"Yes, the seventh-generation mecha. Would you like to go up and sit inside?" Yan Yifei looked up at the towering machine, a glint of excitement in her eyes.
Bai Hao immediately nodded. "Yes."
As an ardent mecha enthusiast, Bai Hao constantly dreamed of such an experience. He had never piloted a real mecha, and now a genuine one stood before him—one that could potentially become the Empire's next generation. How could he not be thrilled?
"Good. I'll make an exception for you, junior brother, and take a newcomer up. But you should know, no one is allowed on this mecha without mine or the teacher's permission, understand?" Yan Yifei chuckled.
Bai Hao, visibly excited, nodded earnestly.
"Follow me."
Yan Yifei led Bai Hao to a lift mechanism and pressed a switch beside it. The elevator-like platform promptly descended to their level.
"Step on." Yan Yifei boarded first.
Bai Hao quickly followed.
The mecha's cockpit was located in the chest cavity. The space inside wasn't large, with a pilot's seat positioned in the center.
"Go on, have a seat. See how it feels." Yan Yifei pointed to the pilot's seat, speaking softly.
Bai Hao obediently sat in the seat. Looking at the gray-white display screens before him, an emotion barely containable exhilaration showed on his face, as if he were truly piloting the massive machine.
Yan Yifei watched Bai Hao, a faint, captivating smile on her lips. "You really do love mechas, junior brother. It's a shame the key card is with the teacher. Otherwise, I could let you get a real taste of piloting."
The key card contained relevant authentication data, a credential used to pass the mecha's verification system and gain operational permissions. Bai Hao had a decent understanding of key cards; simply put, they were like a car's ignition key—without it, you couldn't start the engine.
Soon, Bai Hao descended from the mecha and followed Yan Yifei out of Research Lab No. 2.
"Junior brother, let me show you something truly fun, something that can rival real mecha combat." Yan Yifei walked ahead, speaking in a light tone.
"Rival mecha combat?" Bai Hao was full of questions.
Yan Yifei smiled mysteriously. "You'll see."
Soon, they arrived on the seventh floor of the Second Research Institute's main building. After walking down a long, narrow corridor, they entered a small lounge. A service counter stood to one side, manned by a beautiful woman in her twenties.
"Miss Zhiqiu, it's been a while since you last visited," the woman at the counter greeted Yan Yifei first.
Yan Yifei walked forward. "It has been some time. Are there any available slots now?"
The woman replied, "Yes."
"I'll need two slots, linked for multiplayer. Also, help my junior brother find a properly fitted suit." Yan Yifei spoke unhurriedly.
The woman gave Bai Hao a once-over and smiled. "Certainly."
Soon, the woman brought two sets of clothing and two cards, handing them to Yan Yifei. "Miss Zhiqiu, Pods Seven and Eight are now linked."
"Thank you." Yan Yifei took the items, handed one set of clothes to Bai Hao, and said, "Come on, let's change first."
They went to the locker rooms and entered separate changing stalls.
The clothing was a black, one-piece bodysuit. Bai Hao glanced at it, and a flicker of doubt crossed his face. If he wasn't mistaken, this black bodysuit was a pilot's suit. He had seen many like it online before.
After changing into the bodysuit, Bai Hao stepped out of the stall. Senior Sister Yan Yifei was already waiting outside.
Yan Yifei wore a white pilot suit. The form-fitting material perfectly accentuated her graceful, curvaceous figure, especially her ample bosom. Combined with her stunning face and waterfall of dark hair, the effect was lethally captivating.
Bai Hao's gaze swept over her, his breath catching slightly. He hurriedly averted his eyes.
Yan Yifei chuckled softly, looking directly at Bai Hao with a hint of a coquettish tone. "What's wrong, junior brother? Is your senior sister not pretty?"
"No, Senior Sister is very beautiful." Bai Hao dared not meet her gaze. If he lost control for a moment and a certain part of his body reacted, the tight pilot suit would leave nothing to the imagination. That would be far too awkward.
"Alright, I'll stop teasing you." Yan Yifei gave a charming smile, her tone shifting to a more serious one. "Let me introduce what we're about to enter: the Full-Immersion Mecha Combat Simulation System. It's a high-fidelity simulation. While it can't compare to real combat, it's at least seventy or eighty percent similar. Wanting to become a true mecha designer isn't just about thinking with your brain. Essential piloting knowledge is a must, and the best source for that is firsthand experience. You need to know how a pilot operates a mecha, how combat unfolds, all the details you must be familiar with..."
While explaining, Yan Yifei led Bai Hao into Simulation Pod Number Seven. She began guiding him step-by-step through the system's setup and the new user tutorial, teaching him some quite practical basic mecha knowledge and control techniques. This wasn't too difficult for Bai Hao. After all, back at No. 56 Hexi Street, he and his friend had installed a simple simulation system in their mecha model. While it likely couldn't compare to the current full-immersion system, there were many similarities. Much of the foundational knowledge was very alike, differing mainly in the degree of realism. Therefore, he quickly completed the tutorial and grasped what Yan Yifei taught.
Half an hour later, watching Bai Hao already operating the full-immersion system with reasonable competence and engaging the on-screen mecha in combat, Yan Yifei felt considerable surprise internally. For someone who had never touched a real mecha to basically master the system within half an hour and already engage in combat against a primary-level AI... such aptitude was genuinely unexpected. She even felt it a bit of a pity that Bai Hao wasn't pursuing a career as a pilot.
"Junior brother, are you sure you've never touched a mecha before?" Yan Yifei asked again, puzzled.
Bai Hao's attention was now completely focused on the multiple display screens before him, engaged in fierce battle with the system's AI-controlled enemy mecha. Although he had grasped the basic operations, he wasn't proficient yet and was struggling to cope.
Hearing Yan Yifei's question, Bai Hao continued manipulating the controls without pause. "I don't know if a mecha model counts. Back on B5, a friend and I assembled a mecha model and installed some simulation systems."
"A mecha model?" A trace of surprise flashed across Yan Yifei's face. She fell silent for a few seconds before speaking slowly. "I see. Well, I've taught you the basics. Familiarize yourself with them properly. In a little while, I'll personally test your training results. Don't slack off."