Chapter 161 - 165

Chapter 161: Kid, I’m Richer Than You Think (Combined Edition)

The club had a circular track used for daily training.

It was similar to the ones at driving schools. Vanessa drove Blazing Wind around it in steady loops.

She kept the speed extremely low, not even one-thousandth of Blazing Wind’s true performance, yet everyone watched with quiet relief.

“Derek Su, Vanessa used to tell me she loved racing. All I could say was that once her illness was cured, she’d definitely be able to drive. When she asked when she’d get better, I’d tell her ‘soon.’”

Beto Ming watched his daughter on the track, tears glimmering in his weathered eyes.

“As she grew older, she asked that question less and less. I knew it wasn’t that she stopped liking racing. She just became more sensible. She understood that asking would only make both of us sad. She also knew her illness meant she’d probably never get the chance to race on a real track… so she stopped asking.”

“I once thought it would take ten, maybe even decades, before I could develop the medicine to cure her. When that day came, I’d let her race properly. I never expected to see this moment so soon.”

He turned to Derek Su, his voice solemn and sincere.

“Derek Su, I have to thank you for this. And I’m thanking you on Vanessa’s behalf too.”

“Thank me for what?” Derek Su waved it off. “It’s mainly because of Blazing Wind’s special skill adaptation. It doesn’t have much to do with me.”

The sponsor had helped him a great deal.

Aside from Mr. Liang, he was the second great benefactor in his life.

Without his support, there would be no Derek Su today, no Stella. Derek Su didn’t consider himself a saint, but he understood the value of repaying kindness.

And Blazing Wind being willing to help the sponsor and Vanessa… maybe that was fate too.

…

After a few laps, Blazing Wind brought Vanessa back to the club entrance.

She didn’t immediately open the door to deactivate her deployment.

Even though it had only been a few casual laps, Vanessa’s emotions had been nothing but joy and excitement the entire time.

“Vanessa,” Blazing Wind turned to her, “your first time driving a race car—wasn’t it thrilling?”

The cockpit had returned to its normal seating position. Vanessa swung her little legs happily, nodding again and again, her big eyes shining.

“It’s something I didn’t even dare dream about! And I… I really didn’t have an episode from getting too excited… Blazing Wind, you were right. We really are a perfect match!”

Blazing Wind smiled to herself. Kids really were pure.

“But Vanessa, once you leave the cockpit, we won’t be able to support each other like that. You need to learn to regulate your emotions on your own. I know you’re happy right now. But this isn’t the last time you’ll drive.”

“You can come every day from now on. Racing isn’t some distant dream anymore. It’s something within your reach.”

Becoming a Mecha Girl’s pilot… was really within reach now?

Vanessa’s eyes grew brighter, her cheeks flushed pink.

Blazing Wind knew her excitement wouldn’t fade quickly, but there was no rush.

“A qualified racer must stay calm at all times,” she continued. “They have to analyze the track carefully. If something unexpected happens, only a clear head can help both the driver and the Mecha Girl get through it.”

“Oh! I understand! I’ll stay calm!”

Vanessa clenched her fists, straightening her little face into a serious expression.

To be safe, Blazing Wind parked at the club’s back entrance and stayed with her for more than two hours.

They sorted through her emotions, planned the months ahead, talked about her future…

Only after Vanessa had completely stabilized did Blazing Wind deactivate her deployment mode. Holding the medicine box in her left hand, she scooped Vanessa up with her right.

Seeing the tension on Blazing Wind’s face, Vanessa patted her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Blazing Wind. I’m a cold, serious driver now. No feelings. No emotional fluctuations.”

The little angel deliberately put on a blank expression.

Even knowing she was pretending, Blazing Wind couldn’t help laughing.

Still, Vanessa’s mood really had steadied.

Living from age five to fourteen wasn’t only because of Beto Ming’s care. Vanessa’s own emotional control played a part too.

When her condition was relatively stable, she would stare quietly out the window, practice calligraphy, or fish by the artificial lake near their villa.

These calming hobbies had been part of her routine for years.

In the past, she couldn’t even watch races.

Now she could watch them with her father, even celebrate a little.

“Vanessa, how do you feel?”

Beto Ming hurried over the moment she stepped down.

He examined her complexion and watched her breathing.

Everything was normal.

She even looked better than before.

The old Vanessa used to laugh and joke every day, yet there was always a faint lifelessness about her.

Now that feeling was gone. Aside from her pale skin and slender build, she looked like any energetic child.

The truth was, once she stepped out of the cockpit, she returned to her frail self.

If death came to claim her life, she would have no strength to resist—only watch silently as it was taken.

But now?

She would fight back.

She’d even take a bite out of death.

“Dad, I’m a serious race driver now,” Vanessa said coolly after climbing down from Blazing Wind’s arms, crossing her arms over her chest. “From today on, you have to call me Vanessa the Racer! And I’m going to compete in the Knox Rally four months from now!”

“Ah…” Beto Ming froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Alright, alright! Vanessa the Racer! Hahaha!”

He laughed heartily.

As a father, his heart had always revolved around his daughter.

