Chapter 55#
Confirmation#
The atmosphere among the spectators outside was heated, and the contestants inside weren’t much better off.
In the abandoned repair station, the captain of the Fox Team stood guard at the main entrance with his gun at the ready, while Qiu Zhen, the pilot of the assassin mecha, worked on emergency repairs with his tools inside.
“That mad rat actually trashed my mecha like this!” Qiu Zhen cursed as he worked, his face red with urgency. “Don’t expect me to share any E-rank commissions with him in the future—I’d rather tear them up!”
“Enough, this is being livestreamed the whole time.” For once, the captain showed a hint of irritation.
Qiu Zhen immediately shut his mouth, but he was still indignant. “Captain, they’ve only got a healer left. Let’s just charge over and take it out! What are we waiting for?”
The captain slowly shook his head. “Mad Rat may have withdrawn from the match, but his landmines are no joke. Don’t forget, Shamu is their team’s repair specialist. And besides…”
Besides, that medical mecha—though its hardware was the worst of the lot, causing many to overlook its existence—had impressed him in their previous encounters. He had already keenly sensed that its pilot was no ordinary person.
He had reviewed the robot’s match videos. This person demonstrated precise control over battlefield timing and accurately assessed the combat strength of both sides. They were clearly a battle-hardened pilot… no, a commander.
Even if only one opponent remained, he could not afford to be careless.
“What?”
“Nothing. Hurry up and fix it.”
After a round of emergency repairs, Qiu Zhen couldn’t wait to climb into the cockpit. He was just about to start the system when a loud bang echoed, followed by a burning smell coming from the engine bay.
“What’s going on?!” Startled, he quickly pulled up the panel and found the power system had failed.
“Enemy attack!” The captain immediately turned and took cover, his eyes fixed on the radar, yet he detected nothing unusual.
His expression darkened.
His detection system was the most advanced available. Apart from specialized stealth models like assassin mechas, no other type could escape his monitoring.
Though shaken, the captain’s movements were swift. In a few quick strides, he ducked behind a half-wall outside and took an elevated position. From there, he spotted the mecha lying near the repair station. It was Mad Rat’s assassin mecha. Though it had lost combat capability and couldn’t participate in the match anymore, it still had plenty of power and remained in an active state.
The captain froze for a moment, then quickly understood.
The enemy had used the assassin’s stealth system to hide their movements and fire at close range!
His expression darkened further. He immediately moved away from the repair station, weaving through narrow alleys to reach the flag’s location as fast as possible. He knew clearly that the current situation was extremely unfavorable for him. That opponent was no ordinary robot—it must have been fed a vast amount of real combat data to precisely capture and utilize every resource on the field.
But were AIs really this advanced now?
The audience outside were all experienced mercenaries. Many had already figured out what was happening and were full of praise.
“The captain’s been slipping a bit lately.”
“Don’t say that—this healer’s got some real skill.”
“Still useless. No matter how good, he’s just a healer.”
“Besides, time isn’t on his side. As soon as the mine timer runs out, if he dares to show himself, the captain can just overwhelm him with firepower. He’s bound to lose.”
…
The captain thought the same. He quickly arrived near the flag, hiding his massive frame in the shadows, lying motionless.
The flag was planted in a flat, open space, covered by a glowing blue ion shield. Within hundreds of meters around it, there was no cover at all. Outside the open area, more than a dozen thick stone pillars surrounded it, forming a unique enclosed space. Whoever wanted to seize the flag would have to enter that open ground and engage in a fierce confrontation.
The captain checked the time. The mines had only three minutes left. As soon as the time was up, he would charge in and grab the flag.
He wasn’t worried about the opponent coming out to fight. Sure, that adversary had some skill, but against absolute power, all tricks were futile. If they knew what was good for them, they’d stay quiet and stop messing around—it would be better for everyone.
This match determined who would advance to the elimination round. It affected the team’s ranking, and the higher they placed, the better their chances of being selected by a major base. He had to win!
For a moment, the captain’s eyes grew dark.
Just then, a figure appeared in the distance.
The medical mecha, carrying a low-grade energy gun, strolled out from behind the stone pillars. Its equipment was already somewhat damaged, with exposed cables on its arm, but a thick steel plate had been added to the elbow area—a temporary modification.
