Chapter 130: You’ve Caught This King’s Attention
Derek Su followed Imperial Scale out of the conference hall, still full of doubts.
What puzzled him most was why Imperial Scale had suggested that he bid for another one—and why she wanted to be the one negotiating the price.
But after thinking it over, he was already thirty million in debt. When you owed that much, a little more didn’t really matter. Too many debts, and you stopped worrying; too many fleas, and the bites no longer hurt.
So instead of leaving, he decided to stay and see how things played out.
The moment they stepped out of the conference hall, a crowd surged toward them.
After all, Derek Su had survived the longest inside—an entire fifteen minutes.
Those fifteen minutes must have been very different from everyone else’s experience. At the very least, he hadn’t been chased out with a simple “Sorry, not interested” from DL-01.
“DL-01, did you make the deal?”
The functional Mecha Girl was the first to squeeze her way forward.
She cared the most about whether DL-01 had been successfully sold. As long as this big shot was gone, she could finally relax when it came time for her own auction.
“Yes, the deal is done.” Imperial Scale nodded calmly, then stepped aside to reveal Derek Su behind her. She announced to the surrounding bidders, “From now on, he is my master.”
“Damn it! Why?!”
ESW’s ace driver, Richard Cheng, shoved his way up to Derek Su with a twisted expression, waving his hand in front of Derek Su’s face.
“He’s got one nose, two eyes, and one mouth—same as me! What makes him better than me?!”
In terms of money, he was a major shareholder of the ESW Club. In terms of talent, he had earned his ace status through sheer hard work. His only shortcoming was that he hadn’t awakened as a Techmaster. But as long as he kept pushing himself, there were still opportunities—placing in the top ten on the national advanced circuit or the national circuit would grant another chance to awaken.
He was convinced that if he stacked enough awakening attempts, he would eventually become a Techmaster.
And on the national advanced circuit, the single most demanding requirement for Mecha Girls was endurance.
DL-01’s performance was practically tailor-made for the national-level tracks!
Yet now, she had ended up in the hands of this seemingly ordinary guy?!
Richard Cheng stared at Derek Su for a moment longer—and then realized that Derek Su didn’t actually look so ordinary.
“Wait—hold on! You’re that guy!”
He tilted his head, thinking hard. “Right! The King of Knox, the Magician—it’s you!”
Richard Cheng’s eyes widened. He suddenly grabbed Derek Su’s hand, his face lit up with excitement.
“Idol, please give me an autograph!”
Derek Su & Imperial Scale: “……”
He had completely forgotten that in this world, drivers and Mecha Girls were treated like celebrities.
He also hadn’t expected such a wealthy ace driver to be a hardcore fan.
Richard Cheng took paper and a pen from his bodyguard, grinning from ear to ear.
“Idol, I’ve watched all your race footage! Especially that cliff jump in the Greenfield Advanced Race—damn, I get fired up every time I watch it. Absolute god-tier! All twelve of my Mecha Girls love you!” He gave Derek Su a big thumbs-up and looked at him eagerly. “Could you sign thirteen copies? If I don’t keep things fair, they’ll definitely start fighting.”
Derek Su silently took the paper and pen and began signing, moving mechanically like an assembly-line worker.
Once he finished, Richard Cheng happily collected the autographs. He glanced at Imperial Scale, a trace of regret in his eyes.
“Idol, can I ask—what was the final price for DL-01?”
“Thirty million,” Derek Su answered.
There was nothing to hide. A Mecha Girl’s final transaction price would be announced anyway.
“Thirty million, huh… Looks like DL-01 really likes you. I’m convinced.”
Richard Cheng lowered his head with a sigh, then suddenly looked up again, his eyes already brimming with tears.
“Idol, you have to treat DL-01 well! Wuwuwu~ I’ve been waiting on her for so long. If she’d been bought by someone else, I would’ve had that person dumped in a river. But you… I think you’re worthy of her!”
Derek Su smiled awkwardly.
In his heart, he silently thanked him for sparing his life.
“Missing out on DL-01 today is like a fish losing its spring, a bird losing the sky, a flower losing the sun…” Richard Cheng gazed up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, sorrowfully closing his eyes as a single tear slid down his cheek. “I can only go to other expos and buy a couple more top-tier Mecha Girls to heal my wounded heart…”
“I just don’t know whether the twelve top-tier Mecha Girls at home will tear me apart alive…”
Crunch, crunch—
The sound of clenched teeth echoed all around.
