Outside the arena, in all the slums of Wuhe City, in the alleys, on the streets, and under the awnings, people gathered before holographic projections to watch the second round of the mech bounty battles.
Inside the arena, the battle had already begun, with the two combatants standing two hundred meters apart.
"Jude, how are you going to fight it?" Wu Xuan asked, his voice strained and breathless. This was Wu Xuan's first time in such an event, and he was naturally nervous.
Gu Ya calmly and steadily replied, "You be my co-pilot and help me monitor the mech data. I'll handle the rest."
Gu Ya gripped the control stick firmly, his eyes vigilantly fixed on the opponent, not daring to relax for a moment. The two sides remained in their positions, neither making a move. Gu Ya knew this was a test of willpower. The one with less resolve would act first, and in doing so, would expose their weaknesses.
As time ticked by, Wu Xuan clearly began to falter. His breathing grew heavier, and sweat soaked through his upper body. The longer the wait, the stronger his fear became. His hands and legs began to tremble slightly. In contrast, Gu Ya remained vigilant and composed, like a silent hunter staring down its prey.
The host watched the two combatants with a smile, saying nothing. The tens of thousands of spectators in the stands grew impatient, some waving their fists in displeasure, others shouting frantically. Despite the extreme quiet on the battlefield, their body language clearly showed their frustration. In the选手休息机库 (player rest hangar), many were urging the two sides to start fighting, creating a cacophony of crude language. However, the true powerhouses watched in silence. Among them were Zhou Hu and Ling Ling.
A mechanic behind Zhou Hu grumbled softly, "Two idiots facing each other. Hurry up and fight."
Zhou Hu silenced him, "Shut up!" He inwardly mused, Zhan Ying was renowned for his composure and never underestimated any opponent. Most people would attack first against him, and Zhan Ying would then judge their strength and weaknesses based on their actions. This kid, possessing the same composure as Zhan Ying, was he faking it or was it genuine?
In the distant resting area of the Hecheng Society, Ling Ling and her two mech pilots were also watching with rapt attention. A female mech pilot exclaimed, "I really didn't expect Jude's composure to be so strong." Ling Ling's gaze, however, held more than just admiration; there was a deeper meaning.
Inside the mech cockpit, Wu Xuan could no longer sit still. "Jude! Hurry up and fight!" he yelled. "Weren't you brave against the dragonflies? Why are you so still now?" "Are you scared?"
Gu Ya calmly responded, "Wu Xuan, do your job."
"You're scared, you're really scared! Jude, the unarmored one, is scared!" As Wu Xuan spoke, he forcefully pushed the control stick! But the mech didn't move. Wu Xuan gasped, "You've disabled my controls!" Gu Ya had anticipated Wu Xuan's impatience and, during the mech's debugging, had added a decoupling program using 【代码篡改】 (code tampering).
Just then, Gu Ya noticed the opponent's mech tremble slightly. Was it an illusion? The opponent's mech trembled again, and then once more. It wasn't an illusion! The opponent couldn't hold back any longer; he was about to make a move! Suddenly, the propulsion vents of the Naohai Zhe (Sea Roarer) spat out deep blue flames, charging directly at Gu Ya. The speed was immense; the two hundred meters would be covered in less than ten seconds during acceleration. Wu Xuan looked at Gu Ya in terror, while Gu Ya remained calm, his hands making no movement. Jude was frozen by fear! On the display screen, the Naohai Zhe drew closer. Wu Xuan, terrified, covered his head with his arms, squeezed his eyes shut, and curled into a ball. "Jude!!!" Wu Xuan cried out in despair.
Gu Ya gently pushed the control stick, and the mech quickly sidestepped, revealing its damaged right shoulder. The Naohai Zhe had already reached Gu Ya's side. In less than a second, Gu Ya activated three mech pilot skills simultaneously, instantly identifying the opponent's weak point and controlling his mech at a speed imperceptible to the human eye. Gu Ya's mech rapidly lowered its body at an unbelievable pace, its left arm encircling the Naohai Zhe's leg. Simultaneously, with full propulsion, Gu Ya lifted his arm. The Naohai Zhe performed a 180-degree flip, its head slamming towards the ground, its legs thrown into the air. Zhan Ying reacted quickly; as it flipped, two large nets suddenly shot out from the Naohai Zhe's chest, aimed directly at Gu Ya. Gu Ya was stunned by the opponent's surprise weapon. The moment the large nets enveloped Gu Ya's mech, they unleashed a powerful electric current. Countless blue arcs coursed through Gu Ya's mech. As Gu Ya exclaimed in alarm, the mech's system crashed due to the strong electrical surge, and all indicator lights and displays went dark. All of this happened within seconds.
