Chapter 53#

Before the Match#

After a three-day flight, the Blasting Sheep team returned to Scrap City.

Although there were minor twists, the commission was completed satisfactorily, and they successfully secured the final payment. The happiest of all was团长 Marcia, as the amount this time was equivalent to half a year’s commission for their entire group.

Each person received a considerable amount of commission, plus a modest number of points. As expected, there was no double tip, but surprisingly, there was an additional reward from the client.

Wen Qianyong received the most advanced mecha combat suit, which was not only waterproof, fireproof, and shockproof but also resistant to cutting, stabbing, and tearing from sharp weapons; Crazy Rat got the latest model of mechanical arm, which could be fitted with various types of weapons and could also be replaced with a bending-resistant bracket for self-assembling weapons; and Samu received a complete set of mechanical maintenance kits, fully equipped with tools.

In addition, he also received a newly released true cleaning robot.

Looking at the robot that was touted as capable of washing clothes, cooking, cleaning, and doing everything, Samu pursed his lips and smiled. “Mr. He is unexpectedly petty…”

“Brother Mu, what did you say?” Wen Qianyong gestured with the combat suit.

“Nothing.” Samu shook his head and looked at Ning Feng, who had been silent. “Blade, what did you receive?”

“A battery.” Ning Feng said reluctantly.

“Battery?” The others gathered around curiously.

They saw Ning Feng holding a pure white square box, fixed on a steel plate bracket, embedded with a palm-sized device. The device was covered with high-precision material, engraved with fine patterns, and connected at both ends with precise purple copper and silver plating, with faint blue electric light slowly flowing through.

“What’s this? Just this small thing?” Wen Qianyong wrinkled his nose.

Samu looked it over carefully and smiled. “Xiao Yong, don’t underestimate this device. The rewards for the three of us combined might not even be worth half its price.”

This battery was not only heat-resistant and cold-resistant but also explosion-proof, flame-retardant, and small in size, with advanced self-protection mechanisms. Despite its small size, its capacity was considerable. The battery Ning Feng had bought earlier could only release two battery pulses at most, but this one could release at least ten.

“That impressive!”

Crazy Rat didn’t know much else, but when it came to price, knowing it couldn’t even compare to half of someone else’s, he felt a bit sour. But thinking about how Carrot had been by the boss’s side the whole way, even at the final evacuation, he had risked danger to hijack the Federation commander in exchange for the most important shuttle—such a great merit deserved the biggest reward.

Samu examined it left and right. “But there’s no manufacturer label on this battery. That’s strange.”

Hearing this, Ning Feng pursed his lips.

Of course there was no manufacturer, because this was specially customized by Big Beard.

He didn’t know much else, but the design of this battery was exactly the same as the Dragon II’s, and even better in performance. Big Beard wouldn’t have just given him a device for no reason. Even with just a glance, anyone could tell whose idea this was.

Thinking of this, Ning Feng felt even more displeased.

“I didn’t expect Boss He, who seems cold and distant, to be surprisingly generous!” Wen Qianyong rubbed his chin. “He works at that super-large base, right?”

“That’s the largest base in the border star region. No wonder he doesn’t lack money.” Crazy Rat nodded in agreement. “Honestly, he’s the easiest employer I’ve ever met.”

“He hasn’t made things difficult for us these days and is easy to talk to.”

“Hehe, if he has another commission next time, we could consider it.”

“Indeed, it’s worth considering.” Even Samu agreed this time.

Ning Feng: …

Looking at everyone’s happy expressions, Ning Feng felt disappointed in their lack of ambition.

Just a while ago, they were all thinking about kicking him off the ship, but now, after receiving a few gifts, they were all eager to speak well of him!

He lowered his head to look at the battery in his hand. In the end, no matter who gave it, it was just part of the reward, an extra tip. Besides, he really did need to upgrade his equipment, so there was no point in arguing with himself.

Ning Feng shrugged and put it away.

**

After resting for a few days, the Blasting Sheep team resumed their pre-match training.

Compared to previous tournaments, the upcoming matches were even more intense, even fiercer than in any past competition.

And the reason was the Federation’s attack by the Zerg.

The attack on Titus City was fortunately handled in time and did not cause major casualties. To thoroughly investigate the matter, the Federation launched a vigorous crackdown on smuggling and cargo transport operations, shutting down several cargo routes. Reportedly, quite a few things were uncovered.

Many mercenaries had no work and were complaining endlessly, so they had to return to their base to participate in the tournament, hoping to secure better rankings and new commissions. This had little impact on the large mercenary groups, as they mostly had fixed clients. But it greatly affected small and medium-sized mercenary groups, especially Marcia, who had recently been worried and running around looking for work, with no time to come and harass them.

Upon hearing the news, Ning Feng: …

This wasn’t his fault, was it?

Definitely not?

Although the competition became much more difficult, fortunately, the Blasting Sheep was no longer the poor, shabby Blasting Sheep of before. They now had some “assets”! With Ning Feng’s strong command and the team’s cooperation, after several days of intense competition, the team stood out and was just one step away from entering the elimination round.

