Morning sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, painting golden stripes on the wooden floor. Nangong Wentian opened his eyes, stared at the crack on the ceiling for a few seconds, and then remembered he was no longer at the orphanage.
This was Orléans, the capital of Orb.
He rolled over and sat up, walking to the window to pull open the curtains. Morning light flooded in, illuminating the entire room. Outside, the Morgenroete building shimmered with a pale golden hue under the rising sun, its glass curtain walls reflecting the color of the sky.
The streets were already filled with pedestrians and vehicles. Office workers in suits hurried past, holding coffee and sandwiches. A hover truck passed below the building, its cargo compartment emblazoned with the Morgan Reti Corporation logo. In the distance, a small airship drifted slowly by, trailing a holographic advertisement in its wake: "Welcome to Orléans — Capital of Neutrality and Peace."
Nangong Wentian watched quietly for a moment, then turned and began tidying the room.
He had slept very late last night, using the "Star Core" to analyze Orléans's industrial data until two in the morning. Although he had only slept for five hours, he felt quite alert. Long-term physical training had conditioned his body to a demanding schedule; even as a twelve-year-old boy, his stamina and endurance far surpassed those of his peers.
He quickly washed up, put on his faded jacket, secured the encrypted hard drive close to his body, slung his canvas bag over his shoulder, and left the room.
Mrs. Tanaka was cleaning on the first floor. Seeing him come downstairs, she greeted him warmly. "Nangong-kun, heading out so early? Have you had breakfast?"
"Not yet," Nangong Wentian replied politely.
"Oh, it's no good for young people to skip breakfast!" Mrs. Tanaka put down her broom and brought out a rice ball and a carton of milk from the kitchen. "Here, take these. Don't be shy, consider it a housewarming gift."
Nangong Wentian was taken aback for a moment before accepting the rice ball and milk. "Thank you, Mrs. Tanaka."
"No need for thanks. It's not easy for a child like you to come to the capital alone to make your way." Mrs. Tanaka looked him up and down, her eyes filled with a touch of pity. "You're a good kid, with a bright future. Work hard, and if you need any help, just tell Auntie."
Nangong Wentian nodded and walked out of the apartment building.
The morning in Orléans was livelier than he had imagined. Shops on both sides of the street were already open for business, the aroma from a bakery wafting through the air. In front of an electronics store, the latest holographic TV was playing the morning news. A boy in a school uniform stood transfixed before the screen, his backpack slung haphazardly over his shoulder.
"...PLANT stated today that it regrets the Earth Federation's trade restrictions and calls for resolving differences through dialogue..." the news anchor's voice came from the screen.
"PLANT again," the boy muttered before turning and running off.
Nangong Wentian took a bite of his rice ball and walked slowly along the street. He needed to understand this city—not just its streets and buildings on a map, but its breath, its pulse, every single nerve of it.
He walked through the commercial district, seeing early-rising vendors setting up their stalls; he passed through a residential area, watching housewives watering flowers at their doorsteps; he passed by a school, observing students walking through the school gates in small groups. Everything was so peaceful, so ordinary, as if war would never come.
But he knew this was only an illusion.
He turned into a narrow alley, sat down on a bench, and took out the Star Core's portable terminal—a palm-sized tablet he had assembled himself using recycled old parts. The screen lit up, and he pulled up the industrial data he hadn't finished reading the day before.
The map of Orléans' technology industry unfolded before his eyes.
Core Area: Morgenroete
Morgenroete occupied a vast expanse of land in the eastern part of the city, including research and development centers, experimental factories, administrative buildings, and supporting residential areas. It was the heart of Orb's military-industrial complex and the institution with the strongest technological capabilities in the entire nation. According to publicly available information, Morgenroete was currently primarily engaged in the design of space vessels, the development of energy systems, and research into new materials.
Peripheral Area: Morgan Reti Corporation
Morgan Reti was Orb's largest private enterprise, with operations spanning heavy industry, shipbuilding, electronic equipment, and many other fields. Their factories were located in the industrial zone in the northern part of the city, with smokestacks operating day and night, and products flowing from their assembly lines to be sold throughout the Earth Sphere.
Nangong Wentian made a note on the data: Morgan Reti's technological capabilities were inferior to Morgenroete's, but their production capacity and market channels were resources that the Colossus Group could leverage in the future. If they could establish a cooperative relationship with them, they could quickly achieve mass production and sales of technological products.
