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Genius Mechanic: Chapter 79
Qiu Jin Grand Canyon Contaminated Zone (Black Hole)
79. Martial Ethics
Proofread by An Zheee and Cloud Chip Cake
Silence spread within the Management Bureau. The staff notified through the loudspeaker, “Director, it’s cracked.”
This sentence was broadcast through the base station’s loudspeaker. The mecha units currently in battle turned around in a daze.
A three-meter-wide crack appeared on the barrier of the defense system. The dropped light energy components at the crack were dim and lifeless, gradually dissolving into energy fuel, leaving a stain on the landing pad. Only the bright gap at the top remained conspicuous.
In the rest area of the major mecha bases, the leaders and coaches who were originally excitedly discussing stopped in their tracks. They directed their attention to the crack in the defense system. The defense system, as the outermost layer of protection for the base station, usually employed a class of protective energy shields. Additionally, rare transparent light energy components were embedded at elevated positions other than the base station entrance, playing a crucial role in strengthening the defense system. Generally, it could withstand a significant amount of pollutant attacks and even resist some attacks from S-level pollutants.
But now, this defense system had cracked open with a precise three-meter-wide gap, right in the location where the light energy components were embedded.
Jiang Simiao, sitting in the crowd, trembled as he pushed up his glasses and looked at the three-meter-wide crack. The first thought in his mind was, “It’s over; this time we’re going to lose money.”
Everyone who saw this scene from an external perspective fell into silence. KID’s mecha pilots were a half-step late in noticing the three-meter crack.
Several mecha pilots looked towards the culprit at their elevated position. Lin Yao happened to be close to the Giant Wolf’s location, and he looked back and said, “You Ge, it seems like the defense system has cracked.”
Ji Qingfeng was astonished, “No way! Is the defense system so fragile to collisions?”
Lin Yao looked again, “It seems to have cracked.”
The three groups looked towards the white mecha at its elevated position, and all their voices reached You Su’s ears through their shared communication channel. Theo, somewhat belatedly, found communication requests from the highest authority control room in the Qiu Jin Grand Canyon Contaminated Zone among the various requests to establish a communication channel from backstage.
“We blasted a hole in the defense system.”
Theo: “Should we accept the communication from the control room?”
You Su: “…”
The Giant Wolf died on the defense system, and the rapidly expanding crack was soon noticed by other pollutants. They rushed towards the crack in groups. Jiang Yu flew directly to the crack, blocking the way and clearing all the pollutants attempting to enter the crack, next to the giant S-level pollutant.
The pollutant was already in a state of death. A closer look would reveal that the heavily injured areas of the Giant Wolf were its head and front claws. The front claws served as a medium for it to use its abilities to tear open space. S-level pollutants possessed a certain level of intelligence. This pollutant tore open space to ambush the base station, utilizing its abilities and bouncing force to capture prey. In a sense, it should have the awareness to discern danger and escape.
However, each time it tried to escape, the direction was completely blocked by the mecha.
The mecha pilot in the cockpit seemed to know which direction it would escape, as well as the intermittent use of its abilities and the approximate distance. By using artillery fire to intercept the S-level pollutant, which could only rely on running and shuttling to escape, the mecha completely sealed off its escape route.
When Jiang Yu blocked the crack, some other mecha pilots also rushed over, successively blocking the crack.
The staff below stared in astonishment. The energy components in front had melted into energy fuel, infiltrating the ground. Having worked in the Qiu Jin Contaminated Zone for many years, he had faced many attacks from pollutants, but he never thought that one day the rupture of the defense system would be caused by a mecha pilot. “It’s over, some energy components fell off.”
Upon hearing about the energy components, Ying Chenlin paused for a moment, then heard the staff continue, “The energy components fell off, and the defense capability in that area is greatly reduced. It can’t resist a large-scale attack.”
“Are these components expensive…?” Ying Chenlin tentatively asked.
The staff reported a price.
Ying Chenlin quickly calculated in his mind.
“…It seems like the cost of one component is equivalent to the price of an A-class mecha.”
The staff looked at Ying Chenlin next to them for help, “Mr. Ying, can you repair it?”
Ying Chenlin fell silent for a moment, “I can’t.”
So with You Su’s one blast, the cost of at least three A-class mechas was obliterated.
No one in the station could repair the crack, or rather, the personnel of the Qiu Jin Management Bureau had never considered that one day the barrier could be artificially broken. The staff had to quickly contact the Management Bureau, and in the control room, several leaders glanced at each other, not knowing how to handle the situation for a moment. The current situation was special, and pollutants were lurking around. Trying to contact engineers for repairs was also not appropriate at the moment… Silence spread among everyone.
On the public channel, mecha pilots communicated with each other, asking for help to block the pollutants.
Seeing several KID mechas coming over to help, the mecha pilots looked at the S-class white mecha with complex expressions. They clearly saw how powerful the Artillery’s bombardment from that group was.
Lin Yao approached and saw the crack, “This crack is huge.”
Ji Qingfeng compared the length, “Seems like it widened a bit.”
Lu Xi suddenly remembered something and explained in a low voice, “There are rules in the Team Battle Mecha League. All mechas entering the Contaminated Zone for combat are not allowed to damage any base station facilities set up by the Management Bureau within the zone.”
The other KID members: “…”
Lin Yao asked, “What happens if we break the rules?”
Lu Xi’s voice became even smaller, “I don’t know, they say there will be heavy penalties.”
Ji Qingfeng awkwardly chuckled, “Haha… this has nothing to do with us, right? It was the pollutant that crashed into it.”
After saying that, he asked again, “What kind of heavy penalties are we talking about?”
Lu Xi thought for a moment, “Fines, suspension, and such?”
Ji Qingfeng started sweating, “Just a little repair should be fine.”
The mecha pilots fell into silence. This pollutant had been taking a beating in the latter part, and everyone knew how the hole came about.
A knowledgeable mecha pilot spoke up, “The cost of this defense system is very high. It probably can’t be fixed in a short time.”
Ji Qingfeng fell silent after hearing that. He took a brief moment to calculate his own financial situation and then said, “It’s not the League season now, right? We are also contributing to protecting the defense system. Who knew this pollutant would keep running towards the defense system… There’s no way the Management Bureau would make us pay. They wouldn’t chill the hearts of us hardworking mecha pilots, right? Qiu Jin’s leaders are so understanding and kind. How could they blame us?”
Lin Yao followed along, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. They’re beautiful people with kind hearts. I’ve heard from many friends that it’s the most understanding of the Management Bureaus.”
The mecha pilots: “…”
It seemed so. This hole accidentally opened during the fight, and it made no sense to impose fines or suspensions.
Inside the Management Bureau, the leaders who had been handed “good person” cards remained silent, and the staff members were also silent.
In this special period, all mecha pilots were making efforts to protect the Contaminated Zone. Rules were rules, but the fines and suspensions really had no justification. But was money the main issue here? The main point was how to repair this crack! There was a hole in the sky above the base station, and now, who would they find to solve this problem?!
At this moment, they suddenly noticed that several KID mechas were descending from the sky, each landing around the corpse of the Giant Wolf.
A staff member asked, “What are they trying to do now!?”
The people in the Management Bureau watched as those red and white mechas landed and cleared the surrounding pollutants. Then, a few of them collectively exerted force.
They moved the Giant Wolf’s corpse and finally slammed it onto the crack, blocking the attack of the surrounding pollutants. When leaving, they even took the opportunity to extract an anomalous crystal from the Giant Wolf’s head.
A nearby mecha pilot: “…?”
The leaders of the Management Bureau: “…”
On the public channel, KID’s Ji Qingfeng forced a laugh, “No worries, we’ve plugged the hole. Let’s call someone to fix it later ah.”
Lin Yao repeated like a broken record, “We helped you plug it up.”
The Giant Wolf’s corpse was large enough that when pressed onto the crack, it could block the advancement of most pollutants. Moreover, being a high-level pollutant itself, even in death, it had a certain deterrent effect on other pollutants. It could barely withstand the attack of some pollutants.
It had to be said that this crude method of blocking the crack was indeed a good temporary solution.
With the death of the Giant Wolf, the mecha pilots outside returned to the base station. Only two mecha pilots remained to guard the crack, preventing pollutants from breaking through and entering the base station.
Once back at the base station, mecha pilots could look up and see the pollutants perched high above. They couldn’t help but shudder. Passing by the KID mecha pilot parking area, they even heard their hushed discussion.
“Shall we use the Giant Wolf’s corpse to block the hole? Will the Management Bureau return the corpse to us later?”
“…Should be returned, right? It was done by You Ge.”
“And the claws of that wolf must be valuable. Just think about it, claws that can tear open space. That’s extraordinary.”