The captain’s eyes narrowed, but he remained still.
What does he think he’s doing?
**
“What’s he coming out for? Idiot!” Marcia cursed under her breath. Then, suddenly remembering something, she gave a dry laugh. “Oh! Don’t worry, it’s equipped with the latest AI technology. It must have come up with a plan.”
But when she turned to look, she saw Boss He leaning slightly forward, a few specks of light glinting in his pupils under the sunlight, as if he hadn’t heard her at all. “Boss He?”
“Mm.” Yin Beichen responded absently, subtly shifting his sitting position. “This robot—where did it come from originally?”
“Where from?”
“I mean its AI.”
“Well… I never asked about the details. One day, I just heard that one of our group’s researchers had invented it.”
“Researcher? Named Shamu?”
“Yes, that’s him. He’s the most famous mechanic in Waster City. Many military blueprints come from his hands!”
“Military blueprints?”
Yin Beichen’s thin lips pressed together, and he said nothing more. His eyes never left that square face the entire time.
Seeing this, Marcia grew even more puzzled.
She hadn’t noticed before, but thinking back, this Boss He seemed extremely focused on that robot. Every question he asked was about it, yet he seemed indifferent to the match itself.
Was he thinking of buying a robot?
No way… what about the cooperation they had discussed?
While Marcia was fretting over the collaboration, the contestant inside the arena was taking it easy.
Ning Feng first looked around, then cautiously entered the minefield. Using his team’s shared system, he avoided the dense cluster of mines and began approaching the flag.
He was going to pull the flag!
Suddenly realizing this, the captain could no longer stay put. He burst out from behind cover, raised his flamethrower, and opened fire fiercely.
As soon as the captain appeared, Ning Feng immediately retreated, hiding behind a stone pillar to break line of sight. But the captain didn’t give chase recklessly. Instead, he stood outside and swept the area with gunfire, refusing to step into the minefield.
Thus, the two played a game of cat and mouse for a while.
But in the end, the captain’s combat mecha far outclassed Ning Feng’s medical mecha in both attack range and firepower. Ning Feng could only test the waters from maximum distance and couldn’t get close.
Seeing that the mines were about to expire, the captain finally let out a sigh of relief. He switched to the public channel and shouted loudly.
“Medical mecha over there, you really are a worthy opponent.” He paused, full of confidence. “But the game ends here. Drop your weapon and surrender!”
“Is that so?” A synthetic electronic voice came through the channel, casual yet tinged with a hint of laziness.
“Then you’d better be ready!”
As the words ended, several black dots came flying toward him. The captain squinted—they were ion grenades! If those grenades made contact with the mines, the entire flat area would be blown sky-high, and it might even affect his position.
In that half-second, countless thoughts raced through his mind. Without hesitation, the captain raised his cannon and fired quickly.
Several explosions rang out. The grenades were blown to pieces before they hit the ground, and smoke billowed up. He had just begun to relax when, in the thick smoke, more black dots flew toward him again—he only noticed them when they were almost right in front of him.
Tch. Annoying!
“Stalling tactics like this only waste time; they won’t change the outcome.” The captain sneered, aiming and firing without a second thought.
But the expected explosion didn’t come. Instead, a large cloud of thick white smoke burst open, blanketing the entire field of view. Everything around was swallowed by the white haze.
The captain’s heart leaped in alarm.
That wasn’t a grenade—it was a smoke bomb!
The enemy was trying to ambush him!
The captain immediately went on the defensive, but before he could pull out his shield, the roar of an engine reached his ears. The next moment, a figure burst through the fog, charging straight at him with a thunderous roar.
Boom!!—
A deafening crash. The massive combat mecha flew backward like a sandbag and landed heavily.
“Ugh!” The captain was dizzy from the collision, but for a close-combat mecha focused on defense, this minor damage was nothing. He quickly adjusted his posture midair, ready to counterattack upon landing. But just as the mecha was about to touch the ground, he suddenly realized something was wrong.
Wait! This is…
The captain’s face turned pale, his eyes wide with shock.
“Landmines!!”
Boom!!—
The violent explosion was ear-splitting. Black smoke shot into the sky, and the air filled with a choking, acrid stench.
