After Winning The Esports Championship I’m Going To Pilot A Mecha: Chapter 130

130. Miao Feiyan: Can we talk?

“Please proceed…”

As Ji Mingzhu stepped out of the mecha, a nearby staff member bent down, their expression turning respectful and fearful, a stark contrast to before.

Like everyone else, they had initially thought Ji Mingzhu was just a wealthy kid looking for some amusement. Little did they realize he wasn’t some naive playboy but a bona fide demon king…

“Thank you for your hard work,” Ji Mingzhu handed over his changed mecha suit and smiled at the staff member.

“N-no, not at all… no trouble at all,” the staff member stammered, waving their hands. “Um, Boss Bei is still in the box, would you like me to…”

“No need to lead the way, I’ll go on my own,” Ji Mingzhu replied calmly, adjusting his clothes before heading towards Boss Bei’s box.

“Tian Shu!” a voice crackled over the communication channel. “We’ve hit the jackpot!”

This match was undoubtedly the most memorable one for the audience in the Nightless City underground mecha arena. They had expected to fleece the house, only to find themselves nearly bankrupt. As the match concluded, after the brief shock, cries of despair echoed through the entire audience section. Those who had taken a gamble on Ji Mingzhu, albeit cautiously, were now jubilant, some even wishing they had popped open champagne right then and there.

Without a doubt, the biggest winner of this gambling bout was Yao Guang, who had bet heavily on Ji Mingzhu beforehand. With returns over a hundredfold, it was like making money faster than robbing a bank. Now, they wouldn’t have to worry about money for purchasing A-class mechas.

Ji Mingzhu re-entered the box and saw Boss Bei seated on the sofa.

Boss Bei’s face was expressionless, revealing nothing of his current mood. He gestured for Ji Mingzhu to sit.

Ji Mingzhu sat calmly across from him. Neither spoke, and the air fell into a brief silence.

Gone from Ji Mingzhu’s face was the flamboyant arrogance he had displayed earlier. Though the same person, he now exuded a completely different aura. After the battle with Miao Feiyan, Ji Mingzhu felt no need to hide anything. He picked up the glass on the table, took a sip of water, and waited for Boss Bei to speak.

Inside the box, silence prevailed, with onlyScarface who had brought Ji Mingzhu appearing somewhat uneasy.

The boy had nerves of steel… He played the role of a tiger disguised as a pig, and now he’s standing right in front of Boss Bei. After so many years in the black market, he knew Boss Bei’s temper well, and now he was feeling uneasy, fearing that Boss Bei might vent his anger on him.

“Unexpected.”

After a moment, Boss Bei finally spoke, flicking the ash off his cigar and showing a hint of an inscrutable smile. “In our Nightless City’s little gambling den, we rarely welcome such a big shot… Lord Ji Mingzhu, your acting skills are quite impressive.”

Ji Mingzhu wasn’t surprised and replied with a smile, “You flatter me.”

What the f*ck?!

Scarface jumped off the sofa upon hearing the name “Ji Mingzhu,” his face filled with disbelief as he stuttered, staring at the young man before him. “Ji… Ji Mingzhu? You’re Ji Mingzhu? The Titan pilot from Yangyuan City who can go head-to-head with Zhu Rong?”

My god!

They thought they had hooked a big fish, but turns out he’s a man-eating shark!

Ji Mingzhu had long been prepared to be exposed. In fact, given Boss Bei’s keen eye and insight, it would have been strange if he hadn’t noticed Ji Mingzhu’s identity.

There are many young pilots, and quite a few young and skilled ones across the entire satellite city. However, those who reach the level of Titan pilots are rare. After all, there are only a handful of Titan pilots in each satellite city, making the scope incredibly narrow. Miao Feiyan wasn’t weak among Titan pilots, but this young man before him managed to defeat him in just a minute and a half, and in a near-crushing manner. So far, Boss Bei had only heard of one person with such ability.

That would be the former Titan pilot from the capital city who once fought three peers at the same level and managed to walk away unscathed, that legendary young man.

“I’ve also made a mistake.”

Boss Bei scrutinized Ji Mingzhu, showing more curiosity than anger in his eyes. “I wonder what brings Lord Ji Mingzhu to Jiusheng City? And why hide your identity to visit my Nightless City’s underground gambling den and play out such a drama.”

Although Ji Mingzhu’s performance had fooled them, strictly speaking, Boss Bei’s casino hadn’t suffered much loss. Instead, they had made a substantial profit from the bets placed on Miao Feiyan, all of which the house had swept in after his crushing defeat. In strict terms, a casino earns through probabilities, and the outcome of Miao Feiyan’s fight was an event with a very low probability. The casino made a significant profit from this “tiger in sheep’s clothing” play, even if Yao Guang took a cut from it, Boss Bei’s side still came out ahead.

Therefore, Boss Bei didn’t show much anger; he knew Ji Mingzhu’s side had done him a favor. He wasn’t too greedy either. Otherwise, if Yao Guang had pushed his leverage to the limit, it could have caused Boss Bei a significant loss. For the sake of the casino’s reputation, Boss Bei had no choice but to swallow his pride.

Clearly, Boss Bei was a smart and astute businessman. Ji Mingzhu didn’t beat around the bush either. Since his identity was already exposed, he saw no harm in being straightforward.

“My purpose is simple, as I hinted to Boss Bei when I arrived.”

