The Real Daughter Just Wants to Pilot Mechas - Chapter 41

Jiang Momo believed that while energy pathways are typically identified via energy fluctuations, the Federation, with its obsession with conceptualizing and digitizing everything, still had no written records of specific methods for sensing them. That probably meant each person’s mental fluctuation for resonating with energy pathways was different and there wasn’t a standardized method, so she decided to guide them using various approaches.

She observed the students for a while and after confirming their mental power had become active, she took off the goggles and put them back in the cabinet. Then she picked up one of the mecha forearms, pointed to the joint at the arm’s skeletal connection, and addressed the eight students still staring at her wide-eyed.

“Disassembling mechas is very simple. You’ve all passed the Level C Mecha Certification Exam, so this part shouldn’t be a problem.” She picked up a set of professional tools prepared at the base and quickly disassembled the entire forearm into a pile of parts. “The difficult part for you should be the reassembly. When reassembling, make sure to…”

She trailed off.

Make sure of what? Honestly, there wasn’t much she needed to be careful about. She could snap the parts together in just a few clicks, not much technique involved.

She looked up and glanced over the eight students. They were all staring intensely at the mecha forearm in her hands, clearly not even listening to her words. So she just gave up on the explanation and continued assembling.

“All done.” Half an hour later, Jiang Momo clapped her hands and stood up amid the students’ dazed expressions.

“That’s it! The hardest part of making mechas is finding the right materials. Assembling them is the easy part!”

Her original plan was to make a mecha arm for each student to play with but she realized material gathering was too much work, so she only made two.

Scanning the classroom again and seeing that the students still hadn’t recovered from their shock, she waved a hand in front of them. “What’s wrong? You should be able to reassemble it yourselves now, right?”

At her words, the other seven students all turned to look at Shi Qin.

Shi Qin raised his head in a daze. “Teacher, was that your normal speed just now?”

Wasn’t it said that it takes mecha manufacturers in the Federation two full days on average to make a mecha forearm? Sure, most of the time goes to material gathering but wasn’t that assembly speed a bit too fast?

Or maybe Teacher Momo sped up on purpose to put pressure on them?

“No,” Jiang Momo said.

Just as Shi Qin let out a small breath of relief, he heard Jiang Momo continue, “I actually slowed it down for your benefit so you could see clearly. What part you didn’t understand? Do you want me to do it again?”

The students looked at each other speechlessly.

Even if she demonstrated it ten more times, they still wouldn’t get it!

Weren’t B-grade mechas supposed to be really difficult? Why did it look like child’s play in Teacher Momo’s hands? She didn’t even use a crane!

“Teacher, we’ll try to figure it out ourselves first,” Shi Qin said, glancing at his classmates and realizing they were hopeless. He thought for a moment and then made up his mind.

“Alright. You and Lian Lansheng each take one. I’ll supervise,” Jiang Momo said, dragging a chair over and sitting by the wall next to the two of them.

Because of the lighting, her body cast a shadow that happened to fall right over the two students.

Shi Qin crouched within that shadow, feeling a strange, heavy pressure. Her gaze felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

“Begin,” Jiang Momo said, noticing they were just staring at the arms and not moving, probably waiting for a command.

Shi Qin took a deep breath and opened the toolbox provided by the base.

Jiang Momo lowered her eyes to watch Shi Qin’s movements.

He moved slowly and it was obvious at a glance that he was simply copying her earlier demonstration.

“Class monitor has a good memory,” Jiang Momo said.

“Thank you,” Shi Qin replied, not even daring to lift his head. Under her gaze, his forehead was already covered in cold sweat.

Jiang Momo didn’t understand why he seemed so tense. She turned her gaze to Lian Lansheng.

Lian Lansheng didn’t stop working but lowered her head even more.

Jiang Momo had moved too fast earlier. She had only barely managed to follow and didn’t remember much. She could only rely on what her previous teacher had taught and hoped Jiang Momo wouldn’t think she was being careless.

“Is that a method your previous teacher taught you?” Jiang Momo asked.

Lian Lansheng inwardly sighed, ‘I knew it…’ Then she quietly admitted, “Yes.”

“Applying what you’ve learned, that’s good,” Jiang Momo said. “And while you’re at it, explain to everyone what you’re doing.”

Lian Lansheng took a deep breath and began explaining the movements of her hands.

On the other side, the students who had been sensing energy pathways stopped what they were doing when they heard Lian Lansheng’s voice, all starting to eavesdrop on the lesson instead.

