Eden left the office and took the elevator downward. Its panel was packed with buttons for more than a hundred floors, and those were only the underground levels.
She rode it all the way to the bottom.
When the elevator doors opened, a silver corridor appeared before her.
Transparent tempered glass lined both sides of the corridor. Behind it were orange-red crystals that resembled quartz.
Several robotic arms fitted with drill bits were extracting the crystals. The corridor was so well soundproofed that not a single sound from the machinery could be heard.
These orange-red crystals were sodium fibers.
They were an entirely new kind of energy material.
Humans had originally been unable to release the energy contained within sodium fibers. After the Mecha Girls arrived in this world, however, they discovered that it held vast reserves of the resource. They began cooperating with humanity to develop sodium fiber technology while expanding their own influence to fight against the Void.
Unfortunately, pure sodium fiber had an extremely low yield, and the resource itself was very difficult to mine. As a result, the rate at which new Techmasters emerged had remained modest. Even so, their growing importance had steadily elevated their status, creating an increasingly stark divide between Techmasters and ordinary humans.
...
[Beep!]
[Identification successful!]
The metal door at the end of the corridor opened.
Eden switched on the lights, walked over to a screen, and sat down.
This was the Operations Command Center.
The Human Federation, the Techmasters' Alliance, and Mecha Island each had an Operations Command Center of their own, and all three could communicate with the warriors fighting on the front lines.
After Eden entered a series of commands, an image resembling the interior of a space station appeared on the screen. An electronic chime sounded, then a hatch opened. A woman in a combat suit and helmet walked over and sat down in front of the screen.
She removed her helmet, revealing long golden hair much like Lucy Luo's.
She also bore a striking resemblance to Lucy Luo, though her features were sharper and more severe, giving her a naturally commanding presence.
"Eden, it's been a long time. You're certainly a rare visitor." A faint smile appeared on Tania's lips. She was clearly pleased to see Eden.
"It's been a while, Captain Tania." Eden nodded. "How is your mission progressing?"
"Not well." Tania frowned, worry filling her expression. "The Hunters are skilled at concealing themselves and teleporting through space, and there are quite a few of them. After we killed one group, the ones that remained became even more cunning."
"I see." Eden sighed. "Be careful. Limiting their movements will be enough for now, but you must prevent them from gathering together. Also, make sure you check the planet's dark side and the asteroid belt. Those cunning creatures love hiding in places like that."
"Understood." Tania paused and tapped her fingers against the table. "We can't guarantee that we'll eliminate every Hunter. Until they've all been confirmed dead, I want psychic energy pulse devices installed near the provincial-level and national racetracks. We need to prepare for the worst."
Psychic energy pulse devices could severely restrict the Hunters' ability to conceal themselves without consuming too many sodium fiber resources.
Since sodium fiber was extremely valuable, activating these pulse devices was currently the most cost-effective defensive measure available.
Eden took Tania's warning seriously and made a careful note of it.
Once they had finished discussing work, the atmosphere between them relaxed.
"All right, now let's talk about why you contacted me." Tania interlaced her fingers in front of her and smiled. "I was already planning to report everything we just discussed to you, the Techmasters' Alliance, and the Human Federation tomorrow. You didn't come to me just for that, did you?"
Eden considered her words before speaking softly. "Your sister is competing in the Advanced Tournament. Aren't you going to watch?"
"I know. I check her results after every race."
"Then are you aware that she arrived late to today's Advanced Tournament, used your position to pressure the organizers into letting her compete, and is now going to be awarded the championship?"
The smile vanished from Tania's face. She looked like a parent who had just learned that her child had been caught cheating on an exam.
Tania knew Lucy Luo's abilities very well. Her Mecha Girl was Eternity-01, the very pinnacle of speed-type Mecha Girls. Lucy Luo had always achieved excellent results in competitions, and Tania was proud of her.
But that did not mean she could accept Lucy Luo arriving late, entering the race anyway, and still receiving an official result.
"What did the organizers say?" Her voice turned icy.
"They're still discussing it." Eden watched Tania's expression closely.
It was exactly as she had expected.
Tania truly was a principled and incorruptible person.
"What the hell is there to discuss?" Tania frowned and slammed her palm against the table. With a cold sneer, she asked, "The Techmasters' Alliance and the Human Federation aren't planning to use this to win me over, are they?"
Eden said nothing, but her expression gave Tania the answer.
Tania understood immediately. Her cheek twitched as she asked coldly, "Can you connect me with the tournament organizers?
"You should have the authority to do that."
Eden smiled and nodded. "No problem~"
...
"We'll now proceed to a show of hands!"
Hands shot into the air one after another.
At Adrian Chen's command, two-thirds of the people in the conference room raised their hands.
Patrick Wang stared at the scene, his face deathly pale.
What shocked him most was that several people sitting beside him, people who supposedly belonged to his own faction, had also raised their hands. They had clearly been bought off by Adrian Chen's faction long ago, or they had been traitors aligned with the Techmasters' Alliance from the beginning.
Looking over the sea of raised hands, Adrian Chen crossed one leg over the other and smiled with complete confidence.
"Patrick Wang, a wise man knows when to adapt. Give the championship to Lucy Luo, and we'll be happy. Commander Tania will be happy too. Everyone wins, doesn't that sound perfect? Why make such a fuss about fairness? There's no such thing as fairness in this world.
"In my opinion, you should leave the Human Federation and join our Techmasters' Alliance. I'm sure the Speaker would give you a seat on the committee~"
Patrick Wang held his head rigidly upright, his eyes burning with anger.
He had spoken with such passion earlier, and so many people had voiced their agreement. Yet it turned out they had merely been pretending to support him.
As he looked at their mocking faces, he pressed his lips together. His eyes darkened, and his shoulders slumped.
"You can't do this! You can't undermine the fairness of the competition! This is how Techmasters are selected!"
"If you break the rules..."
"One day, humanity's future will be destroyed by people like you! Just wait and see!"
Adrian Chen snorted, dismissing Patrick Wang's words as meaningless bluster.
He rose to announce who would receive the championship.
But in the very next instant, every screen in the conference hall lit up at once, including the phones and computers belonging to everyone present.
The crowd stared in bewilderment, completely at a loss.
Tania's cold, expressionless face appeared on every screen.
Her lips moved.
Her icy voice rang out from every electronic device at the same time.
"Lucy Luo arrived late. Her competition result is void."
"Who's in favor, and who's against?"
...
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