Today was the day for the graduates of the Mecha Manufacturing Department to submit their graduation designs. The Imperial Academy's mecha training ground was packed with people, bustling with activity. Not only did all the students from the manufacturing department show up, but students from other departments also rushed over to observe. Wang Xuan pushed through the crowd and walked to Ouyang Ye's side, asking in a low voice, "Where's Qi Ze? Why hasn't he come yet?"
"He went to transport the mecha." Ouyang Ye pointed in the direction of the maintenance bay.
"Wang Xuan, as a student in the mecha combat department, naturally paid close attention to the manufacturing department's news. "I heard that this year's graduation design is quite mysterious."
"Yes, everyone used curtains to protect their designs. Even the headmaster and deans don't have a clear understanding of the situation," Ouyang Ye said with a chuckle. "That was actually started by Qi Ze, and everyone followed suit. The whole maintenance bay is full of white tents, it's quite a sight."
"Qi Ze actually led the charge for something like this?" Wang Xuan was a little surprised, but after a moment's thought, he laughed too. "Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to see it in person. It must have been quite entertaining."
As the two were chatting and laughing, someone nearby sneered, "Isn't it shameful to do something like that? You're not only not condemning him, but you're also proud of it? The government is constantly advocating for breaking down technological barriers and avoiding industrial monopolies. Many masters have responded to the call. Why, when it comes to Qi Ze, does he do the opposite? He hides his mecha, afraid of being spied on. Is he trying to be the second Mu family? Our tradition was so good before! We all worked in the same warehouse, exchanging ideas, helping each other. Now, we've become like class enemies, separated by barriers! Qi Ze has ruined the entire school's atmosphere. Why isn't anyone criticizing him?"
A student from the manufacturing department, standing at the back, couldn't take it anymore and spat, "Shut up, asshole! If you don't know, don't pretend you do. You're acting like a messenger of justice when you're actually a brainless fool! We all used to work in the same warehouse and exchanged ideas, but there was certainly no mutual assistance. This is a graduation design, and it's related to the beginning of our careers. Who would kindly help others? At this moment, our relationship has fundamentally changed. We're not classmates but competitors. Everyone's designs are gathered together, exposed in broad daylight, and the talented ones become targets for plagiarism. Others may not have the same talent, but they can borrow their designs, or even modify their own mechas to counter them. Every graduating class has had such examples - someone very excellent ends up losing to a plagiarist or imitator. Is that fair? Breaking down technological barriers is indeed necessary, but intellectual property rights also need protection. They're not opposing concepts, but rather checks and balances. When a technology is thoroughly mature, to promote it, the inventor can open certain permissions, but that doesn't mean he must share all of his hard-earned results with everyone."
The student looked at the man and emphasized, "Listen up, asshole, the government only advocates breaking down technological barriers, it doesn't force everyone to hand over their research results. Advocacy and coercion are two different things. If everyone thought like you, who would bother to explore technological innovation? They might as well sit at home and wait for others' hard work to be shared. What department are you from? Oh, also the mecha manufacturing department. I bet your academic performance is terrible." As he spoke, he raised his wrist and scanned the man's chest badge, raising his eyebrows. "Look, ten F's in last year's final exams. No wonder you're against Qi Ze's methods. Are you afraid you won't have anything to copy when you submit your graduation design?"
Everyone around laughed, their eyes full of contempt.
The man was both embarrassed and angry, but he didn't dare to refute. Normally, if someone didn't have the original owner's permission, they couldn't read the information on the badge, but this person could easily get what he wanted. It could be seen that his authority was quite high, and he must come from a prominent family. Arguing with him would be unwise.
Besides, he couldn't find a logical argument. The students of the mecha manufacturing department had two reactions to Qi Ze's actions: one was strong support, and the other was strong opposition. These two groups were clearly divided. Supporters were mostly overachievers who had genuine talent; opponents were mostly underachievers who could only rely on plagiarism to improve their grades at graduation.
Naturally, overachievers had a much greater influence than underachievers. Thus, under their collective support, the school agreed to continue Qi Ze's approach. As a result, Qi Ze's popularity in the mecha manufacturing department suddenly improved. Everywhere he went, people greeted him, especially those arrogant overachievers who now had a good impression of him.
Ouyang Ye laughed particularly loudly, only stopping when he saw the man's head droop in embarrassment. At that moment, Qi Ze and Yan Junyu arrived on a transport vehicle. A crane slowly lifted their mecha and placed it upright on the ground. The mecha was completely wrapped in a white cloth, looking very mysterious. Several graduates ran over to help remove the steel cables, but Qi Ze refused.
"Trumps are only revealed at the last minute," he said with a smile.
