The Legendary Mechanic

"Interesting, this is the first time someone has used an outright lie to praise me." Rossellin barely squeezed out a sneer to cover for the panic inside.

"You can disguise yourself with ambition, but you can't fool everyone. You didn't create a new religion and modify people's faith because of ambition. You have other motives." Han Xiao smiled.

Han Xiao had limited knowledge of the Rossellin before his eyes, but the players had gathered quite a lot of her information during the Silver Revolution version in his previous life. When Han Xiao recognized Rossellin, he recalled that information. Some of it was Rossellin's past experiences. It seemed like she had told others about her past before. Although she did not tell the players where her home was, she did talk about what she did in her home and what her motive was.

According to that information, Han Xiao knew that Rossellin's real motive had nothing to do with ambition. She did not control the faith of others for power. Han Xiao knew Rossellin better than herself.

Anyone who could become the backbone of the Silver Revolutionary Army, apart from having special skills, had a heart not satisfied with the status quo and a unique aspiration.

Rossellin was shocked. This was the first person to see through her disguise. She quickly held down her surprise then stabilized her mind with alertness and vigilance—this had been her habit for many years.

Black Star has only seen me twice. He definitely has a reason for saying these things… He must be exaggerating. How could he know what I'm thinking?

The real motive for creating a religion and gathering believers had always been Rossellin's deepest secret. She had never told anyone, and she did not believe that Black Star could guess correctly.

Reynold turned his head and looked at Han Xiao with suspicious eyes—did his sister really have some other motives?

"Your ability is to subtly rewrite people's mental outlook. Its impact isn't very strong, and you can't completely manipulate others to your likings. However, you can put all kinds of ideas in their minds," Han Xiao, with a confident look on his face, said slowly. "The mind is intangible, but it's like the strings that manipulate puppets, affecting every aspect of an individual. Whether one is loyal or rebellious, sincere or hypocritical, optimistic or pessimistic, depends greatly on one's mind. The reason that the same environment creates different people is because of the mind, too."

As he was speaking, he pointed at Rossellin, who was forcing herself to stay calm, and smiled. "Using your Esper ability, you are able to give them new ideas that are very contagious. In the eyes of your home government, your idea is a virus. But in my view, your idea is a seed, a seed that can turn around the thousands of ways in which the entire race can develop toward."

"You…" Rossellin's expression changed drastically.

Without waiting for her to respond, Han Xiao continued.

"The racial personality of a civilization depends partly on its nature and partly on the traditional ideas that have been passed down from ancient times, which cannot be controlled by future generations and will change independently at the various stages of the history as it develops.

"These ideas left over from history will dissolve into the blood of this race and become their spiritual identity. History only happens once, and a race doesn't have a second chance. It can even be said that there is no opportunity for them to choose. From a macro perspective, the culture and character of this civilization is almost random; they're not necessarily optimal results out of the infinite variables. Or maybe there's no such thing as an optimal result.

"I call you a reformer because I know that you didn't set up a religion in your hometown for power but to reform your own race. To be honest, I am a little impressed by your aspiration. Your goal isn't to reform a government or system but the cultural ideology and spiritual goal of the race, thus changing the spiritual identity of the entire race!"

This information was like a hurricane that struck Reynold. He opened his mouth wide and stared at Rossellin, dumbfounded. If what Han Xiao said was true, his sister's goal was indeed unbelievably huge.

As if Rossellin had been struck by lightning, she was petrified, and her face was covered in disbelief.

Han Xiao smiled in his mind. Those were the motives as Rossellin explained them in his previous life. Using them to trick her was extremely effective.

After a pause, he went on and said, "Whether it's reforming the system or reforming the government, its effects won't last as long as reforming the spiritual identity of an entire race. Many of the problems are because of the people. Character determines destiny. Without external influence, this law applies to a civilization.

"History has been established. In the course of a civilization's development, there is basically no opportunity to change its character. What you have been doing is implanting new ideas and giving them the opportunity to change through the form of your Esper ability and religion. This is your 'Race Transformation Plan.'"

Han Xiao touched his chin. "Hmm, however, you're just an individual in this race. In the eyes of others, you have absolutely no right to change the minds of everyone. Through growing up, everyone has created their own history. You can't impact the deep-rooted traditions that have been around for thousands of years. Therefore, you became a heretic, a sinner."

In his view, Rossellin's actions were basically leading her to become a saint!

Han Xiao could not help but think, You denied history and the racial spirit that has been passed down. No wonder they locked you up—your ideas are way too dangerous.

Nonetheless, this woman's thinking was not wrong. Assuming that there were no Confucius or Mencius in the history of his previous life, the ideas passed down by the people of the world would be different after thousands of years, and the logic of people would change to a certain extent as well.

"The easiest way to change the spiritual outlook of a group is religion and education, so you chose to establish a religion, gathering faith and subtly changing people's character. This is your real motivation," Han Xiao said, looking at Rossellin. "Am I right?"

Rossellin's hands were shaking. She took a deep breath and looked at Han Xiao with great complexity.

"You're… right." Rossellin's voice became low. Her cynical tone from earlier had completely vanished. Now, Han Xiao finally felt a faint aura of a religious pope in her.

She looked straight into Han Xiao's eyes and said, "I am not noble. The parents of Reynold and I died during a political parade. The Ceciris Civilization disappointed me again and again, so I wanted to change something. You're right, I don't have the right to change the spiritual identity of the whole race, and they don't necessarily need me. But if no one did anything extraordinary under all that pressure, nothing would change. I created a religion that lasted many years, and I only changed the character of a small group of people. Through the religion and my Esper ability, I made them positive, I made them grasp the present, and I made them better. As long as the religion continued, even without my Esper ability in the future, these ideas would have become more and more popular. Unfortunately, it provoked a backlash…"

After so many years of suffering, Rossellin had become deeply wary of everyone. Her harsh words and cynical attitude were her protective disguise—too many people lied, too many wanted to use her. She promised herself to never open up to anyone ever again. Even if she was misunderstood, she would not defend herself.