He knew she hadn’t laughed from the bottom of her heart in a long time.

But he hadn’t realized he hadn’t either.

As he laughed, tears slid down his cheeks.

Vanessa stood on tiptoe to wipe them away, half distressed, half annoyed.

“Dad, aren’t you embarrassed? You’re so old and still crying!”

“I’m happy… hahaha, I’m just happy…” Beto Ming laughed and cried at the same time. It took him a long while to calm down.

“But Vanessa, you’re only fourteen. Isn’t it too early to enter the Knox Rally? And your body…”

He worried she wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Driving for fun and competing in an official race were two completely different things.

Races were dangerous. Beyond technical risks, there were also unpredictable dangers from other drivers.

“That’s why I have four months to learn emotional control,” Vanessa said, puffing out her cheeks. “Blazing Wind and I agreed—we both have to pass a strict assessment before entering the Knox Rally. Over these four months, she’ll improve her Impact Resistance and Stability and choose the right Modules. As for me, I’ll learn to keep my emotions steady and train with Derek Su. If I pass the assessment before the race, Blazing Wind and I will compete together.”

Beto Ming glanced at Blazing Wind.

She gave him a helpless smile.

Vanessa had insisted, and she had no choice but to set an assessment.

She would discuss the details with Derek Su. The difficulty would definitely be high. There was a ninety percent chance neither of them would pass.

If they truly could pass, then entering the Knox Rally would be a safe bet.

With one look, Beto Ming understood exactly what she was thinking.

The assessment was likely a delaying tactic to steady Vanessa.

And that was fine.

Even if she couldn’t pass this time, there was next year. And the years after that.

As long as Vanessa kept hope for the future and kept challenging herself, she would only grow stronger.

Wasn’t that exactly what a father wanted?

“Alright, I understand.” Beto Ming rubbed her head and agreed readily. “Then you and Blazing Wind better work hard these four months. If you qualify for the Knox Rally, and Su Boss races at Panlong Mountain at the same time, you’ll be on different tracks competing for championships. Let’s see who wins!”

“Hehe, of course Derek Su will win~”

Vanessa looked at Derek Su with sparkling eyes, her face full of admiration.

“Derek Su, can I join your club? As a driver.”

Blazing Wind had told her that even all the knowledge and skills she shared amounted to less than one ten-thousandth of Derek Su’s.

How strong was he?

He was practically godlike.

Rounding up, if she trained under The Magician, she’d become the next little magician!

“Of course,” Derek Su said with a smile. “We just happen to be short a driver.”

He knew the assessment was a delaying tactic.

And he didn’t mind having a young trainee like her in the club.

Of course, accepting Vanessa meant taking responsibility for her safety at the club.

It would be troublesome.

But compared to everything the sponsor had done for him, this adorable trouble was something he was willing to shoulder.

…

By the time they finished arranging Vanessa’s matters, it was almost noon.

Derek Su planned to treat the sponsor and Vanessa to lunch at the restaurant next door.

But the sponsor didn’t seem ready to leave.

He looked around at the simple track facilities, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

“Derek Su, this training track setup is a bit too basic. The space is also a little small. It’s not very good for long-term development.”

Derek Su stared blankly at the surroundings.

It wasn’t small. The facilities were a bit outdated, sure, but it had everything it needed.

The real problem was money. Once they had more funds, they could upgrade.

Besides, this was Tianyuan City’s Second Ring Road. Land here wasn’t cheap.

“I think it’s fine for now.”

“You need to think ahead.” Beto Ming pointed toward the commercial district across the street. “Demolish that mall and merge the land into your club. Expand the track. Add the latest facilities. Oh, and build a swimming pool. You can relax there in the summer.”

Derek Su was speechless.

He understood all that.

He just didn’t have the money.

A few million sounded like a lot, but it was nothing when it came to land prices.

“Then it’s settled, Derek Su. In a few days, someone will come discuss the contract with you. Don’t worry about the money. I’ll handle it. You just sign.”

Derek Su froze.

“Huh?!”

Had he misheard?

But Beto Ming continued, “Your club is too small anyway. It needs expansion. How can the Mecha Girls and drivers all squeeze into the fourth-floor dorms? Build a separate luxury residence.”

He gestured toward the neighboring hotel.

“Tear that down. The Seoul Kaiyang Hotel… I happen to know the president of Kaiyang Group. Just a word from me.”

Derek Su: “???”

His expression grew increasingly absurd.

“You got schemed against at the Maratela Circuit, right?” Beto Ming said with a pleased smile at Derek Su’s reaction. “That’s what happens when you don’t have a logistics team. I recently acquired a few clubs. Not in Tianyuan City, but they have complete support teams. I’ll transfer their core functional Mecha Girls to you. Then you’ll have a full logistics squad and won’t have to worry about those petty tricks again.”

“Old man… you’re not joking, are you?”

Derek Su had seen the world before. In his previous life, he had lived in luxury houses and driven expensive cars.

But compared to true business tycoons, he was still far behind.

Just now, with a couple of casual gestures, Beto Ming had casually written off assets worth at least three billion.

And that didn’t even include the cost of redevelopment.

