Genius Mechanic: Chapter 231

Slared Contaminated Zone(Territory-Wide Abnormal Move)

231. Conclusion

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake

Even through the highest-level defense system, the energy wave from the explosion was enormous. In just a few seconds, it spread outward with overwhelming force, pushing all starships hovering on the periphery far away. The Frontier Army personnel stationed within the abandoned Management Bureau quickly realized the dire situation and began broadcasting an evacuation order.  

“Evacuate the Slared Defense Line immediately! Move quickly!”  

The core underground energy of Slared’s primary planet had been nearly depleted by Chronos. The heavy weapon’s explosion was far more destructive than what the Frontier Army had anticipated. As the energy wave struck the defense system again, numerous starships fired up their engines to retreat at full speed.  

Gale’s small vessel entered the Dawn Galaxy’s First Starship, and the injured from Slared’s primary planet were also immediately transferred onboard.  

“How could the explosion be this massive!?” Shen Xingtang stood at the Dawn Galaxy’s First Starship’s docking bay. The hatch was tightly sealed, but her gaze remained fixed on the distance. “What about the jump? Have You Su and the others transitioned out yet?”  

Jiang Simiao ran toward her, clutching a data pad. “The energy wave is disrupting signals; we can’t detect their location right now!”  

Shen Xingtang couldn’t relax, her eyes glued to the outer perimeter.  

The Dawn Starship held back its speed, staying at the rear, waiting for the appearance of the two mechas.  

“Get the wounded inside! Don’t crowd around the docking bay!”  

“Have the mechas come out yet?”  

“All starships are retreating! The explosion’s range is vast; we have to clear the defense line to be safe!”  

As stretchers carrying the wounded passed by the starship windows, an injured mecha pilot ignored his injuries and leaped off the stretcher. Everyone’s attention shifted to the starship’s exterior.  

The starship’s autonomous defense system activated, shielding against the waves of energy emanating from Slared’s explosion. The abandoned Management Bureau in orbit visibly veered off its trajectory under the energy waves’s impact. The defense system surrounding the primary planet grew weaker with each passing moment, the white glow dimming steadily.  

For the first time, the mecha pilots witnessed such a terrifying explosion. Compared to the heavy weapon used in Qiu Jin, the devastation inflicted on Slared by this heavy weapon was unprecedented. The asteroid belt around Slared shifted dramatically under the impact of the energy waves, creating immense challenges for the retreating starships. The Frontier Army’s warships positioned themselves at the outermost perimeter, using their massive hulls to shield against the onslaught of asteroids.  

During their retreat, the Frontier Army warships continued calling out for the two last mechas to evacuate. However, no response came amid the overwhelming energy waves.  

The unified command channel was dead silent. All commanders on the line held their breaths, eyes fixed on the massive radar map, waiting for a signal to appear.  

“Can they make it out?” a Frontier Army soldier finally asked, unable to hold back.  

“Before the explosion, the jump system had already been activated.” A Third Star Domain officer glanced at a message indicating “Jump Successful” displayed on another screen. His gaze lingered on the program panel locked onto the abandoned Management Bureau. “If the jump succeeded, they should now be somewhere in the direction of the Management Bureau.” 

No one dared to imagine further. A successful jump required time, and with such a massive energy wave, no one could predict whether the constructed jump corridor would remain intact. Would the two mechas in mid-jump experience coordinate displacement, or would the corridor collapse during the process?  

“Trust the two mecha pilots.”  

“They are both exceptional pilots.”  

At that moment, amidst the massive shockwaves, two tiny silhouettes appeared in the vastness of space.  

The two mechas, displaced from their intended coordinates, exited their jump at the edge of the shockwave’s range. The overwhelming force carried them even farther away. At the rear, the Dawn Galaxy’s First Starship detected faint signals from the two mechas.  

Li Jingyan shouted, “We have signals!”  

Colonel Lu, experienced and quick to react, immediately sent a “boarding clearance” signal to the two mechas. “Send them our signal and amplify the coordinate beacon to the maximum! Make sure they spot us!”  

“Prepare for boarding. Clear all docking areas.” Lao Qiu, leaning on his cane, stepped to the front. His cloudy eyes scanned the zoomed-in image of the two mechas’ flight paths. “Something’s wrong. Both mechas are showing issues in flight. Maintenance crew, all of you head to the docking bay! We need to rescue the mecha pilots immediately!”  

“Everyone evacuate the docking area!” The Dawn Galaxy’s First Starship broadcasted its preparations. “Mechas are entering the ship! All personnel, clear the docking points!”  

