Chapter 68: I Can Take It!

Stella shot Jade-786 a sidelong glance.
Let me see just how much resolve you really have to become a master Mecha Girl!

Under that piercing stare, Jade-786 hesitated.

Her opponent was a monster who had crashed nonstop from start to finish in her debut race and walked away with nothing more than superficial damage. If not for her outstanding speed, people might have mistaken her for a combat-type Mecha Girl. Jade-786 knew her own limits perfectly well. If she collided with Stella now, Stella might at worst be knocked unconscious—but she herself would definitely be torn apart.

Becoming Derek Su’s Mecha Girl wasn’t worth gambling her life.

Jade-786 gave up using the jet system to fight for the exit position. On the final two-hundred-meter straight, she was no match for Stella and was instantly left dozens of meters behind.

“We won.” Derek Su finally let out a breath of relief in the stands.

Lingwind was so happy she practically jumped in place.

“Derek Su, you really have an excellent Mecha Girl. Don’t ever let her down,” Xavier Young said with a smile. Stella was truly among the very best Mecha Girls he had ever seen when considering every aspect together.

“Of course,” Derek Su chuckled. “She’s the Pineapple King, after all.”

Just then, something went wrong.

Jade-786, who should have slowed down after crossing the finish line, didn’t stop at all. Her jet system began emitting a strange clack-clack noise, and her chassis surged forward as if out of control, her speed climbing rapidly.

“Oh no—her illegal modifications have malfunctioned!” Xavier Young stared toward the finish line.

Jade-786 was heading straight for the massive wall at the end of the pier. Behind it was a factory, and this wall was load-bearing—thick and solid.

If she kept accelerating into it, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Everyone was still in the stands. The only one who could possibly help Jade-786 now was Stella, who was near the finish line.

By now, Jade-786 was completely panicked. She desperately tried to brake, but the chassis wouldn’t respond. Instead, the rear jet system kept firing uncontrollably, driving her faster and faster. If she hadn’t already slowed somewhat near the finish line, she would have smashed into the wall long ago.

This was one of the hidden dangers of illegal modifications.

A chassis could lose control at any time. The more illegal modifications a Mecha Girl had, the more likely problems would occur—and it was also tied to how frequently they were used.

Earlier on the track, Jade-786 had relied on the jet system for almost every turn in the last two-thirds of the course. The excessive usage had directly triggered the loss of control.

“Help…!”

Staring at the wall growing closer by the second, Jade-786’s eyes filled with tears as she let out a despairing cry.

At that moment, a thunderous engine roar erupted from behind her. In the next instant, a silver streak shot past her chassis.

It was Stella.

Jade-786’s heart jolted.

She stared blankly as Stella tilted her chassis and drew alongside.

Stella first matched Jade-786’s speed. Then, as her chassis gradually slid sideways to block Jade-786’s path, she began to slow down. Her tires shrieked violently against the ground, producing an ear-piercing screech and generating terrifying friction.

Jade-786 was forced to decelerate against Stella’s slowing pace.

Less than five meters from the wall, both Mecha Girls came to a complete stop.

Stella disengaged her deployed form, baring her teeth as she clutched her waist, groaning “Oww, oww.” Jade-786, her endurance completely drained, automatically disengaged as well and slumped onto the cold ground, her pale face still etched with shock.

“Stella… y-you… why did you…”

“No reason.” Stella stretched lazily, casually pulling out a pineapple and smashing it open with her forehead. “Jade-786, it’s true I don’t like you—but that doesn’t mean I want to watch a Mecha Girl die right in front of me.”

“But—”

“Hey, Jade-786.” Stella cut her off and leaned down to look her in the eye. “Promise me you won’t be a bad Mecha Girl anymore. Choose a master you truly like. Stay with him, support each other, and work hard together. There will always be chances to get back on the track. And when that day comes, even if you lose, when you go home hugging the TV and drinking plain water, that water will still taste sweet.”

Jade-786 stared at her in silence.

Stella walked over and placed the freshly peeled pineapple rind on Jade-786’s head.

She stepped back two paces, looked her up and down, and smiled in satisfaction.

“Goodbye~”

She waved, turned around, and skipped away.

In the distance, Derek Su was already waiting for her at the finish line.

...

“Master!!!”

Stella dove straight into Derek Su’s arms, rubbing her cheek back and forth against his chest.

“Hehe, Master, today I—”

Before she could brag, Derek Su grabbed her ear and tugged it upward.

“Ow! That hurts! Master, I’m sorry!”

“Oh? You know you’re sorry?”

Derek Su’s face darkened. With his other hand, he pinched Stella’s soft cheeks and twisted them together.
“Who told you to go stop Jade-786? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? What if she’d taken you with her and crashed into the wall?!”

“I—I—I can take it! Oww…”

“Take it? Then let me see how much you can take!”

“Master, you’re bullying me! I won the race and you didn’t even praise me!”

“You still want praise? Go back and wait to get your butt spanked!”

Lingwind and Lumina couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the sight of Stella being scolded.

Xavier Young quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Derek Su, Stella’s kind-hearted—that’s a good thing. Much better than being cold and heartless, right? Besides, she’s fine, isn’t she? I think she knows her limits. Let it go, yeah? Let it go…”

From afar, Jade-786 watched the scene, her eyes filled with envy—before quickly dimming.

What was lost was truly lost. No matter what she did, it would never come back.

Only now did she fully understand that truth.

Both drivers and Mecha Girls had to pay the price for their own choices.

She turned away, lowered her head, and left alone.

Casually, she tore off the illegal modifications and tossed them onto the sandy dock.

In that moment, it felt as though her entire body had grown lighter.

...

Tianyuan City, a certain villa.

【Mr. Yang, I’m begging you—please give me one more chance! This really was just an accident… Mr. Yang?】

Over the phone, Hansen’s voice was as noisy and grating as a crow.

The young man sitting on the sofa wore an expression of open disgust and impatience.

He snapped the phone shut, leaned back, and stared at the ceiling with a cold gaze.
“As expected, random lackeys are unreliable. They can’t even handle something this small.”

“Boss, this is the information you asked for.”

A woman who looked like a secretary handed over a file.

The young man skimmed through it and smiled. “Derek Su—the King of Knox? Interesting. Do you think he’d join our club?”

“Unlikely.” The secretary shook her head. “He doesn’t seem interested in joining any club. And he’s very close to Julian Ziliang. According to our investigation, Hansen and Broken Moon lost because Lingwind received special training from him.”

“Derek Su is a genius. He figured out all those techniques on his own. It’d be a real shame if we couldn’t recruit him.”

“So what do you mean?”

“Don’t we have an ace preparing for the provincial competition?” the young man said lazily. “Yeah, that Leon Li. Send him to block Derek Su and Zane.”

The secretary’s expression twisted uncomfortably.
“Boss… are you sure about sending Leon Li? With his strange personality, I’m worried…”

“Worried about what?” The young man waved dismissively. “His personality is odd, sure—but whatever you tell him to do, he’ll do it well. By the way, any news from VVC?”

“Yes, boss. VVC’s ace, Caio Yang, held a press conference. He claims he’s fully prepared for the Grivin Desert Circuit and is confident he’ll take the championship this time.”

“Him?”

The young man let out a cold snort, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
“Then let’s see who the real champion is.”