Chapter 5

As the car drove back into the factory and landed, Shen Li opened her eyes.

“We’re here.”

The woman’s gentle voice sounded beside her ear. Shen Li raised her head and looked through the hovercar’s windshield at the enormous machine standing fifty meters tall before them. Even now, she felt an overwhelming sense of awe.

The silver-white mech gleamed with a cold metallic luster beneath the factory lights. Its severed arms and missing left leg made it resemble a battle-scarred warrior, yet it still radiated an imposing majesty that was impossible to ignore.

Shen Li instantly snapped awake. She immediately pushed open the door and climbed out, carrying her toolbox. Using the ladders and scaffolding, she climbed up and down the machine, beginning a thorough inspection of its damage.

Security personnel were stationed throughout the factory grounds, currently patrolling outside.

Inside the spacious factory, only Shen Li and Chu Qingyi remained. Chu Qingyi stood off to one side, looking up at the “little ant” clinging to the massive silver mech. Watching her move with such practiced ease, a trace of curiosity flickered through her eyes.

“Aren’t you going to ask me where this first-generation mech came from?” Chu Qingyi finally couldn’t resist asking.

Without even raising her head, Shen Li continued examining the mech’s joints. “No.”

“Why?” Chu Qingyi raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you curious?”

After all, the military and its research institutes had countless brilliant mech researchers, yet Chu Qingyi had insisted on finding stolen contenta mere first-year aerospace student to handle the repairs.

Shen Li was using a material analyzer she had modified herself to examine the mech’s original components. Hearing the question, she answered without hesitation, “The more secrets a person knows, the worse their ending tends to be. I’m only interested in mechs. Now that an opportunity has presented itself, I’ll just repair it.”

Chu Qingyi froze for a moment before laughing softly. “You really are… different from everyone else.”

Shen Li didn’t respond. Folding her arms, Chu Qingyi stood beneath the mech and watched as she continued climbing up and down, running a series of tests before finally descending the ladder.

Seeing her come down, Chu Qingyi approached her.

“Well?”

Shen Li planted her hands on her hips and looked up at the mech.

“The researchers you hired are highly skilled, but they made a few mistakes in some of the finer details of their inspections.”

“There are also issues with the materials used in this mech. It’s been through a great deal, fought on numerous battlefields, and undergone repairs many times.”

“The materials used span several generations. Apart from the heart of the original first-generation model, which apparently hasn’t been replaced, almost every other component comes from somewhere between the second and seventh generations.”

“Your report mentions that too.”

Shen Li turned and raised a hand, pointing toward the mech’s heart.

“But after conducting a preliminary inspection of the heart, I don’t think it’s quite right to say that it was never replaced. It looks more as though someone replaced it using materials from the first generation.”

“This doesn’t feel like some ancient machine that’s been lying forgotten for years, slowly growing old. It feels more like a battle-hardened warrior who was still fighting not long ago.”

Hearing this, Chu Qingyi became even more interested. She looked at Shen Li with an intrigued expression, her lips curving into a smile.

“As expected of the legendary mech repair genius of the Black Sea. You can deduce a mech’s entire service history from a single inspection.”

Chu Qingyi lowered her gaze toward the toolbox at Shen Li’s side.

“The analyzers we used are the latest models available within the military. But yours seems to work even better.”

“Did you build it yourself? Would you be interested in another collaboration and selling me the technology?”

If Chu Qingyi had merely been interested in Shen Li’s technical abilities before today, then at this moment, she was determined to secure Shen Li herself.

She didn’t know why Shen Li had concealed her talents all these years. But the fact that, before even turning eighteen, she had managed to restore a pile of ruined second-generation mechs and improve them enough for a group of Betas and Omegas with low mental power to fight the regular imperial army on equal terms was more than sufficient proof that she was an extraordinarily rare genius.

Moreover, her abilities extended far beyond repairing mechs.

Looking at the bigger picture, she was [stolen content]capable of supporting an entire engineering department on her own.

If Chu Qingyi could recruit her, she would be able to establish complete independence from the military, save enormous sums of money, and develop a force loyal exclusively to herself.

Unfortunately, Shen Li was clearly a tough nut to crack.

Hearing the offer, she protectively covered her toolbox and refused.

“Miss Chu has plenty of talented people working for her. You hardly need my little bit of technology.”

“Besides, we already agreed beforehand that this would be a one-time transaction. As for anything else, I think it’s better to forget about it.”

