Soon, the results of every competitor had finished scrolling across the big screen.
As expected, first place belonged to Lucy Luo and Eternity-01.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the champions of the Mermaid Bay Advanced Race have been decided! They are Lucy Luo, the ace driver of our Glory Peak Club, and her Mecha Girl, Eternity-01. Let's give them a round of applause!" Kool Kenny announced excitedly.
However, only scattered applause came from the stands. Instead, the spectators' murmurs grew louder, filling the venue with a restless buzz.
The response left Kool Kenny visibly embarrassed.
"I have a question." One of the competitors suddenly raised his hand. "I know Glory Peak Club is powerful, and Lucy Luo is the club's ace, but does being an ace mean she can arrive late whenever she wants?"
"Uh..." Kool Kenny's mouth twitched, his expression troubled.
That was not an easy question to answer. He was only the host.
Since the officials at the starting line had allowed Lucy Luo and Eternity onto the track, they clearly had the authority to compete. As for why they had been allowed to do so, was that really something a minor host like him had any right to question?
"I also think the organizers owe us an explanation."
Another competitor stepped forward with a serious expression. "A provincial Advanced Race is an official competition. Fairness and impartiality are supposed to come first. Eternity-01 arrived late and had an unobstructed track the entire way. What about all the battles we faced during the race and the time we lost because of them?"
"Exactly! This wasn't a solo time trial. We were competing against one another!"
"Lucy Luo and Eternity-01's result might not affect most of us, but isn't it incredibly unfair to the top three?"
The other competitors quickly joined in.
It was not that they wanted to help Derek Su.
After all, they also considered Derek Su a menace on the track.
However troublesome he might be, Derek Su had overwhelmed them through sheer skill. They had no choice but to accept that defeat.
Lucy Luo and Eternity-01 were different. Had they started alongside everyone else, no one would have complained, no matter how outrageous Eternity-01's special skill was.
Their real concern was the precedent this might set.
If ace drivers from major clubs were allowed to change the rules whenever they pleased, what was even the point of drivers from smaller clubs competing?
Kool Kenny finally realized how serious the situation had become.
This was clearly not something the officials could brush aside with a few vague statements.
Lucy Luo and Eternity-01 stood beside the vehicle retraction platform, staring helplessly at the furious competitors surrounding them.
When they had rushed over to enter the race, neither of them had thought too deeply about it. Their only concern had been getting to the venue, like students hurrying to reach an examination hall.
Lucy Luo had overslept. Her alarm had gone off several times without waking her, while Eternity-01 had been so occupied with impact resistance and stability training that she had forgotten to remind Lucy Luo to get up.
By the time Eternity-01 finally woke her properly, the sky outside was already growing dark. The two of them had then rushed to the racetrack in a panic.
Lucy Luo had already qualified for the provincial circuit, so she had never needed to participate in this race in the first place.
Half the reason she had chosen to enter the Mermaid Bay Advanced Race was to compete against Derek Su and test his abilities. The other half was that she wanted to prove herself to her older sister.
She had failed to achieve a Grand Slam and was not as outstanding as her sister, but at the very least, she wanted to compete in every Advanced Race.
Even so, Lucy Luo and Eternity's actions had clearly undermined the fairness of the competition.
The in-race confrontations alone were enough to prove that.
Eternity-01 had gained an enormous advantage by racing along a completely open track without any opposition. Once her special skill was activated, her speed would gradually increase until it reached as much as one and a half times her normal maximum speed. After entering a light gate, she could maintain that state of acceleration.
However, that did not make her invincible.
Once she entered a light gate, she could not engage in any confrontation or collision. Otherwise, the special skill would immediately end, her Boost Charge would fall to zero, and she would be unable to activate the skill again.
Certain conditions had to be met for Eternity-01 to use her ability to its full potential.
The first possibility was an entirely unobstructed track. Eternity-01 would seize the lead from the start, and no other Mecha Girl would be able to catch her afterward.
The alternative was to rely on exceptional driving skill to avoid every [obstacle], [control] effect, and [clash].
The second possibility was almost impossible.
Once Eternity-01 reached her maximum speed, she became extremely difficult to control and consumed a tremendous amount of Endurance.
Under normal circumstances, Lucy Luo would deliberately limit Eternity-01's speed to prevent a collision.
Eternity-01 had previously taken first place and broken the record on the Blade Path using autopilot.
In reality, she had simply seized the advantage at the start. None of the Mecha Girls competing against her at the time could accelerate faster than she could.
Those Mecha Girls were not top-tier models either. Without special skills, they had no way to apply [control] effects to her.
As the competitors continued arguing among themselves, Kool Kenny raised his hands to quiet them.
"I understand your concerns."
With a solemn expression, he announced loudly, "I will report this matter to the tournament organizers immediately. We will make sure every competitor receives a satisfactory answer."
...
