Chapter 27: Mace
Above the challenge area, Qin Luzhi retrieved his S-class mecha, “Jiangzhi”, [mfn]“將至” (jiāng zhì) literally translates to: “About to arrive” or “Soon to come.”[/mfn] from his ability space.
Jiangzhi’s body was silver-gray, and all its configurations were top-tier. Qin’s family engineers regularly maintained the mecha.
So, Jiangzhi’s appearance and parts always looked brand new, and its transformation was incredibly smooth.
Top-tier configurations also required top-tier mental power for connection. He had originally intended it for Shen Bumian.
But considering Shen Bumian’s mental power depletion during the last mecha class, he gave up on that idea.
He thought Shen Bumian didn’t have a mecha, so he planned to find an A-class mecha from his ability space for Shen Bumian to use.
However, as soon as he opened the space, he saw a striking, deep wine-red mecha parked next to Jiangzhi.
The audience immediately burst into an uproar. Everyone stared at the mecha; its body color wasn’t as vibrant as bright red, but rather a bit deeper.
Its gleaming wings were incredibly beautiful, and a radiant rose bloomed on its side, noble yet not gaudy.
Meng Yuan, who arrived late, was stunned, “You… you actually have a mecha, and its configuration looks top-tier!”
Shen Bumian had chosen the First Military Academy, so he had no intention of continuing to hide his abilities. He gently stroked a corner of the mecha’s body.
“Yes, my brother gave it to me as a coming-of-age gift. All the materials are unique S-class raw materials.”
“Holy cow, this is an S-class mecha! Shen Bumian, you’re absolutely one of a kind in the entire universe. You’re the only Omega capable of piloting an S-class mecha.”
Qin Luzhi had already recovered from his shock. He looked at the serious Shen Bumian.
His understanding of him was once again refreshed; Shen Bumian seemed to constantly bring surprises.
He felt he should have realized earlier that Shen Bumian could pilot a mecha. Someone who could activate two systems in their first mecha class certainly wasn’t as simple as they appeared.
It was just that at the time, he had been distracted by the exhausted Shen Bumian and hadn’t noticed this point.
“What’s its name?” Qin Luzhi looked at Shen Bumian, “Your mecha.”
Shen Bumian glanced at Qin Luzhi’s silver-gray mecha. Jiangzhi, both in appearance and performance, was second to none.
He had just realized that Qin Luzhi had intended for him to use Jiangzhi. He looked at his own mecha, his voice filled with joy,
“Mace, my mecha is called Mace[mfn]In this case, “梅斯” likely transliterates to “Mace” in English. A symbol of authority or A weapon[/mfn].”
Qin Luzhi looked at Shen Bumian, whose face was filled with smiles, and genuinely complimented him without hesitation, “It’s beautiful. Your mecha is beautiful.”
Just like you.
Shen Bumian nodded slightly, “Your mecha is also very nice-looking.” Then he added, “I know it’s called Jiangzhi. Does it have any special meaning?”
Qin Luzhi glanced at that mecha, inexplicably feeling that it was very fortunate to have its name known by Shen Bumian.
As for the origin of its name, he had to mention his carefree eighteen-year-old self.
After dusk, as night approached, I would tear through the sky until dawn rose.
Shen Bumian was startled after hearing this, and then he pursed his lips and smiled for a while.
He never thought that the stern-faced Qin Luzhi would have such a side – becoming his own master in his own world, even wanting to bring light to the world.
Qin Luzhi felt a surge of warmth as he watched Shen Bumian smile, and his ears turned crimson.
He thought, Sure enough, it’s too embarrassing. This sounds both childish and arrogant. Shen Bumian must be laughing at him.
The young man, with a smiling voice, met Qin Luzhi’s eyes, “Qin Luzhi, youth is inherently reckless. Don’t forget, you’re also a vibrant nineteen-year-old now. You’re still young, you have the right to be arrogant.”
“Whether it’s brilliant or ordinary, the things you do or the ideas you have are all your youthful spirit, all your nineteen years that you can spend freely. I truly appreciate you.”
In just one year, Qin Luzhi had changed a lot. He had become much more reserved, no longer outwardly arrogant. His pride wasn’t immediately apparent to others.
Now, he was calm, composed, and capable of handling things on his own.
Qin Luzhi suddenly lost his embarrassment. He looked at Shen Bumian.
He only felt that Shen Bumian’s smile was filled with starlight, more brilliant than the Milky Way, more dazzling than the stars. A certain chord in his heart was struck, and he couldn’t calm down for a long time.
Qin Luzhi looked at Shen Bumian without speaking. The two silently boarded their mechas and began connecting to the mental network.
Opposite them, Meng Yuan and Mo Ting didn’t dare to relax even a little. Facing Qin Luzhi, they were giving it their absolute all.
A layer of light-energy shield enveloped the challenge area, so the audience couldn’t hear what they were saying.
They could only see the four of them each bringing out a mecha, with Jiangzhi and Mace being the most eye-catching.
