Chapter 026 Shen Mu's Resentment and Determination_1

The audience dispersed as the hastily started combat match came to an end. The second match between Ji Xinghe and Han Li ended with Ji Xinghe's overpowering victory, just like when Han Li had defeated Ji Xinghe in an Armor Piercing match with the same dominance.

Colonel Han Li, a 34-year-old Federal Special Level Mecha Warrior in his custom version of the twenty-third generation standard-type Mecha adorned with seventy-three gold stars, defeated Ji Xinghe, a 65-year-old private Mecha repairman in the first-generation standard-type Mecha. No one would seriously discuss this outcome, people wouldn't even give this fight a second thought.

However, after the Mecha disarming, 65-year-old Ji Xinghe, defeated 34-year-old Han Li. This fight would be the talk of the town. Not just because of the change in victory, but also because this result wasn't something expected.

"I'm fine, Ji. Are you okay?"

Han Li asked with concern. If not for him constantly massaging his right fist, forearm, and the buttocks that landed on the ground multiple times, no one would believe he was lying.

"I'm fine. I do a lot of hard work, so I have a lot of calluses on my hands."

Ji Xinghe stretched out his hands toward Han Li. The thick calluses on them seemed like an armor to Han Li and made his hands and feet hurt even more.

"That's good. No, no, no." Han Li hastily responded, reaching out and pretending to stop Ji Xinghe, "Ji, don't say that. As long as you're willing, you can treat me as if... ahem... anyway, don't be polite with me. If you need help with anything, make sure you tell me."

You can treat me as a son, I can take care of you as a son should, but saying these words out loud seemed inauspicious. Moreover, Han Li didn't think he'd have the opportunity to care for Ji Xinghe in his old age. He was a soldier, he was on a battlefield, and until victory was his, he was always ready for sacrifices.

"Well..."

Ji Xinghe didn't know what to say. Thankfully, Han Li didn't give him the time to respond. The urgency of military affairs took precedence, and he excused himself and went away. Before leaving, he tasked the people at Base 6 to look after Ji Xinghe, especially expert mechanic Shen Mu and war correspondent Su He, who were also staying at Base 6.

"I think Colonel Han Li will probably go to the medical station first, right?"

Shen Mu asked with a hint of trepidation. He had almost decided to fight Ji Xinghe with Han Li, but looking at the course of the past events, his involvement wouldn't have made much difference. Instead, it would just make two people fly all over the place instead of one.

"Probably. I see that Colonel Han Li is bruised... but it's okay." Su He quickly corrected himself, "The medical technology in the base is quite advanced, this minor injury won't have any impact."

After Su He said that, Ji Xinghe felt even more guilty. He had been caught up in the thrill of the fight. As someone who has always been practicing boxing alone and rehearsing combat simulations in his mind, this fight was indeed a first for him. The previous practices with Ji Chenxing didn't count, because whether a son beats a father or a father beats his son, neither would ever go all out.

"Ahem." Su He shot a glance at Ji Xinghe and then turned to Shen Mu, "Don't you have to report?"

"I don't have to. These days, reports are made online. As soon as I got off the spacecraft, I automatically finished the report. My task log hasn't even been updated yet. It says I have a day off to get settled and familiarize myself with the environment. Speaking of which, I can get acquainted with Ji at the same time. Our dorms are quite close."

Insensitive.

Su He threw a few desperate glances at Shen Mu hoping he'd catch on, but how could Shen Mu, a specialist mechanic with a science and engineering background, catch the subtleties of Su He, a war correspondent from humanities? Right now, he's as excited as a child who just opened up his first computer, turning into a curious baby by Ji Xinghe's side.

"Ji, what kind of boxing do you actually practice?"

"Wow, I didn't think you were a real martial arts master. I thought when Colonel Han Li said..."

"Ji, do you think I have talent? Am I one in a million martial arts genius? Do you need to predict my future by feeling my bones, like in the martial arts novels? Please feel free to touch me."

Su He understood. It wasn't because Shen Mu, being a technical expert, lacked emotional intelligence. The engineering field can't be blamed for this. This was purely Shen Mu entertaining unrealistic fantasies.

Ji Xinghe looked at Su He's helplessness, and he was also helpless. After hesitating, he patted Shen Mu on the shoulder.

"Actually, I have a granddaughter."

"Huh?"

Shen Mu was stunned, for he had no idea about this matter. What he knew about Ji Xinghe was the same as what the public knew: at the age of 65, his son sacrificed his life on the battlefield, and in order to avenge his son, he enlisted in the military and headed to an alien planet. Crossing the star ocean, however, was not romantic, but instead was filled with blood-soaked battlefields littered with corpses.

