Chapter 9: The Black Market
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Xu Ang was originally stunned that Lian Fei could deploy a mech. Upon hearing Lian Fei’s words, his blood boiled and he shouted angrily, “Just you wait!” He snatched the mech necklace and stared intently, attempting to connect to the mech using his spiritual power.
However, thirty minutes passed, and Xu Ang was still concentrating intently on the mech necklace in his hand.
Lian Fei sat cross-legged, propping her chin with one hand, feeling bored. Was it really this difficult?
The commander of the Tenth District Army also sat cross-legged, smiling warmly as he watched. “See? This is how a normal person behaves.” Even if one had successfully deployed a mech in DOL, in the real world it would still take a moment to adjust.
Seeing Xu Ang still struggling, Murong asked Lilith, “Lilith, is there any trick to this?”
Lilith raised an eyebrow. “He’s already successfully deployed a mech in DOL, right? Then just do it the same way he did back then.”
Murong frowned slightly. “Isn’t there any other secret method?”
Lilith smiled faintly. “Nope.”
“Alright then.” Murong turned back to watch Xu Ang.
Lian Fei yawned and asked, “So, can you do it or not? Even I, a useless person, managed to get into a mech. Why are you still playing in the dirt?”
Xu Ang was furious. The truth was, he really couldn’t deploy it!
He clenched the mech necklace tightly, veins bulging on his forehead.
“Give it here!” Luo Zheng forcibly snatched the mech from his hand.
Xu Ang was about to get angry, but seeing it was Luo Zheng, he swallowed his fury.
Luo Zheng closed his eyes, carefully recalling the sensation of deploying a mech in DOL.
Ten minutes later, Luo Zheng successfully deployed the mech.
The commander of the Tenth District Army was astonished. It seemed there were quite a few promising talents this year.
Murong and the others all wore happy expressions.
Lian Fei raised an eyebrow and stood up.
“I’ll be your opponent.” Luo Zheng said to Lian Fei.
“Alright.” Lian Fei replied and took up a stance.
However, just as she prepared to face Luo Zheng’s attack, Luo Zheng had barely taken a step forward before he fell hard to the ground.
Lian Fei sidestepped easily.
No one spoke.
An awkward silence fell.
Lian Fei scratched her cheek and gently nudged Luo Zheng with her foot. Softly, she said, “Hey, no sleeping here, okay?”
Luo Zheng struggled to stand, but as he tried to take a step, he fell again.
Lian Fei: ?
Is it really this hard?
Luo Zheng tried a few more times, but after two steps, he collapsed once more. This time, he did not get up.
He disengaged the mech and lay on the ground, blood flowing from his mouth and nose, his gaze dim as if he had lost consciousness.
“Luo Zheng!”
Murong and the others hurried over.
Lian Fei was shocked too. She disengaged her mech and approached him.
“It’s your fault!” A long-haired girl held Luo Zheng, her eyes red as she glared at Lian Fei.
Lian Fei’s eyes widened in disbelief, pointing at herself. “Me?”
What does this have to do with me?
The girl’s name was Pei Lanlan, Luo Zheng’s lover. Seeing Luo Zheng unconscious, her gaze toward Lian Fei was filled with hatred.
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The commander of the Tenth District Army came over, examined Luo Zheng, and reassured, “He’s fine. Just overexerted his spiritual power. Let’s take him to the medical pod to rest for a while.”
Hearing this, everyone hurriedly lifted Luo Zheng, surrounding him as they headed to the medical room.
Lian Fei watched them leave, then turned to the commander with a puzzled look.
Seeing her confusion, the commander smiled, “Some people are like this. The first time they pilot a mech, if they don’t control their spiritual power well and release too much, they will overexert themselves.”
Lian Fei nodded, indicating she understood.
“Well then, teacher, I’ll go back to studying.” She handed back the training device.
The commander took it and waved her off, signaling she could leave on her own.
On her way back to the dormitory, Lian Fei stopped by the cafeteria to grab some snacks and drinks.
When she returned and saw the towering pile of books nearly touching the ceiling, she was so shocked she dropped the food from her hands.
No way, this many?
At least a hundred books, right?
She had thought the commander would just give her some basic materials on mech construction.
Lian Fei scratched her head.
Oh well, take it slow. It’s a kind gesture; wasting it wouldn’t be right.
So, Lian Fei read from afternoon till late into the night. The more she read, the stronger her urge became to pilot a mech.