As the announcement echoed across the ship, the Dawn crew and mecha pilots quickly vacated the docking area. Just as they cleared the space, the ship’s hatch opened. A red-and-white mecha and a Frontier Army mecha, both moving at high speed, crashed into the docking area, slamming into the ship’s interior with a resounding impact.  

The blast wind from the collision pushed everyone standing on the observation platform several steps back. Shen Xingtang immediately snapped into action. “Quickly, all maintenance crew personnel, follow me! Open the cockpits and rescue the pilots! Prepare for explosions and accelerate cooling!”  

Shen Xingtang leapt down from the platform. The maintenance crew from the Dawn Galaxy, led by Li Jingyan, hurried to the two mechas that crashed down. The mechas, severely damaged from the jump and the explosion’s shockwaves, bore visible dents and cracks at the cockpits and other parts.  

Shen Xingtang, wielding a mechanical clamp, climbed onto the cockpit of the Artillery mecha. The searing heat turned her gloved hand red despite her protective gear, but she didn’t pause. As the maintenance coolant sprayed down, she inserted the clamp firmly into the designated point.  

“The Dawn Starship has received their signals. The mechas have boarded.”  

“Emergency repairs are underway, and both mechas have life signs!”  

When this update reached the United Front’s channel, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. However, the situation was far from over.  

Li Jingyan stood gravely in the ship’s central control room. From his vantage point, he could see Slared’s primary planet in the distance. Its highest-level defense system was beginning to collapse. The successive shockwaves had drained the energy from the old and abandoned system. Components of the defense system scattered under the impact, radiating outward as shimmering white light in the vastness of space, expanding with each wave.  

“Slared is ruined,” Lao Qiu said solemnly. “Thankfully, it’s Slared.”  

Slared had two layers of defense: The highest-level defense system and the Slared Defense Line. 

The impact generated on Slared could rapidly diminish within its two layers of defense. However, the residual energy from such an explosion might significantly affect the residential planets surrounding the Third Star Domain’s Dongnuo Galaxy in the short term.  

Chronos couldn’t possibly survive such an explosion, right?” Li Jingyan was still worried.  

Lao Qiu shook his head. “I’m not sure. Chronos is a pollutant that defies conventional logic.”  

Director Liu couldn’t help but softly ask, “What kind of pollutant is Chronos, exactly?”  

“The power of humanity has continuously grown under the Star Alliance’s expansion, but beyond the borders of the unconquered territories, there are pollutants like Chronos that can pose a catastrophic threat to humanity,” Colonel Lu explained. “I’ve never seen it myself. Its true form isn’t available in the database, and only a handful of mecha pilots are rumored to have seen it.”  

In the docking area of the Dawn Starship, emergency repairs continued at full speed.  

With the cooling process completed, the maintenance crew worked faster together. When Shen Xingtang pried through the multiple layers of the cockpit’s defenses and reached the innermost layer, she carefully dismantled the last defense. Upon opening it, a strong scent of blood hit her immediately. Her heart tensed as she spotted two figures huddled together inside the cockpit.  

In the single-pilot mecha, which lacked dual restraint measures, a slender young man was wearing an oversized pilot jacket. He sat slumped sideways against an older man, slightly curled up. You Su’s left hand was tightly protecting Ying Chenlin’s head. Blood was oozing from the untreated wound on You Su’s left arm, staining the cockpit red. The sharp smell of blood mingled with the murky odor of engine oil, making it hard to discern the full extent of their injuries.  

Shen Xingtang’s voice rang out sharply, hoarse with urgency, “Doctor! Get a doctor over here!”  

Inside the cockpit, You Su stirred at the sound, opening his eyes. “Get him out first.”  

Shen Xingtang spun around in surprise, meeting his slightly lucid gaze. “You Su!?”  

“Not dead. No need to shout so loudly.” Straining, You Su removed the neural connection attached to his body. Still able to move, he adjusted his position and carefully lifted Ying Chenlin into his arms. The latter was so light that he felt weightless. “Has the doctor arrived yet?”  

The doctor quickly climbed up to the top of the mecha, bringing a stretcher with them.  

Seeing them approach, You Su raised Ying Chenlin toward the rescuers. He instructed the doctor, “He was conscious not long ago but might have passed out from exhaustion. Check his mental state.”  

