The Real Daughter Just Wants to Pilot Mechas - Chapter 97

While the two outside were having a heated discussion over the data, Jiang Momo was sitting upright in the center of the room, gently petting the fluffy head of a small animal that didn’t dare move after being picked up by her.

After calming down, Jiang Momo finally, and belatedly, felt the thrill of having a huge amount of star coins transferred into her account. As a result, a major question began circling in her mind.

How should she spend all that money?

At first, she earned money to afford food and shelter, so she could avoid being manipulated by others for financial reasons. Later, it was to build a mecha suited for her. But then she realized that even the best existing mechas weren’t as handy as the exoskeleton she’d used before.

Now, she had a spaceship for travel, a dorm for lodging, a cafeteria for meals, and free materials from the academy to build mechas. Honestly, she couldn’t think of anything that urgently needed money.

“It seems like I can finally laze around.” Jiang Momo looked at the balance in her account. There were over two hundred million even after taxes. Based on the Capital Star’s prices, that was enough to last her a lifetime.

[Lazing around is fine. You came out here to enjoy life anyway,] Little Eight said, popping up from the bottom of the screen. [What do you plan to do next?]

Jiang Momo replied, “Now I can finally do what I want to do. If I want to build a super S-grade mecha, I’ll build it. If I want to explore the legendary mecha, I’ll explore it. If I want to repair mechas, I’ll repair them…”

[?] Little Eight couldn’t understand. [How is that any different from your current life?]

“It’s completely different. Before, I did those things because they made money. Now, I’ll do them because I want to.” Jiang Momo noticed Little Eight still didn’t get it and explained earnestly, “Before, the standard for whether something was worth doing was whether it paid. Now, it’s just about whether I feel like it.”

Little Eight finally understood and covered its face helplessly.

This kid was great in every way but she’s too easily satisfied.

Jiang Momo was still happily calculating. “With how comfortable the Federation is, this money should let me live peacefully for two hundred years.”

[You’re absolutely right,] Little Eight affirmed.

Jiang Momo only stayed in the room for about ten minutes before she was let out.

When she was released, the once lively little animals had all quieted down, lying motionless in their cages.

Jiang Momo reached in and petted each of them before slowly leaving, urged along by Yan Yunkui.

“I thought it was supposed to be an hour? Why did it end so quickly?” she asked as she moved aside to let Yan Yunkui in, then turned to Yan Chang once the door closed behind her.

Yan Chang smiled. “Yan Yunkui said they were hungry, so he paused it.”

Seeing that Jiang Momo didn’t press further, Yan Chang quietly let out a sigh of relief.

In truth, Jiang Momo’s reverse absorption speed was far greater than the active absorption rate Yan Yunkui had previously measured. Based on the real-time data, another two minutes and she would’ve completely drained the little creatures.

“Are we waiting here, then?” Jiang Momo asked.

“Let’s head back. I have something to take care of,” Yan Chang said, casually asking, “I think you look more energetic than when you went in?”

Jiang Momo stretched her arm with enthusiasm. “Yeah! I really like fluffy little animals. Just seeing them fills me with energy.”

“…They’ll be living here long-term. I’ll bring you back in a few days.”

“Okay.” Jiang Momo nodded and followed Yan Chang out.

***

The two of them returned to the academy.

At the bottom of the teaching building, Yan Chang earnestly repeated his advice about resting well and maintaining a good routine.

Jiang Momo, stifling laughter, patted his shoulder. “Alright, this workload won’t tire me out. Your mecha will be finished in a few days. Besides, we see each other every day anyway, right?”

Yan Chang looked up at her and hesitated to speak.

Jiang Momo blinked. “Is there something important coming up?”

“There’s a situation back home I need to handle. I’ll be gone for about two weeks,” he said.

Yan Yunkui had just messaged him saying the little animals needed at least two weeks to recover before they could be used again.

“Two weeks?” Jiang Momo paused and the thought of playing around for a couple of days before working on his mecha flashed through her mind. But she quickly dismissed it and smiled at him. “Go take care of it. Don’t worry about me.”

Still worried, Yan Chang gave her a few more reminders before reluctantly leaving.

Jiang Momo didn’t think too much of it and went straight into the material warehouse to keep working on Yan Chang’s mecha.

After two all-nighters, the fresh new A-grade mecha was complete.

She’d basically shut out the outside world the past two days and stayed in the material warehouse whenever she wasn’t in class. She barely spared the time to check the Star Network to see how the simulation battle had exploded in popularity. Now that the mecha was stored in her mecha space button and tucked into her pocket, she finally opened her light brain for the first time in a while.

Of the top ten trending topics, five were about the simulation battle. Though the keywords were different, it was clearly gone viral.

“Has the game already launched publicly?” Jiang Momo asked.

[Not yet,] Little Eight answered.

