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43. Beast Flesh’s Weak Point
"Tang... General Fred?!"
Inside the operations command room, many members of the Thunder Division gazed at the mecha on the screen, their eyes filled with astonishment.
"General Tang Fred's mecha is not a B-class, right?"
"Who's the pilot? Does the Thunder Division have a sixth Titan pilot?"
"Could it be Miao Feiyan?"
Miao Feiyan was the Titan pilot who had been investigated for dereliction of duty.
"It can't be him. Miao Feiyan's pilot qualification has already been revoked, and he's not in Shangjing City now. Moreover..."
Moreover, Miao Feiyan wasn't this strong.
The rest of the sentence went unspoken, but others understood the implication.
"Wait a minute, this doesn't seem to be a Thunder Division mecha."
Amidst the noisy discussions, an observant commander noticed the emblem on General Tang Fred's shoulder armor.
Another commander quickly zoomed in on the image and searched for relevant records on the workstation's holographic display.
"Found it. This is a privately registered mecha from the Lu Yanta Group, a modified Tang Fred General. It's also the showcase model we used when ordering the KSC system from the Lu Yanta Group... According to the records, these two mechas are currently registered under the name of Ms. Rong Ci's only son, You Jia."
Everyone in the room exchanged puzzled looks.
If they remembered correctly, wasn't You Jia a student in this batch of mecha combat class? His previous performance hadn't been particularly outstanding. How did he suddenly become this powerful?
And it wasn't just a little improvement...
"It's not You Jia," Zou Quanzong suddenly spoke.
He looked at the figure on the screen, and the slight frown on his deep and weathered brow relaxed a bit. There was a hint of satisfaction in his experienced and profound eyes.
...
"Who are you?"
Wen Kang had narrowly escaped death, but his expression wasn't one of relief. Instead, he asked cautiously.
"W-wait for me..."
You Jia's voice came over the comm. In the distance, another General Tang Fred was approaching rapidly, with somewhat clumsy steps.
In fact, You Jia's mecha piloting skills weren't bad at all. Compared to the Thunder Division's official pilots, he was considered competent. It's just that, with Ji Mingzhu in the lead and both of them using the same model, there was no comparison without some hurt feelings. In contrast to Ji Mingzhu's swift and heroic maneuvers with the soaring blade, he seemed as unsteady as a toddler taking its first steps.
Ji Mingzhu came to a halt, and his gaze shifted away from You Jia. Facing Wen Kang's question, he responded calmly, "Just a passerby influenced by *Lei Feng."
*Lei Feng was a soldier in the People's Liberation Army who was the object of several major propaganda campaigns in China. The most well-known of these campaigns in 1963 promoted the slogan, "Follow the examples of Comrade Lei Feng."
Wen Kang: "?"
"What are you saying?"
"Here they come."
Before Wen Kang could respond, Ji Mingzhu adjusted the pistol in his hand, turned abruptly, and left a fierce arc of crimson light in the air. The blue glow of the power core flashed, and with a sharp "clang," the incoming fleshy tentacles were deflected.
This attack had no effect, and the Beast Flesh seemed to grow angrier. Its countless writhing tentacles descended upon the two like a torrent, interweaving into a dense and overwhelming barrage. Each massive tentacle cast an intimidating shadow, sending shivers down anyone's spine who watched.
Wen Kang didn't have time to ask any more questions. He reacted quickly, fortunate that his mecha had relatively low damage. With the strength of an S-class armor, he could trust it. He pushed the control stick to the left, causing his mecha to leap to the side and avoid the attacking tentacles.
General Tang Fred couldn't dodge as easily as an S-class mecha, but Ji Mingzhu remained calm. Despite being disadvantaged in terms of agility, his massive mecha suddenly demonstrated an incredible level of dexterity. His moves were fluid and flawless, akin to a gymnast's performance, as he skillfully manipulated the controls.
An S-class mecha, a modified A-class mecha, one on the left and one on the right, one above and one below, both launched an attack on the Beast Flesh simultaneously.
The people in the command room of the Calamity Control Bureau and the residents of the underground shelter were stunned for a moment. They had never seen anyone operate a General Tang Fred with such ease and grace, making a twenty-meter-tall mecha appear as agile as a gymnast.
"Don't just stand there," Ji Mingzhu shouted at Wen Kang through the public channel. "Help!"