Shen Xingtang watched from the side as the doctor carried Ying Chenlin away, then turned to look at You Su. “You—”  

“What about me?” You Su propped himself up with one arm, leaning on Shen Xingtang’s hand to climb out the cockpit. “Don’t worry, it’s just my left arm. Patch it up, and I’ll be fine.”  

“Just your left arm?!” Shen Xingtang’s tone grew sterner. “Doctor, take this guy to the medical bay and run a full examination!”  

She glared coldly at You Su. “Reckless as always. What do you mean, ‘just my left arm’? Are you a blood tank or something? Do you think I can’t see the blood covering the entire cockpit?!” 

You Su paused.  

Shen Xingtang had already coordinated with the doctors. Several of them came up and pressed You Su onto a nearby stretcher. As he lay down, he looked up and saw the injured personnel from Dawn, some in wheelchairs and others on stretchers, watching the commotion from the upper docking platform.  

You Su: “…”  

Zhao Lejie remarked, “Your boss is seriously fierce.”  

Even daring to scold You Su—she truly lived up to her reputation as KID’s boss.  

“Tang Jie is actually quite reasonable,” Ji Qingfeng said. “This is her being gentle and soft la.”  

Hu Luobu, recalling the time he saw Boss Shen scolding someone in the lounge area back on Tianyu Star, couldn’t help but ask, “Has she yelled at everyone at your base?”  

“No way. She’d never scold Chenlin,” Ji Qingfeng replied. “She doesn’t usually yell at people, except for the stubborn ones.”  

“Have you all seen enough?” one of the doctors asked, barely holding back their irritation. “If you stick around any longer, my fists are going to get hard.”  

The injured mecha pilots: “…”  

The doctor’s exasperated voice echoed throughout the docking area, and the group was promptly herded off to the medical bay.  

When Wei Changyang emerged from the cockpit, he was greeted by a chaotic and bustling scene. Supporting himself as he stepped onto the ground, his approaching aide-de-camp looked at him worriedly. Wei Changyang glanced at You Su, who was already being carried away in the distance, and let out a faint chuckle. “I got schooled by the younger generation.”  

“Please don’t act recklessly,” the aide-de-camp pleaded. “There’s still a lot to handle. Next time, please avoid getting directly involved.”  

Declining medical attention, Wei Changyang simply said he was fine. Under the aide-de-camp’s guidance, he soon entered the Dawn Starship’s main control room for a remote meeting. “The situation with Slared isn’t over. Until I see a death report for Chronos, I won’t feel at ease.”  

-·-  

The energy waves unleashed from Slared were barely intercepted beyond the defense line. However, the chaotic asteroid belt was further destabilized by the explosion’s ripple effects, causing varying degrees of damage to numerous retreating starships. While the damage to the ships themselves was minor, the greater issue lay with the mecha pilots involved in the Star Alliance Special Mission.  

The mission’s primary goal had been to clear Slared’s increasingly unmanageable Contaminated Zone environment. Midway, they discovered a new energy source, only for the hidden Super-S-Level pollutant, Chronos, to emerge shortly after.  

In just a few hours, Chronos had turned Slared into its current state—a development no one could have anticipated, even with the immediate deployment of three flagship battleships from the Third Star Domain’s Frontier Army.  

Reports on the Slared incident were promptly transmitted to the Star Alliance Headquarters. Joint meetings across major Star Domains prioritized addressing the event.  

Despite efforts to suppress news of the Slared incident, the information spread across the Star Alliance’s interstellar network as the Dongnuo Galaxy in the Third Star Domain initiated emergency evacuations. Since the Star Alliance’s establishment, Contaminated Zones had occasionally spiraled into chaos, but mecha pilots usually resolved such situations quickly. This marked the first time in fifty years that the Alliance’s highest-level system had issued a comprehensive incident report, instantly drawing widespread attention from countless netizens.  

Public discussions about the Slared incident surged, while the Star Alliance began tallying its losses.  

The greatest loss was among the Alliance’s mecha pilots. During the mission’s first phase, no major casualties were reported among the Alliance’s elite teams. However, Chronos’s sudden appearance led to a series of explosions that caught the pilots off guard, resulting in significant mecha damages and injuries to those within. Thankfully, the elite teams’ supporting starships ensured the injured mecha pilots received immediate medical assistance. 

However, this was also the most devastating loss in the history of Star Alliance Special Missions.

All 12 mecha pilots from the Dawn Galaxy sustained varying degrees of injuries. The doctors strictly mandated that none of the pilots could leave the medical bay. Following a unanimous decision by the leaders of the Dawn’s mecha bases, the pilots were confined to the medical bay for two days, spending half the days lying in medical pods. Anyone passing by the medical bay could hear several mecha pilots groaning in complaint.

