Genius Mechanic: Chapter 193

Agaman Sea Star Contaminated Zone (Galactic Ranking Competition)

193. Foreign Aid Team.

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake and An Zheee 

“I’ve never heard of them,” Lin Yao said, looking at Ji Qingfeng.

Ji Qingfeng also hadn’t heard of these special missions.

Huo Yan rubbed his chin and said, “I think I’ve heard something about them. Isn’t it something that opens periodically?”

Shen Xingtang waved her hand, and the complex text on the virtual screen transformed into a simple graphical presentation. She explained, “Look here.”

The Star Alliance’s Special Missions are part of a special mission system under the Star Alliance’s Mecha Alliance. They were periodically opened and specifically designed to offer powerful mecha bases opportunities to acquire resources. The system lists numerous missions each year, but due to the immense difficulty of these missions, although there were no surface-level restrictions on which mecha bases could participate, the high threshold and competitive opponents effectively eliminated many teams.

“The Star Alliance’s Special Missions have very high difficulties,” Jiang Simiao said. “Smaller mecha bases generally lack the capability to complete these missions. Not only would they be unable to secure missions from stronger teams, but they might also lose their lives in those Contaminated Zones.” He continued, “So every year, when the Star Alliance’s Special Mission system opens, the participants are mostly strong teams from major Star Domains… Our First Star Domain has sent relatively few teams.”

Lu Xi asked in confusion, “Why is it so difficult?”

“They’re located in a few special Contaminated Zones within the Star Alliance. These aren’t standard competition zones or high-risk Contaminated Zones, but types of Frontier Contaminated Zones with unique challenges.”

Jiang Simiao looked at the virtual screen, which had now moved to the page introducing the special mission system. He continued, “Normally, Contaminated Zones outside the border zone are managed by the Frontier Army, while those within the border are managed by the Mecha Alliance… However, as the Star Alliance expands its territory each year, some special Contaminated Zones emerge. These areas, with significant unresolved potential hazards, are not handed over to the local galaxy for management but are first handled by the Star Alliance.”

These hazards are beyond the capability of weaker galaxies to solve on their own. They’re overly challenging for the Alliance’s summoning principles, so they fall under the jurisdiction of the Star Alliance.

“To give a simple example, if we in the Dawn Galaxy had been unable to resolve the Qiu Jin Black Hole issue and hadn’t requested help from nearby galaxies… It’s very likely that it would have been submitted to the Star Alliance as a Special Mission Contaminated Zone.” Jiang Simiao sighed and added, “You can understand that these Contaminated Zone special missions are all close in difficulty to Qiu Jin’s Black Hole, so they have very high danger levels. There aren’t well-established pollution management systems within them, and entering these zones often means facing the risk of losing contact.”

Lin Yao was stunned, “Qiu Jin?”

Jiang Simiao replied, “Yes, Qiu Jin at least had other mecha bases to assist you. But if you undertake a special mission, it’s different. Each mecha base has a limited number of participants, meaning you have to complete the mission without external support and may even be targeted by stronger teams.”

Completing the mission alone was challenging enough, especially since these areas are ungoverned zones.

Every year, mecha pilots die in the Star Alliance’s Special Mission Zones, and over time, only mecha bases with strong resources and power enter these areas, making them exclusive resource-gathering grounds for top teams.

While the rest of KID discussed, Ying Chenlin finished reviewing the special mission’s documents and asked, “It doesn’t mention anything about the Star Domain’s competition slots. Aren’t the Star Alliance Special Missions directly under the Star Alliance’s General Office? How does this relate to the Star Domain Competition?”

“This is where the unique aspect of team events comes in. Every year, the slots for the Star Domain Competition are based on the rankings from the previous year’s Star Domain Competition. However, the First Star Domain’s General Office still has a few special slots. You can think of them as wildcard slots.”

Shen Xingtang continued explaining, “Wildcard slots are awarded in special circumstances, usually to galaxies that have performed exceptionally well. For example, the Aries Galaxy, home to the Aegis base, gets the most wildcard slots every year… But that doesn’t mean we in the Dawn Galaxy have no chance. The First Star Domain has very few mecha bases participating in Star Alliance Special Missions.”