At the same time, an unexpectedly calm voice sounded in his mind. "Target identified, height 114 meters, attack range temporarily undetectable. Predicted weak points: left front bulging tumor 54%, central recessed crack 77%. Calculating attack path and angle..."
Wen Kang was momentarily startled by the sudden shout from Ji Mingzhu. However, he didn't have time to question it. He quickly responded by activating his S-class mecha. With a swift movement of its mechanical arms, two sharp longswords sprang out, one from each side. Then, with both hands coming together, the two straight blades merged into a large sword. With a resounding sonic boom, Wen Kang swung it viciously toward the approaching Beast Flesh tentacle!
"Communication request from the Calamity Control Bureau Thunder Division command room. Do you want to accept it?"
Amidst the intense battle, Axiu's voice rang out.
Ji Mingzhu was fully focused on piloting. Without lifting his head, he responded, "Accept."
"Pilot Ji Mingzhu."
The communication channel was successfully connected, and Zuo Quanzong's voice came through the cockpit.
It wasn't addressed to "Ji Mingzhu" or "Mr. Ji Mingzhu," but specifically "Pilot Ji Mingzhu."
Ji Mingzhu: "Good afternoon, Red Guard Commander."
Zuo Quanzong hesitated for a moment. He hadn't expected Ji Mingzhu to calmly exchange greetings in the midst of such a fierce battle.
However, there was no time for idle chatter. Zuo Quanzong quickly said, "You have two A-class mechas heading to your 8 o'clock position. Other S-class mechas are helping to delay the Titans. You need to break through as quickly as possible and coordinate your attack on point C74..."
In an instant, a densely packed tactical map was transmitted and appeared in front of Ji Mingzhu.
Ji Mingzhu glanced at it and quickly understood the complex tactical map, thanks to his status as a top professional player. "Got it," he said, and then swiftly toggled a few switches. Gripping the control lever, he pulled it back forcefully.
General Tang Fred suddenly erupted with a sound resembling steel friction. Its forward charge suddenly turned into a lateral movement to the right. Then, under Ji Mingzhu's control, General Tang Fred shot out even faster. The railgun cleared a path, and the shells followed suit, creating a path through the dense onslaught of tentacles.
"Leapfrog variation pace?" Wen Kang exclaimed as he watched.
Guided by the comprehensive perspective of the command headquarters, Ji Mingzhu's objectives became clearer. Despite being just an A-class machine, under his guidance, General Tang Fred had the presence of an S-class mecha. Faced with the suppression of the enemy's aura, he reacted quickly, tearing through the weak points of the force field, breaking through the blockade, and moving as if the field were empty!
Clang!
The Horse-Chopping Saber produced sparks as it grazed past the tentacles, and in the next moment, Ji Mingzhu saw two other mechas.
Without speaking, an unspoken understanding flowed among the three drivers, and all three mechas simultaneously engaged their overclocking systems and struck at the same time.
Three streaks of sword light rose, converging from different directions. With a resounding "crack," several wildly thrashing tentacles fell to the ground.
"Red Guard Commander!"
A commander looked up with joy on his face. "We... we might actually have a chance!"
The previously gloomy command room suddenly seemed to have a glimmer of hope on everyone's faces because of Ji Mingzhu's arrival.
Zuo Quanzong didn't say a word, nor did he pour cold water on the situation. He appeared calm, but he sighed inwardly.
If Ji Mingzhu were piloting an S-class mecha, there might still be some hope. However, an A-class mecha's effectiveness in such a battle was limited, especially given Zhu Jiuyin's current state. It couldn't last until Ji Mingzhu and the others defeated it one by one.
Even if Zuo Quanzong wanted to switch Ji Mingzhu to an S-class mecha, there was no time to do so in the current situation.
"Red Guard Commander."
Ji Mingzhu's voice came through the communication channel from the other end. "There are too many tentacles. Even if we cut them off, it won't cause much harm to the Titans. We must attack their weak points. I feel there's about a fifty percent chance that the left front bulging tumor is a weak point, and the central recessed crack might be around seventy to eighty percent..."
Ji Mingzhu relayed the data calculated by Axiu directly.
"No need for 'perhaps’."
Zuo Quanzong replied, his mouth twitching slightly. "The central recessed crack is definitely its weak point. Classmate Ji Mingzhu, didn't you pay attention in class?"
Ji Mingzhu: "..."
Axiu: "..."
