Borrow

"What did you need me for? Or did you want to have a simulated battle with me? That would be great!"

"I..."

"Hmm?"

"..."

Rosen had originally planned to make up some excuse and borrow the last Pilot Suit Raleigh Beckett had left behind from Angie. But when Angie looked up at him with those crystal-clear eyes, Rosen felt nothing but guilt and loss.

Lie to her? I...

I can't do it.

Rosen sighed inwardly.

Ever since Rosen's genius halo had faded, most of those who had once treated him with respect had quietly disappeared. He was no longer the center of discussion, nor was he a role model for the younger trainees. The people around him who could still be called friends... perhaps he could count them on one hand.

Angie Beckett was certainly one of them.

Because of Rosen's mentor, the two of them had been close since childhood. Back then, Rosen had not only been proud and arrogant, but also famously protective of his own.

Even now, Rosen remembered how, when they were children, he would often challenge Jaeger pilots who had already come of age just to help Angie secure seats in the simulation training room. Though he usually ended up getting beaten half to death, it had awakened his competitive spirit and talent for battle early on, laying the foundation for his future path as a Jaeger pilot. And Angie had never cared about so-called data. Only the strong could earn her respect.

In that regard, the two of them were a perfect match, bringing out the best in each other.

He did not want to lie to this true friend of his anymore.

Rosen seemed to have made up his mind. He gently grabbed Angie's arm, then looked up and swept the Tang Brothers with a provocative gaze, as if declaring his claim over Angie.

The Tang Brothers' reactions were equally spectacular—Tang Jia shot to his feet, murderous intent blazing in his eyes. His broad, burly build was the complete opposite of the FL he piloted.

Tang Yi, on the other hand, appeared much calmer. Faced with Rosen's provocation, he rose with a cold expression and reached out to stop Tang Jia, who was ready to make a scene, before whispering a few words to him.

As for what they discussed, it was nothing more than how they would deal with Rosen later... even an idiot could have guessed that.

But Rosen was not afraid in the slightest.

If he successfully activated Kunlun, everyone's status would return to equal footing. That would be ideal.

If he truly could no longer pilot a Jaeger, then as a researcher, he would have little chance of meeting the Tang Brothers again anyway.

Getting these two troublesome people out of the way was Rosen's top priority.

"Pah!"

Tang Jia made a throat-slitting gesture at Rosen, while Tang Yi sneered. The two of them finally left afterward.

Rosen finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly led Angie aside.

"Angie, I want to borrow my mentor's Pilot Suit."

"Pilot Suit?" Angie blinked her large eyes, looking at Rosen in confusion. Then she instinctively repeated, "You want the Pilot Suit?"

"That's right. That thing."

"But aren't you..." At that point, Angie's little mouth fell open slightly, as though she understood something. "You want to..."

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

Angie was stunned for a moment, but then she smiled at Rosen, revealing her gleaming white teeth.

"Haha, why make it sound so serious? Isn't it just Dad's Pilot Suit? He said long ago that he would give it to you all." This time, Angie took Rosen's hand. "Come on. Remember to keep me company for simulation practice later~"

But Angie suddenly realized she could not pull Rosen along. Rosen was staring blankly at her, as if lost in thought.

"What's wrong?" Angie could not help asking.

"Nothing." Rosen smiled as well. "Maybe... all those beatings I took back then... weren't for nothing."

"What are you talking about?"

"Forget it."

By the time the two returned to the second floor of the Shatterdome, evening had already passed. Every light in the base had been switched on, illuminating the place brightly.

It had been less than seven hours since he had left the official trainee residential area, yet he had unexpectedly returned already. Life truly was unpredictable, Rosen reflected.

The pilots' residential area was right next to the official trainees' quarters, but its security measures were far stricter than those in other areas. There were more than a dozen dedicated guards alone, not to mention countless surveillance cameras and other security measures.

It could not be helped. Pilots bore the mission of saving the world, and outstanding pilots had always been scarce. There were many trainees, but very few exceptional ones. Most failed at the Sync Rate requirement.

At best, they could become reserve pilots and take over only after official pilots were killed or injured. But as the old saying went—when the Jaeger was destroyed, its pilot died.

The Jaeger was always destroyed first, and then the pilot died. Once the Jaeger was gone, even having a reserve pilot left was of little use.

Standing outside Angie's room, Rosen could not help feeling excited—he was about to get his mentor's Pilot Suit.

But when Angie opened the door, a voice from inside doused Rosen's enthusiasm like a bucket of cold water.

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

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

"Big Sister, look who I brought!"

Angie happily pulled Rosen over and brought him before Lin Yin, but when the two met...

Lin Yin was lounging leisurely on the sofa in grayish-white casual clothes, her long hair casually draped to one side. She held an outdated comic book in her hands, reading it while munching on snacks.

And when she saw the awkward-looking Rosen appear before her... the hand reaching for the snack bag froze in midair.

"..."

"..."

The two stared at each other in silence.

Then Lin Yin raised a slender hand and expressionlessly pointed at the door.

"Get out."

Then she shifted her gaze back to the comic in her hands.

She really had not changed at all. She could always sum up everything in a single sentence, Rosen thought.

"You two... what is this..." Angie stood there dumbfounded. She looked at Lin Yin, then at Rosen, completely at a loss.

"Angie, just bring that out for me. I'll wait by the door."

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

Rosen did not wait long at the door. Angie came out shortly afterward, carrying a black metal case in her hand.

"What exactly happened between you two?" When Angie handed the case to Rosen, she finally blinked her large eyes and could not help asking.

"I..." Rosen said shamefully, "Three years ago, Sethi and I made a bet... a bet about Lin Yin."

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

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

"And then?"

"Then we hid under Lin Yin's bed for several hours... until nightfall." Rosen paused, seemingly considering whether to say it, but in the end, he continued. "Later, Lin Yin took a shower and wrapped herself in a towel afterward. Then... the towel fell off. When she bent down to pick it up, she happened to discover us hiding under the bed."

"Oh my god!!" Angie covered her little mouth. The image Rosen described seemed to have appeared in her mind, and her face immediately flushed scarlet. "You two went way too far!"

"I know, I know... So when she told me to get out, I got out right away..." Rosen was about to explain when Angie shot him an angry glare.

"Big Sister was right! Neither of you is any good! Go back and reflect on yourselves!" Angie glared at Rosen, then slammed the door shut.

Rosen had not felt this embarrassed in a very, very long time. He had not expected that in the span of a single day, his emotions would have ridden a roller coaster.

Loss—calm—worry—hope—anger—shame.

"Sigh... At least there's one piece of good news." Rosen lowered his head and looked at the black case in his hand.

His first task had finally been completed.