(Chapter 4700)
The participating forces were still entering one after another, and the crowd had begun to grow slightly.
Seeing Mu Fan act this way, with a smile on his face, Donatello's expression gradually grew stiffer and, in the end, he said with a forced smile, "Truly a hard bone, I hope your body can hold up."
Nuonuo's worried gaze turned towards Mu Fan, and then to his shoulder.
The young man understood her concern, shook his head with a smile, and said, "It's fine, everything awaits the drawing of lots."
The two stood there in place, assuming a conspicuously modest stance among the crowd, looking forward with anticipation.
Opposite them, a group of people from Lan Du Military Group stood proudly.
The girl silently prayed in her heart for Mu Fan's blessing, but what Mu Fan was thinking was anyone's guess.
Suddenly, the lights in the arena dimmed, and spotlight-like beams fixed on the central stage.
A blond man who wouldn't even take off his sunglasses at night knelt on the ground, making a brilliant entrance from the lift platform!
"Dear contestants from all sides, I'm very sorry to have kept you waiting! I'm your old friend, Kim Ruisi! Everyone standing here today is a true warrior. However, more intense battles await you. Among the 142 participating Mechanical Masters, you and your teams will face quite a brutal fight. Because the next round will determine the top one hundred spots."
The blond man with sunglasses abruptly pressed his hand down, making a powerful and beautiful gesture, then waved his hand toward the back.
"You must all be very anxious waiting, aren't you? Are you quite concerned about who your opponent will be? Well, your destiny will now be in your hands. The third round drawing for the match—begins now!"
With a bang, fireworks erupted all around, and the dazzling light bloomed in the night sky, yet the contestants' moods varied immensely.
Kim Ruisi began to call names to the stage to draw their opponents with his slightly teasing voice.
"Please have the representative from the host Lan Du Military Group come forward to draw."
Upon hearing this, Donatello shrugged his shoulders at Mu Fan and tilted his head slightly, "Let's go."
A line of people followed Donatello, walking slowly into the crowd and then disappearing from Mu Fan and Nuonuo's view.
Nuonuo's palms were sweaty with nervousness. She turned to the calm-faced Mu Fan at her side and said, "Sir, you should go up to draw later. I'm too nervous."
Mu Fan saw the sweat on the girl's forehead, smiled, and reassured her, "It's okay, you go."
"What if I draw badly?" the girl asked timidly, eliciting laughter from someone nearby.
"Hahaha, Brother Mu Fan, is she really your boss? Or is she your girlfriend? So funny," a young man with a characteristic curly hairdo exclaimed as he turned around, particularly bright.
"Hello, we meet again," Macka greeted with evident joy.
"The contestant and Young Master from Southern Country Industry, Macka~" The young man saw the girl's embarrassed and annoyed look, patted his chest, and quickly reintroduced himself.
Perhaps the other party had forgotten the last introduction.
"Annoying!" the girl said with embarrassed anger.
"Hello, we meet again." This was Mu Fan's voice. Seeing Nuonuo's face turning red at his side, he couldn't help but smile, "It seems that your journey has been smooth."
"Our Young Master is very strong. He is definitely going to make it into the top one hundred," a butler next to Macka said respectfully.
Macka smiled and interrupted the butler, "Brother Mu Fan is truly impressive; the strength of his opponents in both matches was much higher than the indicated level. I might be a bit straightforward, so please don't take it the wrong way, Brother Mu Fan. If we both make it to the Throne Contest, I hope we can form a temporary alliance."
The curly-haired young man spread his hands with a smile, "Honestly, I really don't want to face you as an opponent. Of course, this alliance is not without its costs. As compensation, Southern Country Industry is willing to sign a three-year cooperation agreement with your company. We hope to be the pioneers for your products in the Barnard Star System, what do you think?"
Nuonuo's eyes widened in surprise, exclaiming, "Are you saying you're willing to promote Loki Heavy Industry's products in the Tech Star Capital?"