Now he was saying he’d cover all of it. And send over a professional logistics team worth a fortune.

Even good fortune didn’t fall from the sky like this.

“Derek Su, let’s reintroduce ourselves.”

Beto Ming extended his right hand, flashing a gold tooth.

“I’m Beto Ming, President of Longteng Group. Our group keeps a low profile and doesn’t advertise much, so you probably haven’t heard of us. But you should know that every major club is backed by a conglomerate. That’s their capital chain. Longteng Group is one of the major financial powers. We just haven’t invested in any club until now…”

“So, kid, I’m richer than you think.”

He glanced at his daughter, his eyes full of tenderness.

“Starting today, I officially represent Longteng Group in joining the Stella Club.”

...

Chapter 162: The Unusual Chloe Qin

【Longteng Group has officially announced its entry into the Stella Club, with President Beto Ming personally attending the press conference… Expert Wang, what are your thoughts on this?】

【Ahem, well, regarding this matter… first of all, the rebar should be mixed with Grade 42 concrete…】

“Wow, Longteng Group has joined the Stella Club!”

“Longteng Group?”

“Did you forget? A lot of the medicines and medical equipment in our clinic are supplied by Longteng Group!”

“Whoa, that’s a huge conglomerate~”

Several functional Mecha Girls gathered around the television, whispering among themselves.

Then the sound of mechanical arms moving—clack, clack—came from outside.

A pale woman’s face appeared at the window.

Chloe Qin looked far thinner and more worn than before. Her cheeks had sunk in, making her eyes appear large and protruding. Her lips were dry and bluish, with almost no color in them.

The modification process had taken a full week. After that, she spent three more days learning how to use the mechanical core.

Today was the day she would leave the medical facility.

She had come to complete the discharge paperwork.

“Oh, Miss Qin?” The functional Mecha Girl turned around and saw Chloe Qin at the window. She immediately set down the half-finished bottle of nutrient solution in her hand and walked over. “Are you here to handle your discharge procedures, Miss Qin? Please turn around so I can check how your recovery is going.”

Chloe Qin nodded and used her mechanical arms to turn herself around.

She looked like a mechanical spider. Six mechanical arms supported her movement while two replaced her original arms. Her four human limbs hung limply in the air.

When she turned her back, a mechanical spine glowing faintly red could be seen through the hospital gown. It extended all the way to the back of her head and connected to the eight mechanical arms.

The functional Mecha Girl lifted the fabric on Chloe Qin’s back and examined the surgical wound, nodding repeatedly.

“Mm, healing very well. Longteng Group’s special medication really works wonders… Ms. Qin, you’re cleared for discharge. But before you leave, we need to reset your mechanical core!”

“Go ahead,” Chloe Qin said hoarsely.

The functional Mecha Girl immediately began operating on the spinal core on Chloe Qin’s back.

She activated a decoder using retinal infrared, entered several commands, then shut the decoder down and pressed the startup button.

Chloe Qin’s vision instantly went black, and her consciousness sank into sleep.

A string of information appeared across her retina.

【Intelligent Machinery Restriction Regulations (Disabled)】

【Intelligent Machine First Directive: Victory is Glory (Enabled)】

【Mechanical Arm Restriction Protocol (Enabled)】

【Chloe Qin Personality Memory — Loading…】

【Startup Complete. Thank you for using Intelligent Machinery Technology. Together, we protect the world!】

【Beep—!】

Chloe Qin’s body jolted.

Her consciousness returned.

She looked around blankly, taking a moment before remembering that she had come to complete her discharge procedures.

“Miss Qin, the adjustments to your mechanical core are finished. Just sign here and you’ll be all set to leave~”

Chloe Qin turned around.

The functional Mecha Girl handed her a form listing every modification, the equipment used, the medications, and the corresponding costs. It also included precautions and a disclaimer.

The mechanical arms were only allowed for daily living needs and could not be used for combat. The AI system built into Intelligent Machinery Technology would monitor her behavior. In addition, the mechanical arms could not be brought into a Mecha Girl’s cockpit. If she wanted to drive a Mecha Girl, she simply needed to connect her spinal core to it.

There wasn’t much else to look at.

Yet Chloe Qin still felt that something was slightly off.

She signed the form.

Her mechanical arms carried her out of the hospital.

She took out her phone and checked the time.

4:17 PM.

The phone’s wallpaper was a photo of herself.

She had the strange feeling that she was no longer the person she used to be.

Even so, she had no intention of changing anything.

Her belief hadn’t changed.

She had chosen modification for one reason: victory on the racetrack.

She wanted to defeat Derek Su on the track, overcome the fear in her heart, and cure her neurogenic paralysis.

When that day came, she could remove the mechanical core, spine, and arms and return to living as a normal person.

Thinking about it this way…

Perhaps nothing had really changed after all.

When she stepped outside the medical facility, two large men in suits walked over.

The moment they saw Chloe Qin’s appearance, surprise and unease flickered across their faces.

“M-Miss Qin… the boss sent us to pick you up.”

“Mhm.”

