IRCDM Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Methods – What Mecha Can You Pilot?

Liang Huan tilted his head almost imperceptibly.

The movement was so slight, yet it caused Li Yao’s already stiff hand to fall weakly. But the next second, another hand, stained with blood, gripped his, covering his cheek.

Even though Li Yao’s sense of touch was now very faint, he still felt the piercing cold.

He looked at the snow, frozen and unmelting, in Liang Huan’s hair, and smiled. “Your Majesty, is this… palliative care?”

He wasn’t sure if this was a hallucination from his chaotic pre-death state, or a reality that shouldn’t be happening at all.

Liang Huan didn’t say a word, just silently looked at the person in front of him. Forcibly linking their spiritual sources allowed him to share most of the orbital mental force shockwaves that Li Yao’s body was receiving. The sensation wasn’t pleasant; the flesh, blood, and bones of his body felt as if they were being torn apart, yet he had to force himself to stay conscious.

He turned his head and kissed the black dragon tattoo on Li Yao’s wrist.

“Warning: Cabin temperature has dropped to minus thirty degrees Celsius. Cabin personnel, please evacuate immediately.”

“Prompt: Main orbital link progress is 98%. Success is expected in one minute and thirty seconds. Prompt: Activation progress of the new planetary coordinates is 78%. Full activation is expected in three minutes. Prompt: New coordinates activation time has exceeded the planned schedule by one minute and thirty seconds. The failure rate of the link has increased significantly. Please take timely measures.”

Mechanical prompts echoed in the cabin.

Li Yao’s pupils suddenly constricted, and he abruptly woke up. He looked at Liang Huan standing in front of him, at the probes piercing his body, and roared, “What are you doing?!”

Liang Huan lowered his eyes, his expression cold as he stared at him. “Even if I am human, what makes you think I would definitely stand on the side of humanity? Li Yao, I told you, don’t be so arrogant.”

Li Yao’s brain roared. He didn’t even have time to think before throwing a punch at Liang Huan. His plan absolutely couldn’t have any flaws; a one minute and thirty second error was enough to cause the Dawn Project to completely collapse!

Liang Huan took the punch head-on, but his body blocking Li Yao remained unmoved. Li Yao’s nearly collapsed spiritual source began to accumulate again. The sacrificed comrades, the ten years of perseverance, the anger of being fooled by Lin Chen, and the impending death – all of these meant that he had to get rid of the person in front of him as soon as possible.

Personal feelings were insignificant in the face of these things.

The terrifying force struck Liang Huan directly. Liang Huan quickly dodged backward, and the fist slammed into the shattered glass of the cockpit. Glass that could barely be broken by a thermal grenade was shattered into pieces by Li Yao’s punch. He stared at Liang Huan, his eyes bloodshot, and the nearly extinguished spiritual source erupted with intense mental power, slamming into Liang Huan. “What the hell are you doing?!”

Click.

A silver-black metal ring snapped around Li Yao’s neck, and the erupted mental power was suddenly pulled back. Liang Huan staggered back half a step from Li Yao’s kick, blood spilling from his lips.

“Prompt: Main orbital link progress 99.9%. Prompt: Main orbital link aborted. Prompt: New planetary coordinates activation progress 95%. Prompt: New coordinates activation aborted.” A small mechanical voice sounded in the cabin.

Li Yao’s brain went blank for a moment.

“…Lin Chen, what have you done… return to the military immediately… signal tower orbit… deviation…” Liang Huan’s military chip transmitted intermittent signals.

He flipped his wrist, and a dagger appeared in his palm. He directly cut the chip out of his flesh and threw it away, along with the dagger.

He raised his head, slowly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, walked to the cockpit, and roughly pulled out the probes that had been stuck in Li Yao’s body. Then, he grabbed Li Yao’s wrist and completely dragged him out.

Li Yao couldn’t stand at all. His body was frighteningly heavy. Liang Huan put his arm around his waist, leaning him against the edge of the control panel. He raised his hand and completely fastened the metal ring around Li Yao’s neck before carefully wiping the blood from Li Yao’s face and neck.

He lifted Li Yao’s chin, forcing him to look at him. “Do you feel better now?”

