"You want to terminate the contract?" Chloe Qin looked Blazing Wind up and down and let out a mocking laugh. "Fine. Pay the breach penalty, and I'll give you your freedom immediately."
"I can't afford that much."
"If you can't pay, then get lost."
Blazing Wind didn't argue. She lowered her head, took out a document and a USB drive, and said calmly, "The Mecha Island Mecha Girl Protection Agreement clearly states that a pilot must not assault or abuse a Mecha Girl without cause. Violators will be blacklisted by Mecha Island, permanently barred from bidding on Mecha Girls or forming contracts with them. They must also compensate the Mecha Girl with emotional damages equal to her transaction price.
"If there is a club agreement, the Mecha Girl will be reassigned to a new pilot by the club. If there is no club agreement, the Mecha Girl has the right to terminate the contract and regain her freedom."
She lifted the USB drive. "This contains the cockpit surveillance footage. It records you assaulting me, as well as the entire incident of you relieving yourself in the cockpit. I did not violate any Mecha Girl regulations. When we encountered danger, I did not forcibly disengage my deployment. It only disengaged automatically after I lost consciousness. I fulfilled my duty as a qualified Mecha Girl.
"If you refuse to release me, I will file a complaint with the Mecha Island Arbitration Council."
Public disgrace.
Permanent loss of the right to compete or contract with a Mecha Girl.
And in exchange? Losing a Mecha Girl who no longer meant anything to her.
Blazing Wind believed Chloe Qin knew which choice to make.
She had considered filing directly for arbitration. That would earn her compensation, but she would still remain bound to the BSC Club. Her transaction price wasn't high enough to cover the breach penalty. The only viable solution was to force both Chloe Qin and the BSC Club to voluntarily terminate the contract.
And within the BSC Club, Chloe Qin had the final say.
If she agreed, dissolving the employment contract would be effortless.
Chloe Qin was stunned by the carefully prepared blow. She stood there for a long moment, her expression shifting.
The once naïve, easy-to-control Mecha Girl in her memory had become someone she could no longer manipulate at will.
She had abused Blazing Wind. That was undeniable.
In the past, she had been careful—even with Purple Lightning, she limited herself to sarcasm and never laid a hand on her.
But yesterday in the cockpit, she had truly lost control.
After a long silence, Chloe Qin forced a strained smile.
"Blazing Wind, we've worked together for so long. There's no need to make this so ugly."
"What happened yesterday was my fault. You saw it—I'm completely paralyzed now. I've already paid the price. Are you really going to abandon me at a time like this? And even talk about suing me?"
As she spoke, two tears slid down her face.
Even the bodyguards standing nearby felt sick watching her.
They knew exactly how Chloe Qin treated Blazing Wind and Viper.
Call it being treated as tools if you wanted to be polite. More bluntly, they were maids, servants—worse off than the bodyguards themselves.
"Miss Qin, my patience is limited. Please sign the agreement."
Blazing Wind didn't waver.
She had nearly died yesterday. That experience had cleared her mind completely.
Now that she had the chance, she would never stay with Chloe Qin again. And she would never remain at the BSC Club.
This place was hell.
Seeing her resolve, Chloe Qin knew playing the emotional card was pointless.
Her face darkened. "Blazing Wind, do you really want to take this that far? Think carefully. You'll never find another pilot as talented as me. If you leave the BSC Club, my fiancé can make sure no club dares to take you in. Do you believe that?"
Blazing Wind knew Chloe Qin was backed by Colossus Group.
She also knew the threat wasn't empty.
Even so, she stepped forward, her expression cold.
"My future is none of your concern, Ms. Qin. Even if I end up as a functional Mecha Girl, I don't want any connection with you or the BSC Club. You have thirty seconds to sign. After that, I'll file for arbitration immediately."
"What are you two standing around for? Throw her out!"
Chloe Qin barked at the bodyguards.
The two men exchanged glances but didn't move.
Was she serious?
Blazing Wind might act simple and hardworking, like a cheerful puppy.
That didn't mean she was harmless.
On the contrary, she could punch a hole straight through a wall.
If not for regulations restricting Mecha Girl violence, one slap from her would send Chloe Qin's head exploding like a watermelon smashed by a hammer.
Seconds ticked by.
No matter how Chloe Qin ordered them, the bodyguards refused to act.
Gradually, she calmed down.
Keeping Blazing Wind served no purpose anyway.
Unlike Purple Lightning, her breach penalty wasn't high. She couldn't generate any value.
Better to sign and get rid of her.
With that thought, Chloe Qin shot her a vicious glare.
"My hands and feet can't move. How do you expect me to sign?"
Blazing Wind had already prepared for this.
She took out an ink pad, pressed Chloe Qin's finger into the red ink, then showed her the contents of the termination agreement. After confirming it, she guided her finger to leave a fingerprint on the signature line.
The moment she held the document bearing that fingerprint, Blazing Wind finally let out a long breath.
"Get out. You're free now!" Chloe Qin sneered, unable to stand the look of relief on her face. "But don't think you'll have it easy. A Mecha Girl who abandons her pilot? No one will ever want to contract with you again. Just wait."
The termination agreement was also a confidentiality agreement.
It clearly stated that once the contract was dissolved, the footage on the USB drive would never be released.
Chloe Qin was already planning to use her fiancé's influence to ruin Blazing Wind's reputation.
In the end, her fate would be to become a functional Mecha Girl.
Blazing Wind understood perfectly well what Chloe Qin intended.
She didn't care anymore.
She was free.
...
As she stepped out of the medical station, the wind felt noticeably fresher against her face.
She had no money. No home.
Her immediate priority was finding a club willing to take her in.
But after an entire afternoon, visiting seven different clubs, the enthusiastic expressions of the owners all faded the moment they heard she used to belong to Chloe Qin of the BSC Club.
It wasn't that Chloe Qin or Howard Wang had acted quickly.
They simply didn't dare accept such a hot potato.
Blazing Wind had even considered going to the Stella Club.
But remembering that she had once been their opponent, she lost her nerve.
She might get thrown out the moment she showed up.
By the time the setting sun slanted across the bridgehead, she still hadn't found a solution.
After wandering in circles, she returned near the medical station.
She held a steamed bun in her hand, given to her out of pity by a shop owner.
Her endurance was nearly depleted.
She couldn't even afford nutrient solution.
"Looks like I'll be sleeping under the bridge tonight."
Blazing Wind sat against the bridgehead, hugging her knees. She rested her chin on them and stared blankly at the few pedestrians passing by.
The medical station here was top-tier, and its prices matched. The surrounding area was mostly green space, with very little foot traffic.
Sleeping under a bridge here would at least be cleaner than one in a busy district.
No need to fight beggars or stray dogs.
Ah…
Right now, she felt like a stray dog herself.
"Dad, there's a Mecha Girl over there."
A child's voice rang out nearby.
Blazing Wind lifted her eyes from beneath her bangs.
A girl sat in a wheelchair, pushed by a tall, broad-shouldered middle-aged man.
The girl's smile was bright and warm, like morning sunlight.
"Hello, Mecha Girl," the girl said as she carefully stepped down from the wheelchair. She could walk, but each step took visible effort.
Still, she made her way over, crouched down in front of Blazing Wind, and extended a small hand that looked pale from spending most of her time indoors.
"My name is Vanessa Ming. Did you run into some trouble? Maybe my dad and I can help you."
...
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