Chloe Qin nodded faintly, walked past the two bodyguards, and stopped beside a stretched business car.

She first had the mechanical arms lift her into the back seat.

Then the eight mechanical arms folded inward like umbrella ribs on both sides of her body, taking up as little space as possible.

The two bodyguards got into the car as well, exchanging glances.

They both felt that Chloe Qin had changed quite a bit.

She was no longer as irritable or explosive.

Instead, she seemed calm… detached.

It wasn’t bad.

But she also felt strangely lifeless.

“Miss Qin, should we take you to the boss now? He’s prepared a dinner for you.”

“No.”

Chloe Qin stared out the window and said coldly,

“Take me to Haitang Street. The underground black market.”

“Miss… what are you going there for?” the driver asked in surprise.

“To find Purple Lightning.”

Chloe Qin frowned, impatience flashing across her face.

“Shut your mouth and do as I say.”

Their mission was to escort Chloe Qin safely back to Howard Wang’s villa.

But since Chloe Qin had spoken, they could only follow her orders—even if they weren’t happy about it.

…

Two hours later.

Chloe Qin and Purple Lightning sat across from each other in a café near Haitang Street.

Purple Lightning looked at Chloe Qin’s bizarre appearance with clear surprise.

She had heard that Chloe Qin had been rammed into a tornado by Derek Su driving Imperial Scale.

But she hadn’t paid any attention to what happened afterward.

After all, whether this woman lived or died had nothing to do with her.

Her only concern had been that if Chloe Qin died, it would definitely cause trouble for the Stella Club.

She had no idea Chloe Qin had ended up paralyzed and transformed into this strange form.

“What are you here for? To demand the breach penalty?”

Purple Lightning’s eyes were cold, her tone distant.

“It’s not the first of the month yet. I’ll transfer the compensation on time next month.”

“I didn’t come here for the penalty.”

Chloe Qin lifted the coffee cup with one of her mechanical arms and took a sip.

“We don’t need to terminate our contract. You’ll be my starting Mecha Girl. All the club’s resources will be focused on you. I’ll take you to the Panlong Mountain Circuit. From now on, you’ll always be my starting Mecha Girl.”

She paused.

“I apologize for everything that happened before.”

Under Purple Lightning’s stunned gaze, Chloe Qin stood up and bowed to her at a perfect ninety-degree angle.

She was actually apologizing.

Purple Lightning could hardly believe it.

In her memory, after the two of them fell out, Chloe Qin had done nothing but mock her and hurl insults whenever they met.

The word “apology” simply didn’t exist in Chloe Qin’s dictionary.

What was going on?

Had she been knocked stupid?

“Why?” Purple Lightning subtly leaned back in her chair.

Chloe Qin’s abnormal behavior made her uneasy.

“Because if I want to win at the Panlong Mountain Circuit, I must have you.”

Chloe Qin took out a contract she had drafted in the car and pushed it across the table.

“You don’t have to worry about me benching you again after Panlong Mountain. Every clause is written clearly in this agreement.”

“As long as you agree to stay with me, you’ll always be my starting Mecha Girl.”

“You’ll be the first one I take onto every track.”

“All club resources will be prioritized for you.”

“And any secondary Mecha Girls I contract in the future will require your approval.”

She raised her eyes to look at Purple Lightning.

Her hands were clasped beneath her chin, eyes lowered slightly.

Then she said slowly, one word at a time,

“Please… think about it carefully.”

After analyzing the race data recordings, the conclusion was clear.

If she wanted to win, the optimal choice was Purple Lightning.

Victory is Glory.

Everything else…

didn’t matter.

...

Chapter 163: Purple Lightning’s Choice

“Chloe Qin, what exactly are you trying to pull?!”

Purple Lightning didn’t even glance at the contract on the table. She glared at the woman in front of her, who now seemed strangely unfamiliar.

“You were the one who insisted on bringing me back. You told me you’d treat me well, that we’d work hard together and chase glory on the racetrack. Then you were the one who kicked me aside. And now it’s still you, coming back and begging to renew the contract? Your starting Mecha Girl? What do you take me for?”

She raised her head.

Beneath her silver-gray bangs, those violet eyes were filled with killing intent.

“I’m Purple Lightning. I’m a Mecha Girl. I’m not some dog you can throw away whenever you want and call back whenever it suits you!”

“Don’t get so emotional.” Chloe Qin calmly took a sip of coffee. “I know you’ve already found another option. Derek Su, right? You’ve been in contact with him. He invited you to be his secondary Mecha Girl?”

Purple Lightning’s expression changed instantly.

She glared viciously at Chloe Qin, her violet eyes blazing with hostility. Her body lowered instinctively, like an enraged leopard ready to strike.

“What are you trying to do?”

“Nothing. That’s your freedom,” Chloe Qin said lightly. “But you should face reality. Derek Su isn’t the driver who only had Stella anymore. Now he’s not just a club owner, he also has Imperial Scale and Tunbao. Both of them far outperform you. Imperial Scale is even a top-tier Mecha Girl.”

