There were actually people in this world rushing to play the sucker?
Derek Su couldn't wrap his head around it; Stella was equally stunned.
Derek Su gave Justin Kim a big thumbs-up. "Wow—amazing!"
Stella looked Justin Kim up and down, nodding repeatedly. "Impressive, truly impressive!"
What else could she say? Justin really was willing to take on anything.
Justin Kim was completely baffled by Derek Su and Stella's reactions. Hadn't he just agreed to take in a Mecha Girl? Why did it suddenly feel like he'd become some kind of heroic savior?
"Jade-786, Master and I have already stated our positions. It's up to you now!"
Cloud Leopard had already decided that Derek Su and Stella were just scheming villains trying to scam Jade-786 out of her money.
Meanwhile, she and Justin Kim firmly believed they were rescuing a helpless Mecha Girl being oppressed.
"Thank you for the offer." Jade-786 inhaled deeply, giving Justin Kim and Cloud Leopard a faint, sorrowful smile before saying, firmly, "You're both very kind, but I still hope to become Derek Su's Mecha Girl. It's not about money, nor about the club. Mainly, I owe Derek Su, and I want to repay that debt."
She even cast a tender glance at Derek Su as she spoke.
How could Justin Kim compare to Derek Su?
Derek Su drove the defective XC-99, which the Ascend Racing Club had bought for only five thousand dollars.
Justin Kim, on the other hand, drove one of VVC's top Mecha Girls—the TYB-65—auctioned for over six million. She'd then received the club's professional training, possibly some modifications, and a great Module, but even then Justin Kim still couldn't beat Derek Su. Derek Su was even blocked by an SSC racer for a moment during the race, yet his total time was still nearly a full minute and a half faster!
In short, any Mecha Girl who could count knew the truth.
Justin Kim's skills were nothing compared to Derek Su.
A Master would naturally choose someone who ensured future happiness.
"You—you actually refused?!" Cloud Leopard stared at Jade-786 in disbelief.
Justin Kim looked just as embarrassed. Back when he was VVC's most promising rookie, Cloud Leopard had chosen him herself, so when he invited Jade-786 he was full of confidence—yet he'd just been politely rejected and handed a "nice guy card."
His pride collapsed on the spot.
Justin Kim wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole.
"Hey! How could you do this? We're helping you!" Cloud Leopard finally snapped, though she couldn't force Jade-786 to choose differently. In the end, she stomped her foot angrily. "Forget it! Do whatever you want!
If you're willing and they're willing, what business is it of mine?! Master, we're leaving!"
Cloud Leopard dragged Justin Kim away. Before leaving, Justin Kim couldn't help letting his gaze linger on Jade-786's curvy figure.
Cloud Leopard was gorgeous—but flat.
Jade-786, with her voluptuous, mature-warrior aura, was exactly his type.
…
"Derek Su, you saw it yourself. I'm willing to give up the chance to join VVC just to become your Mecha Girl. I truly want to fix what's between us." Jade-786 took two steps forward, trying to approach Derek Su, but a petite figure stepped in front to block her. She almost tried to jump around—until the scene from half an hour ago flashed in her mind: Stella twisting her hips once and knocking her clean out of the corner.
Nope. Couldn't provoke her.
This tiny girl's collision resistance was way beyond hers.
Jade-786 wisely stopped where she stood, sending only a pleading look past Stella.
Derek Su felt like vomiting. If not for Stella wanting to "run some operations," he would've happily taken off his size-44 shoe and planted it on Jade-786's face.
"Jade-786, your sincerity is touching, but rules can't be broken. To enter the Su Line, you must pass the assessment." Stella planted her hands on her hips, face deadly serious. "Back when I joined the Su Line as Master's Mecha Girl, I went through the very same assessment. It's absolutely fair!"
Back then, Derek Su had said he could make her turn—told her to try it. And under his command, she really did take that ninety-degree corner at the crossroads.
That was the moment the gears of fate began to turn.
Perhaps that had been fate's trial. If either of them had given up then, she would never have crossed the Knox finish line in first place today.
Stella remembered this. She treasured it.
And so—she would never let anyone harm Derek Su.
