In the virtual stars and universe, the huge dark blue mecha's translucent body passed through the sea of ​​stars.

The sapphire light made the driver's features clear and bright. Bai Li turned his head to look at the mecha, and under the operation of technicians such as Situ in the backstage, the white01 model also turned his head to look back.

Bai Li raised his thumb to it.

The mecha slowly raised its arm and raised two thumbs.

In addition to applause, there were several laughs in the audience.

The camera equipped with the suspended robot kept flashing, which was proof that it was taking pictures. It was like a burning star in this vast scene.

In a few minutes, photos of the opening ceremony of the Imperial Research Institute competition will continue to be released on the Star Network, sparking heated discussions.

This year's competition has set off an unprecedented mecha craze in the Empire. The drivers' chic figures and the cool lines of the mechas have captured the hearts of countless people. The way Bai Li and the mechas looked at each other and raised their thumbs made the citizens of the Empire laugh and feel a little emotional.

Even in the silence of many years, some people still did not extinguish their light.

Bai Li did not react to the suspended robots that kept a safe distance around him and took pictures. He looked at the mecha he had poured his heart and soul into, and felt the blood in his veins boiling.

He seemed to have returned to the day when he first drove a mecha, and Master Bai was a rare attentive person and took him to see his mecha.

Bai Li stood in front of the now obsolete mecha, and he was actually in disbelief that he could drive such a big guy. He was like a young beast that was pushed to a higher position. In confusion, he looked back at Mr. Bai with a bit of show-off and excitement. The old man nodded to him.

In the bright light, Bai Li looked at the mecha in front of him. He opened his mouth and turned his head to look at the audience.

The audience disappeared in the dark virtual universe.

But Bai Li knew that there was still someone there who nodded to him. It was

Lu

Zhao. It was Jiang Hao.

It was Mr. Bai.

He subconsciously turned the wedding ring on his left hand twice, then raised his left hand and raised his thumb in the direction of the audience.

In the audience, Lu Zhao smiled.

"Old leader," Jiang Hao sat next to him, stretched out his arms and raised his thumb, "very handsome."

The audience immersed in the atmosphere was aroused by the dazzling mechas, and with the scene of Bai Li and the mechas raising their thumbs, many people actually raised their thumbs back.

Someone in the crowd shouted.

"I support your research and development concept--"

His voice was mostly covered by the applause and discussion at the scene, but Lu Zhao sat closer and still heard it clearly.

"-Major General Bai!"

Lu Zhao and several others turned around to take a look. It was a female beta wearing the uniform of the Affiliated Star Ground Corps.

The shouting in the audience could not reach the ears of the people in the main stadium, but Bai Li still laughed happily.

After the drivers of the main star walked through the main competition field, it was the turn of the drivers of each sub-division to go on stage one by one.

As soon as Bai Li walked to the backstage, he met several drivers from the main competition area who had not left the backstage yet.

The research institutes in the same competition area basically knew each other's situation, and the drivers were not strangers. One or two drivers from other research institutes smiled friendly and shook hands with Bai Li.

"Mr. Bai Li, I am looking forward to the next game," a driver said with a smile, "My sister has been talking to me about your research institute, and I also want to compete with you."

There was a hint of arrogance in his tone, but his attitude was quite polite.

Bai Li is different from the impression he left on people before. His control over world consciousness has gradually weakened as Tang Kaiyuan was suppressed. People have begun to have their own ideas and opinions. The previous malice has faded. The drivers are polite and respectful to Bai Li, but also a little bit critical.

Bai Li's hand was shaken by this driver with strong hands, and he didn't feel disgusted. It's normal for alphas to provoke each other: "Okay, if you can keep winning, you will meet me sooner or later."

The meaning of the words couldn't be more obvious. Bai Li wants to keep winning.

Unlike the image of a gigolo in the rumors, this response made the drivers who came from practical experience feel a little bit of recognition, and the somewhat awkward atmosphere eased.

Several drivers around also shook hands and introduced themselves to their respective research institutes and the types of mechas they were driving.

Bai Li didn't need to introduce himself, someone had already started a conversation with Bai Li: "Mr. Bai's mecha is very... unique. I wonder if he has given up the attack or is preparing to find another way?"

The tone was somewhat tentative, but maintained basic respect.

