Zi Ye poked its rear end in dissatisfaction, and it roared, "I said enough, didn't I? If you're going to do it, aim higher.

Set your sights higher and develop a few of the latest high-end mechs, then throw in some warship blueprints.

If others see that you can even build warships, their trust in your mechs will increase tenfold." Zi Ye’s eyes instantly lit up. "Good idea." Little Sprout snorted, turning its rear end back toward her.

Looking at its back, Zi Ye couldn't help but feel a flush of shame.

She had been too impatient these past few days.

Little Sprout had given her far too much; she was tackling things one after another.

Although she had made great strides, she hadn't fully absorbed any of it.

Recalling the warships docking at the space station entrance yesterday, the surging emotion within her was ignited.

If she could manufacture warships! No, she had to learn to manufacture warships! This goal didn't require immediate long-term planning, but the process certainly did! Zi Ye clenched her fist, calming her racing heart, deciding to learn methodically.

Then, she washed her face and climbed onto the forum to take on assignments.

Doing assignments had three great benefits: first, it earned money; second, it allowed her to study; and third, it could calm a restless mind.

After completing about ten problems, she finally settled down, but she also felt a bit tired.

Zi Ye stopped and took a sip of water.

Noticing a letter flashing, she casually clicked it open.

It was from the administrator, Cang Yunlang: "Sutang will be in the chat group tonight at exactly 8:00 PM to analyze the bounty question.

Everyone is welcome to attend." Huh? Sutang was quite dedicated, even showing up to analyze the questions he posed.

Her knowledge of the Scimitar-type was limited to the frantic cramming from the last few days.

Listening to the proposer’s insights might yield something useful.

Seeing there were still three hours left, she immediately went to eat.

After eating, she logged into the discussion group to wait for Sutang to come online.

This was the first time she felt such earnest anticipation for another person.

Based on the question he set, he had instantly ascended to the status of a mentor in her eyes.

Yet, she never anticipated that many people revered Sutang far more than she did.

When she entered, the discussion group already held over a thousand people waiting! Cang Yunlang spotted her entering and chirped cheerfully, "Meng Ya Ya, Ya Ya?" Zi Ye disliked his slightly frivolous tone and remained silent.

Someone chuckled, "Sister Ya Ya has never spoken a word; she's probably AFK." Cang Yunlang hadn't heard her speak either, but he deliberately teased her, acting as if he were close with Zi Ye.

He laughed, "Then you're missing out on the good stuff.

The lady has chatted with me before; her voice is incredibly lovely!" Zi Ye’s forehead broke out in dark lines.

She decisively ignored him and returned to the bounty section to research Sutang's intent behind the question.

Sutang logged in precisely at eight o'clock.

The people in the discussion group were chatting and joking boisterously, but the moment he appeared, they fell instantly silent.

Simultaneously, the group count continued to climb, reaching ten thousand members in less than a minute.

In a field as specialized as this, a deserted-yet-packed scene like this was the equivalent of a celebrity concert! Sutang began with a joke, his voice a little husky but not aged: "Anyone alive here? Give a squeak." Hearing his voice, Zi Ye felt he must be over sixty.

In an era where the average lifespan was one hundred and fifty, being over sixty wasn't exactly ancient, but among this group, he was clearly held in high regard.

Moreover, his voice carried an inherent authority, slightly softened by his jesting tone, preventing it from causing discomfort.

Given his age, if he had spent his entire life immersed in mechs, he truly must have profound skills.

Coupled with his respectable status and amiable demeanor, he was simply perfect.

She decided she would quietly shadow him to learn illicitly! Zi Ye immediately typed a reply: "Squeak." Several thousand others shared her thought, and instantly, a cacophony of squeaks erupted, sounding like she had stumbled into a rat’s nest.

Her voice was immediately buried, and no one noticed it.

Sutang chuckled, "Good evening, squeaks.

It's been a while since I was here.

Do you miss me?" The crowd, momentarily forgetting they were being likened to vermin, replied in unison, "We do!" Satisfied with his teasing, Sutang coughed twice and returned to the main topic: "The reason I posed that question was to test you all: would you earnestly ponder things based on your own thoughts, or would you think based on Tang Wen's ideas?" The discussion group fell into immediate silence.

Everyone knew Sutang spoke frankly.

Unlike their respectful address of "Professor Tang" or "Designer Tang," he referred to the man simply as Tang Wen.

However, given Sutang’s seniority, no one found this inappropriate.

The key was that this statement struck right at the core issue.

Tang Wen’s lecture had recently concluded, and everyone in the mech community had rewatched it at least three times, holding his concepts firmly in their minds.

Answers to questions would inevitably lean toward those ideas.

Sutang's comment clearly implied they were being led by the nose.

In other words, he was slapping Tang Wen in the face! For a moment, no one dared to speak.

Following Tang Wen’s design philosophy wasn't inherently wrong, but Sutang had always favored those with independent thought, which explained why he awarded the bounty to Meng Ya Ya.

When the bounty closed, over a thousand people had submitted answers.

Meng Ya Ya's answer wasn't the best, yet Tang Wen gave the bounty to her.

Everyone assumed he was merely encouraging the young woman.