With his mental power forcibly retracted, and his broken spiritual source barely pieced together by something, Li Yao, having experienced the final all-out attack, was now so exhausted that he couldn’t muster any strength to resist.

His eyelashes trembled, and he was swallowed by despair. His voice was extremely hoarse, barely a whisper. “What the hell are you doing?”

Liang Huan sat on the ground with him. The control panel behind them blocked some of the howling wind and snow. His voice was terrifyingly calm. “The main orbital link progress had reached 99.9%. With the current technology of mankind, the time is sufficient to fully compensate for the remaining 0.1%. The new coordinates can be detected as long as the activation degree exceeds 90%.”

“You don’t have to die.” He stated the final conclusion casually.

Li Yao’s brain was in chaos. He knelt between Liang Huan’s legs, his breathing frighteningly heavy. “You make it sound easy. Only 0.1% away from success, and the signal tower orbit could have been fully linked… Do you know what you’re doing? Even a 0.1% deviation could lead to failure, not to mention that the activation degree of the new planetary coordinates is only 95%.”

He closed his eyes, already transforming from anger to despairing calm. “We were so close to a successful end. You have no idea what you’ve done.”

Liang Huan raised his hand and pressed it against his back, forcing him to lean closer and open his eyes to look at him. “In the escape pod in space, you had the mechanical assistant put the core signal receiver into your body and altered your memories. But Second is just an assistant robot, after all. It couldn’t completely integrate the signal receiver into your body. After returning to the planet, you had a serious rejection reaction to the signal receiver, so you found Chuan Wu and used your own bone marrow to obtain the opportunity for surgery.”

Li Yao stared at him, his hands on his chest still resisting.

“The black box and the signal receiver are completely different materials. You lied to Chuan Wu, telling him that what was in your body was a black box. He tried to extract the black box, but the result was that he helped you completely fuse the signal receiver with your body. The surgery was very successful, so the metallic reaction in your body is very subtle.” Liang Huan tightened his grip on his wrist. “Because of the external detection reaction caused by this surgery, the military is convinced that you have a black box, and even the Heteromorph spies are afraid that you will die. They speculate that once you die, the black box is likely to decompose, and the information inside will be made public.”

Li Yao didn’t comment on this.

Liang Huan frowned. “Even I initially thought that the black box was hidden in your body, so I had to find a way to get close to you and formulate the first step of the copying plan. Li Yao, you manipulated everyone. You’re very smart.”

Unfortunately, Li Yao wasn’t in the mood to listen to his praise. “Chuan Wu didn’t die. You interrogated him.”

“Yes, these are all inferred from Chuan Wu’s confession. Chuan Wu himself also noticed something was wrong, but at that time, you were already in prison, and it wouldn’t have been beneficial for him to tell Yi Yuan.” Liang Huan said, “Perhaps there was still a trace of sympathy for you.”

Li Yao scoffed lightly. “I already agreed to give you the coordinates. Why come back?”

“If your sacrifice was necessary, I wouldn’t have come back.” Liang Huan said calmly. “But we have a better way. Now the signal tower orbit has completed most of it, and the new coordinates of this planet have activated most of it. The rest can be done slowly, and even with this foundation, humans can find better reception methods, which are safer.”

Li Yao raised his eyelids and stared at him coldly. “Whether the new star coordinates can be received is still unknown. You’re here telling me about a better solution?”

He knew Liang Huan’s mouth too well. As long as he opened it, he could talk a dead man back to life.

“Why can’t there be a better solution? You’ve been away from the military for ten years. Granted, you’re the only human in history with a double 3S+, but other humans aren’t trash either.” Liang Huan said, “The military’s technological development has been progressing. You’re too arrogant.”

There was some displeasure in Li Yao’s eyes. “Then why did you cut out the military chip?”

Liang Huan was silent for a moment. “…Too noisy.”

“It’s important to choose what to fool people with.” Li Yao gritted his teeth. “It’s still not too late. The core receiver is in my heart. As long as you cut it out and re-link it to the cockpit—”

“Li Yao.” Liang Huan interrupted him, raising his eyes to look at him. “Do you know what you’re saying?”

Li Yao turned his head away, his jaw tense into a sharp line.