"I heard that it was developed for special groups of people," another driver asked, "We are all very curious, don't mind, we are just asking, after all, your research and development concept is different from the research and development direction of the Empire."

This sentence made the others subconsciously look at Bai Li's legs.

The left leg, which was said to be seriously injured and unable to drive the mecha, was wrapped in trousers, and there was nothing unusual about it.

Bai Li smiled and said lightly: "Fight a few games, and you will know what my mecha looks like."

Several people nodded, and the driver who spoke first said: "Yes, everyone's mecha looks like a few games-"

"What else can it be like," a driver who had just walked off the main court sneered, "It's just a thing to take advantage of the crowd and curry favor with the public."

Bai Li looked at the driver who was speaking. He was a big guy, the mainstream tough alpha in the empire, with a shaved head and a few scars on his face.

"Just talk, you're being a bit too much," the driver who first spoke to Bai Li frowned, "We're talking about our own things, don't interrupt if you don't want to listen."

"I just said what you wanted to say directly," the big guy said disdainfully, "You all pretended to be serious, as if it was really rare. You just look down on me in your heart, but you still pretend to ask, do you think I don't know?"

Several people around were embarrassed and hurried to explain to Bai Li.

Bai Li waved his hand and took out his personal terminal to contact Situ and the others without caring.

Seeing that Bai Li didn't say anything, the big guy was more certain of the various rumors outside that Bai Li was a gigolo. He squeezed aside a driver who wanted to persuade him, and said to Bai Li: "Mr. Bai, I respect you as a man, but I really can't agree with your research and development behavior that caters to the minority group. Don't blame me for speaking harshly. To be honest, you are encouraging some people to develop abnormal psychology and disrupt the traditional order."

"Gao Hai, are you looking for trouble?" A driver was angry, "Get out if you're mad." The

big guy named Gao Hai pushed him: "Is there something wrong with what I said? Don't any of you think so?"

Some of the drivers who had not left yet persuaded him, and some kept silent, just looking at Bai Li twice more.

There are basically all alphas here, so it's inevitable that everyone's ideas overlap. In fact, the public's ideas can be seen from the Star Network, and Bai Li is not surprised.

People have to contend with not only things that are one level higher than themselves, but in fact most of the time, we are facing people around us who are similar to ourselves.

The air is filled with unstable alpha pheromones, restless and colliding with each other.

Situ led the researchers into the rest area here with their equipment, and they were hit by the various pheromones that hit them in the face and they were a little overwhelmed. He frowned, looked at the big guy named Gao Hai with a little disgust, and walked to Bai Li: "Don't conflict with him. Private fighting is prohibited in the competition, otherwise you will be disqualified."

Bai Li nodded. He didn't intend to compete with this person. Anyway, they would meet on the field sooner or later.

Many drivers who had just left the main field were stranded in the rest area. Just as they were about to pack up and disperse, they heard a burst of exclamations from the audience outside the main field.

The virtual screen in the driver's rest area was playing the latest driver who walked through the main field. The exclamation made everyone in the rest area look over subconsciously.

On the virtual screen, a heavy mecha with a traditional shape but a strong sense of fortitude was projected, crossing the universe and the stars with the driver's footsteps.

Situ only took a look and cursed with an extremely ugly imperial swear word, and immediately turned to look at Bai Li.

Bai Li stood in front of the virtual screen, and the mecha in his eyes was very familiar to him.

It's just that he hasn't seen it for many years.

The KL223 model is jokingly called "Fly Shooter".

This mecha actually imitated the outer contour of the obsolete KL223 model by 80%, and even the factory spray paint color is roughly the same.

"Model LIN23, developed by Shengshi Research Institute, uses the obsolete heavy mecha model KL223 as a tribute to the predecessor." The artificial intelligence gave an additional introduction to this mecha that used the old model, "Driver, Tang Kaiyuan."

This introduction successfully won another round of applause.

Under the heavy mecha shrouded in glory, the young alpha walked calmly across the main arena with a gentle smile.

And he put his hand on his chest and patted it lightly.

This is the salute of the imperial soldiers to their predecessors.

There was a sound of discussion around.

"You're thoughtful. This model is quite special."

"I remember this guy. He's from the Tang family, right? He's also a descendant of a famous family."

"It's not easy for someone to still care about this old model."

