You said mechs were going to fight monsters, but instead you're destroying stars with your bare

Chapter 20 Boarding
Li Zhe first rushed back to his dormitory and quickly packed his bags.

There's really not much to pack.

He carried just a backpack with a few changes of clothes, just to make a show of it.

The rest of the items were stored in the panel's maintenance hangar.

The panel storage unit owned by the mech pilot is simply a storage marvel.

Unfortunately, there is currently no way to transfer items between Blue Star and the Abyss Realm in this way.

Otherwise, a bunch of speculators would have appeared on Earth long ago.

Pack your things and complete the departure procedures.

After having dinner with Mr. Wang and his family, it was finally time to say goodbye.

Mr. Wang wanted to drive him to the airport himself, but Li Zhe politely declined.

At the family's insistence, Li Zhe finally accepted the full travel expenses for the trip, including taxi fares, airfare, and ferry fares, with tears in his eyes.

Their family still needs to take care of some things in Shenhai.

After finishing, I took a plane from the nearby Suzhou Airport back to my hometown in the mainland... It's truly a parallel world; Suzhou even has an airport, and it's right by Taihu Lake.

Suppress the urge to complain.

Li Zhe took the subway alone to Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

Ok.

I took the subway there, I didn't take a taxi.

It's worth saving a little bit.

Li Zhe even changed his seat before boarding, changing the first-class seat that Boss Wang had booked for him to economy class.

This is the first time I've ever been on an airplane!

To be honest, I'm a little excited and a little nervous.

This flight is a direct flight from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Kagoshima.

The journey takes just over two hours, which is closer than flying to Beijing.

After landing, you can take a ferry to reach your island.

Filled with boundless anticipation for his future territory, Li Zhe waited silently in the departure lounge.

It is now 10:30 p.m.

The night is deep and quiet.

After the crisis broke out, few people would leave the mainland and travel to the Great Wall area, an island near the ocean, under such circumstances...

Soon, the boarding announcement came on.

Li Zhe slung his backpack over his shoulder and, following the sparse flow of people, embarked on his journey...

…………

The plane taxied and accelerated on the runway.

Accompanied by a strong push, it roared into the sky.

Through the small porthole, the bustling cityscape of Shanghai rapidly shrank in view, eventually transforming into a patchwork of colorful lights shrouded in darkness.

Li Zhe was sitting in economy class, near the tail of the plane.

He leaned back in his seat, feeling the plane shaking violently.

All I could hear was the constant roar of the engine, and the occasional sounds of doors opening and flushing from the nearby toilets.

It was my first time flying, and I lacked experience.

To save as much money as possible, I changed my seat from the front of first class to economy class, and to a seat very far back.

Is this the price of saving money on airfare...?

It's alright, I can handle it.

I wonder what it will feel like to fly once I'm equipped with a power module.

The vectoring jet wing system had already been produced, but there hadn't been a chance to install it and test it.

Once we arrived on the island, the first thing we did was attach wings.

Experience firsthand what true freedom of flight is all about.

While we're at it, let's also install the melee module and get fully armed and practice it properly.

……

The plane flew at an altitude of 10,000 meters.

Beneath my feet lies a vast, dark sea of ​​clouds, and above me stretches a deep, abyss-like sky, densely covered with starlight.

This magnificent scenery lifted Li Zhe's spirits.

He was planning his future "island villa development project" in his mind.

First, there's the "Ace Pilot's Hangar" mission.

The so-called hangar is nothing more than a huge hangar.

Equipped with various robotic arms and tool tables for maintenance and repair.

But his "mecha" is himself.

The terms "functionality" and "comfort" in the rating criteria for that so-called hangar deserve a translation.

A top-notch gym is a must for daily "structural strengthening training".

A luxurious bathroom with a sauna and jacuzzi is essential for "deep cleaning and polishing".

A professional meditation room or yoga room, used to "calibrate neural connections and clear system cache," seems quite reasonable, doesn't it?

Ideally, it should also have a large kitchen with a Michelin three-star rating.

It is used to mix various high-energy "fuels" to satisfy one's appetite.

Thinking about it this way...

To get Ghanaku's rating to SSS, one would probably have to transform their island villa into a top-tier resort integrating leisure, entertainment, training, and recuperation.