But now, for the first time, Rossellin had spoken out.

She gazed at Han Xiao, her heart filled with complex emotions. There was shock, relief, and a hint of happiness of meeting someone who understood her. Those were the deepest secrets of her heart that she had never told anyone else, but Black Star had seen through her so easily. This was the first time that Rossellin had met someone that knew her so well; she almost lost her cool.

Speechless, Reynold looked at Rossellin with disbelief. He looked at her from head to toe again and again, seemingly wondering if his sister had been swapped. He could not imagine Rossellin having such huge aspirations and dreams.

Seeing that Rossellin had admitted he was right, Han Xiao was secretly excited.

This fertilization method is just as good as it used to be. This is probably how the Silver Revolutionary Army fooled her in my previous life!

"Ah-choo!"

On Planet Aquamarine, Bennett sneezed all of a sudden.

When Rossellin finished, the room became quiet. The few of them did not speak for a moment. Han Xiao knocked the table and spoke first.

"So, what do you plan to do in the future? You can't go back to Ceciris, and you're still considered Purple Crystal's prisoner. I bailed you out, so I can't just let you run around wherever you like."

Rossellin turned and glanced at Reynold. She then smiled lightly. "I see. After saying so much, you still want me to stay."

"You're a talent. I like talent."

Han Xiao, of course, did not have to deny it.

"Since my brother works for you, even if you want to use me, you won't do anything excessive. Okay, you used your connections to save me, so I owe you one. My brother is my brother; I won't use him to repay you. Also, I don't have much combat capability, so I certainly won't be a match for such an important person like you…"

Rossellin stretched and went back to her cynical attitude. She deliberately gave Han Xiao a vaguely seductive wink and said, "Since I won't be able to run anyway, I don't have a choice. I will lend my body to you as a tool. Use it as you will, don't be shy."

"Okay." Han Xiao nodded normally, but inside, he was screaming, Still putting on a show? You think I can't see that huge +80 Favorability? Would it kill you to be honest about how grateful you are? Would it‽

The biggest problem was settled. Han Xiao let Reynold take Rossellin to rest, eat something, and replenish her energy. After spending so many years in captivity, her body was rather weak, and she was in need of recovery.

After the two of them left, Han Xiao stayed in the hall alone. He tapped the sofa with his fingers, pondering how to utilize Rossellin's special talent.

Rossellin's Esper ability was a perfect fit for ideological construction. He felt that it could be used to strengthen the Black Star Army's corporate culture, to create a few slogans like 'Let the light of Black Star shine on every corner of the universe' and 'May Black Star rise as usual'. The Bloodshed Land also had special talents for ideological construction.

That means, Rossellin can take on the job of political commissar?

Han Xiao touched his lips with excitement.

To make the leeks grow healthily with spiritual construction…

That would be a strong compound fertilizer!

Also, her ability is very special. The Silver Revolutionary Army will still target her in the future, and I can't keep someone with such enormous aspirations forever. Since that's the case, if she will still become a core member of the Silver Revolutionary Army like in my previous life, maybe I can build and maintain good relations with them and not be their enemy.

As the Silver Revolutionary Army was the main storyline of a major version, they were, of course, very powerful. Although Han Xiao did not have any intention of joining them and trying to overthrow the three Universal Civilizations, he did not want to be their enemies.

Maybe through Rossellin, he would be able to discover the Silver Revolutionary Army's tracks before they completely formed, thus being able to respond in advance.

Mr. Han pondered over the idea and did not see an issue with it. He then opened the interface.

In the mission list, the mission [Reformer] was completed, and he had already received the reward. He now had a complete Reynold Character Summon Card.

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Character Summon Card - Reynold—[Perfect Mechanical Sense]

Total Machinery Affinity multiplied by 1.4. (Includes basic value, bonuses from passive abilities, and talents. This effect applies to the total value.)

When enhancing machines using Mechanical Force, the Grade of the machine will be temporarily increased by one or two Grades, up to Pink Rare Grade.

+4 levels to all Mechanic class active abilities. This effect can exceed the level limit.

Duration: 16 hours

Usages: 0/3

Remark: In your senses, every machine is a world of ecological balance.

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Three usages, sixteen hours duration each. Quite long lasting. It seems that this type of Character Summon Card also takes into account the time to build machines. It can be used both for combat and for building.

Han Xiao was quite satisfied. With this Character Summon Card, there would basically be no problem in making a piece of orange equipment. All he had to do was complete the blueprint mission and obtain the silver legacy blueprint.

Looking at its effects again, Han Xiao was increasingly envious of Reynold.

I want the real [Perfect Mechanical Sense] talent…

…

After rescuing Rossellin, Han Xiao split up with those two and let Reynold take Rossellin back to their headquarters and settle her down. While piloting the spaceship and leaving the Colton Star Cluster, he headed to the location of the blueprint mission.

Be it the Black Star Army matters, Vilna, or Rossellin, none of them were as important as his Class Advancement mission. He had to become stronger to develop his organization and position even further. Since he was close to completing the Class Advancement mission, he dropped everything else and focused on completing the Class Advancement.

As Han Xiao left the Colton Star Cluster, a pair of eyes were staring at his whereabouts from a dark place that he could not see.