Taishan's Appearance

"Beep, beep."

Alarms blared incessantly throughout the Shatterdome base.

Xiao Shou and Xie Yushan quickly arrived in the lobby to await orders.

"Another Kaiju has emerged from a wormhole. According to Nation M, it's classified as a Category 3."

"It's the largest one yet. Its target is our Z Nation's Hong Kong, and it will arrive in at most three hours."

"Nation M has already dispatched a fighter jet squadron for harassment and interception, but we don't have much time either."

"Now, I'll assign the tasks. Colonel Lin Huixin will lead the fighter jet group to support Hong Kong."

"Our logistics support department must also keep up, preparing emergency rescue supplies to aid Hong Kong."

"Then what about us?"

Xiao Shou couldn't help but ask.

"You two will stay behind. Your neural synchrony connection isn't proficient yet, so you're not suitable for combat."

"No, we can do it! Give us another chance!"

"Do you think this is a game? This is war, a war that concerns the lives of over seven million people in Hong Kong!"

"Do you think your pathetic pride alone can go head-to-head with a Kaiju?"

"This is my responsibility, the responsibility of a Jaeger pilot. I don't want to see the tragedy of Dalian repeated in Hong Kong!"

"Even if it costs me my life, let us go!"

Mao Shucheng looked at Xiao Shou's determined eyes and remained silent.

"Let us go. We have to fight eventually. This is the purpose of Taishan!"

Xie Yushan said from the side.

"Since you have this resolve and are prepared, then go."

Mao Shucheng, turning his back to them, cracked a slight smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Sly old fox!"

Zhu Qian, seeing this, mouthed the words at Mao Shucheng from in front of him.

In an office.

Nation M's President Chuanpu was slamming the table.

"Oh, shut! How dare he, how dare he disobey my orders and go out on his own!"

The Black Hawk fighter jet squadron of Zhizhou continuously circled over the Pacific Ocean, probing the deep sea where the Kaiju was located with powerful beams.

Seeing that its whereabouts had been exposed, the Kaiju stopped lurking in the depths and revealed itself on the surface.

"Oh, shut! This Kaiju is much larger than the previous ones!"

Hong Kong, Z Nation.

Piercing alarm sirens echoed through the prosperous city.

Countless citizens, led by the military and police, were heading to underground shelters.

Thousands of meters below ground, they would be safe from the Kaiju's detection and attacks.

After Dalian was attacked, the authorities had begun constructing underground shelters in coastal cities and regions.

Official broadcasts announcing the imminent arrival of the Kaiju were rapidly spreading.

"Now, an urgent bulletin: a Kaiju codenamed 'Bladehead' has appeared, targeting our Hong Kong. Residents of Hong Kong and surrounding cities, please obey official commands and evacuate immediately!"

Similar news reports were being broadcast nationwide on television and large display screens on the streets.

Panic spread like wildfire.

Everyone feared that the military would be unable to withstand the Kaiju's attack, allowing it to breach the defenses.

If that happened, no place in the country would be safe.

Dalian Shatterdome Base.

"Taishan" slowly lifted off, suspended by four heavy-lift helicopters.

Pilots Xiao Shou and Xie Yushan were inside, though they hadn't connected their neural synchrony yet.

The journey would take several hours. If they connected now, by the time they arrived, there would be no fight left, and they'd be in the ICU.

Mao Shucheng watched the departing silhouette of "Taishan" with a complex expression.

"Old Zhu, do you think we were too cruel to these two children, making them carry such a heavy burden at such a young age?"

"They all have to go through this trial; it's the destiny of a Jaeger pilot."

"Reporting, Commander, a call from the highest security level."

Mao Shucheng and Zhu Qian hurried back to the command center.

"Reporting, this is Mao Shucheng from the Jaeger Combat Department."

"Shucheng," Taishan has been deployed, are you confident?"

"Rest assured, I have faith in them, just as you have faith in me."

"That's good. I plan to broadcast Taishan's fight with the Kaiju live to the entire nation."

"Why?"

"For the past two years, the public has lived under the oppressive threat of Kaiju, causing great social unrest."

"We need a hero."

"To inspire the public's confidence and their passion for life."

"I understand."

"Next, we'll follow up on the Kaiju invasion."

Television stations across the country were unified in broadcasting a live feed.

Street-sized displays, internet cafe computers – all were forced to show the live broadcast.

In school classrooms, factories, and so on.

The commentator was a female host from Kyoto Television.

"Now showing Kaiju footage captured by fighter jets!"

A Kaiju immediately appeared on the screen, codenamed 'Bladehead'.

Bladehead was enormous, standing at one hundred and ten meters tall and weighing four thousand two hundred tons.

It had shell-like armor on its back and blue arteries spread across its body.

Its primary weapon was a shark-like blade head, narrow and terrifying at the front.

"My God, what kind of monster is this? Can we really defeat it?"

"Guanyin Bodhisattva, please appear and save us!"

"I told you we should have immigrated to Nation M! At least they have Jaeger pilots, unlike this dangerous Z Nation!"

"Hey, you should say less. Hong Kong is on the brink of disaster, and you're still making sarcastic remarks."

The public watching the broadcast made various comments, but overall, they were pessimistic.

"Bladehead's target is Hong Kong. All seven million residents of Hong Kong have already been evacuated and are safe, please rest assured."

"Oh my God, we just received information from the military! Broadcasting military footage now!"

The camera lens shifted on screen. Four heavy-lift helicopters seemed to be lifting something as they took off.

The camera panned down, and the entire nation erupted.

It was a Jaeger, a Jaeger belonging to Z Nation!

The insignia on Taishan's right chest said it all!

"The Jaeger Combat Department has announced that the Jaeger's name is Taishan, and it is our country's first Jaeger."

"Taishan stands at eighty-nine meters tall and weighs three thousand two hundred tons, equipped with various weapons for both long-range and close-quarters combat!"

"Ooh ooh ooh, Taishan, go!"

"My God, our country has been hiding its strength so well, producing a Jaeger without a word!"

"The Guanyin Bodhisattva I prayed to has answered!"

"Uh, Grandma, you might as well just pray to Taishan directly!"

Taishan's appearance instantly ignited the passion of the 1.4 billion people across the nation.

In an instant, all the pessimism and negative emotions were washed away, replaced by fiery passion.

Our hero has arrived!