Brian Walker forced herself to report the address, but in the end, she still fainted. She didn’t know whether it was from excessive blood loss or from the stench.

……

“Awake?”

As soon as Brian Walker opened her eyes, she saw her teacher sitting beside her. She took a moment to gather her thoughts and instinctively reached out to touch her abdomen.

“No scar left,” Peter Thompson said irritably. “I never knew you were so bold—actually daring to live alone in a place like that.”

Brian Walker sat up from the treatment pod. “Places like that don’t cost money.”

“Is money more important, or your life?” Peter Thompson asked her. “Why do you think that building was abandoned?”

Brian Walker shook her head.

“Even though the Federation is peaceful now, there are still occasional insect beast incidents here and there. That building was abandoned because there was an insect beast attack during its construction.” As Peter Thompson spoke of this, her expression darkened.

“Any place where insect beasts have appeared gets abandoned?”

“If you have the ability to protect it, of course it won’t be abandoned. Do you think our 3212 Star has that kind of strength?” Peter Thompson frowned. “But back then, it was a beast tide, so an insect beast broke through the defenses and entered 3212 Star. Why did one suddenly appear this time?”

Brian Walker stepped out of the treatment pod. Her wounds had completely disappeared; aside from the pain lingering in her memory, she felt nothing now. She rotated her arm. “Today I saw two people about my age piloting combat mechas.”

“I see… No wonder that insect beast was already dead.” Peter Thompson frowned deeply, gritting her teeth. “It’s those people’s game again.”

“What game?”

Peter Thompson struggled to contain her anger. “Before entering military academy, some privileged kids will bring insect beasts to deserted stars for practice. They call it real combat, but their definition of a deserted star is different from ours, and they don’t care at all about the lives of people on small stars.”

Brian Walker recalled the look in the blond boy’s eyes and didn’t think her teacher was wrong.

“My friend’s family was destroyed that way.”

“Has something like that happened on 3212 Star before?” Brian Walker asked in surprise.

“I’m not from 3212 Star.” Peter Thompson lifted her eyelids. “You soaked in the treatment pod for four hours. That’s seven thousand star coins.”

Brian Walker: “!”

Peter Thompson was pleased to see her student’s face change like a shattered palette and said lightly, “I paid for you. If you get first place in the final exam, you don’t have to pay me back. Otherwise… starting today, I’ll charge interest until you pay me back.”

“Teacher, isn’t that a bit much? You’re so wise and mighty, you can’t possibly care about a little interest.” Brian Walker felt her heart bleeding. Seven thousand star coins plus interest—she wouldn’t be able to live for a year.

“Whenever I think about my students’ poor performance, I care about that little bit of interest.” Peter Thompson poked Brian Walker hard. “Didn’t I give you a choice? And you’re not even considering it? Useless!”

“Getting first place is too hard.” Brian Walker had always thought of herself as frail; every time she took a test, she’d get dizzy and lightheaded halfway through.

Peter Thompson stared at Brian Walker for a while, then suddenly said seriously, “You were lucky not to die under the insect beast’s claws this time. What about next time? Only by having strength yourself can you ensure you won’t get hurt.”

Brian Walker immediately recalled the stinking insect beast forcing her into a corner, and the cold silver mecha beheading it with a single move. That kind of absolute power—who wouldn’t long for it?

“I’ll… try my best.”

“You must.” Peter Thompson glanced at Brian Walker. “That building is almost collapsed and uninhabitable. I happen to have a spare room. Until you graduate, you’ll stay at my place.”

In the end, Brian Walker packed a few clothes and moved into Peter Thompson’s home with her little electric scooter.

She didn’t retrieve the materials from the workshop—she’d already learned everything she could, especially after seeing a real mecha. She knew there was no more benefit in continuing to practice.

“This is your shiniang.” Peter Thompson had a stern face one moment, but the next, seeing the woman inside the door, he immediately broke into a goofy smile.

“Hello, shiniang.”

The gentle woman quickly welcomed Brian Walker inside. “I’ve already tidied up your room. If you’re not comfortable, remember to tell me.”

Peter Thompson ignored Brian Walker now, drawn by the aroma of food in the house, and went straight to the dining table. “Why is today’s meal so lavish?”

“It’s Brian Walker’s first day here. Try my cooking.” The woman helped Brian Walker take off her backpack and walked over to Peter Thompson, swatting his hand away. “Wait for Brian Walker to eat together.”

Peter Thompson: “……” Why does it feel like I shot myself in the foot?

After putting her things away, Brian Walker sat at the table and instinctively swallowed. She was really poor—she’d always scrimped and saved to buy materials. Ever since she arrived in this world, she’d only drunk the cheapest nutrient solution, never eaten a single grain of rice. Back then, she’d picked up dozens of boxes of problematic nutrient solution from the junkyard and drank them for half a year, not wasting a single drop.

She’d almost forgotten what real food tasted like.

“This meal must cost several hundred star coins.” Brian Walker calculated that it was enough nutrient solution for her to drink for a month.

Peter Thompson reached out and ruffled Brian Walker’s head. “Are you obsessed with money? Hurry up and eat.”

Shiniang immediately glared at Peter Thompson. “Don’t touch the child’s head.”