Chapter Five: Doubts

Chapter 5: Suspicion

An hour later, the black columns on Luo Le's sides were removed, and the display platform descended to the floor.

"The time is up. Next, our staff will take the components away for assembly and testing. Once the performance is evaluated, we'll announce the results."

Wind City hurried over. "Brother Le, how was it?"

Luo Le furrowed his brows in deep thought. He would have to investigate when he returned home to see if there was any way to enhance his mental strength or elevate the grade of mecha construction.

Seeing that he wasn't responding, Wind City didn't press further.

"Brother Le, what's this on you... bandages? Are you hurt? I'm sorry, I was in a rush to enter just now and didn't notice. Is it serious? Should we go to the hospital?"

Luo Le had worn a hat and long-sleeved clothing today, which was why Wind City hadn't noticed anything amiss.

Luo Le glanced at the exposed bandage on his hand and said uneasily, "It's nothing, just a decoration."

"Huh?"

Before, Fengcheng had been flustered, but now with the healing pods, there was no need for such items at all.

He gave Luo Le a cryptic glance, averting his eyes before Luo Le could meet his gaze.

Brother Le had quite an unusual preference...

If he recalled correctly, bandages held another meaning, didn't they?

As the two conversed, a staff member delivered a list to the host.

"Apologies for the wait, everyone. The results are finally in... After confirmation by our esteemed mentors, in tenth place, Haiyun Duo, ninth place, Fenghe Duo... Third place, Diyu Duo... And in first place, Du Zhi Duo... Next up is our practical competition, where the final scores will be calculated based on a weighted average of these two results..."

"How can it be third? Brother Le, did you forget to include the mecha arm axis? I'll go double-check."

Fengcheng was incredulous and attempted to dash over.

Luo Le stopped him. "The practical round is about to start. You should go first."

Fengcheng watched as others descended from the stage and could only nod in agreement.

"Then, Brother Le, you should investigate the matter."

He left with those words hanging in the air.

Luo Le gazed at Wind City being drawn into the beam of light from the mecha, a hint of perplexity stirring within him.

Despite his injuries not yet fully healed, the chip he had crafted was of the A+ grade, and the other mechanical components had also reached the A level.

Even within the Empire, A+ grade chips were scarce.

Could it be that there's a reclusive mecha master on the Fifth Planet?

Luo Le shook his head, his gaze returning to the stage.

The final round of this mecha competition was decided by lottery, and they had drawn the first slot.

He would understand the situation as he watched the match unfold.

As Luo Le observed, he suddenly noticed something amiss.

He had a particular habit: the mechas he crafted would possess a unique obstacle avoidance mechanism.

When under attack, they would pause for 0.25 seconds, allowing the onboard AI to calculate the optimal evasion route and counterattack strategy.

This was achieved through a small code segment in the chip, crafted deliberately with his mental power.

It was what set his mechas apart from others.

However, Wind City's mecha didn't exhibit this behavior just now.

Luo Le frowned and approached the encircled display of performance parameters.

As he drew near, he overheard their conversation.

"Master Du, you're truly amazing! To create an A+ level chip, these specs are simply heaven-defying."

"Yes, Master Du is so young and yet so accomplished. He's bound to make a name for himself in the world of mechas!"

Du Wei waved away the compliments with a smile. "You flatter me. I still have much to learn. Compared to my grandfather, I have a long way to go."

Luo Le, standing nearby, also noticed the grade of the chip he had crafted on display: B+.