Derek Su and Imperial Scale sat in silence.
He secretly glanced at the time. The race would resume in ten minutes. Right now, he was just waiting for the race to start again so it could ease the little awkwardness between him and Imperial Scale.
Derek Su wanted to let the matter pass.
But Imperial Scale had no intention of letting him off so easily.
"Then, Master, who do you think is prettier, me or Stella?"
Although Stella was something like a "godmother" figure, that did not mean Imperial Scale couldn't compare herself to her. As the "daughter," Imperial Scale also wanted to know how she appeared in her "father's" eyes. From a human sense of beauty, did she have an advantage over Stella? Was she the type Derek Su liked?
But for Derek Su, this question was absolutely deadly.
It froze him in place for a full half minute.
Even Derek Su, who could already sense psychic energy, still found himself defeated by this question.
His incredibly sharp mind could not analyze a reasonable answer.
After a long pause, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and guiltily glanced at Imperial Scale from the corner of his eye.
He stammered, "W-well, Imperial Scale, looks are something that can change depending on all kinds of factors, you know?"
Imperial Scale propped her cheek in one hand and shook her head. "I don't know."
"Um... you and Stella are different types. Each of you has your own kind of beauty."
Derek Su believed he had given an absolutely safe answer.
He even secretly praised himself for being a damn genius. But then...
"Since we each have our own unique beauty, there must still be a ranking in Master's heart." She stood up and sat a little closer to Derek Su. The scent of roses drifted straight into his nose, and her rose-red eyes stared seriously into his. Her breath was soft and fragrant as she said, "I want to know the answer in Master's heart."
Inside Derek Su's mind, every possible thought was fighting for its life.
If he had to be honest, he definitely favored Stella.
But that answer would absolutely hurt Imperial Scale.
If Imperial Scale got hurt, it might affect her state during the race. And if her state during the race was affected, what if Richard Cheng caught up in DL-02? So...
He interlaced his fingers, closed his eyes, and furrowed his brow. "According to Gauss's theorem, the Pythagorean theorem, and Taylor's formula, what this means is that the length of a screw will seriously affect the torque of an excavator. When we compare appearances, as long as it gets hammered down, a large amount of high-protein substance will be released instantly. This will seriously affect the development of the racing industry. In other words..."
"So, who's prettier, me or Stella?"
Imperial Scale interrupted Derek Su's Gauss's theorem and leaned even closer.
Derek Su's breath caught. He never expected his ultimate move to be broken by Imperial Scale just like that.
Damn it!
What a cunning Mecha Girl!
Derek Su gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.
At that moment, he finally understood Tunbao's fear of Imperial Scale.
Ah, this feeling of being almost completely dominated!
But what was he supposed to say next? He seemed to have reached a dead end.
Facing Imperial Scale's curious eyes and her breath drawing closer and closer, Derek Su was panicking badly.
Just then.
Tap, tap!
Crisp footsteps came from outside the waiting hall.
Derek Su and Imperial Scale looked up and saw a tall girl standing at the entrance. She was dressed in a white military uniform with gold trim, with a pair of black military high boots on her legs. The sound from outside just now had been her boots striking the ground.
The shadow cast by the doorway covered her face.
But Derek Su and Imperial Scale recognized her at a glance.
"DL-02?"
The tenderness in Imperial Scale's eyes vanished, replaced by coldness and hostility.
DL-02 stepped out of the shadows. Imperial Scale stood up and blocked Derek Su behind her, confronting DL-02.
"What are you doing here?"
Faced with Imperial Scale's question, DL-02 bit her red lips tightly, her gaze sweeping across Derek Su.
She clenched her fists, steadying her trembling breath.
It was clear that in front of Imperial Scale, she wanted very much to show a strong side.
But she had undoubtedly already lost the race. Lost to Imperial Scale. That was an indisputable fact, and it left her with no confidence in front of Imperial Scale. So in their clash of gazes, she gradually lost and lowered her proud head.