Macka nodded with a smile: "You got it right, beautiful. I genuinely appreciate your company's products; their technological level can be considered among the top in the Barnard Star System. But I checked during the day, and it seems that Loki Heavy Industry's product supply is largely confined to the Federation's Fourth Administrative Star Region. I find this quite regrettable. I believe that the outcome of cooperation will surely be a win-win situation. What do you think?"
"Of course, we can! Really... thank you so much!" Nuonuo bowed earnestly in excitement.
Mu Fan was unaware of it, but she knew all too well the gap between the Federation in the high-tech field and the Barnard Star System.
If Hinchlo Business Alliance is a gathering place for numerous commercial forces, it's the wealthiest area known in the universe.
Then, the Barnard Star System is a dreamland for countless laboratories and high-tech innovations, with the most optimal and freest atmosphere for research. It's a paradise for those researchers, with a standing that also resides at the pinnacle of this universe.
Those powerful mecha bodies and warships' research projects surely had more or less the shadow of the Barnard Star System.
Now, one of the outstanding figures in that system, the large industrial conglomerate Southern Country Industry, was extending an olive branch, which made Wang Nuonuo feel as if she were dreaming.
"Then it's settled. I'll be waiting for you in the Throne Contest. As soon as we officially move on to the next round, this verbal agreement will take immediate effect," Macka said with a smile.
Strength is the best calling card, and the only condition for cooperating with Southern Country Industry was one—to advance into the top 71!
"See you in the next round," Mu Fan turned his head to look at Wang Nuonuo and replied with a smile.
Standing behind Macka, the Mechanical Master in gray didn't show his disapproval, wondering what Young Master was thinking to have sent two Mecha Bodies into the tournament. Were they really necessary to be so nice to this kid? Southern Country Industry was at least ten times larger than Loki Heavy Industry.
Hmph, let's see if he can survive the next round first.
"Well then, we'll just have to wait and see. Who will be Brother Mu Fan's opponent in the next round?"
"We'll know soon enough," Mu Fan replied with a polite smile.
Jin Ruisi's voice rang out with excitement, "Would the representative from Loki Heavy Industry please come forward for the drawing of lots."
Wang Nuonuo looked at Mu Fan with a pleading gaze, and he responded with an encouraging nod, nodding his head.
Hmm...
The girl took a deep breath, closed her eyes for about two seconds, then opened them filled with determination.
She was sure to draw a weaker opponent!
She absolutely would!
When the girl appeared on the central stage, a flurry of flash photography lit up.
There were only 142 participants in the drawing, who were the cream of the crop amidst the vast expanse of the interstellar, thus every participant on stage received their share of camera attention.
Not to mention this girl left a strong impression because moments earlier, the enterprise known as Loki Heavy Industry, with its unique and domineering Mecha, had captivated the entire audience's attention, even drawing out the Chief Referee, Gregory.
What is news?
This is news!
Everyone was looking forward to seeing how far this enterprise, rumored to have no logistics personnel, would go.
If they were to meet a strong competitor in this round, what kind of performance would that powerful Black Mecha put on?
The girl walked up to Jin Ruisi, and the blond man with sunglasses looked at Wang Nuonuo in front of him and said into the microphone with a praiseful tone, "The beautiful helmswoman of Loki Heavy Industry, who is your opponent this time? Everyone is really looking forward to another exciting Fighting spectacle from you all!"
Feeling the focus of many eyes on her and the invisible pressure mounting, Wang Nuonuo closed her eyes and pressed down on the drawing button with one hand.
One second, two seconds, three seconds passed...
Nuonuo had not yet opened her eyes; she was waiting for the blond, sunglass-wearing host to announce the results.
But after more than five seconds, what she sensed instead was the volume of the surrounding noise fading, even hearing a slight gasp.
What was happening?
