Riding in Lin Wei's sleek red car through the steel-and-concrete sprawl of the city, Lin Hai found himself stunned by the order, wealth, and splendor surrounding him—things he had never seen before.
On his way to Riverbank Star, Lin Hai had been too tense and uncertain to pay attention to this new world. Now, with some breathing room, he finally turned his attention to the world beyond the car window.
This was where the upper crust of Riverbank Star lived—a gathering place for the elite. Everything he saw—elevated roads weaving through the sky, endless vehicles, skyscrapers piercing the clouds—was beyond what he had ever imagined. It left him speechless.
This was a real city.
Of course, he didn't voice that thought aloud—otherwise, the girl beside him would surely give him a scornful glance and sneer, "A country bumpkin is always a country bumpkin."
The Empire's cuisine was as famous as its luxurious aristocratic lifestyle.
Back on the garbage planet, Lin Hai had survived mostly on tube-packaged liquid meals—discarded or expired food from wealthier planets, sold in massive quantities at dirt-cheap prices to slums like Haizhou Star. This was done through an organization ironically called the "Poverty Assistance Convention," which, not coincidentally, was run by the same obscenely rich elites of the capital star.
The poorest of food went to the poorest of people—and the poor were expected to be grateful for it.
Due to excessive storage time, the food became dry and stale. Yet Lin Hai still missed the "caviar-flavored" nutrient paste. Even though its taste had long faded into something metallic and wrong, he had always loved that flavor. He dreamed that one day, he might taste real fish—or the famed, luxurious caviar that artists and writers in books raved about. That, to him, would be the taste of a life worth living.
But the garbage planet had no fish. Only endless storms. And mutated creatures that could only be fought off by piloted mechs.
Now, sitting in a refined traditional-style restaurant, Lin Hai stared at the thinly sliced raw fish glistening before him—topped with glistening, plump fish roe. The rice gleamed with a creamy sheen, like the smooth skin of the woman beside him.
He couldn't believe it. His lifelong dream—once so unreachable—had been so easily fulfilled.
And as if that weren't enough, he was dining with a beauty like Lin Wei. Even the waiter, upon approaching the table, had shot more than one curious glance at her—and a few barely concealed looks of envy toward Lin Hai, wondering which lucky pretty-boy had scored such a rich, elegant woman.
"What's wrong? Don't like the food?" Lin Wei asked, frowning slightly. The restaurant, though not overly extravagant, was one of her personal favorites—quiet, intimate, a place she visited often.
Bringing Lin Hai here was already a private gesture of goodwill. If this bastard child turned out to be fussy and difficult, she wouldn't have the patience to humor him again.
Lin Hai shook his head.
"Then... may I begin?"
Lin Wei nodded, reaching for her napkin. But as she did, she noticed Lin Hai had already tucked his into his collar and was rapidly digging in.
Yet it wasn't a crude, desperate feeding frenzy.
He ate with astonishing speed and precision, like a robotic arm on an assembly line—swift, clean, effective. Each bite was calculated, every motion smooth and controlled.
Lin Wei had seen her fair share of so-called "gentlemen" who took delicate, showy bites to display wealth and restraint. Plates often remained three-quarters full, as if to prove their excess.
In this restaurant, some girls even nibbled only the corners of their cakes before abandoning them, leaving them looking like they'd been nibbled by a mouse—cute and fashionable, supposedly.
But none had seen anything like this.
The speed at which Lin Hai devoured his meal was jaw-dropping, yet he remained composed throughout. When he finally finished every grain of rice, he dabbed at his mouth with the napkin and gave Lin Wei a wide grin.
"Delicious. Thank you."
Delicious? It looked like he hadn't eaten for a week!
Lin Wei kept those thoughts to herself. She thought of how he had spent twenty years on that hellish planet, and for the first time, a faint pang of sympathy crept into her heart. She looked at him again—and her gaze softened slightly.
So she ate quietly, and then, unexpectedly, looked up and smiled.
"I'm going to the fitness center after this... Want to come with me?"
Lin Hai still remembered the dented milk cartons in the corners of his run-down home on the garbage star—labels worn and unreadable.
In a place where nutrient paste was a luxury and malnutrition was the norm, milk was like gold. Only pregnant women or newborns received a limited supply.
Those discounted milk pouches—rejected by the market for cosmetic defects—were Lin Hai's only real source of nutrition as he grew up.
From a young age, he knew the value of survival. After every milk pouch, he followed a strict self-made exercise regimen to strengthen his body, hoping to survive in that brutal environment.
Above all, he dreamed of becoming a mech pilot.
They said a top mech pilot needed not just knowledge, but sharp reflexes and a powerful body.
He had no access to elite education or formal training—but he had discipline. He could train harder than anyone else.
