NOVEL WEB Chapter 303 - The Invitation
After a journey of several star hours, Jiang Hui traveled from the Beska Intermediate Academy’s sector back to the mainland, her feet once again stepping onto familiar ground.
The mainland was still the same as ever, unchanged in any way. Jiang Hui had gradually adapted to this world, which had been floating under this sky for more than just a few stars.
After disembarking from the spaceship, she glanced around at the somewhat unfamiliar city, feeling a bit lost for a moment. It took her a while before she finally hailed an air taxi and headed toward her apartment on Changhe Street in the Fourth Ring of the city.
As it turned out, she was quite lucky not to have taken Xierman’s private spaceship. Just as she was about to reach the mainland, she received a message from Xierman and Zhou Xiuwen, informing her that they were only just departing from the school. Due to unexpected traffic control, Xierman’s family’s private spaceship had been delayed.
She had no idea which powerful figure had managed to reserve an entire private flight route. If this were Blue Planet, it would be equivalent to shutting down an entire international airline route for personal use. The amount of money needed to clear the bureaucratic hurdles would be unimaginable.
Jiang Hui shook her head, brushing away the irrelevant thoughts. She skillfully checked in at the apartment building’s front desk using the intelligent robot system, then made her way to the home she hadn’t seen in days, guided by her door number.
The apartment was just as she had left it. She bent down to retrieve a few envelopes from the mailbox—letters that had arrived while she was at school.
Flipping through the mail, she entered the apartment after completing identity verification.
“Welcome home, Master. I am your intelligent system, BVTT-2587-3624. I have retrieved stored information and automatically adjusted the system settings to match those from your last departure. You have enabled privacy mode. The intelligent system will now operate in voice-activated mode. If you require any assistance, please issue a command, and I will do my best to fulfill it…”
Even though she knew it was just an AI system without real human-like cognitive abilities, its voice was so lifelike that it sometimes felt as if a stranger were speaking inside her home. Out of instinct, Jiang Hui responded briefly, then chuckled to herself. She must have grown too accustomed to the communal life at school—returning to living alone felt a little unfamiliar now.
If she wanted a livelier atmosphere, it wouldn’t be difficult. She could simply set the system to humanoid simulation mode. She had tested it once at a holographic simulation exhibit, and she had to admit—it was eerily realistic.
However, her original self had once been taken away by an AI system, and something about these hyper-realistic humanoid programs felt unsettling. Instead of making life more convenient, they gave off an eerie presence when integrated into daily life. So, when she installed the new system, she opted for a semi-automated simple mode—it only activated when needed and remained in standby otherwise. Plus, it saved electricity.
Jiang Hui instructed the intelligent system to lock the door and adjust the temperature in the living room, then she slowly started opening the letters while sitting in the living room.
There weren’t many letters; aside from the automatically subscribed newspapers and advertisements, there were only three formal letters.
One of them contained information Jiang Hui had already learned from Stark. The last batch of her father’s belongings had been approved by the military and was ready to be returned to the family.
Originally, these items were supposed to be sent directly to her current residence. However, because the batch contained some valuable and sensitive items, Stark, through his connections, was tasked with forwarding them on her behalf.
Still, the military handled the situation responsibly, sending postcards and a detailed list of the items. Jiang Hui glanced through the list—aside from the top item, an A-grade humanoid mech, most of the other items were military tools she didn’t fully understand.
It was only then that she remembered Stark had once casually asked her about her feelings toward humanoid mechs, which likely had something to do with her biological father.
The “last batch of belongings” referred to the items that soldiers carry with them before their death. Unlike standard military supplies, these were the personal items that had the most significance to them during their lives.
Jiang Hui had already received two previous batches of her parents’ belongings. One batch was from her mother, Jiang Yilin, and the other from her father, Jiang Huai.
Jiang Yilin had perished in a fire, leaving no trace of her remains, and her mech had also been reduced to ashes. The personal items she had taken with her were simple, and the military had long since returned her belongings to Jiang Hui, which were now stored at the family estate on Kemeier Star in the inner star systems. Apart from Jiang Hui, no one could access or interact with the estate.
As for Jiang Huai’s personal items, due to certain administrative checks, the return process had been slower, but this year, everything was finally going to be returned to Jiang Hui.
Jiang Hui gazed at the condolence message attached at the end of the letter and felt an inexplicable sadness.
Life… it’s neither long nor short. You work hard your whole life, struggling until you leave this world, and in the end, all that’s left are a few things. Yet, aside from these material possessions, it seems there is nothing else that can prove you ever existed in this world.
Jiang Hui wondered if, when she passed away one day, anyone would feel sorrow for her, even just for a moment.
She wanted to put the letter back into the envelope as it was, but after a brief hesitation, she decided against it. Instead, she found something heavy to press it flat on the table, planning to store it in a proper box tomorrow.
Then there was an official letter, a package from the Planet Immigration Bureau that had been sent the day she reported to school. It contained receipts and tools from her transfer from the inner star systems to the permanent star system—things like discount coupons, vouchers, various guides, and even a complete set of tickets for all the scenic spots on Star 732.
Jiang Hui looked through it. The contents were quite comprehensive, and many of the items would be useful for her upcoming shopping trip, so it was a pleasant surprise.
The last letter was rather unexpected. It was an invitation from the Star 732 First Ring Beginner Combat Arena.
Previously, Clarens had invited them to watch the mecha open competition this Sunday, and after receiving their responses, he reported the participant list and forwarded electronic tickets to them. Now, the combat arena had sent a physical invitation along with some souvenirs.
Jiang Hui checked the shipping date—it was sent on Wednesday afternoon. It seemed that the participant list was submitted around noon on Wednesday, and by the afternoon, it had already arrived at her home. The efficiency was impressive. She quickly flipped through the invitation. It was made of rare metal, with intricate hollowed-out designs and a 3D shape. The materials and craftsmanship were quite good, and it could easily be displayed as an artwork.
“Steel Warrior Richard Fischer VS Thousand-Faced Mecha Fighter Angel Burghan, who will claim victory after countless battles… The match will take place this Sunday, at 10:00 AM, in the ninth star epoch, XXXX year, XX month, XX day…”
Along with the invitation was a huge poster, featuring illustrations of the so-called “Steel Warrior” and “Thousand-Faced Mecha Fighter” in a tense standoff, surrounded by various graphic elements. The feeling of intensity was immediately conveyed. Below, there were chibi versions of the two mecha pilots, each with a brooding, serious expression.
Jiang Hui: …
She hadn’t expected the interstellar world to be so good at creating gimmicks. The artistic portrayal on the poster was definitely eye-catching.