The Real Daughter Just Wants to Pilot Mechas - Chapter 79

Jiang Momo was halfway through composing her message when she started to hesitate. Subconsciously, she pressed a clenched fist against her lips, her brows slightly furrowed.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Ge Qing, who had been observing the students, noticed the change in Jiang Momo’s expression and asked.

Jiang Momo shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

[Trying to figure out how to phrase it so Major General Lu will take it seriously?] Little Eight asked at the right moment.

Jiang Momo mouthed silently, “If I go into the full context, it’ll take too many words. He might miss the main point.”

Besides, even though she could now recognize most characters, her overall literacy still wasn’t strong enough to allow her to write such a long message.

[You can just highlight the main point,] Little Eight suggested.

Jiang Momo moved her fingers and typed out a sentence. “Like this?”

[Send it.]

Jiang Momo double-checked it to make sure there were no typos and then sent it.

There was no immediate reply from Lu Feng. It wasn’t until the spaceship landed in front of the Capital Star’s First Hospital and all the students were led away by medical robots for examinations that Jiang Momo finally received a response.

[Don’t move. We’re coming to get you.]

That was all the message said.

Jiang Momo stared at the single line for a long time, baffled. “We? A lot of people are coming? Major General Lu trusts me this much?”

Excited for a second, Jiang Momo suddenly felt something was off. “But doesn’t the research institute have remote equipment for detecting alien beasts?”

She remembered that the first time she met Lu Feng, it was because they detected alien beast activity on the Capital Star. So why did they need to investigate in person now?

Before she could figure it out, a military warship landed in front of her.

A hand reached out through the just-opened hatch and yanked her inside. The ship took off again immediately.

Jiang Momo instinctively wanted to fight back but forced herself not to. She was pressed into a seat. Her gaze swept the area and she was startled by the number of fully-armed soldiers around her. She asked Lu Feng who was sitting across from her, “You guys just got back from a mission?”

There had to be at least a hundred people in there, right?

“No.” Lu Feng’s face was grim, exuding a deadly seriousness. “We’re heading out for a mission. Two alien beasts have appeared in the Central Star System.”

“Two?” Jiang Momo did some mental math based on the last alien beast incident. “Didn’t the last one show up just a short time ago?”

Lu Feng’s expression darkened. “The research institute says the frequency of alien beast’s appearances is abnormal. Based on projections, there could be more coming.”

“Is the situation serious?” Jiang Momo could tell the ship was moving much faster than last time and asked immediately.

Lu Feng nodded. “One appeared at 2 AM Capital Star time in a residential area on Planet No. 333. That planet is very isolated, so we just got the news.”

When Lu Feng said that, Jiang Momo understood. She furrowed her brows and asked solemnly, “How much stronger has the alien beast become now?”

She hadn’t forgotten that Little Eight once told her the alien beasts gain strength by eating humans.

“It was originally just a regular alien beast. Now, according to the latest data from the research institute, it’s estimated to be three times stronger than the one we eradicated last time.” Lu Feng’s brows furrowed tightly. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and stared at the report on the table, taking a deep breath.

Jiang Momo said, “I’ve been meaning to ask, didn’t you say the research institute has equipment that can detect alien beasts remotely? Why not send troops to standby in nearby areas as soon as detection happens?”

“Because they don’t allow us to station troops on their planets and they even implement measures to block our detection efforts. The detection principles for alien beasts are the same as for other materials, so once they block us, everything gets blocked,” Lu Feng, rare as it was, said everything in one breath. “I wasn’t done. Another alien beast appeared just ten minutes ago on Planet No. 332, right next to No. 333. It landed at our military training base. Troops there have sealed off the site and there’re no casualties yet.”

“So we’ll deal with the one on No. 333 first and then go to No. 332?” Jiang Momo tried to piece together the plan.

Lu Feng shook his head. “The one on No. 332 is also a king-level alien beast. The stationed troops there aren’t strong enough to handle it. We can’t delay, so we’ll split up and you go to No. 332.”

“Alone?” Jiang Momo pointed at herself with one finger.

Lu Feng really trusts her that much now?!

Lu Feng nodded. “Alone.”

Jiang Momo was technically an unofficial member. The scenes of the alien beasts eating people were too gory and traumatic, and there was no need to expose her to them. It was better to send her to the other planet. With her strength, even if she couldn’t win, she could at least stall until support arrived.

After speaking, Lu Feng pulled out a mecha exoskeleton from under his seat and handed it over.

Jiang Momo caught it and geared up with a couple of clicks.

A long silence followed. The soldiers sat in orderly rows, hands properly placed on their knees. Jiang Momo kept glancing around before finally asking Lu Feng, “So, did you read the message I sent you?”

“What message?” Lu Feng asked.

