Chapter 47: Questioning Cheating, Standing Together, They Look Like a Match
The life capsules returned to the interior of the starship one after another, and the exhausted contestants were helped out by medical robots or staff.
"Competitors leaving the cabin, please line up here for the physical examination. No pushing or shoving! No private fighting!"
"Federal players, please don't pull the orc players' tails! Not even their ears!"
"They're back! Hurry up! One of them is moderately dehydrated. Please bring a D37 rehydration syringe!"
As the hatches opened one by one, the noisy sounds from the treatment area poured in like flowing water.
Youan squinted slightly because of the sudden bright light, and used all his remaining strength to press down his two rabbit ears to cover them. He felt like a squeezed-out sponge, and even the joints between his bones were sore and weak.
Oh, the rabbit is dying.
But soon, he was carried out.
Sniffing a familiar scent, his wrinkled brows subconsciously relaxed. Like a cub finding its nest, he instinctively shrank deeper into the warm embrace. The sound of deliberately suppressed discussions reached his ears.
"He is Youan?"
"How could such a cute face turn out such a ferocious weapon!"
"Suck, suck, why are you ignoring me?"
The exhausted dwarf rabbit orc was as peaceful as a little angel. He only felt that his eyelids were as heavy as a thousand pounds. He muttered that he didn't want to get a shot in the buttocks, and fell asleep in the noisy crowd.
Lancelot didn't feel tired either. He adjusted his posture, held him in his arms, and leaned lazily in the corner of the lounge.
His red hair was disheveled, and his face bore traces of fatigue from the fierce battle, streaked with blood. But his olive-green eyes were as sharp as ever. He smiled at his defeated followers, saying, "Everyone, please get out of the way."
"Oh, should I praise you for being polite?" Quan Yi curled his lips, and before the other party's kind gaze swept over him, he left this place full of pink bubbles with the nutrient solution bag in his mouth.
After emergency recuperation and rest in the starship's medical cabin, when Youan woke up again, the starship had landed smoothly in the Adamant Palace Square on the planet Granton.
Under the guidance of staff, the top five teams will pass through the solemn guard of honor and flashing media cameras, enter the magnificent palace hall, and prepare to participate in the grand award ceremony.
"Euan! Euan!"
"Congratulations! Congratulations to Kagano!"
"King Bunny did great!"
There was a crowd of people behind the cordon on the red carpet, fluorescent cheering signs with various slogans shining brightly, and some people were holding rabbit-shaped marshmallows and shaking them wildly.
Yuan had a country bumpkin' expression on his face, staring around with his round eyes. If Lancelot hadn't grabbed his collar and pulled him back, he would have been coaxed over and petted by that group of fanatical students.
In the hall, judges from various factions had already taken their seats. However, the atmosphere, which should have been harmonious, seemed unusually solemn.
At the military representative seat in Granton, the cold and beautiful face of Duchess Sigiriya was like an ice sculpture. Inspector Colin beside her crossed his arms and smiled grimly at the federal officials, as if the air was filled with invisible smoke of gunpowder.
When these dozens of contestants entered the hall one after another, the attention of both sides in confrontation was instantly attracted.
Lancelot frowned, his keen sixth sense told him that a fierce quarrel might have just ended before he pushed open the door.
So when his inquiring gaze met Colin's, the other party calmly tilted his head slightly to the left side of the hall, where a pile of antique statue fragments lay in pieces on the carpet at the feet of the federal official.
The guess in my mind was instantly confirmed.
Lancelot turned his gaze towards Sigiriya, as if he had already seen the duke lifting the statue and smashing it on the head of the federal official.
When Siglia saw them, her icy expression softened slightly. She stood up gracefully, ready to announce the start of the awards ceremony.
“Wait!”
The principal of the Federal Military Academy, a gray-haired old man, suddenly stood up and interrupted the ceremony in a resounding voice. "Your Excellency, before presenting the awards, I believe it is necessary to clarify a serious question. This concerns the fairness of the competition and... whether the champion is truly deserving of the title."
