The name Bai Lanxue sounded delicate, but her appearance was anything but; her features were chiseled, sharp as if carved by a blade. She habitually wore a stern expression, making her seem even more austere and resolute. If such a face were on a man, he would undoubtedly be a handsome rogue.
But she was a woman.
In a word, this woman bearing the name Bai Lanxue was an absolute contradiction to the point of disillusionment.
Tang Wen looked at Bai Lanxue with icy eyes. “She is not affiliated with the Research Institute.”
Bai Lanxue’s expression remained blank. “I don’t believe someone who can move freely within the Institute does not belong to it. Tang Wen, you are part of the Institute, therefore your student is part of the Institute!”
Tang Wen’s gaze turned colder. “Kindly distinguish between my people and the Institute’s people.”
Bai Lanxue completely disregarded his words. “In my eyes, there are only dangerous people and harmless people.”
Tang Wen coldly questioned, “You deem her dangerous?”
Bai Lanxue adopted a strictly official tone. “Not just her; you too are a person of interest. The work of the Institute is classified; all potential threats to the Federation must be eliminated!”
Tang Wen did not get angry; instead, he smiled faintly. “We pose a threat to the Federation?”
Bai Lanxue corrected him, “No, I merely state there is a possibility of threatening the Federation.”
Tang Wen’s eyes shifted.
He wore a mask, concealing his expression, yet Bai Lanxue suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
—The killing intent that erupted from him in that instant was bone-chilling!
Tang Wen was several shades more terrifying than she had imagined.
She strove to maintain composure, outwardly showing nothing, but inwardly she was deeply startled. She must re-investigate his file immediately upon her return!
Tang Wen stared coolly at the momentary crack in her composure, confirming his thought. “Based on a baseless possibility, you are flagrantly infringing upon our basic human rights and privacy?”
Bai Lanxue managed a strained smile—if that perfectly flat pull of her lips could be called a smile. “My responsibility here is to inspect all potential threats and guarantee the safety of the Interstellar Federation. Other matters are outside my purview. If you feel your rights have been violated, you are free to file an appeal.”
Tang Wen gave her a quick look, then turned to Blan. “Find Vic.”
Blan understood immediately, activating the comm-screen and dialing a number. Once connected, he stated, “Solicitor Vic, hello. I am Mr. Tang Wen’s assistant, Blan, and I request you serve as counsel.” He paused, adding a critical piece of information, “The defendant is Miss Bai Lanxue, Secretary-General of the Interstellar Federation.”
Interstellar television, always dull, loved broadcasting various rankings. Vic was ranked in the top hundred super-solicitors galaxy-wide. However, his upcoming opponent was Bai Lanxue, who had ranked second on the list of Influential Women ten years prior!
At that time, the leader of the notorious Pirate suppression group, Blood (Blood Ji), held the first position. After Blood Ji vanished, Bai Lanxue had occupied the top spot for ten years, remaining unsurpassed!
Knowing the caliber of this formidable woman, Blan made the situation clear to Vic beforehand to prevent any later complications.
Vic, however, seemed unconcerned, thumping his chest. “Mr. Tang Wen’s affairs are my affairs. I would gladly wade through fire and water for him, sparing no effort.”
Blan felt deeply relieved and arranged a meeting time with him.
Tang Wen smiled with satisfaction, though the mask hid his expression from Bai Lanxue. As he removed his gloves, he walked toward the design studio and said, “Miss Bai Lanxue, I will not discuss any matters with you until my solicitor arrives. Please make yourself comfortable.”
With that, he took off his mask and entered the design studio.
The door slid open automatically before he entered and sealed shut behind him.
Bai Lanxue moved to follow, but the door did not open for her.
She stared at the door with a hardened expression. Turning away, her face smoothed back into perfect neutrality. “Blan, please relay to Mr. Tang Wen that I require his student, Zi Ye, to undergo my investigation within one week. Otherwise, I will proceed to her school.”
Blan offered neither rebuttal nor agreement, merely maintaining a pleasant, composed smile like a meticulous butler, bowing slightly. “Very well. Safe travels.”
Zi Ye knew nothing of all this.
Blan told her nothing.
At that moment, she was overjoyed because Li Chunyu had returned to school.
That evening, the four gathered to discuss the mecha competition content and draft preliminary concepts for their mecha.
The conceptualization began with defining the role.
Although the essence of any mecha was combat, different role specifications would result in vastly different final designs. Zi Ye’s previous two mechas, the Monarch-type and the Queen-type, specialized in short-range attacks, boasting heavy firepower but weak defense.
She felt conflicted: should she perfect this current type first before moving on, or should they try a variety of types simultaneously?
Li Chunyu brought up a light screen. “Personally, I lean toward a highly defensive mecha. Even against a powerful opponent, we wouldn’t be thrown into immediate chaos. What do you think, Aikes and Bent?”
The twins exchanged a look. Aikes spoke first. “Defense just needs to not be fragile. Range—short or long—isn’t the major issue; the key is a high rate of accuracy, otherwise, too much time is spent adjusting ballistic trajectories.”
