Borrowing

"What do you need me for? Or do you want to have a sparring match with me? That would be great!"

"I…"

"Hmm?"

"……"

Rosen had originally intended to find some excuse to borrow the last set of pilot suits left behind by Raleigh Beckett from Angie. However, when Angie looked up at him with her clear, fathomless eyes, Rosen felt a pang of guilt and loss.

Deceive her? I…

I can't do it.

Rosen sighed inwardly.

Ever since his genius halo faded, most of the people who had once treated him with respect had quietly disappeared. He was no longer the center of attention, nor was he a role model for the younger generation. The number of people he could still consider friends… might be countable on one hand.

Angie Beckett was certainly one of them.

Thanks to his mentor's relationship with her, the two had been close since childhood. Back then, Rosen was not only arrogant and conceited but also notoriously protective.

Rosen still remembered how, when he was young, he would often challenge adult Jaeger pilots just to help Angie secure a spot in the simulation training room. Although the outcome was usually him being beaten half to death, it had early on ignited Rosen's competitive spirit and combat talent, paving the way for his future as a Jaeger pilot. Moreover, Angie never cared about so-called data; only the strong could earn her respect.

On this point, the two were a perfect match, complementing each other.

He didn't want to lie to his true friend anymore.

Rosen seemed to have made up his mind. He gently took Angie's arm and, looking up, shot a defiant glance at the Tang Brothers, as if to assert his claim over Angie.

The Tang Brothers' reaction was equally dramatic—Tang Jia shot to his feet, his eyes blazing with hostility. His burly physique was the complete opposite of the FL he piloted.

Tang Yi, on the other hand, appeared calmer. Seeing Rosen's provocation, he stood up with a cold expression, blocking Tang Jia, who was ready to cause a scene. He then whispered a few words to Tang Jia.

As for their conversation, it was nothing more than how they would deal with Rosen in the future… anyone could figure that out.

But Rosen wasn't afraid at all.

If he managed to activate Kunlun, everyone's status would return to equal footing, which would be for the best.

If he truly couldn't pilot a Jaeger anymore, then as a researcher, he wouldn't have many opportunities to interact with the Tang Brothers in the future.

Getting rid of these two obstacles was Rosen's top priority.

"Tch!"

Tang Jia made a throat-slitting gesture in Rosen's direction, while Tang Yi smirked. The two then finally left.

Seeing this, Rosen finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly pulled Angie aside.

"Angie, I need to borrow Teacher's pilot suit."

"Pilot suit?" Angie's eyes widened in confusion as she looked at Rosen, subconsciously repeating, "You want the pilot suit?"

"That's right, that thing."

"But, aren't you…" At this point, Angie's lips parted slightly, as if she understood something. "You want to go…"

"Yes." Before Angie could finish, Rosen nodded firmly. "This is my greatest regret, and my only wish right now."

Angie was taken aback for a moment, but then she smiled at Rosen, revealing her pearly white teeth.

"Haha, why so formal? It's just Dad's pilot suit, isn't it? He said he wanted to give it to you guys a long time ago." This time, it was Angie who grabbed Rosen's hand. "Let's go, and don't forget to spar with me later~"

However, Angie suddenly found that she couldn't pull Rosen. He was staring at her blankly, as if lost in thought.

"You—What's wrong?" Angie couldn't help but ask.

"Nothing." Rosen also smiled. "Maybe… the beatings I took before… weren't in vain."

"What are you talking about?"

"Forget it."

By the time the two returned to the second floor of the Shatterdome, it was already evening. All the lights in the base were on, illuminating the area.

It had been less than 7 hours since he left the official cadet living quarters, yet here he was again. Life was truly unpredictable, Rosen mused.

The pilot living quarters were adjacent to the official cadet living quarters, but the security measures there were much stricter than in other areas. There were over a dozen dedicated guards alone, not to mention countless security measures like surveillance cameras.

It couldn't be helped. Pilots bore the mission of saving the world, and excellent pilots had always been scarce. Although there were many cadets, few were outstanding, with most failing at the Sync Rate.

At best, they could become reserve pilots, only able to replace official pilots after their deaths. But as the saying goes—the Jaeger is destroyed, and the pilot dies with it.

It was always the Jaeger that was destroyed first, and then the pilot. If the Jaeger was gone, a reserve pilot was of little use.

Standing before Angie's room, Rosen couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement—he was about to get his mentor's pilot suit.

However, when Angie opened the door, a voice from inside extinguished Rosen's enthusiasm.

"Angie, you're back?" It was a woman's voice.

Lin Yin—the name immediately popped into Rosen's mind. She had returned from Singapore.

"Sister, look who I brought!"

Angie happily pulled Rosen over, bringing him right in front of Lin Yin. But when the two met...

Lin Yin was lounging casually on the sofa, dressed in a gray and white casual outfit, her long hair casually draped to one side. She was holding an outdated comic book, reading and snacking at the same time.

And when she saw Rosen standing before her with an awkward expression... the hand reaching for the snack bag froze mid-air.

"..."

"..."

The two met eyes, a moment of silence.

Then, Lin Yin raised her delicate hand and pointed expressionlessly at the door.

"Get lost."

She then shifted her gaze back to the comic book in her hand.

She really hasn't changed at all. Always able to sum everything up in one sentence, Rosen thought.

"You two... what's going on...?" Angie was dumbfounded. She looked at Lin Yin, then at Rosen, unsure of what to do.

"Angie, just help me get that out for me. I'll wait for you at the door."

Rosen absolutely did not want to test his senior sister's patience. He patted Angie's shoulder and promptly and nimbly "got lost" out of the room.

Rosen didn't wait long at the door. Angie came out shortly after, carrying a black metal case.

"What happened between you two...?" As Angie handed the case to Rosen, she finally blinked her big eyes and couldn't help but ask.

"I..." Rosen said with some shame, "Sethi and I made a bet three years ago... a bet about Lin Yin."

"What bet?" Angie's interest was immediately piqued by Rosen's words.

"A bet on whether Lin Yin had a boyfriend."

"And then?"

"Then we hid under Lin Yin's bed for several hours... until night. Rosen paused, seeming to consider whether to say it, but finally continued, "Later, Lin Yin took a bath. After her bath, she put on a towel. Then... the towel slipped, and as she bent down to pick it up, she discovered us hiding under the bed."

"My goodness!!" Angie covered her mouth, the scene Rosen described seemingly playing out in her mind, her face immediately flushing crimson. "You guys went too far!"

"I know, I know... That's why she told me to get lost, and I left immediately..." Rosen was about to explain, but Angie threw him an angry look.

"Sister is right! None of you are good people! Go back and reflect properly!" Angie glared at Rosen and then slammed the door shut.

Rosen hadn't felt this awkward in a very, very long time. He hadn't expected his emotions to go on such a rollercoaster in just one day.

Disappointment—Calm—Worry—Hope—Anger—Shame.

"Sigh... Fortunately, there's still some good news." Rosen looked down at the black briefcase in his hands.

His first task was finally completed.