Just like any scene in a play, when two people who had no standpoint and were natural enemies met each other, sparks flew in all directions amidst their calm words. The surrounding extras naturally had to express their rich inner emotions with silence and astonishment at the appropriate time. They were inexplicably surprised by the bet.
The population of the Federation was in the billions, and the Federal Army was in the millions. The number of heroes in history was innumerable. No one would have thought that a thin technician would say that he would dismantle the house number of the Lees of Philadelphia in front of the descendant of the God of War.
Although Xu Le and Madman Li did not speak loudly, they did not deliberately avoid the surrounding crowd. The contents of the bet were clearly stated. When it fell into the ears of the crowd, how arrogant and even exaggerated was this? The arrogance of the Lees of Philadelphia had its own historical reasons and the fanatical support of the people of the Federation as its foundation. But what qualifications did this technician have to be arrogant?
Xu Le was an arrogant person. His mood was calm and cheerful, like an ancient mirror made of water talc. In front of a gentle person, he would be gentle, and in front of a kind person, he would be kind.
Whatever the world gave him, he would give back. When he was young, he always thought that the world was beautiful, so what he showed was a happy smile with his white teeth exposed. Now that he realized that the world was not like that, his expression naturally became a little heavier.
When he was in the hospital, he did not want to give in to the wild and violent Madman Li, not to mention that he was in an extremely bad mood today, so he directly confronted him. This confrontation actually caused Madman Li to be silent for a long time.
The sixteen-year-old lieutenant colonel of the Federation slowly narrowed his eyes. A hint of cruelty flashed across his youthful face, but he immediately returned to calmness. After confirming that every word Xu Le said was true, he said,
"There are countless tons of crystal ores under a man's knees. I don't want you to kneel to me. If that little white flower Nutshell is crushed this time, I only ask that you never see Zou Yu again for the rest of your life. Don't show up in the capital ring again. Get the hell out of here as far as the Federation's warships can."
"It's settled then." Xu Le placed the teacup on the table and prepared to leave. He didn't want the officers of the Old Moon base to look at him like he was an idiot.
With his hands behind his back, Madman Li narrowed his eyes as he watched Li Du walk towards the corridor. He suddenly said, "Perhaps you have your own reasons for being angry. Those old guys at the Academy of Science are really bastards."
Xu Le stopped, but he didn't turn around.
"But this has nothing to do with me. I am a soldier of the Federation. I am here to participate in the mecha duel this time because I am following orders from the Ministry of Defence. I will not be angered by this bet. Since you've stayed in a body cultivation hall before, you should be very clear that the Purple Sea's maneuverability can only be displayed in the hands of someone like me. It's best if you tell Nutshell's pilots about these things as soon as possible. "
Xu Le lowered his head slightly. He knew what Madman Li meant. The two of them had exchanged blows in the Linyuan before. Although it had only been for a split second, they could both feel each other's strength in close-range combat. Madman Li seemed to have misunderstood him as an unknown expert nurtured by that body cultivation hall. Naturally, he thought that only the two of them knew how terrifying a new generation twin-engine mecha was when a close-range combat expert was piloting it.
Hearing Madman Li's words, Xu Le suddenly remembered what General Zou Yingxing had told him before. The army was not allowed to think. The Lees of Philadelphia specialized in nurturing the most standard professional soldiers of the Federation. The 16-year-old Madman Li already had the faint feeling of military god Li Pifu from back in the day. However, he seemed to be more unbridled. This was probably the side effect of youth. However, from these few words, it was obvious that Li Feng was not a lunatic who only knew how to kill.
…
…
That night, the entire Old Moon base was discussing the arrival of the successor of the Lees of Philadelphia. The legend of military god Li Pifu had gradually faded away. As for the story of the invincible Madman Li, the soldiers stationed at the capital ring had only heard of it from their comrades who had retired from the frontlines. Piloting an M52 and facing off against a team of soldiers from the Imperial Royal Mecha Battalion, what kind of level was this? The thought of being able to see the operation of those mechas with their own eyes in a few dozen hours made everyone excited.