There was an uproar in the hall, all cameras focused on it, and the audience who had been watching the live broadcast outside the screen were even more excited.
“What’s going on???”
"Fuck, this live broadcast of the competition is like a class. I can't keep up if I step away for a while!"
"I think it's a problem too. How can a mere freshman from the strategic department assemble a mechanical weapon with such power?"
"Ah, actually, anyone who regularly watches actual competitions knows that's impossible, right? Of course, those women who only care about looks all day long definitely won't believe it. Do they even understand what actual competition is?"
"People from the Federation are really interesting. If you can't beat them, then you can't beat them. Why would you accuse someone of cheating just because you lose?"
"But this was proposed by the principal of the Federal Military Academy. It can't be just empty talk, right?"
Sigiriya's voice was cold: "Sir, what do you mean?"
"It's not just the suspicions of the Federation players, there's also a real-name report from your own planet, Granton... Mr. Ivor."
The federal official standing behind the old man immediately stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the arrogant federal contestants below the stage. He said calmly, "We have reason to suspect that some of the weapons used by contestant Youan from Kagano College during the competition were suspected of serious violations."
Youan pointed at himself blankly: "Me?"
"It's against your uncle's rules!"
Compared to his slow reaction, Quan Yi was obviously much more excited. Even though he was also from the Federation, the sudden slander was enough to arouse his anger. He even wanted to rush to the Federation judges' seat with a crossbow and bombard them.
"If we had known there was such a joke waiting for us, we should have ended the game earlier." Lancelot held Quan Yi's shoulder and smiled slightly sarcastically. "Almost all the live broadcast viewers saw Yuan's assembly process. Please tell me, is he going to violate the rules?"
"The assembly capability might be commendable..." the federal official said, his gaze becoming aggressive. "But what if the problem lies with the material itself?"
Everyone had different expressions, and all their eyes turned to the dwarf rabbit orc who was standing behind Lancelot and was still a little weak.
"Let's not even mention the doubts about a freshman in the Department of Strategy being able to independently complete a sophisticated quantum circuit without the aid of advanced mechanical tools or supernatural powers."
The federal official's gaze slowly swept over Inoan and continued, "But the report we received clearly alleges that contestant Youan used supercrystalline steel for core components."
When these words were spoken, the whole audience was shocked.
Lorion raised his eyebrows, and the other contestants from Kagano behind him couldn't help but look at the nobles caught in the vortex with suspicion.
Supercrystalline steel is a rare metal material and is usually not allowed to be used in actual combat competitions where players assemble their own weapons. This is because once the content exceeds the standard, the energy released can easily break through the protective range of the combat uniform and cause serious injuries.
The mechanical weapons made by Youan are obviously much more powerful than those of other teams.
If true, this is definitely a major cheating act!
"That's ridiculous!" the organizer's technical representative immediately retorted, "All the initial weapons and materials brought by the contestants have undergone rigorous pre-competition testing! Impossible..."
"The pre-race inspection is fine... who can guarantee that?" a Federation mechanic judge slowly interjected, looking pointedly at Lancelot. "But with the Vanser family's capabilities, passing the inspection shouldn't be too difficult. After all, there are always loopholes."
"Oh, so you're already involved?" Without waiting for Lancelot's reaction, Colin said, "The reputation of the Vansel family cannot be tarnished by anyone. After the results are out, you'd better hire a good lawyer to defend you."
Seeing Colin's attitude, it was obvious that he knew the inside story. Sigiriya no longer had any doubts in her heart. She smiled and asked the judges from all parties how they planned to deal with it.
The league is jointly organized by the Federation and Granton, and the rules and regulations stipulate that if either party objects to the result of the game, a public investigation must be held.
In order to give a quick response to all contestants who raised objections, Principal Kagano had to step forward.