Among the five major Star Domains, the First Star Domain was the least active in participation.

But you couldn’t really blame the First Star Domain for its lack of enthusiasm. After all, it consistently ranked the lowest in overall mecha performance among the five major Star Domains. They barely had any mecha teams that could make it to the top ranks in the Star Alliance Competition. The only time they made a mark was two years ago, when their base’s mechanic won the Star Alliance Championship in the Individual Soldier category. But that was in the Individual Soldier category, which was entirely different from the poorly ranked team events.

The Dawn Galaxy’s team battle performance was poor, and the First Star Domain’s level in team battles was also average.

This has led to no base daring to take risks by entering Special Mission Contaminated Zones to obtain resources. Since the First Star Domain has so many regular Contaminated Zones, there was no need to risk their lives in Special Mission Contaminated Zones, there were other ways to obtain resources. Therefore, to encourage some strong bases’ teams to participate, the First Star Domain Alliance’s main office offers generous rewards, including wild card slots and substantial prize money.

“In simple terms, if we perform well in the special mission, the First Star Domain will reasonably grant us additional slots based on our performance,” Shen Xingtang said, her expression serious and her tone firm. “Of course, if we achieve good results in the Star Alliance Competition, we can also earn wild card slots, but since we didn’t participate last season, and since the slots won by Individual Soldiers belong to them and have nothing to do with our team battle bracket, the only way left for us to get slots before the Star Domain Competition starts is through this route.”

The reason KID was notified was because they were the champions of the Dawn Galaxy Competition. If a team was to represent the galaxy in special missions, the Dawn Galaxy’s main office would first ask KID. If KID declined, the opportunity would then be offered to other teams like Gale.

After receiving the notification, Shen Xingtang came to discuss it with KID’s mecha pilots. After all, this matter involved the safety of the mecha pilots. KID had already secured a slot, so they could selfishly choose not to go. “The choice is yours. Once you’ve decided, let me know, and I’ll relay it to Chairman Li.”

The KID mecha pilots looked at each other. They had all made it through Qiu Jin, so they understood how rare such an opportunity was.

High-difficulty missions also brought high rewards—high risk, high reward; this was something all adults understood.

Lin Yao asked, “Are there many S-Level pollutants in Special Mission Contaminated Zones?”

Ji Qingfeng had just finished reading the data, “To exaggerate a bit, you might encounter S-Level pollutants everywhere.”

Lu Xi looked at Ying Chenlin in confusion, “But our mechas are already worn out, and the special mission starts in half a month, right? Can we make it in time?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Shen Xingtang replied after hearing this. She coughed and continued, “Chairman Li has considered this. If we participate in the special mission, regardless of success, he will use the resources of the Dawn Galaxy to repair the mecha damages caused by the ranking competition. Also, all expenses for the special mission will be reimbursed by the Alliance.”

In other words, if they participate in this mission, not only will they not have to spend any money, but they’ll also have funds to repair their equipment.

And if they complete the mission and return, they would not only receive the prize money and wild card slots awarded by the First Star Domain, but also additional rewards from the Dawn Galaxy.

“Did Chairman Li make a lot of money this year?” Jiang Simiao’s heart almost moved hearing these generous conditions. “The rewards are so abundant?”

Shen Xingtang replied, “This is related to the participation slots for other teams. This year, our Dawn Galaxy’s teams have performed well, and the Alliance wants to give us more opportunities.”

Moreover, even if the Dawn Alliance didn’t act, strong mecha bases like Gale would. The mecha pilots of the Dawn Alliance don’t want to be limited to their small galaxy; they all want to go out and see the vastness of the Star Alliance.

“Then let’s go wa!” Ji Qingfeng said, “I have no objections.”

Lin Yao raised his hand, “I want to go.”

Huo Yan added, “Whether you call it selfishness or the bigger picture for the entire Dawn Galaxy, if we can’t complete it, we’ll just retreat.”

Lu Xi also nodded in agreement.

Shen Xingtang and Jiang Simiao, as the team’s logistics officers, were more concerned about the mecha pilots. After explaining the pros and cons, they were about to analyze the potential risks and benefits further when they noticed that the KID mecha pilots’ attention had already shifted entirely to the rewards.

