When Siegel asked, Zhou Tianming didn't answer immediately. Instead, he questioned, "Uncle Siegel, what was the reward I requested when we first met?"
After a pause on the other end of the line, the response came: "You needed a secure identity and a substantial sum of money—enough to ensure you and your mother could live comfortably while making future investment plans."
Zhou Tianming nodded. Exactly right. He'd finally reached the real Siegel.
"I was kidnapped earlier. The perpetrators didn't seem intent on killing me—just taking me away."
Siegel's voice grew urgent. "Are you unharmed? What's your current situation?"
"I escaped. I'm safe for now. But they're still searching for me. Earlier when I called you, someone used a voice changer to impersonate me."
"Seems our opponents are quite capable. Don't contact anyone else now. I'll arrange another private shuttle. Go directly through the VIP channel at the Spaceport."
"Understood."
"I'll have the bank manager prepare a new phone for you. Download an app called 'Library' and find a book titled Accidentally Started Writing a Novel. All subsequent communications will be encrypted through it. You know how these games work, right?"
Zhou Tianming understood immediately. "I do."
"Time is critical. The sooner you leave the Satellite, the safer you'll be."
Later, the bank manager provided Zhou Tianming with the new phone. He downloaded the Library app and retrieved the specified novel. For added security after the earlier incident, Zhou Tianming chose an open-top unmanned car arranged by the manager.
After respectfully seeing Zhou Tianming off, the bank manager wiped his brow in relief.
...
In April, within City Hall's central building, inside a minimalist office:
Siegel hung up the phone with a deep frown. After contemplation, he redialed—this time to Patrick.
"Patrick, someone tried to abduct Zhou Tianming."
A stern voice responded: "What are you implying? Suspecting me?"
"Yes. The perpetrators had my private number and authority to intercept calls through the communications center. Few possess such capabilities, and even fewer would consider Zhou Tianming worth the effort."
"Interesting. So our adversaries still have moles among us."
Siegel's voice carried anger: "This crosses a line. Regardless of Zhou Tianming's potential, he's still just a child now."
"Hmph. This is what your leniency has wrought."
"Handle it."
The call ended. Siegel leaned heavily into his chair, his expression grave with contemplation.
...
Meanwhile, in December at Diesenbell City:
Patrick rose from his desk after hanging up. Outside, his driver—who doubled as bodyguard—awaited.
"Send someone to February City to rescue Zhou Tianming and take care of those pests while you're at it."
The driver saluted and quickly left.
Patrick watched the driver's retreating figure with a smirk before returning to his office to make a call: "Don't intervene unless Zhou Tianming's life is in danger. I want to know who's behind them."
The other end of the line hung up without responding.
The driver first followed orders by contacting a squad and instructing them to depart immediately, then made another call: "Patrick has sent a rescue team. Whatever you're planning, wrap it up quickly."
"Understood."
...
In February City, atop a high-rise building, the blond man from the communications center earlier hung up his phone.
Smith sighed in admiration: "No wonder they think so highly of that kid. He's really something—how did he even see through the trap?"
As he spoke, he called the twin-tailed woman still stationed at the communications center.
"Bonnie, the kid's made contact with Siegel. Find out how he did it and track down the person."
"OK."
After hanging up, he contacted the tall man leading the team to the rendezvous point: "Tris, hold your position and wait for Bonnie's update."
"Copy that."
Smith shook his head helplessly at the sniper rifle he had just assembled minutes ago. "What a pain."
He disassembled it piece by piece and packed it back into the black suitcase that served as its disguise.
...
Zhou Tianming sat in the open-top unmanned car, staring at his phone as Siegel sent over details about the shuttle's model, color, and other specifications.
He copied the information and opened the library app, navigating to the bookshelf section and selecting a novel.
He had expected to painstakingly search through the text using the code, but to his surprise, he found a search bar while browsing the table of contents.
Originally meant for inputting page numbers, lines, or character counts to locate specific content, he absentmindedly pasted the code into it.
To his astonishment, the code was deciphered instantly, revealing the complete message.
Zhou Tianming was puzzled.
Was even the novel software in the Gundam world this advanced? It had features like this?
He tried another novel, inputting the code again, and another passage was quickly decoded—though nonsensical, it confirmed that the search bar was designed for this purpose.
Suddenly, Zhou Tianming recalled that in Gundam SEED, there was indeed an organization called the Library.
Could they have developed this?
Frowning at the app, he filed the thought away for later.
Even if the Library had created this app, there was no conflict so far. He just needed to be careful not to leave any critical information behind.
Letting out a long breath, Zhou Tianming leaned back in his seat, relaxing slightly.
The shuttle was already arranged—once he boarded it, this chapter would be over. The mastermind behind all this could be left for Siegel to investigate.
His top priority now was to grow stronger as quickly as possible. There was no need to get entangled with these shadowy figures personally.
Once he had his own spacecraft, he could move freely. Once he had a Gundam, he could stand his ground even against an army. Anyone who wanted to mess with him would have to weigh their own strength carefully.
Suddenly, static crackled through the unmanned car's speakers.
Zhou Tianming instantly tensed, scanning his surroundings.
The road was empty—no vehicles in sight, no pedestrians on the sidewalks. To his left stretched an open grassland, while a dense grove of trees stood not far to his right.
Something was wrong. Zhou Tianming remembered there had been cars around earlier, and the road to the Spaceport shouldn't be completely empty of vehicles or people.
"Hello, Zhou Tianming." A man's voice came through.
Squinting at the car's intercom, Zhou Tianming knew he'd been trapped but didn't rush to jump out. Before leaving, he wanted to hear why they were after him.
"Don't think about running. Our people have surrounded the area."
Zhou Tianming's face remained expressionless, his voice calm. "What do you want?"
"The higher-ups want to recruit you."
"???"
Zhou Tianming couldn't hold back, his stoic expression cracking into a wry smile. "Couldn't you have just asked properly?"
"Would you have joined then?"
"Who are you people?"
"Trying to get information out of me?"
"I can't just join without knowing who you are."
"That's none of your concern. Just answer: join or not."
The other party's rigid response worsened Zhou Tianming's impression of them. He'd already decided to refuse but pretended to consider it.
Mindpower [Analyze 1] activated.
A flood of information integrated and reasoned in his mind.
From their attitude toward him to their behavior, tone, and every event from start to now.
Zhou Tianming sensed their disregard for his will—a condescending arrogance that said, "You don't need your own thoughts."
Rather than high status, it carried a sense of superiority, as if they were fundamentally different from him.
Two words immediately came to Zhou Tianming's mind: religion.
He tried fishing for more information: "What if I refuse?"
"What a shame."
The man fell silent.
Zhou Tianming listened carefully to the faint sounds from the speaker.
Wind—he was somewhere high up.
Gears turning—adjusting something, perhaps a telescope?
High ground, observing—a sniper!
"You're aiming at me already?"
His breathing hitched.
Zhou Tianming instantly knew he was right.
Scanning the area, he spotted the high-rises about 1.5 kilometers to his left. He wasn't sure which one, but it had to be one of them.
"Over there?"
His breathing steadied, then stopped.
"Going to shoot?"
His paused breath faltered again.
In that split second, Zhou Tianming vaulted out of the unmanned convertible