Derek Su clenched his fists too.
What kind of human language was that?!
So what if you’re rich?!
He’d thought this guy was just a clown king—but it turned out he was actually a winner in life.
Damn it!
...
Derek Su and Imperial Scale returned to the bidding seats.
What surprised him was that there weren’t many hostile looks directed his way.
Especially from the tycoons and club representatives who had previously bid on Imperial Scale.
Although they regretted losing her, none of them showed open hostility toward him.
By the time Derek Su sat down, he had figured it out. Top-tier Mecha Girls were rare, but Mecha Island would continue producing all kinds of Mecha Girls. Losing Imperial Scale wasn’t a devastating blow. There would be more opportunities in the future—no need to get red-faced over a single auction.
“Wow! Master, you actually bought Pineapple General!”
Stella rushed over with an excited expression, her cheeks flushed as her bright eyes scanned Imperial Scale up and down.
“Hello! I’m Master’s first Mecha Girl, codename—The World’s Cutest, Most Impact-Resistant Pineapple King! Since you’re with Master now, we’re family. I hereby bestow upon you the title of Pineapple General!”
Stella enthusiastically pulled out a pineapple helmet.
“Pineapple General, please accept your coronation!”
With a solemn expression, she raised the pineapple helmet in both hands. Unfortunately, she was a bit too short. Imperial Scale, wearing high heels, was nearly 1.9 meters tall. Even standing on tiptoe, Stella could barely reach her head.
Imperial Scale looked down at Stella in silence, her gaze cool and distant.
Her eyes moved back and forth between Stella’s pretty face and the pineapple helmet.
The atmosphere grew strangely tense and quiet.
Lumina and Lingwind covered their eyes in horror. Xavier and Zane held their breath.
In everyone’s mind, a Mecha Girl with Imperial Scale’s imposing presence surely wouldn’t tolerate such childish antics. Her personality had to be stern, rigid, and aloof—the type who spoke only when necessary, and acted rather than talked.
Silence—the calm before the storm.
Derek Su was drenched in sweat.
Just as he thought Imperial Scale was about to snap at Stella—
The corner of Imperial Scale’s lips lifted slightly. She reached out and took the pineapple helmet from Stella’s hands.
Then, under Stella’s stunned gaze—
She placed the pineapple helmet back onto Stella’s own head.
“I hereby name you Pineapple Prince,” Imperial Scale said lazily, lifting her chin. “No need for thanks. You may withdraw.”
With that, she sat down in the seat to Derek Su’s left, crossing her legs, showing not the slightest hint of anger.
In a way, it was a clean counter—blocking Stella’s coronation ceremony entirely.
Hiss—
Derek Su sucked in a sharp breath.
The exchange just now had been like flashing blades and clashing steel—terrifying to behold.
Stella finally snapped out of it. She yanked the pineapple helmet off her head and pouted, glaring angrily at the perfectly calm Imperial Scale.
She was the one who was supposed to be doing the crowning.
How had Imperial Scale ended up crowning her instead?
A rebel had usurped the throne! Unforgivable!
Still, she didn’t push the issue. Continuing would be rude.
Since the other party was a traitorous king, then she’d better be prepared to face the Pineapple King’s judgment!
Thinking this, Stella returned to Derek Su’s right side, hugging his arm and instantly reverting to her well-behaved, obedient look.
But inside, her mind was already racing.
Imperial Scale clearly wouldn’t acknowledge her as the leader. Fine—then she’d prove it on the racetrack. She’d show Imperial Scale that she, Pineapple King, Master’s first Mecha Girl, was the strongest and irreplaceable.
Once Imperial Scale realized that, she would come begging for a coronation.
At that time, Stella would stand before the throne, bathed in light, holding the Sword of Kingship, gently tapping Imperial Scale on the shoulder.
Imperial Scale would kneel on one knee, face full of devotion.
“Pineapple King! I am willing to become your personal guard knight! Please forgive my past ignorance!”
As if already seeing that future “coronation” scene—
A smug, scheming smile crept onto Stella’s face. She glanced at Imperial Scale, who sat there calmly, and muttered under her breath:
“Hehehe… woman, you’ve successfully caught this king’s attention~”
Seeing so many of you about to start school, I pushed myself to write a bit more today.
My brain’s about to melt. After midnight I’m done—more tomorrow during the day.
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