“Why can’t we go out? How is this any different from being in prison?” Zhao Lejie asked through the window of a medical room. “Lao Zhang, you can’t be this cruel.”

Brother Zhang’s attitude was resolute like never before. Without even looking back, he walked away, leaving behind a cold and heartless silhouette.

The most seriously injured were Zhao Lejie, Lin Yao, and You Su. The three of them spent the longest times in the medical pods. Fortunately, as elite mecha pilots with exceptional physiques, their recoveries were remarkable. Among everyone, only Ying Chenlin fell into a deep coma. While his external injuries were healed in the medical pod, the real challenge was his severe mental power exhaustion. According to the doctors, Ying Chenlin had overdrawn his mental power twice in succession. Surprisingly, he didn’t fall into unconsciousness during the overdraft, continuing to push himself, which ultimately led to his current state of total depletion.

This situation was highly unusual. Generally, mental power exhaustion is treated following specific protocols, but Ying Chenlin’s case was too exceptional. Overdrawing twice without falling unconscious was unprecedented. Coupled with others’ descriptions of his mental power, the Frontier Army doctors dared not proceed recklessly, fearing irreversible damage to his mental state.

Doctors from both the Frontier Army and the Dawn Galaxy shuttled back and forth. While external injuries were easier to handle, the mental power issue garnered much greater attention. Eventually, the medical report was sent to Dr. Eric on Sirius, and only after the attending physicians compared and verified his mental power metrics did they dare proceed with treatment.

Initially, it was estimated that Ying Chenlin would regain consciousness in three days. However, unexpectedly, he woke up in the middle of the second night.

He woke up at night, and to facilitate his recuperation, his medical room was arranged on the far edge of the bay, away from the center where the energetic and noisy mecha pilots were stationed. His adjacent neighbor was the more reserved You Su.

When Ying Chenlin opened his eyes, his consciousness still seemed to linger in the narrow cockpit. Though the surrounding scent was that of the repair fluid in the medical pod, his mind replayed the suffocating smell of blood inside the cockpit. His throat felt so dry and rough it was like it had been scraped with blades. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Exhaustion weighed heavily on him. The only sound made was the notification chime from the intelligent bedside machine, followed by several doctors entering to check his condition.

“His mental power’s recovery process is so unusual.”

“He’s a genetic disease patient? And an S-Level mental power user?”

“The fluctuations in his mental power have been so extreme, yet he managed to maintain stability through it all… this… I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Ying Chenlin had no idea of what had transpired outside. The tension he’d carried snapped the moment the mecha completed its jump out of Slared. His mind went blank, and he collapsed into unconsciousness. His last memory was being pressed into You Su’s arms. He didn’t feel the turbulence of the jump, perhaps because he was too exhausted, or maybe You Su had protected him so well.

After the doctors finished their examination, others swarmed in. Unable to leave the medical bay, the mecha pilots all crowded in to see the now-conscious Ying Chenlin.

Most of them were in wheelchairs, packed into the small medical room. The lively chatter cleared Ying Chenlin’s mind, enough for him to sit up and talk to them. His gaze landed on You Su, standing on the outer edge of the group. The latter was draped in a jacket, faintly revealing the tightly bandaged wound under his thin collar.

Zhao Lejie said, “Lao Zhang gave me a good scolding.”

“Fuck, our boss even made a special call just to chew us out, scolding us for not valueing our lives,” Hu Luobu added. “Chi Lizi, did your boss scold you?”

Chi Lizi shook his head. “I didn’t take the call; the captain did.”

Noticing Ying Chenlin’s silence, Lu Xi softly asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”

Snapping out of his thoughts, Ying Chenlin rasped, “No.”

Looking at the others, Ying Chenlin deliberated for a moment before saying, “I took a risk. I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize,” Qi Sicheng replied. “Risk and opportunity always go hand in hand. Given the conditions we faced in that Snowy Mountains’ environment, even if we hadn’t competed for the special energy, the disadvantage we were in would’ve made it hard for us to score well.”

Ke Lin chimed in, “If we had thought the risk wasn’t worth it, we would’ve overruled your decision at the time.”

Wen Yi followed up on Ke Lin’s point, “The fact that we didn’t veto it means we agreed. You don’t need to apologize.”