When the smoke cleared, the outline of a medical mecha gradually emerged from the haze. The steel plate on its elbow had been deformed by the earlier collision. It shook its arm, then casually tossed the plate aside.
“You’re not the only one who can lay mines.” Ning Feng strolled over slowly.
The close-combat mecha lay on the ground, nearly half its limbs blown off. Though it could still barely function, its actual combat power was close to zero. The captain struggled a couple of times, barely lifting his upper body, as a crackling sound of electricity came from the machine.
Ning Feng stood in front of him, short gun resting on his shoulder, looking down at him from above.
“Captain, you’re too kind.”
He said it casually, the tone at the end slightly elevated, carrying an indescribable mockery.
The captain’s face flushed red and then white. His fists clenched tightly. Seeing no hope of turning the tables, a murderous glint flashed in his eyes. His hands flew across the control panel.
Want to win? No way!
In an instant, the mecha’s eyes flickered with an ominous red light, and alarms blared throughout the cockpit.
The captain immediately initiated the cockpit ejection sequence. Just as he was about to start the self-destruct countdown, he saw the seemingly powerless medical mecha suddenly raise its short gun and fire twice at him. Then, a violent tremor shook the rear of his mecha, followed by a piercing alarm.
[Warning! Power system has failed!]
[Shutting down system.]
“What?!” The captain frantically pulled up the data panel, only to find the entire power system obliterated. The system didn’t even have enough energy to maintain basic functions.
“Ah, nothing new. I’ve been there, done that.”
Ning Feng raised his machine gun and blew on the nonexistent smoke.
The midday sun shone on the mecha, mingling with the mottled paint, coating it in a dazzling layer of fragmented gold. At that moment, the tall figure was impossible to look away from.
The Fox Team had lost.
This was the match with the biggest ranking disparity this year—a team that had never fallen out of the top three unexpectedly eliminated. And this healer had actually forced the Fox Team’s captain to self-destruct!
The entire audience fell silent. No one spoke.
A moment later, an earth-shaking roar erupted.
Everyone was shouting the name Blasting Sheep, the name Blade. Applause, cheers, and cries of approval rose and fell, surging forward, enveloping the entire arena, reaching the heavens.
Ning Feng shrugged his shoulders. Under the burning gaze of the crowd, he walked unhurriedly to the flag and gave it a gentle pull—
**
“We won!!”
Marcia jumped up in excitement. Then, suddenly remembering herself, she cleared her throat awkwardly. “Boss He, I told you our mercenary group is full of elites… Boss He?”
But Yin Beichen had stood up, his tall figure swaying slightly.
He stared blankly at the square-shaped figure on the light screen. After a long moment, he let out a short, light breath. He took a half-step forward until he bumped into the railing of the room. Only then did he seem to snap back to reality, instantly concealing all emotion.
“Are you alright?” Marcia looked at him doubtfully.
“Mm.”
“Well… are you satisfied with the team’s performance?”
Yin Beichen was silent for a moment.
“Satisfied. Very satisfied.”
His tone was restrained, but beneath it, an unmistakable hint of excitement and joy was about to spill over.
Marcia’s heart blossomed. She hurriedly stepped forward, but before she could touch his clothes, he deftly sidestepped her. She rubbed her nose and gave an embarrassed smile. “Then, the long-term cooperation you mentioned earlier—”
“I’ll contact you again.”
He took one last deep look at the light screen, watching the figure standing in the sunlight. A rare smile crept onto his lips.
Dazzled by that smile, Marcia froze for a moment. Only when he turned and left did she snap out of it and hastily chase after him.
“Hmm~ Not bad.” At this point, the man in the cloak, who had been sitting quietly in the corner watching the match, elegantly yawned. Amidst the cheers, he slowly rose to his feet.
“Master, are we going back?” A staff member appeared behind him out of nowhere, bowing respectfully as he asked.
“It’s over. Nothing worth watching.” The man held his thermos cup in his hands. “By the way, did you place the bet?”
“Yes.”
Just then, his comms device chimed with the sound of a payment received. The man glanced at the bonus, smirked with satisfaction, and narrowed his eyes slightly. He looked up at the robot on the screen, lightly scratching his lips with a fingertip, a dark glint flashing in his eyes.
“Blade?”