The Real Daughter Just Wants to Pilot Mechas - Chapter 123

“Huh? What should we do then? There are still so many alien beasts!” Yan Chang never doubted Jiang Momo’s judgment and blurted out immediately.

Jiang Momo looked at the screen in front of her and took a sip of the mung bean soup. “Lu Feng must have his own reasons to fight this way.”

Yan Chang, still puzzled, continued to stare at the live broadcast. Soon, as Jiang Momo had predicted, the mecha’s movements visibly slowed down. The alien beasts immediately stopped running around but did not attack. They just stared intently at the now non-threatening giant.

The screen was flooded with comments full of confusion.

Soon, the tense standoff was broken by the movement of one alien beast. At the same time, the mecha unleashed a violent burst of energy, sending the approaching alien beast flying. Several nearby alien beasts were also knocked down.

“Wow!” Yan Chang exclaimed, eyes shining as he looked at Jiang Momo. “So cool!”

“Lu Feng probably won’t be able to return to the field anytime soon.” Jiang Momo shook her head.

Amidst the jubilant comments, the alien beasts turned and fled. The legendary mecha did not give chase. Meanwhile, a super S-grade mecha suddenly rushed forward from the squad that had been moving injured teammates to safety.

As the two mechas brushed past each other, the cockpit door opened. Two figures switched places in midair and the legendary mecha fell freely for fifteen seconds before resuming normal activity. The super S-grade mecha that came to assist fell straight down and was dragged away by the ‘rescue’ squad.

On the live stream, the legendary mecha continued advancing and exterminating the alien beasts.

“It seems that not many people in the First Military District can pilot this mecha.” Jiang Momo took another sip of the mung bean soup with her head lowered.

If there were more capable pilots, Lu Feng wouldn’t have to push himself to such an extent. Although that kind of strain wouldn’t have lasting effects on those with high physical and mental power, it would still cause a temporary loss of mobility, preventing them from returning to battle quickly, a conclusion Lu Feng shared after several experiments. At the time, he claimed many in the military district could pilot the mecha, but now it seemed that wasn’t entirely true.

When Lu Feng woke up, the battle had just ended, with all selected mecha pilots in deep sleep and all alien beasts eliminated. The comment section was filled with cheers as Lu Feng, supported by his subordinates, approached the camera inside the warship.

He had instructed them to do so beforehand, and now he solemnly took the microphone.

“Thank you to all the viewers. I am Major General Lu Feng of the First Military District. As per the Federal Military’s orders, we came to the Border Star System to support the border troops, aiming to showcase our military strength and the latest mecha research results to the public.

“The mecha we piloted this time is a replica of the legendary mecha from the Alien Beast War era, capable of one-hit kills against the alien beasts. It was made by a faculty member at the Central Mecha Academy and has not yet been mass-produced. Following the Federal President’s directive, I pledge to strictly protect the identity of the creator, ensure their personal and property safety, and respect their intellectual property rights. All mechas will be purchased at market value.”

Hearing this, Jiang Momo glanced at Yan Chang and they exchanged a look of confusion.

“What does that mean? Real protection or fake protection?” Jiang Momo muttered.

“Why is the President involved? Wasn’t it the Congress stirring things up before?” Yan Chang frowned.

They spoke simultaneously and then fell silent, both feeling lost. Just then, a figure sat down beside Jiang Momo.

“Why are you so gloomy?” E Mingjun patted Jiang Momo’s shoulder and initiated a video call with both Jiang Momo and Yan Chang.

Face-to-face calls were something Jiang Momo had never experienced. As her mind pieced together fragmented clues, she suddenly turned and asked, “Is the President involved because of the interstellar pirates?”

Due to the light brain’s privacy protection, voices during calls could not be heard by outsiders, and even if people were close, they could only see moving lips without reading the conversation. Therefore, Jiang Momo felt no pressure to discuss the topic.

“Yes.” E Mingjun gave her a surprised look.

That was the condition he had put to the President. While Lu Feng might be relatively insignificant within the military, the President’s influence was undeniable. As long as the President intervened, the legendary mecha’s creator’s identity could not be leaked by the military and the research institute under Congress would have no chance of exposing anything.

Jiang Momo felt a mix of emotions. Although they had always claimed that public support would protect the creator from being controlled or restricted, they knew that even though Ge Qing returned to the academy with public support, he never had the opportunity to build another S-grade mecha.

She had been prepared to hand over the creation method as a temporary safeguard, but E Mingjun had quietly taken care of the problem and secured the right to continue making mechas with full military funding.

She sighed. “The risk is too great.”

And the favor was too big.

“Don’t think too much. Stay motivated. We still have a tough battle ahead.” Seeing Jiang Momo was in a bad mood, E Mingjun tried to comfort her.

He knew Jiang Momo’s pride and didn’t press further. “The President’s term ends in three months and there may be turbulence. We need to take advantage of this opportunity to settle things. Your previous actions laid a good foundation. Now we need to break the research institute’s monopoly on mecha manufacturing.”

Jiang Momo stared blankly. “Why?”

She had never thought of E Mingjun as particularly ambitious.

E Mingjun smiled. “Because the situation is urgent, isn’t it? You rushed to provide the Central Star System military with that mecha without leaving any backup plan because you felt time was running out, right?”

From Jiang Momo’s attitude towards Shi Qin, he could see her strong sense of responsibility. Back then, when she said the military needed the mecha, he didn’t think much of it, until he realized it was deployed on the Central Star System’s battlefield.

Most importantly, if she continued down that path while barely protecting herself, it was very likely she would disappear quietly one day.

“The current situation calls for more than just breaking the knowledge monopoly.” Jiang Momo sighed.

E Mingjun sensed something off. He seemed to have misjudged Jiang Momo’s idea. “What are you aiming for?”

“I want everyone capable to freely create and pilot mechas of any grade, to maximize their potential,” Jiang Momo replied. “If possible, I want a society where everyone can fight, until we reach a state where the entire population is ready for battle.”

Considering the current military numbers, the alien beast invasion already stretched them thin. Even with intensified training, significant improvements were unlikely. If a full-scale invasion occurred, there would be no way to defend.

Jiang Momo had seen data in the combat simulation backend. Many civilians displayed remarkable combat talent when facing the alien beasts but due to lack of qualifications or other reasons, they never joined the military.

[Yes, yes! That’s exactly it! As expected of the child I raised, very ambitious!] Little Eight popped out to praise her.

E Mingjun was stunned.

Her idea was too grand.

“This is…” something those politicians should think about.

E Mingjun hesitated.

They were on the same ship. Even if they could temporarily alter its course, the one at the helm would remain unchanged.

“I agree with Master! I always felt I could do more. It’s just the mecha holding me back! Give me an S-grade mecha and I can crush anyone!” Yan Chang shouted, breaking the heavy atmosphere.

The mood lightened instantly.