Chapter 683: Chapter 684: Crushing the Competition
The encounter with Ji Family did not cause any ripples.
On the other side, other than Ji Tiantian, no one from the Ji Family knew that Ji Sisi had come to participate in the competition, or perhaps they knew but simply didn’t care.
A reject from the Ji Family, especially one who had fled the family, why would they pay attention or care about her?
On the day of the preliminaries, the top two hundred were retained, and the competition would proceed uniformly tomorrow.
The preliminaries did not disclose scores, meaning no one knew the highest score was actually ninety-eight, not Ji Tiantian’s ninety-five.
So far, almost everyone believed that Ji Tiantian was the best candidate to win the championship.
To say there was no publicity from the Ji Family, only a fool would believe that.
But knowing that, what could you do about it? Could you score that high?
Since you could not, you could only stay put.
In the evening, everyone was resting well, preparing for tomorrow’s competition.
And just before dawn, the Emperor and Empress, who were en route to Blue Star, arrived at Blue Star. However, they had barely arrived when they hurriedly left for the Third District.
“I was saying we should have contacted Nian Shutong in advance.”
The Empress looked at the calculating Emperor with an expression like she was looking at an idiot and said, “Why ask? Aren’t you afraid of scaring her away?”
“There are things that are not appropriate to discuss over communications.”
The Emperor knew this, but still said, “She must know by now, Lin Mu will definitely tell her.”
The Empress understood this logic but, thinking of Nian Shutong’s character, she said, “Even if she knows, she won’t leave. She will definitely stay with Ji Sisi to finish the competition.”
“Nian Shutong, although seemingly indifferent, will risk her life for anyone she accepts.”
The Emperor quite agreed and nodded. Eventually, the two of them got onto the Super Starship and headed to the Third District.
As they had just boarded the Super Starship, it was already morning the next day in the Third District, and everyone got up early because the competition was starting earlier today.
Nian Shutong and the others were still having breakfast in the suite and did not go to the hotel’s dining room.
At this time in the hotel’s dining room, Ji Tiantian was looking around, but still could not find Ji Sisi.
She wasn’t around last night, nor this morning. Could it be she doesn’t eat? Or does she not have money to eat?
Thinking this, Ji Tiantian had a slightly smug smile.
Taking a child and leaving the Ji Family, she must be living in poverty.
Ji Tiantian didn’t know that Ji Sisi had left with a large amount of money and Crystal Stones because Ji Sisi’s father was too embarrassed to mention this fact, it was too shameful.
And as a man, how could he complain about his deceased wife’s dowry? It would be humiliating just to hear about it, so even if it caused him internal grief, he had publicized nothing.
Ji Tiantian still thought that Ji Sisi left the Ji Family poor and must be living a hard life.
“Tiantian, what are you thinking about? You seem so happy.”
“Nothing much, just solved a small problem on a Mecha.”
Ji Tiantian’s answer made the inquiring girl’s face show a mixed expression of compliment and envy.
“Oh, that’s great, you are really talented.”
Ji Tiantian, eating a bun, hid her mocking smile, thinking, ‘With your mediocre skills, still trying to act close to me?’
The Ji Family’s breakfast continued, and after finishing, they walked out together. Ji Tiantian still did not see Ji Sisi.
She wondered if it was not really to participate in the competition.
Regardless, Ji Tiantian followed the group to the competition building opposite, found her place, and sat down.
Before she could start looking for Ji Sisi, the competition began.
The host from yesterday stood in the center of the venue and started to read out the competition rules.
“Two hundred to one hundred competition rules, the Mechanical Combat Masters controlling the Mechas, will perform a demonstration of designated actions, and the jury will score based on the completeness of these actions.”
“The top one hundred will advance, participating in the next round of one hundred to fifty.”
“Alright, now please Mechanical Combat Masters, get on your Mechas, come to the center of the field, and stand as per the numbers you received yesterday.”
Nian Shutong, in the stands, looked in the direction of Ji Sisi, who suited up in her Mecha herself.
Normally, a Mechanical Designer and a Mechanical Combat Master are two separate persons. In this Mecha design competition, regular designers came with a Combat Master who had always partnered with them.
At least, Ji Tiantian was like that; she only knew how to design and repair but was far behind in control.
Or rather, the entire venue, only Ji Sisi was playing both roles herself.
Mechas, one by one, were controlled and walked to the center of the field, standing according to their numbers.
Ji Tiantian didn’t look at her own Mecha but was searching for Ji Sisi’s figure among the designers outside the field.
“How come she’s not here yet?”
“Hm? What’s not here, Tiantian?”
Ji Tiantian, looking impatiently at the girl beside her said, “Nothing.”
The girl, a bit hurt, lowered her head and stopped talking.
But at this time, Ji Tiantian had no patience to continue the act, just continuously puzzled internally, wondering if it was really a coincidence that Ji Sisi was not here to compete?
“Doot—The competition begins.”
A whistle blew, Ji Tiantian set aside her thoughts and focused on her Mecha.
This section mainly tested the Mecha’s agility, requiring movements to be replicated from those shown on the screen.
The jury would score based on how well the movements were executed.
“Look, look, that blue one is the Ji family’s genius!”
“Such good execution of movements.”
“Of course, that’s the Ji family, the best Mecha family around.”
“Is that black one a Mecha? It’s so small.”
At this time, many eyes were drawn to the one unique Mecha in the field.
“Is that really a Mecha?”
“It must be, otherwise it wouldn’t have passed the preliminaries.”
“My first time seeing such a small Mecha.”
“Look, its movements are almost no different, it’s a perfect replica!”
Ji Sisi’s Mecha, performing a head-to-foot movement.
Chest to the ground, the waist began to exert force backwards, legs bending forward, touching her own head.
Every other Mecha in the venue could only manage a chest-to-ground inverted position.
But Ji Sisi’s Mecha replicated it perfectly, and she even improvised, as the black Mecha could almost make its hips parallel to its body.
“Oh my!”
“How is that possible!”
“Is that even a Mecha? How can it be so flexible?”
“It’s unbelievable!”
“Whose Mecha is that?”
Whose Mecha it was, everyone in the designer crowd searched, even the designers themselves exchanged glances asking each other: Is it yours?