Five to One

"Sun Zheng Tang? I haven't used that name in a long time," the soldier squinted, then paused. "I go by Black Hawk now."

Throughout the entire exchange, the soldier's expression had remained unchanged. Rosen even wondered if the scars on his face had damaged his facial nerves, leaving him with a permanently blank expression.

However, the name Sun Zheng Tang was thunderous to Rosen—

Sun Zheng Tang, former pilot of the 6th generation Jaeger "Dongting." From his enlistment in 2032 to his retirement in 2039, he had participated in countless battles, large and small. He had the blood of at least 17 Kaiju on his hands. Among them, the first 7th generation Kaiju to appear on Earth, "Necromancer," had also fallen to Sun Zheng Tang's ion cannon. His combat record ranked third in China and sixth in the world, making him the undisputed "Guardian of Huaxia." Furthermore, he held the world record for the longest continuous combat engagement: 6 days and 7 nights. This achievement remained unbroken four years after his retirement.

During the last Kaiju swarm, "Dongting" and the 7th generation Kaiju "Cheetah" engaged in a fierce battle at the easternmost tip of the Jiaodong Peninsula. At the time, "Cheetah," with its strength far exceeding that of a 6th generation Jaeger, had pushed the front line hundreds of kilometers inland. Finally, "Dongting" subdued it near Shidao Bay, Shandong. However, unexpectedly, the "Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Plant" near Shidao Bay, Shandong, was also destroyed during the battle. Legend has it that the massive radiation leak from the power plant not only contaminated a large area of land but also sent a legendary great pilot tumbling from his pedestal.

Rosen didn't know if this folk tale was true. After all, when Sun Zheng Tang was at the height of his fame, Rosen was still just a student at the pilot academy.

But it didn't matter. It seemed the answer would be revealed today.

"I thought you, like Ma Nai Chao, went to teach at the pilot academy," Lin Yin, with a gun pointed at her, didn't seem very nervous. She tossed the gun off her back and said calmly.

"I hate schools, and I hate students even more," Sun Zheng Tang said, still holding the gun, his voice cold. "Enough talk, Lin Yin. Don't you owe me an explanation for your previous actions?"

"An explanation?" Lin Yin showed a knowing expression. "Hmph, is that necessary? You don't listen to anyone except your superior's orders, right?"

"You're right," Sun Zheng Tang replied. "I will arrest you for 'prison break.'"

"Then you'd better make sure your skills haven't deteriorated over the past few years."

"You can try."

Lin Yin smiled slightly, while Sun Zheng Tang stiffly pulled at the corner of his mouth.

It seemed a confrontation was unavoidable.

However, someone in the room was still oblivious to the situation.

"Hey! You're Sun... Sun Zheng Tang, right!" Newt's reaction was always a beat behind. He only snapped back to reality after their conversation ended.

But no one would respond to him anymore—because the fierce battle in the room had already begun.

Just as Lin Yin had predicted, Sun Zheng Tang wasn't so despicable as to use a handgun on an unarmed opponent—or rather, he was more confident in his own skills.

He holstered his pistol back into its strap and charged forward with a thunderous stride!

And he clearly had no intention of going easy on her. He threw a right straight punch, aimed directly at Lin Yin's face!

Lin Yin was prepared. She dodged the punch, which whistled through the air, and used a hand chop to strike Sun Zheng Tang's right armpit—this fully demonstrated that she was no longer the rookie she once was.

The force of Lin Yin's strike was beyond Sun Zheng Tang's expectation. His entire right arm immediately went numb. Lin Yin seized the opportunity to press her attack, unleashing wave after wave of continuous blows on Sun Zheng Tang's right side, especially a few heavy strikes aimed at his head. After these, Sun Zheng Tang felt stars flashing before his eyes—so "seeing stars" wasn't just a saying.

However, Lin Yin was, after all, a woman, and her right hand was still injured. Her left hand alone couldn't cause too much trouble for the veteran fighter.

Once Sun Zheng Tang recovered, he immediately counterattacked. He endured a few blows and finally grabbed Lin Yin's left hand. As Lin Yin's right foot was about to lash out, Sun Zheng Tang pinned it firmly with his left knee. Sun Zheng Tang twisted his body, slamming Lin Yin hard against the wall, and then lifted her up from behind!

Lin Yin was shorter than Sun Zheng Tang, so this move lifted her completely off the ground. Sun Zheng Tang's arms, like steel bars, tightened around Lin Yin's chest, causing her to gasp for air as if all the oxygen in her lungs had been squeezed out.

"Cough... cough..." Lin Yin coughed a few times, her left hand digging fiercely into Sun Zheng Tang's left arm, and her legs tried to kick backward, but to no avail.

Before long, Lin Yin's vision began to blur, and she was on the verge of losing consciousness.

Sun Zheng Tang buried his head behind Lin Yin, tightening his grip until he felt Lin Yin in front of him could no longer breathe before stopping. This was his proudest move—Constriction Kill. Five Kaiju had died by this move, and now it seemed it was just as effective against humans.

Lin Yin gradually lost her ability to resist. Her legs dangled limply, and her arms hung straight down. It seemed the outcome was decided.

"Lin Yin, you lost," Sun Zheng Tang couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. When Lin Yin had first been selected, she had challenged him. This stubborn girl had repeatedly challenged him, but she had never won once.

Now, four years had passed. Sun Zheng Tang thought, although the nuclear power plant's radiation had damaged his nervous system, preventing him from piloting a Jaeger, still...

"Five to zero, I won again."

However, the triumphant Sun Zheng Tang had forgotten one thing—

They weren't the only two pilots in the room.

"Hey, old man."

A voice suddenly appeared to Sun Zheng Tang's left. He couldn't help but turn his head to look—

BAM!

Then came a heavy punch, landing squarely on Sun Zheng Tang's face!

Sun Zheng Tang's nose immediately began to bleed, and his eyes ached. Needless to say, he'd need plenty of ointment tonight.

Before Sun Zheng Tang could even see who his attacker was, another uppercut landed near his ear. His ears buzzed, and various sounds from his fragmented memories echoed in his mind.

He had no choice but to release Lin Yin and shake his head, trying to clear the sounds. This time, he finally saw his attacker—

The person who had been lying weakly on the bed moments ago was now launching a storm of blows at him!

This guy... his name was Rosen?

As Sun Zheng Tang's mind raced, Rosen landed three more punches, striking his chest and abdomen. The force behind them was terrifying, nearly knocking Sun Zheng Tang down!

"You?!"

Sun Zheng Tang was enraged. He spread his arms like a bear, determined to let Rosen experience the power of "Constriction Kill"!

This time, the situation once again exceeded his expectations—

Rosen's eyes suddenly flashed with an indescribable red light—that was absolutely not a metaphor or rhetoric; Sun Zheng Tang was certain it was some kind of unknown crimson glow.

Then, as if he had already foreseen Sun Zheng Tang's attack trajectory, he braced himself against Sun Zheng Tang's shoulders and unexpectedly jumped up!

"Wh—"

Before the dumbfounded Sun Zheng Tang could even close his arms, Rosen had already flipped over his head like a swallow.

It's over. Sun Zheng Tang thought. This guy's skills are far beyond what I imagined.

Immediately after, an irresistible force came from behind—by the time Sun Zheng Tang came to his senses, his body had already been thrown high into the air, crashing headfirst into the wall!

BOOM!

Rosen's voice followed afterward.

"Now, it's 5 to 1."