Then they saw Qin Luzhi and Shen Bumian talking about something, and everyone guessed it was about combat strategy.
In the spectator stands, He Jing’s eyes widened, “What kind of match makes Boss bring out his treasured mecha Jiangzhi? I recall this is just an ordinary challenge match, right? Is it because Sister-in-law is here?”
Mu Yi calmly followed suit, very cooperative with He Jing, though with fewer words, “Showing off.”
A blunt and accurate remark.
“…”
Others also heard their conversation. Once they accepted this idea, they realized it seemed quite plausible.
They could no longer look directly at Big Boss Qin.
Although they couldn’t hear the sounds from the challenge area, Shen Bumian and the others could hear the cheers and shouts from the audience.
Chen Hebin, at Zhou Yizhou’s request, borrowed a loudspeaker from the back. He switched it on and yelled at Shen Bumian,
“Go, Mianmian! Mianmian, you’re the best! Crush them!”
Chen Hebin also cheered, “Go, Boss, you’ll definitely win!”
This action startled others, who also began to shout. The mecha club members were particularly unwilling to be outdone.
They yelled hoarsely, cheering for Mo Ting and Meng Yuan, “President, Vice President, you’re the greatest! If you win, the club treats us to a meal!!!”
The shouting in the arena was fierce, with three groups making the most noise: Qin Luzhi’s supporters, Shen Bumian’s fans, and the mecha club members.
Among them, some mecha club members wanted to cheer for Shen Bumian but were held back by others. They had to reluctantly cheer for the mecha club.
Silently, tears flowed in their hearts, Shen Meiren[mfn]沈美人 (Shěn Měirén): Literally “Shen Beauty.” A teasing or affectionate nickname for someone named Shen who’s good-looking.[/mfn], you must believe we are in Cao’s camp but our hearts are with Han!
The four participants in the challenge area were almost fighting so fast they were a blur. Many couldn’t clearly see the rapid ultimate moves.
A portion of the audience had already sat up straight or even stood up, watching with great interest. A evenly matched battle looked truly exciting.
They only saw Mace’s defense and attack systems switching freely, its mechanical arms operating flexibly, and its dodges swift.
Every time Jiangzhi launched a close-quarters attack, Mace would appear beside it, one hand defending against counterattacks, and the other able to raise a shield to block damage for Jiangzhi.
This was the first time they had seen anyone keep up with Qin Luzhi’s operations and cooperate so seamlessly. They once again re-evaluated Shen Bumian.
This was no longer just a basic understanding. Shen Bumian’s knowledge of mechas was at least five years deep; now, though not fully mastered, it was enough to instantly defeat many others.
“Damn it, who spread the rumor that Shen Bumian was a useless beauty? How come he’s constantly shattering my perceptions since entering the academy? If this continues, my face will be swollen!”
Everyone fell silent. Things they had heard for over a decade were now contradicted by the facts presented before their eyes.
It wasn’t that they couldn’t accept the truth, it was just too shocking.
They hadn’t quite recovered yet, after all, not everyone had Qin Luzhi’s mental fortitude.
Qin Luzhi, while attacking, paid attention to Shen Bumian’s state. Seeing Shen Bumian activate both systems again, he inwardly confirmed that Shen Bumian was indeed strong and had potential.
Yes, he was a little worried about Shen Bumian’s stamina.
“Shen Bumian, fall back.”
Qin Luzhi, in his haste, forgot about his tone, but fortunately, Shen Bumian didn’t mind this time.
He knew his stamina consumption. He had already depleted many of the opponent’s attacks, and now he believed Qin Luzhi could handle it alone.
“Qin Luzhi, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
He piloted Mace to retreat, finding a corner not too close nor too far, and just controlled Mace to rest there motionless.
Inside the cockpit, Shen Bumian leaned back in his seat, slightly panting. It was a bit mentally taxing, but still acceptable.
“Damn, why did Shen Meiren retreat? Is he injured?”
Zhou Yizhou, hearing this, became a bit anxious. He abruptly stood up, staring intently at Mace in the corner.
He sharply noticed Mace’s mechanical arm twitching slightly, which relieved him. This was Shen Bumian’s subconscious little movement when he was tired.
Mace’s left mechanical arm’s index finger unconsciously tapped the ground, as if beating some rhythm.
Zhou Yizhou and Chen Hebin explained it to them, and only then did everyone relax.
Qin Luzhi’s mecha skills were impeccable; they had great faith in his technique.
At this moment, looking up, Jiangzhi zipped up and down, effortless and at ease, consciously protecting the corner where Mace was.
Meng Yuan and Mo Ting’s rhythm had already been partially disrupted by Shen Bumian, so now, Qin Luzhi taking on two wasn’t very difficult.
He didn’t aim for a quick victory, but instead continued the war of attrition. Although it would consume his own energy, it would allow Shen Bumian more time to recover, which was worth it.
Qin Luzhi himself didn’t even realize that he was now subconsciously considering Shen Bumian’s needs.