The passing mecha pilots: “…”
Many mecha pilots were moving in the parking area, and You Su leaned slightly against the wall, his gaze fixed on the broken antenna in the distance.
The stowed Theo asked, “Are we really going to be fined and suspended?”
You Su asked, “Is this your first time being suspended?”
Theo: “Oh, right. Then I’m not worried.”
You Su didn’t reply to him and noticed Ying Chenlin walking back and forth in the distance. The child’s attention seemed entirely focused on the crack high above. When he saw the staff preparing to climb to inspect the size of the damage, he even handed over tools to help.
His gaze stayed on Ying Chenlin, who was running around.
With the S-level Giant Wolf problem resolved, the tense situation barely reached a respite.
When the Frontier Army arrived at the Qiu Jin Management Bureau, they learned from the person in charge that the mecha pilot Trace had resolved the crisis at the base station caused by the S-level Giant Wolf. Major Guo was about to leave with the image data of the confrontation. The thirty-member team of Frontier Army entered the Qiu Jin Contaminated Zone to assist temporarily, replacing all the mecha pilots busy on the front lines.
Mecha pilots who had been continuously in combat finally got some rest time, and they all rested in the nearby base station.
When Zhao Lejie and the others arrived at Base Station A-26, what they saw was the pollutant perched in the high sky and the crack. They were shocked and inquired from the returning mecha pilots, learning about You Su’s feat. They then turned their attention to the mecha pilots who came to support them, expressing admiration.
There were not many rooms available for rest in the base station, and mecha pilots from each mecha base were basically together. Mecha pilots were used to harsh combat environments and often slept in their cockpits. Having a room to stay in was already quite good.
When Ying Chenlin, done with his tasks, arrived at KID’s lounge, he saw Lin Yao and Ji Qingfeng together, calculating the private materials harvested from the Contaminated Zone. Lu Xi was on the side, correcting their miscalculations.
“Is Huo Ge not here?” Ying Chenlin asked.
Ji Qingfeng continued counting the money, “He said he ran into an acquaintance from the Frontier Army and went to chat and gather information.”
Ying Chenlin acknowledged with an “oh”, then sat in a nearby spot to rest, conveniently sitting next to You Su.
The discussion around them on counting money was still relatively intense. Ying Chenlin sat cross-legged, took out a few pills from the medical kit he carried and swallowed them. When he turned to the syringe compartment, he noticed there were only four syringes left.
You Su glanced sideways, observing Ying Chenlin’s movements.
Ying Chenlin was still wearing his coat. He rolled up his sleeve, revealing an entire mechanical arm in front of him. The mechanical and normal muscles blended together, and beneath the fair skin, one could see pulsating normal blood vessels. On the inner side of the arm, there was a bruised area with a bluish tint.
Without avoiding anyone, Ying Chenlin temporarily held the syringe in his mouth. With one hand, he twisted open the cap of the disinfectant and anti-contamination medicine, as if he had become familiar with this routine through daily operations.
Earlier, Ying Chenlin had only obtained two types of medicine from the medical robot but forgot that the sterile cotton swabs and bandages in the medical kit had already been used up.
Going back to the robot would be troublesome. Ying Chenlin was just about to pour some disinfectant directly on his arm when suddenly a shadow appeared in front of him.
He looked up and saw You Su.
You Su, sitting next to him with his legs crossed, took out a medical cotton swab from his belongings. “Give me the medicine.”
Ying Chenlin hesitated for a moment, then handed him the disinfectant.
“Hand.”
Ying Chenlin hesitated for half a moment but did not refuse You Su’s assistance.
When he grasped Ying Chenlin’s cold mechanical arm, You Su’s gaze lingered for a moment, and then fell on the bruised skin. His movements were very decisive, as if he dealt with such wounds regularly. He quickly took precautions before the injection.
While Ying Chenlin watched the skilled movements, he suddenly remembered that You Su also carried these items when they were in Tianyu Star before.
While he was contemplating, he suddenly noticed that You Su was looking at him.
Ying Chenlin blinked in confusion.
However, You Su suddenly laughed, reaching for the edge of the syringe. “Relax your mouth.”
Ying Chenlin relaxed his mouth.
You Su broke the tip of the syringe, used the needle to draw the liquid from the vial, and injected it into Ying Chenlin. Then, he took measures to clean and disinfect the area.
“Thank you,” Ying Chenlin said.
You Su helped him put the items back into the medical kit. “Thanks for what? I should thank you for Theo’s matter.”