Now, it sounded like something else entirely.

Sutang didn't elaborate, drawing the line there, and proceeded to discuss the various capabilities of the Scimitar-type mech.

Zi Ye listened with rapt attention.

She possessed the Scimitar-type blueprints, had studied its engine, and had even piloted it personally.

She thought she understood it well, but upon hearing Sutang’s explanation, she realized just how shallow her knowledge was.

Sutang’s breakdown began with the design intent of the Sonar Group, moved through its performance in battle, and analyzed the Scimitar-type in meticulous detail.

He didn't list a single statistic, mention any parameters or defense issues, nor did he speak at length.

Yet, he made everyone understand the entire mech completely.

Zi Ye listened, spellbound.

His exquisite method of explanation was like peeling the mech layer by layer, laying it bare before her.

She could grasp everything without any effort on her part.

How incredibly skillful! In front of Sutang, Zi Ye felt like a three-year-old child gazing up at a skyscraper.

This was the gap.

During Sutang's lecture, there was no rule against speaking, but everyone tacitly remained silent.

When he finally finished, Zi Ye couldn't help but burst into applause.

She wasn't the only one with that thought; the discussion group erupted in thunderous applause.

Sutang merely smiled, coughed once to signal the group not to be overly enthusiastic, and then asked, "Is Meng Ya Ya here?" Zi Ye quickly activated her microphone. "I am." Her voice was crisp and clear.

The discussion group instantly uttered a neat "Eh?" expressing surprise at hearing the genuine voice of a young woman.

Sutang, however, seemed unsurprised and casually asked, "A few days ago, I heard everyone say you hadn't seen the Scimitar-type.

How did you answer the question?" What was said without intent was taken to heart by the listeners.

Many recalled the earlier comment and immediately suspected the worst: Did Meng Ya Ya hire a proxy? If Sutang hadn't mentioned it, they wouldn't have thought twice, but now, realizing how young her voice was and her supposed lack of knowledge about the Scimitar-type, her flawless answer to that question seemed impossible to achieve in just a few days—it bordered on the absurd.

Cang Yunlang also recognized the issue, feeling a faint sense of unease.

If Sutang dug anything up, where would the young woman save face? If she left the forum in anger, the Mobile Forum would revert to its state of having no female members! If a forum had no women for a long time, a group of men could still survive by teasing the few female users they had; but once they got used to having a woman around and then lost her, the forum was guaranteed to collapse.

Cang Yunlang, having been around for a long time, understood this principle perfectly.

He quickly interjected with banter to change the subject: "Right, I was even planning to gift the lady a mech." Chun Niu, who had been listening silently, rarely spoke up: "Don't try to distract.

You didn't send one, yet you dare to say that here." Cang Yunlang feigned innocence: "Didn't she refuse it?" Most people were unaware of this incident and now quietly observed, waiting to see if any inside story would emerge.

Zi Ye didn't want the two of them wasting Sutang's lecture time, so she spoke up: "I found this mech at the Pilot Training Base and tried it out." Cang Yunlang was momentarily stunned.

Did the young woman not need his help? The Mobile Forum was the professional domain for text-based mech theory; the Pilot Training Base was the professional domain for actual combat mechs.

By mentioning this location, she clearly demonstrated she had been prepared, leading to immense pleasant surprise: "You train at the base regularly? In the combat zones? Did you absolutely crush your enemies?" Zi Ye wiped a bead of sweat. "It was more like the enemies tortured me to the point where death seemed a blessing." Cang Yunlang was thrilled that she actually engaged in combat zones and pursued relentlessly: "Which model was your opponent?" Zi Ye recalled Little Sprout mentioning the Platinum Tycoon was a special mech that attracted attention, so she vaguely replied, "Let's not talk about it; it's all blood and tears.

Don't keep picking at my wounds." Sutang suddenly interjected: "You lost?" Zi Ye sighed. "Yes." Sutang said no more, but Chun Niu reacted immediately: "You lost and still managed to rationally pinpoint the subtle issues with the mech engine—Sister Ya Ya, I truly admire you." Genuine admiration.

Cang Yunlang laughed heartily: "Niu Niu is right.

If it were me, if I won, I'd laugh my head off and forget the details; if I lost, I’d hack the mech twice and forget that too." Chun Niu looked at him with disdain: "You are you; the lady is the lady.

That’s why the lady got the bounty, and you got nothing." Cang Yunlang was instantly choked speechless.

Zi Ye tried to smooth things over: "It wasn't that I was rational; it's that I was beaten until I had no temper left." The crowd couldn't help but laugh.

Sutang smiled faintly: "Meng Ya Ya did well.

When encountering a problem, you must first stick to your own viewpoint, then search for evidence to prove whether that viewpoint is wrong or right.

Only then does what you derive become your own knowledge.

There is no standard theory for mechs; you can borrow from others' theories, but you must never copy or imitate blindly.

Even though you hadn't seen the Scimitar-type, you thought to seek it out at the Pilot Training Base to experience its performance and understand the cause of its issues through piloting.

From this aspect alone, regardless of how you answered the question, my objective in setting the bounty has been achieved.

The reward belongs to you."

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