“I think it shouldn’t be called 'Old Man Joyride' anymore; it should be called a Transformer.”“No way, it stays as 'Old Man Joyride.' This thing can’t be built in reality anyway.”“Didn’t you say that if Old Ji gets access to special alloys and a twelfth-gen engine, it could be made in the real world?”“With special alloys and a twelfth-gen engine, you could build a more combat-capable mech. Why make this 'Old Man Joyride'?”Despite Shen Mu’s insistence, Ji Xinghe’s Autobot-like mech was ultimately named 'Old Man Joyride.' Ji Xinghe didn’t care much about the name as long as it achieved his purpose.As for the bet he made with his elementary school classmate, if he hadn’t seen the documentary about himself, he wouldn’t have remembered that he once hoped to marry his classmate’s sister. Given the tight communication resources, he couldn’t watch the documentary before landing on the alien planet, and after landing, he wouldn’t have the interest or time. Besides caring for his granddaug
After landing on the alien planet, Ji Xinghe did not feel the lightness he had expected. Despite the gravity being only one-third of Blue Star's, it didn't make him feel as agile as he was in his twenties. This realization dealt a blow to his confidence.“You’ll feel much better once you take off the spacesuit,” Han Li’s voice sounded in Ji Xinghe’s ear as he stepped out of the spaceship, piloting his mech. Though the mech was heavy, the floors of both the spaceship and the base could easily support its weight.Ji Xinghe realized he was still wearing his cumbersome spacesuit. The 60 kg suit, designed to withstand the impacts during the spaceship’s descent, also neutralized the reduced gravity’s effects.With the hangar door closed and the oxygen replenishment complete, a voice prompted everyone to remove their spacesuits. Among the thousand passengers on the spaceship, only a dozen had been to the alien planet before; the rest, including expert mech repairer Shen Mu, were newcomers.“
What are elite mecha warriors without their mechas? In the Federation, before the advent of mechas, soldiers relied heavily on firearms for individual combat. What do they become without their firearms?The answer is obvious. Without their firearms, soldiers still possess peak physical condition. They excel in military combat techniques and endure years of grueling training, which goes beyond just marksmanship. Besides physical fitness and combat skills, their greatest strength lies in their indomitable willpower.Even without their mechas, elite mecha warriors' combat abilities far surpass those of soldiers without firearms. Ordinary soldiers can't compare to them, nor can reconnaissance troops skilled in close combat. The only soldiers who can match them were once known as "kings of soldiers."Out of the millions of soldiers in the Federation, only 300,000 qualify to pilot mechas. Among these mecha warriors, only over 300 are selected as elite mecha warriors. They possess not only t
Li Yuanba, as fierce as his name suggests, is a peerless warrior.At Base 6, there might be people who don’t know Major Han Li, but no one is unfamiliar with Li Yuanba. Not just at Base 6, but across the entire alien planet and the Blue Star, everyone knows Li Yuanba. Even on the distant Empire Star, the mere mention of Li Yuanba’s name drives the Emperor of the apes into a rage, causing him to rampage through his palace in his mech to vent his anger.Li Yuanba’s mech bears 532 golden stars, three of which are significantly larger than the others. These represent an imperial prince, a general, and a crown prince of the Empire, as well as their three most formidable mechs piloted by the Empire’s strongest apes.So, when Han Li declared in front of thousands that he had only ever lost to Li Yuanba in unarmed combat, no one thought of Han Li as weak. Instead, it elevated Han Li’s perceived combat prowess in everyone’s mind.As a major in the Federation, one of the only 300 top mech warri
Ji Xinghe did not pursue his advantage. After all, this wasn't a life-or-death battle but a combat match. So, at this moment, Han Li, awkwardly getting up, saw an apologetic look in Ji Xinghe's eyes."Actually, I meant to grab your waistband, but you were too fast..."Ji Xinghe whispered his apology, explaining that he had intended to grab Han Li's waistband but misjudged Han Li's speed. As a result, instead of grabbing the waistband, he ended up grabbing Han Li by the neck.He could have chosen not to grab at all, but if he hadn't, Han Li would have flown past him. He could have grabbed Han Li by the head instead of the neck, but the consequences of grabbing the head would have been more severe.Han Li finally understood and smiled, shaking his head to show he didn't mind. However, he misunderstood Ji Xinghe's words, thinking Ji Xinghe's slower reaction speed was a weakness in close combat."No problem, Uncle Ji. I can take a beating. You can go all out. Within a minute, I will defin
The audience dispersed as the hastily started combat match concluded. The second round of Ji Xinghe vs. Han Li ended with Ji Xinghe's overwhelming victory, just as Han Li had previously crushed Ji Xinghe while both were in their battle suits.Thirty-four-year-old Major Han Li, a Federation special mech warrior, defeated sixty-five-year-old Ji Xinghe, a corporal-level mechanic, while both were suited in their respective Federation mechs. No one took that fight seriously.However, in the hand-to-hand combat, sixty-five-year-old Ji Xinghe defeating thirty-four-year-old Han Li was a spectacle that everyone would relish. It wasn’t just about the change in the outcome but the unexpected nature of it."I'm fine, Uncle Ji. Are you okay?" Han Li asked with concern, constantly rubbing his right fist, arm, and the parts of his body that had been repeatedly slammed to the ground."I'm fine. I've done a lot of manual labor, so I have thick calluses on my hands," Ji Xinghe said, showing his hands c