Chu Qingyi noticed her defensiveness and wariness.

Knowing that this wasn’t something she could rush, she didn’t try to force the issue. Instead, she chuckled softly and said, “All right, then. You carry on with your work. I’ll head back first.”

“If you need anything, just let me know.”

Shen Li nodded and replied indifferently, “All right. Take care, Miss Chu. I won’t see you out.”

——————

The inspection process was extremely complicated and would take at least half a month to complete.

Over the next few days, Shen Li began living like a creature of the night, concealing her activities during the day and venturing out after dark. She attended classes at school during the day, then secretly made her way to the factory at night to repair Chu Qingyi’s first-generation mech.

Although it wasn’t particularly useful, Chu Qingyi still provided her with the finest tools and equipment available.

If not for the need to honor their agreement, she would even have sent two researchers to assist Shen Li.

However, Shen Li refused everything.

She maintained a consistently distant attitude, never taking the initiative to ask about Chu Qingyi’s intentions or showing any interest in the mech’s origins. She simply concentrated on her work, as though the machine were the only thing that interested her.

Chu Qingyi found this curious, but there was nothing she could do about it. She had never encountered another young noble quite like Shen Li, someone who stood at the center of a gathering storm yet behaved as though none of it had anything to do with her.

Because she was determined to bring Shen Li into her fold, Chu Qingyi spent roughly two hours accompanying her at the factory almost every evening.

The factory wasn’t particularly spacious, but it was filled with advanced technology. Enormous display screens were embedded in the surrounding walls, monitoring every part of the mech in real time.

Several high-intensity lamps hung from the ceiling, illuminating the entire factory as brightly as daylight. The air was filled with the smell of metal and machine oil, occasionally accompanied by the low hum of operating machinery.

Shen Li stood beside the mech’s feet, holding an inspection instrument as she carefully examined each component. Her movements were practiced and focused, as though the entire world had narrowed to just herself and the machine.

Chu Qingyi stood nearby, silently observing her. She had noticed on many occasions that whenever [Read on BaiLianTales]Shen Li worked on mechs, she seemed to become a completely different person.

The woman who was normally distant and indifferent would transform into a blazing flame the moment she encountered a mech. Her gaze became focused and resolute, as though an endless wildfire were burning fiercely in her eyes.

Chu Qingyi had seen that expression before. It was exactly the same look Shen Li wore when she was looking at insects.

An overwhelming sense of curiosity rose within her, and she couldn’t help speaking.

“Shen Li…”

At the sound of her name, Shen Li, who was lying against the mech, lowered her eyes and looked toward her with a puzzled expression.

Chu Qingyi tilted her head back and asked, “I remember you were very fond of insects when you were little, weren’t you?”

It wasn’t something Shen Li needed to keep secret. After a brief hesitation, she nodded.

Through their interactions over the past few days, Chu Qingyi had discovered something else. Although Shen Li devoted herself entirely to mechs and wasn’t particularly fond of talking to people, she wouldn’t refuse a conversation if someone approached her first.

Of course, that willingness only lasted thirty seconds.

After thirty seconds, Shen Li would become bored with the topic and begin zoning out uncontrollably, her attention wandering until her answers had little to do with the questions.

Chu Qingyi knew she only had thirty seconds, so she got straight to the point.

“Since you love insects so much and enjoy piloting mechs, why didn’t you join the Mecha Department, given your abilities?”

“Was it simply because you wanted to conceal your talents, or because you didn’t want to go to the battlefield? And if you don’t want to go to the battlefield, why choose the Aerospace Department?”

She fired off three questions in succession, leaving Shen Li at a loss.

Shen Li frowned and took quite some time before answering.

“That’s my private business. I don’t think it has anything to do with you, Miss Chu.”

Chu Qingyi smiled at her.

“I’m working with you and helping conceal the fact that you’ve been secretly supporting the rebel forces. We’re grasshoppers tied to the same rope. Don’t you think your business is my business too?”

There she went again, trying to close the distance between them and tie their interests together.

Shen Li turned away, refusing to look at her any longer, and buried herself in inspecting the mech.

Her rejection was so obvious that Chu Qingyi couldn’t very well press the matter further.

After pondering for a moment, however, she spoke again.

“Shen Li… I know what you’re trying to do.”

“You’re only one person. Your strength alone is far too limited.”

