The Real Daughter Just Wants to Pilot Mechas - Chapter 95

Jiang Momo sat up in the simulation pod, pulled off the nerve patch from her temple, and then nimbly flipped off the platform. After changing into work-appropriate clothes, she headed toward the school’s material warehouse to continue building Yan Chang’s A-grade mecha.

Just as she left the dorm, she received a message from the academy. Shi Qin had passed the written test and they were asking when she was available for the interview.

Jiang Momo immediately replied, [Can we skip the interview and go straight to admission?]

Two seconds after sending the message, she got a negative response. She thought for a moment and sent another message.

[Then how about now?]

[Interview successfully scheduled. Please arrive at the Dean’s Office before 17:00 for your interview. Late arrivals will bear the consequences.]

Shi Qin was at the Mecha Arena with his classmates, working on a mecha build. When he saw the message, he instinctively checked the time, and his heart skipped a beat.

“Crap, only twenty minutes left!”

He dropped the half-engraved material panel he was working on and ran.

By the time Shi Qin rushed into the Dean’s office, Jiang Momo was seated behind the desk sipping hot tea. On the other side, Dean Ge was practicing calligraphy.

“Dean. Teacher Momo,” Shi Qin greeted them both and then said, “I’m here for the interview as instructed by the academy.”

Jiang Momo checked the time.

Exactly five o’clock.

She gestured to the bench by the door. “Please sit.”

Shi Qin glanced at Ge Qing and sat down, a bit stiffly.

“I’m the only interviewer today,” Jiang Momo said, instantly putting Shi Qin at ease. “I’ll ask you a few questions. Just answer truthfully.”

“Okay.” Shi Qin relaxed his clenched fists.

“First question: Why did you choose to be my assistant?”

“Because I think I can learn more from you. Also, I really dislike the atmosphere at the Military Research Institute. I want freedom,” Shi Qin answered without hesitation.

Jiang Momo didn’t comment on his response.

“Second question, use two words to describe me.”

“Wise and strong,” Shi Qin replied without a pause.

“Third question, have you ever wasted materials due to mistakes?” Jiang Momo asked.

“No,” Shi Qin answered quickly and then suddenly remembered the unfinished material panel he had left behind in a rush and corrected himself, “There was one. I was in a hurry and didn’t finish it, so it got wasted.”

Jiang Momo shook her head slightly and smiled. “Congratulations, you’re hired.”

Shi Qin froze. “That’s it?”

“That’s it. Take some time to think it over.” Jiang Momo gave his shoulder a light pat.

Ge Qing looked up at them briefly before returning to his calligraphy.

Shi Qin could clearly feel the meaningful glance from the Dean. He lowered his eyes slightly and the sensitive, overthinking part of his brain began to churn.

Was Teacher Momo hinting at something? Was there something special about the questions? What use was a scrapped material panel? What were the materials she had them search in the Mecha Arena for?

Filled with unanswered questions, Shi Qin walked out with heavy steps.

The office door shut behind him.

Ge Qing put down his brush and looked at Jiang Momo. “Why those questions?” Why hint at Shi Qin at this moment?

Jiang Momo replied, “He chose me. As his teacher, I have to be responsible.”

She wanted Shi Qin to know his choice wasn’t a mistake.

Ge Qing said, “He might not understand your intentions.” Your few words were vague and out of context. He probably won’t get it.

Jiang Momo said, “I’m just learning from you. You’re a great teacher.”

If she could understand, then with Shi Qin’s sensitivity, he would too.

At that moment, neither of them realized just how formal and stiff their conversation sounded. Fortunately, the Federation’s confidentiality detection system didn’t pick up on it either.

“I heard the research institute has developed a super S-grade mecha. Since you’re working part-time with the military, maybe you can sneak in as a disciple,” Ge Qing said, picking up his brush again.

“So everyone knows about my side gig now?” Jiang Momo laughed. “The military does have a super S-grade mecha recently but I’m not sure if the research institute does yet.”

Ge Qing paused mid-stroke, surprised. “Wait, the super S-grade mecha wasn’t made by the research institute? Does the military have other mecha manufacturers?”

“Exactly. Where would they get other mecha manufacturers from?”

Jiang Momo lifted her chin slightly, looking proud like a smug little cat.

Ge Qing blinked rapidly as a completely implausible guess popped into his mind. He hesitated. “You…”

Jiang Momo nodded sharply. “Yep!”

Since the military never said it was classified, and if not for a lack of opportunity lately, she would’ve already come bragging to Ge Qing.

Ge Qing clutched his chest with one hand, leaning back slightly, looking as if his worldview had just shattered. “Oh my god. You only started learning A-grade mecha manufacturing a few days ago, right? And now you’ve already invented a super S-grade mecha?!”

“Well, it’s not really invention. I just got lucky and improved the performance of an S-grade mecha a little,” Jiang Momo said proudly, lifting her chin.

