Steel Stamp

As soon as Lou Cheng finished speaking, sparks flickered in the eyes of everyone present except Ding Xu, the mechanic.

Li Yi was among them.

Thanks to Lin Guotao's hint during the interview, he knew that this martial competition was tied to the right to choose Divine Mechs.

With his low compatibility rating, he would certainly need priority in selecting one.

"The martial competition is starting so soon."

Ding Xu looked at Miao Wanwan beside him and encouraged her:

"Wanwan, this martial competition should mainly be a Newcomer Competition. As long as you don't run into those veteran mech pilots, you have a chance of making the top ten. Give it your all—the top ten get to choose Divine Mechs."

Miao Wanwan nodded. "I'll do my best."

Ding Xu chuckled.

"What do you mean, do your best? Judging by the point system used in previous years, Wanwan, getting into the top ten will be easy for you. Aside from dark horses like Brother Li Yi, I roughly know everyone else's information. You only need to watch out for six experts."

Li Yi's gaze shifted slightly. It seemed that even the Power Clan could not easily obtain Divine Mechs.

Still, the Power Clan had its advantages.

At the very least, they could obtain information on their opponents in advance.

Yet while the other side lacked information about him, they did not lack information about everyone else...

His channels for gathering intelligence were most likely not aboard the starship, but in the major Martian bases.

After all, as someone from the Humble Clan of the Tree Shed District, he had only told a few close friends about his admission.

It seemed that competing for the top ten would require some real effort.

At the very least, Miao Wanwan looked pretty and quiet, yet she carried a faint aura that made others wary.

By the same logic, those born into the Power Clan or its affiliated families likely had their own tricks as well.

At this moment.

Under Lou Cheng's guidance.

Everyone except Ding Xu was taken by a half-open autonomous transport vehicle to Hangar 12.

The route appeared to be centrally coordinated by the AI, and it never conflicted with the transport robots passing nearby.

Lou Cheng sat in the front passenger seat. Turning around to examine the group, he began speaking:

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Lou Cheng, and I am your assigned instructor. Your provisional designation is the 89th Mech Cadet Detachment of the 2198 class."

"I won't waste time on welcomes."

"You are mech cadets and have a high degree of freedom, but you are also professional soldiers, subject to strict regulations."

"Before the martial competition begins, let's go over the basic rules."

"First, private fighting is prohibited."

"Second, participation in gatherings of more than seven unauthorized personnel is prohibited."

"Third, contact with unauthorized mechs is prohibited."

"Fourth, entering unauthorized areas is prohibited."

At this point, Lou Cheng paused.

"To sum up, all unauthorized actions are strictly prohibited. Any violation will be dealt with under military regulations."

"As for the military regulations, check your own admission guidebooks."

Every time Lou Cheng introduced a prohibitory rule, he used an extremely sophisticated intimidation technique.

Each sentence shook their minds more deeply than the last.

The minds of the other eight, including Miao Wanwan, felt as though a Mind Seal had been branded into them.

Even Li Yi, whose mind was not weak after absorbing many memory fragments, was briefly dazed this time.

But Li Yi's daze lasted only an instant.

When Lou Cheng noticed this, the corner of his mouth twitched again.

After clearing his throat, Lou Cheng said as if nothing had happened:

"In any case, you must remember these basic rules and do not violate them."

"Next comes the more important matter—the martial competition. It will determine your initial standing within our fleet system, as well as the benefits you receive. You must take it seriously."

"The martial competition consists of two stages: virtual reality combat and live mech combat."

"The virtual reality combat will determine the top ten, and the top ten will then proceed to live mech combat."

"The top ten may enter the Divine Mech Vault and select Divine Mechs suited to themselves, thereby embarking on the path of human evolution."

The transport vehicle braked to a halt at the main entry gate of Hangar 12.

"Go on. For the rest of the way, just follow the navigation robots' instructions. I'll be in the viewing area watching your performance. Good luck."

Lou Cheng left quickly.

The group followed a spherical navigation robot toward the venue.

On the way, the moment Miao Wanwan saw Lou Cheng leave, she took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Li Yi.

"Brother Li, do you know why the starship prohibits gatherings of more than seven unauthorized people?"

Li Yi actually had quite a few doubts himself, but judging by Lou Cheng's attitude earlier, there had been no chance to ask questions.

"Maybe it's to prevent cults from spreading within the fleet?"

Li Yi said thoughtfully.

"Mm. Brother Xu told me that if I ran into someone at the martial arts tournament whose right eye was a bionic prosthetic, I should be extra careful. That person probably has a problem—maybe the fleet deliberately let him in as bait."

Miao Wanwan moved closer to Li Yi and spoke softly, too quietly for the others to hear.

Li Yi was surprised. Was she doing him a favor?

"Thanks. I'll keep an eye out."

Inside an enclosed cabin in the stands.

Lin Guotao lounged before countless surveillance screens, calmly sipping tea with loud slurps.

Several people stood beside him, taking turns reporting to him.

When it was Lou Cheng's turn, he said, "Boss, we've basically implanted the Mind Seals containing the basic rules."

"Basically?"

Lou Cheng let out a long breath, looking as though he had suffered terrible luck. "There's still one left—Li Yi, from the Tree Shed District of Base 31."

Someone beside him snickered. "Him again? Lou Cheng, did losing to him once leave you with psychological trauma, so you can't implant the Mind Seal?"

"I meditated beside the Mind Pillar for an entire day, then used exoskeleton armor to stabilize my mind. I only began implanting the Mind Seals after everyone had grown familiar with me and lowered their guard."

Lou Cheng sneered. "Luo Laogu, why don't you give it a try?"

Hearing Lou Cheng's explanation, Luo Laogu knew that he most likely would not be able to handle Li Yi either, but he still talked tough.

"Sure. If I help you complete this task, how are you going to repay me?"

"Heh. And what if you can't?"

Lin Guotao tapped his teacup and said thoughtfully, "Enough, stop arguing. Li Yi's mental resilience is indeed somewhat beyond expectations. This isn't Lou Cheng's fault."

"But Boss, if we fail to implant a newcomer's Mind Seal, and he really makes it into the top ten later, can he still choose a Divine Mech?"

Lou Cheng asked.

"Why not?"

Lin Guotao countered, "The Mind Seal is merely a measure established to prevent cultists from sabotaging the fleet from within."

"One measure can only address one kind of situation. Nothing can be foolproof."

"On the contrary, Li Yi's mental resilience is what demonstrates his true value. Once someone like him finds a compatible Divine Mech, he will surely become another Zhang Shengfeng."

Lou Cheng hesitated. "Then Boss, are we just going to leave Li Yi alone? The competition hasn't started yet, so there's still time to do something. If we wait any longer, we'll have to wait until the tournament ends. And if the Surveillance Department discovers this issue then..."

Lou Cheng did not finish his sentence. The Surveillance Department was simply too formidable; it could easily determine the lives of ordinary crew members and even managerial personnel.

"If we act now, we'll at least delay him for three or four hours. He won't be able to participate in the tournament, and if he wants to obtain a Divine Mech, he'll have to wait at least another year."

Lin Guotao pondered for a moment. "Let him compete first. We'll see how he performs. Also, none of you present are to speak of this matter. Whoever leaks it knows the consequences."