Kool Kenny walked off to make a phone call, and the area around the vehicle retraction platform fell silent once again.
However, the occasional glances directed at Lucy Luo and Eternity-01 left them feeling deeply uncomfortable.
"Eternity, I think we've caused a serious problem..." Lucy Luo said, biting her lip.
At the time, all she had been thinking about was making sure they entered the race. Cheating had never crossed her mind.
Only now did she realize that their actions had compromised the fairness of the competition.
Eternity pursed her lips but remained silent.
She had known that Lucy Luo's actions were unfair. She had considered warning her earlier, but the words had died on her lips.
Lucy Luo's lateness was her own responsibility, even if it was partly connected to her physical condition.
Eternity wanted to see how Lucy Luo would handle the situation without Tania there to cover for her.
After a long silence, Lucy Luo took a deep breath, grasped Eternity's hand, and stepped down from the vehicle retraction platform.
Facing the many different looks from the crowd, she bowed deeply and spoke with complete sincerity.
"Everyone, I'm sorry. Eternity-01 and I handled today's situation badly. I shouldn't have been late, and I shouldn't have affected the fairness of the race. I understand how serious my mistake was. Um... what kind of compensation would you consider appropriate? I definitely can't accept this result, so please tell me what you think would be fair."
She had already made up her mind.
Even if the organizers refused to punish her because of her status, she would find a way to make sure the matter was handled fairly.
She found the entire situation humiliating. Her older sister would feel the same way if she learned about it.
No one had expected the prestigious chief of Glory Peak Club to lower her head and apologize on her own initiative.
Her apology immediately took the wind out of the furious competitors.
None of them demanded compensation. Instead, they began trying to view the matter more calmly.
"Whatever happens, let's hear what the organizers have to say first."
"Yeah. The organizers share some of the responsibility too."
The hostile stares directed at Lucy Luo and Eternity-01 gradually faded.
More than Lucy Luo's apology, the competitors cared about the organizers' response.
No matter how influential Lucy Luo might be, she could not run an official tournament by herself.
...
Meanwhile, inside the organizers' office, a group of officials were discussing the host's report with grave expressions.
They had divided into two factions.
One faction was led by Patrick Wang, while the other followed Adrian Chen. Both men were Techmasters.
The difference was that Patrick Wang represented the Human Federation, while Adrian Chen was a committee member of the Techmasters' Alliance.
Before long, both sides had nearly finished discussing the matter.
Adrian Chen was a pleasant-looking middle-aged man who appeared to be in his forties or fifties. He smiled and spoke first.
"I believe Lucy Luo and Eternity-01's result should be considered completely valid. Even if she had started at the same time as the other competitors, she still would have finished first. Besides, her older sister is a world-class racer. We have to show her some respect."
Patrick Wang sat directly opposite him with his arms crossed. He gave a cold snort before replying evenly.
"I disagree. Commissioner Chen, have you considered what future Advanced Races will become if we recognize Lucy Luo and Eternity's result? Will they become playgrounds for the ace drivers of major clubs?"
He stared firmly at Adrian Chen.
"You need to think beyond the present situation. Some rules can be adjusted, but others must never be touched. Once we cross that line, every one of us will be responsible for the consequences."
"Rules are made by people. It's not as though they can never be changed." Adrian Chen smiled casually. "At worst, we simply make a single exception for Lucy Luo."
"Once there is a first exception, there will be a second!" Patrick Wang planted both hands on the table, refusing to yield. "Once the bottom line is broken, there will be no limit to how far things can fall!"
The smile disappeared from Adrian Chen's face, and the corners of his mouth turned downward.
"Aren't you afraid of offending Miss Tania, Patrick?"
Patrick Wang fell silent.
Lucy Luo's older sister was Tania.
She was a world-class Techmaster, and most people had heard of the powerful female driver.
However, Tania had yet to join any faction.
The situation involving Lucy Luo and Eternity might be an opportunity to win her over.
The Techmasters' Alliance clearly wanted to use this matter to curry favor with Tania. Patrick Wang also hoped she would side with the Human Federation.
However, he cared more about the future of the world than he did about Tania.
Every competition existed to identify and cultivate Techmasters.
An Official Tournament was called "official" precisely because it was fair.
That fairness was the reason so many drivers and Mecha Girls were willing to devote themselves to competing.
Once that fairness was destroyed, the future of humanity and the Techmasters would collapse with it.
Who would still be willing to give everything they had in a race?
Who would still train relentlessly and work to build perfect coordination with their Mecha Girl?
Eventually, every competition would become nothing more than a game controlled by capital.
And behind that capital, the people waiting at the finish line would once again be the same group of Techmasters.
At that thought, Patrick Wang's resolve hardened.
He fixed Adrian Chen with an icy stare.
Even if defending this decision meant offending Tania, the fairness of the competition had to be protected today.
...
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