“You’re amazing! You actually made it this popular!” Jiang Momo marveled.

[It’s not all my doing. Ling Yelin contributed a lot too,] Little Eight said objectively.

“Ling Yelin?” Jiang Momo asked as she rode the lift back to ground level. She looked down at Little Eight licking its paws. “Did he also buy internet trolls for me?”

Little Eight answered, [Not just that. He personally promoted the game as well.]

Jiang Momo understood and stopped walking.

[Aren’t we going to the cafeteria?] Little Eight asked.

“No need. Something better’s coming,” she said, leaning against the wall.

Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, Ling Yelin appeared in front of the teaching building in a sleek formal outfit.

“Is Yan Chang not keeping watch on you these days?” he asked, handing over a skewer of grilled meat. “Are you hungry? Have a bite first.”

Jiang Momo stared at the skewer for two seconds, the aroma wafting into her nose. She took it. “Thanks.”

Once she took the skewer, Ling Yelin pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped the grease off his hands, and casually tossed the cloth into a nearby trash can.

After the last misunderstanding, he’d finally realized that if he wanted to be friends with Jiang Momo, he had to drop the pretense and be more down-to-earth.

He looked at her. Since Jiang Momo didn’t like flowers, maybe she’d like food instead?

She did. Very much so.

“This is the best grilled meat I’ve had since arriving on the Capital Star! Super chewy.”

Her cheeks puffed up with food, Jiang Momo stepped closer to Ling Yelin and asked, “What are we eating next?”

“Roast whole lamb,” he said, pulling another handkerchief from a different pocket and handing it to her.

Jiang Momo accepted it and walked on ahead.

Ling Yelin quickly caught up, glancing at her parting line with some surprise, puzzled.

Little Eight was confused too.

[I thought you were going to ask him what he wanted,] it said.

That had always been their dynamic. Whenever Ling Yelin gave her something, Jiang Momo would immediately ask what he wanted in return.

Jiang Momo replied silently, “He definitely wants the Golden Crow ore but I’m not in a hurry. I don’t need money right now, so I’ll just wait for him to bring it up. It’s not like he’ll keep quiet forever.”

Once he brought it up, she could just say she didn’t have any and give him something else. She remembered he really liked that keychain last time.

Five hours later, Jiang Momo sat in the VIP section of a concert hall and glanced sideways at the focused expression on Ling Yelin’s face.

Sensing her gaze, Ling Yelin turned. “What is it? Are you tired?”

“No.” Jiang Momo turned her head back.

In the last five hours, they’d eaten, gone shopping, visited an amusement park, and now they were listening to music. Ling Yelin had had countless chances to bring up the Golden Crow ore but hadn’t said a word.

“If you don’t like this, we can leave early,” Ling Yelin leaned in slightly and whispered in her ear.

“Let’s go.” Jiang Momo really couldn’t sit still any longer. She hadn’t slept in three days and if she stayed any longer, she might start dreaming on the spot.

Finally stepping outside, Jiang Momo felt the liveliness of the surroundings and pulled Ling Yelin to sit in a corner of a nearby dessert shop.

“I’m planning to head back,” Jiang Momo said directly.

Ling Yelin looked up from the menu. “I’ll take you.”

“Did we really come out today just to walk around?” Jiang Momo hinted.

Ling Yelin looked completely calm. “Of course. Aren’t we friends?”

“You don’t have anything else to say to me?” Jiang Momo kept hinting.

“Oh, right.” Under Jiang Momo’s expectant gaze, Ling Yelin said, “Wu Yue said she’s going to the Chaos Star System tomorrow to restock and asked if you’d like to go sightseeing.”

“That’s it?” Jiang Momo asked.

Ling Yelin thought for a moment. “That’s it.”

“You don’t want the Golden Crow ore anymore?” Jiang Momo pressed further.

“You still have some?” Ling Yelin looked a bit surprised. “Judging by your expression before, I figured you were out.”

Even if she had some, it didn’t look like she wanted to sell it to him. To be honest, he hadn’t come today for the Golden Crow ore. The research institute still hadn’t figured out how to manufacture super S-grade mechas, so they suspected that Jiang Momo might have used some other special-grade materials that current instruments couldn’t detect.

With that possibility, Jiang Momo’s importance in his eyes had risen to another level. Today’s outing was really just a bit of groundwork to strengthen their friendship. He always paid extra attention to people of value.

Jiang Momo said, “I really don’t have any left. But if you need—”

Ling Yelin interrupted her, “I haven’t decided what I need yet. Can I tell you in a few days? I’ll come pick you up tomorrow and we’ll go have fun in the Chaos Star System.”

Jiang Momo stared into Ling Yelin’s eyes for a few seconds and, confirming that all she could see in them was pure love for profit, nodded. “Tomorrow at noon. I’ll wait for you at the academy gate.”