"I have no idea where Mr. Liang went."
Derek Su scratched his head in frustration. As far as he could remember, the stubborn old man barely even used a phone—he didn't have a number, didn't contact anyone, and now that he'd vanished, Derek had no clue how to reach him. Mr. Liang had no friends either; aside from reading newspapers, he practically had no hobbies at all.
And he loved newspapers—collecting them like stamps, carefully organizing every issue in chronological order.
"Master, what if Grandpa Liang was kidnapped by bad guys?!"
Stella wrapped herself around Derek Su's arm, her little face scrunched up with worry.
Derek Su's mouth twitched. Stella staying quiet would've been fine—but the moment she spoke, his anxiety spiked even harder.
"Let's search the house first." He forced himself to stay calm. "Mr. Liang is extremely meticulous. If he planned on being gone for a long time, he'd definitely leave us something. And if he only stepped out for a bit, then we just wait until he comes back."
"Mm! Master, I'll start searching now!" Stella nodded seriously, then sprinted off toward her room in her slippers, the soles slapping the floor with loud clack-clack sounds.
There was no way Mr. Liang would've left a message in her room…
Derek sighed helplessly and went straight to Mr. Liang's bedroom.
The old man's room was even simpler than the living room—just a bed and a desk by the window. On the desk sat a potted plant he couldn't identify, and beside it was a standing picture frame containing a photo of a family of three. The father and son wore helmets, while the mother smiled brightly, flashing a peace sign at the camera.
When Derek lifted the frame, a photograph slipped out from behind it.
The picture showed a stunning Mecha Girl—tall, proud, dressed in a fiery red racing suit. A badge was pinned to her chest, engraved with flame-like effects around the bold characters (Scarlet). Her long red-and-black hair fell freely down her back. Not far behind her stood a middle-aged man with a helmet tucked under his arm and an unrestrained grin on his face.
From the contours of his face, Derek instantly recognized him—it was Mr. Liang. But the man in the photo looked far younger, full of confidence and composure, carrying the magnetic charm of mature adulthood… completely unlike the frail, stooped figure he was now.
Derek knew Mr. Liang wasn't actually that old—not even forty yet. He only looked worn down by life. That was why Stella kept calling him Grandpa Liang.
What could have driven the proud, vibrant man in this photo into the broken state he was in now?
What happened to his family?
What happened to his Mecha Girl?
Derek's mind swirled with questions.
"Master! Master!!" Stella's urgent voice snapped him back.
"Grandpa Liang left us a letter and a box! Come look!"
Still holding the frame, Derek stepped out into the living room. Stella stood at the table, where a folded letter and a repurposed milk box were neatly placed.
"I found them next to the shark plushie when I went back to my room. I haven't opened anything yet."
She pushed the letter and the box toward him, then sat with her chin resting on her hands, big eyes blinking expectantly.
Derek unfolded the letter. The bold, vigorous handwriting unmistakably belonged to Mr. Liang.
"You little brat, by the time you're reading this, I should already be long gone.
Sorry for disappearing without saying goodbye to you and Stella.
I went to watch the Knox Rally—you two did well. Tell that girl Stella I'm sorry. I said her steering was terrible, called her a wreck—must've hurt the kid's feelings, huh?"
Derek glanced at Stella. The little girl was listening intently, her eyes soft and gentle.
"Don't worry about where I've gone. I'm somewhere that feeds me, houses me, and lets me enjoy my old age in peace. But seeing you two again will be difficult.
Even if you won the Knox championship, I still don't want you to become a racer. I hoped you would stop here and live a quiet life with Stella. But I know you—you'll keep pushing forward, no matter what I say. So here are a few things you must remember:
First, never make an enemy of a Techmaster… unless you become one yourself.
Second, never trust your Mecha Girl if she's only bound to you by contract; always trust her completely if she's bound by a Core Imprint Contract.
Third, this world is vast—far larger and grander than you imagine. You and Stella cannot fight alone. You'll need more friends.
Fourth, if your goal is to become world-class, I don't recommend joining any club. Rely on yourself.
Fifth, Mecha Girls, like humans, can die from injuries. They don't only disappear when they're sent to the Recycling Yard!
You may not understand the meaning of these words right now, but when the time comes, you will.
If you never understand them… I might actually be happy. It means you managed to live peacefully.
Inside the box is everything I own. You can sell the recycling yard, or go to my friend at 178 Haitang Street in Tianyuan City next door. Take the photo from my desk and show it to him.
Lastly—don't come looking for me! If you dare, I'll beat you black and blue!
Oh, and there's fish soup in the kitchen. Simmer it on medium heat for another seven or eight minutes and it'll taste perfect. Boil the fish head separately a bit longer—Stella loves that part.
—Mr. Liang"
The letter ended there.
Derek inhaled deeply, his chest feeling tight. Something had happened to Mr. Liang—but he'd deliberately told them nothing.
He clearly didn't want them involved.
"Waaaahhhh—!!"
Before Derek could process his thoughts, Stella's ear-splitting wail filled the cabin.
He looked down to see the little girl bawling her eyes out—nose running, tears streaming, eyes swollen like two peaches.
"Waaah, Master, it's all my fault! I jinxed it! Grandpa Liang must've been kidnapped by bad guys! Waaahhh—!"
Stella rubbed her eyes with one hand while smacking herself on the head with the other. "If—if I didn't say that—Grandpa Liang—wouldn't have been taken—!"
Derek quickly grabbed her hand.
This girl was already a little silly, and with her strength, a few more hits and she'd get even sillier.
"Mr. Liang wasn't taken by bad guys. He left on his own."
He wiped her tears with gentle fingers, forcing a smile. "And when you said that, Mr. Liang was already gone. None of this is your fault."
"R-really?"
"Really." Derek's eyes reddened, so he tilted his head back slightly to keep Stella from noticing.
"Master… if you're lying, you'll turn into a little pig."
Derek Su: "…"
"Master… are we going to look for Grandpa Liang?"
"Of course." Derek pulled Stella into a hug, his eyes gaining a steady resolve.
Mr. Liang might have forbidden it—but he had saved Derek's life.
When Derek first arrived in this world, nearly freezing to death because of the extreme temperature difference between day and night, it was Mr. Liang who, exhausted as he was, carried a full-grown man over 1.85 meters on his back. That night's fish soup saved him, gave him strength to survive in this unfamiliar world. Without Mr. Liang, neither he nor Stella would be here now.
Over the past few months, Mr. Liang had treated him like a son, even spending all his savings to buy modules for Stella.
A man should never forget kindness.
But how to find him—and when to begin—required careful thought.
Derek's gaze settled on the address written in the letter. Before anything else, he needed to figure out what had truly happened to Mr. Liang.
And this friend of Mr. Liang… might be the one who knew the truth.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser