Genius Mechanic: Chapter 232

Slared Contaminated Zone(Territory-Wide Abnormal Move)

232. Get Rich!

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake and An Zheee 

Full quota?! Everyone froze upon hearing this. This was unprecedented for Dawn. Even securing two slots was considered plenty, and getting three would have been surprising enough. But now, they had secured the full quota?!

“Full quota means eight positions, including KID’s default participation slot. This time, all eight teams from Dawn can participate in the Star Domain Tournament,” Li Jingyan explained with a gentle expression. “In the First Star Domain, only the Aries Galaxy has ever secured the full quota before. Now, with Dawn added to that list, you all need to intensify your training when we return and adjust yourselves into the best condition for the tournament.”

Wen Yi, hearing this, asked with some confusion, “Chairman, when will this year’s Star Domain Tournament be held? Based on the usual schedule, isn’t there only half a month left?”

“I’m not sure,” Li Jingyan replied after a moment of thought. “The First Star Domain might adjust the timeline. The Galactic Tournament’s schedule is fixed each year, but the Star Domain and Star Alliance Tournaments can be held in one- or two-year cycles. With the heavy losses caused by this Star Alliance Special Mission, it will take time for teams to recover and for mecha pilots to adjust. And the emergence of the new anomalous crystal has added a host of new considerations for the upper leadership.”

The schedules of the Star Domain and Star Alliance Tournaments weren’t fixed. The aftermath of the Star Alliance Special Mission had left many hidden dangers that required resolution. Until these issues were addressed, it was possible that both major tournaments would be postponed to the latter half of the year or even the next year. The specific timings would depend on the First Star Domain’s latest announcements.

“You don’t need to worry about this,” Li Jingyan reassured them. “The Star Domain Tournament in the First Star Domain will not take place within the next month. Use this time to focus on recovery. As for mecha repairs, the Dawn Alliance will assist your bases as much as possible. If needed, we can allocate mechanics to help.”

The Star Alliance Special Mission was over, and they had slots to spare for the Star Domain Tournament. There was also plenty of time to adjust.

This was the best news the mecha pilots could receive at the moment.

Seeing the joy on the faces of these youngsters, Li Jingyan felt deeply gratified. “It’s late. Don’t stay up too long. I won’t disturb you any further. The starship has slowed its pace to give you more time to rest, and you’re free to use the ship’s resources as needed.”

The decision to reduce the travel speed was partly to minimize turbulence and give the mecha pilots time to recover. It was also the result of a joint discussion among the leaders of the other bases. They all knew their mecha pilots too well—if they returned to the Dawn Galaxy too quickly, these pilots would throw themselves back into training without taking the time to heal.

This period of travel was meant for them to recuperate.

As Li Jingyan left the medical bay, he could still hear the excited discussions inside. He was about to head back to his room to rest when he passed by the conference room and noticed its lights still on. Inside, Director Liu sat looking utterly exhausted, surrounded by several staff members running around frantically.

“Director Liu, what’s this about?” Li Jingyan asked.

A staff member exiting the conference room gave a bitter smile. “The reimbursement requests submitted by the four major bases are all piled on Director Liu’s desk. The accounts are… problematic. The energy tube costs alone exceeded his pre-allocated budget by 80%.”

Li Jingyan peered into the room, where the conference table was cluttered with data pads and reference books. The virtual screen displayed consumption curves, with red-highlighted figures that were almost painful to look at. “He’s working hard… Make sure he gets some rest.”

But the bald Director Liu had no time for rest. The sheer volume of accounts, the energy borrowed by the Third Star Domain, every single item line was a financial headache. Moreover, the large storage equipment lent to KID was now filled with items—none of which existed in the Dawn Galaxy! Until these accounts were reconciled, where was the money supposed to come from to settle the pollutant material orders? On credit? There was no way those “broke” parties would agree to let him buy on credit.

And then there were the bonuses for the 12 mecha pilots. Chairman Li had made the promise, but how could it be paid without sacrificing more of Director Liu’s already thinning hair?

Li Jingyan quickened his pace to escape Director Liu’s resentful gaze.  

—  

After Li Jingyan left, the medical bay remained lively for quite some time. It wasn’t until the duty doctor came in to shoo everyone away that the energetic mecha pilots finally returned to their respective rooms to rest.  