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

“You don’t seriously think there’s still a place for you beside him, do you? Compared to Imperial Scale and Tunbao, what advantage do you have? Imperial Scale only asked for thirty million, and even that was an IOU. Tunbao didn’t even ask for a single cent. Why would such a popular driver need someone like you?”

Purple Lightning froze.

She lowered her head and bit her lip.

The light in the café cast a shadow across her bangs.

Her hands rested on her knees, trembling slightly.

She had gone to see the Stella Club.

Standing outside the wall.

The club wasn’t particularly large, nowhere near the scale of BSC. But inside, the Mecha Girls were always together in pairs. They went grocery shopping together, trained together, laughing and chatting the whole time…

It felt like a home.

Every time she passed by the Stella Club,

she would think—

If only she could be one of them.

Her debt was almost paid off.

Two months. At most two months!

By then she could walk into the Stella Club and say to Derek Su:

“Hello. I’d like to apply…”

“You don’t seriously think there’s still a place for you beside him, do you?”

Chloe Qin’s words stabbed into her heart like a spike.

Derek Su already had Stella, Imperial Scale, and Tunbao.

It seemed he no longer needed another secondary Mecha Girl.

And compared to Imperial Scale and Tunbao, she truly had no advantage.

From Purple Lightning’s expression, Chloe Qin could tell the words had hit their mark.

She pushed the contract closer again.

“I’m being very sincere. If you don’t trust my words, you can trust the contract in black and white. As a Mecha Girl, our purpose is the racetrack and glory. Right now, our goals are the same.”

“I only want victory.”

“I want to win.”

Purple Lightning stayed silent for a long time.

She picked up the contract and read it for a while.

Finally, she asked Chloe Qin for a pen and wrote four bold characters across it.

...

...

Outside the café.

Purple Lightning walked along the wall in the shadows, hands in her pockets.

She wandered aimlessly through the city.

Traffic flowed endlessly, and pedestrians streamed past in an unbroken tide. Even though she was standing in the middle of it all, she felt completely detached from the world.

So cold…

Under the sunlight, she tightened her coat around herself.

After wandering for a while, she unknowingly arrived at the Stella Club.

Through the wall, she heard laughter and cheerful chatter.

She pressed herself against the wall and peeked through the gaps in the railing.

The tallest one was Imperial Scale.

The one with pink hair was Tunbao.

And the shortest one, with beautiful snow-white hair that made her look like an elf from a fairy tale—that was Stella.

She had spoken with Stella fewer than three times.

She had never exchanged a single word with Imperial Scale or Tunbao.

Yet she knew a lot about them.

She watched their races carefully and studied their profiles in detail.

Stella had a cheerful personality and loved to talk. Getting along with her was the easiest thing in the world—just answer her questions honestly and a friendship would form naturally.

Imperial Scale had a cold personality. Around her, it was best to speak carefully, avoid jokes, and remain serious.

As for Tunbao, she had a fiery temper but was straightforward. With her, you couldn’t beat around the bush. You had to be direct and casual.

Derek Su…

He was the one she wanted to understand the most.

To her, that man was mysterious and powerful. Yet he lacked the arrogance typical of genius drivers.

He always carried himself calmly.

He treated every Mecha Girl around him kindly.

And even though he was a male driver, he didn’t have any of those strange thoughts toward Mecha Girls.

She really liked drivers like Derek Su.

She admired his pure dedication to racing and the racetrack.

The more she learned about him, the more she felt she didn’t deserve to stand beside him.

The more she learned, the more mysterious he seemed.

After those two invitations, she had believed Derek Su needed her.

Even though she didn’t know what he needed her for.

Now she wasn’t so sure anymore.

Maybe accepting Chloe Qin’s offer really was the better choice.

Purple Lightning laughed at herself and kicked a small stone on the road.

She pressed against the wall like a stray cat.

Then continued walking forward through the city’s shadows.

Behind her, the laughter and chatter slowly faded away.

Along with it, the colors of the world seemed to dim.

...

In the backyard of the Stella Club.

Stella gritted her teeth and dragged ten truck tires all the way to the fence.

Then she suddenly noticed a lonely figure outside the wall.

“Oh? Is that Purple Lightning?”

Stella blinked her big eyes.

Now that they had a club, could they recruit Purple Lightning? It would be like signing her to the club first, and it wouldn’t interfere with her underground races.

“Stella! Slacking off, huh?! Pineapple King, is this all you’ve got?!”

Tunbao’s sarcastic voice suddenly came from behind.

Stella froze. Her cheeks puffed out and instantly flushed red.

“Who’s slacking off? You’re the one slacking! What’s so impressive about being a Pineapple Guard? If you’ve got the guts, try dragging ten tires too!”

“Oh wow~ The Pineapple King wants to compete with the Pineapple Guard? That’s really something~”

Tunbao had five truck tires tied around her waist. Her pretty face was flushed red, and she was panting heavily, but that didn’t stop her from continuing her mockery.

“Why don’t you look at Big Sis Imperial Scale? Huh? She’s dragging fifty truck tires!”

Nearby, Imperial Scale ran past without changing her expression.

Each step hit the ground with a heavy thud.

Behind her dragged a basket made of tires, piled high with truck tires like a small mountain.

