Nowadays, whenever Ye Chong was on the virtual net, he did not just frequent Aurora in Gutista and the NR Training Center. Instead, he began to explore further. He had decided to completely understand the strange world around him. Ye Chong understood that survival in some locations are dependent on one’s understanding of the area. The more one understood, the easier life would become.
His daily conversations with Mu increased his understanding of things. Recently, he spent more time outdoors, since he grew fond of observing passersbys on the streets. While they were not Ye Chong’s prey, he still treated them as though they were prey - he examined them through a hunter’s eye, carefully examining the people around him, observing their actions, habits, behaviors, physical conditions and so on.
As Ye Chong continued his observation, his understanding of his surroundings began to deepen.
While he had planned to visit Grandpa Xu today, his job mattered more. Ye Chong understood that Grandpa Xian’s little business could not support his stay, but there is more to living than making money. Is that not so? Grandpa Xian made him feel at home, and this was not something any amount of gold zuan could buy for him. While Ye Chong did not think of himself as highly intelligent, this was something he could still understand.
Ye Chong kneaded the dough with vigour, as the flour mixture twisted and folded under his strength. Ye Chong had improved his skill, thanks to the increasingly refined control of his strength. The noodles he made had a distinct taste, and were definitely one of a kind.
Now, if only he could have one more mech - even a Raven would do - and life would be perfect!
Sun Xuelin and Xiu came to see him.
The two waited patiently until he was done with his work before coming up to him. Sun Xuelin grabbed Xiu along, and began with a tiny voice, "Ye …"
Ye Chong gave the two an expressionless look. "What is it?"
Sun Xuelin flustered at his apathy, and continued mumbling, "Ye … Ye ..."
Ye Chong continued staring at them. Xiu did not even dare to raise her head. Sun Xuelin grew more nervous. "Ye … We … We’d like to ask for you help!"
"Help?" Ye Chong frowned.
His words unexpectedly calmed Sun Xuelin. "Do you know how to modify mechs?"
"A bit!" Ye Chong replied.
Sun Xuelin continued, "Mm, we’d like to ask for your help. Our school is having the MP Games [1] next week, and there’s a section where a mech modification technician is needed. I’d like to ask for your help!"
"Ask for my help?" Ye Chong looked at the duo.
Oddly, against Ye Chong’s flat stare, Sun Xuelin grew anxious again. "Yes, we’d like to ask for your help!"
Ye Chong gave it a thought before answering, "Oh, sure, but I charge 1,250 zuan per hour!"
Sun Xuelin was stupefied, but quickly turned furious. "You, you … Are you charging for helping out? You, you … I didn’t think you were someone like this! Hmph, I guess we’re wrong about you!" She spoke in pure disdain. Xiu also lifted her gaze towards Ye Chong in astonishment, obviously surprised by his reaction.
Against the duo’s expressions, Ye Chong frowned a little. "What did I do wrong this time?" Ye Chong had actually offered to charge at half the market rate, since he did not actually have a modification technician’s license.
Ye Chong asked in his mind, "Mu, I thought a fair deal was one of the most basic rules?"
Mu replied, "Based on my information, you’re absolutely right. However, most people believe that charging a friend when helping them is disgraceful!"
Ye Chong was confused. "Are they my friends?"
Mu had no intention of helping him on this one. "That is for you to decide!"
Ye Chong decisively announced, "Of course not!" Friends? What a joke, we’re not even that familiar with them. No matter how I see it, they were not friends! And if they were not friends, then charging for my service was reasonable. What’s so strange about that?
Since he did not commit any mistakes, Ye Chong had no intention of further discussion. He gave the two a flat look and declared, "You’re welcome to leave!" before turning his back to them.
Sun Xuelin paled in anger, and dragged Xiu along and left.
The conflict did not affect Ye Chong in the slightest. After greeting Grandpa Qian, he began his leisurely stroll to the streets. Ye Chong was not as dazed as he was before on the streets. Instead, he now felt comfortable; people-watching had become a great hobby of his, one that he found to be quite interesting.
Grandpa Xu’s place was some distance away from Grandpa Qian’s little shop. If he kept at his speed, the trip would take too long. Ye Chong decidedly picked up his pace and began running. He did not run too fast, for he was no longer as ignorant as before to understand that his speed was simply too incredible when compared to the average person! The first engulfer to attract attention gets the death sentence - this was a truth that Ye Chong understood. "Ah, if I have a mech to use I wouldn’t need to walk!" Ye Chong felt dispirited as he recalled the white mech. It was a pity that he only had a training mech. If he had a Black Cove war mech, Ye Chong was certain that he could definitely finish off his opponent!