Blank Area: New Energy and Aerospace Infrastructure
This was the part that most interested Nangong Wentian. He pulled up the Star Core's analysis results, and a color-coded chart popped up on the screen, marking the development levels of various technological fields in Orléans with different colors.
Red indicated saturated fields—traditional manufacturing, electronic equipment, construction materials—areas with fierce competition and thin profit margins.
Yellow indicated competitive fields—military industry, aerospace, biotechnology—areas with high barriers to entry but already monopolized by Morgenroete and a few large corporations.
Green indicated blank fields—new energy, aerospace infrastructure, new material applications—areas that were almost untouched, with immense market potential.
Nangong Wentian stared at the green areas, a gleam flashing in his eyes.
New energy—this was his advantage. In his mind, he had solar power technology from the 00 World, small-scale nuclear fusion solutions from the Universal Century, and new energy research from the SEED World itself. If he could integrate and optimize these technologies to develop efficient, affordable, and reliable new energy products, he could quickly capture the market.
Aerospace infrastructure—this was his ambition. Orbital elevators, space ports, space supply stations—these concepts were still in their infancy in the SEED World, but if they could be realized, they would fundamentally change the energy and transportation landscape of the Earth Sphere, significantly reducing the cost of space development.
And all of this could become the core business of the Colossus Group in the future.
Nangong Wentian created a new folder in the Star Core, naming it "Colossus Group · Development Plan." Inside, he wrote the first line:
"Goal: Become the leading provider of new energy and aerospace infrastructure in the Earth Sphere. Philosophy: Use technology to promote peace, use development to resolve conflicts."
He thought for a moment, then added another line:
"Secret Objective: Provide funding and technical cover for Mobile Suit development."
After writing this, he put away his tablet and continued walking down the street.
He passed over a pedestrian bridge, beneath which was a busy intersection. Cars streamed like a woven fabric, and pedestrians crowded like carp. A young man wearing a Morgenroete uniform hurried past, carrying a thick folder in his hand. Nangong Wentian noticed that the folder was printed with the words "G Project," though most of it was covered by a sticky note.
He felt a stir inside but showed no outward reaction.
"G Project"—he knew what that was. The secret Mobile Suit development project by Morgenroete, codenamed "G," which later produced the Gundam Astray series. But now it was Cosmic Era 63, seven years before the Bloody Valentine, eight years before Mobile Suits were officially deployed on the battlefield. The project was still in its earliest stages, likely just conducting theoretical validation and basic design.
Nangong Wentian watched the young man disappear into the crowd, mentally noting: Morgenroete's Mobile Suit development had already begun. He needed to speed up.
He continued walking until he reached the technology park in the southern part of the city. This area was home to numerous small and medium-sized tech companies, mostly focused on software, electronic devices, and precision instruments. The park had a pleasant environment with shaded trees and clean roads, but the companies were all small in scale, many just renting a few office rooms.
Nangong Wentian stopped in front of a company called "Future Technology." This was a small solar equipment company he had found online, with registered capital of only 5 million Orb Yuan, fewer than twenty employees, and average business performance.
Peering through the glass door, he saw only a few workstations inside. A young technician, probably in his twenties, was adjusting a solar panel. He wore glasses, had messy hair, and his work clothes were stained with solder and rosin residue.
Nangong Wentian didn't enter, just noted the company's location and door number.
He continued exploring the park, visiting several other companies involved in new energy-related businesses. The situation was similar—small scale, weak technology, tight funding, but with some foundational technical accumulation and talent reserves.
This was exactly what he needed.
If the Colossus Group appeared directly under the name "New Energy Company," it would be too conspicuous. But by acquiring or partnering with these small enterprises, he could quickly build a seemingly ordinary yet secretly capable technological network.
He recorded this information in the "Star Core," marking several potential collaboration targets.
At noon, he bought a sandwich and a drink from a convenience store and sat on a bench by the roadside to eat lunch. The sun was just right, warm on his skin. People came and went on the street, chatting and laughing.
A little girl with a backpack ran past him, holding an ice cream cone, her face smeared with cream. Her mother chased after her, shouting, "Slow down, don't fall!"
Watching this scene, Nangong Wentian's lips curved slightly upward.
He thought of the children at the orphanage, of Sayuri hugging her doll, of Xiao Wu riding on Tanaka's shoulders, of Xiao Guang's reddened eyes as he pressed a protective charm into his hand.
"Wait for me," he silently vowed. "When I have the ability, I'll bring you all out."
After finishing his lunch, he continued his survey.
