Approaching Perfect Synaptic Connection

The broadcast voice echoed throughout the entire Shatterdome base.

Everyone busy with their work stopped simultaneously.

They looked at the young man standing before the Jaeger, wondering what his answer would be.

It was easy to tell; he was the only one in the entire base not wearing a military uniform.

Xiao Shou resolutely raised his head, glanced at the giant Jaeger standing before him, and turned back towards the command center.

"Officer, this isn't a multiple-choice question, is it?"

"Old Zhu, this kid is interesting."

Hearing Xiao Shou's answer, Mao Shucheng chuckled and said to Zhu Qian beside him.

Jin Rong also smiled slightly upon hearing the answer and no longer hesitated.

She directly placed a helmet-like device on Xiao Shou.

This was the Jaeger Neural Synaptic Connection Tester.

It tested Xiao Shou's neural synaptic connection value through memory recall.

The higher the value, the greater the compatibility with the Jaeger's consciousness sensor.

After putting on the helmet, Xiao Shou nodded to Jin Rong, signaling that they could begin.

Jin Rong immediately pressed the button and then watched the synaptic connection waveform graph displayed on the control console.

To outsiders, Xiao Shou seemed to tremble slightly as if he had been electrocuted.

Only Xiao Shou knew what he was experiencing.

It was like watching a short film, except he was the protagonist.

He saw himself, still in swaddling clothes, being left at the orphanage doorstep.

The sound of his wailing startled the Old Director, who was still in his prime back then.

It seemed his previous boasts to Xiao Shou about being a handsome young man weren't exaggerated.

Then, he saw the director and the elderly people in the orphanage treating him as their own, doting on little Xiao Shou.

And little Xiao Shou, in turn, was comforting their lonely hearts.

Next, he was a bit older, playing with the other children at the orphanage.

One day, a couple came to the orphanage to adopt a child.

He saw the reluctance in the Old Director's eyes and Sister Bao'er's longing for the outside world.

When led to the couple by the director, he sprayed the laundry detergent foam he had hidden in his mouth.

He faked spitting foam, making the couple mistakenly believe he was ill, and they ended up choosing Bao'er for adoption.

Afterward, he was held on the director's lap, and the director's eyes were filled with relief and guilt for not being able to provide the child with a better life.

Xiao Shou's childhood and adolescence were fulfilling. Although they lived frugally, they were very happy.

He was cared for by the elderly at the orphanage, the neighbors, and Grandma He.

Until that day arrived.

At this moment, at the control console outside.

Jin Rong looked at the data displayed on the screen and reported over the comms.

"Neural synaptic connection value is stable, currently reaching eighty-two percent."

With that, her heart was filled with joy. This value already met the standard for Jaeger Neural Synaptic Connection.

And it was still trending upwards.

"Shanlan" appeared again, its monstrous appearance deeply etched into Xiao Shou's mind.

At this moment, "Shanlan's" hoof was about to descend upon Xiao Shou.

This moment was so familiar, yet he absolutely did not want to recall it.

Finally, those strong arms lifted Xiao Shou up.

But its owner could no longer dodge. "Shanlan's" hoof came down heavily.

"No!"

Xiao Shou, reliving the memory again, was no longer stunned. He reached out towards the Old Director's position.

"My God!"

Jin Rong, who was monitoring the data changes, was startled.

The display now showed the Jaeger Neural Synaptic Connection rate had reached ninety-five percent!

What does this mean!

Near-perfect synaptic connection!

Even the first pilot's synaptic connection rate was only eighty-nine percent, not even ninety.

That alone had them overjoyed, thinking they'd found a treasure.

Now, what did a ninety-five percent synaptic connection rate signify?

Except for the genius pilot Jacob Smith of the American Jaeger "Wanderer," whose synaptic connection value was ninety-seven percent.

Xiao Shou crushed them all.

Mao Shucheng and Zhu Qian on the command platform were also incredibly excited.

Not only had they found a second Jaeger pilot candidate, but their synaptic connection value was so high; it exceeded all their expectations.

Before they could fully savor their excitement, a tremor suddenly ran through the ground.

"Thump!" "Thump!"

"It's the Jaeger! The Jaeger is moving!"

shouted an engineer working on the Jaeger's installation.

All eyes in the vicinity turned to the Jaeger.

"What's going on!"

Mao Shucheng turned to ask the information analysis team behind him.

The Jaeger was of utmost importance; not a single mistake could be tolerated.

"Report, the Jaeger's internal neural control system and consciousness sensor have activated inexplicably!"

replied a female soldier from the information analysis team.

Suddenly, the Jaeger's right arm shot forward, its fingers splayed wide.

Jin Rong, standing below, witnessed this directly.

She noticed that the Jaeger's current movement perfectly mirrored Xiao Shou's actions during the synaptic connection.

A voice in her mind kept telling her this was because of Xiao Shou.

Even though he wasn't in the cockpit at the moment.

Seeing Xiao Shou's face contorted in a grimace, the waveform graph on the control panel began to fluctuate violently.

She quickly initiated a forced interruption of the synaptic connection.

Severed from the synaptic connection state, Xiao Shou collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Quick, medical team!"

Mao Shucheng on the high platform watched as Xiao Shou was placed on a stretcher and carried away below.

"I want his file, all of it, from birth until now!"

Name: Xiao Shou

Age: 19 years old

Height: 175 cm

Weight: 65 kg

Personality: Kind and sincere, introverted (currently experiencing mild depression and social withdrawal)

Social Relations: Orphan, raised in Dalian's Third Social Welfare Institute since childhood. His closest relative was the Old Director, Xiao Kaiyuan (who perished half a year ago during the Kaiju attack on Dalian).

Current Workplace: Grandma He's Noodle House on Jianguo Road, owned by Grandma He (Vice Captain Jin Rong's mother).

Friends: Li Xintong (Bao'er) - a friend from the orphanage. Adopted at thirteen by the owners of Dalian Wada Trading, Li Liansheng and his wife. She is now twenty-one and has returned to the orphanage to take over as Director.

Looking at Xiao Shou's file on the table, Mao Shucheng was very satisfied.

"Clean background, meets the criteria for recruiting a Jaeger pilot."

"So, is it decided? The military won't approve it easily."

"Let them go to hell. Our only concern is whether we can defend this Pan-Pacific Defense Line. Xiao Shou, with his near-perfect synaptic connection, is the undisputed choice. The rest are not problems."