Conquering the Stars and My Haters’ Hearts - Chapter 17

By the next day, the news of Jin Xinheng challenging a newcomer had spread like wildfire. All tens of thousands of spectator tickets for the Arena match were sold out within minutes.

In high-level Arena matches like this, there is a live audience and ticket sales. While those watching from the outside are limited to a few fixed camera angles, ticket holders can watch in full immersive holography. This is a godsend for die-hard fans and those looking to study a pilot’s techniques; consequently, tickets for elite matches are often in such high demand that second-hand prices reach astronomical heights.

The ticket revenue is shared with the participants. Xie Anning, benefiting from Jin Xinheng’s fame, was allocated a ten-percent cut of the earnings.

However, what moved him even more was the explosion of viewers on his livestream. Perhaps because it was a holiday, the count surged to several hundred thousand. After all, Jin Xinheng didn’t stream, and not everyone could snag a ticket. Waiting for a delayed broadcast was too slow; watching the chaos unfold on Xie Anning’s channel was the fastest way to get in on the action.

Xie Anning figured that at this rate, he might actually complete the “Newbie Mission” today! The only problem was that if he lost too embarrassingly, the crowd might vanish instantly. He wondered if the System would still count that as a successful mission.

The night before, Xie Anning had stayed up until the early hours to grind his rank up to the required level. He’d barely woken up before it was time for the match.

The moment he logged on, he received the challenge invitation. Upon clicking “Accept,” his surroundings dimmed, and when the light returned, he found himself in the center of a massive platform. Surrounding him was a sea of spectators, cheering with fanatical energy.

Naturally, these were Jin Xinheng’s fans. Xie Anning’s supporters were few and far between—the sheer difference in total follower counts made the disparity obvious.

Jin Xinheng stood opposite him, piloting a brand-new, high-end mech. The giant screens in the arena even showed a close-up of his face—he was, undeniably, a handsome man. This contributed significantly to his massive fanbase. To them, his ruthless nature didn’t matter; strength was paramount, and if you were both powerful and good-looking, you were perfect.

“Master Jin Xinheng! Ahhh! Look over here!”

“I can’t wait to see Master Jin in action! Crush that pathetic streamer!”

“That guy doesn’t even dare show his face. I bet he’s hideous.”

In the streaming world, those with good looks usually flaunted them immediately to gain fans. Someone like Xie Anning, who obscured his features, was generally assumed to be too unattractive to be seen in public.

“Look at his mech, it’s so beat-up. It’s pathetic.”

“Does he really think that little piece of junk can stand up to Master Jin? Or has he just given up hope?”

“I hope Master Jin draws it out a bit. It’ll be boring if this guy loses too quickly.”

The crowd hadn’t even entertained the possibility of Xie Anning winning; they were there purely to cheer for Jin Xinheng. As for the handful of Xie Anning fans present, they were silently praying he wouldn’t end up crippled. As long as he remained intact, there was always a chance for the future!

In truth, Xie Anning’s mech wasn’t exactly “junk.” He hadn’t been playing the game long, hadn’t farmed many points, and certainly hadn’t spent real money on microtransactions. He used a budget-friendly model that was actually quite practical—it just looked plain. It was a dull, uninspiring earthy-yellow color and appeared somewhat clunky, standing in stark contrast to Jin Xinheng’s sleek, stylish machine.

Many spectators were already rooting for Jin Xinheng’s victory simply because the sight of that yellow mech was an eyesore.

Watching from afar, Ning Xiujin frowned slightly. He hadn’t expected “Call Me Daddy” to choose such a mech. Was he really planning to just phone it in? If so, it would be deeply disappointing—a complete waste of Ning Xiujin’s time.

Jin Xinheng glanced at Xie Anning, his contempt deepening. He truly couldn’t fathom how Ferdinand had lost to such a “country bumpkin.” It seemed Ferdinand’s skills had severely declined during his absence.

“I’ll have you finished within ten minutes,” Jin Xinheng’s arrogant voice rang out across the arena, drawing a wave of screams from the crowd.

Xie Anning thought to himself: In that case, I’ll just try to last ten minutes.

The match began.

Xie Anning opted not to use mental power to control the mech directly. Instead, he used manual controls, reserving his mental power to scan his surroundings. Consequently, his movements appeared somewhat clumsy.

In contrast, Jin Xinheng’s mech was lightning-fast. It blurred like a gust of wind, appearing at Xie Anning’s flank to deliver a swift strike.

Despite the incredible speed of the blow, Xie Anning’s sensory mental power caught it. He maneuvered his mech just in time to dodge the attack while attempting a counter-strike. However, Jin Xinheng’s skill was genuine; he disengaged instantly, backing off.

The crowd was momentarily stunned. That move had been so fast they assumed Xie Anning wouldn’t be able to dodge. It seemed he had some skill after all.

Those who had followed Xie Anning’s stream from the beginning felt a sense of nostalgia, recalling his first match against Ferdinand.