According to the schedule, they would be up against the Fox Team, the top favorite to win, which had been ranked in the top three for years and was the champion of the previous tournament.

They had conducted a very detailed analysis and tactical deployment against the Fox Team, but that alone was not enough. The lack of hardware was also a major issue.

Thus, over the past two days, Samu had worked overtime, using the recent prize money to purchase high-performance equipment. Then, based on each person’s combat characteristics, he made a series of modifications, and now everyone’s mecha looked quite presentable.

Finally, the day before the match arrived.

After routine training, the team gathered again in the small living room of their base to summarize and review. They didn’t have this habit before, but after Ning Feng insisted on hosting a few sessions, they found it very effective, and the habit continued.

After discussing tomorrow’s tactics, Samu swiped his finger to close the holographic sand table. “That’s enough for tactics. Next—”

“I know, be careful in tomorrow’s match.” Wen Qianyong propped his chin.

“Not entirely.” Samu smiled slightly, placed his hands on the table, and looked around at everyone. “Today,团长 Marcia emphasized that several very important guests will come to watch the match tomorrow, and she specifically instructed us to perform well.”

“Important guests? Did she find another golden goose?” Crazy Rat fiddled with his new mechanical arm.

“I’m not sure. I heard they are the heads of military bases, interested in long-term cooperation.”

“Ah? Military!” Crazy Rat looked displeased.

“Base? Which side?” Wen Qianyong’s eyes lit up.

“It seems both Federation and Empire.”

“Long-term cooperation?” Ning Feng raised an eyebrow.

Based on his past experience, military bases usually waited for the new season’s rankings to come out before selecting suitable teams based on upcoming mission requirements. Each team had its strengths, and while higher rankings weren’t everything, signing contracts this early—especially long-term ones—was unusual.

“Did you find out the employer’s identity?” he asked.

“Marcia didn’t say, but employer information is usually only revealed when the commission is officially released. She seemed to take it seriously.”

“Whatever employer, just do our best!”

…

The more Ning Feng thought about it, the more something seemed off. But since there were “several” guests, it was probably Marcia casting a wide net for benefactors… right?

He couldn’t be sure whether the person he had in mind was among them.

Later, Samu went over many precautions and then told everyone to rest early to prepare for the tough match the next day.

**

Above Scrap City, a sickly gray mist hung permanently, making it look desolate and decayed from afar.

The arena was one of the few large buildings here, surrounded by countless rusted spaceships and reckless vehicles. A small silver-gray spaceship slowly descended into the special passage of the arena, blending in inconspicuously.

With a swoosh, the spaceship door opened, and a man in a black trench coat and black hat stepped out. Marcia, accompanied by several bodyguards, was already waiting at the side door. Seeing him, she greeted him warmly.

“Welcome, welcome. Hello, Boss He.”

The man didn’t speak, only responded with a faint “Mm,” his voice sounding like he was only in his twenties.

Marcia discreetly looked him up and down.

This was the employer who had issued the previous commission, but due to the circumstances, she had never met him in person, only learning relevant information from the Blasting Sheep team. The man was covered from head to toe, with sunglasses blocking most of his face, making it impossible to see his appearance. Only his fair skin suggested he was a young man, probably from a well-off family.

Recently, she had been scrambling for commissions, meeting with many patrons and contacting several small base commanders, but without much success. So when Boss He approached her again, proposing to come and watch the match, she agreed without hesitation.

In truth, Marcia wasn’t without doubts.

After all, the last commission hadn’t been completed perfectly. Although they gave some gifts in the end, they didn’t even tip. Tips were the best indicator of overall satisfaction. She knew her team’s level well. Why would someone who could choose from many higher-ranked teams specifically pick her? If there wasn’t something fishy, she wouldn’t believe it.

But prying into the employer’s identity was a big no-no—they only cared about money.

Marcia quickly pulled herself together and led the man inside with a smile.

“Boss He, you’ve come just in time. The match is about to start. Our team’s performance will definitely satisfy you.”

…

**

Today was the last match of the selection round and also the match with the biggest ranking disparity—the top-ranked Fox Team vs. the bottom-ranked Blasting Sheep. But everyone watching knew that these rankings hadn’t been updated yet, as the Blasting Sheep was the biggest dark horse this time.

There were a lot of spectators, packed inside and outside the venue. Ning Feng and the others were stuck in traffic for a long time before reaching the arena, almost missing the final roll call.

As they entered the main gate, Ning Feng noticed a small silver-gray spaceship parked at the side entrance. Although it looked ordinary in design, the materials used were clearly not common. He took an extra look, until Wen Qianyong urged him impatiently, then he looked away.

Since the preparation rooms for both sides were directly opposite each other, they inevitably crossed paths.

The captain of the Fox Team was a middle-aged man who seemed approachable. Unlike their previous opponents, he didn’t sneer or mock them, but the team members behind him had unfriendly eyes, obviously not to be trifled with.

After exchanging pleasantries with Samu, the captain started chatting. “I heard several military base heads are here today.”

