The Real Daughter Just Wants to Pilot Mechas - Chapter 144

While waiting for Professor Ge Qing’s trial to begin, at Qin Chu’s request, Jiang Momo returned to the research institute to help her add the legendary mecha data to the combat simulation system for participants to purchase.

Originally, the general public only knew about the legendary mechas through live streams and didn’t have a real sense of them. After all, once they calmed down, they figured that although the military rarely streamed battles, professionally trained soldiers piloting S-grade mechas should be able to perform at similar levels. However, once they tried it themselves, the difference was immediately obvious.

The battle highlights section rapidly filled with several times more clear-run videos after the legendary mechas went on sale. In those clips, the players were no longer running from the alien beasts, nor did they stick to specific combat styles. Everyone simply charged in head-on, resulting in instant kills across the board.

The sudden shift threw off many popular streamers who had previously spent endless effort honing their battle tactics. They began streaming feverishly around the clock.

“Even though this mecha can only be piloted for under ten minutes at a time, that’s more than enough. If you have enough points, I recommend exchanging them for this mecha immediately. The performance is incredible. There’s a good chance they’ll tweak the parameters later.”

A streamer in the combat mecha simulation game reviewed his gameplay recording while wiping sweat from his chin, sitting inside a half-open simulation pod and sipping water.

Jiang Momo leaned against the headboard and glanced at Little Eight who was engrossed in the stream. She asked curiously, “This streamer’s skill is just average. Why do you like him so much?”

[He looks a lot like my previous pilot,] Little Eight said, flicking its tail a bit bashfully.

“I see.” Jiang Momo accepted the answer and laid back down with her ears closed, but after just two minutes of lying there, her mind became sharper than ever. She sat back up and joined Little Eight to watch the stream.

In the live room, the streamer had just started another round of chasing the alien beasts around with excitement. The comment section flew by rapidly.

[Looks super satisfying watching him fight, but I gritted my teeth and bought a legendary mecha, only to pilot it for a minute and a half before getting ejected.]

[Same here. I saw the streamer going wild, but when I tried it myself, I was kicked out in less than three minutes.]

[Could it be due to insufficient mental power? But didn’t they say during the public release that regular people could use it for ten minutes?]

Little Eight wasn’t paying attention to the comments, so it didn’t notice the contemplative look on Jiang Momo’s face.

“I remember we gave Qin Chu the data for a low-level legendary mecha, so why can’t people pilot it for ten minutes?” she murmured, immediately messaging Qin Chu.

Qin Chu replied instantly.

[Draft Animal Goes Back To Work]: There’s no problem on the military’s end but the civilian simulation pods have safety protocols. If they detect any harm to the human body, they immediately force an ejection.

[Draft Animal Goes Back To Work]: Basically, if someone can last ten minutes online, they’re probably capable of piloting a higher level mecha in real life.

A light bulb went off in Jiang Momo’s head. She shot upright and contacted Lu Feng.

Even if the military doesn’t allow legendary mechas to circulate externally, this was still a way to identify people capable of piloting high-level legendary mechas!

She sent a detailed explanation and Lu Feng quickly responded.

[Lieutenant General Lu Feng]: Got it. I’ll report directly to the President at the appropriate time.

[Lieutenant General Lu Feng]: The research institute predicted another small-scale alien beast wave will hit the Central Star System soon. Do you want to join the fight?

Jiang Momo thought it over. “I might not be available.”

Ge Qing’s trial was in two days. She couldn’t miss it for any reason.

***

That night, StarNet inexplicably blew up again.

There were countless theories about the two low-level legendary mechas previously sold. Some conspiracy theorists even suggested the mechas were never actually sold, just put on display.

It was ‘inexplicable’ because when Jiang Momo woke up and spent a long time trying to trace the origin of the sudden buzz, she found nothing, yet public opinion was already in full swing. Some citizens even staged a sit-in outside the Presidential Palace.