Stella was furious, throwing her head back and howling:

“Awoo! Master, I want to drag fifty tires too! You can’t play favorites!!”

She dragged her tires and ran back.

But she quietly remembered the matter about Purple Lightning.

...

Inside the café.

Chloe Qin picked up the contract from the table, looking very pleased.

Experience really did make the difference. When dealing with Mecha Girls, attacking their emotions worked best.

But when she flipped to the last page of the contract—

She saw four large characters written there.

—Go fuck yourself. 

...

Chapter 164: Daily Life 

When she saw those three characters, Chloe Qin froze for a long time.

Then a surge of anger rushed straight to her head.

Outrageous!

Humiliation!

This was blatant humiliation!!

How dare she?

Just a mere Mecha Girl!

Even if the data analysis showed that using Purple Lightning properly was the key to winning on the Panlong Mountain Circuit, her pride would no longer allow her to lower herself and keep begging Purple Lightning.

This contract was already humiliating enough.

If Purple Lightning wouldn’t sign it, then so be it.

Her face twitched stiffly. One of her mechanical arms slammed onto the table as she prepared to flip it over—but suddenly a sharp pain shot through her spine.

Her subconscious told her that acting like this was wrong. Instead of venting like a madwoman, she should be thinking about a solution.

The burning, needle-like pain in the back of her head and along her spine quickly forced her emotions back under control.

Chloe Qin took a deep breath and tossed the contract into the trash.

She had to defeat Derek Su on the Panlong Mountain Circuit.

Only by defeating Derek Su would there be any chance of curing her neurogenic paralysis.

Even though the mechanical arms were convenient, she had no intention of living the rest of her life like this—neither fully human nor fully machine.

She felt that she was gradually becoming less like Chloe Qin.

More like a cold machine.

The coffee on the table slowly went cold.

After thinking for a long time and calculating the resources currently available to her, a bold plan gradually took shape in her mind.

If this plan succeeded, Derek Su would have absolutely no chance of turning things around on the Panlong Mountain Circuit.

Even if it failed, it would still severely affect Derek Su’s performance on the track.

If it weren’t for the sake of victory,

she would never resort to such a dirty method.

“Since relying on myself won’t work, then I’ll borrow outside forces.”

Chloe Qin muttered to herself, her eyes growing more resolute as she pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

...

“Hup! One, two… three!”

“One, two… three! Heyah!!”

Stella’s face was bright red as she gritted her teeth, veins bulging on her forehead.

Tunbao stood nearby with her hands on her hips, glancing sideways at her.

“Tsk. Stella, are you trying to take a dump or something?”

Creak.

That was the sound of Stella grinding her teeth.

Ten ropes were currently tied around her waist, connected to a tire basket similar to Imperial Scale’s, along with a mountain of tires behind it.

These tires were not only heavy, but dragging them also meant fighting the friction between rubber and asphalt.

Just fifty tires.

Stella had always been proud.

She would never bow her head.

“Maybe we should just forget it.” Derek Su scratched his head helplessly. “Fifty tires might still be a bit too much for you. I think thirty would be enough.”

Mecha Girls were truly fascinating beings.

They had human appearances, human skin, heartbeats, and body temperature.

Yet they possessed inhuman strength.

They could even improve their attributes through training. And this kind of training didn’t require entering deployed mode—training in human form was actually more effective.

He had misunderstood this before, thinking that training Mecha Girls required their deployed mode.

It wasn’t until the sponsor guy told him that the top clubs all trained their Mecha Girls with weighted exercises in human form.

No wonder Stella’s attributes had been increasing so slowly—only gaining 0.1 at a time.

Turns out the method had been wrong all along.

“So Master also thinks I can’t pull fifty tires?”

Stella lowered her eyes, shadows falling across her face beneath her bangs as she clenched her fists.

“In that case… I’ll show Master my strength right now!”

At that moment, Stella’s presence suddenly became intense.

Derek Su and Tunbao both held their breath.

Normally Stella’s training had always looked relaxed, almost playful.

Was she finally getting serious?

Logically speaking, Stella was a top-tier Mecha Girl just like Imperial Scale. Having such powerful performance would make sense.

Tunbao secretly felt shocked.

It seemed she should treat Stella with a bit more respect in the future.

Who knew how much strength that small body might be hiding?

“Ha—!”

Stella shouted, suddenly raising her head and stepping forward. Her thigh bent as her waist and back drove her entire body forward.

Boom!

A wave of air burst outward from Stella.

The tire basket behind her shifted forward a step.

And then—

“Ahh~~”

Stella’s stamina ran out, and she fell face-first onto the ground with a smack.

Derek Su: “...”

Tunbao: “...”

Imperial Scale ran past again, dragging fifty tires behind her.

She even deliberately circled Stella twice.

“Looks like fifty tires is still a bit too much,” Derek Su sighed.

“The Pineapple King really is small fry. No one’s going to respect that. As the Pineapple Guard, I’m the first to rebel~”

Tunbao spread her hands.

Derek Su’s mouth twitched.

“Did you read the novel Stella bought?!”