"Oh, so you're planning a big move? Well, let me know if you need help," everyone said with a smile, returning to their own positions.
Yan Junyu smoothed the young man's silky hair, comforting him, "Don't be nervous, I'm here. I've never lost a mecha fight."
"Really? Then why aren't you at the top of the ranks?" Li Ziqian wheeled his chair towards them. A'kui followed behind, helping to block the crowd.
"It doesn't count in virtual networks," Yan Junyu said, looking at Li Ziqian's legs. "When you're healed, we'll have a real mecha fight."
"Deal!" Li Ziqian extended his hand to shake, both applying force, their knuckles cracking. A'kui had no doubt that if there were a gravity meter between their palms, the reading would be astonishing.
After about a minute, Li Ziqian said helplessly, "Enough, junior. These hands are just a test model; they can't withstand your strength yet."
"How strong will the finished product be if the test model is already this strong?" Yan Junyu wasn't jealous, but rather excited. "Senior, I look forward to battling with you." He then pulled Qi Ze into his arms, ruffling his hair and laughing in praise. "You're wonderful, and you'll surely become the greatest manufacturer in the entire galaxy!"
Qi Ze had heard his father say the same thing many times before, "my son will surely become the most powerful refiner in the cultivation world." He had felt proud at the time, but now he felt inexplicably like crying. He wrapped his arms around Yan Junyu's thin waist, burying his face in his chest and secretly wiping away the tears at the corner of his eye.
Yan Junyu's smile slowly faded, but his actions of patting the young man became even gentler. Li Ziqian pointed to his eyes, mouthing silently, "I think I saw him cry. Why?"
"Probably because he misses home," Yan Junyu's heart was as soft as could be.
Li Ziqian stepped forward, lightly stroking the youth's back.
Standing not far away, Mu Ran was staring intently at this scene, smiling but with a deep darkness in his eyes. The fifth prince deliberately said, "At first, I thought Junyu was just playing around, but I didn't expect him to be so serious. The way he holds that carbon-based human, it's like he's holding some precious treasure."
"Whether in his actions or his demeanor, Junyu is always serious. He's nothing like you, who just likes to play around," Mu Ran said indifferently, diverting his gaze.
"Dear, have you misunderstood something? I have no relationship with that little celebrity. The person I've always loved is you..." The fifth prince's anxious tone carried a hint of joy, believing his fiancé was jealous.
But Mu Ran didn't care for his explanation, pressing a control key to automatically separate the connected steel cables. The white cloth wrapped around the cables instantly fell, revealing the completely refurbished D4. The massive and heavy chest armor, the large energy compartment on the back, and the limbs that were thicker by more than a circle all indicated that this mecha was not to be underestimated.
"There's definitely an energy cannon installed on the chest, but we don't know if it's a particle cannon or a pulse cannon. The energy compartment has been upgraded, so the endurance must be very strong. There are probably hundreds of hidden barrels and cannons in the limbs. This isn't a D4 anymore, just in terms of firepower, it's wilder than a T4!" A student of the mecha manufacturing department made a judgment based on the appearance of the mecha.
"Mu Ran's skills are godly for turning a D-series into a T-series!" someone exclaimed.
"How is Qi Ze's mecha modification coming along?" someone nosy asked, tiptoeing to see inside the field.
"Judging by the shape, it doesn't seem to have been modified much. I heard he only started working on it in the last half month. There's not enough time, he can at most install a few energy cannons."
"It's impossible to install energy cannons. One shot from an energy cannon would instantly drain the D4's energy compartment, and the battle would be over in an instant. So that possibility is small. To install energy cannons, the energy compartment must be upgraded, which is a chain reaction. It's a large project that can't be completed in a month, let alone half a month," a professional student refuted.
"Then where do you think he modified?" someone nearby asked.
"In my opinion, he probably just gave the mecha a coat of paint," the professional student said, laughing as if he found it amusing. But soon, his laughter turned into an unpleasant "cackle." Qi Ze had removed the steel cables and the white cloth, revealing the D4 painted in a new color. There were no signs of modification on the chest armor, limbs, energy compartment, or head, except that the color had changed from silver-white to pure black.
No one expected him to dare to do such a thing, treating his graduation design as a child's play, thinking that a coat of paint would be enough.
The headmaster and deans both changed their expressions. Old Man Yan, sitting in the VIP seats, suddenly spat out a mouthful of hot tea, then covered his face and groaned softly. He had always been proud of his thick skin, but today he was willing to admit defeat. In terms of thick skin, who could compare to Qi Ze? No wonder he had hung a curtain around his area, it was for the convenience of painting! That damn Yan Junyu was actually rubbing the other's head and laughing! What the hell was he laughing at! The Yan family's face was completely lost because of them!