Wang Nuonuo opened her eyes, somewhat puzzled, and then saw Jin Ruisi with an expression as if he had seen a ghost.
"Loki Heavy Industry's number 4, the other number 4 contestant is from..."
"Lan Du Military Group?!"
Everyone had that same shocked expression. Donatello, who had just moments earlier left the stage with a smile, suddenly turned icy.
Jin Ruisi, as an experienced host, quickly composed himself, "Hahaha, what a coincidence. It looks like Loki Heavy Industry and Lan Du Military Group truly are fated to meet. I believe that after the misunderstanding last time was cleared, both enterprises could join hands to offer us a thrilling performance!"
After finishing, he secretly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
But the venue was silent; no one was amused by his jest...
Join hands between the two enterprises? Are you kidding? Everyone vividly remembered the confrontation at the Flowing Light Heavenly Eagle mediation – if they really meet, it would be a fight to the death, no question.
Seeing how uncooperative the crowd was, Jin Ruisi still smiled as if nothing was wrong, continuing:
"The Mechas competing are—Extreme Special Soldier (A-level) vs Earth Battle Fortress (AA-level)! Both Mecha Bodies have their extraordinary qualities and seem evenly matched in combat. As a professional commentator, I can say with years of experience that this battle will surely be a closely contested one! I am very much looking forward to this exciting match!"
"All right, please, our lovely helmswoman, exit the stage, and we welcome the next competing force to enter and draw lots..."
In terms of thick-faced antics, Jin Ruisi was no less than the commentator Sandy known for his commentary antics during matches!
However, his statement about an evenly matched and closely contested battle was something the audience agreed with.
Rating the Black Extreme Special Soldier as 3A-level based on its consistent performance was no exaggeration, and the terrifying firepower of the Earth Battle Fortress, which had directly KOed its opponents in two matches, definitely possessed the strength for a 3A-level rating.
So it seems they are indeed evenly matched.
Could the black mecha with its gravity field even continue to move forward?
All the media people who were following the previous matches drew a big question mark in their hearts.
After Wang Nuonuo descended from the central stage, her mind went completely blank...
What to do, what to do?
How could she have drawn the Lan Du Military Group?
Oh boundless Galaxy, do you really mean to crush the Wang Family?
Now the words "Lan Du Military Group" and "Donald Natello" had become an indelible shadow in her heart, only when standing by Mu Fan's side did she feel a rare brightness.
These past few days, she even thought she was dreaming, and that everything would end when she woke up.
So she wandered back to the previous location in a daze.
Macka, with an awkward smile, greeted Wang Nuonuo, but the girl didn't hear him—her mind was filled only with the question "why."
When she felt Mu Fan's presence, the young girl looked up with tearful eyes, "My Lord, I'm so useless, sob, sob, sob."
Anyone who could compete to this stage was naturally familiar with the names of the superior mecha bodies.
And "Earth Battle Fortress" just happened to be within the category of those superior mecha bodies.
In all honesty, the Extreme Special Soldier's combat style seemed... not really suitable to compete with the Earth Battle Fortress.
Macka was now full of concerns about the Extreme Special Soldier's upcoming battle, but thinking of what he had said before, he didn't know how to start talking and could only smile awkwardly.
Mu Fan looked at Wang Nuonuo's self-reproaching demeanor, her slender and fair legs close together, her face tear-streaked, and couldn't help smiling as he shook his head and said, "Why do you say that? I think it's good."
I think it's good!?
Wang Nuonuo's face froze, and Macka's eyelids twitched.
Suddenly, Mu Fan laughed out loud, "I really think it's good, because..."
"We can blow up another one of their mecha bodies."
As his words fell, his eyes were already filled with a chilling cold.
"Just focus on keeping yourself alive," the grey-uniformed mechanical master next to Macka couldn't help but interject coldly.
Mu Fan's indifferent gaze swept over him as he lightly said, "I said before that if we encounter them, only one person can survive on the battlefield. So, it's either I die, or he dies."