Ying Chenlin had thought a lot while under the ice layers. Even if the odds were a billion to one, accidents could still happen. It was his instincts and decisions that had plunged the Dawn mecha team into crisis the moment they encountered Chronos. As the commander, he had made errors in judgment. Seeing so many people injured because of him filled his heart with a stifling weight. The more he listened to their voices, the more he felt how precious survival truly was.

Just then, someone pressed down heavily on his head. Startled, he looked up slightly and caught the faint scent of antiseptic.

Unbeknownst to him, You Su had moved to his side. “How do you expect to recover quickly when your head’s filled with so much?”

Ying Chenlin froze momentarily.

“Exactly! Why think so much?” Zhao Lejie exclaimed from his wheelchair, his voice animated. “Do you even know what a big deal we pulled off? That anomalous crystal we risked our lives to retrieve—it’s worth a fortune. I heard Lao Zhang say that a bunch of bigwigs have been boarding the starship these past few days.”

To facilitate the injured pilots’ recovery, Dawn’s starship was traveling slowly and was still navigating through the Third Star Domain.

“Even if we don’t secure a slot this time, that single anomalous crystal alone is worth five years of development for Dawn,” Zhao Lejie said.

Qi Sicheng smiled. “Your instincts were spot on.”

The dirty pollutant, Blue Heart’s special transformation ability, was expected to lead to a groundbreaking energy revolution within the Star Alliance. Such a transformation held enormous implications. With ownership of the anomalous crystal, Dawn Galaxy had become highly sought after by various star domains. In just a few days, countless parties had come forward seeking collaboration.

While the group was chatting, the medical bay doors swung open.

Li Jingyan entered with several base leaders. Seeing the lively mecha pilots, he grinned. “It’s the middle of the night, and you’re all this energetic?”

“The Chairman’s here? We were just talking about Dawn’s future development.” Ji Qingfeng greeted him with his usual familiarity. “The anomalous crystal we secured this time is going to be really useful, isn’t it?”

When Li Jingyan had fought to secure the opportunity for Dawn to participate in the Star Alliance’s mission, he hadn’t imagined such an outcome. His ideal result had been to use the mission to give Dawn’s mecha pilots broader horizons. A high ranking would have been a bonus, but even without it, simply encountering top-tier mecha pilots from outside would have been immensely beneficial for their growth.

Instead, these reckless young people had brought unprecedented vitality to Dawn.

There was so much Li Jingyan wanted to say to thank these young individuals. Without their daring efforts, Dawn would never have had this chance. They certainly wouldn’t have gained the leverage to openly negotiate with other star domains and galaxies. These opportunities were hard-won by the young pilots, and as their elder, it was his responsibility to secure even more for them.

“We haven’t told you about the mission progress standings yet,” Li Jingyan said.

“Definitely at the bottom, I already know.” Zhao Lejie shrugged. “It’s no big deal, Chairman. This was our first time participating, and we lacked experience. Next year, we’ll make sure to earn Dawn the most spots.”

Li Jingyan replied, “It’s not the bottom.”

The mecha pilots froze. How was it possible that they weren’t last? They had wasted so much time in the Snowy Mountains trying to grab that item.

Li Jingyan placed a data pad in front of them, displaying the sealed progress standings for the Star Alliance Special Mission. Previously, Dawn Galaxy had ranked the worst among the five galaxies in the First Star Domain. They remembered being around 40th place before the standings were sealed. Now, however, the sealed standings displayed a ranking of 20th. While they had been risking their lives underground, their ranking had surged by this much.

“This data—” Wen Yi was stunned.

“According to Star Alliance Special Mission’s chief commander Wei Changyang, Team No. 125 successfully completed the Slared Snowy Mountains’ special exploration mission. The mission was worth 800 points,” Li Jingyan explained with a smile. “Congratulations, this time you’ve ranked third among the five galaxies of the First Star Domain.”

After a moment of stunned silence, the mecha pilots erupted in joy. Zhao Lejie almost leaped out of his wheelchair. “WTF!? We did it!?”

Ji Qingfeng caught on quickly. “Wait… with 20th place, how many slots do we get? Three? Can all four of our teams go?”

The captains of the three teams looked equally surprised. This result was far beyond their expectations.

“It’s not just four slots,” Li Jingyan said, his gaze warming as he looked at the lively young people. “The First Star Domain has always determined slots for the Star Domain Tournament based on outstanding performance in the Star Alliance’s mission rankings. This time, you not only secured a high ranking but also retrieved the anomalous crystal. 

“In the Star Domain Tournament, Dawn can participate with a full quota.”

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