Now, the rich food he just ate was the best he'd ever had. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't waste it—he would begin exercising immediately, converting every calorie into strength. But with Lin Wei present, he couldn't exactly drop and start doing pushups.
Her invitation to the fitness center was perfect. It made that lingering sense of regret vanish.
"Sky Wheel" Body Refinement Hall was the top fitness center in Sector 2 of Riverbank Star.
True to its name, the facility was shaped like a giant circular disc perched on the top floor of a skyscraper.
The city's elite paid over 300,000 credits per year to be private members—not just for its secrecy and luxury, but because of its comprehensive facilities. From strength machines, treadmills, and cycling rooms to advanced gravity chambers and even mech-combat arenas—it had everything.
Some estimated that building this place had cost at least fifty million credits. When it opened, Riverbank Star society buzzed with curiosity, but to this day, no one knew who owned it.
They only knew the manager's name—Waymo.
Low-profile, like the club itself. But those who knew him understood: Waymo was no one to trifle with.
In elite circles, some people naturally rose above the rest. Lin Wei was one of them.
Ever since joining the Sky Wheel, she had become a center of attention.
Partly because of her Wayne Group background—partly because of her unapproachable beauty.
Members here were vetted rigorously, and though most weren't in awe of her family name, there was no shortage of men who tried to court her. Many came from prestigious lineages. All failed.
Some still looked at her retreating figure with quiet longing and regret.
When Lin Wei stepped into the club lobby with her gym bag, the man beside her—Lin Hai—immediately became the focus of attention.
Conversations on sofas ceased abruptly.
Everyone was curious: Who was the stranger with her?
The lobby had five floors of open space—a grand and imposing sight. Lin Hai felt overwhelmed.
To some onlookers, his nervousness looked like inexperience.
"What's going on these days?" someone muttered. "Sure, Lin Wei gets plenty of admirers, but now even baby-faced kids are trying their luck? Doesn't he know even Zhao from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries got turned down? Hmph. Who is this kid?"
The crowd here was discerning—they could often guess someone's status by posture, speech, or dress.
Though Lin Hai grew up in a slum, he had a kind of rough-edged confidence. That, combined with walking beside Lin Wei, made people unsure of his background. They guessed he was some clueless rich boy who thought he could win Lin Wei over with looks and charm.
They had seen it all before—and were waiting to see him fail.
Among the onlookers were Zhang Sheng and Laiken, both silver-tier members. The club had three tiers: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Lin Wei, due to her noble background, held a rare Gold membership—one of only a few dozen on the planet.
Zhang Sheng and Laiken weren't nobles, but their silver memberships still meant considerable wealth and power.
Laiken, with his golden hair, had once tried and failed to win Lin Wei's favor.
Zhang Sheng chuckled, eyeing Lin Hai.
"Want me to dig into his background? Probably just another Eastside playboy. Guys like that think they can get any girl. Heh, he'll learn soon enough what rejection tastes like—"
"Ahem."
Waymo, the manager, had approached.
Right then, Lin Wei casually slipped her arm through Lin Hai's—neither intimate nor distant, just natural.
The entire lobby fell silent.
With a smile like blooming peach blossoms, Lin Wei said to Waymo,
"This is a friend of mine. Could you show him around?"
Waymo glanced at Lin Hai, then nodded.
"Any friend of Miss Lin is a guest of honor. However, our club customarily assesses every guest's fitness level. May I ask: what kind of training has the gentleman previously undertaken?"
Lin Wei tilted her head, eyes gleaming with amusement, waiting for Lin Hai to respond.
Caught off guard, he said nothing.
After a short pause, Waymo nodded.
"Ah. So the gentleman is new to this kind of training."
A few members nearby exchanged glances—smirking with thinly veiled contempt.
At Sky Wheel, respect wasn't earned by family or wealth—but by performance.
Here, legends like "Triple Gravity Wolf" Zhang Fang, "Mad Bull" Lanxi, and "War King" Lu Ming were household names.
Zhang Fang, for instance, could sprint 400 meters under triple gravity—once an Imperial Army officer, now retired and renowned at the club.
Waymo had hoped Lin Hai, based on his lean but toned frame, might have some experience. After all, walking in with Lin Wei, surely he'd trained somewhere.
But now, it was clear: this was a total novice.
"He's just accompanying me. I'll be in the yoga room. Let him try one of the category-three routines. He can wait for me there." Lin Wei said with a smirk, clearly enjoying Lin Hai's discomfort.
"Category three... Understood. Please follow me."
Lin Wei's yoga studio was separate from the men's area. Watching Lin Hai walk away, she smiled playfully—a smile beautiful enough to ruin kingdoms.
"A slap for Lin Hao... what a bold opening move. Even I never dared raise my hand. An outsider, though... Lin Hao, the humiliation you suffered, let your sister make it right for you."