The doctor attending to Ying Chenlin adjusted the input rate of a special medication and rechecked the connection between his mechanical arm and flesh. “You’ve spent too much time underground this time and were exposed to a highly polluted environment. Over the next few days, everyone needs to undergo examinations to check for any pollution-related effects. Your condition is the worst among the pilots since your physical constitution is the weakest, so there are more things to examine.”  

“Thank you,” Ying Chenlin replied.  

The doctor: “No need to be so polite. But your mental power… When you return to Sirius, your doctor will discuss it with you. In this examination, your condition was quite unusual. I’ve never seen such mental power fluctuations.”  

Ying Chenlin was stunned and cautiously asked, “Is it bad?”  

“We can’t determine that. We can only say that the recovery speed and resilience of your mental power exceed expectations, which is a good thing for a mecha pilot. However, since it’s extremely rare in medical history, we cannot yet judge whether this recovery is entirely positive.” The doctor finished checking Ying Chenlin’s arm. “Your mechanical arm is made of excellent materials and has strong anti-pollution properties. Rest well, kid. You shouldn’t overexert yourself now.”  

After the doctor left, Ying Chenlin couldn’t calm his mind.  

His mecha, Yuan, wasn’t with him; Shen Xingtang had taken it for urgent repairs. Looking at the slightly empty desk beside him, his mind went blank without anyone to talk to.  

The hospital room was very quiet. The sounds of the other pilots were completely sealed off, and even the faint hums of the medical equipment were barely audible. Ying Chenlin moved his mechanical arm. There was no sense of soreness when he used it, nor did he feel any fatigue in his arm.  

He lay on the hospital bed for over an hour before falling asleep, only after the automatic infusion device stopped.  

The next two days passed in a half-asleep daze for Ying Chenlin. By the fifth day, the slowly traveling starship had entered the range of the First Star Domain. After being confined to their rooms for several days, the mecha pilots were finally allowed by the doctors to move around freely, and the liveliness spread from the medical bay to other parts of the ship.  

Ying Chenlin, who had recovered his mental power, caught a cold. The doctor explained that it was a normal reaction as his body recovered after spending a prolonged period in a cold environment. The symptoms would disappear once he fully recovered, and no medication was needed.  

With a slight cough and a low fever, Ying Chenlin’s voice was softer than usual, and he had to wear thicker clothes than the others when leaving his room.  

Bored out of their minds on the starship, the mecha pilots started spreading rumors. One such story was about the First Star Domain’s tradition of rewarding the top three ranked teams in Star Alliance Special Missions. Combined with the payout from the Dawn Galaxy, KID’s focus already shifted to how much the two bonuses combined would be and whether it would be enough to buy several S-Grade anomalous crystals.  

KID’s financial officer, Jiang Simiao, returned to the team’s lounge with a compiled report on their earnings. Inside, the pilots were chatting, already planning how to spend the money before even receiving it. Seeing this, Jiang Simiao’s brow twitched. “At this rate, no matter how much you earn, it’ll never be enough to cover your spending!”  

Ji Qingfeng: “If people don’t have plans to spend money, how can they have the motivation to earn it?” 

The others all nodded in agreement.

Jiang Simiao remarked, “…The chairman should invite you to give a lecture!”

Though he teased them, Jiang Simiao still laid out the meticulously organized information he had compiled over the past few days for the spendthrift team members. Clearing his throat, he began, “All the mecha repairs and energy tube expenses this time will be reimbursed by the Dawn Alliance. The invoices have already been submitted, and Director Liu said the funds should be allocated in a few days. Essentially, our expenditure on this front is zero. I also spent some time tallying up all the pollutant materials you’ve accumulated in your storage devices—gotta say, you guys really know how to pick your pollutants.”

During the early stages of the Star Alliance Special Mission, KID eliminated numerous A-Level pollutants. These pollutants were native to Slared, and their materials and anomalous crystals were rare in the First Star Domain. Since these materials were collected during a joint operation by the four bases, distribution was based on contribution and labor. KID secured the largest share in the allocation meeting. Additionally, the other three bases didn’t need the leftover pollutant materials and handed them over to KID.