He looked around, and as the clamor of discussion died down, he spoke loudly, "Then please immediately collect the mechanical weapons of Team Kagano 09, including the weapon debris left on the field, for detailed material testing. Until the results are known, the award ceremony will be suspended."
"Ah! Why do you say pause just like that?"
"That's hilarious! I'm afraid this is the only team that will be investigated after the game. I want to see how you, Kagano, end up."
"A bunch of fakes. To put it bluntly, they're just aristocrats trying to gild themselves. They're so arrogant that they don't even bother to act. Now they've fallen through the cracks, right?"
"You're already throwing mud before the investigation even begins, and stop yelling at me!"
"We have nothing to fear from our own shadows, so if you want to investigate, go ahead! But after you're done, you'd better kowtow to the Rabbit King!"
"Damn it, this is nothing." To be investigated and dealt with like this after winning was an insult to the proud Calix. Even the usually gentle Xin Fei couldn't help but frown.
Calix's face flushed with anger and his fists clenched, and they looked at Lancelot, expecting him to say something.
But unexpectedly, Lancelot pursed his lips into a line and did nothing. After being gently bumped on the shoulder by Youan, he cooperated and handed over the Mirage Whip in his hand.
Seeing this, the others suppressed their anger and followed suit.
The camera passed over these mechanical weapons, and the exquisite quantum circuits made the audience's comments fly.
Some people dug out Youan's basic information, but it showed that his mental strength level was above average, and the column for supernatural powers was blank.
Everyone was shocked again.
Many mechanics can reach the top because they have the help of compatible special abilities.
For example, Inoan's ability is "mechanical reconstruction". His high degree of control over objects can help change mechanical structures, so he is quite famous in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
It was also because the competition did not allow the use of superpowers, so the weapons he made, although not bad, did not reach the previous level.
And Yuan's information meant that he had reached a level that even many association mechanics in the competition could not reach, and this was achieved by a freshman in the strategy department with a B-level mental power and no supernatural power support.
Is this possible?
After reading the information, many of Kagano's supporters gradually weakened their voices in defense, and their suspicious eyes once again focused on Youan.
"You can test it as you like." Youan, who had been standing quietly behind Lancelot, suddenly spoke.
His voice was not loud, but it miraculously suppressed the noise in the room.
Youan slowly walked towards the judges' seats. The contestants blocking his way hesitated for half a second and then slowly moved to the sides.
Being questioned is commonplace for him, but he will not allow the honor of the entire team to be tarnished.
Youan raised his eyes, calmly meeting the federal officials and all the questioning contestants. "It's just that a detailed review of the materials takes time. I think everyone, including the millions of viewers watching the live broadcast, would prefer a more direct and quick answer."
Lancelot raised his eyebrows, as if he already knew what the other party was going to do, and whistled leisurely.
really--
"Please provide the organizers with a set of basic mechanical parts and tools within the league's permitted range. No advanced materials are required; ordinary peptide black and basic energy crystal cores will suffice."
Youan paused, then spoke clearly, "I can assemble a weapon on the spot and complete the numerical test in front of everyone."
On-site manufacturing?!
The entire hall fell silent instantly, everyone was shocked by Youan's earth-shattering proposal! The live broadcast even exploded:
"What the hell! On-site assembly?!"
"The Bunny King is awesome! He should confront these people head-on!"
"If this happens... where will the Federation put its reputation?!"
"It's too risky! What if I fail..."
"But he's so confident, this one must be a sure win!"
The faces of the federal judges and Ivor and others changed drastically. They obviously did not expect Yuan to be so confident.
Without waiting for the federal official to raise any further objections, Colin immediately waved his hand, and a well-trained servant quickly brought a workbench and placed a pile of unprocessed metal instruments and the most basic mechanical tools on it according to league standards. There was not even a decent smart device.