Old Man Yan, who kept berating them in his heart, noticed that the camera was filming him. He quickly put down his hand, raised his head, and revealed a graceful smile. Others had disgraced him, but he couldn't disgrace himself. He would settle accounts with these two brats after the battle!
Judges, leaders, and spectators alike were dumbfounded. The fifth prince was stunned for a moment, then sneered. "I thought Qi Ze was capable, but he just came with a painted mecha. Even if he wins against Junyu, I won't feel accomplished. Forget it, I decide to cancel this battle. One-sided domination is no fun."
He was about to send a message to Yan Junyu when his wrist was tightly gripped by Mu Ran, "Fight on! I want you to win!" He understood that once he said this, no matter if it was a mountain of swords or a sea of fire, the fifth prince would jump in. If Qi Ze was the person who would destroy the Mu family, his abilities must be unfathomable. The plainer this mecha looked, the more powerful it might actually be.
The fifth prince's eyes lit up, and he declared resolutely, "I will win."
At the opposite position, Qi Ze was holding a small bottle of spray paint, touching up the less even areas. Yan Junyu was looking down at his vibrating smart-brain. His classmates, colleagues, friends, and relatives all sent messages, questioning what stupid thing he had done and why he had to be tied to Qi Ze. The graduation design was clearly about mecha modification, and he had only painted it black. In the history of the Imperial Academy, such a disgraceful thing had never happened! And every graduation design was broadcast live on the star network, which meant that Qi Ze not only disgraced the school and the empire, but also the federation and even the entire Galaxy!
"God, my embarrassment is off the charts! Why is Qi Ze humming a song while touching up the mecha? I want to strangle him!"
"I also want to strangle him! The Imperial Academy's century-old reputation has been completely ruined! The gold content of the mecha manufacturing department will be much lower!" The person who said this was the nobleman's son who had previously defended Qi Ze. The underachiever mocked by him was now standing tall, head held high, in a superior manner.
"At least Qi Ze knows his place and covered it up with a cloth," the underachiever said with a smile.
Ouyang Ye wasn't having it, pulling out Wind Forest and Fire Sea to beat someone up, but was held back by Mo Tianlei and Wang Xuan.
Qi Ze didn't care about all these commotions, taking the waves of boos as a pre-match accompaniment. After touching up the black paint on the mecha's feet, he walked to Yan Junyu's side, hooking one arm around his neck and pulling down his smart-brain. He stood on tiptoe and said, "Let me see the betting website, okay?"
Yan Junyu chuckled, "Looks like we need a new rule in the dorm: no gambling!"
"What are you betting on?" Li Ziqian had obtained a work ID and had the right to freely enter the competition grounds, so he stayed by the master's side. His intuition told him that this battle would be very exciting. The master's products were always of high quality, so it couldn't be as simple as it seemed on the surface.
"The fifth prince and Yan Junyu are both famous figures in the empire. With them fighting, betting companies will definitely open a betting board. Take a look at my mecha, is it cowardly?" Qi Ze patted the big black thing beside him.
"Cowardly." Li Ziqian couldn't say something insincere. The D4 was already ugly, and with black paint, it was even uglier.
"It looks like the knock-off mechas sold by the pirate gangs, and the worst quality at that," A'kui said honestly. "Master, I'm now very suspicious of your aesthetic."
"Cowardly is good," Qi Ze wasn't angry at all, but rather looked expectantly at Yan Junyu. "You know, with how cowardly it is, my odds will definitely be high, right?"
Yan Junyu sighed, holding his forehead, and after a while, helplessly said, "You refused multiple times to modify the shape. Was it for this reason?"
"You know me well, Junyu!" Qi Ze put his arm around his neck in a friendly manner, chuckling. "Come on, let's make a big haul again! Look at these odds, 79 points, and they're still skyrocketing. Even overseas funds are attracted. What are you hesitating for?"
"I'll place a bet then." Without waiting for Yan Junyu to speak, Li Ziqian had already opened the betting website with a smile. A'kui hurriedly followed. They didn't bet much money, not because they had no confidence in the master, but because they were afraid that too much principal would lower the odds, making the master earn less.
Qi Ze waited for about ten minutes, seeing that the betting company was about to close the betting website, he then placed a large bet. In the end, the odds stopped at 102 points. He roughly calculated how much money he could earn and couldn't help but show a contented expression. Yan Junyu couldn't do anything about him, he could only mess up his head while seriously warning, "Small bets are for fun, big bets are harmful. Don't develop a gambling addiction, or I'll definitely lock you up to quit gambling."
"I know." Qi Ze dodged to the side, his eyebrows and eyes full of liveliness.
