The Real Daughter Just Wants to Pilot Mechas - Chapter 127

Jiang Momo noticed the confident smile in Lu Feng’s eyes. Despite his odd behavior, her curiosity was piqued.

“So fast?” Jiang Momo asked reflexively.

“It’s not fast. The delay was because there were only two researchers left at the lab, so we had to recruit more. I even dug up some researchers that the research institute was about to expel, barely forming a team of twenty. Is that enough?” Lu Feng replied casually.

“How’s their mental power?” Jiang Momo inquired.

“We tested them and they’re fine,” Lu Feng assured her.

Jiang Momo nodded vigorously. “That works.”

As they walked and talked, they eventually arrived at an area Jiang Momo had never visited.

The surroundings looked desolate, seemingly neglected for a long time. Rusty parts and scraps were piled up, most showing signs of wear and age. Behind the pile was a two-story building with peeling walls, ivy climbing one side, completely covering the windows, making the interior seem dark. Three towering trees stood nearby, their yellowing leaves barely holding on.

“Isn’t this working environment a bit too harsh?” Jiang Momo commented, looking at the cobweb-covered piles.

Lu Feng smirked mysteriously. “You think the lab is in there?”

“What do you mean?” Jiang Momo was puzzled.

Lu Feng approached the right side of the last tree, pressed his finger on a spot about one meter high for three seconds, and the ground suddenly trembled. A black hole appeared at his feet.

“This is just like the setup at the academy’s aircraft parking area,” Jiang Momo murmured.

“Almost. Your academy gate is also part of a civil defense project, useful during wartime,” Lu Feng remarked. He gestured for Jiang Momo to go down.

Jiang Momo glanced at him and then jumped into the hole.

She landed in a vast, silent laboratory where twenty researchers moved like ghosts under cold, white lights. The room was sealed tight, giving off an eerie atmosphere.

Lu Feng landed behind her and with a clap, all the researchers immediately stopped, turned, and bowed in unison.

“Greetings, leader!”

“Gather around. I have something to discuss.” Lu Feng clapped again.

The researchers straightened up and swiftly formed two orderly rows.

Jiang Momo finally noticed their expressions. It was utterly numb.

The researchers, drawn from the research institute and some who had spent years in prison, were almost indistinguishable from one another.

She carefully observed for a while before noticing the difference. The two in the middle, with more lively eyes, were likely the ones who had just gotten out of prison.

While Jiang Momo’s thoughts raced wildly, Lu Feng was seriously introducing her to the researchers.

“Let me introduce everyone. This is Jiang Momo, the person in charge of this project from now on. She will be managing your work. Let’s give her a round of applause.”

Applause sounded.

The difference between the two groups of people became even more apparent.

The two in the middle sized her up from head to toe, while the others remained completely calm and utterly indifferent.

“How long have these people been working as researchers?” Jiang Momo whispered to Lu Feng.

Why do they all look so mentally drained? Is working at the research institute really that exhausting?

“About three years on average,” Lu Feng whispered back. “Be a bit cautious with the ones who used to be interstellar pirates. They just got out after five years in prison, so they are still unstable and not easy to manage.”

“I get it. I’ll be careful.” Jiang Momo paused and then confirmed, “They got life sentences, right?”

“As long as you don’t kill them, it’s fine,” Lu Feng whispered. “Even if you do, it can be dealt with.”

Jiang Momo instinctively stepped half a pace away from Lu Feng in shock. “That’s a bit much.”

After saying that, she turned to the researchers and noticed that, except for the two in the middle, the others were bowing their heads like quails.

“Just tell them whatever you need. I’ve already entered your information into the security system. Only you and I can enter or exit this place. I’ll head out first.” Lu Feng gave her a few more instructions before leaving.

“Can anyone tell me the current progress of the project here?” Jiang Momo crossed her arms and asked after Lu Feng left.

The two in the middle looked up.

“Well, sis, our experiment here is to produce high-grade mecha core. We’ve got the data, raw materials, and equipment ready. We’ve completed one round of testing and the equipment’s data is normal. We’re about to start the second round. Once three rounds are successful, the equipment will be officially put into use. Here’s a sample from the first round of testing. Take a look.”

One of them put on thick protective gloves, carefully holding a small core the size of a fingernail, and handed it to Jiang Momo.

Jiang Momo glanced at his gloved hand and then reached out to take the core from him.

The man’s eyes lit up, his smile growing more obvious, while the other researchers remained indifferent.

After two minutes, the man’s smile grew increasingly stiff and finally faded completely. He cautiously asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”

“Wondering why I haven’t passed out yet?” Jiang Momo tossed the core up and down in her hand, giving the two nervous men a sideways glance and smiling. “Do you think I’m just some clueless second-generation here to take credit?”

The interstellar pirate looked a bit wronged. “If you knew about its side effects, why did you take it with your bare hands?”

Unless you wear specialized protective gear, even the strongest people can’t hold it bare-handed for more than a minute. Even the lieutenant general himself couldn’t do it and his test was conducted in a controlled observation room, leaving no room for tricks.

“This thing isn’t pure enough. It has too many impurities.” Jiang Momo tossed the core back. “You guys weren’t the key personnel at the previous lab, were you?”

The interstellar pirates remained silent.

“Let’s chat somewhere else,” Jiang Momo suggested, grabbing both pirates by the back of their necks and dragging them to a corner while instructing the others, “Keep working.”

The two interstellar pirates instinctively tried to struggle when manhandled but found themselves completely immobilized. Hunched over, they glanced at each other, exchanging bewildered glances.

What’s going on? Have we been out of practice for too long? Did our muscles atrophy?

That doesn’t explain why we’re being dragged away like chickens with one hand! There’s definitely something fishy!

Once they reached a secluded spot, Jiang Momo let them go. The two pirates stared at her thoughtfully, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating.

“What is it? Do you have something to say?” Jiang Momo asked.

The pirate who had handed her the energy core glanced around cautiously, then leaned close to Jiang Momo’s ear, and whispered, “Sis, are you actually a robot?”

Jiang Momo: “?”