Due to time constraints, it was impossible to start from the initial forging. Some of the equipment used as materials should have been semi-finished products. However, I don't know if Colin did it on purpose, but he casually asked people to collect the discarded debris of other players from the competition area.
Lancelot directly released his supernatural power [Return to the Abyss], openly indicating that all of Youan's operations were completed without supernatural powers.
Seeing this, Sigiriya glanced at them with a little surprise, and almost asked the brothers directly which side they were on.
Lancelot shrugged. He just wanted to suppress the speculation about "falsified information to hide supernatural powers" that would come later.
At this moment, everyone's eyes were focused on Youan, as if the air had frozen.
Youan walked to the workbench, picked up a cold mechanical clamp, weighed it, bent over and skillfully turned over the wreckage, looking for usable materials.
Having just recovered his strength from a short rest, his movements were a little clumsy at first, but soon became smooth and precise, as if the tools were extensions of his limbs.
Time passed by minute by minute, and only the slight collision of metals could be heard around.
Youan was focused and steady, sweat quickly soaking his forehead and sliding down his cheeks.
There is no supernatural power to stabilize it, no precision equipment to assist it, it all depends on experience and strong control.
The mechanical knife fell and moved steadily and smoothly on the tiny metal surface. Hair-thin lines gradually took shape, emitting stable energy fluctuations. The whole process was smooth and flowing, without a trace of trembling or even a single mistake!
The magnificent hall seemed to have turned into a theater, with the spotlight projected on the figure in the center of the stage, performing his own performance alone.
At this moment, Lancelot seemed to block out everything and muttered the name that had been on the tip of his tongue for a long time.
The person in the sight seemed to sense something, and suddenly raised his head with a somewhat smug smile.
“Click.”
With the final sound of metal closing, the portable particle pistol in Youan's hand was assembled.
The gun body still has rough splicing, simple but full of power, but it was completed in a short time using discarded debris, which is indeed a surprise.
Inoan recalled Youan's method in his mind, and as if a flash of inspiration had come to him, an outrageous guess rose in his mind.
Youan picked up the pistol, without looking at anyone, walked straight to the ability screen for the test, raised the gun, and aimed -
“Buzz—whoosh!”
A concentrated blue beam shot out and hit the energy screen accurately.
The values are displayed one by one——
"Range: 1.2 miles."
"Energy consumption: 268 hectares."
"Fire rate: 0.28 seconds per round."
"The intelligent correction index can reach up to 93%."
The federal officer waited in disbelief as Euan placed the gun in front of him, his mouth open in a daze, unable to react.
But it wasn't just him. Except for a few people who knew the truth, everyone was stunned by the bright numbers.
"Holy crap! Is this something a human can do?!"
"I don't know if humans can do it, but our clever Bunny King has no problem doing it!"
"Oh my god what a big baby! Woohoo Kagano is amazing to have you!"
"I knew they weren't cheating! How could Lancelot be so foolish as to risk his family's honor!"
"Come on, weren't those people from the Federation shouting loudly just now? Hurry up and line up, I'm going to slap them one by one!"
The federal officer calmed down. Although his face was as pale as paper, he took the gun and aimed it at the energy screen to test it again. The value remained the same.
And only after using it did he realize that the recoil of this pistol, which was reassembled from the wreckage, was soft and controllable, as if an invisible hand was holding it firmly. Even more terrifying was that when he looked closer, he found that there was also a quantum circuit engraved on the nozzle of the barrel.
This technique can concentrate the energy of ordinary crystal cores and reduce the generation of chaotic heat waves. If it is replaced with a larger weapon, it is enough to penetrate a mid-to-high-level mecha with one shot.
The federal official's voice trembled, but his eyes were filled with pure awe. As if admitting his own ignorance and arrogance, he bowed deeply to Youan.
When he stood up again, he announced to the long-awaited audience that all doubts and reports were invalid.
In an instant, deafening applause and exclamations swept through the entire hall like a tsunami. All doubts were crushed in the face of this ironclad fact!
