Trying to laugh me to death is about as useful as cursing a vegetarian couple to a life without children... basic idea is: Curses can't affect those who dgaf]...” Yi Zhen said, without raising his head. “So I would guess that you, by nature, are a person who would cry about other people’s gossip.”
Ai Ling didn’t cry this time. Her nose had already been broken by Yi Zhen’s Qi.
[Player, you’re bullying a child.]
“Am I bullying the child?” Yi Zhen straightened his expression, “I call this teaching by personal example. How can you call such heartfelt education bullying?”
After eating, Yi Zhen turned to the old butler, “By the way... Uncle Guan, do you know where there is a large-scale market? I want to exchange some things.”
After completing four main quests, Yi Zhen had received a total of 8.3 enhancement points from the system, and his physique had finally risen from a very poor D-level to an average C-level. As a result, his appetite had also increased drastically. The old butler watched in surprise, assuming that all of his unusual behavior that day was due to the stimulation he had received from Rong Hongxue, and his gaze softened with pity as he looked at him.
“A trade... marketplace?” The old butler pondered, “Perhaps you could look into an online marketplace and use a dedicated secure channel.”
“Alright, understood.” Yi Zhen put down his bowl. “The dinner was very good, thank you.”
He nodded at the old butler and ignored Ai Ling, who was practicing being a concrete statue beside him, as he turned and walked back to his room.
Throughout this journey, it seemed he no longer heard the servants’ repetitive whispers.
“Tai’a,” closing the room door, Yi Zhen quickly asked, “Do you know how to access the internet here?”
[You use the Starnet, also known as the Supermassive Technologically Advanced Resource Network for InterstEllar-Telecommunication in the connected Universal New Star Network,] Tai’a explained, [Please lie down on the bed, making sure your body is in a stable position that won’t be easily moved.]
“Now? Right now?” Yi Zhen was a bit nervous. “It’s my first time trying this; I really don’t have any experience... Ah!”
His vision went dark, and his consciousness felt as if it had suddenly plunged into the stagnant depths of the sea. By the time Yi Zhen came to from his dizziness, he found himself in a space crisscrossed with vast and visible data streams.
Yi Zhen: “...You really are fast.”
Tai’a: [You flatter me. After all, you humans often say that a true man should be swift in acting. Shall we use the safety passage?]
Yi Zhen asked, “Don’t we humans often say that a real man is... never mind. This passage you mentioned, is it safe?”
Tai’a replied, [The safety channel is specifically designed for Starnet users with psychic power levels below C. Correspondingly, each safety channel is linked to the guardian’s terminal. The user’s movements, purchase history, and social interactions F{}r b3}st c{}nt3nt, visit {}ur s1t3 d1r2ct1y @ https://rottentledits.blogspot.com/ within the safety channel can all be monitored by the guardian. Currently, your guardian is Rong Hongxue.]
Yi Zhen: “From now on, please don’t ask me any more questions about this safety channel. I’ve chosen to abandon it for life, thank you.”
Tai’a then asked, [Do you want to change your appearance?]
“Change it,” Yi Zhen said without giving it a thought. “Who uses their real identity online?”
Glancing over his facial characteristics on a dashboard, he promptly adjusted them negatively by 50%, becoming an ordinary young man. Thus began his first experience with online shopping.
The holographic network environment was dazzling and lifelike. As he walked along a street flowing with pale cerulean light, he raised his head to gaze at the seven-colored neon lights refracted by the heavens, as well as the transparent spaceships flowing incessantly, like walking in the legendary undersea kingdom of Atlantis, which combined the original ecology with high technology.
It seems like the technology of this era has already advanced to the point of being able to seamlessly blend the virtual and the real.
As Yi Zhen stood among the many passersby, taking in the scenery, he softly asked Tai’a, “The question is, how much money do I have?”
[On one hand, you are wealthy.] Tai’a replied, [As the widow of Rong Huaiyu, even the smallest portion he left for you would be enough for an ordinary person to live comfortably for a lifetime; but on the other hand—you should not forget who is the true heir of this family.]
Yi Zhen’s face fell instantly. “Rong Hongxue... Please don’t tell me that he intends to deduct even these expenses!”
[Deduction, I think this allegation is somewhat biased.] Tai’a stated, [However, every financial transaction under your name will be personally reported to him. After all, he is the head of the family, and the cost of offending you is indeed almost zero.]
