Chapter 2

"Little Fatty, do we have a car at home, you know, the flying kind?" Tong Yu planned to head out.

"Yes, would you like me to prepare the car for you?" A chubby, barrel-shaped robot slid out from the corner. Little Fatty was the new name Tong Yu had given it in the past couple of days, mainly because he couldn't remember the string of numbers it originally had.

"Yes, please get it ready quickly."

"Understood."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a noise came from outside the window. Tong Yu craned his neck to look and saw a deep blue flying vehicle slowly rising from underground. Its design was sleek and incredibly eye-catching.

"Wow, this really is the interstellar era."

Tong Yu dashed over, and the car door opened automatically. He eagerly climbed in, but once inside, he realized he didn't know how to start it.

But that was no problem. Before he died, Earth already had self-driving cars. In this interstellar era, it should be even more advanced, especially since he had a household robot to help.

"Little Fatty, activate the autopilot function. We're going to the largest nearby mall," Tong Yu instructed directly.

Little Fatty's program was already integrated into Tong Yu's Light Brain. Upon hearing the command, it popped up: "Master, my permissions don't allow me to control the vehicle. You need to activate the spaceship with your Mental Power first, then you can enable autopilot."

"How do I start it?" Tong Yu asked.

"There's a psychic connector in the cockpit."

"What does it look like?"

"It's that silver metal patch."

Tong Yu searched around and quickly found the metal patch Little Fatty mentioned. It was only the size of a fingernail, round and thin. Tong Yu picked it up and placed it near his temple. "Is this how I connect my Mental Power?"

Tong Yu was quite unaccustomed to the concept of Mental Power, something invisible and intangible.

"Yes. Master, you've been asking me a lot of basic questions. Are you feeling unwell? Would you like me to schedule a doctor's appointment for you?" Little Fatty asked with concern.

"Little Fatty, delete all our conversations from this morning until now," Tong Yu instructed smoothly.

As a traveler from another world, Tong Yu didn't want his identity exposed. So whenever the household robot noticed his odd behavior, he would immediately have Little Fatty delete that part of its memory.

After putting on the psychic connector, Tong Yu pressed the start button again.

"Flight preparations initiated. Ready to proceed. Please confirm your destination," a voice announced inside the vehicle.

Tong Yu marveled at the advanced technology and instructed, "Take me to the nearest mall."

"There are three nearby malls. Please choose one," a virtual screen appeared in the cockpit, displaying three destinations. Tong Yu picked the one that seemed the largest and confirmed it.

"Destination confirmed: Blue Ocean Mall. Autopilot engaged. Departing now."

About twenty minutes later, the vehicle parked in the Blue Ocean Mall's parking lot. Tong Yu got out and embarked on his first shopping trip in the interstellar era.

"StarCraft V, with realistic virtual scenes, requires high-intensity Mental Power, can deplete 60% of Mental Power, and mildly stimulates the Mental Sea."

"Combat Mecha, releases a large amount of Mental Power during battle."

"Sleep Helmet, the latest mental helmet, keeps your brain active while you sleep, releasing 50% of Mental Power, leaving you refreshed upon waking."

"Virtual Helmet, a completely realistic virtual world, maximizes Mental Power consumption."

……

A virtual world?! Who could resist that?

Tong Yu's eyes lit up instantly, and he couldn't see anything else. He headed straight for the virtual helmet store, asking before even entering, "How much for the virtual helmet?"

"Sir, are you looking to purchase? May I ask what your Mental Power level is?" The salesperson approached enthusiastically.

"Is there a Mental Power level requirement to buy this?"

"Yes, the use of a virtual helmet requires a certain Mental Power level. Those below F-level Mental Power cannot activate the helmet, so even if you buy it, you won't be able to use it. E-level Mental Power can use it for one hour a day, D-level for three hours, and the higher the Mental Power level, the longer you can use it. So to purchase a virtual helmet, your Mental Power level must be at least E-level."

Having to check Mental Power just to buy something was quite a hassle.

"But I don't know my Mental Power level."

"That's okay, we have tools to test it. We can just do a quick check."

"Master, as a Contractor, you don't need to be tested," Little Fatty reminded.

The salesperson stopped reaching for the testing device immediately upon hearing this: "You're a Contractor? Then you definitely meet the requirements. We offer a 20% discount for Contractors. Please choose the style you like, and I'll teach you how to use it."

"Contractors get a 20% discount?"

"Of course, we greatly respect those like you who contribute to the planet," the salesperson said sincerely.

To maintain Water Blue Star's position in the Interstellar Alliance, the planet needed Awakened individuals with strong Mental Power, and the Contractors who maintained the Awakened state naturally received the same respect.

Although Tong Yu knew about this policy, it was his first time experiencing it in reality.

"But if my Mental Power isn't E-level, I still can't use it, right?" Tong Yu thought it best to get tested.

"You're joking. As a Contractor, your Mental Power is linked to the Awakened's. With their Mental Power, there's no way you can't use the virtual helmet," the salesperson explained.

Tong Yu frowned, "Doesn't that mean I need his consent to bind the helmet?"

"No need. For Contractors, we bind the Mental Contract. Come over here and choose a helmet, and I'll bind it for you right away."

Tong Yu hesitated only for a moment before following the salesperson to select a helmet. The allure of the virtual helmet was too great. Besides, the Mental Contract couldn't be dissolved for another year, and he wasn't taking advantage on purpose. Moreover, he still had to endure the Mental Cleansing, so it wasn't like he was getting it for free.