Ji Mingzhu said seriously, “That Void Rift over there is my goal. I’m not here to cause trouble; I just want to do legitimate business with Boss Bei.”

“Oh?”

Boss Bei raised an eyebrow. “Just like that?”

Ji Mingzhu nodded. “Yes.”

“So, you staged this whole act because you didn’t have enough funds?”

Boss Bei looked surprised. “Why go through all this trouble? Lord Ji Mingzhu, if it were you, you could have just revealed your identity to me earlier. This A-level Void Rift, I could have easily given it to you.”

Ji Mingzhu: “…Ah?”

Boss Bei’s words were genuine. Even Ji Mingzhu himself hadn’t realized how influential he had become. His name alone was a shining business card, powerful enough to navigate through places like Nightless City, where status held significant weight.

The battle between Yangyuan City and Zhu Rong was broadcast live to all satellite cities. After that battle, the significance of Ji Mingzhu’s name changed drastically. He was now recognized as the successor to the title of the strongest Titan pilot, a title once held by Red Guard Commander Zuo Quanzong in his youth. He was also regarded as the current strongest figure in the field of pilots. Even though Ji Mingzhu was still on the wanted list of the Calamity Control Bureau in Shangjing City, it didn’t diminish his influence, which was currently at its peak. Countless pilots saw him as a role model. 

Up to now, every battle Ji Mingzhu participated in, for which footage could be found, was studied and emulated by numerous pilots like a textbook.

In fact, Ji Mingzhu himself was a living legend. If he had chosen to reveal his identity, Boss Bei would certainly not have refused to do business with him. If Ji Mingzhu had claimed he didn’t have enough money, Boss Bei might even have given him an invaluable A-class mecha for free. After all, in the eyes of this astute businessman, the favors owed to the world’s strongest Titan pilot were worth far more than an A-class mecha.

Ji Mingzhu realized a bit too late that he probably didn’t need to exert so much effort. However, after careful consideration, he shook his head and said, “That won’t be necessary. Let’s proceed with the normal transaction process.”

“Understood,” Boss Bei acknowledged, sensing Ji Mingzhu’s reluctance to complicate matters further.

“Since it’s Lord Ji Mingzhu who wishes to purchase this Void Rift model, we have no objections,” Boss Bei instructed his subordinate to bring a contract. “As for the price… Lord Ji Mingzhu just helped us make a good profit at the casino, and we can’t ignore that favor. How about this? I’ll take the liberty to offer you a 20% discount.”

Ji Mingzhu was taken aback. Given the price of the Void Rift mecha, even a casual discount would result in astronomical savings.

“This is within my authority. You needn’t worry,” assured Boss Bei with a smile. “Different levels of guests receive different treatments at the Nightless Casino. For someone like Lord Ji Mingzhu, you can certainly enjoy the highest level of service. Besides, I would like to make friends with you personally, so consider this a small token of our meeting.”

His demeanor was extremely amiable and approachable, devoid of any airs, and his expression was genuinely sincere, which left Scarface, who was standing nearby, astonished. Honestly, after so many years in the underground market of Nightless City, Scarface had hardly ever seen Boss Bei adopt such an attitude. It’s worth noting that this was someone so formidable that even officials from the Jiusheng City government would think twice before crossing him. When did he become so easy to talk to?

Ji Mingzhu had to admit, Boss Bei’s methods were indeed astute. While facilitating matters for Ji Mingzhu, his demeanor remained subtle, and the reasons he gave were logical and compliant, leaving no room for refusal. After a moment’s thought, Ji Mingzhu accepted the contract. “Thank you, Boss Bei.”

“You’re too kind, Lord Ji Mingzhu,” Boss Bei responded cordially.

Boss Bei then pulled out a business card and a black card, handing them to Ji Mingzhu with a smile. “This is my business card. If you encounter any issues in Jiusheng City in the future, feel free to contact me. This one is our VIP access card for Nightless City, presented to you personally as a friend. I hope you enjoy your time in our Nightless City. Oh, by the way, I understand your concerns. Rest assured, we won’t disclose your identity here. I can guarantee that.”

Suddenly, one of Boss Bei’s men knocked on the door and whispered something in his ear.

Boss Bei glanced at Ji Mingzhu and remarked, “Looks like I’m not the only one interested in meeting you…”

Ji Mingzhu was taken aback. The next moment, the door to the private room swung open again.

Miao Feiyan strode in directly from outside, ignoring the staff’s attempts to stop him. He wasn’t wearing a mask, and compared to his intense style during battles, in private, Miao Feiyan looked more like an idol singer with shoulder-length hair tied up neatly and androgynous features.

“You’re Ji Mingzhu?”

Miao Feiyan didn’t even bother confirming, bluntly calling out Ji Mingzhu’s name. He nodded briefly at Boss Bei, then turned his gaze to the young man, raising an eyebrow. “Do you have some time to talk?”

TN:

Okay so here’s the thing, I’ve been translating using my work laptop during my free periods of time during the day, but they’re installing some sort of remote manager on the laptops that enables the management track all activities from the user. They’re doing this because we work remotely and with sensitive data. It’s partly for security purposes and partly to make sure we spend our time as we should. So unfortunately I won’t be able to translate on weekdays and as such the schedule will change from Mon-Friday to Sat & Sun for the rest of this month and in August. I’m hoping to get a personal laptop in September and return to the previous schedule.

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