Yi Zhen muttered, “Luckily, I was prepared.”
Opening his terminal, he asked Tai’a to download a map of the nearby area. Using that map, he located and made his way to the nearest trading center.
“Let me see...” Yi Zhen muttered, “If I want to barter, it seems there is indeed a way.”Tai’a said, [So you want to use the antidote Rong Hongxue gave you in exchange for something that enhances physical strength.]
“That’s right,” Yi Zhen said, “It would be a waste not to use it. I’ve already been cured of the poison, after all, and keeping this thing around is just taking up space.”
Passersby bustled about the avenue as holographic, digital displays circled the expanse of the horizon. Their contents caught Yi Zhen’s attention.
With a flash of light, a ferocious and menacing black mecha emerged, a colossal mechanical dragon with claws extended. Its tail pulsed with electricity. Facing it stood another mecha, with clean lines and few adornments, save for a weathered straw hat reminiscent of an ascetic monk.
The duo’s fierce battle raged on, while behind them the starlit sea churned. Sparks from their clash seemed to move in slow motion, like victims of a time-bending enchantment. In the inky vacuum of space, these sparks illuminated a row of characters, etched with the precision of a master calligrapher.
“Imperial Heroes Championship – Coming your way from September 10th to November 20th!”
Yi Zhen said strangely, “The Imperial Heroes Championship ... who are these people? Why does it sound like an ad for conscripting soldiers?”
Passersby overheard his mutterings and couldn’t help but ask, “Young man, you’re from the Frontier Stars, aren’t you?”
Yi Zhen stuttered out, “Uh? Ah... yeah! You could say that, I guess.”
“On the left is the notorious ‘Executioner of the Black Dragon’, an ultra S-Class Mecha Pilot. Ever heard of him? And on the right, we have Mr. Li Zeyu, the former president of our very own Central Star Azoth University, the man known as the ‘Wind and Snow Wanderer’!”
Overhearing his words, a bystander immediately chimed in: “The promotional clip for today was filmed by them, but yesterday we had Yi Fanxing and Baiyin Leihuo show off their skills – it was even more marvelous!”
Yi Zhen was confused by what he heard. As the crowd discussing around him grew, he slowly retreated.
“I seem to recall the book mentioning an imperial tournament,” Yi Zhen said, “but it was simply raised as a backdrop. The main plot still revolves around my... entanglements with what’s-his-name.”
[Indeed. The setting of the Empire’s ‘Heroes Championship’ takes place between chapters 35 and 48 of the original novel. However, as the protagonist, you did not sign up for the competition; instead, you were...]
“...Instead, Rong Hongxue took him to the competition planet for some outdoor play in public areas. Let’s just skip over this part, shall we? After all, it really isn’t of much value, okay?” Yi Zhen pinched the bridge of his nose, “Just tell me about the Hero Contest, thank you.”
[The Imperial Heroes Championship can be understood as the Olympics of the interstellar era, held once every three years,] Tai’a explained. [Competitors are divided into two groups: internal and external. The internal group’s participants are selected from universities across the stars, while the external group’s participants come from open enrollment competitions. After battling it out for three months, the ultimate winner, in addition to receiving a generous reward, will also be granted a hereditary title of nobility. Given the grandeur and importance of the event, in the months leading up to the opening, the Azoth Empire invites famous S-class pilots to take turns in promoting it.]
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Yi Zhen said, “I guess the ultimate winner of the last competition was Rong Hongxue?”
[Unfortunately, you guessed wrong,] Tai’a said. [Rong Hongxue was the runner-up in the championship before last. The previous champion is now the pilot of the S-rank mecha ‘Rainbow Alice.’ At the time, Rong Hongxue, piloting the mecha ‘Great Dark Sky,’ was engaged in a fierce battle with the champion from six years prior, who piloted ‘Saint Quadrivirtue.’ Great Dark Sky, originally holding the advantage, suddenly stopped and handed the victory to Saint Quadrivirtue. As for why Great Dark Sky did this, it remains an unsolved mystery…]
Yi Zhen: “...What are you reading?”
[Interstellar Encyclopedia—Detailing the Unexpected Moments of Past Imperial Heroes Championships.] Tai’a responded.
Yi Zhen: “...”
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____e/n____: posted this chap early to thank my second patreon member, roozi! hopefully they're reading this novel aha..
you too can motivate me to sleep less and post more by joining here :D
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