Wow, that's a huge undertaking. And all of that costs money!

Although Dong Ge gave him the island properties and shops, the subsequent renovations and equipment purchases will be a huge expense.

It seems that once I get to Kagoshima, I'll have to go to the nearest testing center and get my reserve mecha pilot certification as soon as possible.

Having an official position makes it much easier to apply for infrastructure subsidies or exchange medals for money.

In the current coalition government, the administrative rank of a reserve mech division is equivalent to that of a deputy section chief... Hey, I really do control an entire island right now!
Although he is the only resident of this island, the responsibilities and benefits are fairly well-defined.

Just as Li Zhe was immersed in his vision of a better future,

A thought flashed through my mind...

I am currently 10,000 meters in the air.

Isn't this an excellent natural vantage point?

If we activate the detection module here, wouldn't the scanning range be able to cover the maximum extent?
You might discover some surprises that are usually hard to spot on the ground!

Once the idea popped into my head, I couldn't hold back any longer.

Li Zhe adjusted his sitting posture.

He leaned against the window, pretending to be resting with his eyes closed.

In reality, they silently turned the detection module to full power!

hum-

An invisible detection ripple instantly spread in all directions.

At this moment, my perspective underwent a dramatic transformation.

The aircraft's metal hull became transparent.

The vital signs of the surrounding passengers transformed into soft green halos, clearly appearing in his mind.

Li Zhe did not stop; he expanded the scanning range.

Looking down, piercing through the clouds, the vast ocean unfolds before your eyes.

The ships dotting the sea and the schools of fish swimming beneath the surface are all transformed into precise data streams that flood into my mind.

Occasionally, we can also receive signals from some mech pilots.

They pilot mechs and travel on aircraft carriers to help protect the peace of this sea area.

Above, there is a thin layer of atmosphere.

Above that lies the vast and boundless universe.

He could even vaguely "see"...

A massive number of mechs are "moving bricks and mortar" in space, carrying out the initial construction of SIDE-BATE0.1!
The construction of SIDE is one of several plans being pursued simultaneously by the United Government in response to the doomsday crisis.

The goal is to build large colonies at several Lagrange points in the Earth-Moon system.

The mech pilots' maintenance hangars have played an incredible role in space construction.

No need for high-load, reusable rockets or space elevators.

By recruiting mech pilots to serve as space couriers and civil engineers, many space infrastructure projects that were previously unthinkable can be launched!

Li Zhe recalled seeing someone online making fun of this plan...

If Earth is corrupted by the abyss to the point that even nuclear bombs cannot stop it.

Let's just send a satellite down from the sky and take them all down with us!

These kinds of rumors were quickly blocked.

The person who spread the rumors was also arrested and made to conduct a thorough self-examination.

The performance of our detection module is even more outrageous than I imagined.

This isn't a radar, it's practically a mobile space-based observation station!
Li Zhe was amazed and slowly withdrew the probing power he had released.

Out of caution, he focused the scan on the aircraft.

I'm going to do one last routine check, then shut down the module and get some rest.

However, it was this final scan...

He keenly sensed that something was amiss.

In this peaceful sea of ​​green life signals, there seemed to be a faint, yet incredibly discordant, noise.

It's like a note that's out of tune suddenly appearing in a harmonious symphony.

Although extremely slight, it sounded particularly jarring to Li Zhe.

An alarm bell rang in my mind instantly.

Li Zhe maintained a calm demeanor on the surface, but in reality, he mobilized all his computing power.

We conducted in-depth analysis and tracking of the source of that unusual signal.

The signal source was extremely well disguised, as if it were shrouded in a thick "information fog," constantly interfering with his detection.

Trying to hide?

Li Zhe sneered inwardly.

In the face of the legendary detection module, all disguises will be exposed!

The increased energy output has brought the accuracy of ripple detection to its peak!
"Fuck-"

It was as if a thin film had been punctured.

That stubborn fog of information was forcibly torn open.

Although it was only for a moment, it was enough!
The other party's core data was exposed.

Li Zhe frowned immediately.

A member of the Abyss is lurking on this flight.

The very front of the plane, towards first class.

Combat strength, 0.4...

(End of this chapter)