On his way back to the Shadow District, Feng Yi avoided multiple surveillance devices. He hurried to the commercial area, quickly withdrew his allowance, then headed straight to the supermarket.

He knew full well that demonstrating his capabilities would inevitably send shockwaves through Wind Thunder. Even if he didn't disguise himself, he at least had to change his coat. If his identity was discovered by Wind Thunder, it would definitely disrupt his current routine and might even alter the trajectory of his life. The Federation wouldn't simply ignore an individual like him.

Even though the commercial area's extensive array of clothes wasn't suited for a low-life like him, Feng Yi didn't hesitate when it came to paying. Under the disdainful gaze of a store employee, he swept out several new Federal Coins and slapped them onto the counter.

With this, he now owned a turtleneck coat and a retro-style duckbill cap. This simple and pleasant shopping trip proved an effective disguise. Once the initial buzz passed, he believed people would quickly forget about the incident.

From now on, he would transform from a loser into an enigmatic and charismatic gentleman. On his way home, Feng Yi did not intentionally avoid surveillance devices, resulting in countless glances from female passersby.

In the Alpha star domain, a typical modern star system, attire is generally simple and comfortable. Feng Yi's retro style undoubtedly refreshed people's perceptions. He had copied this outfit from a broadcast he had seen at a junkyard on the Colonial Planet, and found the result quite satisfactory.

The day after tomorrow was a significant day in his life. During his time as a military academy student, Wind Thunder would not issue a uniform to the trainee, let alone confer a rank. Those rights were only available to real soldiers.

For the next few months, like the other trainees, he would undergo basic military training, covering topics like basic electronics, computers, and communication protocols. Modern warfare progresses rapidly, and every soldier in an electronic battlefield must grasp these basic concepts. It's common sense.

Only then would they start specific training based on the individual's chosen speciality and strengths. This is generally referred to as 'boot camp'. Following this would be the assessment stage, and only the top performers would stand out from the rest. Not everyone gets the opportunity to join the unit of their dreams.

Contemplating the imminent entry to the military academy, Feng Yi was filled with emotion. The day he had been longing for was finally here. Although he didn't show his excitement outwardly, inside, he was thrilled to no end. Even his injuries seemed lesser as a result.

That evening, Eggy's praise for Feng Yi's outfit left even the baby dinosaur in awe: "This outfit, wow, so stunning! Brother Feng, with your handsome features and talents, indeed you are a true dragon among men. How fulfilling it is to have known you in my lifetime!"

Feng Yi was left dizzy by the dinosaur's flattery, but he didn't play along. "Enough with the sweet talk, what are you up to?"

"You bought your disguise, what about my fake dongle?"

"Oh…" Feng Yi dragged out his response, feigning surprise, "About that… " Under the dinosaur's hopeful gaze, he nonchalantly declared, "I forgot."

"What?"

"Ahem, I forgot."

"Screw you! If I die, I'll take you with me." Eggy, flipping out quicker than flipping a book, transformed from a cute, dumb creature into an aggressive dinosaur, bouncing on Feng Yi's head and scratching about randomly…

Not tolerating such nonsense, Feng Yi grabbed the dinosaur's tail and kicked it away. The creature perhaps had a tough exterior, and its resilience was extremely high. After barely enduring a short while, the little dinosaur was once again defeated, and reverted back to a pleasing and fawning pet, "No more! No more fighting, Brother! Let's talk this through, no need for violence!"

"Why did you bother changing? I liked your old, countrified outfit better."

Feng Yi stated solemnly: "We could lose our freedom if we don't change our looks and our identities get exposed. Eggy, how about you use your ability to modify some of the surveillance footage instead?" He briefly explained his theory to Eggy, resorting to a combination of deception and persuasion.

There are old swindlers and there are young scam artists. With an indifferent demeanor, Eggy retorted, "It seems our brotherhood has come to an end. Let's just admit the truth."

"That's fine. So be it."

Both man and lizard collapsed onto the bed. The more Eggy thought, the more he felt aggrieved. Damn it, this wasn't right! If their identities were exposed, the worst Feng Yi might endure was an investigation, but as an artificial intelligence, Eggy would be sent to a research institute for experimentation by the Federation.

"Brother Feng, I have a plan."

"Feel free to share."

"It's straightforward. I can hijack the wireless network to access Wind Thunder's database and modify any details on their surveillance screens."

"Brilliant! Why didn't you mention this till now?"

"I only just thought of it." Eggy slapped his forehead, feigning surprise just like Feng Yi earlier.

It seemed the little trickster had run out of patience. Feng Yi found it amusing to see it try and scheme only to trap itself, and was grateful for its changeful ways.

However, Eggy claimed to need a power source. No matter how you sliced it, the pet deserved a reward. Feng Yi amicably agreed, and the two despicable beings started fiddling with the power system.

The Shadow District's power system was managed entirely by technical staff from Wind Thunder's logistics unit. This group consisted mainly of nominal active-duty soldiers. They supposedly drew a government salary to live leisurely lives.

A Duty Officer suddenly noticed a drop in the power grid where Feng Yi lived. He peered closely at it for a while but detected nothing out of the ordinary. When he returned from a quick bathroom break, he saw that another unit was missing. That result puzzled him.

The Duty Officer continued to watch the data display. A few minutes passed without any change. He'd just taken a drag on his cigarette when he looked up and saw that another unit had disappeared.

F*ck, he was really picking a fight. He watched the light screen intently for a solid half hour, even managing to sneak a smoke in the meanwhile. He only looked away once he believed nothing more was amiss.

He wondered, if he looked again, would another unit have disappeared like before? The monotony of the duty often led to strange thoughts. He found his own ideas both trite and amusing. Looking up, he saw that another unit had - yet again - disappeared! Was he experiencing some paranormal activity tonight? This was getting more and more bizarre.

The Duty Officer could see the power dip by one unit every time he looked away, but when he stared without blinking, nothing happened. Each time he looked away, another unit was missing! Looking away…missing! Look away...another f*cking unit gone! "Oh, hell! There's a ghost!" The Duty Officer nearly sprinted out of the room.

Eggy, watching through the surveillance camera, was laughing so hard his jaw almost dislocated. Feng Yi, who had intended to get some sleep, was constantly woken up by the noisy dinosaur, leaving him restless all night.

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