"Hmph, easy to say."
"Mu Ping!" Macka suddenly said sharply.
The grey-uniformed young man stopped talking when he heard his boss speak but his eyes were full of disdain.
"We need to go back and prepare, we'll take our leave," Mu Fan told Macka.
"Feel free, I look forward to the news of your victory tomorrow," Macka said with a smile on his face.
"Definitely."
Mu Fan patted Nuonuo's delicate shoulder and strode out.
The young girl, feeling Mu Fan's strong belief, couldn't help but speak up, "My Lord, we are definitely going to win tomorrow, right?"
"Yes, we will definitely win!"
Mu Fan's voice was firm, with an indescribable chill and a deeply hidden... killing intent.
Nuonuo's face showed a determined look, and she clenched her fist in a gesture of encouragement to herself.
The two figures vanished from the central competition arena.
...
The next day, when sunlight bathed the Earth, the Sky Mother Ships were already brimming with people.
By now, the price of tickets to watch the event on-site had quintupled!
Yet they were still hard to come by.
Because people knew that from this point on, the competition would enter an intense phase.
This was the last 1v1 competition before the Throne Contest.
All competitors would give their all for a spot in the top 71.
Once victorious, they would join the ranks of the top hundred—an opportunity that might come only once in a lifetime for a Mechanical Master.
Today's arena had been compressed into four large stadiums.
The countless basins on the highlands of the Land of Bright Star were the stages for the grand battles, and no stage used once would ever be used again.
Considering the possibility of intense confrontations, each stadium's area had been increased by more than half compared to the previous ones.
The clock pointed to 7:45, and Wang Nuonuo glanced at Mu Fan, who stood shoulder to shoulder with her on the observation platform.
Both of them stood on the observation deck, with Mu Fan's chin slightly lifted, his gaze seemingly piercing past the huge basin-shaped valley in front of him, looking toward the distant sky.
"Sir, what are you looking at? The match starts in 30 minutes, shouldn't we be heading to the hangar now?" the girl couldn't help but ask.
Mu Fan's gaze was distant. Without turning his head, he calmly replied, "I'm waiting."
Waiting?
"Waiting for what?" Wang Nuonuo was completely confused.
"Waiting for my... 'courier delivery.' I forgot to mention it to you yesterday..." Recalling this, a hint of embarrassment appeared on Mu Fan's face, but his eyes still did not stray from the view ahead.
"It's here."
When Mu Fan saw the dark shadow rising on the horizon, he raised his hand to check Sky Communication.
[Arriving in 1 minute. Please prepare to receive—Galaxy Transport Federation]
Wang Nuonuo naturally saw the approaching dark shadow too, a black and white spaceship.
And that emblem was recognized by anyone who lived in a normal society within the Federation.
"Galaxy Transport?"
"Yes, it must be the weapon you mentioned before that has arrived."
Nuonuo's beautiful eyes widened, "You mean... Flame Rain Frost Blue!"
Within seconds, the spaceship landed directly next to the observation platform.
Two staffers, carrying a thick portable light computer, approached, "Mr. Mu Fan, hello, please proceed with the delivery inspection."
Time ticked away, and Mu Fan watched as layers of encryption were unlocked, participating in the process three times himself.
Finally, when the hands on the clock hit 8:00, the spaceship's hatch opened with a hiss.
A pure black metal box, twelve meters in length, and one meter in width and height, was thunderously set down, kicking up thick clouds of dust around it.
"Mr. Mu Fan, your 'courier delivery' has arrived. We wish you a pleasant life."
After saying this, the two Galaxy Transport Federation staffers returned to the spaceship and drove off immediately.
Nuonuo stood dumbfounded, gazing at the long and exquisite box, "Is this... Flame Rain Frost Blue?"
*****
PS: Life not only has the mundane but also poetry and distant horizons. Merry Christmas to everyone, have fun!!
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