“I’ve sent the details of these materials to Xiaotian. Once we’re back, we’ll work overtime to sell them,” Jiang Simiao said while calculating. “The revenue from these alone should cover several rounds of competition repair costs and fund the research for S-Grade weapons!”

What made these materials particularly valuable was the destruction of the planet Slared. 

Some native pollutants had essentially gone extinct, causing the research and market value of certain materials to skyrocket. Besides the orders promised to the Dawn Galaxy for research purposes, many other materials hadn’t even hit the online store before manufacturers and clients reached out for purchase collaborations.

“Tang Jie’s plan is to reserve a portion for our own use, set aside another portion to see if their value increases, and sell them after a few years,” Jiang Simiao explained while reviewing the data on his board. “Apart from those two portions, the rest will be converted into cash to upgrade your equipment and distribute bonuses!”

The mecha pilots hadn’t been paying much attention until they heard “upgrading your equipment and distributing bonuses.” That instantly drew cheers from the crowd.

Hearing the cheers, Jiang Simiao chuckled and coughed twice to regain their focus. “Alright, back to business!”

“Next up is the matter of the S-Level pollutants you killed. The anomalous crystal from the giant Ice Bird goes to Black Crow since we contributed less to that kill. As for the Pale Butterfly taken down by a collaboration between Lu Xi and Ke Lin, we’ll let YDS have it since we already have the Parasitic Flower for interference purposes.”

Jiang Simiao displayed the S-Level anomalous crystal list to everyone. “The anomalous crystal from the Shadow Fox belongs to us, as does the one from the Bristly Monster killed by Da Feng. Regarding that one and the signal-blocking Parasitic Flower, other bases were involved, so we allocated some special materials to them in return. Lastly, the two Ice Crows retrieved by You Su in the underground are split evenly between Gale and us… Oh, and there’s that Shield Piercing Shadow you took down solo, Chenlin, which is also ours.”

“Any pollutants not mentioned don’t belong to us.”

Summarizing the tally of S-Level pollutants, KID ended up with the Shadow Fox, Ice Crow, Bristly Monster, Parasitic Flower, and Shadow. The remaining scattered S-Level pollutants encountered during the mission were allocated to other bases. The anomalous crystal from the Blue Heart, being highly unique, was handed over to the Dawn Galaxy for processing and excluded from their deliberations.

“Wow, we got a lot of S-Level pollutants,” Ji Qingfeng noted. “Didn’t the other bases fight for them?”

“They don’t have much demand for these anomalous crystals since they already have equivalents,” Jiang Simiao replied. “And who says they didn’t fight for anything? Have you forgotten the special pollutants you guys hauled out of the underground ice tombs? That’s where their focus was.”

Aside from the pollutants eliminated during the mission, KID also “scavenged” a significant number of special pollutants from the ice tombs.

This haul turned out to be the most critical part of this allocation.

“Do you know where these pollutants came from?” Jiang Simiao scrolled to another page on his data board. “Ten years ago, Slared entered a state of turmoil. Many of the pollutants in the underground ice tombs originated from that period. Who knows what methods Chronos used to freeze them, but stumbling upon these means we’ve acquired a batch of potential S-Level and A-Level frontier resources.”

Ying Chenlin asked, “Are the materials and anomalous crystals usable?”

Jiang Simiao nodded. “The materials are usable. After thorough inspection, they can be utilized for forging S-Grade weapons and mecha cores. Xingtang intends to use these resources to upgrade your A-Class Competition-Level mechas.”

S-Class embryonic mechas… Apart from Ying Chenlin and You Su, who have fully functional S-Class mechas, the other KID members currently used A-Class mechas enhanced with a mix of S-Class materials, making them A-Class Competition-Level mechas. Upgrading to S-Class embryonic mechas meant replacing all A-Class materials in their current mechas with S-Class materials. This upgrade would transform their mechas into embryonic S-Class mechas, which could eventually be upgraded to full S-Class mechas.  

KID had been gradually replacing their mecha materials with S-Class ones, but S-Class resources were limited. The materials they obtained from their battles weren’t always suitable, so they mostly purchased what they needed externally.  

The primary difference between an S-Class embryonic mecha and a full S-Class mecha lies in its intelligence.  