In the afternoon, he went to the commercial district in the western part of the city. This area was completely different from the technology park, filled with skyscrapers and shopping malls, and massive Holographic Advertisements were everywhere. In front of an electronics store, the latest computers and communication devices were on display, but the numbers on the price tags made Nangong Wentian gasp—a high-performance computer cost 3 million Orb Yuan, enough to cover the orphanage's expenses for an entire year.
He browsed around the store and took note of a few items: a set of Micro-fabrication Equipment, some electronic components, and a second-hand Material Analyzer. The total price was around 2 million Orb Yuan.
"Too expensive," he frowned. His current funds totaled only 8 million, and he still needed to set aside money for registering a company and renting a laboratory.
He noted down the models and prices, planning to consider them later.
As evening fell, he returned to the apartment building. Mrs. Tanaka was watering flowers at the entrance and smiled when she saw him. "Where did you go today?"
"Just wandered around to get familiar with the area," Nangong Wentian replied.
"How was it? The capital isn't too bad, right?"
"Yeah, it's great," Nangong Wentian nodded. "Bigger and more prosperous than I imagined."
"Of course, this is Orb's capital!" Mrs. Tanaka said proudly. "But as prosperous as it is, times are tough for everyone these days. Look at those big companies—they may seem glamorous on the surface, but they're all laying people off. My son used to work at an electronics factory, and he got laid off last month. He's still at home now..."
Nangong Wentian's interest was piqued. "Which electronics factory?"
"The one in the northern district, called... oh, 'East Asia Electronics,'" Mrs. Tanaka sighed. "He worked there for five years, and they just let him go like that."
Nangong Wentian made a mental note of the name. Laid-off employees were often those with solid technical skills but poor networking abilities—exactly the kind of people the Colossus Group needed.
"Mrs. Tanaka, what's your son's name? What does he do?"
"His name is Tanaka Kenji, and he works in circuit design," Mrs. Tanaka said, her expression turning somewhat helpless as she spoke of her son. "He's quite skilled technically, but his personality is too reserved, and he's not good at dealing with people. He worked at the company for five years, and his supervisors didn't even know his name."
Nangong Wentian already had an idea in mind.
Back in his room, he opened the Star Core and began organizing the day's findings.
He wrote on the screen:
Investigation Summary (Day 1)
Overview of Orleans' Technology Industry:
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Core Area: Morgenroete (Military Industry, Aerospace)
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Peripheral Area: Morganrete (Heavy Industry, Manufacturing)
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Gaps: New Energy, Aerospace Infrastructure
Potential Resources:
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Small and Medium Enterprises: Future Technology (Solar Energy), East Asia Electronics (Circuit Design), etc. Small in scale but with solid technical foundations.
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Talent: Tanaka Kenji (Technically Skilled)
Next Steps:
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Register a company (Need to find an agent; minors cannot register)
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Rent a laboratory (Needs to be discreet, conveniently located, and expandable)
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Integrate resources from small and medium enterprises
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Recruit core employees
After writing this, he leaned back in his chair and gazed at the night view outside the window.
The Morgenroete building was lit up like a lighthouse standing tall in the center of the city. Inside, scientists and engineers were hard at work for Orb's national defense. They had no idea that in a small apartment across the street, a twelve-year-old boy was planning a future even more ambitious than theirs.
Nangong Wentian stood up and walked to the window, pushing it open. The evening breeze rushed in, carrying the scent of the city—gasoline, food, floral fragrances, and the distant smoke from factories.
He took a deep breath.
"This is Orleans," he whispered. "This is my new beginning."
Outside, the city lights twinkled like stars. The flow of cars on the streets resembled a ribbon of light, winding into the distance. Far away, a night flight slowly ascended, its tail lights gradually fading into the night sky.
Nangong Wentian watched the plane, a peculiar feeling welling up inside him.
He knew there was still a long road ahead. He needed to register a company, find an agent, rent a laboratory, recruit talent, develop technology, and manufacture Mobile Suits. In ten years, he would turn the knowledge in his mind into reality.
He would change this world with his own hands.
He closed the window, returned to the desk, and continued working.
The screen of the "Star Core" glowed, data cascading down like a waterfall. He began designing the first public product of the Colossus Group—a plan for a high-efficiency solar power station. This would be the Colossus Group's first step toward making a name for itself and the first mark he would leave in this world.
Outside, the city lights gradually dimmed as people drifted into sleep. Only a few lights remained lit in the Morgenroete building, echoing the glow from the screen in this small apartment.
Two worlds, one dream.
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