"Beep, beep."
The alarm echoed continuously through the Shatterdome base.
Xiao Shou and Xie Yushan quickly arrived in the main hall to await orders.
"A Kaiju has emerged from the Breach once again. According to intelligence from The U.S., it has been classified as a Category 3 Kaiju."
"It is the largest one so far. Its target is Hong Kong in Nation Z, and it will arrive within three hours at most."
"The U.S. has already deployed a fighter squadron to harass and intercept it, but we do not have much time."
"I will now assign the mission. Colonel Lin Huixin will lead the fighter wing to support Hong Kong."
"Our logistics department must keep pace as well. Prepare emergency relief supplies and send them to Hong Kong."
"What about us?"
Xiao Shou could not help asking.
"You will remain behind. Your neural synchronization is not yet proficient enough, so you are not suited for combat."
"No, we can do it. Give me one more chance!"
"Do you think this is child's play? This is war, a war that concerns the lives and safety of more than seven million people in Hong Kong!"
"You think you can go head-to-head with a Kaiju just because of that ridiculous pride of yours?"
"This is my responsibility, my responsibility as 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 into Xiao Shou's determined eyes and remained silent.
"Let us go. We have to enter the war eventually. This is why Mount Tai exists!"
Xie Yushan said from the side.
"Since you have made up your minds and prepared yourselves for this, then go."
Mao Shucheng turned his back to them, a slight grin curling across his lips.
"Old fox!"
Zhu Qian saw this from in front of him and silently mouthed the words at Mao Shucheng.
Inside an office.
The U.S. President Chuanpu was slamming his hand against the desk.
"Oh, shit! How dare he? How dare he launch an unauthorized attack and disobey my orders!"
The Zhizhou Black Hawk fighter squadron had been circling endlessly over the Pacific Ocean, firing powerful beams into the deep sea where the Kaiju lurked.
Seeing that its whereabouts had been exposed, the Kaiju no longer hid beneath the seabed and directly surfaced.
"Oh, shit! This Kaiju is much bigger than the previous ones!"
Hong Kong, Nation Z.
Piercing alarms rang throughout the prosperous city.
Countless civilians, guided by the military and police, headed for underground shelters.
They lay more than a thousand meters below the surface, easily avoiding the Kaiju's detection and attacks.
After Dalian was attacked, the authorities had begun constructing underground shelters in coastal cities and regions.
Official alerts regarding the incoming Kaiju attack spread rapidly as well.
"We interrupt programming with an emergency announcement. A Kaiju codenamed 'Bladehead' has appeared. Its target is Hong Kong. Residents of Hong Kong and surrounding cities, please follow official instructions and take shelter immediately!"
Similar news reports played continuously across the nation, on television stations and giant screens along the streets.
For a time, everyone was filled with anxiety.
They feared the military would fail to stop the Kaiju's assault and allow it to breach the defensive line.
If that happened, nowhere in the country would remain safe.
Dalian Shatterdome Base.
Mount Tai slowly rose into the air, suspended beneath four ultra-heavy-lift helicopters.
Its pilots, Xiao Shou and Xie Yushan, were naturally inside, though they had not begun neural synchronization.
The journey would take several hours. If they synchronized now, they would not need to fight by the time they arrived—they would be heading straight to the ICU.
Mao Shucheng watched Mount Tai's departing figure with mixed feelings.
"Old Zhu, do you think we're being too cruel to these two kids? They're carrying such enormous pressure at such a young age!"
"They have to go through this eventually. It is the fate of Jaeger pilots."
"Report, Commander. A call has come through with the highest level of secrecy."
Mao Shucheng and Zhu Qian hurried back to the command center.
"Reporting in. This is Mao Shucheng of the Jaeger Combat Department."
"Shucheng, Mount Tai has deployed, right? Are you confident?"
"Rest assured. I have faith in them, just as you have faith in me."
"Good. I intend to broadcast Mount Tai's battle against the Kaiju live to the entire nation."
"Why?"
"For the past two years, the public has lived under the oppressive threat of Kaiju attacks. It has caused enormous social unrest."
"We need a hero."
"To inspire the public's confidence and renew their passion for life."
"I understand."
"Next, we will follow the Kaiju invasion."
Television stations across the country were all forced to air the same live broadcast.
The giant screens on the streets and even the computers in internet cafés were forcibly switched to the livestream.
In school classrooms, factories, and everywhere else.
The commentator was a female host from Kyoto Television.
"We will now show footage of the Kaiju captured by fighter aircraft!"
A Kaiju immediately appeared on the screen, codenamed Bladehead.
Bladehead was enormous—one hundred and ten meters tall and weighing four thousand two hundred tons.
Its back was covered in shell-like armor, while blue arteries spread across its entire body.
Its primary weapon was a shark-like blade head, long and narrow at the front, hideous and terrifying.
"My God, what kind of monster is that? Can we really defeat it?"
"Guanyin Bodhisattva above, please show your power and save us."
"I told you we should have immigrated to America. At least they have Jaegers there. Nation Z is so dangerous!"
"Oh, shut up. Hong Kong is in grave danger, and you're still making sarcastic remarks?"
The viewers watching the livestream voiced all kinds of opinions, but the overall mood was pessimistic.
"Bladehead is advancing toward Hong Kong. More than seven million Hong Kong residents have already completed their evacuation to shelters. Please rest assured."
"My God, we've just received information from the military! We will now broadcast footage sent by them!"
The camera shifted. Four ultra-heavy-lift helicopters appeared to be hauling something into the sky.
As the camera panned downward, people across the nation instantly erupted.
It was unmistakably a Jaeger—a Jaeger belonging to Nation Z!
The emblem on Mount Tai's right chest explained everything!
"The military's Jaeger Combat Department has sent word that this Jaeger is named Mount Tai. It is currently our nation's first Jaeger."
"Mount Tai stands eighty-nine meters tall and weighs three thousand two hundred tons. It is equipped with a wide variety of weapons, capable of both long-range and close-quarters combat!"
"Ooh! Mount Tai, charge!"
"My God, our country really kept this under wraps. They built a Jaeger without a word!"
"The Guanyin Bodhisattva I prayed to has answered my prayers!"
"Uh, Grandma, why not pray directly to Mount Tai?"
Mount Tai's appearance instantly ignited the passion of all 1.4 billion people across the country.
In an instant, all pessimism and negativity were washed away, replaced by blazing enthusiasm.
Our hero had arrived!
Before you continue