Anyone who had harmed him, whether human or Mecha Girl, would pay the price.
"Well… what exactly is the assessment?" Jade-786 asked pitifully.
Her heart was already leaning toward acceptance—after all, if XC-99 could pass, how could she, the great Jade-786, not?
But she still needed to know what the test was. If it was purposefully unfair, she'd refuse.
She wasn't a fool.
Stella's smile turned sly. "Heh heh… The test is simple: cornering. A cornering match against me. High-speed turning in autonomous mode, without hitting the guardrails. If we both clear the course, the faster one wins!"
A cornering test?
Jade-786 stared at Stella like she was an idiot.
Had this girl gotten too full of herself?
Her cornering success had always been due entirely to Derek Su's superb handling. Winning the Knox Rally had totally messed with her sense of self, hadn't it?
Had she forgotten her own debut race? She crashed from start to finish.
That contemptuous look flashed through Jade-786's eyes—but she hid it quickly.
XC-99's arrogance was actually convenient.
Since the test was autonomous driving, she was confident she wouldn't lose to XC-99. Even without Kyle Zhang's support, she was sure she could navigate [Knox's Severed Wrist] at low speeds purely on her own ability. Flirting with Kyle Zhang had been just… incidental. Everything she did was for racing glory, for the honor of Mecha Girls! And aside from rolling in bed with Kyle Zhang, she had trained a bit on her own.
"Alright. I accept the assessment." Jade-786 nodded firmly, then gave Derek Su a flirty smile. "Derek Su, don't worry. No matter what, I'll pass this assessment and become your Mecha Girl. Wait for me, okay? Give me a little time to settle things with the Ascend Racing Club."
"Three days," Stella said, raising a finger. "You get three days at most. Come to the Conscience Recycling Yard then and we'll sign the contract. If you beat me in cornering, you'll become Master's Mecha Girl—and I'll acknowledge you."
"It's a deal!" Jade-786 smiled sweetly, extending a hand.
Stella glanced at Jade-786's pale palm, then grinned and pinched just one of her fingers.
"It's a deal~ heh heh."
…
Jade-786 left with her goal secured.
The termination process between a Mecha Girl, her pilot, and a club was extremely complicated. She had to handle all of it quickly, and set aside time to practice—she couldn't afford to lose in some humiliating way.
Meanwhile, Derek Su and Stella stared at each other.
"Stella… did you just sell me off?"
"No way!" Stella grabbed Derek Su's hand with a teasing grin. "How could I ever sell Master?"
"Then… are you sure you can beat Jade-786?" Derek Su looked at her, surprised.
Could Stella have awakened some ability during the race?
Had she experienced some kind of breakthrough?
He quickly checked Stella's panel.
Hmm…
Drifting: 25 points—up 4 points. Barely counted as enlightenment.
Cornering: 42 points—up 1.5 points. Not bad.
But Jade-786 still had 57 cornering points!
A 42-point Stella against a 57-point Jade-786 in autonomous cornering…
"Isn't that just asking for trouble?!"
"Master… do you think I'll definitely lose?"
Stella blinked her big eyes at Derek Su.
Hard question.
But yes—he did think that.
Stella could read Derek Su's expression instantly. Her gaze dimmed as she pouted, "Jade-786 is a Mecha Girl who abandoned Master. I want to defeat her head-on and make her understand she's not qualified."
Derek Su froze. The determination in the girl before him was overwhelming.
"It's true that my cornering can't compare to Jade-786's," Stella said, enunciating each word. "But I can learn technique from Master. If performance is lacking, skill can make up for it… So, will Master teach me?"
Stella didn't want to rely on him to beat Jade-786.
She wanted to earn that victory with her own efforts.
Who knew that this seemingly silly Stella had so much backbone?
"No problem. But you'd better study hard!"
Derek Su smiled, agreeing readily.
"Hehe~ I'm actually really smart! Master, don't be too shocked later~"
"Then I'll look forward to your performance."
Derek Su patted her head, not thinking much of it.
Stella looked like the clumsy type who would never learn technique well.
Worst case, he'd just pump her stats and let her crush Jade-786 with raw numbers.
Little did he know…
In just a few days, he would realize how laughable his assumptions were…