Chapter 51: Loyal to the Bone

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Lu Yao had just sat down at his desk when Mo Feng knocked and stepped in. He was carrying a bag of breakfast sandwiches. Seeing the snow leopard sprawled beside Lu Yao, his eyes lit up.

“Lu Yao, your big cat eats regular meat, right?”

“Yeah.” Lu Yao turned his head and watched as Mo Feng squatted in front of the snow leopard, picking beef out of the sandwiches and trying to feed it. The snow leopard turned its head away, nudging Mo Feng with the back of its head, refusing to take the food. Mo Feng shook his head with a disappointed smile. “Still picky, huh?”

Lu Yao stayed silent for a moment, then said, “He’s just very loyal to its owner.” He took the beef from Mo Feng and held it out. In the next second, the snow leopard propped himself up with its front paws, opened his jaws wide, and snatched the meat, chewing with puffed cheeks. When he finished, he licked his lips and looked at Lu Yao expectantly.

“Wow,” Mo Feng laughed, “that is one loyal cat.” Lu Yao patted the snow leopard’s head, then pulled a snack from a drawer for it. Turning to Mo Feng, he asked, “What brings you here?”

Getting down to business, Mo Feng dragged a chair over and sat heavily. “About the aftermath of the Council vote.” Lu Yao fixed his gaze.

“The explosion coincided exactly with the public announcement of the vote results. After discussions, the Space Planning Department decided to retain the already announced project outcomes. For projects that hadn’t been officially announced, although they’d been voted on, the process couldn’t guarantee fairness. So they kept the results from the previous meeting,” Mo Feng explained. “Several proposals from Mecha Research Institute didn’t pass entirely. For now, each quarter’s regular budget remains as planned, production costs are still covered by military finance, so overall nothing changes. But the NTL project didn’t get approved in time.”

The NTL project vote had been precisely interrupted by the explosion. Lu Yao tapped his fingers lightly on his knee, thinking, then asked, “Have they found the culprit?”

“They have.” Mo Feng looked at Lu Yao’s deepening expression, then asked, “Do you think the timing of the explosion wasn’t coincidental?”

“I don’t know.” Lu Yao didn’t deny the possibility.

Mo Feng shook his head. “It shouldn’t be. A group called the ‘Listeners’ claimed responsibility. They’re fanatics of the Aelion civilization, worshiping beasts like gods.” Lu Yao remembered one of the voted projects involved capturing a beast.

“And it was scheduled right after ours. That experiment can’t proceed either. The police believe this was the Listeners’ intent,” Mo Feng said. “After the explosion, they posted statements online. Yesterday, New Blue Star police arrested the mastermind behind it. They still hold to their beliefs. The Federation will charge them with deliberate homicide and public disorder. We got caught in the crossfire.” Mo Feng rubbed his temple, his face still bearing cuts from debris.

Lu Yao asked, “Did I… give you a shot?”

“Ancestor,” Mo Feng scoffed, “you just remembered? That was a high-dose suppressant for an estrus-phase omega. It knocked me out in seconds. I slept twelve hours in the hospital bed, woke up with chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness.”

“Sorry.”

Mo Feng waved it off. “Forget that. About the NTL project—what’s your plan? I’ve heard from the test team at the Space Test Grounds that the FL03 is basically fine. It just needs some fine-tuning before production. Do you want to start the next mecha design, or give the team a break since funds are tight?”

“Base rotation continues as normal. Vacation uses personal leave. If you want a break, apply for leave yourself,” Lu Yao replied.

“With how disaster-prone you’ve been lately, I wouldn’t dare run off on vacation,” Mo Feng sighed. “So, you must have the next step planned?”

“Yes. Our regular quarterly budget is 45 billion. Apply for two quarters in advance.”

“Two quarters is 90 billion. I can add some from Chang Jian to make 100 billion, but your NTL proposal asked for 200 billion. That’s still half short.”

“I padded the proposal a bit. 150 billion covers phase one design and testing.”

“And the remaining 50 billion?”

“Use it sparingly. Another 30 billion will suffice.”

Enough… it’s enough…

Mo Feng studied Lu Yao’s calm, cold expression. Words caught in his throat. “I can loan the remaining 30 billion, but with two quarters’ funds drawn in advance, we can’t pay it back. Phase two and three, moving from simulations to physical construction, will cost even more. We won’t fill this bottomless pit in time. And Lu Yao, remember—the mechas we develop at the base are allocated, not sold. No matter how powerful NTL03 is, we can’t earn profit.”

“Ask the council and military for more funds,” Lu Yao said. “Also… Chang Jian mentioned a mecha design competition sponsored by the military.”

Mo Feng thought for a moment. “You mean the Hephaestus Mecha Design Competition? I’ve heard of it. You want to enter?”