Damn it, after finishing “Types of Mechs” and “Detailed Structure of Mechs,” her mind was filled with hundreds of strategies on how to fight mechs.
She was itching for some real combat.
Lian Fei glanced at the virtual mech.
No, she was still “wanted.”
She sighed and lightly tapped her own mouth.
“Should’ve kept my mouth shut.”
Lian Fei knew she wasn’t good with words. Usually silent and expressionless, she tried not to offend anyone.
But sometimes, she unintentionally said things that were rather blunt.
“Ahhh, I really want to pilot a mech.” She sprawled out on the bed.
Wait, in an interstellar setting, doesn’t a black market usually exist?
If there’s a black market, then there must be underground fighting rings, and if there are underground fighting rings, there would be black market mech battles!
Having connected the dots, Lian Fei quickly powered on her light brain, ready to search for black market info.
Suddenly, she realized that since it’s the black market, it wouldn’t be searchable online.
So she switched to her contacts and found Lilith.
Lian Fei: Are you there?
After sending the message, she didn’t hold out much hope. It was late; the other party might have already gone to sleep.
But to her surprise, Lilith replied in less than a minute.
Lilith: Here. What do you need?
Lian Fei: Do you know about the black market?
Lilith: You mean, is there a mech arena? Right?
Lian Fei was stunned.
Lian Fei: How do you know?
Was she reading her mind?
Lilith didn’t answer but sent a coordinate.
Lilith: I’m at the black market. There’s a mech arena there. I’ll take you.
Lian Fei: Thanks.
With the coordinate in hand, Lian Fei immediately got up, changed clothes, and headed out.
The black market was quite far, so she gritted her teeth, took some money, and hailed a ride.
The hovercar quickly brought her to the spot Lilith had given. As she stepped out, she saw Lilith wearing a white dress.
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“Lian Fei, over here.” Lilith waved.
Lian Fei jogged over.
“Once we go in, you stay right behind me. Don’t talk nonsense or do anything strange, got it?” Lilith instructed.
Lian Fei nodded and thanked her.
Lilith smiled. “I’m glad I can help.”
Lian Fei asked, “How did you know I was looking for the mech arena?”
Lilith didn’t answer but instead complimented, “You pilot mechs with such ease. Impressive.”
Seeing Lilith wouldn’t answer, Lian Fei wisely didn’t press further.
Lilith didn’t mind. She led Lian Fei, turning left and right until they reached the entrance of a bar.
She pulled out a black card and handed it to a muscular man in a black suit and sunglasses, about six feet tall, guarding the door.
The guard took the card, glanced at Lilith, then at Lian Fei.
“She’s with me,” Lilith said.
The guard nodded, stepped aside, and gestured them to enter.
As they brushed past the guard, Lian Fei noticed electric wire patterns behind his ear.
This guard was a bionic man?
Lilith led Lian Fei inside the bar.
In the hallway, Lilith pulled out a silver mask that covered the entire face and handed it to Lian Fei.
“Don’t reveal your identity here,” she said, putting on a mask that covered the upper half of her face. “This mask is for you.”
Lian Fei thanked her.
As she pressed the mask to her face, two metal rings extended from each side, fitting snugly and clasping at the back of her head.
Interesting.
Lian Fei tapped the mask on her face.
“I’m taking you to get a pass. After this, you can come here by yourself,” Lilith said.
Lian Fei thanked her again.
Lilith laughed, “Besides ‘thank you,’ what else do you know how to say?”
Lian Fei was startled.
Lilith suddenly leaned close, her fiery red lips curved into a teasing smile, her eyes full of mischief.
Lian Fei froze, afraid to move.
“We’re friends, right?” Lilith asked.
Lian Fei instinctively nodded.
Lilith chuckled softly, stopped teasing, and turned to lead the way.
Lian Fei scratched her cheek.
How weird.
She shrugged and followed.
The bar was just a facade. They took a special elevator down to the black market.
Getting the black market pass was easy. With Lilith’s guarantee, Lian Fei had the pass in less than three minutes.
“By the way, you probably don’t have a mech,” Lilith said. “Good news: the black market gives every newcomer to the mech arena a free D-rank mech.”
Lian Fei was delighted.
She had wondered if there was anywhere in the black market to borrow a mech, but didn’t expect one to be given.
Lilith added, “But that mech is pretty lousy. Almost no one wants it.”
Lian Fei said, “That’s fine. I just want one. I’m not picky.”
Lilith nodded and led Lian Fei to the mech arena area.