After contacting his family, Zhou Tianming hesitated with his phone in hand.
Over the years, he had gotten along quite well with Natarle—perhaps too well, to the point where there was no romantic tension whatsoever.
The saying went that a wife three years older was like holding a gold brick. At 17 years old with Natarle being 20, the age gap was just right to start something.
To say Zhou Tianming wasn't interested would be a lie, but their relationship had become so familiar that making a move felt awkward.
After wrestling with his thoughts for a long time, Zhou Tianming was just about to call when something came up.
He heard that a young man named Lowe Guele wanted to join the Junk Guild and needed him to conduct the interview.
Women? Who cared about women! This was a side-story protagonist—he had to go meet the celebrity first.
At their first meeting, Lowe's most striking feature was his spiky brown hair. His face still carried a youthful innocence, and when he saw Zhou Tianming, his expression was full of admiration.
Eyes shining, Lowe rushed up to him and shouted with full enthusiasm, "Guild Master! Please let me join the Junk Guild!"
As expected, meeting celebrities in person shattered all illusions.
Zhou Tianming maintained a polite smile. "I warmly welcome your interest, but there are some things I need to make clear."
"Please go ahead!"
"If you join the Junk Guild, you must abide by its rules. If you're just looking for ordinary ways to make money, there's no need to join."
Lowe's smile faded as he replied seriously, "I came here after careful consideration."
Sensing his determination, Zhou Tianming smirked. "Come on, I'll give you a test."
"Huh?" Lowe blinked. "There's a test to join? I—I didn't prepare for anything!"
Originally, there wouldn't have been a test—it was just joining the Junk Guild, not some secret organization.
But Zhou Tianming was curious about Lowe's talents, so he added this step on a whim.
Being the guild master meant he could do whatever he wanted!
The tests lasted until evening, revealing Lowe's astonishing mechanical aptitude and natural talent.
However, as an orphan with limited resources, his knowledge was scattered, leaning toward practical survival skills. It seemed he had only just achieved basic stability and hadn't yet entered the development phase. Still, his potential was promising, so Zhou Tianming specifically contacted Liu Qing to nurture him carefully.
Their meeting also brought an unexpected bonus—the initial plan from years ago had indeed worked. After just one day with Lowe, he unlocked [Trust]. The real challenge now was whether Zhou Tianming himself could learn to trust others.
By the time everything was settled, it was already 9:44 p.m.
Oh no!
Before he could pick up the phone, it rang.
The moment he answered, Natarle's furious voice came through: "Zhou Tianming! Why didn't you check in on time? As a—...!" She went on and on, her tone clearly indicating something was wrong. Zhou Tianming stayed silent, listening quietly.
Only after she finished did he speak softly, "Did someone bully you?"
"No!" Natarle shouted, but her voice quickly softened. "Not at all."
Her tone was full of grievance and unwillingness.
"Wanna talk about it?"
"No!" The call ended abruptly.
Zhou Tianming looked at the phone with amusement and shook his head. "Like a little kid."
Earth, Washington—Inside a sturdy three-story villa
In the bedroom, the 20-year-old Natarle wore a plain white fitted camisole and athletic pants, the snug clothing accentuating her healthy, well-proportioned figure.
She flopped onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow, her phone tossed aside.
After a while, she lifted her head, rolled onto her back, and stared blankly at the ceiling, half of her face swollen and bruised, filled with desolation.
Her thoughts inevitably drifted back to that afternoon.
Principal's Office
Natarle stormed in angrily and slammed a sheet of paper onto the heavy wooden desk. "Why?!"
The slightly overweight principal frowned and barked, "Get out! Who gave you permission to barge in here?"
Natarle's willow-leaf brows furrowed, undaunted, as she smacked the desk again. "Why was my application rejected?"
The principal glanced down at the paper—Officer Internship Application Form—and sneered in understanding. "With your current attitude, do you even resemble a soldier? Where's your discipline? I'm glad I removed you from the list."
Gritting her teeth, Natarle was momentarily speechless but still retorted, "My academic performance has always been top-tier! You have no right to revoke my spot!"