In the central area of the base, the warehouse allocated to the Shell Motor Company was shrouded in a low pressure. The mixed air provided by the life support system made the technicians feel a little strange. In fact, they knew very well that this strange feeling came entirely from the gradual loss of confidence.
The pilot of the Purple Sea mecha was Madman Li. The higher the reputation of this young lieutenant colonel in the military, the more helpless the technicians of the Shell Company felt. This was especially so after the Magnolia magnolia, who was chosen first, was taken away by the Bureau of Proclamation.
The CEO of the Shell Company was still angrily negotiating with the government, but time was running out. That night, at 11 o 'clock, another spaceship arrived at the Old Moon base from Planet S1. The reserve pilot, accompanied by a team of soldiers and board members of the company, walked into the warehouse.
If even this reserve pilot was taken away by the other party's tricks, the Shell Motor Company would most likely report the whole incident to the media and have a war with the government.
In the dead of the night, all the technicians returned to their own rooms anxiously. The modification of the mecha program in the base had been completed. No problems were found, but they still felt a little uneasy.
Xu Le sat on the box under the pure white MX mecha. He chewed on the bread in his hand and mumbled, "I really didn't expect the reserve pilot to be you."
Zhou Yu slowly chewed on the bread and smiled. "Who else can you find at the last minute? Other than that secretary of yours, I'm the most familiar with MX. "
This ace student of the First Military College's Mecha Department was already drenched in sweat. Previously, he had cooperated with the technical team to perform the hot start and basic operations, which had used up some of his energy. He looked at the lonely Xu Le and his heart skipped a beat. He tried to be as gentle as possible. "I know Secretary Bai is the pilot you've been secretly preparing for several months, but since the other party has used such a dirty trick, there's no other way. Now, you can only trust me and support me."
Xu Le did not believe Zhou Yu's ability, which was praised by the entire First Military College. However, he always thought that a pilot had to have gone through real battles before to know the taste of death and blood. Only then could the MX's super maneuverability be displayed in a swift and fierce manner.
Looking at the sweaty Zhou Yu, Xu Le suddenly felt that life was really strange. The first time he had piloted a mecha in battle was this officer beside him. And now, he had to snatch the control rights of Little White Flower from the other's hands.
Zhou Yu did not notice Xu Le's intentions. He only comforted him. "Major Lan Xiaolong, who was in charge of protecting you, also knew that White Magnolia was arrested. He notified the military officer of 8384, so you don't have to worry. Speaking of which, they're all from the 17th Armored Division. If the War God's own people were treated unfairly like this, he would definitely speak up. The military has always been very protective of its own people, but it's too late. "
He continued, "This time, the mecha battle standard was actually decided by the War God. Lieutenant Colonel Li Feng was conscripted by the Academy of Science. This is a kind of balance. Otherwise, anyone could see that Fei Cheng was on Nutshell's side."
"Do you know about cultivation centers?" Xu Le suddenly asked.
"There aren't many left in the capital ring. There are still some in Bermuda," Zhou Yu replied.
After a moment of silence, Xu Le said, "How confident are you against Madman Li?"
"How would you know if you don't fight?" Zhou Yu closed his eyes.
"When the time comes, I'll go." Xu Le didn't explain anything else and said very naturally.
Zhou Yu stared at him in shock. For a long time, he was speechless.
…
…
Outside the capital special district, the heavily guarded all-weather command hall of the Ministry of National Defense was already packed with people even though it was still early in the morning. The three large holographic screens in front of the hall were performing signal synchronization. Below them, countless workstations were busily performing calculations.
The citizens of the Federation didn't know that in this building, a very important matter was about to be decided today. The staff in the hall had a solemn expression on their faces. The Federal Academy of Science and the Shell Motor Company each took up a large work area in the two corners of the hall. The middle area was reserved for the technical officers of the Ministry of National Defense.
Behind these staff, on several rows of comfortable seats, there were already more than 20 important people in military uniforms or civilian clothes. These people could basically decide many things in the Federation, but today, they could only watch the result and then passively announce the conclusion based on this result.