A fully intelligent mecha requires a high level of synchronization with its pilot, which depends heavily on the pilot’s own abilities. If these resources from the ice tomb can be used to upgrade their embryonic mechas, KID could significantly reduce the combat-readiness gap between their equipment and that of other elite teams in the Star Alliance, narrowing the performance disparity.  

“Fuck!” Ji Qingfeng exclaimed. “This time, I really believe we’ve struck gold.”  

“You almost gave your lives for it—how could you not?” Jiang Simiao glanced at Ji Qingfeng, but he couldn’t help feeling relieved. The disparity between Dawn and other galaxies was immense, with KID being the most resource-starved of the four bases in Dawn.  

When resources and equipment lag, even the best combat strategies can’t overcome the hardware disadvantages.  

The acquisition of these specialized resources represents a significant opportunity for KID to overhaul their combat gear. S-Grade weapon research was now fully funded, and they could plan upgrades for S-Cass embryonic mechas. The rewards from this Star Alliance Special Mission, with sufficient time, could enable a qualitative leap in KID’s combat readiness before the Star Alliance Tournament.  

“What about the anomalous crystals?” Huo Yan asked after a moment’s thought. “Are they usable?”  

“Anomalous crystals are difficult to analyze. For pollutants documented within the Star Alliance, [Quest] can determine their abilities. When we return to Sirius, we’ll send the processed crystals for evaluation,” Jiang Simiao replied.  

“However, we need to prepare for the fact that many of these anomalous crystals are likely from the frontier, where pollutants are less documented. There will probably be several unidentifiable anomalous crystals. Unlike Hydra, Quest doesn’t have specialized equipment for analyzing anomalous crystals, so unidentifiable ones will need to stay in KID’s storage for now.”  

Anomalous crystals are indeed challenging to evaluate. The crystal Ying Chenlin obtained in Banute was only identified after an opportunity to visit Hydra. Access to Hydra was rare and not always open, meaning these crystals would either have to be sold at low prices to research institutions or stored until another opportunity arose for testing.  

“No worries, this haul is already great for us,” Ji Qingfeng said optimistically. “But with so many materials, will our warehouse be enough to store them?”  

After a moment of consideration, Ying Chenlin replied, “It’s not enough…”  

Everyone fell silent.  

They had been so focused on gathering resources that they forgot their base’s storage limitations.  

KID’s base was small, with half the underground hangar converted into a maintenance room, leaving minimal space for storage.  

Large storage equipment was beyond their budget, and the ones they used this time were borrowed from the Dawn Alliance. Their base’s limited space couldn’t possibly accommodate everything. If space wasn’t sufficient, they’d have to either rent external storage or sell off some unused materials.  

“Could we extend our rental with the Dawn Alliance?” Lu Xi suggested. “We could just rent their storage equipment.”  

Lin Yao nodded. “Exactly, we pay the rental fees and return it once we’ve sold off the excess materials.”  

“Large storage equipment is extremely expensive,” Huo Yan noted. “Even if Dawn rents it to us, it’ll probably cost a fortune.”  

As the group brainstormed solutions for storing their spoils, Jiang Simiao interjected, “You’re underestimating your boss too much.”  

Suddenly, Jiang Simiao pulled out another data tablet. With a tap, an image of a vast canyon appeared on the screen. Surrounding the canyon was a cluster of buildings, their outlines faintly illuminated by blue light, indicating the outermost layer of the facility’s defensive system.

The nascent structure of the complex and the expansive view of the countryside were laid bare.

Ying Chenlin’s expression froze for a moment, his gaze fixed intently on the fleeting images displayed on the pad.

He recognized this place. It was an uninhabited area on the outskirts of Sirius. In his previous life, Shen Xingtang had rented and renovated it to become KID’s base, which later developed into their official mecha headquarters.

“I know this place! That canyon nearby—I’ve fired cannons there before!” Lin Yao’s eyes lit up.

Huo Yan paused. “I remember this location—it’s part of Sirius’s industrial outskirts, right? Some kind of mechanical research storage facility?”

Sirius was primarily a residential planet, with citizens concentrated in the bustling central regions. However, its outer zones—less suited for residential purposes—were often used for large-scale factories or research facilities. The location in the images seemed to be a group of unrented research warehouses on the outskirts, not far from the nearest city.

