The Real Daughter Just Wants to Pilot Mechas - Chapter 44

“There should be quite a few people in the Federal Army, right?” Jiang Momo just couldn’t figure it out. She sprawled out on the bed in the shape of a star, staring at the ceiling. “That officer from today… What was his name, something Feng? He seemed pretty capable.”

Even if the guy himself wasn’t great.

[Lu Feng,] Little Eight corrected.

“Right, him.” Jiang Momo nodded. “He looks like the combat type.”

[Lu Feng rose from the bottom ranks through military achievements. Records show he used to travel frequently between the Border Star System and the Central Star System and was responsible for exterminating alien beasts. Recently, he was suddenly transferred back to serve in the First Military District of the Capital Star. The specific reason is unknown, it’s classified as top secret.]

“So it’s really a waste, huh? Hiring me could save them a whole army,” Jiang Momo joked to Little Eight.

[The situation in the Central Star System is different from that on the desolate planet. The population density here is high. If alien beasts appear and aren’t promptly eliminated, they can accumulate strength by hunting humans. By the time the army arrives, the alien beasts will have enough power that even mechas can barely scratch their skin.]

“I’ve never heard of that before. No wonder.” Jiang Momo was momentarily stunned. “But why are they so slow? I confronted the alien beast for eight minutes. Before that, shouldn’t they have already detected its presence?”

[Alien beast appearances in the Central Star System are unpredictable.]

“What do you mean? Like they just randomly spawn in like in a game?”

[According to internal military data, that’s exactly it. The research institute is still studying the reason.]

“Alright. Then when can I take my mecha exoskeleton out? Now that I know there are alien beasts on the Capital Star, I feel so unsafe.” Jiang Momo hugged her blanket tightly, burying her face in it.

[No rush. Based on past alien beast appearance patterns, the next one should occur about a month from now.]

Jiang Momo thought for a while, then rolled over and asked eagerly, “Little Eight, I have a crazy idea. The Capital Star has less gravity than the desolate planet, so my combat ability should’ve improved, right? If I don’t wear the mecha exoskeleton now, can I still do one-hit kills?”

[But similarly, the alien beasts’ combat power has increased proportionally,] the Siamese cat’s tone was calm.

“You’re right.” Jiang Momo calmed down instantly. “I’ll stop daydreaming. Sleep time. Good night, Little Eight.”

[Good night, Momo.]

***

When Jiang Momo woke up, it was already 1:30 in the afternoon the next day.

As soon as she opened her eyes, her light brain showed twelve unread messages.

“What big thing happened?” Jiang Momo snapped awake and tapped them open immediately.

Six were from Wu Yue, five from Yan Chang, and one from E Mingjun.

She opened the oldest message from Wu Yue first, sent at 8 AM.

[AAA Galaxy-Wide Shopping Sister Wu]: Momo, are you free today? Someone bought something from me and said it’s for you~

[AAA Galaxy-Wide Shopping Sister Wu]: Oh right, I forgot to tell you before, my online shop just got some new stock. Check it out if you’re interested. [Link]

The remaining four messages were all different product links. Jiang Momo only glanced at them before exiting and switching to Yan Chang’s messages.

[Federation Mecha Championship Candidate]: Master, I changed my username! Isn’t it cool?

[Federation Mecha Championship Candidate]: Master, the competition starts at noon on Friday, so I’ve got to focus on mecha practice for the next two days. I won’t be picking you up from class, so Tutor E will take over and contact you later.

[Federation Mecha Championship Candidate]: I wanted to take you to the venue a day early but they’re closing it off for preparations, so we’ll head over early Friday morning. I’ll explain the layout to you.

[Federation Mecha Championship Candidate]: Master, are you awake yet? Message me when you’re up~

[Federation Mecha Championship Candidate]: Master, are you up?

Jiang Momo’s fingers moved and replied.

[Jiang Momo]: I’m up. Focus on your prep. See you the morning after tomorrow.

The final unread message came from E Mingjun, sent just two minutes ago.

[Stay Away From Me]: Class is about to start. I’m waiting downstairs.

Jiang Momo rolled out of bed, walked to the window, and looked down. Sure enough, she saw E Mingjun sitting on a bench by the road and Wu Yue standing beside him.

Wu Yue had changed her hair color again and seemed to be wearing different makeup too. She appeared to be talking to E Mingjun at that moment.

Jiang Momo glanced at the time, did a quick wash-up, and rushed downstairs.

“Sorry! I kept you waiting for so long!” Jiang Momo burst out of the lift doors and called out to E Mingjun.

Just as she spoke, Wu Yue grabbed her in a hug and a strong whiff of perfume hit her nose.

“Momo, I’ve been waiting forever! Someone asked me to give you something. You didn’t reply to my messages, so I came over myself,” Wu Yue said loudly, releasing her and handing over a small bag she’d been carrying.

“What’s this?” Jiang Momo didn’t take it immediately but instead looked at E Mingjun. “Who sent it?”

“A makeup bag. It has a full set of top-selling beauty products, each one carefully selected by me. Seriously, they’re the best from every brand,” Wu Yue said, winking. “You’d never guess who sent it.”