He had researched a bit over the past few days and learned that Contractors experienced severe headaches during Mental Cleansing, and in extreme cases, it could lead to mental instability. He wondered if the original owner's suicide attempt was due to this. But then again, according to the original owner's parents, it seemed Sheng Jing wanted a divorce, and the original owner was unwilling.

Oh well, it wasn't his concern, so he couldn't be bothered to think about it.

Tong Yu quickly chose a helmet, and after the salesperson helped him complete the binding, they began teaching him how to use it.

"Oh, you've already established the mental channel," the salesperson remarked in surprise.

"Ah, it seems so." It was probably set up by the original owner.

"Then you should have some experience using it!"

"That helmet was bought by someone else. I barely used it before it broke."

"It must have broken as soon as you got it. The mental channel was closed, so the quality must have been terrible," the salesperson commented.

"What is this mental channel?" Tong Yu asked curiously.

"You need to open the mental channel to borrow the Awakened's Mental Power," the salesperson explained, looking at Tong Yu as if he should have known this.

Tong Yu was startled, "Does that mean he has to use it with me when I use the virtual helmet?"

The salesperson shook their head, "It's not that complicated. The other person just needs to wear the psychic connector, and the excess Mental Power will be transmitted automatically. They don't need to do anything."

Tong Yu was relieved to hear this. If he needed Sheng Jing's cooperation to use the helmet, it would be troublesome.

"Would you like me to open the mental channel for you?" the salesperson asked.

Tong Yu immediately thought of another issue: "If the mental channel is open, can the Awakened transmit Mental Power to me anytime, even if I don't need it?"

Tong Yu was a bit worried. Although he was prepared to endure Mental Cleansing, he preferred to be informed in advance. If it could happen anytime, he'd be in constant pain.

"Of course not. You control the switch for the mental channel. It's up to you to decide when it's open or closed. Without your consent, the other party can't transmit Mental Power. Also, forcing Mental Cleansing against a Contractor's will is illegal. If that happens, you can report it to the Contractor Association," the salesperson explained. "You're newly contracted, right? You should attend some classes at the Contractor Association. They've established many protective regulations to prevent Awakened individuals from mistreating Contractors."

"Thank you, I understand. Please continue teaching me the rest."

"Alright, I won't open the mental channel for now. You can do it yourself later," the salesperson continued, "Here's a beginner's guide. You can review it when you get home…"

Tong Yu was extremely pleased with the virtual helmet. Once he understood how to use it, he couldn't wait to pay and head home.

"That'll be 80,000 star coins, please."

"Little Fatty, pay up."

"Certainly, Master."

Little Fatty displayed the payment code, and the salesperson scanned it with the payment device: "The amount exceeds the limit, so Mr. Sheng Jing needs to confirm it."

"Sheng Jing? Why does Sheng Jing need to confirm?" Tong Yu was baffled.

"This is Mr. Sheng Jing's account, so of course, he needs to confirm it," the salesperson explained.

Tong Yu gave an awkward smile and asked Little Fatty quietly, "You're using Sheng Jing's account?!"

"Yes."

"Does that mean all the money I've spent these past few days was Sheng Jing's?"

"Yes?"

"What about my money?"

"You don't have a job. All your income comes from the other master."

…… Tong Yu was suddenly at a loss. He felt the salesperson's gaze change. "Then I won't buy it."

"That's not possible. You've already completed the mental binding," the salesperson said, looking troubled.

Tong Yu's face fell instantly.

At the same time, in the Research Institute, Sheng Jing was engrossed in his research when his Light Brain flashed with a payment request. He glanced at it and frowned. When he and Tong Yu first got married, his personal account was linked to Tong Yu's, allowing Tong Yu to use it freely. Although Tong Yu was a spendthrift, often blowing through his entire salary each month, Sheng Jing didn't mind much. After all, he spent most of his time at the Research Institute and didn't need much money. But as Tong Yu's behavior grew more outrageous, Sheng Jing's only means of controlling him was through star coins. He later changed the settings, allocating 10,000 star coins for household expenses in the household robot's account and transferring 90,000 star coins monthly to Tong Yu as an allowance. Anything beyond that, not a single coin.

Sheng Jing was about to decline the request when a message popped up.

Tong Yu: [Um… I just bought a virtual helmet, and it's already mentally bound, so I can't return it. Could you help me pay for it?]

Seeing the words "virtual helmet," Sheng Jing's frown deepened.

It was always like this. After each of Tong Yu's episodes, he would act normal for a while, but only for two or three days. During those days, he would be incredibly considerate, like a model Contractor, doing his best to soothe Sheng Jing's Mental Power. But after three days, his madness would escalate, and he'd use those three days of good behavior to emotionally manipulate Sheng Jing.

Sheng Jing was long fed up. His Mental Sea was indeed unstable, causing him sleepless nights due to the pain, but he was no longer willing to be manipulated. He had originally thought that if he could just hold on for another month, their contract would reach its one-year mark. Then, even if his Mental Sea suffered further damage, he would dissolve the contract. Yet, unexpectedly, instead of ending, the contract had been extended by another year.

To be honest, when Tong Yu's Mental Power dissipated, there was a moment when Sheng Jing didn't want to intervene. But in the end, he couldn't bring himself to abandon him.

Despite this, Sheng Jing still clicked "agree." Tong Yu wanted to buy a virtual helmet, which was practically a standard for Contractors. If he refused, Tong Yu could directly complain to the Contractor Association.

With a "ding," another message arrived.

Tong Yu: [Thanks, I'll pay you back later.]

Sheng Jing glanced at it, not believing a word, and returned to his work.