Shandong

But what no one expected was that the host's voice suddenly took a sharp turn. He said in a high-pitched tone, "After Midnight Ghostfire was defeated, our country's 8th Generation Jaeger, 'Shandong,' which was on routine patrol near Singapore City, arrived at the scene and finally eliminated the Kaiju."

Hearing this, the crowd finally let out a sigh of relief, followed by a wave of laughter.

"Ha, you scared me. I thought Singapore was done for," Mike said, patting his chest. Rosen also gave a slight smile.

Afterward, the screen was replaced by a scene of an intense battle between "Gravedigger" and "Shandong."

This time, the battlefield was Singapore City. Shandong, with its red paint, was exceptionally striking on screen. As an 8th Generation Jaeger, it stood at a height of 160 meters, dwarfing even the skyscrapers in the city.

The 8th Generation Jaeger designed by China was a heavy-type Jaeger. Heavy Jaegers fought very differently from light ones. Shandong did not dodge or evade; it charged directly at the Kaiju, kicking up countless fragments and dust along the way.

In just a few exchanges, the outcome was clear. Shandong easily blocked the Kaiju's thick tail, then plunged its steel hands, which were like buildings, into Gravedigger's outer layer. It then lifted the Kaiju high into the air and threw it directly from the mainland back to the shallow waters!

Gravedigger flew nearly a kilometer before crashing heavily onto the sea surface, creating waves that almost formed a miniature tsunami!

The once fearsome Kaiju became like a kitten in front of the 8th Generation Jaeger. Shandong accelerated to the shallow waters and unleashed a standard military boxing routine on the Kaiju with its high-voltage fists. Each punch that landed created a gust of wind, making the onlookers' blood boil.

Gravedigger clearly couldn't take it anymore. It was battered and disoriented, swaying precariously.

Then, Shandong seized an opening and unleashed a barrage of close-range bombardments from its numerous weapons.

"Full Burst!"

With its arms spread and chest puffed out, this was Shandong's standard pose when launching a full-scale attack.

Dark muzzles, magnetic storm rings, and missile silos emerged from beneath its armor, directly facing the helpless Gravedigger.

Amidst the earth-shattering roars, countless electromagnetic, particle, and magnetic storm weapons detonated around Gravedigger's head. Finally, Shandong stepped forward, raised the laser cutter in its right palm, and aimed it at Gravedigger's neck—where Midnight Ghostfire had already inflicted a 3-meter-deep wound. Shandong then inserted the laser cutter along that wound.

Swish!

It severed Gravedigger's head clean off!

The head flew a great distance before splashing into the sea!

To prevent further contamination, Shandong also casually used its ion cannon to cauterize the Kaiju's gushing neck. The dark blue blood was immediately sealed within the corpse. This series of actions was performed with practiced ease.

Gravedigger's massive body finally toppled over unsteadily, sending up towering plumes of water. Even the trees on the distant shore were broken by the blast wave. The screen showed that the Kaiju's corpse was even larger than a standard athletic stadium in the city.

"Ha, as expected, Shandong is the best."

"Nonsense. Shandong is an 8th Generation Jaeger. Dealing with these 7th Generation little monsters is like child's play."

"If only I had the chance to pilot an 8th Generation someday."

"Don't even think about it in this lifetime, haha."

Seeing Shandong's complete victory over the Kaiju, the atmosphere in the venue became somewhat relaxed. People chatted amongst themselves, making idle jokes.

What followed on television was the interview segment that drivers cared about the most.

Ever since monsters began appearing on Earth, the profession of Jaeger pilot had emerged. Especially for those renowned pilots, they would constantly show off with their Jaeger models, acting like true superstars.

To say that there were pilots who completely disregarded fame and fortune? That would be a lie.

The screen then shifted to show the pilot of "Shandong."

Although most people had heard of her, when she actually appeared on screen, the crowd couldn't help but let out a gasp of admiration.

On screen, a figure entirely clad in red was walking from a distance. The color was identical to Shandong's paint scheme. Although the pilot suit largely concealed her figure, her slender build and waist-length hair revealed that she was a woman.

Especially when Rosen saw her, his brow couldn't help but twitch.

"Lin Yin..."

Lin Yin, 27 years old, from Zhejiang. Formerly piloted the 7th Generation heavy Jaeger "Huangshan," holding the highest record in the history of man-beast synaptic linkage with a 96% synchronization rate.

Rosen was all too familiar with this "senior." After so many years, she hadn't changed at all; she was exactly as Rosen remembered her.

She wasn't particularly beautiful and often had a cold expression. She never minced words when speaking and was decisive in her actions.

Rosen felt as if she exuded an aura of "efficiency first."

"Miss Lin!" The reporter quickly intercepted Lin Yin, who was about to leave. Although Lin Yin's gaze made him falter for a moment, he still asked professionally, "Regarding the destroyed Jaeger and the Kaiju that Shandong just eliminated, what are your thoughts, Miss Lin?"

Lin Yin glared at him, her eyes icy.

"Instead of these useless questions, you should focus more on the disaster situation. Just today, tens of thousands more people have been left homeless."

Hearing Lin Yin's response, the reporter immediately nodded in agreement. But just as they were about to ask more questions, Lin Yin spoke first, cutting them off.

"Beyond that, I have nothing further to say."

With that, Lin Yin left the scene.

Seeing this, the opinions of the onlookers diverged for the first time. Some supported Lin Yin's actions, while others scoffed.

"Rosen, what do you think?" Mike asked, turning to Rosen.

"Me? ...It has nothing to do with me." Rosen suddenly felt he didn't want to watch anymore.

If only I had successfully conquered Kunlun that day, would I be the one sitting in Shandong now? Rosen thought suddenly.

Unfortunately, there are no "if onlys" in this world.

Jaeger pilot—that was once his dream. But everything related to that dream now deeply pierced the heart of this former prodigy.

"Perhaps... you might have a chance to become a pilot too," Mike interrupted Rosen's thoughts again, his tone rather peculiar.

But upon hearing this, Rosen merely tilted his head noncommittally.

A 53% synchronization rate and still aiming to be a pilot? That was pure fantasy.

"I'm serious. Of course, that's assuming you can get back to your previous level," Mike added.

"Nonsense, you don't need to tell me that," Rosen finally couldn't help but retort in a low, somewhat angry voice.

"What if I said... I have a way?" Mike suddenly raised his voice, drawing the attention of everyone around.

Rosen's body trembled slightly.

He slowly turned his head, as if his neck had rusted.

"What did you say?"

"What if I said my synchronization rate also dropped like yours, but I can still pilot a Jaeger? Like now, I'm still a Jaeger test pilot."

"Are you serious?"

Rosen narrowed his eyes, a strange light flashing within them.