Jiang Simiao: “…Can you all be a bit more rational?”

After the others expressed their intentions, they all turned to look at Ying Chenlin and You Su.

You Su shrugged indifferently, while Ying Chenlin was already reviewing the past Star Alliance Special Missions in the Contaminated Zones. Noticing the others’ gazes, he nodded in agreement and then continued looking through the list of Contaminated Zones. These Special Mission Contaminated Zones contained a large number of pollutants they hadn’t encountered before.

Lin Yao asked Ying Chenlin, “Are there a lot of special pollutants?”

Ying Chenlin nodded, “Many. These Contaminated Zones are only open during missions, and they’re filled with things we’ve never seen before.”

Hearing this, the KID members were even more tempted.

They had to go; it was a must. With support and prize money on the line, they’d regret missing out on such an opportunity.

Jiang Simiao reluctantly rubbed his forehead and stood up, “If we’re really going, I’ll start organizing the list of teams that have participated in past missions and the overview of the Contaminated Zones.”

At this moment, You Su swiped the virtual screen, bringing up some information for everyone to see. He said, “For the Star Alliance Special Mission’s team battles, how many people can each base send? Two teams? So, it should be 12 people now.”

Twelve people—KID didn’t have any substitutes, so that left only six mecha pilots.

Seeing that You Su had noticed this, Shen Xingtang added, “Don’t worry about that. I’ll explain the special circumstances to the Dawn Alliance and see how they arrange it.”

After the meeting, Ying Chenlin returned to the maintenance room.

The mecha repairs at the base were still ongoing. Ying Chenlin approached the two S-Class mechas that were placed nearby and finally entered Yuan’s cockpit. The modified design for the entire mecha had already entered its final stage, with most of the modifications completed. The remaining work was to adjust the data to ensure Yuan met competition standards.

This was also the most challenging part of the modifications. Ying Chenlin had been working on them every day, with every step personally handled by him.

“In a few days, we might be going to a Contaminated Zone,” Ying Chenlin said as he adjusted the cockpit’s internal data. “I’ll take you with me when the time comes.”

Yuan inquired, “Can I go in?”

Ying Chenlin replied, “I’ve checked the rules. There aren’t strict requirements for mechas in Special Mission Contaminated Zones, so you can go.”

He promised earnestly, “Once I finish adjusting the data, we can go together.”

The Star Alliance’s Special Missions was an area Ying Chenlin had never explored before.

It wasn’t just the pollutants he was looking forward to—Ying Chenlin wanted to aim higher and take Yuan with him to see more.

After spending some time in the cockpit, Ying Chenlin emerged and stored Yuan away. At the same time, he also finished adjusting Theo’s data. Theo, being an Artillery mecha, didn’t require much data adjustment, but the weapons he previously researched and installed on Theo had exceeded the standard requirements, preventing them from passing the Alliance’s review. As a result, You Su had to pilot an A-Class mecha during the ranking competition.

In the past couple of days, You Su’s A-Class mecha had been under repair, and Theo’s data had also been adjusted. If they decided to go on the mission now, You Su would most likely bring Theo along.

In the hallway of the dormitory area at KID’s base, You Su finished his training and ran into Shen Xingtang.

It seemed like Shen Xingtang had come specifically to wait for him. “You’re here?”

“Need something from me?” You Su asked.

Shen Xingtang had sought out You Su to discuss the Star Domain Competition. When she first invited You Su to join KID, she promised him a chance to compete in a Star Domain Competition. At the time, they’d signed a contract for just two years. You Su’s goal was to obtain the S-Class anomalous crystal awarded in the competition, while Shen Xingtang aimed to find a suitable mecha pilot for the team.

This agreement had continued since the Black Hole incident. KID had won the championship, and You Su could now obtain the anomalous crystal from Dawn Galaxy’s resource pool.

Shen Xingtang had come to ask You Su about his plans. “There are some things I can’t ask in front of the others. What are your plans for the future?”

You Su’s face still bore his usual indifferent expression. “I don’t have any plans at the moment.”

Shen Xingtang was accustomed to his attitude. “Do you find the team battles interesting? You seem more engaged than when you first arrived at the base. How about renewing the contract for a few more years? You can join them in exploring the First Star Domain and see what else is out there.”