Samu nodded in agreement. “I heard that too.”

The recent Zerg invasion had caused a stir, and both the Federation and Empire were looking for mercenary groups to cooperate with. These bases were outposts in the border star regions—small, medium, and even a few large ones—and they were offering good terms.

“Our group already has several teams selected by medium-sized bases, and we’re negotiating with a large base. If the contract goes smoothly, we might take on some missions as well.” The captain said casually. “I heard团长 Marcia is quite worried about this.”

But Samu didn’t react much. “After all, with such a good opportunity, no one wants to miss it.”

“Miss what? With their skills, they think they can get a medium-sized contract? They’d be lucky to sign a small long-term contract.” At that moment, a tall young man with pink hair behind the captain snorted.

“What!? What did you say?” Wen Qianyong was furious.

“What, did I say something wrong?” The young man arrogantly raised his chin, his light brown skin glowing golden in the sun. “Don’t think winning a few matches makes you something special. Our group has taken several large contracts, and we’ve even participated in missions at Nora Base with a team.”

Scrap City had a recommendation list for external employers, but also an internal recommendation list for employers. The highest-rated was Nora Base, attached to the Empire’s Sixth Military District.

However, as a super-large military base, Nora Base never signed long-term contracts with mercenary groups. It only signed mission contracts as needed, and the contract would end when the mission was over. For future cooperation, they would re-sign contracts based on rankings and previous cooperation history.

Although it was troublesome, the terms were very attractive, and having experience cooperating with Nora Base was like gilding the team’s resume—a guarantee of capability.

Everyone tried every means and connection to cooperate with Nora Base at least once. But their previous person in charge had been very “diligent,” checking the team’s entire black history before cooperation, especially negative reviews… Now, it was said the person in charge had changed, and hopefully things would improve.

For the current Blasting Sheep, just cooperating with the military was already good. As for Nora Base…

Just a dream.

Wen Qianyong was so angry his face turned red, pointing at the other person and stuttering “you” for a long time.

Crazy Rat glanced at him gloomily and suddenly let out a couple of sinister laughs. “Look how proud you are. I thought Nora Base was your family business.”

“Hey—”

“Qiu Zhen.” The captain shot a look, and the man named Qiu Zhen snorted and turned away. The captain, looking apologetic, said, “Sorry, Qiu Zhen is a bit blunt. He meant no harm. Please don’t take it to heart. There are still plenty of opportunities, and you don’t necessarily have to cooperate with the military. Just do what you can.”

This half-apology irritated the team even more, but they couldn’t find a point to refute, so they had to swallow their anger. Samu, however, showed no emotion throughout, and the two continued with their polite exchanges.

Ning Feng couldn’t be bothered with these petty squabbles. On the battlefield, strength speaks. Sometimes, deliberately provoking the opponent to affect their judgment was also a tactic.

During this time, he noticed several gazes from the other side, always landing on him intentionally or unintentionally.

After the recent matches, Ning Feng had been outstanding, and no one dared to underestimate this seemingly battered robot anymore.

Ning Feng was used to these scrutinizing looks. He stood in the back, waiting for the formalities to end, while his chip rapidly calculated how many accumulated points he had left and whether he could afford to exchange for a cooling unit…

Just then—

[Win the match. Win this one.]

[You must win.]

[Then go support the base, hehe.]

…

Base?!

Ning Feng was stunned and suddenly looked up at the people in front of him.

These mercenaries looked ordinary, with no Zerg features, and could communicate normally. If he hadn’t heard the bug language, he would never have suspected they were Zerg.

Suddenly, he remembered Qu Yan once mentioning that bug venom could directly affect the thoughts and behavior of infected individuals.

Could these people be infected with bug venom?

And the “base support” they mentioned…

Meaning there were Zerg in the base?

Which base?

Ning Feng was horrified, a flood of terrifying conjectures rushing through his mind.

Having fought against the Zerg for many years, he knew well the devastation wrought by Zerg-infested places, let alone a military base serving as a defensive line. If a base fell, the scope of affected star regions and the loss of life would be catastrophic.

As if sensing his gaze, the other side also looked back, their expressions wary and unapologetically scrutinizing.

His optical lens swept over them back and forth. Ning Feng couldn’t confirm which individuals emitted these bug language signals, or perhaps all of them were infected. After silently observing for a moment, he shifted his lens and made a decision.

“Those guys are too hateful, especially the captain—so hypocritical! Look at them, just because they have a few big contracts with some bases, they think they’re hot stuff.” Crazy Rat leaned against the mecha’s leg, his voice full of disgust.

“Yeah, I don’t like them either!” Wen Qianyong didn’t argue this time.

“We don’t need to like them; we just need to beat them.” Ning Feng crouched beside the mecha for a final check.

“Carrot, do you really think we can win?” Wen Qianyong nervously rubbed his pants.

“Who knows.” Ning Feng shrugged and gave a crooked smile. “But I’m definitely not going to lose.”

With that, he turned and climbed into the cockpit.