“Yes. If we win, the organizers cover all R&D and subsequent production costs.”

“That’s… risky. If you lose…” Mo Feng frowned. “Reputation ruined?”

“Maybe. But I’m not exactly ‘reputable’ yet.” Lu Yao tried to lighten the mood, but the joke was too dry to make Mo Feng laugh.

The Hephaestus competition would include real combat tests. It seemed the military used this to filter out amateurs; the remaining competitors would be wealthy and powerful. More than a competition, it was a bidding process. They weren’t facing weak opponents.

Lu Yao looked at Mo Feng. “If it were a guaranteed-win competition, I’d doubt the organizers could fulfill their promise of covering all costs.”

“Hmm—” Mo Feng’s mind raced. “What if it collides with internal conflicts at Mecha Research Institute? I was planning to borrow some funds from Old Zhang and Inks next door for you.”

“That’s your job. If funds aren’t enough, we tighten the belt. Maybe cut your favorite beef sandwiches and cheeseburgers from the cafeteria.”

Mo Feng: ??? You drink nutrition formula, act all high and mighty, you think you’re impressive!

After sending Mo Feng off and giving the snow leopard’s face one last vigorous rub, Lu Yao made his way alone to the intelligent laboratory in the underground museum. All the detection data from the old Distant Star psychic core had been completed, and he was ready to start analysis.

He was about to build the NTL-type mecha based on the improved Distant Star structure. If there were any deep structural issues in Distant Star, they would translate into serious problems for NTL. Lu Yao had to identify and resolve them before they appeared in NTL.

The laboratory was silent, devoid of life; even the intelligent machinery had ceased operation. Components from the dismantled Distant Star psychic core had finished detection and were stored in transparent vacuum cases that covered an entire wall, resembling a technological exhibition.

Whether it was the heightened sensitivity of an omega to alpha pheromones after being marked, or residual pheromones from the blood on the psychic core, Lu Yao felt his nerves shiver in the cold laboratory.

He sat down in front of the data display, clenched his fists to steady himself, and said, “Deus, report the detection results.”

“Understood, Chief Engineer Lu. Total detection time: 198 hours and 13 minutes. 989 detection items, 29,809 objects analyzed…”

The base AI followed routine procedure, giving Lu Yao a report and preliminary analysis. The data showed that while components of the psychic core had some wear, it was all within normal limits.

Lu Yao listened, then casually noted a few points on the screen. “Report anomalies and uncertainties.” Several data windows popped up instantly. “Comparing with TL01/01 design schematics, I found these anomalies.”

He glanced at the mechanical damage—those areas had already been analyzed in Zhou Yunchen’s report. The remaining charts he divided into three groups:

1. Abnormal Eot radiation peaks detected in the psychic core’s energy fluid. 
2. Abnormal decay in titanium elements. 
3. Blanks detected in the stellar signal modules. 

The driving energy fluid in the psychic core was pure, expensive Hera red crystal liquid. Its deep red radiation was supposed to remain stable at a low level to avoid affecting the core’s operation. Repeated experiments and field tests confirmed it was up to the task. This was the first time Lu Yao encountered a problem with the red crystal liquid.

Titanium was the primary metal used in the psychic core. Almost every component contained it. Deus had tested for decay and found the rate far exceeded expectations, as if the Distant Star mecha had aged decades in a short time.

The stellar signal module was essential for all Federation spacecraft, mechas, lifeboats, shuttles, etc., broadcasting human presence while receiving signals from past vessels. Anywhere within Federation space, traces of human signals could be detected. Yet Distant Star’s module had a blank.

Lu Yao stared at the latter two sets of data, frowning ever deeper. The cold white lights illuminated every corner of the lab. In the silent space, he muttered to himself, “Where have you been, Zhou Yunchen…”

With FL03’s space experiment completed, the Wilderness returned with the full crew, and the documentary shoot was wrapping up. On the last day of filming, Mo Feng waved his hand and held a wrap-up banquet for the crew in the base cafeteria.

Li Yan approached Lu Yao with a cup of wine, intending to propose a toast. But five steps away, he froze under the oppressive alpha pheromones still lingering in the air. Even the snow leopard at Lu Yao’s feet turned its head, casting a threatening glare that warned him not to approach its owner.

Still, he had come this far and couldn’t back down. He forced himself through the pressure to toast Lu Yao. Lu Yao took a shallow sip. Li Yan asked, “Did General Zhou not come today?”

“No.”

“Was he busy?”

“Don’t know.” Lu Yao hadn’t contacted Zhou Yunchen in several days.

Author’s note:

General Zhou had a reason for asking Chief Engineer Lu to run these tests—he wanted an excuse to be close to Lu Yao. Little did he know, his “strategic approach” was about to have every layer of his plans exposed.

 

 

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