Everyone exchanged glances, not daring to speak, and quietly passed notes under the table.

[We hit the jackpot. Listening to her, dismantling a B-grade mecha doesn’t sound that hard. It’s kind of like taking apart a C-grade one.]

[Weird. Why didn’t Teacher Momo let the class monitor explain? Why did she choose the vice-class monitor instead? Didn’t the class monitor use her method?]

[Judging by her tone, the class monitor was just copying her technique. If it’s a copy, it can’t be as well understood as doing it yourself.]

[Is it just me or does it feel like the most attentive person in this room is actually Teacher Momo?]

[That can’t be. But honestly, she’s really respectful of students, even though her technique looks more efficient.]

It wasn’t just the distant onlookers who noticed this. The six students watching the two dismantle the mecha up close noticed too.

Even though both of them had similar ranges of motion and speed, the class monitor who was copying Jiang Momo’s technique was noticeably faster.

Twenty minutes later…

Shi Qin was the first to disassemble the mecha forearm into a pile of parts, while Lian Lansheng had just finished half.

Lian Lansheng had long noticed the progress gap between them. Her voice got quieter and quieter during the explanation until she stopped speaking completely just as Shi Qin finished.

“Why’d you stop?” Jiang Momo opened her eyes and asked.

“Teacher, I was wrong. I’ll do my best to memorize your technique from now on,” Lian Lansheng said, full of frustration.

“My technique isn’t important,” Jiang Momo said directly.

Lian Lansheng lowered her head. “Teacher, I really know I was wrong.”

“I’m serious,” Jiang Momo said. “Everyone has different habits and so, their dismantling methods will differ. The reason mine seems faster right now is that I’ve assembled and disassembled mechas countless times using various methods before settling on what works best for me.

“But that doesn’t mean it’s the best method for you.” She crossed her arms and looked seriously at Shi Qin. “Class monitor, how did it feel dismantling the forearm?”

Shi Qin wiped the sweat from his face, unsure what exactly she meant.

“Did anything feel awkward or uncoordinated?” Jiang Momo asked.

Shi Qin paused for a moment. “I felt like my left hand struggled more during precise tasks.”

“Exactly, that’s the issue.” Jiang Momo spread her hands. “Most people have a dominant hand for detailed work. The other hand tends to be less nimble. I’m equally dexterous with both hands, so my method isn’t suitable for most people. You need to adjust based on your own condition.”

Shi Qin looked thoughtful.

But when he started assembling again, Jiang Momo could tell he hadn’t really taken her advice. He was still copying her technique.

“Teacher, I understand, but I feel like I need to test one method first to know if it suits me or not and figure out exactly where it doesn’t,” Shi Qin said, hearing her sigh and looking up.

“Alright then, do as you think best.” Jiang Momo nodded.

Elsewhere, small notes were flying around the round table.

[Teacher Momo is so nice! She’s really good at teaching!]

[I feel like if I keep eavesdropping a bit more, I could probably go up and disassemble a couple of components myself.]

[But hey, none of you are trying to sense the energy pathways anymore? If you succeed, you can join them, you know?!]

[Forget it. It’s mission impossible. Haven’t you checked the forums? Finding the pathways within three days is already considered genius level.]

Jiang Momo rested her chin on her hand, watching Shi Qin’s movements. “Our next class is the day after tomorrow, right? So, doing one full disassembly and reassembly before then shouldn’t be an issue?”

“It shouldn’t be,” Shi Qin replied. “Assembling mechas doesn’t feel as hard as I originally imagined.”

The other six students: “?”

Bro, what are you talking about?

What do you mean, ‘doesn’t feel as hard’?

With his back to them, Shi Qin obviously couldn’t see the disbelief on their faces. He just kept his head down, working on assembling the forearm.

The class lasted two hours in total. By the time the bell rang, he had assembled roughly one-sixth of the mecha forearm.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out from the center of the classroom.

“Teacher Momo! Someone successfully sensed the energy pathway!”

“No way, two people?! What are the odds?! No one on the forums would even believe this!”

Jiang Momo immediately walked over.

The two students who had successfully sensed the pathways were surrounded by classmates, standing at the front of the room.

Even though the class was technically over, not a single person had left. Everyone was watching with curiosity.

“How did you manage it? Did your emotions shift drastically at the time?” Jiang Momo asked.