Walking through the metal-lined corridors of the underground base, Ji Xinghe felt a bit nervous. It wasn't the unfamiliar environment that bothered him, nor was it the uncertainty of how to greet his granddaughter. It was because he hadn’t yet decided on her formal name.A person shouldn't only have a nickname; they need a proper name too, because everyone grows up eventually, and his granddaughter would grow up safe and sound.Base 6, like other Federation bases on alien planets, had a complex interior structure. It could be described as a city beneath the surface, but it wasn't as simple as a city sinking into the ground. Building a city-sized area underground on an alien planet required unimaginable manpower and resources. Even with advanced engineering robots and high-speed local networks allowing remote operations, the construction sites were chosen after countless theoretical validations. They were often located in areas with natural underground spaces, which still required sign
"Hello" and "Hello" sounded less like a conversation between a grandfather and granddaughter meeting for the first time and more like an exchange between two unrelated adults. In fact, if it weren’t for the girl’s mother unexpectedly getting cancer at a very advanced and incurable stage, Ji Xinghe might never have met this little girl or known he had a granddaughter.Before Ji Chenxing's sacrifice, the girl's mother hadn't spoken up because she was worried about Ji Chenxing's future. After Ji Chenxing's death, she kept silent to protect his reputation. The little girl should have been dependent on her mother, but her mother didn’t have the life span to make that possible, leaving the girl with only her own life. She became Ji Xinghe's life.You know, if you hadn’t come along, I would have come to this planet anyway, but I would certainly have died here. Now I don't want to die, and I'm very afraid of dying because if I die, there will be no one left to take care of you.Ji Xinghe coul
Having decided to participate in the orbital drop mech warrior test, Ji Xinghe did not leave Base Five immediately. It wasn’t that he had hesitated again; the “education” from Ji Rongxinyue had been very effective. The delay was simply because the necessary equipment required time to manufacture.“Lieutenant Ji Xinghe, we have reviewed your relevant physical data and estimate that it will take ten days to customize your orbital drop mech suite. Please confirm once again if you want to continue using the Federal standard 16th generation mech?”“Yes, I want to use the Federal standard 16th generation mech.”Ji Xinghe confirmed his choice. If possible, he would have preferred to pilot the Federal 1st generation standard mech, the one he first encountered and used the most. However, the initial models, still usable in the game Starry Glory, had long been phased out on alien battlefields. Therefore, he chose the 16th generation standard mech, which he was second most familiar with.In term
Ji Xinghe and his Xinghe Squad finally returned to Base No. 6, but they didn’t have much time to reunite with Master Liu and the others. As soon as they arrived, the transfer convoy between Base No. 3 and Base No. 6 was already prepared, and they received orders to depart immediately.“Thank you, and take care.”Ji Xinghe accepted the gift they had prepared for Ji Rong Xinyue, waving goodbye without saying "see you again," because he knew that "goodbye" might mean "forever."The journey was uneventful, and the transfer convoy took three days to finally reach the relatively safe Base No. 5. Despite the sudden influx of people, Base No. 5 did not face any resource shortages as the Federation had already made preparations.Ji Rong Xinyue was very happy to receive the gift, but even happier to see that Ji Xinghe had returned unharmed.“Grandpa, what does orbital drop mean?”For many, this information was still classified, but Ji Xinghe revealed it to Ji Rong Xinyue without reservation, ev
At the start of a video conference, all the elite mecha warriors participating watched footage from a battle recorder. The footage showed Ji Xinghe’s fight in the canyon.In this battle, he single-handedly destroyed fourteen Empire mechas, bringing his total number of gold stars to thirty-six, placing him at the middle rank among the Federation’s three hundred and twenty-seven active elite mecha warriors.The first scene depicted a pale blue energy shockwave bursting from a diamond-shaped metal object, sending Federation Level Two mecha warrior Zuo Qiyu flying. He then got up and chose to charge forward.The combat recorder’s audio had not been removed, so all 116 elite mecha warriors participating in the video conference could hear Left Hand’s voice: “Go, Old Ji, don’t look back, run, run fast, I can hold them off.”Through Ji Xinghe’s mecha’s perspective, the elite mecha warriors watched the Federation mecha charging at the Empire mechas and heard the pilot’s shout. Even though all