If Mu agreed to help him, Ye Chong believed that the white mech would not stand a chance. However, Mu had been insistent in his refusal, and Ye Chong felt odd about his reaction!
Ye Chong leisurely ran on the streets, his breathing rhythmic and entirely unaffected. This level of exertion was nothing to Ye Chong. His strange physique was something that puzzled even Mu, but Ye Chong did not feel that he was in any way abnormal. The way he saw it, since it was something beneficial, it did not matter if he did not understand why!
Grandpa Xu’s house was getting nearer, just around the corner. The last time Elder Xu hyperlinked to the virtual net, he had spread the news of YC’s whereabouts on Blue Ocean to his other old companions. They were at once jealous and envious of Elder Xu, and a few of them even proclaimed to visit Blue Ocean one day to see Ye Chong. As for the few who were already residing on Blue Ocean, but in other zones, they had offered their addresses to Ye Chong and invited him to visit anytime.
Ye Chong felt comfortable with the academic atmosphere during his discussion with Grandpa Xu, and he relished it. The thought of meeting with Grandpa Xu soon made him a little excited.
Mu suddenly spoke up to Ye Chong when he was heading straight towards Grandpa Xu’s house. "Ye, careful, stay away! There are four mechs monitoring the area! There’s also another person, probably the commander."
Ye Chong felt a chill down his spine, and asked frantically, "Where?" Ye Chong did not change his pace, and walked pass Grandpa Xu’s house like any other passerby, never slowing down.
Mu replied, "There’s one at the top of the highrise on the opposite side of the road, and another two at 120 degrees from the first one. There’s also someone in the highrise directly opposite of Grandpa Xu’s house, on the twenty first floor. This one’s probably the commander!" "The commander, I must get rid of him first, and do so without alerting the rest, or risk complications!" Ye Chong assessed the situation.
Ye Chong thought with contempt, "Hmph, are these people looking for trouble with Grandpa Xu? Probably so! Hmm, no matter how you look at it, they’re definitely here with ill intentions! And if they’re here with ill intentions, then …"
Ye Chong continued running leisurely, calmly, with all signs of normalcy.
When he reached the tall building directly opposite Grandpa Xu’s house, Ye Chong came to a stop and entered the building.
Ye Chong found a self-service inquiry photon processor in the corner of the main reception, pretending to look up some information. Two seconds later, Mu had already hacked into the photon processor.
The original image on the screen suddenly vanished, replaced by the building’s complete structural schematics. The surveillance commander was on the twenty first floor, Room 065. Mu had also indicated the locations of all the surveillance devices. The building’s surveillance system was fairly complete, with a large coverage area and very few blind spots. To enter the building discretely would not be an easy task.
Ye Chong clearly remembered the idea of evidence as Mu once described. He asked, "Mu, if I’m recorded in the system, can you wipe them out?"
"Based on available information, the success rate is above 97 percent!" Mu sounded exceedingly confident.
Ye Chong considered the situation. "Then if I can wipe out all my records before they notice, does it mean that they won’t figure out who did it?"
Mu replied after a moment, "Based on my calculations, there’s a 79 percent probability that they would not notice you, but there is still another 21 percent probability of finding you out through other means."
After some pondering, Ye Chong decided, "If that’s the case, then we’ll make the first move. We’ll not wait for them to come to us, but get to them first!" Ye Chong had no concept of striking after an opponent’s move; since he had confirmed the opponent’s hostility, he would not hesitate to act. His words were filled with confidence and dominance - Ye Chong was like a wild beast ready to put on a fight!
Mu had no objections to his plan!
After deciding on the course of action, Ye Chong began his move.
He moved quickly to the twenty first floor, and came before the door of Room 065. The door was well secured, and while Ye Chong was confident he could break through this particular type of alloy metal, the act would alert the room’s inhabitant. With the enemy alerted, his position would be compromised, and Ye Chong doubted he could best four mechs surrounding him at once. He must eliminate the person in the room first, in order to greatly reduce the probability of him being surrounded and attacked.
The problem was, how could he eliminate this person without alerting the other four?
Translator’s notes:
[1] MP Games: Mech Pilots’ Games is an event like sports day, but for mech pilots