“A little…” Tunbao said with an awkward grin, dark circles under her eyes.

...

“Waaah! Master, I can’t drag fifty tires! I’m a useless Mecha Girl!”

Afternoon training ended.

At the dinner table, Stella was still brooding over her failure.

She hugged a large bowl and shoveled food into her mouth, stopping every now and then to complain to Derek Su beside her.

Across from her, Imperial Scale ate calmly, chewing slowly.

To reward the hardworking Mecha Girls in the club, Derek Su had ordered twenty pounds of premium pork ribs from the food stall next door.

After a fierce round of eating, only one rib remained on the plate.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Just keep working hard. Add one tire each day. In a month you’ll be able to drag fifty,” Derek Su said with a smile.

“What about the rebel king?” Stella tugged at her Master’s arm.

“Uh, the reb— I mean, Imperial Scale should add more too.”

Derek Su wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“That means after a month Imperial Scale will still have three… four… fifty more tires than me? Waaaah…”

“Uh… haha.”

Derek Su could only laugh awkwardly.

Stella turned her grief into appetite and reached her chopsticks toward the last rib.

But Imperial Scale’s chopsticks touched it first.

The two Mecha Girls looked at each other.

Instantly, sparks seemed to flash between them.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind suddenly swept across the dining table.

Derek Su shivered.

Tunbao, Blazing Wind, and Lingwind froze.

For a moment, it felt like murderous intent filled a ten-meter radius.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

Two pairs of chopsticks clashed in a blur over the plate.

The poor rib bounced back and forth, weaving and dodging between the chopsticks.

Stella’s gaze flicked between the rib and Imperial Scale’s face, while pitiful whining sounds escaped her mouth.

Imperial Scale remained calm and silent.

In the end, Imperial Scale successfully grabbed the rib.

Stella’s lips trembled.

She couldn’t win at tire dragging.

She couldn’t even win a rib.

Today was the Pineapple King’s day of crushing defeat.

Her harem was in danger!

She lowered her head, hands resting on her knees, reflecting on today’s humiliation like a defeated character on a post-battle results screen.

Then suddenly—

The rib appeared in her bowl.

Stella froze and looked up.

Imperial Scale had already put down her chopsticks and was elegantly wiping her mouth with a wet wipe.

As if sensing Stella’s gaze, she narrowed her phoenix-like eyes slightly and glanced back, a faint smile curving at her lips.

As if saying:

“What this king gives you is yours.”

....

Chapter 165: Room for Growth

The fierce struggle ended in an oddly anticlimactic way.

Even Derek Su hadn’t expected it.

Stella puffed out her cheeks but still left the rib in her bowl untouched. Whether or not she had fought for this territory herself didn’t matter. The important thing was that the territory was now in her hands.

Hmm…

Today could barely count as a draw.

Later she’d open a pineapple for Imperial Scale.

As the empress, she needed to learn how to win people over and treat capable subordinates with courtesy.

Tunbao was even easier to deal with.

As long as she kept giving her novels to read.

This move was called cultural invasion and racial assimilation.

Hehe~

Stella gnawed on the rib Imperial Scale had given her while nodding to herself, plotting happily.

While eating, Derek Su carefully examined each Mecha Girl’s attributes.

Absolute Shadow wasn’t around today. Apparently she felt the club still lacked a few things, so she had taken the butler team out shopping. Blazing Wind had gone to teach Vanessa the basics of racing. Lingwind had run a training race with Zane that afternoon and taken first place, winning five hundred thousand in prize money and splitting it evenly with the club.

So the only useful attribute references were Tunbao, Imperial Scale, and Stella.

Stella’s current base attributes without modules were:

【Drifting: 50】

【Acceleration: 100.4】

【Cornering: 50】

【Boost Charge: 90】

【Stability: 75.1】

【Impact Resistance: 80】

【Endurance: 85.1】

After dragging tires around the track all afternoon in human form,

Acceleration increased by 0.2.

Stability increased by 0.1.

Endurance increased by 0.1.

Now looking at Imperial Scale’s base attributes:

【Drifting: 80】

【Acceleration: 75.1】

【Cornering: 80】

【Boost Charge: 0】

【Stability: 99.2】

【Impact Resistance: 99】

【Endurance: 99.2】

Acceleration increased by 0.1.

Stability increased by 0.2.

Endurance increased by 0.2.

Tunbao’s attributes were similar:

【Drifting: 79】

【Acceleration: 84.1】

【Cornering: 82】

【Boost Charge: 77】

【Stability: 76.1】

【Impact Resistance: 70】

【Endurance: 81】

Acceleration and Stability increased slightly, but Endurance didn’t improve.

That was probably because Tunbao had been slacking off.

Based on her attributes, pulling five tires should have been extremely easy for her. Yet she had acted exhausted the whole time and spent most of the session loafing around.

So running while dragging tires as weighted training mainly improved three attributes.

Acceleration.

Stability.

And Endurance.

The strange thing was that when looking at other Mecha Girls’ attributes, these tiny decimal increases never appeared.

Derek Su didn’t believe that only his Mecha Girls could improve their stats through training. Most likely the system simply rounded numbers when displaying attributes.

