Chapter 1
　　Ao Fei smiled and gestured for him to enter. Li Hao happily went in, thinking that nothing that a good meal couldn't solve, especially since the location was already chosen.

　　After ordering, Ao Fei slowly sipped her drink. "Second Brother, why are we so far behind?"

　　"Ah, why do you think so?" Li Hao chuckled.

　　"I know it's hard to beat Huoshen, but getting shut out is unacceptable," Ao Fei said. She was relaxed in front of Li Hao, but she couldn't eat because she was upset and dissatisfied. Even experts are human, and they're not always as confident as they seem.

　　Li Hao, his mouth full, thought, "This is the real deal! This truffle crispy chicken... wow! The skin is golden and crispy, while the inside is delicate and smooth. The truffle aroma has completely permeated the chicken. So fragrant!" He took a sip of the freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, sweet with a hint of tartness, refreshing and removing any greasiness. It was heavenly. He took a deep breath. "One person who won the S8 championship, and has been preparing diligently for two years... do you think he's more prepared, or you are?"

　　Ao Fei was silent. Her dissatisfaction stemmed from her fame over the years, but thinking about it carefully, what had Basta been doing these past two years? After winning the championship, he hardly gave any interviews, allowing Romero and Duan Wu to hog the spotlight. Unless he had even greater goals, it would be difficult for a Martian to take a back seat.

　　They had to kill their impulsive selves to gain strength.

　　"Second Brother, your pep talk skills are really bad, but it seems to be working." Ao Fei slowly breathed a sigh of relief. She had to admit, Basta was more ruthless and decisive. In comparison, they had been living too comfortably. Seeing Li Hao stuffing his face, she even felt a little hungry, but...

　　Li Hao finished a large glass of pomegranate juice in one gulp and raised his glass seriously. "Waiter, a refill!"

　　The sweet-looking waitress almost thought she misheard. Ao Fei couldn't help but laugh, finally breaking her composure and letting out a series of pleasant sounds. "He's joking. Bring another pitcher. And another serving of this truffle crispy chicken. Also, some foie gras."

　　"Is Hailong strong now?" Ao Fei asked, feeling relaxed. She wasn't indecisive. Once she understood the gap, she wouldn't dwell on it.

　　"Strong. You know Xili'an's personality." Li Hao wiped his hands. He had his eye on the slow-cooked beef ribs. The juices burst in his mouth, fragrant but not greasy. The beef was also very tender.

　　Connecting it to the recent Blee incident, the first thing he thought of was whether it was related to Noah's Ark. This organization used all kinds of forbidden technologies without any scruples. Hooking up with giant insects probably didn't pose any psychological barriers to them. They probably even found it exciting.

　　He and Kevin were acting separately. Kevin was investigating the connection between Noah's Ark and Kepler. Given Noah's Ark's capabilities, they couldn't possibly be uninterested in K23 and Kepler, and it was unlikely they couldn't reach them. That made things interesting.

　　"Can you get any further information?" Li Hao asked.

　　Kevin heard the desire for battle in Li Hao's voice. "Hehe, I'm no good at fighting, but I'm the best at this. If there is any information, I'll dig it out. Just wait for my news. Oh, and Zhuang Zhou's sixth sense is amazing."

　　Once they got the list, they could narrow down the scope with further screening.

　　Li Hao couldn't just wait idly in Kepler. He had to work on two fronts. He was curious about what the "Courier" was like, what he was delivering, and what kind of cargo could cause such severe consequences, carried by just one person.

　　At seven o'clock in the evening, at Galaxy Center Hall 1, it was Tianxing Mech Warriors versus Fire Cloud Team. At Galaxy Center Hall 2, it was Carmela Team versus Gru Team. Facing the opportunity to advance to the top eight, everyone was going all out.

　　Arena

　　The interior was already packed with people. The Tianxing Mech Warriors' match was the most popular. Arths had already arrived at the scene, leading the Tianxing Mech Warriors' cheering squad. Judging from the rankings, Tianxing Mech Warriors was actually behind Fire Cloud Team. NUP's fourth place wasn't just for show. They were second only to the Three Wolves. The cheers in the arena resounded through the sky, completely suppressing the Martians.

　　All the members of Tianxing Mech Warriors were also ready. Whether A Youyou was there or not had nothing to do with Tita, but she had to admit that Artz, Feynman, Jason and the others were full of fighting spirit. To stir up their morale, Tita had even specially asked A Youyou to record an exclusive cheerleading video to give these guys a shot in the arm. A Youyou was great as a decorative piece.

　　The captain of the Fire Cloud Team was Gui Bian, the strongest member of the Gui Wu Sect. The vice-captain was Sa Wutian, the young master of the Gui Wu Sect, one of Mars' hottest rising stars this year, and also the future leader of Fire Cloud Academy. Gui Bian was a senior, and this year was his last guarding the Fire Cloud Team. Winning the championship was unrealistic, but there was a certain chance of breaking into the top eight or even the top four. Gui Bian also wanted to bring his S-League career to a satisfying conclusion.

　　The Fire Cloud Team was undoubtedly composed of members of the Gui Wu Sect. Although the captain was Gui Bian, Sa Wutian's status was essentially higher. It was also a time of generational change. This time, Sa Wutian was sent to the competition to gain experience, and everyone would protect him.

　　Sa Wutian was too excited, extremely excited. This was the World Championship, the stage for all of humanity! This was a completely different experience than showing himself in Fire Cloud Academy, in one city. Looking at the countless Earthlings, Moonlings, and even Spacers, he began to understand the Martian desire for conquest in their bones. These ants were only worthy of submitting at his feet!

　　Tita was quite sensible. In a pre-match interview, Tita said she wanted to compete against him, implying that he was the trump card and strongest member of the Fire Cloud Team. He should have been the captain in the first place. If it weren't for Gui Bian's seniority and the fact that it was his last year, how could he be above him? Vice-captain... damn it, it sounded so bad.

　　The Carmela and Gru teams in the second arena had always been veteran powerhouses. Carmela, a Grade A intergalactic academy, had always lived in the shadow of Galaxy and Eternal. In reality, they were just one step away. The Unrestrained Freeflow style was a very powerful school on the moon. The academy had a very strong foundation. The only problem was the upper limit.