Chapter 35: Ten Million to Bet on the National Football Team Winning the Championship

Shen Jiang went back to change her clothes. Under normal circumstances, she wore the standard Type 07 grass-green combat uniform, but her shoulder patch was different from everyone else’s. While most personnel at Base 151 wore the insignia for the "People’s Liberation Army Nanshan Support Base," Shen Jiang’s patch read "Central Military Commission Anti-Advent Joint Command."

The canteen was located in the logistics compound at the foot of the mountain, consisting of two independent white buildings. As it neared noon, several companies stationed at the base were assembled for lunch. The soldiers stood in formation outside the canteen singing, their voices thunderous yet completely off-key; one could barely make out that they were singing "Unity is Strength." Shang Lu walked past them, humming along, "Unity is strength, this strength is iron, this strength is steel..."

"Towards the sun, towards freedom, shining with ten thousand rays for New China—!"

The group jumped directly from the first line to the very last.

The soldiers' canteen and the cadre canteen were separate. Like most engineers, Shang Lu usually ate in the cadre canteen. Above them was the small dining room for the base commanders. When Shen Jiang brought Shang Lu inside, it was nearly empty. The interior was no different from the regular canteen—neat rows of orange plastic tables and chairs, bright and clean—except for a few private rooms with large round tables. The food selection was identical: a row of self-service windows offering three meat dishes, four vegetable dishes, and a bucket of thin egg-drop soup. Shen Jiang took out her officer’s ID to pay.

Shang Lu grabbed a tray. Since Shen Jiang offered to treat him, he didn't need to pay.

"I was curious about what the commanders' dining area looked like," Shang Lu said, looking around.

"Now you've seen it. How does it feel?" Shen Jiang turned her head and chuckled.

"No different from the other canteens," Shang Lu replied. "Couldn't they at least add a few more dishes?"

"All the canteens on base are configured the same way. The only difference is that soldiers don't have to pay, while we do," Shen Jiang said, using a ladle to scoop a large portion of braised pork ribs onto Shang Lu's tray. "That's the only difference. Everything else, whether it's food or drink, is the same."

"Then next time I'll sneak into the soldiers' canteen to eat."

"The mess officer will use his ladle to crack your skull open," Shen Jiang said, waving her own ladle.

After getting their food and sitting down, Shen Jiang produced a carton of milk, two bananas, and a box of chocolates from out of nowhere and pushed them toward Shang Lu.

Shang Lu's eyes widened.

"Holy cow, where did you get these?"

"They're part of the special duty ration standards," Shen Jiang said, the corners of her mouth lifting with a hint of pride. "I'm the only one in the entire base who gets them."

"Not even the base commanders?"

Shang Lu took the milk and checked the production date—yesterday. It was pasteurized, with a shelf life of no more than forty-eight hours. There were no dairy farms near Nanshan; this had been specially transported.

"Giant mecha pilots enjoy the highest standard of special duty rations, likely even higher than the base commanders'," Shen Jiang said. "These are all for you."

"Can I have more in the future?" Shang Lu immediately pushed his luck, looking at the pot while eating from his bowl.

"Greedy," the girl pouted. "Is that all you care about—food?"

"That is all I care about," Shang Lu said, peeling a banana and putting it in his mouth. "Do you know why I came to 151? It was for the high food standards here."

"A talent like you, and the rear didn't keep you?" Shen Jiang asked, propping her head up to look at him, a bit surprised. "They just let you run to the front lines?"

"I was a dropout. You know that in a place as intense and crazy as Science City, there's no room for those who can't keep up. Better to leave early," Shang Lu said. "Besides, if I insist on leaving, they can't force me to stay, right? My historical mission at Science City is complete; there’s nothing left for me to do in the rear. So, I came to the front to use my remaining heat and continue contributing to all of humanity. Perhaps it was fate that brought me to 151."

Shen Jiang watched him, smiling and seemingly frank, as if he had nothing to hide, yet she felt a nagging sense of unease. There was no reason for it, she just felt like something was off.

"Director Ji thinks highly of you," Shen Jiang said, looking down at her food. "What is your relationship with him?"

"An old friend of my mentor," Shang Lu replied. "Director Ji doesn't just think highly of me; he thinks highly of all the engineers in the workshop. My office is full of deputy chief engineers, and the office next door is the same."

"It's different for different people," Shen Jiang looked up. "At least he didn't have me take anyone else into the Red Lotus."

Shang Lu froze for a second.

Could it be that the old man Ji had played him, but not entirely?

"Director Ji definitely knows your background, so don't even think about hiding anything from me. If worse comes to worst, I'll just go ask Director Ji directly," Shen Jiang warned him.

"You're the superior, how would I dare hide anything?" Shang Lu said. "I am at your beck and call, ready to serve."

"Truly at my beck and call?"

"Truly," Shang Lu promised.

"Then you must promise me you won't spread this around," Shen Jiang pointed to her head. "In principle, all information regarding a giant mecha pilot's physical and psychological state should be handled as classified."

"Understood. The fact that the pilot is a mental patient should indeed be kept secret," Shang Lu nodded.

The girl frowned. "I'm serious."

"I'm serious too. I can keep your secret, but you have to agree to one condition."

"You want to negotiate with me?" Shen Jiang paused, then felt a flicker of irritation. This kid really didn't know his place; what right did he have to negotiate with her?

"That's right," Shang Lu admitted brazenly. He pulled a folded A4 sheet of paper from his right pocket, unfolded it before Shen Jiang, and pushed it across the table. "Comrade Pilot, I need you to spare some time to cooperate with all the tests and training listed on this paper. This application has already been approved by the base commanders."

The girl took the crumpled official document and scanned it briefly. It was an approval notice filled with complex technical jargon she didn't understand, but she recognized the signatures and seals at the bottom.

This kid had really cleared the entire chain of command at 151.

"It's a pity, Supervisor, but I must remind you that giant mecha pilots are not under the jurisdiction of the support base regarding personnel matters. We are a unit directly under the Military Commission. 151 has no authority to manage or command me, so I can ignore this, and I don't have to cooperate with you." Shen Jiang put down the document and raised her chin haughtily, her bright, sharp eyes carrying a hint of triumphant amusement—no matter how much you calculated, you still slipped up, didn't you?

Shang Lu silently pulled another folded A4 sheet from his left pocket, unfolded it, and pushed it across the table.

Shen Jiang picked it up and held her breath.

At the top were familiar red characters: "Central Military Commission Anti-Advent Command Document."

In the top left corner was the file number: "[2016] CMC Anti-Advent No. 1017."

And the title: "Approval from the Central Military Commission Anti-Advent Command Regarding the Request to Add MEG-BCI Test Modules for Comrade Shen Jiang."

The text was short:

"To the 151 Nanshan Support Base Operations and Maintenance Office: We have received the 'Request to Reduce Regular Training for Comrade Shen Jiang and Increase MEG-BCI System Test Modules' and relevant materials. Upon review, we hereby approve: Approved."

Shen Jiang pressed one hand onto the document. It was obvious this kid had been carrying both documents in his pockets all day; he had clearly planned this from the start. She took two deep breaths to calm herself, then looked up and asked, "How did you manage this?"

"Which part?"

"The fact that I knew absolutely nothing about this—"

"You'll receive the notification today. I only got the approval today as well," Shang Lu said, looking down at his food. "If you're asking how I persuaded my superiors, that's actually even simpler."

"What did you say?"

"I said..." Shang Lu shoveled the last bite of food into his mouth, chewed and swallowed it slowly, and then said, "This can save your life."