At this, You Su retracted his gaze from the opposite door and chuckled lightly. “Are you offering me a higher salary?”

Shen Xingtang replied, “I can’t afford a high salary. But you’re not really interested in that, are you?”

You Su was about to respond when he caught sight of a figure in the distance at the end of the hallway. “I’ll give you an answer later. Weren’t you in a hurry to attend the Alliance meeting?”

“Let me know when you’ve made up your mind,” Shen Xingtang said, checking the time. “We can negotiate the terms. It’s not easy to find a good Artillery mecha pilot.”

Shen Xingtang mentioned that it wasn’t easy to find an Artillery mecha pilot. You Su knew that, given KID’s current status, there would be plenty of mecha pilots lining up for the chance to join. Her words were just a formality; she was really there to confirm whether he’d participate in the competition.

Whether or not he would compete, Shen Xingtang already had a good idea. In the end, she was just waiting for him to sign the renewal contract.

After Shen Xingtang left, You Su turned and opened the door.

“Listening for that long and not coming over?” You Su said.

At the end of the hallway, Ying Chenlin, still in his mechanic overalls, holding Theo’s key in his hand. He walked up to You Su’s door. “I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop.”

He handed over the key and said, “Theo’s key. I’ve adjusted all the data.”

“Thanks,” You Su replied, taking the key.

Ying Chenlin then asked, “Are you not going to participate in the competition?”

When You Su heard the kid’s words, he suddenly felt like teasing him. “I’m thinking about it. KID won’t be short of Artillery mecha pilots now.”

Ying Chenlin paused at that, thought for a moment, and then said, “They aren’t as quick as you. Don’t leave.”

Ying Chenlin didn’t know the details of how You Su ended up at KID. The current KID was one he had never seen in his previous life, and everyone at KID was his friend.

Operating solo and independently had always been You Su’s style. Perhaps KID had never brought it up, and Ying Chenlin had forgotten, but in team battles, every mecha pilot had their own path. Not all of them would choose to stay with the Alliance.

Before coming to KID, You Su had always been a free-spirited mecha pilot, active across various Contaminated Zones, unrestricted and free.

Ying Chenlin didn’t want You Su to leave, but he felt he had no right to interfere in someone else’s life.

You Su’s gaze lingered on Ying Chenlin, and seeing that he hadn’t moved, he suddenly said, “Come a bit closer.”

Ying Chenlin took two steps forward, closing the distance between them. At that moment, the man’s hand landed on his head, giving it a gentle rub. “Alright, go back to the maintenance room. My mecha isn’t fixed yet, is it?”

“It’ll be fixed soon,” Ying Chenlin replied.

You Su: “That’s good. I couldn’t find a more efficient mechanic anywhere else.”

Ying Chenlin quickly added, “If you stay at KID, I can always repair it for you.”

Receiving a positive response, his mood brightened. “I’ll head to the maintenance room then.”

The young man quickly left, and the sound of Theo’s voice echoed noisily in You Su’s mind.

“We can’t leave! If we leave, there won’t be anyone to repair us, and there won’t be any new weapons to play with,” Theo rambled on. “You Su, we’re really unlucky. We never found as many anomalous crystals outside as we did with KID. And Chenlin’s luck is great; just look at how many wind-attribute attack crystals we’ve come across. I forbid you from leaving.”

You Su hid the dark emotions in his eyes and only turned to enter his bedroom after Ying Chenlin’s figure disappeared down the hallway. “You’re full of energy?”

“Chenlin recharged me completely,” Theo replied. “I was just listening to him for a long time over there. He originally planned to drop me off and get back to work, but I stood there with him for 10 minutes.”

As You Su took off his jacket, he paused slightly at Theo’s words. “Is that so?”

Theo: “You can’t leave. I won’t find a better mechanic than Chenlin.”

You Su threw his dirty clothes into the laundry basket, forcibly powered down Theo, tossed him onto the bed, and went to take a shower.

The world suddenly grew quiet. As You Su turned on the shower, the soft sound of water hitting the tiles filled the room, and his gaze drifted a bit to his right hand, where the faint memory of a soft touch seemed to linger on his skin.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last long.

-*

When Ying Chenlin returned to the maintenance room, Shen Xingtang had already set off.