Bai Li stared at the mecha that passed through the main arena. He was very familiar with the outline. This was the most powerful mecha he had ever driven, his favorite model, and the last model he drove before leaving the military.

Since the day when the KL223 model was announced to be scrapped, Bai Li has never seen it anywhere other than the Internet.

"Bai Li," Situ bumped him from the side, "This is just a replica, very crude."

Bai Li came back to his senses and smiled at Situ: "I'll just take a look."

I don't know why, Situ was shocked by these four words, and his heart was a little sour. He patted Bai Li's shoulder and took several deep breaths before he stopped being so angry that he cursed everyone.

Situ and his team had done some research before the game. The mecha from Shengshi Research Institute was only 40 to 50 percent similar to the Fly Shooter. Unexpectedly, the post-processing plus the paint job and color selection increased the similarity to 80 percent. Both

are heavy mechas, with the same side-to-side destructive power and the same outer profile.

Bai Li's expression was calm, and he walked out with Situ and others amid the discussions around him.

"Alphas should drive heavy mechas like ours," Gao Hai's voice came through the crowd, "those who can't drive should give way."

Yang Han looked back.

"What are you looking at?" Gao Hai snorted and laughed. "I hate people who run around outside the most."

Yang Han's face turned pale, and he couldn't help but reply, "I've never seen such an ugly person. I looked at him twice."

Situ and several other researchers looked at him with a little surprise. Yang Han was quite dull when he first entered the institute, but he didn't expect that after staying with them for a long time, he started to speak with vigor.

This made the drivers around laugh a few times. Gao Hai's face darkened, and his pheromones suddenly rose, pressing directly on Yang Han.

The researchers standing close to Yang Han, including O and B, were pressed down by a stream of pheromones, and they immediately had a headache and weak legs.

The next second, the two pheromones quickly counterattacked, and the pheromones of Bai Li and Situ quickly formed a barrier, isolating Gao Hai's scent.

"When did the contest allow such scum to come and go freely?" Gao Hai cursed, "I--"

The second half of the sentence was stuck in his throat as if someone was pinching his neck. Bai Li's pheromones were compressed to a terrifying range, cutting Gao Hai's nerves like a steel knife.

The originally noisy driver's rest area was silenced by this powerful pheromone.

"That's right," Bai Li said lightly, "When did the contest allow such scum to come and go freely?"

Gao Hai's face was very ugly.

According to rumors outside, Bai Li was already an alpha with poor health. He almost confirmed that Bai Li got into the contest through connections.

"Calm down, calm down," a driver said, trying to suppress the anxiety caused by Bai Li's pheromones, "You will be disqualified if you fight privately."

"No need to fight," Bai Li walked over and patted Gao Hai's cheek, "I'm standing here, do you dare to hit me?"

Gao Hai glared and raised his fist to hit Bai Li.

Unexpectedly, Bai Li's pheromones soared to another level, Gao Hai's legs softened and he sat on the ground.

Bai Li squatted down under everyone's gaze and patted Gao Hai's head like he was patting a dog.

"Hey," he sighed, "don't worry, I'll kill you during the competition."

His voice was very relaxed and pleasant, and his tone even had the unique politeness of these young masters from noble families.

It seemed that even the last three words seemed particularly gentle.

Kill you.

The drivers standing around swallowed their saliva, and some of them looked away because of Bai Li's slightly rude tone when he spoke to him just now, pretending not to see Gao Hai's fierce look.

Bai Li stood up, nodded to the drivers around him, and without looking at Gao Hai again, he walked out the door with Situ.

Someone behind him called out, "Mr. Bai."

Bai Li turned around.

Tang Kaiyuan had just walked down from the main stadium and stood at the exit, looking at him with a smile: "Salute to you."

The feud between the Bai and Tang families was almost known to everyone in the empire. The rest area was quiet, and the drivers exchanged glances with each other.

Bai Li glanced at Tang Kaiyuan, said nothing, and walked out the door with his men.

The people in the rest area breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry," Tang Kaiyuan said a little shyly, "He has this temper, don't mind it."

As soon as the voice fell, Bai Li was seen walking back outside the door.

In front of everyone, he raised his middle finger to Tang Kaiyuan.

"I have this temper," said the Bai young master, "Don't mind it."

Then he walked out in front of everyone.

There was silence in the rest area for a long time, and after a long time, someone couldn't hold back a laugh.