“The one I sent through the account you used to contact me. I told you I ran into a creature on the tourist planet that looked like an alien beast.”

Lu Feng’s expression changed instantly. “On the Capital Star?”

Jiang Momo nodded. “It only looked like one. It’s a cub and hasn’t shown any aggressive behavior so far.”

Lu Feng visibly relaxed and then explained, “That account belongs to the First Military District’s official contact system. It’s managed by staff and all messages are screened before being sent to me, so I haven’t seen it yet. I’ll check when I get back.”

“No worries. Since I’m here, I can tell you from the beginning.” Jiang Momo mentally reviewed the events and summarized the main points for Lu Feng, including the students’ strange condition. But then she noticed his expression looked off.

Jiang Momo immediately asked, “What’s wrong?”

“These animals you described sound familiar.” Lu Feng pinched his left fingertips with his right hand, applying slight pressure. The pain cleared his mind.

“I remember now. A few years ago, I received intel during a mission to the Chaos Star System. We raided an interstellar pirate group’s private lab. The documents we recovered said they were researching a new type of technology that extracts ‘energy’ from the human body and stores it for use. One of the primary materials was a genetically mutated small creature.

“At the time, the researchers thought it was insane and that those people were crazy. But during the trial, the interstellar pirates insisted the experiment had succeeded,” Lu Feng said. “Since then, the interstellar pirate groups in the Chaos Star System became paranoid about outsiders. We haven’t been able to infiltrate them since and no one has seen the so-called ‘successful product’.”

Jiang Momo murmured, “Why would they invent that kind of energy tech?”

Didn’t the news say the Federation already had an energy surplus?

“Who knows? According to them, it could be used to make super S-grade mecha.” Lu Feng snorted. “Nonsense.”

Super S-grade mecha?

Jiang Momo perked up.

According to the Federation’s classification system, if the interstellar pirates were talking about super A or super B-grade mechas, then it meant they might’ve had parts of the legendary mecha designs!

“So was that interstellar pirate group completely wiped out?” Jiang Momo asked.

“Totally. Everyone executed with no survivors,” Lu Feng said.

Back then, the intel they received had detailed everything, including the composition of the interstellar pirate group, weapon specs, bases, ship structure, and crimes committed… They even filled in the rat holes under the group’s base.

Jiang Momo leaned back in her seat, deep in thought.

Even if the interstellar pirate group was wiped out, their experimental creatures remained, so maybe not all of their research was destroyed. If there’s a chance, she might try to look in the Chaos Star System.

***

They soon arrived at Planet No. 333. All the soldiers stood up in unison with a sharp whoosh.

Jiang Momo remained seated, looking up at Lu Feng and asked, “You really don’t need me?”

“No. Go straight to Planet No. 332.” Lu Feng jumped into his mecha. Before the ship even landed, he felt the deceleration and opened the door, leaping out.

The others immediately followed.

Once everyone exited, the door closed automatically.

Jiang Momo slumped into her seat. Just now, she had looked outside through the open door and her sharp vision clearly saw a swath of crimson. A wave of nausea surged through her body.

“I get why Lu Feng didn’t want me to go.”

That kind of situation could really hit someone hard.

Planet No. 332 was right next to Planet No. 333, so the warship didn’t take long to bring Jiang Momo to the skies above the garrison base. Before it could even start its descent, several warships quickly approached. It was obvious they’d come to receive her.

“Hello, Commander! The entire troop of Planet No. 332 greets you!” A loud and firm voice came from the warship’s comm system.

Jiang Momo pressed the talk button. “Hello. I’m here to assist.”

There was a few seconds of silence on the other side, clearly in disbelief.

“You came alone?”

“Yes. No need to follow,” Jiang Momo said.

Another pause. The warships didn’t leave. Instead, they flew even closer.

“No need to follow,” Jiang Momo repeated.

By now, she could already see the shadow of the alien beast through the window. It was currently being surrounded by the troops of Planet No. 332, running constantly in one direction while the surrounding troops kept pace, maintaining a safe distance.

The comm system came to life again. “We’ve already sent the details to Command. I’m not sure why they still sent someone to assess the situation but as you can see, if the alien beast keeps running, it’ll reach the residential zone in less than ten minutes. Please report this to Command. We need reinforcements.”

The warships around her were blocking the best path for joining the fight. Jiang Momo glanced at the rapidly approaching ground and the nearby warships closing in protectively. She realized more talk would just waste time, so she directly took over the warship’s system, ditched the blockading ships, and dove at full speed toward the surface.

The alien beast clearly sensed the danger. Its running slowed and it tried to lift its thick neck. Its pupils reflected the shadow of someone leaping down from the hovering warship straight at it.

E/N:
E Mingjun: “I’ve dealt with the pirate group. Legally.”
Jiang Momo: “How legal?”
Lu Feng: “Us.”