Fortunately, Shen Mu was with them; otherwise, the four of them wouldn’t have been able to enter the mecha zone. Since it wasn’t mealtime yet, they decided to go see the mechas. However, each area within the base had its own access permissions, and those without the necessary permissions couldn't enter.Xin Xin, being too young, didn't understand why, and Ji Xinghe and Shen Mu only knew the rules without knowing the reasons. Only Su He, a war correspondent on his second visit to the alien planet, knew the details.“There used to be no access restrictions. Back then, the base wasn’t as big, and people could go wherever they wanted. The living space was so small that confining people too much would drive them crazy. But…”Su He glanced at Xin Xin, lowering his voice and speaking faster, “But people still went crazy. The pressure to survive here is immense, not just the pressure of living. Sometimes the front lines couldn't hold, and the Imperial forces could breach the base at any time.
"I really didn't cheat."Ji Xinghe, being a Glory King in the game Stellar Glory, naturally knew what cheating meant. Although he was sixty-five years old and felt somewhat out of touch with the times, he was actually able to keep up.Shen Mu's finger stopped at the profession information for a fitter. After clicking on it, there were four categories: Ordinary Fitter, Maintenance Fitter, Tool Fitter, and Fitter.The first three were normal fitter job types, and the skill levels were classified as Junior, Intermediate, Advanced, Technician, and Senior Technician. Ji Xinghe had all three fitter job types at the highest level, Senior Technician.But these three certificates, which Shen Mu thought ordinary people couldn't obtain in a lifetime, weren't what Ji Xinghe found the hardest to obtain, nor were they what shocked Shen Mu the most."Fitter? Level Eight?" Shen Mu looked at Ji Xinghe in disbelief. "Old Ji, if you didn't cheat, then you must have made this up when filling out your per
On the ground in the Mech Zone, there were clear markings, so Ji Xinghe and his group easily found Section 109. All work areas were divided into sections, with a total of 150 sections spread across a 50,000-square-meter area.As they approached, someone called out to them."What are you doing here?"Unlike the severe and official tone of the Colonel, the mech technicians' words were much more casual."Hey? This guy looks pretty old.""Stop staring and get back to work.""Oh."Only one young man reluctantly stepped forward to stop Ji Xinghe and his group, while the others continued their tasks without paying much attention. In fact, they didn't care about many things, like Ji Xinghe and Han Li's fight. No one in this mech zone had gone to watch, and it hadn’t been long enough for the news to spread. Otherwise, some people might have come out of curiosity."Hello, I saw you need a machinist." Ji Xinghe displayed his Level 8 Machinist certification on his wrist screen. "I'm here to apply
“Try?” Master Liu frowned. “Mr. Ji, mechas are not cars. You can't just 'try' fixing them. This concerns the lives of frontline soldiers, not just the mecha pilots... You've never dealt with mechas before, so I can't let you try.”The battles on the alien frontlines are not solely between the Federation and the Empire's mecha units. Although various high-tech weapons from the Federation can't be used effectively on the alien planet due to numerous reasons, ordinary soldiers have to wear spacesuits weighing up to 60kg on the surface. These suits are very bulky, but the soldiers still manage to cooperate with the mecha pilots.In short, they have to overcome many difficulties, but it's easier said than done. The difficulties they face often require them to gamble with their lives. It is their willingness to sacrifice that makes people like Master Liu value their lives even more.Shen Mu was anxious and was about to explain, but Ji Xinghe stopped him. He couldn't always rely on others to
"Stop."Ji Xinghe, holding Xinxin's hand, stood behind Shen Mu. Just as Shen Mu was about to scroll back up, Ji Xinghe spoke, "This one."Shen Mu's finger paused on the third-to-last item in the 109th Operation Area's demand list: a repair project. The system's estimated completion time was 864 hours. These hours are in Blue Star's time units, as the day-night cycle on the alien planet is completely different from Blue Star's. Although the time isn't a direct result of the base's AI program combined with advanced technologies like robotic arms and machine tools, the wait time of 864 hours mainly represents the queue, indicating the high difficulty of this repair."Old Ji, can you handle it?" Shen Mu glanced at Liu Shifu and whispered, "This goes beyond the level of an eighth-level fitter. Even if your hands don't shake, it might still be too much."Ji Xinghe noticed Liu Shifu listening in and suddenly regretted his earlier bravado. However, having already boasted, he had no choice but
The canteen at Base Six suddenly became lively because an old man came in, leading a little girl. As the two lined up to get their food, they attracted the attention of hundreds, sparking many hushed discussions."That's him, that's him. It's really him.""Who?""A peerless master.""A peerless master?""Oh, I forgot you were working and didn't see it. Let me tell you, a spaceship from Azure Star arrived today with a thousand people. As soon as they got off the spaceship, they wanted to fight.""Fight?""Yes, this old man, oh no, this peerless master fought.""Did you secretly drink? Let me smell your breath.""Get lost, I'm not joking. Even though this old man looks old, just look at his height and build; he's a human weapon.""You mean this old man can fight? At his age?""It's not just my opinion; it's a fact. Do you know who his opponent was?""Who?""Han Li.""Han Li? The name sounds familiar.""Special-grade mech warrior, Major Han Li with seventy-three golden stars on his perso
The furious Shen Mu was not actually angry, but rather extremely excited. He had been excited since running into the canteen because the testing on the other side had been completed. Ji Xinghe really had fixed the damaged component, so he had run all the way to tell Ji Xinghe the good news, leaving Su He behind.After running into the canteen and seeing what Ji Xinghe was doing, Shen Mu became even more excited. He was about to rush over and shout but suddenly stopped in his tracks, standing there dumbfounded like an idiot because he saw that the second lieutenant being examined by Ji Xinghe, who might take the chance to become Ji Xinghe's second apprentice, was a cripple.A cripple was almost impossible to come to an alien planet, let alone become a mech warrior. The brand-new mechanical prosthetic leg was spotless, indicating it was newly fitted, suggesting this mech warrior was not originally a cripple.He was originally a mech warrior with intact limbs, strong physical fitness, an
The noise in the cafeteria vanished as everyone fell silent, watching the old man and the cripple. The terms "old man" and "cripple" were mere descriptors, devoid of any discrimination."Really, is it possible?" The lieutenant still couldn't believe it. He had chosen to hope, and this hope had given him further hope, but deep down, he wasn't confident. Everyone in the base had told him: you're done, you should retire, you can return to Azure Star and live a good life. Leave this war to us."Yes, it really is possible," Ji Xinghe replied seriously in both tone and expression. "As long as it's without armor, it truly is possible."The lieutenant's eyes reddened. He wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. He wanted to cry, but his status wouldn't allow it. After a deep breath and another, he calmed himself in the quiet cafeteria and spoke slowly."Thank you, but... thank you, truly."The lieutenant bowed to Private Ji Xinghe, a gesture unrelated to rank, but rather to age an
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