The director of the Federal Academy of Science, Lin Yuanhu, sat in the middle of these important people. His aged face was calm. The generals and officials beside him couldn't tell if he was feeling anxious or not. As a leading figure in the academic world of the Federation, he had too many connections, supporters, and admirers in the political world. This was why so many people stood firmly behind the Academy of Science, cheering for him and helping him handle many things that he didn't want to handle personally.
Looking at the battle environment of the Old Moon polar region that was gradually becoming clearer on the holographic screen, Lin Yuanhu narrowed his eyes slightly. He thought that once this was over, it was time for him to retire. Using a new generation of mecha as a closing song was a good choice. The feedback last night said that the ace pilot that had been secretly trained by the Shell Company for a hundred days had been brought back by the Bureau of Proclamation. Lieutenant Colonel Li Feng had also started experimenting with the mecha. It seemed that there was nothing else to worry about.
Below, in the Shell Motor Company's work area, Shang Qiu took off her glasses and rubbed her forehead. Looking at the technical data on the screen, she felt a headache coming on. She subconsciously turned to look at Lin Yuanhu, who was in the stands. She habitually scratched her itchy hair with the tip of her pen. She wondered if Zhou Yu would be able to force the Purple Sea into overclocking mode for three minutes in a mecha battle.
…
…
A large military near-land spaceship landed in the Old Moon polar region of the Kaki Mountains. This region above latitude was under the direct rays of the stars all year round. The temperature was extremely high, and the terrain was extremely complex. Choosing this mountain range as the training ground for the Federation's new mecha would allow them to truly judge the combat capabilities and overall maintenance standards of the mecha from both sides.
The back of the Old Moon was the base of the Federal Fleet. There was also a subsidiary base near the Kaki Mountains. Two new mecha that carried the future of the Federal Army's new mecha were currently in the base making the final preparations for battle testing.
All the technical staff had already left. The CEO of the Shell Company patted Zhou Yu's shoulder with a serious expression and said, "During your graduation exam, you defeated an instructor from the First Academy's Mecha Department within one minute. That was an ace pilot who had won the Purple Merit Medal, so you must have confidence in yourself."
A complicated expression flashed across Zhou Yu's eyes. He said softly, "Please don't worry."
After the CEO left, only Zhou Yu and Xu Le were left in this area of the base. As the technical supervisor of the mecha, Xu Le still had to finalize some final parameters and set up the monitoring authority. In the eerily quiet environment, Zhou Yu glanced at the white MX mecha that was seven metres tall in front of him and suddenly asked, "Do you have confidence?"
This was the question Xu Le had asked him the night before. Zhou Yu really wanted to know how he would answer.
Xu Le closed the control panel on the ground and said calmly, "Against Madman Li, I don't have the slightest bit of confidence."
After a moment of silence, he added, "But I have the determination."
…
…
Zhou Yu looked at the back of the figure that was dragging the heavy black box and climbing up the mecha. Suddenly, he said loudly, "You really are a lunatic. I can't believe I actually agreed to let you go. I'm also a lunatic."
"Don't forget, the person we're going to face today is a lunatic!" Xu Le did not turn his head as he replied loudly.
Zhou Yu had come from the West Woods to the capital to study. Along the way, he had been branded with the mark of excellence. Thus, he had become increasingly steady and gentle, never making a single mistake. Until the night before, when he had heard Xu Le's request, he had discovered that he could occasionally go a little crazy. Watching Xu Le crawl into the cockpit, he suddenly felt that this kind of craziness might be exchanged for a very good result. After all, this fellow's talent in the field of mecha was indeed very frightening.
…
…
Closing the cockpit door and opening the black box, he took out the simulation system and installed it. Then, he connected the cable to the MX mecha's standard interface. This was originally a data channel that Shang Qiu had reserved for him at his suggestion during the final design phase.
The warm up of the mecha had long been completed. Xu Le quietly looked at the feedback of the mecha's data from his helmet. Feeling the slight numbness on his skin, he gently pressed down on the red button.
According to the privacy regulations of the First Charter, a pilot's personal operation data could be kept confidential. For the ace pilots of the military, those skills that were exclusive to them were things that they had exchanged for with their lives. Unless the military conscripted them, no one could even dream of spying on their operations. Even the command hall watching from hundreds of thousands of kilometres away was no exception.