Previous | TOC | Next |
43. Beast Flesh’s Weak Point
"Tang... General Fred?!"
Inside the operations command room, many members of the Thunder Division gazed at the mecha on the screen, their eyes filled with astonishment.
"General Tang Fred's mecha is not a B-class, right?"
"Who's the pilot? Does the Thunder Division have a sixth Titan pilot?"
"Could it be Miao Feiyan?"
Miao Feiyan was the Titan pilot who had been investigated for dereliction of duty.
"It can't be him. Miao Feiyan's pilot qualification has already been revoked, and he's not in Shangjing City now. Moreover..."
Moreover, Miao Feiyan wasn't this strong.
The rest of the sentence went unspoken, but others understood the implication.
"Wait a minute, this doesn't seem to be a Thunder Division mecha."
Amidst the noisy discussions, an observant commander noticed the emblem on General Tang Fred's shoulder armor.
Another commander quickly zoomed in on the image and searched for relevant records on the workstation's holographic display.
"Found it. This is a privately registered mecha from the Lu Yanta Group, a modified Tang Fred General. It's also the showcase model we used when ordering the KSC system from the Lu Yanta Group... According to the records, these two mechas are currently registered under the name of Ms. Rong Ci's only son, You Jia."
Everyone in the room exchanged puzzled looks.
If they remembered correctly, wasn't You Jia a student in this batch of mecha combat class? His previous performance hadn't been particularly outstanding. How did he suddenly become this powerful?
And it wasn't just a little improvement...
"It's not You Jia," Zou Quanzong suddenly spoke.
He looked at the figure on the screen, and the slight frown on his deep and weathered brow relaxed a bit. There was a hint of satisfaction in his experienced and profound eyes.
...
"Who are you?"
Wen Kang had narrowly escaped death, but his expression wasn't one of relief. Instead, he asked cautiously.
"W-wait for me..."
You Jia's voice came over the comm. In the distance, another General Tang Fred was approaching rapidly, with somewhat clumsy steps.
In fact, You Jia's mecha piloting skills weren't bad at all. Compared to the Thunder Division's official pilots, he was considered competent. It's just that, with Ji Mingzhu in the lead and both of them using the same model, there was no comparison without some hurt feelings. In contrast to Ji Mingzhu's swift and heroic maneuvers with the soaring blade, he seemed as unsteady as a toddler taking its first steps.
Ji Mingzhu came to a halt, and his gaze shifted away from You Jia. Facing Wen Kang's question, he responded calmly, "Just a passerby influenced by *Lei Feng."
*Lei Feng was a soldier in the People's Liberation Army who was the object of several major propaganda campaigns in China. The most well-known of these campaigns in 1963 promoted the slogan, "Follow the examples of Comrade Lei Feng."
Wen Kang: "?"
"What are you saying?"
"Here they come."
Before Wen Kang could respond, Ji Mingzhu adjusted the pistol in his hand, turned abruptly, and left a fierce arc of crimson light in the air. The blue glow of the power core flashed, and with a sharp "clang," the incoming fleshy tentacles were deflected.
This attack had no effect, and the Beast Flesh seemed to grow angrier. Its countless writhing tentacles descended upon the two like a torrent, interweaving into a dense and overwhelming barrage. Each massive tentacle cast an intimidating shadow, sending shivers down anyone's spine who watched.
Wen Kang didn't have time to ask any more questions. He reacted quickly, fortunate that his mecha had relatively low damage. With the strength of an S-class armor, he could trust it. He pushed the control stick to the left, causing his mecha to leap to the side and avoid the attacking tentacles.
General Tang Fred couldn't dodge as easily as an S-class mecha, but Ji Mingzhu remained calm. Despite being disadvantaged in terms of agility, his massive mecha suddenly demonstrated an incredible level of dexterity. His moves were fluid and flawless, akin to a gymnast's performance, as he skillfully manipulated the controls.
An S-class mecha, a modified A-class mecha, one on the left and one on the right, one above and one below, both launched an attack on the Beast Flesh simultaneously.
The people in the command room of the Calamity Control Bureau and the residents of the underground shelter were stunned for a moment. They had never seen anyone operate a General Tang Fred with such ease and grace, making a twenty-meter-tall mecha appear as agile as a gymnast.
"Don't just stand there," Ji Mingzhu shouted at Wen Kang through the public channel. "Help!"
