Echelon Systems
Li Shi and Xiao Mei

With a look of disappointment and annoyance at having to lose for the umpteenth time, Li Shi came down from the arena and was about to take the carcass of his broken robot.

Not yet had time to take the carcass of the robot, some people suddenly came to approach Li Shi and immediately took him forcibly to a quiet place.

A group of burly men just beat Li Shi brutally and did not hesitate to seriously wound him.

Li Shi could only curl up while enduring the pain when struck and kicked by some men he was of course familiar with.

They are loan sharks whose money Li Shi borrowed to make robots and as a bet on the arena of fighting between robots.

Satisfied that Li Shi had become battered, the leader of the men then told his men to confiscate Li Shi's robot.

"Uhuk! Don't take my robot, it's the only thing I have!" Pinta Li Shi with many bruises on his face.

Bughhhh!!!

The leader of the loan sharks immediately kicked Li shi's face pleading at his feet until it fell back down. "I'm going to confiscate your junk until you pay all your debts, or do you want to pay with your sister?"

Hearing the remark from the loan shark leader who wanted to take his younger sister, clearly made Li Shi feel afraid because only his younger brother was all he had now.

When the loan shark leader had left with his men, Li Shi laid down his already scarred body while looking at the ceiling of the Underground city.

As Li Shi was contemplating his fate the sound of footsteps instantly sounded which made him immediately look to see who the person was.

Li Shi felt astonished when he saw a young man who looked two years younger than him. The young man's appearance seemed mediocre, but Li Shi, who knew them the clothes the young man was wearing, was immediately able to deduce that the young man was a rich man.

"Li Shi, is that your name?" Asked the young man who was none other than Nathan. Actually from the beginning Nathan saw how Li Shi was beaten up by a group of men, but chose to just let it go.

Nathan had previously only wanted to see what kind of trouble Li Shi had for being curious to the point of getting beat up by a group of loan sharks.

"Why do you know my name, who you really are. Have we met before?" Li Shi asked who started to become wary as he thought Nathan was part of the loan sharks.

Seeing the alertness shown by Li Shi instantly made Nathan sigh. Natha then took out the identification card that Li Shi had previously sent to her.

"It's Nathan, the guy who wants to order that thing..." Nathan replied while showing Li Shi the hologram card in his hand to believe.

Li Shi squinted his eyes as he looked at the identification card Nathan was holding. "So you're the guy who wants to order things for me? I thought you were an old man!"

"Well.... Can you just point that stuff at me? I don't have much time here..." Nathan Said.

"Of course, please follow me!" Reply Li Shi vigorously and ignore the pain in his body because now the most important thing for him was to earn money.

Without even asking, Nathan understood what Li Shi was currently feeling. Nathan then walked after Li Shi from behind towards the settlement that seemed destined for the lower classes.

The moment until Nathan could see Li Shi's two-story residence, where the first floor seemed to be used as a workshop to make or repair robots, while the second floor was for a place to rest.

"Xiao Mei I'm home!" Said Li Shi to his younger sister who was watching TV on the second floor while eating her breakfast.

Hearing her brother's voice, Xiao Mei went down and found that her brother had brought a man into their house.

Xiao Mei stared at Nathan and nodded softly with a smile to say hello, before quickly bringing Li Shi away from Nathan to speak together.

"Sister, who's the guy you brought in huh? Is he a new loan shark you want to borrow money from?" Whisper Xiao Mei with a displeased look at thinking Li Shi brought in a new loan shark.

Li Shi shook his head and tried to explain who the man he had brought into their home was. "Of course not stupid. He's the investor who's gonna fund your brother's project!"

"What project is it. Of all the things you do, there is never a single thing that is truly perfect. The result is empty and only a pile of debt you can make!" Xiao Mei said in annoyance.

Although it seemed that Xiao Mei was annoyed with her brother, she herself actually felt sorry for Li Shi who had always dealt with loan sharks and always went home battered like now.

Events like this have often happened after their father died a few years ago which left their family's economy in ruins.

Previously, Li Shi and Xiao Mei were very well-off children and even rich because of their father's work as a researcher in a large company.

But all that changed and made Li Shi and Xiao Mei forced to live there because of the many debts they made for robotics like today.

Their own mother had also died during the birth of Xiao Mei because the bleeding was severe enough that it could not last long.

"You take it easy, this time I will definitely succeed. Did you see I made the stuff that the guy made using the results of the father's research first. It'll work, I'm sure!" Reply Li Shi confidently while showing Xiao Mei the blueprint.

Angrily Xiao Mei brushed off the blueprint shown by Li Shi until it fell. "Until when is big brother going to act like a kid, doesn't he care about me. Those loan sharks came to my house and almost wanted to fuck me if I didn't fight back!"

After saying his grievance, Xiao Mei left Li Shi in tears towards the second floor and was completely annoyed at her brother's attitude.

Li Shi could only fall silent and take back the fallen blueprint. Honestly, he blamed himself for getting his sister involved in his problems.

Just working on Nathan's ordered goods was the only last way for Li Shi to be able to pay all of his debts. But if it failed then everything was over and he would bring Xiao Mei out of the Underground city.

Nathan who witnessed the quarrel between brother and sister, he just silently acted as if he did not hear or witness the incident.