Liang Huan’s voice was cold. “If you don’t believe the reason I’m giving, then tell me, why must I come back?”

The answer that both of them knew well was stuck in Li Yao’s throat. He wanted to refute it, but he knew that he absolutely couldn’t answer. He was afraid that once it was revealed, his precarious sanity would collapse instantly, defeated.

“You have no other choice now.” Liang Huan told him almost cruelly. “Just now, I linked into your spiritual source. Now, half of the activated new coordinates and orbital signals need my mental power to maintain. I can tell you very clearly that if you don’t cooperate, then the error won’t just be 0.1%.”

Li Yao turned his head sharply to look at him. “Are you crazy?!”

“I know what I’m doing. Even if it’s been proven that Liming Star didn’t betray humanity, it’s not your place to lecture me.” Liang Huan twitched the corner of his mouth almost imperceptibly.

Li Yao’s chest rose and fell violently. He looked like he wanted to kill Liang Huan, but his exhausted spiritual source and severely damaged body obviously couldn’t provide him with support.

The blizzard outside was getting worse and worse. Liang Huan leaned against the control panel, bending one leg and using it as a support on his side, providing him with a point of stability. Then, he lightly pried open the hand that was clutching his collar, unbuttoned his military uniform, and took it off to drape it over Li Yao.

The congealed blood made the uniform much heavier.

“Liming Star, welcome home.” Liang Huan raised his hand and gave Li Yao a solemn military salute.

Li Yao was silent for a long time. He frowned, lowered his head, seemingly wanting to find something. He seemed to have lost his ability to tease casually, and looked somewhat at a loss.

Liang Huan lowered his hand, put his arm around his waist, and pulled him into his arms.

The cold embrace still had some warmth. Li Yao was held tightly by him, his chin resting on his shoulder, his entire being enveloped in a sudden sense of confusion. The hands that were drooping on both sides of his body moved stiffly.

He raised his hand with some difficulty and touched the mechanical arm on Liang Huan’s pierced abdomen, saying in a low voice, “Let go.”

Liang Huan hid the displeasure in his eyes and let go. “Can you still stand?”

Li Yao shook his head. “There are still Heteromorph spies in the military. Once the signal tower orbit is laid out, they will definitely notice. If we can’t receive the new star coordinates in time, they will definitely try to destroy it. What you’re doing now is too risky. Do you have a mental power enhancer on you?”

Liang Huan didn’t speak.

Li Yao reached into the hidden pocket in his uniform. Usually, people in the military would carry a certain dose of enhancers, but Liang Huan’s pockets only had healing patches.

“Take a mental power enhancer, kill me first, and then dig out the core of the receiver in your heart yourself?” Liang Huan looked at him expressionlessly. “Settle down. On the way here, I already had the mecha I Department control all the mecha in the military to ensure the safety of the signal tower orbit. The list of spies has also been sent to Huan Zan. Are you in such a hurry to die?”

Li Yao tore open a medical patch and impatiently smeared it on the wound on his shoulder and neck. “Yeah, it’s a little embarrassing that I can’t die right now.”

Liang Huan grabbed the mechanical arm that was sticking out of his abdomen, the veins bulging on the back of his hand, but he hesitated to strike.

“Even if the Heteromorphs notice the orbital signal, now is a good time to wipe them out in one fell swoop.” Liang Huan grabbed his hand and used force together with him. “Living now not only allows you to provide the planet’s coordinates, but also gives you a chance to avenge your former comrades.”

The mechanical arm, along with dripping flesh and blood, was slowly pulled out. Li Yao held the medical patch tightly against his wound and took out bandages and medicine from the damaged military uniform, skillfully tying them around his abdomen.

Liang Huan took out a bottle of mental power enhancer from behind him. Before Li Yao could react, he poured it all into his mouth in front of him.

Li Yao looked at him in disbelief.

Liang Huan shook the empty medicine bottle in front of his eyes and casually threw it on the ground, saying, “Li Yao, I hope you consider remarrying me.”

Li Yao’s mind was even more confused. He moved his lips with difficulty. “…Are you out of your mind?”

“You really can’t forget him.” Liang Huan’s expression was displeased. “I know myself very well. He’s just pretending to be nice to you.”

