ABFMV Chapter 42

The villa district where X lived was the wealthy zone of the virtual net, built exclusively for the rich.

Anyone who could afford to live there was either loaded in real life or making huge profits online.

Xu Linlang figured the X standing before her had to be both.

After all, he’d been able to scan data from a military-grade A+ mech—proof that he came from power and privilege. On top of that, he currently held first place on the virtual mech battle leaderboard, which meant he was swimming in credits.

When Xu Linlang stepped into the room, she took a moment to study the décor—the truest reflection of someone’s taste.

From the cashmere carpet to the rosewood ceiling, everything was spotless, neatly maintained, every item placed at a precise, matching angle.

The only splash of color was a delicate rose in a porcelain vase on the desk—its vivid hue cutting through the stark black, white, and gray minimalism.

X handed her a glass of water.
“We’ll head to the training room later. There’s enough space to bring the mech out there.”

Xu Linlang took the glass eagerly.
“Let’s go now.”

She could barely wait to start repairing the damaged components.

X noticed her excitement and quietly withdrew the hand that had been reaching for a strawberry cake in the fridge.

He pressed the lift button, forcing down the nervous churn in his chest, unsure how he was supposed to face Xu Linlang.

He couldn’t risk exposing his identity.

X wasn’t just a handle for mech battles—it was an identity he planned to use for far more. If Xu Linlang ever discovered who he was, she might get dragged down with him.

So he had to restrain himself. She mustn’t find out.

“X? Which floor?”

She looked at his cold, expressionless face. Since he hadn’t pressed anything for a while, she finally asked.

“B1.”

Was it just her imagination, or had his warmth from earlier completely vanished? That brief sense of approachability was gone without a trace.

His attitude shifted too quickly—it had only been a few minutes, and he’d already flipped back to that aloof, distant vibe.

Still, she understood. Most experts were eccentric.

X released the mech into the room, adjusting its right arm so it would be easier for Xu Linlang to work on.

She removed the MK-3 component from the joint, cleared out the debris jammed inside, and then replaced the damaged parts with fresh ones from the toolkit.

When reassembling, she noticed all the spare parts were neatly arranged in sequence—not thrown together randomly.

Her curiosity stirred.
“You’ve studied mech repair?”

X shook his head.
“I’ve only picked up the basics of C- and D-grade parts.”

Xu Linlang smiled.
“I’ve been studying those too. If I get stuck, maybe I can ask you.”

He pressed his lips together, then nodded once.

She was still very curious about him.
“So why did you pick the nickname ‘X’?”

“X stands for the unknown.”

It was simple, but it made sense. X did carry a sense of mystery and limitless possibility. From their earlier battle, she could tell he was ambitious.

What she didn’t know was that when he first created the nickname, the first thing that came to mind was someone’s name—and he’d chosen her initial as his alias.

He pushed that thought down.
“And you? Why ‘007’?”

Most girls on the net use poetic or sweet names. Pure numbers were rare. Her choice was especially striking—0 and 7 together even sounded like his and her names intertwined.

As he waited for her answer, Xu Linlang debated what to say.

Originally, she’d just been inspired by a movie—007 felt cool in a virtual world. Plus, 007 was like a darker upgrade of “996”—a self-mocking joke about endless work.

But neither explanation felt like the right answer.

So she defaulted to the safest reason.
“I really like the number 7. But just ‘7’ felt weird, so I went with 007.”

The tips of X’s ears warmed.

She liked 7?

“I like the number 7 too,” he murmured.

The bright lights turned his pupils into liquid amber. Xu Linlang couldn’t quite read his expression, but for a moment, his gaze was undeniably soft.

Before leaving, she couldn’t hold back her praise.
“Your battle earlier was incredible. I’ve never seen a mech fight so thrilling—though to be fair, I’ve only ever watched two.”

X asked casually, “And the other?”

“Oh, that was just an academy exam match for mech pilots. Nowhere near as exciting as yours.”

Those exams were just sparring, holding back. What she’d just witnessed was pure, raw power—combat as art.

X: “…”

Her words pleased him, but comparing X to Seven Nights—that was just awkward. Especially since, in her eyes, X was clearly the stronger one.

But he couldn’t let her know they were the same person.

Would there come a day when, in her heart, X overshadowed Seven Nights?

No. He couldn’t allow that.

He lowered his gaze.
“This was only a virtual match. It’s not the same as real combat at the academy. They can’t really be compared.”

Xu Linlang’s admiration only grew.

Skilled, yet humble. A true master’s demeanor.

But… was it just her, or did he suddenly look darker somehow?

Maybe he was frustrated about his real-world combat skills?

But that made no sense. Someone this strong virtually couldn’t possibly be that weak in reality… could they? Then again, some people were legendary at racing sims but terrible behind the wheel in real life.

Maybe X was like that?

If so, she thought, maybe she could boost his confidence in other areas.

“I think your talent is outstanding. Take mech parts, for example—you’ve barely studied, yet you can classify and organize them so precisely. That shows you’re a quick learner. I’ve seen plenty of exam candidates who can’t even do that. Just from this alone, you’re ahead of them.”

X dipped his head slightly, almost shy, and after a pause, she heard a soft, “Thanks.”

Seemed like she’d cheered him up.

After leaving the villa district, Xu Linlang didn’t log off right away. Instead, she strolled through the mechanic’s street.

Here, people could register as certified mech repairers after passing exams. With a license and enough startup funds, they could open their own shops.

She wanted to get a feel for the marketplace before logging out. If possible, she was considering opening one herself.

That way, she wouldn’t have to hustle for clients in the battle zones—customers would come to her.

She walked slowly, scanning the rows of repair shops, until her eyes landed on a large parts store with an especially striking sign.

If she were serious about being a mech repairer in the virtual net, she’d need proper tools and parts.

Today, X had his own toolkit. If he hadn’t, she would’ve been caught empty-handed. Embarrassing.

The store was huge—the glass façade alone was the size of four regular shops combined.

The bold sign read “Shangpu,” a name she recognized.

Shangpu was the empire’s number-one commercial mech brand, a giant in the industry, owned by the prominent Shang family.

So this was their parts division in the virtual net. Big brands really didn’t miss a single business opportunity.

Inside, rows of gleaming crystal display cases filled the floor, each divided into neatly cut compartments that sparkled under the lights.

Several sales staff were busy talking to clients.

Xu Linlang wasn’t in a rush. She sank into a plush sofa and passed the time on her terminal.

“Xiao Zi, go handle the guest.”

The floor manager’s tone was half-mocking as she shoved the task onto the new hire at her side.

Xiao Zi stiffened. She hadn’t expected the manager to give her a customer at all. Most of their pay depended on commission, and so far in her first few days, she’d only managed to close one sale—every other lead had been snatched away.

When she saw who the manager was pointing at, she understood why.

Most of their clients were mech pilots or repairers, people whose names they memorized from the certification lists. It was part of their professionalism.

The young woman sitting across the room? Xiao Zi had never seen her before. Which meant she was neither a pilot nor a repairer—probably just a curious passerby.

The kind who’d waste your breath and buy nothing.

No wonder the manager tossed her this “opportunity.”

Xiao Zi gave a bitter little smile. She should’ve known.