Inside the Pluto mech, Li Yi answered the unexpected communication.
"This is Lin Guotao, Lou Cheng's superior, and the division captain managing your squad."
Li Yi immediately recognized the voice. It was the face-to-face evaluator he had glimpsed earlier—the division captain?
"Hello, sir."
"How confident are you in winning the championship?"
"Uh..."
So direct? Li Yi was a bit taken aback. "About sixty to seventy percent confident?"
After all, the opponent's time-dragging strategy had impacted him significantly, and he wasn't entirely sure he could last through the final three-man battle.
"Do you desire to win the championship? Is that sixty to seventy percent a conservative estimate or an aggressive one?"
"What do you mean, sir?"
"If you tell me you're very confident about winning, I will shield you from any external factors hindering your victory."
"Are these external factors pressure from above?"
Li Yi thought of the indifferent glances from the people he noticed upon entering.
"More or less."
"Do certain noble families think I'm standing in their way?"
"It's more complex than that."
Lin Guotao explained:
"There is some pressure from your competitors' families, but it's not the main issue."
"For those in the upper-middle echelon, it's merely about conveniently approving an event or casually mentioning something. That kind of pressure is something we can handle for you."
"The key issue is that due to your high mental resistance, you exempted the necessary newcomer process of the fundamental rule imprint, which the oversight department views as a significant threat, necessitating the immediate implantation of the fundamental rule imprint."
"Thus, the combined forces of these issues mean not only might you lose the championship, but you'll also undergo intense scrutiny by the oversight department, potentially missing out on further mech pilot training."
"What is the fundamental rule imprint, Captain Lin?"
Li Yi sensed nothing good about this.
"It's a mental weapon designed to exclude cultists."
Lin Guotao continued, "As you know, if a starship encounters cultist infiltration, especially if they pilot a divine mech to wreak havoc, the risk to the lives of the entire crew is immense."
"Therefore, every newcomer boarding the ship is implanted with the fundamental rule imprint. Do you remember the key points of the foundational rules Lou Cheng mentioned?"
Li Yi pondered, "Are you referring to... permissions, sir?"
"Exactly. The core of the foundational rules is that permissions are everything. By implanting this thought imprint in every newcomer, even if they are cultists, they must act according to ship rules."
"I see."
Li Yi nodded, though he still had reservations about the practice. He certainly didn't want to be bound by such an imprint. Perhaps he could capture memory fragments of those who had successfully received the thought imprint to evade scrutiny.
He recalled feeling some mental resistance when Lou Cheng explained the foundational rules.
After a moment of thought, Li Yi asked, "Sir, how does the oversight department verify the success of the fundamental rule imprint?"
"The oversight department uses an ancient relic called the Thought Pillar to check if your memories contain the corresponding imprint traces."
A plan quickly formed in Li Yi's mind.
"One more question: if I can ensure victory, what will you do, sir?"
"I'll delay their involvement until after the finals, but only if you're certain you can win. Otherwise, not only would I bear the responsibility, but your future could also be at risk."
"Risk my future?"
Li Yi furrowed his brow.
"If you don't win, I'll be replaced, and it's uncertain if anyone else will continue to protect you. If you enter a prolonged review, any slight blemish in your past could attract oversight department attention. Even if you're clean, you'd waste several months or even up to a year."
"So, do you understand? Our interests align right now."
"I need you to tell me honestly—can you win the championship? If you can't, withdraw now and let them implant the fundamental rule imprint while there's still time."
Li Yi paused, then chuckled, "In that case, sir, please handle the oversight department for me."
Lin Guotao nodded, "Good, that's the kind of confidence we need."
He ended the call and dialed the captain, knowing that the conversation was all under the captain's directive.
...
Twenty minutes later, it had been one hour and seven minutes since Li Yi activated the Pluto mech and maintained continuous activity.
Meanwhile, in the match between Liang Xing and Lin Hua, Lin Hua unexpectedly defeated Liang Xing.
Li Yi hadn't watched the match, focusing instead on meditating and processing memory fragments to relieve his mental burden. Thus, he was unaware of Lin Hua's tactics.
As for Liang Shaocong vs. Xie Zhenye, the revival draw, Liang Shaocong easily won without suspense.
The final round was a three-person round-robin. Each contestant would fight the other two, with rankings based on net victories. If victories were tied, KO count and effective hits would determine the ranking.
The first match of this round was Li Yi vs. Lin Hua.
...
The Magma mech and the Pluto mech entered from their respective storage areas.
Qingguo Fairy AI announced loudly:
"The Magma mech has surprisingly shown hidden strength, defeating one of the championship favorites within twenty collisions. Its precise and decisive maneuvers and strategic depth are truly admirable."
"Now, the Pluto mech, known as the strongest contender this year, is entering from the west storage. Due to its slow startup, it has remained active since the first match."
"Can the Pluto mech maintain its initial state, or will the Magma mech continue its comeback?"
"Let the match... begin!"
The audience's anticipation had reached a fever pitch.
"Li Yi used a low-power mode last match. This time, with a stronger opponent than Liang Xing, he must go all out, right?"
"Lin Hua for the win! Lin Hua for the win!"
"Having played the underdog against Liang Xing, Li Yi will surely aim for a swift victory. Their clash will surely be more exciting than any previous match!"
With the crowd's cheers, the two colossal mechs began moving at high speed.
Li Yi did not disappoint the audience, launching into the match with full force.
Boom!!!
The fists collided, unleashing shockwaves.
The Magma mech couldn't withstand Li Yi's heavy punch, retreating to absorb the impact, with the Pluto mech close on its heels.
Whoosh!!!
Two massive streams of flames shot from the Magma mech's eyes, catching the Pluto mech off guard.
As the Magma mech regained its balance and prepared to charge, the Pluto mech seemed unaffected by the flames, nor was it driven into piloting rigidity. It leapt forward with a combined punch, striking the Magma mech's head and slamming it to the ground.
Then, the Pluto mech lifted a massive foot, delivering a whirlwind kick that sent the Magma mech's sturdy frame flying into the air, followed by an elbow strike and knee smash.
Under the relentless assault, the Magma mech barely retaliated, taking blows continuously.
Each violent hit echoed with a resounding boom, a spectacle of brute force that thrilled the audience to no end, prompting wild cheers.