In 20*8, the Nantianmen Project has been fully completed, and China Interstellar University has become one of the world's top aerospace academies.
Engineering freshman Ling Xingxu is known across campus as a "freak." He has no genetic-editing tag, yet can defeat physically enhanced competitors with structural mechanics. He builds a craft from secondhand parts and soars over a mining pit at Mach 4.2 in the Abyss Race, under the callsign "Ghost." His greatest secrets are the unfinished mech "Stardust" in the warehouse, and his AI assistant Ying, who has only nine months left to live.
Top student Si Qihe ranked first in the Intelligent Systems Department and has won Mech Night three times in a row, but never talks about his genetic history. His file is encrypted at Level A, just like Ling Xingxu's. They meet again beneath a ginkgo tree and discover that they both remember the old man from the orphanage who taught them to build mechs.
The Sailing Cup is just around the corner, and its two-person team format forces lone wolves to pair up. Qin Zheng shows up with a complete military proposal, while the young master of the Gu family vows to win the championship and throws millions at the cause. Meanwhile, rumors about "underground enhanced humans" are spreading across the forums.
When humans can edit their genes, what does it mean to be truly strong? When AI has a soul, what does it mean to be a true companion? The Sailing Cup finals will be held aboard the Luan Niao II aerospace carrier. Two encrypted files, one unfinished mech, and a contest over humanity's future: it is all about to begin.
Theme: Choices matter more than talent, and willpower is stronger than genes