At the same time, an unexpectedly calm voice sounded in his mind. "Target identified, height 114 meters, attack range temporarily undetectable. Predicted weak points: left front bulging tumor 54%, central recessed crack 77%. Calculating attack path and angle..."
Wen Kang was momentarily startled by the sudden shout from Ji Mingzhu. However, he didn't have time to question it. He quickly responded by activating his S-class mecha. With a swift movement of its mechanical arms, two sharp longswords sprang out, one from each side. Then, with both hands coming together, the two straight blades merged into a large sword. With a resounding sonic boom, Wen Kang swung it viciously toward the approaching Beast Flesh tentacle!
"Communication request from the Calamity Control Bureau Thunder Division command room. Do you want to accept it?"
Amidst the intense battle, Axiu's voice rang out.
Ji Mingzhu was fully focused on piloting. Without lifting his head, he responded, "Accept."
"Pilot Ji Mingzhu."
The communication channel was successfully connected, and Zuo Quanzong's voice came through the cockpit.
It wasn't addressed to "Ji Mingzhu" or "Mr. Ji Mingzhu," but specifically "Pilot Ji Mingzhu."
Ji Mingzhu: "Good afternoon, Red Guard Commander."
Zuo Quanzong hesitated for a moment. He hadn't expected Ji Mingzhu to calmly exchange greetings in the midst of such a fierce battle.
However, there was no time for idle chatter. Zuo Quanzong quickly said, "You have two A-class mechas heading to your 8 o'clock position. Other S-class mechas are helping to delay the Titans. You need to break through as quickly as possible and coordinate your attack on point C74..."
In an instant, a densely packed tactical map was transmitted and appeared in front of Ji Mingzhu.
Ji Mingzhu glanced at it and quickly understood the complex tactical map, thanks to his status as a top professional player. "Got it," he said, and then swiftly toggled a few switches. Gripping the control lever, he pulled it back forcefully.
General Tang Fred suddenly erupted with a sound resembling steel friction. Its forward charge suddenly turned into a lateral movement to the right. Then, under Ji Mingzhu's control, General Tang Fred shot out even faster. The railgun cleared a path, and the shells followed suit, creating a path through the dense onslaught of tentacles.
"Leapfrog variation pace?" Wen Kang exclaimed as he watched.
Guided by the comprehensive perspective of the command headquarters, Ji Mingzhu's objectives became clearer. Despite being just an A-class machine, under his guidance, General Tang Fred had the presence of an S-class mecha. Faced with the suppression of the enemy's aura, he reacted quickly, tearing through the weak points of the force field, breaking through the blockade, and moving as if the field were empty!
Clang!
The Horse-Chopping Saber produced sparks as it grazed past the tentacles, and in the next moment, Ji Mingzhu saw two other mechas.
Without speaking, an unspoken understanding flowed among the three drivers, and all three mechas simultaneously engaged their overclocking systems and struck at the same time.
Three streaks of sword light rose, converging from different directions. With a resounding "crack," several wildly thrashing tentacles fell to the ground.
"Red Guard Commander!"
A commander looked up with joy on his face. "We... we might actually have a chance!"
The previously gloomy command room suddenly seemed to have a glimmer of hope on everyone's faces because of Ji Mingzhu's arrival.
Zuo Quanzong didn't say a word, nor did he pour cold water on the situation. He appeared calm, but he sighed inwardly.
If Ji Mingzhu were piloting an S-class mecha, there might still be some hope. However, an A-class mecha's effectiveness in such a battle was limited, especially given Zhu Jiuyin's current state. It couldn't last until Ji Mingzhu and the others defeated it one by one.
Even if Zuo Quanzong wanted to switch Ji Mingzhu to an S-class mecha, there was no time to do so in the current situation.
"Red Guard Commander."
Ji Mingzhu's voice came through the communication channel from the other end. "There are too many tentacles. Even if we cut them off, it won't cause much harm to the Titans. We must attack their weak points. I feel there's about a fifty percent chance that the left front bulging tumor is a weak point, and the central recessed crack might be around seventy to eighty percent..."
Ji Mingzhu relayed the data calculated by Axiu directly.
"No need for 'perhaps’."
Zuo Quanzong replied, his mouth twitching slightly. "The central recessed crack is definitely its weak point. Classmate Ji Mingzhu, didn't you pay attention in class?"
Ji Mingzhu: "..."
Axiu: "..."
