June 19, 2024.
Six in the morning.
The wake-up call had already sounded.
But Xiao Shou usually got up around this time anyway, so it was not too hard to adapt.
He put on the military uniform that had been prepared for him yesterday.
Military uniforms had always been dark green.
The Jaeger Combat Department's uniforms had been modified slightly.
They had been changed to black.
Though they still looked imposing and heroic, they somehow felt like security guard uniforms...
Although Xiao Shou was a Jaeger pilot, he apparently received no special treatment.
His rank insignia was a single horizontal bar.
Uh, private.
There were more than twenty thousand personnel at the entire Dalian Shatterdome base.
Its departments included the command center, intelligence analysis teams, emergency response forces, logistics support division, transport helicopter squads, fighter escort groups, and more.
But all of their work revolved around the Jaegers.
After finishing his morning training, Xiao Shou was brought to the Shatterdome hall by Jin Rong.
Mao Shucheng and Zhu Qian were not in the command center. They stood right in front of the Jaeger.
"Xiao Shou, the Jaeger standing before you is called Mount Tai! It was personally named by the commander. Do you know what it means?"
"I would like to hear your explanation, Commander."
"Mount Tai is the foremost of our nation's Five Great Mountains, a mountain that safeguards the nation!"
"It holds an immensely important place in both our traditional culture and mythology."
"As the saying goes, all men must die, but some deaths weigh heavier than Mount Tai."
"The myths surrounding Mount Tai, such as the imperial sacrifices held there, are enough to show just how important it is to us."
"The commander hopes that Mount Tai can stand across our Pacific Rim defense line, sheltering the people from wind and rain and protecting their peace."
"I hope you can bear Mount Tai's mission!"
"Yes, sir!"
Xiao Shou's reply was heavy. Before, he had merely been excited by the novelty of piloting a Jaeger.
Now, he finally understood the immense responsibility carried by Mount Tai.
It was to stand across the Pacific Rim defense line and not retreat a single step.
One step back could cost the lives of tens of thousands of compatriots.
They could not lose this battle, did not dare lose it, and could not afford to lose it.
"Next, prepare for neural synchronization through the dual-pilot system!"
After issuing the order, Mao Shucheng turned and returned to the command center with Zhu Qian.
Jin Rong remained behind.
"A-Shou, don't worry. Every operation Mount Tai carries out will be assigned an intelligence analysis team to conduct detailed data analysis on both the Jaeger and the kaiju."
"Based on the kaiju's characteristics, they'll provide you with several combat plans. You won't be fighting alone."
"Come on, get to know each other. From now on, you'll be comrades fighting side by side."
As Jin Rong finished speaking, three soldiers gathered before Xiao Shou.
The three members of the intelligence analysis team were all female soldiers.
One of them surprised Xiao Shou. She was the very female soldier who had knocked him down at the base entrance yesterday.
That female soldier was not surprised to see Xiao Shou either. She had also been present during his synaptic connection test yesterday.
Without any awkwardness, she volunteered to introduce herself first.
"My name is Lin Yuxuan. I'm responsible for internal data analysis for Mount Tai."
"Xiao Shou, Mount Tai's second pilot."
The two saluted each other.
"Zhan Siqi. I'm responsible for kaiju intelligence analysis."
"Hello."
"Li Jiaxin. I'm responsible for coordinating battlefield logistics support."
"Hello."
After they had gotten acquainted, the three women returned to the command center.
There was no need to say anything about Lin Yuxuan. Xiao Shou felt that she could have become a star without any trouble.
Zhan Siqi and Li Jiaxin also impressed him slightly. They were completely unlike the rugged female soldiers he had imagined.
"As for me, I'm the leader of the intelligence analysis team. In other words, I'm your immediate superior."
Of course. I'm just the little guy at the bottom of the organization.
It was only after Xiao Shou had waited for quite a while that the first pilot finally arrived.
To his surprise, the first pilot was actually a female soldier.