“How does it feel to use it?” Ying Chenlin put down his sleeve and inquired.
However, You Su stared at him for a moment before asking, “I’m just wondering how old you are.”
Ying Chenlin had been asked this question by You Su before, on Tianyu Star, and he didn’t understand why he was repeating the question. Before he could respond, You Su continued.
“The feel is good,” You Su said, looking at him. “Rest.”
Compared to his usual biological clock, things were indeed a bit messed up. Ying Chenlin did need to rest. He always kept track of his physical condition, aware of his body’s limits. However, the Black Hole incident was unique, and he dared not relax at all.
No one had anticipated that a Black Hole would erupt in Qiu Jin. If everything had proceeded according to the normal competition schedule, they would have taken the late-night flight back to Sirius yesterday, and by now, they should have arrived at the Sirius Air Station.
Leaning against the tool kit, Ying Chenlin felt the exhaustion throughout his body surging up after finally letting go. Nearby, there were excited discussions among his teammates. Ying Chenlin listened to these voices, feeling that, for him at this stage, it was the most stable sound. The Black Hole incident did happen, but it did not result in the catastrophe from his previous life; it was a blessing in disguise.
As the voices grew quieter, Ying Chenlin leaned against the tool kit and fell asleep.
Next to him, noticing that Ying Chenlin had fallen asleep, Lu Xi gestured to others to keep their voices down.
You Su glanced sideways and noticed Ying Chenlin’s hand placed on his chest, as if holding onto something beneath his clothes. He thought of the S-class mecha that Theo mentioned earlier. Since Ying Chenlin had an S-class mecha, he must have had S-class mental power before.
A mecha pilot with S-class mental power… owning an S-class mecha.
While You Su was thinking, he suddenly noticed the person next to him slipping outward. Unable to help himself, he reached out to support Ying Chenlin.
It seemed like he was really fatigued; he was sleeping so soundly that he didn’t even notice when someone approached.
While supporting him, You Su noticed a faint light inside Ying Chenlin’s collar. His gaze passed over the neckline, and he saw the mecha key.
The red string was particularly conspicuous against the fair and pale skin, forming a subtle contrast with the collarbone.
You Su paused for a moment but quickly averted his gaze.
–
The Frontier Army had arrived, and on the other side Chairman Li Jingyan of the Mecha Alliance, along with the expert team, was approaching Qiu Jin.
Within the Qiu Jin Management Bureau, the staff continued to work tirelessly.
The Frontier Army was stationed near the Black Hole, and the repeated attacks had begun to provide clearer environmental data. It was now essentially confirmed that the speculation on the abnormal period for expelling pollutants during the Black Hole incident was correct. Dealing with such a special Super-S-level pollutant posed a bit of a challenge even for the Frontier Army, which typically dealt with mostly S-level pollutants, as Super-S-level pollutants were relatively rare.
Inside the Frontier Army, an elderly man with white hair, surnamed Qiu, a prominent figure in the army and well-respected in the Dawn Alliance, examined the data on a tablet. “Your response time is impressive, being able to notice the magnetic field issues under these conditions.”
The elderly man was here specifically to handle the incident involving the Super-S-level pollutant.
The person in charge responded, “Mr. Qiu, it’s thanks to a mechanic who noticed the issue that we’ve made such quick progress.”
Each type of Super-S-level pollutant brought different risks, and the Black Hole incident had been a significant challenge for Qiu Jin, who had paid a considerable price to test these results.
Now, every move was aimed at preventing the Black Hole from leaving Qiu Jin. However, controlling it was one thing, and using so many resources for an extended period to control a Super-S-level pollutant was unsustainable. They needed to find a way to eliminate the Black Hole.
Hearing the Frontier Army propose a plan for eliminating the Black Hole, the Qiu Jin Management Bureau felt a bit uneasy.
“But attacks are ineffective against the Black Hole, and the attacks also affect the magnetic field.”
“If attacks are ineffective,” Mr. Qiu looked at the data and suggested, “there is one method we can try. It might be the only way to deal with the Black Hole.”
The screen in the central control room displayed the magnetic field during the absorption period of the Black Hole. Mr. Qiu continued, “According to your data, the Black Hole expels and absorbs pollutants. The expelled pollutants are likely those it cannot absorb internally. Since attacks may be ineffective, we can attempt to introduce heavy weapons into the Black Hole.”
