The Real Daughter Just Wants to Pilot Mechas - Chapter 42

In mid-air, inside the simulated asteroid belt, Yan Chang watched the aircraft ahead of him weaving skillfully between asteroids as if showing off and he gritted his teeth trying to catch up. His hands were moving so fast they almost left afterimages.

“That up front better not be E Mingjun. Tsk, if I’d known, I wouldn’t have brought him. I finally found something Master isn’t great at and wanted to show off a little.”

As the aircraft ahead pulled farther away, Yan Chang increased his command speed and barely brushed past an asteroid.

After completing one lap and stepping out of his vehicle, a staff member approached with a smile and handed him a wristband representing second place.

“Contestant Yan Chang, please wear this. Once the race is over and we verify the flight logs, we’ll announce the rankings and give out the prizes.”

Yan Chang numbly accepted the band. “How long did I fly?”

“2 hours and 21 minutes,” the staffer said with a smile.

“I broke the record?” Yan Chang blinked.

“You did. Congratulations.” The staffer nodded and walked off.

Yan Chang lit up. “So it wasn’t me holding myself back!”

He looked around and spotted Jiang Momo sitting nearby with her head down, then he ran over to show off.

“Master, did you get knocked out early? Don’t feel bad, asteroid races are hard.” He brushed his bangs back and casually showed off his second-place wristband. “I broke the record today. It took 2 hours and 21 minutes. But some expert showed up out of nowhere or I would’ve had first place.”

Jiang Momo held out her hand. “You invited her.”

Yan Chang blinked and finally noticed the band on Jiang Momo’s wrist. His face turned beet red. “You—you—Master, you’ve flown before? How long did you take?”

“Two hours,” Jiang Momo said.

Yan Chang gasped, trying to save face. “Well, I mean, I’m not that much slower.”

Jiang Momo said nothing. She didn’t want to crush him.

That type of aircraft maxed out at 500 km/h.

So if she took two hours, it wasn’t because she couldn’t go faster. It was because the aircraft couldn’t.

“Where’s Tutor E?” Yan Chang asked.

Jiang Momo shrugged. “He’s not done yet, I guess.”

“Let’s wait for him and then.” Yan Chang perked up, knowing he was faster than E Mingjun. He plopped down next to Jiang Momo and pulled a bottle of nutrient solution from his pocket, offering it to her. “Are you hungry? I brought some.”

“Not hungry.” Jiang Momo shook her head.

She’d eaten a ton that afternoon, an experience she’d never had on the desolate planet. She never thought that one day she’d have a meal that stretched from noon to evening.

Not to mention that the place E Mingjun recommended was shockingly affordable and had incredible value.

Seeing she didn’t want it, Yan Chang put one bottle away and downed the other in one go. “Nutrient solution really is convenient. It saves time.”

He wiped his mouth, glanced over, and saw Jiang Momo looking at her light brain, so he opened his own and began browsing too.

Soon, a headline on the academy forum homepage caught Yan Chang’s eye.

[Explosion! Things Really Blew Up This Time!]

[This world is crazy! School has only been in session for less than two days and all the students at Practical Base No. 1 have already sensed their energy pathways. Are there really that many geniuses in the world? Why can’t there be just one more me? [Video]]

1F: …I think, although Jiang Momo is a star teacher, such exaggerated flattery is unethical. OP must be a troll, right?

2F: I rushed in after seeing the title, thinking the Federation was finally blowing up. I didn’t expect it to be just this. Like, if you’re going to talk big, at least draft it first. No point in just trying to attract attention.

10F: I’m confused. OP, you’re a student at the Mecha Manufacturing Department too, right? How could you say something so stupid? Don’t you think it’s absurd? So you’re saying Jiang Momo is even better than Professor Ge Qing at teaching and made history in an instant? Pfft!

12F: Reported. You’re welcome. OP, get ready to be muted.

…

136F: [Image] The investigation results are out. The academy said they sent people to verify and test it. It’s real. Human evolution has officially left me behind.

140F: Huh??????

142F: I just passed the school bulletin board and was wondering why the academy suddenly started publicly posting energy pathway sensing test results. So it was because of this. Amazing, truly amazing.

145F: I came to see the bulletin board in person and took a selfie with it.

146F: Selfie +1.

Yan Chang scratched his head and clicked into the video. In the video, 40 students were taking turns selecting and identifying materials from five different sample panels. After each student finished, the others would scream. Clearly, they got it right.

The video was sped up and only five minutes long. Because it involved Jiang Momo, Yan Chang watched it several times. Amid the cheering, he heard an odd background noise.

Yan Chang thought for a moment and slowed the video down manually. Then, within the screams, he heard someone giving a passionate speech, sounding like one of those success gurus.

“What’s going on here?” Yan Chang chuckled.

“What?” Jiang Momo stopped chatting with Little Eight and looked up.

Yan Chang shared his light brain screen with Jiang Momo and joked, “No wonder you weren’t fazed by all the commentary. It turns out you planned to conquer everyone with pure skill. Classic you! I never imagined you’d not only be great at building mechas but also this good at teaching. It’s amazing.”

Jiang Momo: “…Huh?”

All of them succeeded? This fast?

“There’s a success guru in there.” Yan Chang replayed the slowed-down video and pointed at one of the students. “His tone is oddly inspiring. I think he’s wasting his talent on mechas, he should run for president.”

Jiang Momo looked at the student he pointed to and realized it was the same one who’d said he was secretly learning from her and ended up successfully sensing an energy pathway.