The reason Jiang Momo knew about it at all could be traced back to 4 AM when she had only been asleep for two hours and was suddenly awakened by a video call from the military.

Because civilians were starting to gather at the Presidential Palace and to avoid alarming the President, the military needed to urgently produce a batch of legendary mechas for online auction. They needed Jiang Momo to provide at least twenty legendary mechas before noon.

As for why they turned to her, naturally because the research lab’s staff had all been sent on vacation four days ago after the President handpicked them and the military had ensured every officer got their own legendary mecha.

Only Scarface and Black Tiger remained on duty but they only knew how to make energy cores, not mechas. As for Ge Qing, he had been invited to an academic exchange by a high-ranking military official, a longtime fan of his.

“I need twenty B-grade mechas,” Jiang Momo protested.

The military replied that they had already collected all available B-grade mechas in the Federation while producing the legendary ones and only six were left. The rest would be up to her.

“To solve this problem, you could just sell the existing low-grade legendary mechas. Some soldiers must have been found only suitable for those, right?” Jiang Momo asked.

The military answered that a medium-scale alien beast wave was expected in a few days. All mechas were needed on the battlefield. If anything went wrong later, they couldn’t be held accountable.

“Just get to work. You’ve got over six hours. Make as many as you can. We’ll buy them all at one hundred million apiece.”

With that, the other party hung up the call.

Jiang Momo was left alone, unable to find the source of the online uproar and on the verge of giving up.

[Momo, what do you plan to do? Actually, if we invite on-site mecha manufacturers at double the market rate, we should still make it in time. Don’t forget we have that time-manipulation device Ling Yelin gave us,] Little Eight comforted her.

“That makes sense.” Jiang Momo immediately thought of the warehouse with the time manipulation device that Ling Yelin had given her before. After a moment of silent contemplation, she reached out to Xiang Jiuming without much hope.

[Jiang Momo]: Xiang Jiuming, are you free lately? I need a batch of B-grade mechas. I’ll provide the materials and venue. You’ll be paid double the market rate for each unit.

[Xiang Jiuming]: Teacher, I’m downstairs. Let’s talk in person.

Jiang Momo didn’t expect Xiang Jiuming to respond so quickly when it was already past four in the morning!

Seeing the content in the reply, she leaned over to glance downstairs and sure enough, she saw Xiang Jiuming sitting on a bench. She quickly threw on a coat and went down.

“What a coincidence, you’re just here,” Jiang Momo said as she took the seat next to him.

“I’ve been here the past couple of days,” Xiang Jiuming replied, hiding the fact that two days ago he had seen someone suspicious sneaking around, possibly trying to bother Jiang Momo, and had driven them away.

He had felt guilty ever since he encouraged the rest of the students to graduate all at once and leave without saying goodbye. So he had been staying downstairs, helping to ward off any trouble, trying to ease that sense of guilt.

“Teacher Momo, you said B-grade mechas, but it’s not just B-grade, right?” Xiang Jiuming asked.

Jiang Momo’s eyes lit up. “You noticed too?!”

“Well, I was your student, after all. Of course I noticed,” Xiang Jiuming said with a faint smile that wasn’t exactly charming but still pleasant.

Jiang Momo thought he was just flattering her and laughed a little.

Xiang Jiuming asked, “Does this need to be kept secret?”

Jiang Momo thought it over. “They didn’t say it had to be secret but we’re short on time. We only have six hours. So we need to gather enough people within half an hour, then head to the warehouse with the time-manipulation device. The flow rate there is one day for every three months, so we’ll have to produce at least fourteen B-grade mechas within about 20 days.”

“At least fourteen?” Xiang Jiuming immediately caught the key detail.

Jiang Momo nodded. “Yeah, the deadline’s tight, but—”

Xiang Jiuming cut her off, “So there’s no upper limit, is there?”

Jiang Momo looked up sharply, meeting his determined gaze.

Xiang Jiuming repeated, “And the double payment will all go to me, right?”

Jiang Momo understood. “Yes.”