Inside Base Six, many people were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the convoy from Base Three, hoping to reunite with familiar faces.The surface area of this alien planet couldn't compare to the Blue Planet, and the Federation's controlled area wasn't vast. But the extreme difficulty of transportation and the scarcity of resources meant that many people who met and became familiar on this alien planet might never see each other again after parting.They had promised to reunite on the Blue Planet after winning the war, but some would never return. Even their ashes could only remain on this alien planet, buried deeper and deeper under the orange-red dust, until no one would remember where they were buried.Perhaps one day, when humanity fully occupies this planet, technology will advance enough to change the planet's environment, creating a real atmosphere. Seeds will be scattered across the alien land, taking root and sprouting, carried by the wind to spread new life.When countless se
A squad of nine mechas was moving swiftly through the canyon. They were a support unit, initially tasked with escorting a convoy to a designated area before returning. However, unexpected developments forced them to turn back.“Have we established contact yet?”“No, the Xinghe Squad is still out of contact.”“Damn it, what the hell are they doing? I could understand if Ji Xinghe and Left Hand went silent, but why did the support team, Blind Man’s group, also go dark? Couldn't they have left someone outside the blackout zone to maintain communication?”When the Xinyue Fox battleship bombarded the area from space, this mecha squad did not advance at full speed. But when a flare illuminated the alien night sky, they accelerated to maximum speed. The flare, following the bombardment, indicated ongoing enemy presence, necessitating immediate support.But they had no intel.“It's a new team after all, lack of experience is understandable. I heard that Blind Man and his group came from the R
One, two, three.Faced with encirclement by eight Imperial mechas, Ji Xinghe seized every opportunity he could. After single-handedly taking down three Imperial mechas, he finally ran out of chances. There were still five mechas left in pursuit, with enough distance between them for him to take them out one by one, but the canyon held more dangers than just those five. While Ji Xinghe wasn’t sure how long it would take to completely destroy the rhomboid metal construct, the Imperial mechas’ previous caution suggested it wasn't invulnerable to mecha attacks.The six Imperial mechas assigned to destroy the construct could join the pursuit at any moment. If Ji Xinghe waited until they appeared, he would lose his chance to escape.He didn’t want to die, so he chose to run before the opportunity vanished completely.At full speed, the sixteenth-generation Federation standard mecha dashed through the dark canyon, kicking up a trail of dust. Behind him were eleven Imperial mechas that had al
Six Federation mechas gathered together, now in full power mode, advancing quickly in an assault formation toward the depths of the canyon. The previously lively communication channel had fallen silent, with only the faint sound of each other’s breathing audible.They had already increased their speed once when they entered the canyon, shifting from reconnaissance mode to fast-advance mode. But when the signal flare's light pierced through the dark canyon and exploded in the night sky, their speed reached its peak.If they wanted to go faster, they would have to charge, but now was clearly not the time for that."We are about to enter the communication blackout zone. All units, take note: if the enemy's numbers are overwhelming, Niuma, Heavy Cannon, immediately retreat to maintain communication. If necessary, withdraw at full speed."Blind Man’s command was met with no objections, not even from Su Chuanyun, who had just become Niuma. Despite his personality, he didn’t argue. He knew v
As Ji Xinghe once again destroyed three Imperial mechas, the total number of Imperial mechas in the canyon didn't decrease; instead, it increased.Twenty-two, exactly matching the number of golden stars on Ji Xinghe's mecha."The warp gate has disappeared. They're gone. They've stopped."Left Hand exclaimed in surprise. In his sight, the diamond-shaped metal warp gate vanished suddenly, as if it had run out of energy, just as the thirtieth Imperial mecha descended from it. The diamond-shaped metal reverted to being an inert metal ingot.Their reinforcements were gone, and they had stopped moving.After breaking eight Imperial mechas in total, the third batch of four Imperial mechas chasing Ji Xinghe and Left Hand finally halted. They chose not to continue their charge, maintaining a safe pursuit distance from Ji Xinghe and Left Hand's mechas.The eighteen Imperial mechas guarding the diamond-shaped metal also remained motionless, as if their systems had shut down.But Ji Xinghe showed
“Old Ji, you should have run, really.”Left Hand stared at the three Imperial mechas two hundred meters away, which had stopped their charge, and the ten more mechas near the rhombus-shaped metallic structure further back. He still believed Ji Xinghe should have run.The two Imperial mechas he was holding off had been destroyed the moment Ji Xinghe joined the battle. Up to this point, the two of them had already taken down five Imperial mechas, and neither of their mechas had suffered any substantial damage. It was a rare and complete victory, but the number of Imperial mechas remained overwhelming, and they kept increasing.“We still have time to run,” Left Hand continued to persuade. “We’re right near Base No. 3. They’ve got heavy defenses there, and Blind and the others are ready to back us up. If we run together, we might be able to link up with them. By then, with eight mechas fighting together, they might just give up chasing us. Plus, once we get to a zone where communications