She looked to be in her twenties, somewhat older than Xiao Shou. Her features were delicate, but her sharp lines and resolute bearing gave her an imposing air that felt strangely familiar to him.
"Hello. My name is Xie Yushan. Please guide me."
"Please guide me."
Good lord. Setting aside her facial features, she was practically a smaller version of Jin Rong. That same capable, no-nonsense air.
"Alright, enough chatter. Prepare for your first dual-pilot neural synchronization exercise."
Mount Tai had also completed its assembly and welding.
The words "Mount Tai" were engraved on its left chest.
The emblem of a Five-star Red Flag was painted on its right chest.
Xiao Shou and Xie Yushan entered Mount Tai's cockpit, which was located in its head.
Then the elevator shot downward at high speed, nearly leaving Xiao Shou suspended in the air.
This was far faster than any ordinary elevator.
The cockpit locked tightly onto the Jaeger. At that moment, Mount Tai officially made its entrance!
Inside the cockpit were two connected platforms that resembled treadmills.
Xiao Shou stood on the control platform as the restraints fastened tightly around his boots.
Below him, the gears of the nuclear-powered turbine engine were turning.
To be honest, Xiao Shou was a little unnerved and did not dare look down at those enormous gears.
"After putting on the neural synchronization connectors, remember this: the dual-pilot system will link the memories of both of you. Do not become lost in memories of the past. Return to reality and control the Jaeger!"
From the command center, Jin Rong remotely issued instructions to the two inside Mount Tai's cockpit.
"Now, put on your helmets and prepare for your first dual-pilot neural synchronization."
Once Xiao Shou put on his helmet, he saw that familiar scene again.
His mind began playing through his life like a movie, fast-forwarding through everything that had happened to him.
This time, however, Xie Yushan's memories were mixed in as well.
The two sets of memories merged together, becoming chaotic and disordered.
"The pilots' synaptic connection has reached ninety-two percent. The Synaptic connection waveform graph is currently stable and normal."
Lin Yuxuan stared intently at the values displayed by Mount Tai's consciousness sensors on the screen.
Jin Rong also watched Mount Tai's movements nervously. This concerned Nation Z's entire Jaeger combat deployment plan.
It concerned the efforts of more than twenty thousand people at the Shatterdome base, who had worked day and night for nearly half a year.
Even Mao Shucheng and Zhu Qian, standing at the command center's observation window, along with all the busy personnel below, held their breath as they watched to see whether Mount Tai could be successfully piloted.
Yet in Xiao Shou's mind, the most unforgettable scene remained the instant Shanlan was about to set its foot down.
For half a year, he had avoided this scene—not because he feared Shanlan.
It was because he was enraged by his helplessness as the Old Director met his end.
His right hand opened involuntarily.
"Warning! Xiao Shou's synaptic connection has deviated. He is trapped in past memories and unable to break free!"
"His synaptic connection is too intense. He has already seized control of Mount Tai!"
Mount Tai's right hand stretched out and opened, just as it had yesterday.
"Alert! Safety mode disengaged. Electromagnetic particle cannon charging."
The cannon barrel extended from Mount Tai's outstretched right hand and began charging the electromagnetic particle cannon.
Its target was the command center.
"Damn it! Forcefully terminate the neural synchronization!"
"Xiao Shou's synaptic connection is too strong! Remote control interference is impossible!"
Hearing that, Jin Rong immediately grabbed a radio.
"Xie Yushan! Xie Yushan!"
"I'm here, Team Leader."
"Forcefully terminate the pilots' synaptic connection procedure!"
Xie Yushan cut off the synchronization process, severing the dual-pilot synaptic connection system.
The rampaging Mount Tai gradually stabilized as well.
Xie Yushan supported Xiao Shou, who was gasping for breath and still staring blankly into space, out of the cockpit.
Only after Mount Tai stopped moving did the onlookers below finally scatter in an uproar.
Jin Rong in the command center also let out a breath of relief.
If they had not stopped it in time and their own Jaeger had destroyed the command center.
That would have been a real disaster, with consequences too terrible to imagine.
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