As such, Major General Tu Yuan made a public comment: Even in old age, he yearned to fight in armor. Not for glory, but purely due to an unaging spirit.

This statement also served as the opening word for the documentary film "The Old Man and the Star Ocean". The old man referred to Ji Xinghe, but not just Ji Xinghe. It also referred to many other heroes who were born ordinary but in fact extraordinary, who fought on alien planets until old age or were about to do so.

"You tell him for me. I'll go ahead for a bit. Um...can we not film this part?"

Ji Xinghe turned to Su He, whose expression appeared to be somewhat difficult. Su He had been instructed to document everything about Ji Xinghe on the alien planet to hand it off to professionals to glean the essential content for the documentary.

Although Ji Xinghe having a granddaughter has not been publicly disclosed due to some reasons, many people have become aware of it already. Being able to keep it a secret now does not mean it can be kept secret forever. Sometimes, breaches of protocol could bring about positive values, so Su He, due to his job and mission, had to reject Ji Xinghe's request.

But people are not mechas. They have feelings, which is why Su He had to grit his teeth.

"Alright. Don't worry, Ji, I will take responsibility for this."

Ji Xinghe looked a bit helpless: "It's not as serious as you make it out to be. I have a general understanding of your work, and won't put you in a dilemma. I'm just worried about the child's recent emotional status. After some time, we can make up for the filming."

Su He sighed a breath of relief. He thought Ji Xinghe didn't want him to film the girl at all. Upon hearing Ji Xinghe's words, he realized he didn't have to be disturbed by it.

"I understand. I am a war correspondent, not a gossip journalist. I don't stoop so low. Ji, you should go. The child will be anxious if waiting for too long."

"Thanks."

Ji Xinghe turned around and left. He was going to meet his granddaughter. Su He, still standing in the same spot, began to recount the story of the girl. Upon hearing the story, Shen Mu became furious.

"What's with this woman! Why doesn't she take proper protective measures if she chooses to stay on the front line? How innocent is the child! As a nurse working in the medical system, how can she not know that children born on alien planets have congenital deficiencies? And what about Ji Chenxing? How can he not notice his woman is pregnant? Can a child just pop out suddenly? You must be joking about her being pregnant for ten months. With a daughter already six years old, he still knows nothing about her. Is he fit to be a father? If he hadn't sacrificed himself in front of me, I would have beat him up on behalf of Ji because he is not only an unworthy father but also an unworthy son. Now Ji has to come and take care of his child. What if the child develops health problems? Ji…"

Shen Mu's voice seemed to get choked off there. Su He could totally understand how Shen Mu was feeling, so he clapped Shen Mu's shoulders.

"You can't expect everyone to be perfect. Ji Chenxing is not a competent father, or a competent son, but he is a competent soldier. No, competent isn't enough; he was an excellent one, a battle hero who sacrificed for us and many others. Ms. Rong may not be a competent mother, but she too is a competent soldier, a battlefield nurse who braved to sacrifice herself. Accidents are called accidents because they cannot be controlled. If they were still alive, they would feel even more upset than we do. For the past six years or so, the torment Ms. Rong went through is unimaginable, something we could never empathize with…"

"I know."

Wiping away his tears and mucus, Shen Mu shouted out angrily, "But I still want to beat Ji Chenxing, because they are all compelling Ji to be a perfect saint."

Su He sighed, "You can't beat Ji Chenxing anymore. Even if time could go back, you wouldn't be able to defeat him."

Yes, I cannot defeat him, neither can time go back.

Shen Mu looked in the direction Ji Xinghe departed. Thinking about the hunched figure of Ji Xinghe once again, he felt some heartache. He knew it was because Ji Xinghe, as a transcendent grandmaster, was not sure how to face his own granddaughter.

"If time could go back and make Ji a bit younger, that'd be great. He really is a genius, whether in designing mechas or in fighting. Well, he does get whimsical when designing mechas, but that's understandable because he's not professionally trained."

Su He agreed, "Yeah, he really is a genius. Although I don't understand the art of fighting, I can sense that he's indeed better than Colonel Han Li. Although I don't know anything about mecha design, I can see that you genuinely appreciate somewhere in Ji's ideas. At his age, it's really not easy. So, do you want to help Ji make his creative idea become reality?"

Instead of answering, Shen Mu activated his portable intelligent device, brought up the holographic projection screen and opened the empty task log. In it, he wrote down a task not issued by the base system: make the model.

The task was to make the model, not to help Ji Xinghe make the model. However, if the model was made, it would certainly belong to Ji Xinghe.