"Oho! A spectacular moment of duel!" the host exclaimed immediately. The Naohai Zhe's head slammed hard onto the floor, and after another throw, it slid for dozens of meters before stopping. As soon as it stabilized, the Naohai Zhe flipped over, and two thick metal rods emerged from its leg armor. The Naohai Zhe connected the two rods, and three sharp points immediately extended from the tips, forming a trident. Gu Ya was still trying to restart his mech, while the Naohai Zhe had already flown in front of Gu Ya, raised the trident, and thrust it down fiercely, aiming straight for the cockpit. He intended to pierce Gu Ya to death! The three prongs of the trident pierced the armor and entered the cockpit! Fortunately, the cockpit's external armor was thick enough that the trident got stuck halfway, unable to move further. The Naohai Zhe kicked Gu Ya's mech down, gripped the trident with both hands, and pressed down with its full weight. The trident was driven in another centimeter! Gu Ya, suppressing the fear of death, calmly restarted his mech. Wu Xuan had fainted from fright. Looking at the trident, Gu Ya suddenly had an idea, wondering if it would work. Gu Ya thought to himself, unbuckled his seatbelt, and climbed up. Wu Xuan woke up and saw Gu Ya's hands on the trident's sharp points, exclaiming in shock, "Jude, what are you doing! Are you trying to die!" Gu Ya ignored him, closed his eyes, and activated 【代码篡改】 (code tampering). It really worked! The Naohai Zhe's program code appeared before Gu Ya's eyes, lines of white code appearing rapidly. Seeing that the trident couldn't pierce further, the Naohai Zhe attempted to withdraw its weapon. The immense force even pulled Gu Ya's mech off the ground, dragging it and scraping it along the ground. The vibrations grew larger and larger, throwing Gu Ya against the cockpit ceiling. His hands still clung tightly to the round rod. The code scrolled rapidly, and Gu Ya's eyeballs darted back and forth. This wouldn't work. The opponent's mech had too much code, and finding the underlying code would take too long, let alone tampering with it. The opponent would eventually withdraw the weapon and attack again. He had to find another way to hinder the opponent. Suddenly, Gu Ya realized that even if he couldn't alter its underlying code, he could add a decoupling program to stop its system from running. It didn't need to be long, just a minute of stoppage would suffice! A smile appeared on Gu Ya's face.
In the arena, the Naohai Zhe suddenly stopped, frozen in place like a log. Gu Ya opened his eyes, quickly returned to the pilot's seat, and tried to start the mech again. This time, he succeeded. "Wu Xuan, I've removed your control lockout. You can operate it now!" "Let's take them down together!" Wu Xuan nodded dumbly. Although he didn't know what Gu Ya had done, the opponent had stopped moving, the crisis was averted, and his heart finally relaxed. The two of them pushed the control sticks forward simultaneously. The dilapidated mech's rear propulsion spat out pale blue flames again. Its mechanical hand gripped the metal rod and pulled forcefully, tearing the rod connected to the external armor of the cockpit clean off. Gu Ya's mech slowly walked in front of the Naohai Zhe, raised the metal rod, and swung it with all its might.
... In a luxurious mansion, Wang Panpan knelt before a middle-aged man, weeping bitterly. The middle-aged man remained composed, leisurely picking up a teacup, taking a sip, and then slowly putting it down. "How much do you want to borrow?" the middle-aged man asked calmly, turning a page of the newspaper. "Six hundred thousand!" Wang Panpan said. "It's not too much. How do you plan to repay it?" the middle-aged man asked blandly, still looking at the newspaper. Wang Panpan raised her head, shuffled forward on her knees, and pleaded, "Owner, I will do whatever you ask!" "Hmph, if I asked you to be a dog, would you?" the middle-aged man said. Wang Panpan gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and remained silent for a long time. The middle-aged man smiled faintly and said, "You refused my invitation back then, and now you've come begging. What do you take me for?" Wang Panpan wiped away her tears, mustered her courage, and said, "Owner, I am willing to be your dog." The middle-aged man finally put down the newspaper, looked at Wang Panpan with slight interest, and said with a smile, "I find it dirty!" Wang Panpan walked out of the mansion empty-handed. Two members outside the door quickly approached and asked, "Boss, did you get the money?" Wang Panpan shook her head, glanced back at the mansion, a flicker of murderous intent in her eyes, and said faintly, "We'll have to find another way."