Hansen, the new master of Broken Moon, was a young racer dressed in a designer racing suit—a custom vacuum-sealed model. His watch, backpack, glasses, and the stud earrings in both ears all gave off the aura of a nouveau riche.
In his past life, if he'd dyed his hair into that "funeral love" style with half-curled bangs covering one eye, he'd look exactly like one of those wannabe street punks.
Unfortunately, Mecha Girls couldn't care less about a master's appearance. What mattered to most of them was simple—whether they could get on the track and whether their master had the resources to train them.
When Broken Moon and Hansen arrived, Zane's eyes flickered with surprise.
He invited them inside, arranged seats, and served tea.
"Broken Moon, why are you back? Decided my place is still better?" Zane forced out a smile. "That purple Module is nice and all, but it's never as good as a master who really knows you, right?"
Hansen let out a short laugh and tilted his head.
"Zane, we're here to discuss a deal."
"A deal?"
"Exactly." Broken Moon folded her arms, giving Zane a cold side glance. "I've heard about everything that's happened. To scrape together money to buy me back, you dragged Lingwind around to underground races, refused illegal mods, lost almost every match, and now you're buried in debt."
Zane stiffened, fists tightening.
"Considering our five years as partners, I'll give you one more chance."
Broken Moon crossed her legs, her tone dripping with condescension.
"The day after tomorrow, at the Echo Valley training race—you take Lingwind out. If you can beat me and Hansen, I'll come back as your starting Mecha Girl. If you lose, this shop goes to Hansen. How about it?"
The room instantly fell silent.
Lingwind stared at Zane, fists clenching in panic. There was no need to think about it—this deserved an immediate rejection.
The other side was clearly here to take advantage.
When Mecha Girls were auctioned, an agreement was always signed. Whether bought by an individual or a club, if a Mecha Girl wanted to leave of her own will, she had to pay triple the penalty fee. And as long as she could pay it, no one—not a person or a club—could stop her.
Hansen clearly knew how important Broken Moon was to Zane and intended to use that to claw back every cent. But Zane had no money now, so naturally, the shop became the target.
Zane understood all of this.
But what could he do? With his current skill level, winning a race with Lingwind was impossible.
To enter the provincial tournament, he needed to pass three advancement rounds. Only after reaching the provincial level could he hope to become a Techmaster—and only as a Techmaster could he rescue Mr. Liang...
After a long silence, his back slumped. He took a deep breath.
"I… I need time to think."
"What's there to think about?" Broken Moon slapped the table. "Don't tell me you really believe Lingwind can take you through the Greenfield Advancement Race. Don't be naive, Zane. Forget Lingwind's lacking performance—how many times have you even trained with her? How are you supposed to run Greenfield with her? The only one who can get you through that race is me!"
"I…" Zane's voice trembled as his hands clenched and unclenched.
Lingwind shrank further into the corner, shoulders trembling as she lowered her head even more.
"Alright, Broken Moon, enough."
Hansen casually wrapped an arm around her shoulders, smiling.
"Zane, I'll give you half a day. By then, I want your answer. If you stay silent, I'll take that as a refusal—and Broken Moon will never give you another chance like this."
"This is just a little test she's giving you out of pity~ You're not telling me you can't handle something this small, right?"
With that, Hansen and Broken Moon headed toward the door. As they stepped outside, they almost bumped into Derek Su and Stella returning from training.
Broken Moon glanced at Derek Su, feeling he looked familiar, but since Hansen tugged her along, she didn't linger.
...
"Who were those two?"
As soon as Derek Su stepped into the shop, he felt the heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
Zane sat slumped at the table. A bead of sweat slid down his pale cheek. His eyes—hidden behind gray curls—were full of panic and helplessness, his shoulders and back folding inward as if under crushing weight.
Lingwind curled into a tight ball in the corner, like a withdrawn, frightened girl.
"What happened to the two of you?"
Derek Su and Stella exchanged confused looks, but quickly connected the timing. Whatever happened definitely had to do with the pair who'd just left.
"Derek Su…" Zane swallowed nervously. "That was Broken Moon and her current pilot, Hansen. She said… if Lingwind and I beat her in the Echo Valley training race the day after tomorrow, she'll come back and help me again. I…"
"You agreed?" Derek Su frowned, assuming Zane was still hung up on Broken Moon.
"I—I said I'd think about it…"
"Think my ass!" Derek Su snapped. "Isn't Mr. Liang's situation enough of a warning? Broken Moon betrayed you once—she'll do it again. Give her a stronger pilot who can afford the triple penalty fee, and she'll be gone instantly. Don't you get that?"
"I know. I know all of that."
Zane's expression twisted with struggle. He clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his palms.
"But if I want to win the Greenfield Advancement Race, I need Broken Moon. We've run the Greenfield track several times. This advancement round is basically guaranteed with her. Without Broken Moon, where am I supposed to find another Mecha Girl who knows the track this well on such short notice?"
"What about Lingwind?" Derek Su pointed at her. "What do you think she is?"
"Lingwind's performance isn't enough…"
THUD!
Derek Su punched Zane across the face.
The man stumbled and fell. His messy hair covered his expression, but he didn't resist at all.
"Loser. If you weren't Mr. Liang's friend, I wouldn't bother with you," Derek Su said coldly, shaking his wrist. "You know how Lingwind treats you. And instead of reflecting on your own skill, you blame the Mecha Girl? Don't give me that 'track familiarity' crap. It's the driver's job to learn the track, not the Mecha Girl's."
Zane's excuse might fool others, but Derek Su knew exactly what Lingwind was capable of.
Sure, she wasn't an elite Mecha Girl—but out of five advancement tracks, placing top ten on three was fully doable.
"Stella, we're leaving. Let him deal with his own mess."
Derek Su snorted, pulling Stella toward the door. He wasn't staying another second—just looking at Zane felt unlucky.
Stella kept glancing back every few steps, eyes full of worry and sympathy for Lingwind.
"You're right. I'm just a loser!"
Derek Su was stepping over the threshold when Zane's broken shout echoed behind him.
"These six months, I entered five advancement races. Five! Not once did I break into the top ten. No matter how hard I try, nothing matters."
"I want to save Mr. Liang too! He's my master—how can I just watch him hide, running for his life? And now he's stuck in prison!"
"But what am I supposed to do?! I clearly have the ability for the provincial tracks, but every advancement race—every single one—something goes wrong. Someone always targets me!"
He slapped his own face repeatedly.
Dust mixed with tears into streaks of mud across his skin.
Kneeling, head in his hands, he broke down completely.
"Targeted? What do you mean?!"
Derek Su turned back sharply, brow furrowed.
"For Master's first advancement race, Broken Moon lost control and flipped on a turn. The second and third races, club drivers suddenly targeted him. Before the fourth even started, the shop was smashed up. And the fifth… he was disqualified at the start over some clothing issue—something that made no sense."
Lingwind's soft voice trembled as she spoke. She kept her head down, tears falling.
"I'm a discarded Mecha Girl Master salvaged from another club. My performance can't match Broken Moon's, and I don't have her five-race experience. To Master, Broken Moon was his trump card—his lifeline. Now that she's gone, it'll be even harder for him to succeed. If only I were a little stronger…"
Her voice broke into sobs.
With Hansen's arrival, even Zane's last fallback was gone.
Suddenly, Zane pushed himself upright. Under Derek Su and Stella's shocked gazes, he dropped to his knees with a heavy thud.
Hands braced on the ground, tears streamed freely.
"Derek Su… I—I want to learn the techniques!"
"Please… teach me something!"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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