That tone…

Jiang Momo had a bad feeling. “Who?”

“That pretty boy who came in third.” Wu Yue grinned and held out the bag further. “No returns, okay~”

E Mingjun took the bag. “What should I do with this?” He held the thin handle of the bag in one hand.

Jiang Momo frowned and was just about to tell him to throw it away when the bag was already in the trash.

E Mingjun decisively closed the lid of the trash bin and looked at Wu Yue.

Wu Yue spread her hands. “Well, I delivered it. What happens after that, I didn’t see anything.”

“How did you know what I was going to say?” Jiang Momo turned her head to look at E Mingjun.

He looked down. “You had the word ‘disgust’ written all over your face. Who is he?”

Wu Yue looked surprised. “Old pal, have you not been online lately? He’s that unlucky guy who kept hogging the spotlight on StarNet before the results were even out and then got totally face-slapped by Momo! But Momo, why do you hate him? Did you two know each other before?”

Jiang Momo was torn.

She really wanted to tell Wu Yue about Peng Ji but unlike Ling Yelin and Yan Chang who she trusted to calmly investigate as outsiders, Wu Yue might take it to heart too easily. Without solid evidence, it might just mess with her mood.

‘Forget it. I’ll wait until Yan Chang or Ling Yelin finishes investigating and then tell Wu Yue.’

“Anyway, I suggest you stay away from Peng Ji too. Don’t get too close to him,” Jiang Momo said and explained some of the things Peng Ji had done during the exam.

“Oh, he’s such a jerk! No wonder you don’t like him!” Wu Yue nodded seriously. “I’ll definitely keep my distance. Momo, thanks for telling me! I’ve got a few orders to deliver, so I’ll head off now~ Bye-bye~”

After saying goodbye to Wu Yue, Jiang Momo and E Mingjun walked side by side toward the teaching building.

A light breeze passed and Jiang Momo squinted slightly.

‘Too quiet. I have to say something.’

“Have you checked the academy forum lately? All the students from the graduating class I’m teaching have sensed the energy pathways. I heard they broke a school record!”

“So with your relationship being like that, why’s he still sending you stuff?”

They both spoke at the same time.

Jiang Momo paused and pointed to her temple. “I don’t know. Maybe something’s off up here. He even brought me breakfast on registration day. I didn’t take it.”

“If anything shows up and you’re not sure where it came from, don’t touch it. It’s just the start of the school year but you’re already too famous. That’s a big security risk,” E Mingjun said after a moment of thought.

“Got it.” Jiang Momo nodded.

***

When they arrived at the classroom, it was already packed. Students filled the room and even crowded into the hallway, squeezed together in a dense crowd. More students were still trying to push their way in.

Jiang Momo stepped back and checked the classroom number to confirm it was the room assigned to her class. She took a deep breath and squeezed in with the crowd.

E Mingjun used one hand to shield Jiang Momo from the crowd, guiding her all the way to the lectern. Then he joked, “Looks like you really do need an escort to and from class.”

“No one used to come in such large numbers before.” Jiang Momo sat down in the corner of the podium. “Actually, there’s no need for you to pick me up and drop me off. I can squeeze through on my own.”

E Mingjun didn’t respond. He just stood on the podium, scanning the classroom. After confirming that there really was no other place to stand except the podium, he squeezed his way out before class officially started.

When the class bell rang, Jiang Momo took a deep breath and stood up.

It definitely got noisier with more people. Even though no one was talking loudly at the moment, the buzzing noise never stopped and made it seem unusually chaotic.

Jiang Momo knocked on the desk. The dull, rhythmic tapping echoed through the classroom, drawing the students’ eyes toward her.

“Before we start class, let me ask, did you all come here because of the video on the forum?” Jiang Momo placed the textbook Introduction to Mecha Manufacturing on the desk.

“Yes!” the students shouted in unison.

“The academy’s rules state that theoretical classes can’t include practical content, so don’t get your hopes up too much,” Jiang Momo said. “If anyone wants to leave, there’s still time.”

“Teacher, we came just to see you! Whatever you teach is fine!” one student shouted and the others quickly chimed in.

“Alright then.” Jiang Momo abruptly dropped her smile and slowly scanned the room. “Then be quiet. Class is starting.”

The classroom immediately fell silent.

***

After class, several new forum posts about Jiang Momo appeared. Her teaching methods were met with mixed reviews.

However, when Thursday morning’s theory class rolled around, Jiang Momo found that there were even more people than before. Some were even leaning against the windows outside, trying to listen in.

Among the crowd, Jiang Momo clearly heard someone muttering, “I knew it! Those bad reviews on the forum were just to trick us into not coming so they could take all the seats themselves! So cunning! Seriously!”

Jiang Momo couldn’t help but laugh when she heard that, her lips curling into a smile. Just as she was about to speak and ask everyone to quiet down for class, she received an email on her light brain. It was from the academy.

[Dear Teacher Jiang Momo, our data shows that the classroom’s capacity is clearly insufficient. To improve teaching quality, the academy would like to offer you access to the net-based online teaching platform. Would you be willing to switch your future theory classes to a public federal-wide livestream format starting next session?]