“He is pretty good,” Jiang Momo said. “In class today…”

They chatted about what had happened during Jiang Momo’s class.

Soon, E Mingjun stepped off his aircraft and approached them.

“Did you break a record too?” Yan Chang sensed someone behind him and looked up to see E Mingjun. He checked the time and asked.

E Mingjun rested one hand on the back of Jiang Momo’s chair. “No, I missed it by a minute and got third place.”

Yan Chang happily stretched out his arm to show off. “I got second!”

“Impressive,” E Mingjun casually praised, ignoring Yan Chang’s oddly smug grin. He bent down and asked Jiang Momo, “Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine,” Jiang Momo replied, head held high.

“Master, show him,” Yan Chang had already mentally recovered and urged Jiang Momo.

“Show what?” E Mingjun asked.

Jiang Momo lifted her arm, the golden wristband gleaming under the lights.

“How long did you fly for?” E Mingjun’s expression immediately turned serious.

Yan Chang answered, “Two hours.”

“The aircraft has a max speed of 500 km/h,” E Mingjun muttered. “Did you train specifically for this?”

The aircraft’s max speed would limit the pilot’s true capability. Jiang Momo was likely even better than the result showed.

Yan Chang didn’t catch the implication and praised blindly, “I was shocked too when I first heard. Master’s amazing, she’s top-tier at everything.”

E Mingjun didn’t look at him. He fixed his gaze on Jiang Momo and then suddenly grabbed her arm. “Tomorrow, can you come with me to the Border Star System?”

To reach the Border Star System from the Central Star System, they’d have to pass through the Chaos Star System. A meteor belt lay along the only route and he needed to fly through it.

“Probably not. I have class tomorrow afternoon,” Jiang Momo said. “And the day after too. Then I’m helping Yan Chang with the mecha competition on the weekend.”

She and the butler took two days to get back from the desolate planet. Going with E Mingjun would mean needing at least four free days.

“Can’t you just take the safe route?” Jiang Momo asked.

“There are often interstellar pirates ambushing ships there,” E Mingjun said. “Except for official Federation vessels, all others are likely to be hijacked. But even Federation ship tickets are booked out six months in advance.”

Jiang Momo looked at him. “But I really can’t find the time. I’ve got classes early and late on Thursday and Monday. Three weekend days aren’t enough for a round trip.”

E Mingjun calmed down and let go of her arm. “Forget it then. I’ll think of something else.”

“Tutor E, why are you going to the Border Star System?” Yan Chang curiously leaned over.

“I found a lead on the interstellar pirate hunter,” E Mingjun said.

“In the Border Star System?” Yan Chang’s eyes lit up.

E Mingjun nodded. “Apparently, yes.”

“I want to go too. Take me! I’ve got time. I’ll find someone to fly us!” Yan Chang excitedly raised his hand.

Jiang Momo looked at the two eagerly.

She wanted to go too. Too bad she was stuck with work and couldn’t leave.

“I’m calling now!” Yan Chang acted immediately, opening his light brain and calling a pilot he knew. The line connected quickly.

“Yo, Boss Yan. Got a job?”

“I need to go to the Border Star System through the meteor belt, not the safe route. Can you do it?”

The other side raised their voice, “Are you joking? No one’s ever crossed that meteor belt! I can’t take this job.”

Beep.

The call ended.

Unconvinced, Yan Chang called several more people, all with the same answer.

He looked up and shrugged at E Mingjun. “No luck. Everyone said it’s impossible.”

“Can you fly it?” E Mingjun asked.

“Of course not,” Yan Chang said. “Those are real meteors. I don’t trust myself with that.”

“Then forget it.” E Mingjun gave up and dragged over a chair to sit beside Jiang Momo. Casually, he asked, “When did you start learning to fly ships?”

“I barely practiced,” Jiang Momo replied. “I just kind of knew how.”

Flying ships mainly tested prediction skills and it did not require much technique.

Unfortunately, flying a ship on the Capital Star wasn’t convenient. They were too big and hard to park. Small aircraft were easier to handle.

Yan Chang: “…”

That was a verbal kill shot.

“How long do we have to wait? Until everyone’s done competing?” Jiang Momo slouched in her chair, looking up at the sky in boredom.

“Pretty much,” Yan Chang replied.

Jiang Momo inhaled sharply. “What if they’re still not done by tomorrow morning?”

“Actually, we can leave. You just need to come back within 24 hours after the race ends to collect your prize and certificate. There’s no need to be present at the award ceremony,” Yan Chang explained. “Are you leaving now?”

“Let’s wait a bit. The breeze is nice here… Let’s go!” Jiang Momo suddenly jumped up and ran toward Yan Chang’s aircraft.

Yan Chang and E Mingjun were confused but quickly followed.

“What’s up?” Yan Chang closed the hatch and asked.

Jiang Momo sat on the couch. “I saw Jiang Zhang getting off his aircraft. I didn’t think he’d be into this kind of event.”

“Who’s Jiang Zhang?” E Mingjun asked, seeing her face change.

“It’s her elder brother. Tutor E, you don’t know, her family is the worst.”

Yan Chang slapped his thigh and enthusiastically began retelling the drama he’d seen before.

With Yan Chang’s animated storytelling in the background, Jiang Momo finally relaxed and turned to look out the window.

Then, she suddenly locked eyes with Jiang Zhang who was standing at the window. Jiang Zhang’s expression looked much the same as before; tough, cold, and unapproachable.

“Long time no see,” Jiang Zhang mouthed silently to Jiang Momo.

Jiang Momo pressed the button at her side and shut the window immediately.