Thus, Xu Le was not worried that his use of the simulation system would be discovered by others. In fact, this was also one of the things he relied on to participate in the mecha battle and face Madman Li head-on. Perhaps someone would detect something from the way he operated the mecha and bring him some unknown danger, but he already did not care.
Almost at the same time, in the underground base of the Kaqi Mountains, in the Old Moon assembly base, in the S1 capital command hall, the sound of an electronic countdown rang out.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven …"
Xu Le calmly listened to the electronic countdown. His left hand was on the control stick, and his right hand was on the touch screen. This idea of mixing two control methods was probably only an unconventional engineer like him would dare to try.
As the last chime rang out, the lights below the base dimmed for a moment. The sound of air leakage whistled, but it could not reach the inside of the mecha. The alloy hatch at the top of the base took two seconds to open. The load-bearing lift platform below slowly transported the heavy white MX mecha to the surface of the moon.
The vision of reality merged with the light green capture system and appeared in the window of the helmet. Xu Le narrowed his eyes. As far as the eye could see, he could only see light all around him. The windless and dust-free Kaqi Mountains were bathed in the blazing light. It was a scene of tranquility and danger.
The central control computer of the MX mecha had already issued a warning. A vacuum environment was a very severe test for the life support system. Fortunately, the MX mecha had considered this point when it was designed for combat. Even if the exterior of the mecha was damaged, the internal cockpit could still ensure an independent life support system. It was just that it could not be maintained for too long.
Beep beep beep beep! A series of sharp alarms rang out. In the field of vision where the light was the brightest, a light purple mecha suddenly appeared.
Under the blazing light, the two newest MX mecha of the Federation in the Kaqi Mountains appeared even more holy in their white reflections, while the purple appeared even more demonic and murderous. After the two mecha had been transported out of the base, the distance between them was only 200 metres. For a cheetah, it would only take a few breaths to reach its prey. However, for a new mecha with dual engine technology and four times the power output, this distance was actually a little frighteningly short.
The Purple Sea mecha moved, its dual engines at full power. One moment it was still far away, the next it had already turned into a purple shadow and was charging over!
The instant the Little White Flower mecha set foot on the surface of the moon, Xu Le, who was completely focused, had discovered the figure of the purple mecha standing proudly in the light before the onboard radar. Being able to see it with the naked eye was naturally more direct than being able to see it with the radar.
However, he had not expected that Madman Li, operating the Purple Sea mecha, would make his move so swiftly and valiantly. In fact, he had not even chosen to attack with long-range weapons right from the start, instead intending to engage in close-range mecha combat at close range.
The right arm of the white mecha had long been raised horizontally, and the hanging weapons mounted on the side of the mecha's arm began to spew wildly. However, the firepower systems of both mecha had already been modified by the final assembly base into low-light marking weapons used in training exercises. In addition, there was no air on the surface of the moon, so it was very difficult to hear those crisp and beautiful clicking sounds.
However, at the same time that the Little White Flower mecha launched its long-range attack, the Purple Sea mecha, which was charging forward at unparalleled speed, made a preemptive judgement. Its heavy mechanical legs stomped viciously on a protruding moon rock, and the mecha's body moved in an extremely strange and powerful manner as it forcefully turned to avoid those beams of light that represented lethality, preventing the sensors on the mecha's body from receiving any signal of damage.
In just an instant, the Purple Sea mecha had already broken through the blockade of long-range firepower and arrived in front of Xu Le. Without hesitation, it silently and coldly used its hard alloy fists to punch towards the abdomen of the Little White Flower mecha.
The massive inertia of the heavy mecha, the strong initial start-up speed of the twin engines, and the evasive maneuverability under quadruple power were all used to their fullest by Madman Li, who was operating the Purple Sea mecha. Using the simplest of movements, it created the most dangerous moment.
The Purple Sea mecha's advance had left behind a trail of light dust on the moon rock, but before it could even touch the purple surface of the mecha, the killing blow had arrived in an instant.
A moment later, a cloud of dust had descended.
...
...