“The surrounding star systems are blockaded by the Zerg. With just one spaceship and a dozen or so mechs, you’ll never get out.”

Shen Li’s hands abruptly stopped moving. She turned her eyes slightly and met Chu Qingyi’s deep gaze from a distance.

The corners of Chu Qingyi’s lips lifted as she spoke with the confidence of someone who already had victory in hand.

“Work with me. I can help you.”

Shen Li had spent eighteen years concealing herself, eighteen years disguising her true intentions. This was the first time anyone had ever seen through her ultimate goal.

The feeling was like having someone plunge a knife straight into her heart. It stung, leaving her deeply uncomfortable.

Shen Li frowned, her voice dropping slightly.

“Miss Chu, you’re like a clay idol trying to cross a river. You can barely protect yourself. I think you’d better worry about your own situation first.”

Technology in this world had advanced to the point where humanity could dominate an entire stolen content star system, let alone develop technologies such as artificial wombs and embryo transplantation.

Yet the Empire still hadn’t made artificial womb technology available.

Why?

Because research had discovered that babies born from artificial wombs couldn’t inherit their parents’ mental power.

Every child born through an artificial womb would eventually differentiate into a Beta upon reaching adulthood.

Consequently, the higher the ranks of the Alpha and Omega involved, the more necessary it was for their child to develop inside a natural womb if they wanted to produce offspring with greater mental power.

As the only 3S-rank Omega in the Empire, Chu Qingyi would never be allowed by the royal family to let her bloodline pass into another household.

From the moment she differentiated, freedom had ceased to be an option for her. She was destined to become a womb for the royal family.

Whoever married her would become the next ruler of the Tian Zhi Empire.

This was something any noble with half a brain could understand. Yet why were so many people still throwing themselves into the competition for Chu Qingyi, even going so far as to form the Twelve Zodiac Knights Order?

Apart from the genuine affection of young admirers, their families were also encouraging the competition behind the scenes.

According to legend, the offspring of a 3S-rank Omega might be a transcendent-rank Alpha. Such an Alpha was predicted to possess the power to overwhelm the Zerg Queen herself.

Whoever could bring an end to the Zerg would gain control of the Empire.

In other words, anyone who wasn’t completely brain-dead would want to possess Chu Qingyi.

She was surrounded by an enormous whirlpool, a treacherous quagmire filled with corrupt, filthy old monsters. It was dangerous and ugly.

Shen Li only wanted to leave the Empire and look after herself. She had no interest in inviting trouble.

That was why, when it came to Chu Qingyi, she avoided her whenever possible. Cooperation was completely out of the question.

Her rejection was so blunt and impersonal that even Chu Qingyi was somewhat taken aback. But on second thought, perhaps this was simply Shen Li’s true nature.

When someone carried a grand ambition in their heart, they wouldn’t concern themselves with the stones beneath their feet, the scenery along the road, or the gentle breezes they encountered along the way.

There was only one thought in their mind: climb, climb, and keep climbing…

Shen Li truly didn’t need her.

Chu Qingyi pursed her lips and considered the matter for a moment before saying, “That’s all right. Whenever you need me, my door will always be open to you.”

Shen Li pretended not to hear and concentrated on her repairs.

More than half the summer vacation had passed. One evening, just as Shen Li arrived at the factory, she received an invitation from Liu Jianyue.

“Qingfeng Garden?”

Shen Li frowned as she read the message on her smart terminal.

An entire week had passed since her last meeting with Liu Jianyue. According to the customary frequency of meetings between prospective marriage partners in the Empire, this was roughly when their families would arrange another date.

She initially wanted to refuse, but after considering Liu Jianyue’s status, she eventually agreed.

The following morning, before returning home from the factory, she sent Chu Qingyi a message requesting a day off. She then went back to sleep, sleeping in until around noon before heading to Qingfeng Garden.

Qingfeng Garden was an understated, elegant garden estate located in the southern hemisphere of the Imperial Capital Star. It was divided into four sections corresponding to spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

Liu Jianyue had reserved the winter section. Because snow was falling and the weather was cold, there were very few people around.

Shen Li stepped through the entrance, her feet crunching through the accumulated snow. She swept her gaze across the lobby and found it unusually deserted. Understanding immediately dawned on her.

Here it comes. That ridiculous little scheme.

Thinking about what was about to happen, [read the original at bailiantales.com]Shen Li couldn’t help letting out a soft chuckle before walking toward Liu Jianyue.