The screen flickered softly.
Bai Hao watched, utterly captivated, barely blinking. Those mechanical suits dominating the skies, commanding the land, and roaming the seas were profoundly fascinating and stirring to him. As for the documentary's propaganda about the Eastern Sector frontlines, he paid little mind. After all, the war between the Empire and the Galactic Alliance had dragged on for nearly a millennium; it was no longer fresh or particularly gripping news.
The Starfall Empire, with a lineage spanning thousands of years, controlled the entire Starfall star domain, divided into five major sectors: Central, Eastern, Southern, Western, and Northern. It had gradually evolved from an initial hereditary imperial system into a parliamentary one, though the original imperial "royal family" remained active on the political stage, covertly manipulating the Empire's vital arteries. To some degree, the continued prominence of the "royal family" was inextricably linked to the protracted war with the Galactic Alliance. For the Empire's populace, sensitivity to political systems paled in comparison to the immediate threat of invading Galactic Alliance star cruisers.
Frontline documentaries from the Eastern Sector were undoubtedly effective propaganda tools. They not only depicted the Empire's soldiers and officers locked in bloody combat with the invaders on distant starfield frontiers but also crafted one heroic figure after another fighting for the Empire. Coupled with stirring narration, they could quickly set the quietly flowing blood of many Imperial citizens ablaze.
The documentary was lengthy, playing for over an hour.
When the final frame froze on a sleek, silver-white mecha, Bai Hao felt tears of excitement welling up. The Silver Valkyrie—the personal mecha of the Empire's premier female pilot, Su Shi'er. In Bai Hao's heart, it was a graceful, pure flower, radiating the light of a goddess.
Su Shi'er, the only woman to earn the title "Ten-Star Pilot," a hero and idol in the hearts of the Empire's people, the goddess in the minds of countless men. Before her, even the most popular female entertainment stars paled. Once, a starlet famous across the star domain made improper remarks about Su Shi'er in public, causing her to lose the majority of her fans. Ultimately, she was assassinated by a fanatical follower of Su Shi'er, an incident that became known throughout the Empire as the "Falling Rose Affair."
Towards Su Shi'er, Bai Hao harbored an equally fervent heart. His two grand dreams were intimately connected to her: one, to become the mechanic for the Silver Valkyrie; the other, to become the 'little man' standing behind Su Shi'er.
Seeing the Silver Valkyrieon screen, how could Bai Hao not be excited? Though the final image showed no sign of Su Shi'er herself, his mind already conjured that beautiful, captivating face, the jet-black waterfall of her hair, those dark, luminous eyes…
The screen went dark.
The room plunged into a sudden, profound silence.
After a long while, the middle-aged, scar-faced man sitting cross-legged on the adjacent bed turned his head, giving the entranced Bai Hao a once-over. He asked leisurely, "Like mechas?"
Bai Hao snapped back to reality slightly, replying with conviction, "I do. I'm obsessed."
"Youth… it's a good thing." The scarred man's tone held a faint, elusive sigh. He continued, "By the way, what's your offense? This detention block isn't exactly a pleasant place."
A wry smile touched Bai Hao's lips. "You could say… fighting," he answered slowly.
"Couldsay?" The man's eyebrow arched slightly. "Why's that?"
Bai Hao nodded. "I hit two people I shouldn't have. And you?"
"Me?" The scarred man let out a soft breath, paused for a few seconds, then said, "I also fought. Hit two people who deserved it."
Hearing this, Bai Hao scrutinized the man, seeing no hint of jest. He smiled. "Then I suppose we share some fate. One who hit those he shouldn't have, and one who hit those he should."
"Fate? Maybe a bit." As he spoke, the scarred man retrieved a pack of cigarettes from beside his bed. "Want one?"
Seeing the cigarettes, Bai Hao showed a flicker of surprise. If he remembered correctly, cigarettes were contraband in detention facilities. Yet this man produced them so openly. Wasn't he afraid of the micro-cameras on the walls?
The scarred man seemed to read Bai Hao's concern. He said softly, "Don't be surprised. Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. If you have money, not only can you smoke in here, you could probably call for a woman and no one would bat an eye."
With that, he swiftly pulled two cigarettes from the pack, tossed one to Bai Hao, lit his own, and took a deep, greedy drag.
Bai Hao caught the cigarette. "Thanks," he said earnestly.
Accepting the offered lighter, Bai Hao quickly lit up. He had no particular fondness for cigarettes, only lighting one occasionally when bored. He possessed no ability to discern the quality or flavor of tobacco; he simply enjoyed the feeling of inhaling and exhaling the smoke.
The scarred man exhaled a long plume, his face showing unconcealed enjoyment. "So, not bad, right? This is the Sanqi brand—unofficially, the most popular smoke in the military. Fierce, like a real man."
"Strong enough!" Bai Hao took a light drag. The cigarette was indeed much harsher than the cheap ones on Planet B5.
The scarred man laughed heartily, took another deep drag, let it linger for a few seconds, then exhaled gently. "Kid, what's your name?"
Bai Hao blew out smoke and replied readily, "Bai Hao."
The man nodded with a light chuckle. "Bai Hao… sounds a bit plain and honest. Hah! I'm He Zhong. The brothers like to call me 'Brother Chun'."
"Oh." Bai Hao offered a faint smile. "Then I'll call you Brother Chun too."
"Good!" He Zhong laughed robustly. "So, brother, where are you from?"
"Western Sector. B5."
"B5? Can't say I've heard of it."
"It's a fringe mining planet. After the resources dried up, it's practically abandoned."
...
He Zhong seemed to get along well with Bai Hao. In less than the time it took to smoke a cigarette, they were already chatting like brothers.
Deep down, Bai Hao felt a considerable fondness for He Zhong. It wasn't just because of the cigarette, but more due to the man's rough-edged, straightforward nature—a familiar flavor reminiscent of Yin Ya, which made him feel remarkably at ease.
They exchanged words back and forth, neither overly enthusiastic nor cold, like narrating mundane, everyday matters. However, their conversation was far from trivial gossip. It touched on war, on mechas, even on the Empire's underworld...
They seemed to converse quite pleasantly, only quieting down late into the night.