"Natarle Badgiruel, tell me—what is the most important quality of a soldier?"
Clenching her fists, the paper crumpled beneath her grip. Natarle bit her lip, unable to answer.
"Seems you understand now," the principal said smugly. "Discipline! Obedience! And what are you doing?"
Natarle paled, involuntarily taking a step back.
"Will the enemy care about your grades on the battlefield?! What happens to soldiers without discipline? And you dare dream of joining the Officer Internship? Disgraceful!"
Natarle stood frozen, wanting to argue but at a loss for words.
"What are you still doing here? Get out!"
The principal waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing a fly.
A soldier without that spirit isn't a soldier at all!
Zhou Tianming's voice suddenly echoed in her mind—words he had once said during a discussion about what made a good soldier.
The principal's arrogant, ugly face loomed larger in her vision.
Natarle raised her fist.
"Ahhh!!!"
Fifteen minutes later, the school's Director and instructors gathered in the principal's office.
The principal, his face swollen and bruised like a pig's, screamed, "Expel her! Expel her! Just you wait! You'll never set foot in the military again!"
Natarle took a step forward, her violet eyes blazing.
Terrified, the principal fell back onto his rear.
An instructor quickly turned and blocked Natarle with outstretched arms, his face amused but his tone stern. "Cadet Badgiruel! You're confined to your home for ten days! I'll be contacting your parents!"
With that, he hurriedly pulled Natarle out of the room.
"What?! How can you just let her off like that?! I'll—"
"Principal! Your image, your image..."
The voices faded as the distance grew.
"Go home. Use these ten days to rest."
Natarle's face twisted with frustration. "Instructor, why was my application rejected?"
The instructor sighed as he looked at Natarle's determined eyes. "It's not your fault. Someone higher up wants this position for their own child to gild their resume. You know that performing well during the internship could at least earn you the rank of second lieutenant afterward, so..."
He didn't finish, but Natarle understood.
Evening, at home
Natarle and Williams had a heated argument.
Williams seized the opportunity to persuade her again: "Natarle, the Atlantic Federation isn't the same as before. I don't want you to—" Before he could finish, she interrupted, "So, Dad, you want me to be a deserter like you?!"
"There's a chance to advance further—why retire?!"
"Natarle, this matter isn't as simple as you think!"
"You always say the Atlantic military is sick—shouldn't you be the one to save it? Instead, you're acting like a coward!"
Slap!
Williams' palm struck Natarle's face with a loud crack.
Natarle staggered but stubbornly refused to fall. Half of her cheek visibly swelled up.
After striking her, Williams immediately looked regretful, opening his mouth but saying nothing.
Natarle's eyes reddened, but she didn't shed tears. She turned and ran upstairs, slamming the door behind her with a loud bang.
The pleasant ring of a phone call interrupted Natarle's memories.
She grabbed a pillow and muffled the sound by pressing it down hard. The ringing instantly softened.
After letting it ring for a while, she wrinkled her nose and huffed before lifting the pillow—only for the music to stop at that exact moment.
Natarle hurriedly picked up her phone, but the call had already ended.
Frustrated, she raised her hand, ready to hurl the phone to the ground—but then it vibrated.
She froze mid-throw.
Pulling her hand back, she peeked at the message on the chat app:
"I'll be away for a few months. Communication might be difficult."
Startled, she immediately called back. As soon as the line connected, she blurted out, "Where are you going?"
"To a satellite wreckage between Earth and Mars."
"How long will you be gone?"
"Round trip should take about four months."
Her eyes lit up. The sting on her cheek from her father's slap flashed in her mind. With a cold snort, she jumped off the bed. "I'm coming too! Pick me up!"
"Uh... Why? Did Uncle Williams and Olivia agree?"
"Right now! This second! I'm running away from home! Meet me at Copernicus City."
She hung up, then stood and pulled a small suitcase from the wardrobe, stuffing it with spare clothes.
Junk Guild, Central Tower VIP Suite
Zhou Tianming, buried under the blankets, stared blankly at his phone after the abrupt disconnection.
"Running away from home? Natarle, you're twenty..."
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