After confirming her team’s attitude, Shen Xingtang rushed to the Dawn Alliance for an overnight meeting. The results came in quickly: the Dawn Alliance placed great importance on KID representing the Dawn Galaxy for the mission. When the news broke that there weren’t enough people, the Dawn Galaxy hurriedly gathered other top-ranked mecha bases for a meeting and quickly arranged for external support for KID.

Shen Xingtang didn’t handle this matter personally and was surprised when she received the list of external reinforcements from Li Jingyan.

Li Jingyan didn’t just arrange for external help; he directly sent the Dawn Galaxy’s elite mecha pilots to KID.

The reinforcements included Zhao Lejie and Qi Sicheng from Gale, Wen Yi and Chi Lizi from Black Crow, and Ke Lin and Huo Luobu from YDS—all familiar faces. With Tank, Control, Stealth, and dual Artillery specialists, it was like assembling an ultra-strong external support team from various top teams.

Even Jiang Simiao couldn’t imagine such a lineup, which included the commanders of three teams. The Dawn Galaxy was clearly investing heavily to secure a slot in the Star Domain Competition from the special mission.

“There are no restrictions on which Star Domain can claim the wild card slots,” Shen Xingtang said while holding the notice from the Dawn Alliance. “Ideally, if we perform well, it’s possible to secure more than two slots. It’s not surprising that Black Crow and YDS are getting involved.”

Jiang Simiao replied, “This isn’t just about these two teams. Chairman Li is deploying Dawn Galaxy’s full force to secure these slots.”

That evening, during a rare candid meeting on StarNet with the leaders and mecha pilots of the four major teams, it was agreed that since all four teams would work together to secure the slots, the main focus would be on KID. The other three teams would defer to KID for coordination.

This coordination included determining what weapons the other three teams would bring and how to adjust their weapon stockpiles or combat readiness.

“Except for some confidential weapons from Gale, we can open all our weapon stockpiles to you,” Zhang Ge briefly explained. “The goal is cooperation. We’ll follow your KID’s lead. Just let us know what weapons you need, and we’ll discuss and finalize the cooperation strategy. KID will take the lead in command.”

With KID taking the lead in command, it was clear that Ying Chenlin would be the main commander.

The leaders of Black Crow and YDS also expressed their support, echoing Gale’s sentiment.

Zhao Lejie said, “There’s no need for formalities. This time, we’ll fully listen to you. Whatever lineup KID uses, we can adjust our team accordingly.”

“You’re being so polite… but there’s no need to go through all that trouble.”

Shen Xingtang said directly, “KID only has two weapon configurations right now, and you’ve seen our strongest weapon—the one we used in the ranking competition.”

The leaders of the other bases were puzzled.

Are you, KID, planning to conquer everything with just one set of weapons? Aren’t you worried that other bases will analyze this weapon set thoroughly before the Star Domain Competition?

Ji Qingfeng said, “We have no choice; our other weapons are still under development.”

Lin Yao added, “We already went all out during the ranking competition.”

The other teams were speechless. Qi Sicheng’s gaze stayed on Ying Chenlin. While the others were still discussing other weapons, Ying Chenlin was already reviewing the list of weapons provided by the three major teams. Despite the meeting dragging on, they had only discussed part of the strategy. The leaders of Black Crow and YDS felt a bit uneasy, as KID had shown some unreliability in their preparations, giving them an indescribable feeling.

Zhang Ge later tried to reassure them, “That’s just how they are. Don’t worry. They’re more of an on-the-spot performance type.”

Black Crow’s leader responded, “I feel like they’re more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants ¹ type.”

Zhang Ge thought for a moment, “I guess that’s about right?”

This lack of preparedness persisted until the day of departure. The luxury base, Gale, in their private spacecraft, hovered at the Sirius spaceport and saw a group of mecha pilots who hadn’t even woken up properly. They were dragging large bags and were dressed casually, not even in their combat or team uniforms, as if they were going on vacation.

Ying Chenlin followed behind You Su and noticed Zhao Lejie and Huo Luobu casting glances his way. He looked over in confusion, and the two quickly walked away.

Seeing Ying Chenlin pause, You Su asked, “What’s wrong?”