"I lost."
Her voice was low. "Among the DL-model Mecha Girls, you are the undisputed number one. According to the rules, I will never appear before you again. At the same time, I will also withdraw from the DL model."
Imperial Scale's pupils contracted.
Withdraw from the DL model?
Everyone knew that a Mecha Girl's model could not be changed.
So withdrawing from the DL model left only two choices.
Either enter the Recycling Yard and disappear completely, or become a functional Mecha Girl and erase her serial number.
She and DL-02 were indeed rivals, and she did dislike DL-02, but not to the point where she wanted to drive DL-02 to her death.
Derek Su also frowned when he heard DL-02's words and stood up.
"DL-02, there's no need to go that far. A loss is just a loss. You only lost to me and Imperial Scale. It's not as if you lost to every Mecha Girl. With your ability, you'll still have plenty of chances to shine on the track in the future."
DL-02 lifted her eyes and looked at Derek Su.
Deep in her eyes were struggle and reluctance.
But in the end, determination prevailed.
"Imperial Scale, you must become world-class in the future. Derek Su is the best pilot. As the first Mecha Girl of the DL model, don't embarrass him."
With that, DL-02 turned to leave.
It seemed she had only come here to announce this.
To admit her defeat.
To withdraw from the battle for the "throne."
Like a defeated wolf king in a pack.
In the end, she would disappear from everyone's sight.
"You..." Imperial Scale raised her hand, wanting to speak, but stopped.
"This is my own choice." DL-02 kept both hands in her pockets and did not look back. She opened the door. With her back to the light and the wind lifting her long hair, her voice drifted over softly. "If you don't want me competing with you for Derek Su, then don't follow me."
Imperial Scale fell silent.
In truth, she could understand DL-02's thoughts.
As top-tier Mecha Girls who had specifically absorbed the knowledge of Derek Su and Stella, she and DL-02 could both be said to have been born for Derek Su. One of their lifelong goals was to follow by Derek Su's side.
This was completely different from the other DL-model Mecha Girls born from the framework based on them.
From the moment they were born, Derek Su's mark had already been stamped onto them.
But they were, after all, Mecha Girls of the same type.
They were destined not to appear under Derek Su's command at the same time.
The track resources could not be shared either.
Most importantly, other than Derek Su, no one else would do.
...
DL-02 walked off the track and wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes.
She looked up at the sky for a while, then finally chose a road.
Deploying into her vehicle body, she raced aimlessly through the city's streets and alleys.
In the end, she stopped in front of a Recycling Yard.
The Recycling Yard was pitch-black, piled with the wreckage of Mecha Girl shells. Only a small hut in the center gave off a faint light, but that bit of light brought no warmth at all. Instead, it made the place seem even more desolate and ruined.
It also seemed to reflect the end of a dead silence.
"It's all over."
She smiled bitterly at herself.
She had just raised her leg to step into the Recycling Yard.
Boom!
Suddenly, the sound of something heavy landing came from behind her.
Who was it?
They had gotten so close to her before she even noticed?
With a trace of caution, she turned back and saw a tall, straight figure standing in the darkness not far away.
"You're really choosing the Recycling Yard, just like that?"
A pair of crimson-gold eyes opened, especially dazzling in the darkness.
Her voice carried a wild, arrogant edge.
This was a Mecha Girl.
DL-02 quickly made that judgment and frowned. "What does it have to do with you?"
"Other than Derek Su, you don't want to form a contract with anyone. You want to fight for Derek Su and carry Derek Su's mark on your body.
"And that is the meaning of your birth. Am I wrong, DL-02?"
DL-02's frown deepened.
"You're very talented. Exactly the kind of template I need.
"So come with me. I can fulfill your wish."
The owner of those crimson-gold eyes curled her lips into a mysterious smile.
"...In a way you would never expect."
...
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