Bent interjected, “Whether firepower or defense takes precedence doesn't matter much to me; I can handle either. But I slightly favor higher firepower, otherwise, we’ll be grinding down the enemy for half a day. If the firepower is low, we’ll need supplementary electronic systems, meaning we’ll have to engage in electronic warfare.”
Zi Ye was amused.
The twins were exactly as she had imagined: built for charging headlong into battle.
Pilots of this type were always suited for breaking the front lines.
Aikes looked surprised. “Xiao Ye Zi, what are you laughing at?” Zi Ye leisurely took a sip of tea. “I can provide technical support for any electronic apparatus, but I do not advocate for electronic warfare. EW splits energy resources and divides the pilot’s attention. It also means we have far more items to prepare for the competition—not a good choice.” The other three agreed with this assessment.
Thus, the discussion returned to the balance between firepower and defense.
Li Chunyu’s design preference was conservative, but outnumbered three to one, he eventually yielded, and the 6:4 ratio favoring firepower was settled.
Zi Ye’s previous designs favored 7:3, so she was quite pleased with 6:4. During the break, she converted her recorded discussion into text and began analyzing the structure.
To determine the structure, the allocation of hardpoints had to be established first.
Mecha hardpoints were categorized into High, Mid, and Low slots. High slots were dedicated to offensive weaponry, Mid slots to defensive systems, and Low slots for armor plating.
Cannons would occupy the High slots.
The type of cannon they would mount sparked another disagreement.
The twins had already discussed this before the meeting and unanimously chosen projectile cannons. Projectile cannons use directed plasma and allow for continuous fire; the sight of shells lining up in a stream toward the enemy was immensely satisfying to them.
Zi Ye was speechless.
These twins were absolute emotionalists; everything they considered was for the sake of fun.
Aikes, never expecting projectile cannons anyway, asked Zi Ye in unison with Bent, “What cannon do you want?”
Zi Ye considered for a moment. “Laser cannons.”
Aikes laughed heartily and said to Bent, “Hand it over.”
Bent reluctantly produced a sparkling blue gem for him.
Zi Ye watched, puzzled. “What is going on?”
Aikes beamed triumphantly. “Bent and I made a bet that Zi Ye would definitely choose laser cannons. I won!”
Bent grabbed Zi Ye’s shoulder and shook her head petulantly. “Xiao Ye Zi, why do you like laser cannons? I thought you weren't like a typical girl.”
Most girls liked laser cannons because they looked pretty.
Especially when the laser cannons utilizing RF, multi-frequency, microwave, and gamma ray frequencies switched rapidly, emitting a light display more dazzlingly beautiful than any rainbow—crimson, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, violet, and white!
Zi Ye shrugged helplessly. “I’m actually pretty ordinary.”
Her reason for wanting a laser cannon was Tang Wen.
She would never forget the laser cannon that day that tore the starry sky into fragments.
Perhaps it was beautiful, perhaps it was dazzling, but Zi Ye hadn't noticed any of that. All she saw was how Tang Wen dismantled her mecha in just a few shots, leaving only the cockpit intact.
To this day, she couldn't figure out how Tang Wen had achieved that.
In any case, the laser cannon had become an obsession for her.
Li Chunyu smoothly interjected to ease the tension. “Alright, this isn't the critical point. Let’s step back. Xiao Ye Zi, seriously explain why you chose laser cannons.”
Zi Ye let out a small laugh. Seeing three pairs of eyes fixed on her, she quickly sobered her expression. “In space, laser cannons have low operational costs and high hit probabilities, and they are less affected by the environment. However, their firepower is a bit low. That’s why I actually prefer railguns, and for the reason why, you all know it.”
The lack of air in space greatly reduces the chamber pressure of conventional artillery, severely impacting muzzle velocity, and explosions do not generate shockwaves. Railguns were specifically designed for space combat needs, using magnetic coils to accelerate the projectile, giving it a significant advantage in exit velocity, which translates to greater carried energy. Furthermore, railgun ammunition is made of specialized materials, and its destructive principle does not rely on explosive force, demonstrating full superiority in space warfare.
Since the final competition would take place in space, the railgun was the optimal choice.
Li Chunyu sighed. “Zi Ye, you are always the most rational one. We don’t even need to debate; it’s the railgun.”
Once the cannon was decided, the emitter was straightforward—it was chosen specifically to complement the railgun.
Afterward, they discussed the reactor, nanostructures, and more, chatting from dinner time until eleven o’clock at night before the general specifications were finally set.
Next came the division of labor.
Li Chunyu took responsibility for mecha coordination and design. Zi Ye would focus on sourcing suitable metals, and Aikes and Bent decisively took on the entire financial budget.
To facilitate their meetings, Li Chunyu secured a large laboratory bay at Kaga, allowing them to gather directly there each time. Whenever Zi Ye visited, she would buy a few Star Cakes and coffee, setting them out to eat while working.
Star Cakes were a traditional delicacy, featuring a crispy outer shell encasing a jelly-like center adorned with preserved fruit. This item was peculiar; different cooking times resulted in slightly different flavors, meaning the experience was never the same.
Zi Ye liked dipping her Star Cakes in rose jam. While chatting, she carelessly dipped a cup she had mistaken for liquid metal into the jam bottle…
-RS