Chapter 80: A Magnificent Performance (Part Two)

Ye Chong was completely absorbed, utterly focused. With Ding Yining absent, Ye Chong’s concentration only deepened. As his proficiency with the instruments grew, the speed of his hands increased; the faint shadow of his movements thickened with each passing moment. Everyone stared, mouths agape, at a scene more befitting a movie than reality.

“Ye Chong’s hand speed is rising steadily. According to the data we’ve just received, his hands are moving at 3.88 Hz. It seems his condition is improving. But what is his limit? Is this it? No one knows! Yet we have every reason to anticipate an even more spectacular performance!”

His intense focus softened the harsh lines of Ye Chong’s usually stern face, lending him a unique charm. The sharpness in his gaze vanished, replaced by the brilliance of boundless intellect. Coupled with the fluid, natural motions of his hands, he seemed like a diamond washed clean of all impurities, radiating a dazzling light. In that moment, no one noticed his worn clothing or cared that he lacked striking features. He was the eye of the storm at Blue Ocean Academy! He drew every gaze, overshadowing the other contestants, no matter how exceptional their usual performances.

Unbeknownst to all, Ye Chong’s modified mecha was gradually taking shape.

“We now have Ye Chong’s submitted design blueprint. Normally, this would only be released after the competition. But thanks to our relentless efforts and a special permit from our beloved principal, we’ve managed to obtain the blueprint for the mecha Ye Chong is currently completing.

When we saw it, every one of us thought: he is a genius among geniuses! If Ye Chong’s astonishing hand speed demonstrates his remarkable self-discipline, then this blueprint proves his exceptional intellect. I must inform everyone—Ye Chong’s design received a perfect score from the mecha modification assessment system. Not only that, all twelve senior modification experts serving as judges unanimously gave it their highest approval—a perfect score!”

Boom! The audience erupted as if a bomb had gone off, a cacophony of excitement!

Axiu stared, mesmerized, at Ye Chong’s holographic image on the giant screen, her autumn-water eyes lost in contemplation. Beside her, Sun Xuelin bowed her head, her expression shifting from crimson to pale, from muttering softly to gritting her teeth, her gaze flickering with emotion.

The commentator chuckled, “I wonder if Ye Chong has secretly installed a super neural processor in his mind.”

Laughter burst forth beneath the stage.

“In three hundred years since Blue Ocean Academy was founded, today marks its most glorious record! Sadly, the creator of this achievement isn’t even a student here. That should make us reflect!” The commentator’s regretful tone made many Blue Ocean Academy students hang their heads in shame.

“Alright, let’s return to the main topic and dissect Ye Chong’s near-perfect design! He abandoned the standard humanoid structure for the mecha, opting instead for a vehicle-centered concept. This is a far more practical choice for the upcoming speed-focused competitions. The humanoid limbs serve little purpose in such events. Yet, he didn’t choose the typical disc-shaped internal-external rotating vehicle design. Instead, he selected a very old, non-mainstream arrowhead structure.

The primary engine is the Flamingo-3, another non-mainstream model. Many students may have never heard of it. The Flamingo-3 boasts impressive power, weighing only half as much as other engines in its class. Its control range is the widest among similar engines, compensating for the direction-control limitations of the arrowhead structure. Despite its high energy consumption, Ye Chong chose it for this mecha.

The two side wings at the front are not mere metal sheets, but are equipped with multiple auxiliary engines for broad-range directional changes, though this demands much from the pilot.

Moreover, the arrowhead shape has been further optimized with new aerodynamics, reducing its drag coefficient by a third compared to the original design. This improvement alone reveals Ye Chong’s profound theoretical knowledge—truly admirable! How many under thirty are even interested in fundamental theory nowadays, let alone achieve such results?

The placement of the center of gravity is equally ingenious…”

Before the commentator could finish, the holographic screen changed.

Ye Chong had completed all modifications. With time to spare, he sprayed the mecha with a pale blue coat. Its strange shape drew murmurs of amazement.

This was unmistakably the “Feile” mecha Ye Chong had previously modified for Ding Yining, though there were slight changes. Ye Chong had used this time to further optimize the arrowhead structure, with significant contributions from Shang. Shang had expressed extreme dissatisfaction at being used as manual labor and was furious at Ye Chong’s deliberate avoidance of the training program for mecha engineers. Ye Chong, of course, ignored him completely.

It was as if Ye Chong was born with an interest only in mecha, finding the endless, dry knowledge of mecha engineering tedious and fleeing from it as quickly as possible.

Shang could only grumble; after all, without hands-on practice, engineering was indeed unbearably dull.

Ye Chong pondered, then sprayed the word “Feile” on the mecha—bold, metallic strokes, intimidating and fierce! Tossing the spray can aside, he announced the completion of the Feile mecha.

The commentator joked, “Don’t imitate that move, everyone! Don’t just toss things around. If you accidentally hit someone, it could be very bad. Even if not, damaging the plants isn’t good either!”

Ye Chong’s luck was remarkable. Not every modification room had identical parts, with many supplied randomly. The appearance of the Flamingo-3 engine here was pure chance!

Ye Chong gently stroked the smooth surface of the mecha, his affectionate gaze inciting shrieks from countless girls.

What happened next stunned everyone!

With a swift motion, Ye Chong slipped into the cockpit of Feile.

What was he planning? The question echoed in every mind. Even the commentator held his breath, eyes fixed on the holographic screen for fear of missing a detail.

Feile’s engine roared to life!

Hearts skipped a beat. Was he trying to kill himself? God! This was inside the modification room, only one hundred fifty meters from the wall. At ordinary mecha speeds of 2 Hz, it would take less than a second to cover that distance.

Wasn’t this suicide?

Girls in the audience screamed, many closing their eyes against the impending collision—the mecha shattered, Ye Chong reduced to nothing but a mangled heap.

Even the commentator couldn’t help but gasp.

The mecha’s rapid movement in the cramped room was breathtaking, the thrill exploding in every mind.

Was he insane? Was this a spectacular show before death? The contestants who resented Ye Chong laughed coldly to themselves.

Suddenly, Feile shot forward like a blue bolt of lightning, vanishing from sight.

Yet, the expected collision never happened!

The pale blue Feile stopped abruptly, just two meters from the wall! The intense visual impact struck every soul, the sudden shift from extreme motion to absolute stillness making every heart contract with shock!

Was this possible? Could someone control a racing mecha to such precision over one hundred fifty meters?

Impossible! Absolutely impossible! It had to be coincidence! Yes, just luck!

This was the thought in every mind.

Even the commentator breathed a sigh of relief. “Ye Chong’s luck is truly remarkable—managing to stop at such a distance is unbelievable! It seems even fate couldn’t bear to see such a talent perish. Still, Ye Chong’s reckless nature should be tempered. The hydraulic buffer system in racing mecha is far too crude to guarantee a pilot’s safety in such an impact. Let this be a lesson to everyone—cherish life!”

The commentator’s explanation was immediately accepted by almost everyone.

Almost. In the sea of people, a few unsettling gazes flickered.

Ye Chong nonchalantly hopped out of Feile, his expression unchanged, as if nothing of note had happened. His face reverted to its usual indifference and coldness, prompting another wave of shrieks from the girls.

But none of this mattered to Ye Chong. He walked to the control terminal and declared the completion of his modification.