Seeing the interaction between the few people on the big screen, the audience was almost furious. Laughing, laughing, how could they laugh after modifying the mecha like this! They had no sense of shame at all! They would see how they would spray him to death after the game!
Mu Ran was probably the only one on the field who saw Qi Ze as a strong opponent. To be able to get nine level certificates at the age of eighteen, this was proof enough of Qi Ze's high IQ. If he was so smart, could he do something so stupid to his own face? The answer was no! So the trump card he often mentioned on his lips must be real.
With this in mind, Mu Ran immediately walked over to the opposite side. The fifth prince wanted to stop him but hesitated. They were already engaged, so he should give Mu Ran more trust. Besides, under everyone's gaze, he and Yan Junyu couldn't do anything.
"This mecha is very special," Mu Ran said with a smile.
Qi Ze glanced at him, didn't respond, and walked to the side with Li Ziqian. He was the heir of a sect, naturally full of arrogance. He wasn't so low as to actively curry favor with the other party to eliminate Mu Ran's suspicions. Besides, he didn't care at all what Mu Ran would do, and even looked forward to him launching a crazy retaliation. He wanted to see just how many unknown means this person had hidden.
Out of politeness, Yan Junyu nodded, "It is indeed very special."
"Seems like you have great confidence in Qi Ze. Where does that confidence come from?" Mu Ran probed.
"From here." Yan Junyu pointed to his left chest.
The smile on Mu Ran's face completely disappeared. Hearing this man's inner voice on the phone and hearing it in reality were completely different experiences. He thought he could deal with it calmly, but his slightly trembling fingertips were signaling a gradually losing control of his emotions. He closed his eyes for a moment and continued, "I originally promised to work for you, but in the end, I broke my word. Now, I have nothing. For the information in my head, almost all the forces are fighting for my allegiance. Do you know? I'm now like a piece of goods, for others to pick and choose. If I want to live better, besides showing my usefulness, there's no other way. However, the danger is that this usefulness will lead me into a more embarrassing situation, imprisonment, kidnapping, and even memory theft. Those people will do anything. I don't want to drag you down, so I left. Choosing Helian Yue was out of necessity. He's an imperial prince, and the eyes of the people are on him. I'm actually safer by his side, at least I won't disappear without a trace. Junyu, I want to tell you that even if our families are on opposite sides, I will always consider you my most important friend."
Mu Ran's eyes were clear and bright, as if washed by water. He raised his face and looked over without blinking, as innocent as a child, and as fragile as a child. Seeing him like this, no one could harden their heart. If it wasn't for that accident, if it wasn't for discovering the other party's spiritual sense left in his mecha, Yan Junyu would certainly have softened.
But now, besides full sarcasm, he couldn't find any other emotions. The most important friend was used to control and then kill? This friendship he probably couldn't bear. From childhood to adulthood, Mu Ran was always like this, using gentle means to take away everything from others. What he liked, he could always get, and what he disliked would always disappear, and the fault was always on others.
He was both innocent and harmless. Even if he almost destroyed the capital, he could quickly whitewash himself and instantly change from a heavy criminal to a victim. In terms of character and means, who among his peers could compare to him?
Yan Junyu was chilled to the bone, but his face showed nothing. He slowly said, "I understand your plight. A'Yue will treat you well. I wish you happiness."
"Thank you." Mu Ran, unable to get the expected response, could only nod slightly and slowly walked away. Not soft-hearted, not communicating, not getting close, such an unfamiliar Yan Junyu?
"Are you done with your bullshit?" Qi Ze stood not far away, raising his eyebrows.
"Done." Yan Junyu's gloomy mood immediately cleared up.
"Done, then get on board and blow up the opposite side for me." Qi Ze pointed forward.
"For your honor." This phrase had the suspicion of imitating Ouyang Ye, but it fully expressed Yan Junyu's current mood. After seeing through Mu Ran's hypocrisy and ruthlessness, looking at Qi Ze, full of bad intentions but truly adorable, his eyes were filled with smiles.
His heart stirred slightly, and he couldn't help but step forward, embracing the petite youth in his arms, hugging him tightly.
"I am your warrior," he whispered in his ear, then turned his head without looking back and boarded the mecha.
Qi Ze rubbed his red ear tip while using shouts to conceal his embarrassment, "Just play around with them first. When you're bored, then go all out. Don't blow them up as soon as you go up, that's not exciting enough!"
"Understood." Yan Junyu quickly entered the cockpit, his gaze circled around and finally rested on the control panel in the lower left corner. Where there were originally only the start and shutdown keys, there was now an additional black button. Qi Ze's original words were, "As long as you press it, even if a dog is controlling the mecha, it can easily win."
Without a doubt, Yan Junyu was much more capable than a dog.