“Chapter Eighty-Four”

"Chapter Eighty-Four"

"As soon as the bid of fourteen million was placed, the three-day auction was almost prematurely concluded."

"Baisha quickly received the contact details of the bidder, facilitated by the auction site which monitored the entire transaction process."

"After some thought, Baisha took the initiative to send a message."

"[Eternal Luck: Hello.]"

"The response came quickly."

"[z3218: Greetings, Master!]"

"Baisha noted that the bidder's name was merely an initial set of numbers, suggesting they either seldom visited auction sites or this was their first participation in an auction."

"[z3218: Your work is simply perfect. I didn't expect to come across such an impeccable design just by casually browsing the website...]"

"The other party sent a continuous stream of praise, totaling two hundred words."

"Baisha was astounded by their enthusiasm. She knew that while exceptional mech weapon designs were rare, their rarity stemmed from their limited number and high cost. Those willing to spend such an amount usually prefer to pay a bit more for custom designs. Yet, finding a design that perfectly matches one's taste and successfully purchasing it at a standard price—though rare—was indeed a win. However, this buyer's aggressive bidding had eliminated that small profit."

"[Eternal Luck: Thank you for your appreciation. I can see you really like this design.]"

"[z3218: Yes, I have a feeling that this weapon and I will be a perfect match. Moreover, I'll be heading to the frontlines to fight Star Worms soon, so it's the perfect time to upgrade my mech weapons. Your design is incredibly practical.]"

"Anyone would be pleased by such sincere praise, and Baisha was no exception. She paused for a moment, then continued typing: [Given your straightforward bidding, I can help you further tailor this mech weapon. If you trust me, you can send over the external schematics of your current mech for me to look at.]"

"This was essentially an additional service—after purchasing a weapon design, buyers would still need to make minor adjustments based on their mech's external setup. Now, Baisha could help the buyer with this step, making the adjusted design ready for weapon fabrication."

"[z3218: Then I should pay you an additional fee for this adjustment.]"

"[Eternal Luck: No need. I can tell you're not short on funds, but consider this a gesture from me. After all, this is the first time I'm selling a design to someone else.]"

"[z3218: I have the data, one moment.]"

"The buyer quickly sent over the external schematics and data sheet for their mech."

"It was a beast-shaped mech, resembling a giant pink gorilla at first glance."

"This mech had undergone special exterior modifications, making it look more like a round, fluffy toy, despite retaining the power structure of a beast-shaped mech."

Baisha: "..."

"She could almost imagine the pink-furred gorilla majestically wielding a long sword amidst a horde of Star Worms."

"[z3218: What do you think, Master? Isn't my mech adorable?]"

"[Eternal Luck: It certainly has a unique style...]"

"[z3218: Well, let me tell you, I am indeed a serious person. But anyone who's been on the battlefield knows, Star Worms are the complete opposite of our aesthetic. Seeing Star Worms all day either bores you to tears or sickens you. My mech at least offers some comfort. Without it, I couldn't bear it.]"

"Baisha roughly understood that this person was an advocate of aesthetics above all else."

"[Eternal Luck: Alright, in that case, I'll adjust the design for you. Do you prefer a lavish style or a cute one?]"

"Baisha organized the client's design requirements and promised to deliver the revised drafts promptly."

"[z3218: I'm currently involved in the quad-school election and might not be able to contact you at all times. Just send me the revised design, and I'll check it as soon as I'm free.]"

Baisha: "..."

"So, this person is also a military academy student?"

"But thinking about it, their manner of speaking did fit the profile of a military academy student."

"Considering the timeline, the person should be two grades above Baisha, about to undertake a field internship after this quad-school election."

"Such a flamboyant mech, Baisha had never heard of it in Tianquan Military Academy... This must be a student from another academy."

"Baisha said no more, bid farewell to the other party, and then logged off."

"Half of the fourteen million auction payment, serving as a deposit, was already transferred to her account. Looking at the added zeros in her account, Baisha reflected: Indeed, being a mech engineer is lucrative."

"Considering she had already spent several days on Yodou Star, and the quad-school election restarted on other planets was nearly over, she decided to focus on the remaining days to complete the modifications. Thus, she was even less inclined to step out of her workshop. Her meals were delivered to her door by her servants, which she retrieved whenever she remembered, to avoid interruptions during her peak creative moments."

"After forty-eight hours like this, the Emperor, out of patience, personally came to the workshop to fetch her."

"'What is this situation?' Cecil Roning pulled her away from the console, forcing Baisha to turn her chair to face her displeased uncle, 'Are you planning to become a mushroom growing in this workshop?'"

"Baisha smoothly twirled her design pen in her hand and stretched her slightly stiff neck: 'That's quite an exaggeration.'"

"Emperor: 'Since you've been back, haven't you always been holed up in this workshop every day?'"