Ying Chenlin shook his head. The two seemed to have quite a good relationship.

At the Sirius spaceport, there were also leaders from Dawns’ Management Bureau. This was the departure station, and the Star Alliance’s Special Mission was a matter of great concern for the Dawn Galaxy. The leaders were taking it very seriously. Li Jingyan arrived with several people to discuss matters with the leaders of the departing bases.

As the mecha pilots gathered and chatted, Ji Qingfeng turned his head and saw several leaders smiling warmly at them, which immediately gave him goosebumps.

Ji Qingfeng said, “I’ve noticed that ever since we took first place, the leaders have been treating us differently.”

“Isn’t it the same as before?” Huo Yan didn’t feel anything unusual.

Ji Qingfeng tilted his head, “That leader we just saw was cold-faced when I went to Agaman before, and today he’s smiling like he’s my uncle.”

Zhao Lejie next to him said, “Don’t mention it. That leader was indeed always stern. I’ve never seen him smile so brightly before.”

Qi Sicheng added, “That’s Director Liu from the Dawn Alliance’s Special Resources Management Office, a direct superior to all the Management Bureaus in the Dawn Galaxy.”

Lin Yao responded, “Wow, that’s impressive.”

Huo Luobu, who was nearby and overheard their discussion, thought, “…”

Yes, very impressive, as all complaints about the Management Bureaus were directed to him.

Soon, after Li Jingyan finished briefing Shen Xingtang and the others, he saw all the mecha pilots off as they boarded Gale’s spacecraft.

As the leaders whispered among themselves, Director Liu, seeing the pilots off, wiped the smile off his face.

Once the spacecraft departed, Li Jingyan turned to Director Liu of the Resources Management Office, “Old Liu, you seem to be in a good mood today.”

“Not bad,” Director Liu adjusted his suit. “I had a chat with Boss Shen earlier and placed an order to lend them two sets of equipment.”

The other leaders, seeing Director Liu in good spirits, remembered the mountain of complaints about KID and other teams that had piled up on his desk before the Star Domain Competition, causing his hair to thin and his temper to rise over the past few months. It was rare to see him in such a good mood, even speaking kindly to Boss Shen of KID and placing an order. Were they buying things from KID’s online store?

Another leader asked, “Placing an order?”

Director Liu, who could bow, submit or stand tall ² replied, “This time, they’re going to the Third Star Domain’s Dongnuo ³ Galaxy. I heard there are many special resources there. Our Resource Bureau is short on special resources for research, so I entrusted them with the opportunity to bring some back.”

One leader inquired, “And the borrowed equipment…?”

Director Liu answered, “Large-scale pollutant storage equipment. Just let them move more.”

TN:

Director Liu has mastered the art! If you can’t beat them, join them~

It’s so funny to me how Zhao Lejie and Hu Luobu have made up this whole saga of You Su bullying Ying Chenlin in their minds😭.

If you're enjoying the story don't forget to support the author! You can also support me on KOFI for site maintenance, raws purchase or as an energy boost~ 

 

AFFILIATE AD

Want to develop your career or work on a new hobby but don't have the financial resources? Check out these courses encompassing all aspects and topics. Want to build your own website or app, but don't even know what <!DOCTYPE> is, how about these IT Courses. Don't want to keep waiting for slow translators to update? 别担心！中文课程来拯救你了! Did you just become a Teacher and have NO idea what the f*ck you're doing? Early Childhood Education For Dummies 101 is in session! Lied on your CV that you can work under pressure but are now hiding in the bathroom playing ostrich? You still have to come up for air anyways so how about taking a Self Development course to manage stress and improve mental health. Whatever you're interested in, at the click of a button. And the best thing it's all for free! And...you can get an accredited certificate! START LEARNING BEFORE YOU'RE TOO OLD TO RETAIN ANYTHING OR GET FIRED FROM YOUR JOB! Or if you are fired, Build A New Resume to reel in the next one~

 

 

Translator Notes

1. To do something difficult or dangerous using only your instincts, because you lack the right kind of experience or information about it[↩]
2. Flexible/Adaptable[↩]
3. The transliteration for this wasn’t making sense[East Consent/Promise/Yes] so I left it in Pinyin[↩]