Game: Civilization Paradise

He was in the middle of looking for Red Ghost and thought he had a lead. Turns out it was just some idiot.

"Listen to me! The guy who won the money doesn’t have any special background. He’s just my little brother, Gu Yi. We’re both from a second-level civilization."

Gu Yong hurriedly explained to Baidi.

A look of surprise appeared on Baidi’s face when he heard this.

At that moment, Bosse, who was standing to the side, quickly lowered his voice and said to Baidi.

"Sir, if what this kid is saying is true, that guy won over fifty-six million Star Coins. He’s a bona fide fat sheep!"

"And you think it’s so easy to make a move in the City of Stars?"

Baidi retorted irritably.

"Sir, we can do it on Star Island! If something happens to them there, it’s not the City of Stars’ problem. The City of Stars won’t get involved at all."

Bosse urged excitedly.

Upon hearing Bosse’s words, a brilliant smile instantly spread across Baidi’s face. His entire demeanor shifted as he said...

"You should have said so earlier! Look at this whole misunderstanding."

"It’s nothing."

Gu Yong forced a smile, enduring the pain.

"Pige, honestly. Why’d you have to be so rough? You made him bleed. Hurry up and take him to get his wounds bandaged."

"Got it. Come on, buddy, let’s go."

Pige’s expression changed in an instant. With a broad smile, he slung an arm around Gu Yong’s neck and led him out.

As Pige reached the doorway, he turned to look back at Baidi.

Baidi raised a hand and drew a finger across his throat.

Pige gave an immediate, knowing nod and left with Gu Yong.

"Sir, why are we taking this guy out too?"

Bosse asked, confused.

"You idiot. He might just look like a worthless bug, but don’t be fooled. That man is ruthless in a way that’s not normal. A man who can sell out his own brother will sell us out one day, too. If we’re going to do this, we do it clean."

Baidi said to Bosse.

"Brilliant, Sir!"

"I’m leaving this to you. Find someone reliable for the job. And remember, don’t cause a huge scene. The last thing I need is a ton of trouble before we even get our hands on the money!"

"Understood!"

Bosse hurriedly replied.

...

----------------------------------------------

At the entrance of the Sky Dome Training Ground.

Long Ming stopped and looked up.

The entire training facility resembled a giant bird’s nest, constructed from silver metal and transparent glass. It was magnificent and grand.

’Not bad.’

Satisfied, Long Ming walked inside.

As he entered, he was greeted by the sight of staff members in uniform—all of them handsome men and beautiful women.

Upon seeing Long Ming walk in, a flicker of disdain crossed most of their faces.

One of them, however, a younger-looking man, approached him and asked...

"Sir, how may I help you? My name is Willie, and I’m an attendant here at the Sky Dome Training Ground."

"I’d like to practice piloting a Mechanical God."

"May I ask, is this your first time piloting a Mechanical God, or do you already have experience?"

"It’s my first time."

"In that case, I’d recommend signing up for one of our training courses. We offer group classes as well as one-on-one private lessons."

"What are the rates?"

Long Ming asked curiously.

"The group class is 10,000 Star Coins. We guarantee you’ll learn enough to pass the basic Mechanical God piloting license test within 30 days. The one-on-one private lessons are 5,000 Star Coins per session. Of course, the private instructors are more skilled."

"And for the one-on-one, how many sessions do I have to buy?"

"You don’t need to worry about that. We charge on a per-session basis, so you don’t have to purchase a block of lessons all at once."

"All right, sign me up for a one-on-one lesson."

"Excellent! Please, follow me!"

Willie said, overjoyed.

His nearby colleagues were dumbfounded. This man, who looked for all the world like he came from a low-level civilization, was actually buying private lessons.

Soon, Willie led Long Ming to the door of a private office.

KNOCK KNOCK.

Willie reached out and knocked.

"Come in!"

A crisp voice called from within.

Willie pushed the door open and led Long Ming inside. They were met by the sight of a vibrant woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, a stunning figure, and exceptionally beautiful features.

"Instructor Windsor, this is Mr. Long Ming. He’d like a one-on-one private lesson."

Willie said, introducing him to Windsor.

"Hello, Mr. Long Ming."

A flicker of surprise crossed Windsor’s eyes as she looked at Long Ming. She then extended a hand in greeting.

"Hello."

Long Ming calmly extended his hand and shook hers.

"Well, I’ll be going now. I’ll leave you two to talk."

Willie quickly excused himself and left.

Windsor looked Long Ming up and down before speaking.

"Mr. Long Ming, I have a rather direct personality, so my words might not always be pleasant to hear. I hope you don’t mind?"

"I don’t mind."

"Then I’ll be blunt. Judging by your clothes and complexion, you must be from a low-level civilization and have only recently arrived in the Star Alliance, correct?"

"Yes. A second-level civilization."

"That makes sense. This must be your first time dealing with a Mechanical God, then?"

"Yes."

"I’m sure you’ve read up on the relevant information on the civilization forums, but I still want to tell you this in no uncertain terms: piloting a Mechanical God is nothing like using the second-generation exoskeletons you might be used to. Its chassis is incredibly complex and heavy. Even with the aid of a power source, your body will have to endure a terrifying amount of strain during combat. If you can’t handle the load, you could end up paralyzed, or in a worst-case scenario, suffer sudden death."

"I’m aware of that."

"That’s why I strongly suggest you undergo a physical fitness evaluation."

"That won’t be necessary. I can handle the strain. You just need to teach me the techniques and controls."

Long Ming was quite confident.

"Fine, then. Follow me, I’ll take you to the warm-up area."

Seeing how confident Long Ming was, Windsor didn’t press the issue. After all, she had made the risks perfectly clear.

’If something really does go wrong, he’ll only have himself to blame.’

"Alright."

Long Ming then followed Windsor out of the office.

They walked deeper into the facility along a wide corridor. Along the way, Long Ming saw many other students talking and laughing.

The students’ skin was predominantly blue or red.

There were other colors as well, of course. All of them were dressed very fashionably and carried themselves with a distinguished air.

"Do all these people have Mechanical Gods?"

Long Ming asked, slightly surprised.

"You’ve misunderstood, Mr. Long Ming. Not all of them have their own Mechanical God."

"Then what are they doing here?"

"They may not have Mechanical Gods now, but they generally come from good backgrounds and will most likely own one in the future. So, they come here to learn the piloting skills in advance, preparing for the day they get a Mechanical God of their own."

Windsor explained simply to Long Ming.

"I see."

Long Ming nodded calmly.

"At the upcoming intersection, the piloting area is to the left. Straight ahead is the rest area..."

Windsor briefly described the layout of the training ground to Long Ming.

"Mhm, so where are we going now?"

Long Ming nodded slightly.

"I’m taking you to the private VIP changing room."

With that, Windsor led Long Ming to a private changing room.

She took a silver-white, form-fitting training suit from a locker and handed it to Long Ming.

"Mr. Long Ming, please change into this."