"Baisha: 'Well, I am working, aren't I? That's how mech engineers are.'"

"Emperor: '...? Do you really need to toil day and night in the workshop?' He pointed to the hibernation pod not far from the console."

"Baisha glanced in the direction of the hibernation pod and said with feigned profundity, 'You don't understand, Uncle. Ever heard of the legendary mech engineer Jiang Gui? He also slept directly in his workshop. And he only had a sleeping chair, not even a hibernation pod prepared.'"

"'What's the use of a sleep pod if you've barely slept more than five hours in these two days?' the Emperor frowned slightly. 'What are you so busy with?'"

"Baisha was slightly stunned: Had she really slept only a few hours in the past two days?"

"Looking back, she realized she had indeed been in a strange state of excitement during this time. Perhaps it was the high sale price of her design, or the contact with the client, reviving the feeling of her previous life's corporate grind; or maybe since returning from the Han family, she was trying to keep herself busy to avoid dwelling on thoughts about the Grand Princess and the Silver Core."

"Yawning, Baisha casually replied, 'I've been busy with the auction and modifying designs. My design just sold for fourteen million—'"

"Emperor: 'I'll pay double. Now, immediately, go back to your chamber and sleep.'"

"Baisha sprang up from her chair and saluted the Emperor: 'As you command.'"

"...A joke, twice fourteen million—that's almost thirty million! How could she not seize such an opportunity to earn?"

"Returning to her chamber, she stroked a few cats in the hall. Dozens of cats of various shapes and sizes circled around her, posing coquettishly and meowing. She picked a fluffy one, and a servant promptly scooped up the cat, carrying it to her bedroom as if it were a favored concubine for the night."

"The cat bounced between the sofa and the bed. It was its first time in Baisha's bedroom, boldly inspecting its 'new territory,' determined to sniff every corner before resting."

"Baisha sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought, feeling not the least bit sleepy. She opened her design software again—she had promised to design a mech weapon for Xino..."

"'Meow.'"

"Just then, a sharp meow caught Baisha's attention."

"Turning around, she saw the cat squatting on the bed, cautiously extending its paw, scratching at something. Beneath its paw, glints of metal-like reflections twinkled."

"Baisha, fearing the cat might have bitten off a metal ornament from the headboard and risk ingesting it, climbed onto the bed to check."

"The bed was large enough to accommodate three or four people. Her elbow sank into the soft deep blue duvet, her fingertips touching something cold."

"It was a light gold metal chip, with black lines forming a complex pattern across its surface."

"The chip was clearly designed to be inserted into a holographic computer."

"Holding the chip, Baisha pondered for a moment before placing it into her computer’s slot. Only after the computer scanned and deemed it safe did she choose to access its contents."

"Fizz and crackle."

"The computer automatically initiated a holographic scene reading mode, with countless vertical blue lines flowing in front of her, quickly weaving into a complete scene."

"The scene appeared to be set in a personal training room, with exercise equipment, weapons, and a small mech neatly arranged in the spacious area. A woman with long silver hair sat cross-legged on the grey floor, lazily lifting her deep blue eyes to look in Baisha’s direction."

"She wore a simple yet radiant combat suit."

"'Cough, cough, this video was recorded for my brother, Cecil Roning, as a training lesson. Originally, I intended to include this chip in my 'Royal Assets,' so that my descendants who inherit my assets could also access it at any time. But I doubt my brother would be willing to share this information with others...' the woman said with a smile, 'But what the heck. I should assume there are others in my audience.'"

"Baisha stared at the woman’s smiling face, quickly realizing who it was."

"—This was Xipes Roning!"

"'Alright, just kidding. Cecil, you don't need to be upset; this course is tailored for you. Of course, if my descendants do get this chip, they should choose what they need from the specific course catalog...' Xipes Roning raised a hand to scratch her temple. 'This series of lessons should continue to be recorded? Probably.'"

"The holographic projection boasted technology that could almost perfectly replicate a person's appearance and voice."

"For a moment, Baisha felt as though Xipes could actually see her."

"But Xipes continued speaking to herself, her gaze fixed on a point in the void."

"'Considering that I will be interning in the warzone for the next year and won't be able to return to Yodou Star, and you, Cecil, are at a crucial point of entering school, I will share with you the knowledge and battlefield experiences I have gathered over the years. Whether from the perspective of a commander or a warrior…'"

"'Don’t be disheartened by not being able to catch up with my pace, dear brother. My strength is, after all, unparalleled—alright, alright, I believe that given time, you too will become a ‘Roning’ that makes me proud. I have never doubted this. So stop being so stubborn.'"

"Xipes's eyes reflected a star-like twinkle in her smile."

"'I promise, no matter where I end up, whether on the Empire's frontiers or in far-flung unknown starfields, I will wait for the day you catch up to me.'"

"'...We will fight side by side.'"