“While you all were competing in the Galactic Tournament, Xingtang had been considering relocating our base,” Jiang Simiao explained. “When KID’s previous management left, we were in dire financial straits. We had no choice but to lease out our headquarters and even sell our mecha training grounds. Xingtang has been carefully managing everything since, keeping us afloat while also planning for the future.”

“Land in the outskirts isn’t expensive, and there are plenty of unrented structures there,” Jiang Simiao continued. “Xingtang has been saving for this for a while, but until recently, we only had enough to rent the place. That’s why she didn’t mention it to you all. Even during her recent trips, she was busy overseeing the renovations for the new base.”

The mecha pilots were stunned—renovating a new base!?

They had a new base now!?

“With the earnings from this mission, combined with the bonuses from the First Star Domain and the Dawn Galaxy, she went ahead and bought the place outright,” Jiang Simiao said with a smile. “In just over half a month, we’ll move into our new base. This place is massive—there’s more than enough space to store all our materials!”

“Holy shit!” Ji Qingfeng exclaimed. “Tang Jie can hide ah! She managed to pull off a new base without us even noticing!”

Lin Yao: “Does this mean my room will be bigger?”

Jiang Simiao chuckled. “It’s not just bigger—two to three times larger, easily. She’s reserved spacious rooms for all of you.”

The KID pilots’ excitement was palpable. They snatched the data pad from Jiang Simiao, crowding around to examine the details of their new base. The pad even included updates on the renovation progress—this new facility was over ten times larger than their current one.

“Look all you want, but don’t break my data pad! It’s got tons of important files on it!” Jiang Simiao joined the fray, alarmed by their increasingly boisterous movements. “Lin Yao! You’re too strong—don’t mess with it!”

While the others enthusiastically discussed the new base, Ying Chenlin sat cross-legged by the window in the lounge. He watched the lively group fighting over the data pad but showed no inclination to join them.

You Su’s gaze fell on Ying Chenlin. The latter wasn’t huddled with the others to check out the details of the new base—a type of thing Ying Chenlin would usually be the most interested in.

“Not going to look?” You Su suddenly asked.

Ying Chenlin paused, realizing that You Su had somehow appeared next to him. “Let them look first.”

That place… he had lived there for a long time in his previous life, but for the others, it was an unfamiliar beginning.

You Su said nothing.

Having spent so much time with You Su, Ying Chenlin knew that this was just his way of talking: Asks a couple of questions when interested, and then lets the conversation drop. Yet, being asked by You Su like that, Ying Chenlin couldn’t help but glance at him. You Su sat close by, the bandage marks on his neck extending beneath the left side of his collar, tightly wrapping his entire left shoulder.

Ying Chenlin knew exactly where that prominent scar was located.

The two were sitting close together. You Su never restrained his mental power, so the closer they were, the more their mental powers intertwined. Although Ying Chenlin was very familiar with You Su’s mental power, for some reason, whenever he sensed it, his mind conjured up the confined cockpit and the increasingly intense mental power You Su emitted back then.

Involuntarily, Ying Chenlin shifted slightly to the side, but before long, You Su adjusted his position as well, closing the gap again.

He let out a couple of light coughs, suddenly feeling a bit too warm, as though a low-grade fever was flaring up again.

“You’re still not better?” You Su paused.

A minor cold should be something that could be resolved with a few minutes in the medical pod, right?

Ying Chenlin shook his head. “No… The doctor said it’ll pass once my body adjusts.”

He was dressed warmly, wearing KID’s team jacket while the others roamed around in short sleeves. The T-shirt beneath his jacket was one he had snagged during a sale with Lin Yao, and within the base, he’d rotate through just a few pieces of clothing. It seemed like he never gave much thought to buying new clothes or shoes.

You Su glanced at him, his light-brain switching from an auction page to a major shopping platform. His eyes lingered on a few clothing items. After selecting some styles, he paused when the pants required measurements for a tailored fit.

Theo, who was perched around You Su’s neck, had been excitedly observing the auction listings but was suddenly interrupted. Seeing his owner’s sequence of actions, Theo asked, “Huh? You Su, are you buying new clothes? Pick the second-to-last size!”

“You picked the wrong one!” Theo exclaimed.

You Su ignored him, his gaze sweeping over Ying Chenlin. “No, I didn’t.”

A slender waist, not much body fat—the smallest universal size.

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