“Introduce weapons into the Black Hole…” the person in charge grasped the idea, “Are you planning to detonate them inside the Black Hole to kill it?”
“The pollutants expelled during the absorption period are mostly in Qiu Jin, and these expelled pollutants are organic. In other words, anything it cannot digest could come out intact from inside the Black Hole,” Mr. Qiu continued, “We can try to extract the characteristics of these pollutants, cover the heavy weapon with a layer resistant to digestion, and let this weapon explode inside the Black Hole.”
Everyone in Qiu Jin was shocked to hear this plan, but it seemed to be a feasible solution to inflict damage on the Black Hole.
“We can apply to the Alliance for past data on Super-S-level pollutants. The energy consumption of the heavy weapon can be controlled to be lethal for Super-S-level pollutants. However, this operation carries risks, and it’s advisable for all personnel to evacuate the Qiu Jin area when the time comes.”
Suddenly, an alarm rang out in the control room.
This immediately drew the attention of everyone present.
“What’s going on!?” Major Guo quickly arrived at the control console and noticed the changes in the magnetic field. “The magnetic field is in motion?”
The staff was investigating the cause, and with anxiety, they said, “We don’t know why. We had already controlled the changes in the magnetic field around the Black Hole, but just now, the magnetic field around the Black Hole started to change. It’s moving from its weakest absorption period upwards!”
The person in charge was aware of the situation and immediately said, “Quickly notify other Frontier Mecha Units to retreat.”
As the Frontier Mecha Units withdrew from around the Black Hole, the Black Hole suddenly expanded, swallowing everything around it.
They had seen this situation before; it was how the Black Hole initially erupted, suddenly expanding. The person in charge suddenly realized something, “Oh no, at this rate, it will soon enter the expulsion period!”
However, the data for the Black Hole became much more unstable; it was approaching the expulsion period after entering the absorption period.
Under everyone’s gaze, within the range of the Black Hole, a pollutant struggled to emerge from it.
[Warning! A pollution value report of 6000 has been detected!]“It’s the expulsion period!” the staff warned.
Major Guo frowned, “Advise the mecha pilots to prepare for battle and eliminate the pollutants.”
[Another S-level!???] [S-levels aren’t that valuable, huh?^o^] [How many S-level pollutants did the Black Hole swallow at the Frontier?]Just then, a mecha pilot nearby suddenly spoke with a trembling voice, “Director, you asked us to check if the Black Hole has multiple expulsion points. We strengthened the signal of all systems…”
He brought up a report, “We detected signals of magnetic field changes at multiple locations away from the Black Hole. The pollutant that attacked the base station came from another expulsion point.”
Base Station A-26: When Ying Chenlin woke up from sleep, he heard an alarm.
He was slightly surprised, noticed the clothes covering him, and without hesitation, got up and walked outside.
The KID mecha pilot next to him also woke up.
When he pushed open the door of the rest area, he saw other mecha pilots dressing and heading outside. Hu Luobu with a bird nest on his head poked his head out and asked, “Why’s the alarm going off at this time???”
[Warning! An S-level pollutant is approaching!] [Warning!…]Ying Chenlin’s heart tensed instantly. He quickly ran outside the base station.
When he reached outside, he saw a large number of pollutants hovering over the base station. Two mecha pilots were operating their mechas, strenuously blocking the breached opening.
The appearance of pollutants in the sky caught everyone off guard. When one of the S-level pollutants placed its giant claw on the defense base station, the vibrations made all the mecha pilots hold their breath.
Zhao Lejie: “??? Are S-levels mass-produced?”
Hu Luobu: “Am I not awake yet?”
Lin Yao looked up, pointing at the pollutants, “One, two, three…”
The giant claw slammed down on the corpse of the dead Giant Wolf. The claw embedded itself into the corpse and began to move it.
Everyone’s eyes tightened.
“Damn, what is that pollutant doing?”
As the slowest to react, Ji Qingfeng had just run out of the corridor, and from a distance, he saw the corpse of the Giant Wolf being moved. While running, he angrily shouted, “Do you not know not to mess with other people’s things—”
As soon as he finished shouting, he stopped his steps.
Seeing several pollutants in the sky, the curse at the tip of his tongue instantly ceased.
Everyone looked at him.
“Robbing stuff and bringing the whole family along.”
Ji Qingfeng held back a sentence, “…Lacking in martial ethics.”
TN:
Martial Ethics: having kindness, righteousness, respect, integrity and courage
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