Tears instantly welled up in Ge Qing’s eyes. “I never thought I’d encounter such a treasure in my lifetime. My life has been worth it.”

Jiang Momo was startled and quickly fumbled to pull out tissues from her pocket. “Don’t cry, it’s mainly because you taught me well. I didn’t do anything special, I just used some rare materials.”

“What rare materials?” Ge Qing immediately grabbed Jiang Momo’s hand.

“Metal neural fibers with added Golden Crow ore,” Jiang Momo blurted out and then froze.

The alarm system didn’t react at all.

Ge Qing wiped his eyes. “The time’s too short. The manufacturing method hasn’t been added to the confidentiality system yet.”

Jiang Momo watched as Ge Qing dried his tears and hurried out of the office, then glanced at the message from Yan Chang that she had just rejected and replied.

Ten minutes ago, while waiting for Shi Qin’s interview, Yan Chang had messaged saying he wanted to take her somewhere fun. She had turned him down.

But the moment she replied saying she now had time, he responded right away.

[Alien Beast Slayer]: I’m waiting downstairs.

Jiang Momo leaned out the window and saw Yan Chang standing by the streetlamp, just raising his head. He immediately waved at her.

Jiang Momo quickly rushed down.

“You came right after sending the message?” she asked, coming to a stop in front of Yan Chang.

“No,” he replied.

He had already been there before sending the message.

“I thought you’d be playing games in the dorm the past few days,” Jiang Momo teased.

“What’s the fun in games? People matter more.” Yan Chang shrugged.

Ever since he encountered that god-level player in the first match, fighting alien beasts didn’t excite him as much. He’d often get distracted replaying that match in his mind, only to be instantly eliminated by an alien beast.

The letdown was worse than a breakup, so he simply quit.

He hadn’t even removed the light brain interface before receiving a message from Yan Yunkui saying he’d found a treatment for Jiang Momo. So he rushed over.

Jiang Momo looked at him in surprise. “Don’t sound so sappy. So, where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” Yan Chang said, turning and leading her out of the academy.

Soon, Jiang Momo was aboard Yan Chang’s spaceship.

“Have some juice first.” Yan Chang handed her a glass bottle.

Jiang Momo took it. “So what’s this about?”

Yan Chang sat across from her. “Remember that tourist planet you went to last time? I said I’d get a legal team to sue on your behalf, right? The ruling just came out. The planet governor was convicted of endangering public safety with dangerous means, he got a three-year suspended sentence, and the small animals on the planet were auctioned off by the court and later bought by a research organization for experiments.”

Jiang Momo blinked. “So we’re going to see the planet governor?”

“What for?” Yan Chang laughed. “We’re going to see the animals.”

It was Yan Yunkui’s idea to buy them. He was just curious because he’d never seen anything like them. But just now Yan Yunkui messaged, saying that after some research, they found the animals had strong bodies but weak mental power. To maintain balance, they absorb mental power from others. But besides that, they also absorb something else, an unnamed element not yet defined by academia.

After several rounds of research comparing the harm Jiang Momo’s excessive mental power does to her own body, they discovered that the ‘drain’ is much less harmful. After weighing the pros and cons, Yan Yunkui believed using them was the best solution.

As Yan Chang was thinking, a light brain notification popped up in front of Jiang Momo. A stranger had sent her a friend request. The profile picture was a military cap.

She glanced at the distracted Yan Chang and then accepted.

[Jiang Momo]: Who are you?

[Lu Feng]: [Initiated a transfer of 400,000,000 star coins]

Jiang Momo stared at all the zeroes in the transfer and fell silence. She counted twice to make sure that it was really four hundred million.

[Jiang Momo]: Is this really you?

[Lu Feng]: Payment from the research institute for the super S-grade mecha.

[Jiang Momo]: You sold both of them?

Jiang Momo was a bit uneasy. Based on what he said before, if too much time passed, they wouldn’t have sold for the full price. And quite a bit of time had passed already.

[Lu Feng]: This is just for one. They couldn’t replicate the production method, so they paid extra to buy it for research.

Jiang Momo froze, her fingers twitching.

[Jiang Momo]: So when they scanned it for spec values earlier, they didn’t secretly analyze the internal materials? They’re so honest?

[Lu Feng]: They did. But even after using the same materials, they couldn’t recreate it. That’s why they offered more to buy it back for study.

[Jiang Momo]: Then with that kind of money suddenly in my account, there won’t be a problem, right?

She remembered Ling Yelin once saying a large transfer might get her account flagged. Even if it was the military that sent it, better safe than sorry.

[Lu Feng]: No problem. Use it freely.

Jiang Momo immediately relaxed. While Yan Chang wasn’t looking, she summoned Little Eight.

Little Eight asked, [What’s up? Are you planning to buy something with that money?]

“My simulation combat game is about to hit the public market, right? I want to hire some internet trolls to build hype in advance,” Jiang Momo said directly.