The clerk, hearing this, took out two models: “This new model is three thousand star coins, and there’s only one old model left, just two thousand five hundred.”

Brian Walker chose the old model for two thousand five, Emma Carter paid, and helped her bind the information and enter her personal details.

【Name: Brian Walker, Age: Seven】

Emma Carter pointed to another item: “Here you can set your Light Brain ID and voice.”

Brian Walker thought for a moment and entered four characters for the ID.

“Beep—”

A gentle electronic male voice sounded: “Authentication successful, user ID: Begging in Secret.”

The clerk’s mouth twitched: “……”

Beside her, Emma Carter was very tactful and immediately transferred the remaining three thousand star coins to Brian Walker.

After the two came out, Brian Walker asked Emma Carter, “How do you become a reserve mecha pilot?”

“First, you enter the preparatory school. When you turn sixteen, the school will conduct a unified perception test, and then you can go to the military academy to study.” Emma Carter tilted his head and thought, “Our 3212 Star only has one preparatory school, called 3212 Academy. Enrollment is happening right now, you can check it out. Maybe we’ll be classmates in the future.”

Emma Carter nudged her arm and whispered, “Do your parents let you go to school?”

Brian Walker: “?”

“Don’t pretend. Only people who want to hide their identity don’t have a Light Brain. You can’t possibly be so poor you can’t afford one.” Emma Carter winked.

“I really am too poor to afford a Light Brain.”

“Really? I don’t believe it.”

Emma Carter trusted his own judgment. Someone too poor to buy a Light Brain wouldn’t be riding a tricycle; only someone hiding their identity would do that. Maybe she’s the child of some expert on the run, hiding out on their 3212 Star!

After all, he’d read “The Man from the Nameless Planet” and “The Rise of Fugitive Van Dillen”—this was exactly the kind of plot in those stories!

Brian Walker was about to ask another question when the bodyguard who’d left earlier rushed over: “Young master, it’s time to go home.”

“I’m leaving, let’s keep in touch.” Emma Carter could only wave goodbye.

After he left, Brian Walker didn’t leave right away. She squatted in a corner to study the Light Brain. Its functions were similar to a smartphone, and she quickly figured everything out.

The first thing she looked up was “Youjin.” It turned out to be a special metal for mechas, extremely ductile and resistant. It had been used in military industry since its discovery, later applied to mechas, and only in the past century had it become available for public trade. After reading the explanation, Brian Walker became very interested in this metal.

However, Brian Walker had set out from near the junkyard in the morning, and it was now three in the afternoon. Her tricycle had been sold, and if she walked back, she probably wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow.

Maybe there was transportation to the junkyard. She opened her Light Brain to search for bus routes and found that Line 9 passed by the junkyard, with one bus at 5 a.m. and another at 5 p.m., each ride costing ten star coins.

There was still time, so Brian Walker also searched for the floating bus routes to 3212 Academy. There were many options, so she immediately took a bus to the academy, planning to check things out.

……

There were quite a few people at the entrance of 3212 Academy. Parents with children crowded in front of the notice board. Taking advantage of her small size, Brian Walker squeezed through the gaps and reached the notice board, discovering that today was the last day to register.

Before she could finish reading, Brian Walker was squeezed out.

Worried about wasting time, Brian Walker didn’t try to go back in. She looked around and saw two registration tables at the academy entrance, each with a teacher sitting behind it and a long line in front.

She bypassed the line and walked to one registration table. Next to the teacher was a virtual sign: 【Class A tuition per semester: five thousand star coins.】

Brian Walker: “……”

Today was the deadline, and she couldn’t possibly scrape together five thousand star coins.

But… if Class A is five thousand per semester, are the other classes different?

Brian Walker turned to look at the other table and indeed saw a different sign: 【Class B tuition per semester: one thousand star coins. After the final exam, a scholarship of five thousand to twenty thousand star coins may be awarded based on performance.】

With such low tuition, Class B must be the remedial class, but if you do well, you can earn back the tuition with a scholarship. Brian Walker immediately went to the end of the line, deciding to sign up for this class!

After waiting an hour, it was finally Brian Walker’s turn.

The teacher at the registration desk looked left and right, didn’t see any adults, and finally fixed his gaze on Brian Walker: “Registering?”

Brian Walker nodded.

The teacher pulled out a registration form: “Fill in your information.”

After Brian Walker finished, the teacher asked again, “Are you sure you want to join Class B?”

“I’m sure.” Brian Walker nodded firmly.

It didn’t matter if it was the remedial class, as long as she could go to school.

Brian Walker was already imagining herself getting the highest scholarship after the final exams and never having to worry about tuition again.

“School starts tomorrow. Be at school by six a.m. sharp.” After collecting Brian Walker’s registration form, the teacher gestured for the next person.

……

Brian Walker returned to the abandoned building and used the Light Brain to learn about this world, only to discover that there were three popular professions: commander, mecha pilot, and mecha soldier.

In Star Year 3701, a beast tide nearly destroyed the Federation. Fifty years later, mechas appeared out of nowhere, finally giving humanity a chance to breathe. By 4001, Yu Qingfei designed the first-generation Leap Mecha, ushering in a new era.