Benjamin Foster grew up surrounded by the influence of his family, alongside a host of weapons of mass destruction. With such a background, he became an expert in the field of mecha mechanics, and seemed to have the potential to become a mad scientist. Before One-Eyed Hawk could even feel gratified that he had a worthy successor, he discovered that Young Master's ambitions had taken a strange turn—Young Master Foster, though born from the mud, grew up upright and pure, determined to become a great educator.

Why would the son of an arms dealer have such a humanitarian ideal? As for the reason, Benjamin Foster never mentioned it to outsiders, so everyone simply agreed that he must be crazy.

In the Eighth Star System, any absurdity that defies common sense can be ultimately explained by the words “he’s sick.”

On Young Master Foster’s twentieth birthday, One-Eyed Hawk ended an important dinner early and went straight to his beloved son to ask what he wished for. With the alcohol going to his head, he made grand promises, swearing that no matter what his son wanted—even if it was to blow up the Alliance capital, Woto—his father could make it happen.

Young Master Foster believed him, and earnestly said to his father, “I want to publish a book.”

Half sobered by shock, One-Eyed Hawk opened his son’s masterpiece in confusion, only to see the title boldly printed as “An Introduction to the Principles of Space Mechanics.” The arms dealer’s mind twisted in knots; he couldn’t figure out what kind of underworld slang “An Introduction to the Principles of Space Mechanics” was, so he swallowed his pride and asked, “What kind of book is this?”

Young Master Foster replied, “It’s an introductory textbook on space mecha technology.”

One-Eyed Hawk thought there was something wrong with his ears: “A… what kind of book?”

“A textbook,” Young Master Foster said. “I looked through the textbooks used by the most famous universities in the Eighth Star System, and none of them seemed any good, so I wrote one myself. Dad, please give me your feedback.”

One-Eyed Hawk was silent for a while. “What are you trying to do?”

Young Master Foster’s adolescent idealism flared up without warning, fierce and overwhelming. He said, “I want to start a proper school and ignite the spark that will launch the Eighth Star System’s technological revolution.”

Hearing this, One-Eyed Hawk was so startled that the rest of his drunkenness vanished. Without a word, he turned and left, planning to find a doctor to check his son’s head.

From then on, Benjamin Foster and his model father One-Eyed Hawk began a long-term battle of brainwashing and counter-brainwashing. In their wits-and-courage contest, Young Master Foster’s mecha modification skills improved by leaps and bounds. When he was grounded on Kailai Star, he spent three years dismantling his personal transport, which he used to wander the planet, and whimsically transformed it into a striking interstellar mecha. He then set off on his adventures, eventually drifting near Beijing Beta Star, where he became entangled in a fateful encounter with someone.

“Where’s your student?” As soon as Fourth Brother entered, he turned on all the wall lamps, ruining Principal Foster’s dreamy soft-light filter without a hint of romance.

“The secretary took her away.” Benjamin Foster had painstakingly struck a pose, admiring himself for a long time, and finally got an audience—only for them to ruin the mood as soon as they entered. He had no choice but to get down from the high stool, sigh silently, and circle around the “Spider” a few times. “So, did you two catch that human trafficker? Is it him?”

Fourth Brother glanced at him.

“Tsk, do you even need to ask?” Benjamin Foster used his toe to flip the man on the floor over, then looked up and winked at Luke. “There’s no spatial field in the Eighth Star System that can escape Luke’s tracking, right, darling?”

Luke replied expressionlessly, “Thank you for your affirmation.”

Fourth Brother was equally expressionless. “Then why are you still here?”

Benjamin Foster looked up and saw two identical cold faces, and gave up. “Tell me, which one of you takes after the other?”

As he spoke, he half-knelt on the ground and pressed the “Spider’s” carotid artery, finding that the man was still alive. He then became serious: “I don’t care who he is or what he’s here for. I have just one question—once it’s answered, I’ll leave. Will my female student be in any danger because she got involved in this?”

“Don’t worry,” Luke replied. “Miss Huang’s information was intercepted by me and didn’t reach his accomplices.”

Hearing this assurance, Benjamin Foster indeed stopped asking questions. He nodded and stood up, then helped himself to a bottle of wine from behind the bar.

“I’m leaving, then.” Benjamin Foster strolled to the door, straightened his clothes in the glass, then suddenly seemed to remember something and turned back. “By the way, the girl told me roughly what happened. I suspect this guy has something like ‘Eden’ on him. You two be careful—bye.”

Fourth Brother raised an eyebrow. “Wait.”

Chapter 6

Five minutes later, the “Broken Tavern” was once again playing half-dead jazz music. The deeply unconscious “Spider” was tied to the table leg with a metal cord capable of delivering electric shocks, and Principal Foster, who was supposed to be heading home for his beauty sleep, had also returned to sit at the bar.

The green lizard lay motionless on Luke’s shoulder, like a plastic ornament.

Benjamin Foster couldn’t resist running his hand down the lizard’s back. The lizard didn’t react, but he got goosebumps all over his arm. “Can someone tell me what’s fun about keeping this thing?”