And attributes probably wouldn’t keep improving that quickly forever.

It was like building muscle.

At the beginning, growth was rapid. Later, it slowed down more and more.

“If only I could see Stella and the others’ growth potential.”

Derek Su rested his chin on one hand, watching Imperial Scale and Stella clearing the dishes.

Meanwhile Tunbao, the lazy dog, was already sprawled across the sofa like a salted fish, sleeping with her belly exposed.

The moment he said that, Imperial Scale’s attribute panel suddenly rippled.

【Drifting: 80 (10)】

【Acceleration: 75.1 (10)】

【Cornering: 80 (10)】

【Boost Charge: 0】

【Stability: 99.2 (20)】

【Impact Resistance: 99 (30)】

【Endurance: 99.2 (20)】

“Huh—?!”

Derek Su froze and rubbed his eyes.

But it didn’t change.

Imperial Scale’s panel had indeed changed.

Except for Boost Charge, every attribute now had a mysterious number in parentheses.

What about Stella?

His gaze shifted to Stella, who had already started washing dishes.

【Drifting: 50 (+5)】

【Acceleration: 100.4 (+30)】

【Cornering: 50 (+5)】

【Boost Charge: 90 (+10)】

【Stability: 75.1 (+10)】

【Impact Resistance: 80 (+10)】

【Endurance: 85.1 (+15)】

Stella’s panel had changed in a similar way.

And unlike Imperial Scale, her growth emphasis was different.

Stella’s main strength lay in Acceleration.

Imperial Scale’s focus was Impact Resistance, Stability, and Endurance.

Case solved.

The numbers inside the parentheses were probably the maximum attribute growth Stella and Imperial Scale could gain through training.

From this, it seemed clear that most Mecha Girls had attribute caps below 100.

But certain Mecha Girls—like Imperial Scale—were born with outstanding base stats.

With training, their attributes could exceed 100.

However, so far he had never encountered a Mecha Girl whose stats had already surpassed 100.

Maybe the competition level simply hadn’t been high enough yet.

Spreading his attention evenly, Derek Su glanced over at Tunbao again, who was lying on the sofa like a dried fish.

【Drifting: 79 (10)】

【Acceleration: 84.1 (10)】

【Cornering: 82 (10)】

【Boost Charge: 77 (10)】

【Stability: 76.1 (10)】

【Impact Resistance: 70 (10)】

【Endurance: 81 (10)】

Tsk…

A perfectly balanced build.

Derek Su withdrew his gaze and started thinking.

At first glance his cheat ability seemed simple.

But now it suddenly felt incredibly powerful.

Think about it.

Most people would be thrilled if just one attribute of their Mecha Girl exceeded 100.

But him?

As long as he kept competing and used MP points to push their base attributes up to 100, then theoretically every attribute they had could exceed 100 through training.

The gap this would create over time would be enormous.

Who could possibly outrun his Mecha Girls?

No wonder so many drivers in this world didn’t bother improving their driving skills.

Ordinary drivers and ordinary Mecha Girls hovered around the lower-tier circuits.

Intelligent machinery Engineers and top-tier Mecha Girls equipped with top-tier modules stayed in the top-tier circuits.

Everyone lived inside their own comfort zone.

If he maxed out his Mecha Girls’ attributes, he might end up degenerating too.

Just sit in the cockpit and turn on autopilot.

Let the Mecha Girl handle everything.

...

After discovering that Mecha Girls’ attributes could still improve—and that they had so much growth potential—Derek Su felt full of motivation.

He immediately arranged collision-resistance training for the next day.

Even at midnight he was still browsing racing forums, searching for good training races.

But with the Brana Ruins Advanced Race approaching, many training races had been canceled so drivers and Mecha Girls could get proper rest.

Inside the owner’s bedroom.

Stella lay beside Derek Su wearing a little dinosaur pajama set. Her pale little feet swayed lazily in the air behind her.

A novel lay open in front of her, and she flipped through the pages with great interest.

“Ohh~ So this is how ancient emperors and empresses managed their harems~”

“This one is amazing too!!”

“Whoa! There’s actually a trick like this to stop the emperor from fooling around with other women! I need to write this down!”

Listening to Stella muttering to herself, Derek Su looked completely speechless.

Still, every Mecha Girl had her own hobbies.

Yesterday he had visited Imperial Scale’s room and was shocked to find it stuffed full of pink pig plushies. There was barely any space left to step inside.

Tunbao had turned her room into a full gym.

When he inspected it, she had been doing a 400-kilogram clean and jerk.

“Master!”

Suddenly Stella stopped flipping through her book and tilted her head toward Derek Su.

“I saw Purple Lightning today. She passed by the Stella Club training ground. I think she came specifically to take a look.”

“Mm. And?” Derek Su replied absentmindedly while reading about the Brana Ruins Advanced Race track.

“Do you think we should recruit Purple Lightning into the club?”

Stella tapped her lips thoughtfully and leaned closer to Derek Su.

“Since we already planned for her to become the secondary Mecha Girl, why not just let her join early?”