At this moment, Yinuoan, who had been watching silently, suddenly rushed over, his eyes unable to hide the shock: "You...you are You..."
He was almost about to shout out the name!
However, a bony hand quickly grabbed Youan's wrist and pulled him to his side.
Lancelot had stood beside Youan without him noticing, with a perfect social smile on his face and a cold warning in his eyes: "Sir, it's best not to say anything that shouldn't be said."
Inoan suddenly let go of his hand as if waking from a dream.
Looking at Youan's calm face, he took a deep breath, the fanaticism in his eyes faded, and a complex emotion surged in his heart.
Inoan had to admit that at first he wanted to fulfill the marriage his parents wanted. After privately inquiring about Lancelot's preferences, he deliberately imitated the "ghost" style, but the more he got into it, the more he was attracted by the other's techniques.
He imagined that the other party might be a mechanic with high-level mental power who was unwilling to be bound by rules and regulations. His impression of Youan was just that of an ordinary civilian who was trying to curry favor with the powerful at the banquet.
But he never thought that the speculation confirmed with his own eyes would make his previous prejudice look so inferior.
Inoan looked at the pair of dark eyes in front of him again, without any contempt in his eyes, and said in a dry voice: "Congratulations, Youan."
"Oh, thank you."
Youan nodded slightly, accepting this belated recognition.
All obstacles have been cleared. Amidst thunderous applause and countless flashing lights, the Kagano 09 team held their heads high and stepped onto the championship podium, which symbolizes the highest honor!
"Well-deserved! Congratulations to Kagano! Congratulations to the championship team!"
"Front row, please ask! Can I ask the Bunny King to customize a mechanical weapon?"
"Suddenly, an idea struck me! If I pay Youan to help me customize weapons, can I write on my resume: Completed a collaborative project with Kagano, the all-A student, league champion, and star mechanic?"
"That's why they say you graduates have quick minds!"
Behind the podium, Principal Kagano whispered to Colin, "I heard the military was searching for a mysterious mechanic in the underground city."
Colin crossed his arms, glanced at the group of students gathered around him, and smiled as he reminded them, "Compared to the military's confidential cases, I think you have more important things to focus on right now."
He raised his chin meaningfully.
The principal followed his gaze and saw the federal official holding Youan's hand with a smile on his face, saying something enthusiastically, trying to lead him towards the Federal Military Academy.
The principal was immediately furious and cursed under his breath, "Shameless dog!" He immediately straightened his clothes, put on a smile that was even more amiable than the other person's, and rushed over at the speed of light.
So Youan didn't even remember the names of these officials, and watched helplessly as they were pushed away by the principal without a word.
"Good boy! You've worked hard! Kagano is proud of you!" The principal patted Youan's shoulder affectionately. "By the way, do you have any opinions on the proposed changes to the scholarship?"
Quan Yi rolled his eyes. Just based on this enthusiasm, he would believe that if it was announced tomorrow that Youan would be the honorary school director.
But before he could muster up the courage to complain, he was called over by others to take a photo with them.
At this moment, under the spotlight, Youan stood among his teammates, holding the trophy and touching it curiously.
"Look at the camera." Lancelot maintained an elegant smile towards the camera and whispered a reminder: "Also, this thing is pure gold, don't bite it."
"Oh..." When his intention was seen through, Youan shut his mouth with a look of disappointment. In order to hide his embarrassment, he raised the trophy and shook it towards the reporters who were about to utter choked words.
Colin calmly raised the micro-computer on his wrist, adjusted the angle, and captured the scene clearly, sending it directly to Mrs. Su, who was unable to attend the game.
As this extremely light voice fell, a cannon sounded, and golden ribbons floated down from the dome, drowning out all the noise and doubts.
Looking at the frozen image on the screen, Colin's smile became unusually soft and genuine, and he murmured to himself, "Tsk, standing together... they look quite a good match."
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