Near the Kaqi Mountains, countless data collectors had been installed. The mecha of both sides also had monitoring equipment installed by the final assembly base. In addition, there were seven highly sensitive satellites positioned above the polar regions of the Old Moon. These equipment faithfully transmitted everything that happened on the battlefield back to the conference room at the Old Moon base, as well as to the command hall on planet S1 hundreds of thousands of kilometres away.
The instant the electronic countdown ended, everyone in the command hall fell silent for a moment. They stared at the two new mecha standing 200 metres apart on the giant screen. No one spoke, not even making a sound.
No matter which side the technicians in the command hall belonged to, no matter which side those big shots watching the battle supported, at least in this moment, they all had the same feeling. No matter what standard the Federation adopted for the new mecha, and no matter what the competing interests behind the scenes were, at least they were very honoured to be able to witness the first real battle of the Federation's epoch-making new mecha.
The light on the screen was very intense, but the white and purple of the two mecha's exterior appeared even more intense due to the reflection of the light. The people in the command hall stared unblinkingly at the screen. Only after a moment did those technicians come to their senses and prepare to begin data collection.
This was the first real battle of the new MX mecha. The technical parameters displayed by both sides in this battle would not only serve as a judgment for any possible disputes, but more importantly, this was a good opportunity for the Federation to collect data on the mecha.
However, the technicians did not have time to do the work of data collection, nor did they have time to use the data to analyse the operating efficiency of the MX mecha's three major systems in a vacuum environment. Thus, they could only turn their gazes back to the screen.
Because the Purple Sea mecha had moved, and the moment it moved, it moved with such power that it could swallow mountains and rivers, full of dominance. Its speed was unimaginably fast!
The Federation had been developing mecha for many years. Mecha were renowned for their high mobility, but no one had ever imagined that on the craggy surface environment of the old moon, a mecha could actually display such terrifying speed. This sort of instantaneous activation speed and the wondrous acceleration that followed — could it be the change brought about by the twin engines?
Everyone was aware of this point, but no one had time to sigh. Because everything had happened too quickly, the roar of the Purple Sea mecha's twin engines could not be collected. However, the people in the command hall felt as if they were on the old moon, watching the Purple Sea mecha roar away with their own eyes, as fast as lightning. Using this sort of speed to display a revolutionary breakthrough in mecha development!
Shang Qiu stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the purple mecha charging forward at high speed on the screen, her hands gripping her pen tightly. As a key figure in the formation of dual-engine technology, she knew better than anyone else just what kind of speed a mecha could reach when the dual-engine technology was operating at full power. However, that was just data from the laboratory, tests under a simulated environment. Today, seeing the dual-engine mecha in action for real, she was still so shocked that she could not find words to describe it.
Speed! The only thing that determined a mecha's performance and close-combat power could only be speed.
On the screen, the white mecha tried to use long-range firepower to seal off the path of the purple mecha. However, in the face of the terrifying speed of the Purple Sea mecha and the valiant operation of the pilot, the few weak beams of light that represented the firing line appeared so futile and weak.
This was the frightening part of the new twin-engine mecha. Under the protection of super mobility, the inherent firepower system of the universe was already outdated. If the firing speed of mechanical weapons and the tracking speed of standard missiles could no longer match the instantaneous evasive speed of the mecha, then how could they injure or destroy it?
The high-speed movement of the Purple Sea mecha on the holographic screen, leaving behind only an afterimage, made clear to everyone in the Old Moon base's conference room and command hall a fact. In future battles, unless it was a concentrated firepower or a precise beam attack from a battleship, the MX mecha would be a super weapon that would be very difficult to surround or defeat!
The instinctive excitement of an engineer flashed through Shang Qiu's mind. She stared blankly at the screen. Her fingers had not yet finished exerting force when she saw the Purple Sea mecha charging in front of Little White Flower. She was very worried whether the nutshell MX mecha would be defeated by this attack. But what shocked her even more was that the pilot controlling the Purple Sea had only used two days and two nights to master the control system of the twin-engine mecha to such perfection. He had completely taken advantage of the speed advantage of the new MX mecha, abandoning the original Federal military mecha movements to pursue close-combat instead of long-range attacks...
The Lees of Philadelphia were indeed geniuses on the battlefield.