The temperature inside the cockpit was dropping more and more severely. The small robot had already sounded an alarm, and the highest-level escape red warning lights were flashing inside the cabin. Li Yao’s temples were throbbing. “Shut up, will you?”

Liang Huan raised his hand and covered the back of his neck, his expression cold. “This mecha is the most important transit station for the signal tower orbit. We have to find a way to hide it. Also, it was me who came back to save you, not that Liang Huan in the mental turmoil period.”

Li Yao: “…”

“Don’t remarry him.” As soon as Liang Huan finished speaking, he completely lost consciousness.

“Liang Huan?!” Li Yao panicked.

The blizzard on the sea swept over the waves. The Qianlong mecha operating in the air was swaying unsteadily between the storm and the waves. Wind and snow were constantly pouring into the damaged cockpit.

“Warning: Fuel is about to run out.” The small robot spoke in a rigid manner.

Li Yao struggled to stay conscious and not pass out, otherwise he and Liang Huan would soon become two stiff corpses that were frozen solid. He hadn’t even recovered from the shock of Liang Huan’s sudden appearance, and was barely able to confront Liang Huan.

The current situation was even more complicated and chaotic than it had been in space.

Remembering that Liang Huan had swallowed a whole bottle of mental power enhancer in order to prevent him from restoring his mental power, Li Yao laughed angrily and cursed violently. He had no choice but to brace himself and find a way out for the two of them.

“Warning: Vital signs have dropped to the lowest level. Please stay awake.”

Li Yao struggled to get up and asked in confusion, “He swallowed a whole bottle of mental power enhancer and still dropped to the lowest level?”

The small robot was silent for half a second. “I was talking about you.”

“Tsk.” Li Yao turned his head, but couldn’t find exactly where the small robot was. “I still prefer your businesslike tone. This way, we don’t seem to have any distance.”

The small robot said regretfully, “Dear Father, the fireworks have been prepared for you. When the time comes, I’ll scatter your ashes into the sea.”

“Get lost.” Li Yao was so angry that he wanted to tear it apart.

The small robot was still babbling about something. Li Yao was adjusting the complex buttons on the control panel, but couldn’t use his mental power. He said, “Enable automatic driving function.”

The small robot said, “Automatic driving has been severely damaged by radiation. Please link mental power for manual driving.”

Li Yao almost choked. “If I could link mental power, would I need you?”

The small robot chattered endlessly, “Useless fellow.”

Li Yao was so amused by it that he laughed, but his mental power also increased a little. He finally realized that Liang Huan hadn’t left himself any way out. The possibility of him abandoning Liang Huan to continue receiving signals was zero. If he didn’t have a good relationship with the small robot, he would likely be directly forcibly logged out. He and Liang Huan would either live together or die together.

He found a bottle of spray and sprayed it on Liang Huan’s face.

The person who had passed out inhaled the medicine and slowly opened his eyes.

“Stop pretending. Get up and pilot the mecha.” Li Yao slapped his face impatiently.

Liang Huan’s head tilted slightly from the slap, his eyes full of doubt. “Li Yao?”

Li Yao’s back stiffened. Recalling the words Liang Huan had said before passing out, a bad guess suddenly surged in his heart. “Do you remember what you were doing just now?”

Liang Huan smiled slightly. “You hijacked Chuan Wu and ran away. I was having Wang Le Ren take out the chip you left on my lower back.”

Li Yao’s vision went dark.

“What’s that thing you’re wearing around your neck?” He paused. “Why are you so badly injured?”

“…Never mind that for now.” Li Yao grabbed his hand, wanting to pull him up, but found that he had no strength at all. But he still took out half a second to hug Liang Huan hard. “Damn it, this is enough.”

Liang Huan was inexplicably confused, but still patted his back soothingly. “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

The alarm was getting worse and worse. Li Yao rubbed Liang Huan’s quickly freezing fingers. “Honey, besides piloting the Empress Mecha, can you pilot other mecha?”

Liang Huan lowered his eyes and glanced at the hand that was holding him, flattening the corners of his mouth almost imperceptibly, and said lightly, “Of course.”

“I can pilot any mecha.”