The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

Yes, this item was something Stark had exchanged from the experimental zone seven years ago using considerable military merits, as a birthday gift for the original owner. Though the original owner had never met this “Uncle Tang,” he never forgot about this “niece,” whom he had scarcely ever seen.

When Jiang Hui’s father was alive, he often bragged about his daughter, to the point that Stark’s ears nearly grew callouses from hearing about her.

Stark himself was a cold-hearted person with no parents, growing up alone and finding his place only after joining the military, a place where he felt rooted. He knew his entire life, from birth to death, would be devoted to the Empire.

Yet, there were a few small glimpses of color in his life, like his foolish friend. Stark wasn’t sure if he could even call Jiang Hui’s father a friend—he had never truly admitted that word, as it was always Jiang Hui’s father who persistently approached him and tried to forge a friendship.

Stark’s life was rather dull, but Jiang Hui’s father was sociable and outgoing. He was born into a happy family, received a good education, and was naturally gifted. He chose his military career, advancing quickly and without setbacks, and eventually married and had a daughter—all things Stark didn’t have.

This man, who had nothing in common with him, insisted on forming a friendship. At first, Stark dismissed it as a rich young master’s whim or some condescending game, but little did he know that Jiang Hui’s father’s enthusiasm would last for a full ten years.

He had witnessed many of Jiang Hui’s father’s significant moments, often in the role of a friend and even as family. Despite Stark’s proud and solitary nature, which kept him from fully embracing their friendship, he had come to see Jiang Hui’s father as family over time.

The year Jiang Hui was born, Stark took his first proactive step by attending her one-month celebration. Though he declined Jiang Hui’s father’s request to become the child’s godfather, he held onto this nearly-formed connection in his heart, sending Jiang Hui a birthday gift nearly every year.

However, Stark never involved himself directly in the child’s life. At the time, young Jiang Hui had no idea she had such an “Uncle Tang.”

The year Jiang Hui was about to turn eight, Stark once again received an invitation from Jiang Hui’s father and his wife. For reasons he couldn’t explain, he agreed, bringing back a gift from a recent mission: a device with storage capabilities meant to provide an unexpected advantage for the child in the future. But just as he was about to join the couple for the trip back to the inner star systems, he received urgent orders from the frontlines, forcing them all to cancel their plans. Stark had no choice but to send the gift to Jiang’s family through express delivery, where it eventually reached young Jiang Hui.

This sudden defensive battle on the frontlines lasted over six months. The attack from the star beasts was unusually fierce, resulting in significant losses and forcing them into repeated retreats—an unprecedented situation in the past decade.

At the time, with manpower in short supply, even lieutenants like Stark were burdened with extraordinary tasks and pressures.

Jiang Hui’s mother, Jiang Yilin, was a formidable mech warrior. Known for her exceptional skills, she was one of the most talented young warriors on their front, with a promising future ahead of her. She was straightforward, bold, and possessed a resilience that surpassed many men.

Sometimes, Stark could hardly believe that his carefree friend had actually won the heart of such an outstanding officer.

Back then, he and his two friends, along with many young comrades, held down that front line under immense pressure, waiting for reinforcements from the military. Given the empire’s many battlefronts, each area had a set number of stationed troops, and requesting more required careful reports and battle analysis models.

But no one expected the steady advance to suddenly become a brutal clash. In a matter of days, swarms of star beasts seemed to appear out of nowhere, pouring down on their line. With insufficient personnel, and reinforcements still on the way, the situation grew increasingly dire.

What happened after that is something Stark didn’t like to remember—a scene of ruins and scattered bodies. In that war, he lost both of his friends completely.

Major Jiang didn’t even have the chance to say goodbye. Stark could only watch as his friend piloted his mech straight into the blinding fire.

Not long after, Jiang Hui’s father met a similar fate, though he was lucky enough to leave behind an intact body. In his final moments, he mocked Stark’s disheveled appearance, his words rough but tearful, glancing one last time toward the spot where Jiang Yilin had fallen.

With a bitter smile, Jiang Hui’s father had the nerve to joke that he’d somehow saved Stark in doing this. He said maybe this way, he’d repaid any unfulfilled debts, balancing things out in life and death.

That fool—how utterly ridiculous! To think that someone, in their final breaths, would still be worrying about such trivial matters. It was even worse than the humorless jokes he’d told before.

But Stark had been unable to say a word. He didn’t dare interrupt, fearing that if he stopped Jiang, he might never speak again. So, he simply listened, hearing his friend’s last foolish words.

In the end, Jiang Hui’s father hadn’t forgotten the young daughter he’d left at home. With a face full of remorse, he asked Stark to look after his only daughter, knowing it was the one thing he couldn’t put to rest.

Stark agreed, though his military duties kept him constantly on the front lines for several years, far from able to fulfill this promise. By the time he was finally free to keep his word, the girl had already moved to a distant star system in a burst of anger, and so he had to come to her.

He had expected that looking after a young girl couldn’t be that hard—his impression of her was still rooted in Jiang Hui’s father’s descriptions: innocent, sweet, a little spoiled, but well-behaved.

But now, he couldn’t fathom why this girl seemed to attract so much misfortune. Barely a month into the school year, she’d already been caught in a star beast attack, then ambushed out of nowhere… How could so many things happen to one person?

At this point, Stark was relieved that he’d shown a bit of foresight when choosing a gift. Instead of opting for one of those flashy storage gadgets, he’d spent extra military merits on something more unconventional.

Back then, Jiang Hui’s father had been furious, calling it a complete waste to spend military merits on such an odd, seemingly useless item. Little could he have imagined that the device would end up being so useful in a situation like this. In hindsight, it hadn’t been a waste after all.

Those who heard about it were stunned, especially those familiar with the device. The molecular sensor-interceptor was somewhat similar to a surveillance camera or recorder, but it was a military-grade instrument, exclusively supplied by the military and impossible to buy elsewhere. It was typically used for battlefield recording or reconnaissance…

Even for high-ranking officers, obtaining one required specific channels. And yet, here it was, embedded in a space trinket worn by a child.

Isn’t this a bit much, even for spoiling a child?