Only a genius mecha warrior would dare to completely abandon the original mecha control method in his first real battle and rely on his instincts to change his battle strategy at the last minute to maximize the mobility of the twin-engine mecha. This choice undoubtedly proved that the crazy person in the Purple Sea mecha had extraordinary calmness and strong confidence in himself.
The officers and technicians in the command hall who were watching the screen stared dumbfoundedly at the brilliant purple light. Looking at the speed of the mecha that the Federation had never produced before, they did not have time to react. They did not have time to analyze any data before they subconsciously made a judgment. The battle between the two MX mecha seemed to have just started and was about to end.
The military bigwigs behind the command hall who stood up after being shocked by the speed of the Purple Sea mecha were also thinking the same thing.
Even if the nutshell pilot was the best ace pilot in the Federal military, in the face of the violent and swift attacks of the Purple Sea mecha, he would definitely not be able to make the most correct response. The white mecha that was obviously still defending against long-range attacks and close-combat would be like its codename Little White Flower in the next moment, swaying and shattering in the vacuum of Old Moon Mount Kaki.
…
…
The strong mechanical arm took up a quarter of the field of vision. The glossy purple exterior reflected the light of the stars. The fiercely contracting joint components and transmission pipes were so clear and were getting bigger and bigger.
Xu Le had always thought that Madman Li had only been in contact with the MX mecha for two days and could not be more familiar with it than himself. But seeing this scene, he knew that he was wrong. Under such circumstances, even the fastest reaction speed of a Federal military pilot would not be able to allow Little White Flower to make the correct response.
But he could, because his nerves were thicker than others, and his reaction was faster than others. In the dark cockpit, his fingers quickly swept across the screen, and at the same time, the warm energy in his body also burst forth in an instant. Through the simulation system on his body, it sent precise signals to every component of the mecha.
The alloy fist of the Purple Sea mecha was enough to defeat the enemy in one hit. With the huge force and high speed of the sprint, it seemed impossible to dodge.
So Little White Flower did not dodge. Instead, at the moment when the alloy fist was about to hit its body, its left mechanical leg stepped back and its right mechanical arm struck out as fast as lightning.
…
…
In a vacuum environment, the alloy fist of the Purple Sea mecha could not make the sound of air exploding. But that fist that broke through the air and landed in the eyes of everyone watching the foot of Mount Kaki, was mixed with endless dominance and murderous intent.
Little White Flower's mecha moved, but its movement was hurried and helpless. As if it had been blown by a strong wind, its waist twisted slightly.
But it was this seemingly helpless twist that the Purple Sea mecha's fist, which had been charging up for a long time, brushed past the left side of the white mecha's chest and collided directly with that mechanical arm that had appeared out of nowhere!
The two strong alloy fists collided heavily. In this instant, it seemed that the hard alloy surface could be seen slowly deforming under this impact, revealing the complex internal components.
When the mecha collided, there was no sound. This scene fell into everyone's eyes like a clap of thunder, waking everyone up.
"Non-standard movements!"
In the ground command hall, the invited dean of the First Military Academy's Mobility Department leaned on the railing, his eyes narrowed as he watched the two mecha collide for the first time on the holographic screen. He said in a low voice, "All non-standard movements!"
No one paid attention to what he was saying. Everyone was staring at the holographic screen, dumbfounded. If it was said that Lieutenant Colonel Li Feng, who was piloting the Purple Sea mecha, was able to use the new MX mecha's functions to the maximum in a short period of time because of his identity as the descendant of the War God, this was an amazing but acceptable feat. But the pilot sent by the Nutshell Company to operate the white mecha was actually able to make an effective response in such a short period of time. Although it was a bit embarrassing, it had successfully blocked the Purple Sea mecha's domineering attack. This made everyone unable to believe their own eyes.
"How fast is the hand speed required to do this?"
Most of the people in the command hall were professionals. Although they had not personally operated the new mecha, they knew that under the Purple Sea mecha's domineering attack, the reaction time left for the white mecha pilot was very short. To be able to continuously input commands to operate the mecha to make the only feasible response in such a short period of time, what kind of hand speed and vision did this require?
…
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