As the exchange continued, Xie Anning—lacking direct mental control was clearly a step behind Jin Xinheng. The latter handled his mech with practiced ease, landing several blows that left visible scars on Xie Anning’s machine.

This was where the “clunky” mech showed its worth. A flashier, more delicate model might have suffered joint failure by now, but this defense-heavy machine kept moving. It looked battered, but its functionality remained intact. Of course, this was also because Jin Xinheng hadn’t unleashed his ultimate moves yet.

Xie Anning wasn’t actually focused on winning. He was using the fight to learn the opponent’s techniques—it was far more effective than any tutorial.

To the audience, Jin Xinheng held the absolute advantage, constantly raining down attacks while Xie Anning seemed powerless to retaliate, being knocked to the ground repeatedly only to struggle back up each time.

It looked as though Xie Anning was only still standing because Jin Xinheng was showing mercy.

Jin Xinheng’s fans cheered at every hit, but gradually, a sense of unease began to settle over them.

“Wait, how is that little streamer still getting up? He’s been knocked down so many times.”

“Is that mech really that sturdy?”

Meanwhile, the Xie Anning fans who had been hiding their eyes suddenly realized something. “He’s learning from Jin Xinheng!” “My god, it’s true! Look at that movement—it’s an exact replica of the one Jin Xinheng just used!”

They recalled how Xie Anning had mirrored Ferdinand’s style and were struck by a sense of awe. Jin Xinheng’s moves were treacherous and cunning, requiring an immense level of technical precision. Yet Xie Anning, in his clunky, beat-up mech, was actually pulling them off with startling accuracy. It was supernatural.

A thought they had previously deemed impossible began to surface: Could “Call Me Daddy” actually win against Jin Xinheng?!

Watching the stream, Ning Xiujin’s indifferent expression vanished, replaced by a look of intense excitement.

Yes, this is it. This terrifying learning ability was what he admired most—an ability so potent it even gave him a slight chill. Just how far could this person go?

However, some spectators continued to mock him. “The streamer’s imitation is a joke. When Master Jin does it, it looks cool; when he does it, it looks pathetic.” “Yeah, it’s just a cheap imitation. He’s only copying the surface level.”

Only the man himself, Jin Xinheng, knew the truth of his own shock.

His moves were intentionally flashier than necessary, filled with unnecessary flourishes to look stylish. But when Xie Anning replicated them, he stripped away every useless motion, capturing the pure essence of the technique.

“How is this possible.” Jin Xinheng couldn’t believe his eyes. “How can a nobody have this kind of talent? No wonder, no wonder Ferdinand lost to him. If he’s allowed to keep growing.”

Jin Xinheng could already see the headlines where he was merely the stepping stone for this newcomer’s rise. He, Young Master Jin, had essentially paid money just to let someone else trample over him to the top?

“No. I cannot let that happen.” His face darkened instantly, a sinister glint appearing in his eyes. “Don’t blame me. You’re the one who dared to appear before me.”

Xie Anning didn’t quite know why, but once he was in the cockpit, everything felt fluid. Even without direct mental control, the mech felt like an extension of his own body. As for the maneuvers, a quick mental scan of the opponent was all he needed to grasp them. A surge of hot blood flowed through his veins, fueling a fierce refusal to lose to anyone.

This must be a talent inherent to this body. After all, he is a member of the Xie family; his elder brother was a renowned mech-piloting genius before he was sabotaged and vanished without a trace.

At that thought, a sharp pang shot through Xie Anning’s chest. He was surprised—he felt nothing when he heard Ning Xiujin’s name, yet the mere memory of his brother triggered an instinctive, visceral reaction from this body.

[Host, a warning: Your opponent has coated his mech in a volatile form of “Berserk Mental Power.” Upon contact with another’s consciousness, it will detonate, causing severe mental turbulence or even total collapse. While your high mental capacity will mitigate the damage, please proceed with extreme caution.]

Xie Anning’s brow furrowed. Starting right off with such a vicious trick? No wonder his previous opponents had ended up broken.

His first instinct was to simply forfeit.

Though a surge of pride made him loathe the idea of surrendering, he was a rational man. If he crushed Jin Xinheng today, there was no telling how much trouble would follow him.

Of course, this pragmatism stemmed from the fact that mech piloting wasn’t his true passion. If this were a competition involving writing, he wouldn’t back down for anything in the world.

He attempted to summon the system interface to surrender, only to find it unresponsive.

[The game system has been bypassed by the opponent using external tools,] the System clarified. [Forfeiture is currently disabled.]

Xie Anning: “…” What a truly venomous individual.

Since the situation had escalated this far, a peaceful resolution was off the table. Even if he managed to surrender, the man across from him clearly had no intention of letting him walk away unscathed.

Xie Anning maneuvered his mech back several paces, calling out to the System in his mind. “System, you mentioned before that as long as I know the target’s name or face, I can use items directly on them, right?”

[Correct.]

“Then, System—do it now.” Xie Anning stared at Jin Xinheng’s mech with newfound interest.

“Use the Water of Misfortune on Jin Xinheng.”