One student replied, “When you said those who sensed it could join in the mecha disassembly, I got super excited. Then, for a moment, I noticed something different about the pathway you pointed out earlier compared to the rest. But when I tried to sense it again, I lost it. I just got the hang of it again just now.”

The other student scratched his hand, embarrassed. “I was kind of stealing the technique… I’m not sure how it happened.”

He didn’t dare say it aloud but it had happened while he was fantasizing about reaching the peak of life by making a B-grade mecha under Jiang Momo’s guidance, thinking she taught incredibly well. That was when he suddenly sensed it.

After hearing their stories, Jiang Momo was fairly confident in her earlier hypothesis. She bent down, pulled two panels from under the desk, and placed them on the podium. “One panel each. Point out the energy pathway.”

Everyone held their breath and looked at the two.

Their approaches were different. The first student used a standard sensing method, while the second picked up the panel and started observing the edges.

Soon, the second student pointed straight at a line on the panel. “Right here, Teacher.”

“You pass.” Jiang Momo put the panel away. “Go report to the class monitor.”

A few minutes later, the other student also identified the pathway.

“Not bad.” Jiang Momo was very pleased with the results of her lesson, even though it felt like she hadn’t really done much.

“Now, 40 students still haven’t sensed the pathway. I’ll leave these five material panels with you. Everyone, form five lines of eight in front of me.”

The students quickly got into formation, all looking expectantly at her.

“Alright. From now on, the first person in each line will be the group leader. You’re responsible for organizing daily sensing practices, keeping the panels safe, and recording everyone’s progress. The first group, listen up. Your panel’s energy pathway is here…”

As she explained the pathway on each panel, she handed them out one by one.

That was the fastest method she could come up with to boost the students’ learning speed.

The sooner the graduating students learned how to build B-grade mechas, the more time they’d have to prepare for employment.

“Okay, that’s it for now. Class monitor, collect the notebooks,” Jiang Momo suddenly remembered what Shi Qin had said on the first day and reminded him.

“Huh? We didn’t take notes this class!” the students blurted out instinctively.

Besides, their notebooks had all been torn up for passing notes. Only the covers were left.

If Teacher Momo found out they’d wasted class time and failed to sense the pathways because of it, she’d definitely be disappointed, right?

Jiang Momo looked at Shi Qin. Shi Qin glanced at the empty notebook cover on his desk, someone else’s, and quickly spoke to cover for everyone, “Teacher, if there are no notes, maybe we don’t need to collect them.”

The students shot him grateful looks.

“Alright then.” Jiang Momo saw their expressions and almost figured out what happened, so she let it go easily. “The two who successfully sensed the pathways this class, please take some time to help the others a bit. Your experience is important.”

“Yes, Teacher!” the student who had been stealing techniques responded quickly.

***

When Jiang Momo left the teaching building, E Mingjun and Yan Chang were already waiting outside.

“Teacher Momo!” Yan Chang ran over. “Can I have your autograph? I totally idolize you!”

“What’s gotten into him?” Jiang Momo took a step back and looked at E Mingjun.

E Mingjun shrugged. “No idea.”

“On the way here, I overheard some students saying they’re going to ask for your autograph tomorrow in the theory class and then run off. So I figured I’d give you a rehearsal.” Yan Chang grinned. “They also said your class is super high-pressure. What are you doing to those kids?”

Jiang Momo looked innocent. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Then how come they say online that you…” Yan Chang stopped mid-sentence, waiting for Jiang Momo or E Mingjun to ask what he meant. But to his surprise, neither of them cared.

“What should we eat?” Jiang Momo asked, walking up to E Mingjun.

“Barbecue, at a place I worked part-time last time. The meat was pretty good and the kitchen was clean,” E Mingjun replied.

The two of them ignored Yan Chang and walked side by side toward the school gate.

“Seriously? You’re just going to leave someone as handsome and suave as me behind like that?” Yan Chang quickly caught up. “Aren’t you guys curious at all?”

Jiang Momo looked at Yan Chang, half amused, half exasperated. “I can see the forum too, you know.”

She had already gone through all the discussions on the forum after meeting with Ling Yelin and had a general sense of how she was perceived.

Capable but fierce. The classroom atmosphere was tense and attending her class was stressful.

She weighed it and decided that the comments, overall, did more good than harm to her teaching, so she didn’t plan to interfere.

“The forum discussion was okay at first but it really started to go off-track later. A lot of people are calling for others not to audit your class. Those comments could affect the star teacher selection next year. Do you want me to find someone to suppress it?” Yan Chang asked with concern.

“No need, it’s fine,” Jiang Momo said. “Guiding public opinion too much might backfire.”

“Alright then.” Yan Chang scratched his face and looked up at E Mingjun who was still walking between him and Jiang Momo. “Tutor E, are you planning to do more part-time work lately?”

E Mingjun looked down at him. “Are you trying to secretly sponsor me again? Buy stuff from me so I get a commission?”

Jiang Momo suddenly turned to Yan Chang. “So when you said you wanted to find a way to help him before, that’s what you meant?”

Yan Chang choked on his own spit and coughed violently. “Do either of you know how to filter your words? What about my dignity?”

E Mingjun: “Sorry but I don’t need it. I have no plans for part-time work right now.”

Jiang Momo reached across E Mingjun to pat Yan Chang’s back, helping him catch his breath. “Sorry, I’ll be more careful next time.”

***

After the three of them finished eating at the restaurant E Mingjun recommended, Jiang Momo was ready to return to the academy and continue holing up in the material warehouse.

She hadn’t yet tried making an A-grade mecha after obtaining the blueprint, so she planned to give it a go.

“Don’t go yet! There’s a ton of fun stuff tonight.” Yan Chang tried to keep her from leaving. “You don’t have class tomorrow morning, right? Pull an all-nighter with us and we’ll go watch the sunrise at the beach.”

Jiang Momo: “…Don’t tell me the ‘fun stuff’ is mecha battles?”

Yan Chang hesitated for a moment. “If you don’t like that, we can switch. How about an aircraft race?”

“No thanks,” Jiang Momo said.

Half an hour later, Jiang Momo had been dragged to the competition venue by Yan Chang. E Mingjun followed behind and at one point, casually swatted Yan Chang’s hand away.

Yan Chang didn’t mind at all. Both of them had come, after all. “This is it! The first prize is 100,000 star coins. It’s not much but they also give away a race-grade aircraft. It’s pretty good overall.”

“Where do I sign up?” Jiang Momo was immediately interested. She looked around. “Do they provide the aircraft?”

They were on a flat mountaintop surrounded by glowing light strips. Groups of people in racing suits were chatting here and there.

Not far off, the floating letters spelled, [The 79th Meteor Cup Aircraft Racing Championship.]

“They do. I already submitted your name on the way here,” Yan Chang said excitedly. “Master, I finally have a chance to show you my real strength!”

Jiang Momo had always impressed him with her skills. This time, he’d impress her! The moment he thought about her admiring gaze after he won, he got all hyped up.

He even rehearsed what he’d say. ‘Oh, it’s nothing really. You just need practice. I can teach you.’

Heh heh.

Jiang Momo looked at Yan Chang’s expression suspiciously and quietly stepped a bit further away from him.

Soon, Jiang Momo received her aircraft.

It was small, just enough to fit one person, about four meters long and one and a half meters wide.

“Master, have you flown one of these before? It works similarly to a spaceship. Today’s race theme is navigating an asteroid belt. Suspended projection asteroids will appear mid-air. If you hit one or go outside the designated area, you’re disqualified.

“The track is circular at 1,000 km long. The best record is 2 hours and 26 minutes,” Yan Chang shouted in her ear, his voice louder than the mechanical announcement. “The asteroids are full-simulation, so just finishing the race is already a win. Good luck!”

As Yan Chang finished speaking, a mechanical voice came clearly through Jiang Momo’s earpiece, [All racers, please board your aircraft. The race is about to begin.]

Jiang Momo looked up at the floating asteroids that had suddenly appeared in the sky and her thoughts drifted back to the day the butler had picked her up.

That day, she had also taken control of a spaceship, full of hope for her new life, and flown through an asteroid belt.

“Good luck,” E Mingjun said, opening the door to his aircraft. He noticed Jiang Momo staring blankly, clearly lost in thought. “Yan Chang loves this kind of thrill but for normal people, their first flying race often causes nausea or dizziness. If you feel unwell, just stop.”

“Got it.” Jiang Momo smiled at him. “See you in a bit.”

She then opened the aircraft door and climbed in.

The control panel was familiar. Jiang Momo grabbed the handle on the right with one hand and typed in commands smoothly with the left. When the countdown ended, she yanked the handle down.

Just as Yan Chang was about to take off, he felt something zoom past him.

“What the—who was that? So fast!”