The wind pushed the interrogation room door shut, and the light from outside disappeared.
The young woman standing by the door finally came into clear view.
She wore a plain white bodysuit uniform with only a cloak draped over it, making it obvious she had come in a hurry.
Even so, her tall figure and golden eyes, cold and imposing, still gave her an overwhelming presence.
Eden had gathered her long silver-white hair behind her head and tied it into a ponytail. Flanked by a group of armed Mecha Girls, she entered the interrogation room.
Falcon's heart lifted the moment she saw Eden, and the worry on her face vanished.
She quickly stood, straightened her back, and saluted. "Governor!"
Ethan Yang stared at the supreme leader of the Mecha Island Joint Faction, his face pale and his lips trembling.
What had he done to deserve this? He was only the owner of a top-300 club.
How had he drawn in one of Mecha Island's top figures?
Eden's gaze swept over Falcon, and she gave a slight nod. She did not even glance at Ethan Yang. Instead, she stared at Quentin Lin, whose expression in the video was just as ugly, and asked again, "Her status isn't enough. Is mine enough, Commissioner Lin?"
Quentin Lin opened his mouth, his face dark. "Mm... Your status is certainly enough, but this is only a minor matter. There was no need to trouble you personally."
"Abusing a Mecha Girl is not a minor matter. Especially when it is retaliatory abuse against a top-tier Mecha Girl." Eden walked to Crimson's side and looked at the cracks on her face and neck. Beneath her calm, unreadable eyes, a storm was raging.
She clenched her teeth in silence, took a deep breath, and forced her anger down.
"Quentin Lin." Eden stood with her back to everyone and addressed the middle-aged man by name. "You are a commissioner of the Techmasters' Alliance. You should know what crime it is to abuse a top-tier Mecha Girl. It is the same as abusing a frontline soldier.
"And the damage has already reached Level 5!
"Under the laws of Mecha Island and the Federation, the abuser should be sentenced to death. If the abuser is a Techmaster, they are stripped of their privileges and sentenced to life imprisonment."
When Falcon said "life imprisonment," Ethan Yang had not felt much.
But now that Eden was the one saying it, he felt as if a guillotine were hanging over his head, ready to drop at any moment.
He was only thirty-five. Though he had not become world-class, he already had wealth and status that ninety-nine percent of people could never reach in their entire lives. Now, with a single sentence, everything was about to be stripped away from him. No matter how deep his schemes ran, it was impossible for him to stay calm.
"What kind of soldier is she? She's just a killing machine that tried to assassinate a Techmaster!" Ethan Yang stiffened his neck and pointed at Crimson. "Plenty of people know about this. The entire Techmasters' Alliance knows. Eden, even if you are the leader of the Mecha Island Joint Faction, protecting a Mecha Girl like her means making an enemy of the entire Techmasters' Alliance!"
[Mecha Girl Restriction Regulation 1: Lifted]
The lights in the interrogation room flickered.
A bone-chilling killing intent spread through the room, making everyone feel their hearts tighten.
Smack!
A crisp slap rang out.
Before Ethan Yang could even scream, he was sent flying. He crashed to the side and fell unconscious.
Several bloodstained teeth clattered onto the floor.
A bright red palm print swelled on his cheek, quickly turning purple.
Wind Blade stood face-to-face with Eden, her pupils trembling as her wind-tossed hair fell back into place.
Eden was still holding out her hand.
"You think you're worthy of calling me by name?"
Eden withdrew her hand, removed her glove, and tossed it aside. Then she bent down and picked up the phone that had fallen to the floor.
Throughout the entire process, her body was full of openings, but Wind Blade did not dare move at all.
She could not move, and she could not react.
Wind Blade's face was pale.
When Eden moved, all she had seen was a blur. Then Ethan Yang, a full-grown man, had been sent flying.
She could not track Eden's speed at all.
Facing Eden was like a rabbit facing a wolf.
Her agility, strength, and reflexes were all locked down by that overwhelming pressure.
Of course, she had no intention of resisting anyway.
...
Five minutes later, the heavily injured and unconscious Ethan Yang and the Mecha Girls had all been taken outside and placed under the control of the Armed Forces Department.
Only Eden and Falcon remained in the interrogation room.
"Quentin Lin, now that the noisy dog has shut up, let's speak plainly."
Eden handed the phone to Falcon for her to hold, then dragged over a chair and sat down.
Through the phone, she faced the middle-aged man directly.
One was the leader of the Mecha Island Joint Faction. The other was a commissioner of the Techmasters' Alliance.
At this point, the matter was no longer just a conflict between Ethan Yang and Crimson. Once these two faction leaders confronted each other, the nature of the incident had already escalated into a question of equality between Techmasters, humans, and Mecha Girls. Its outcome would also determine how the Techmasters' Alliance and Mecha Island would maintain balance going forward.
Quentin Lin showed no reaction to Ethan Yang being beaten.
Ethan Yang had called Eden by name just now, so being struck was only natural.
There was nothing to argue about there.
By now, Quentin Lin had calmed down. He frowned and said, "Eden, it seems you came prepared today. But I still have to remind you that this is a critical moment for cooperation between the Techmasters' Alliance and Mecha Island. Every choice you make will affect our partnership. Hunters are surrounding us outside, and our soldiers are still fighting on the front lines. You cannot let them lose faith!"
"Then let the Hunters come in," Eden said flatly. "Let the Void break through. We can all die together."
"You..." Quentin Lin's face flushed, and his cheeks puffed with anger.
"Quentin Lin." Eden tapped the table as a reminder. "You need to understand something. Psychic Energy Mechas are piloted jointly by Mecha Girls and Techmasters. Neither side can be missing. Techmasters handle control, while Mecha Girls provide the power. Without the AI Cores of Mecha Girls, not a single Psychic Energy Mecha on the front lines will take off.
"Mecha Girls are not subordinates of Techmasters. We rise together, and we fall together!
"Do you want to see the Void occupy this world? All we have to do is make Ethan Yang's abuse of Crimson public. Crimson can be sentenced to the Recycling Yard. That was her mistake. But that does not mean Ethan Yang can exploit a loophole, use a settlement agreement to get Crimson back, and torture her until she reaches Level 5 damage!"
Seeing the anger in Eden's eyes, Quentin Lin fell silent, his face twitching slightly.
After a long while, he forced out a strained smile. "Governor Eden, the Techmasters' Alliance was established to fight alongside Mecha Island. We have never changed that original purpose. But you also understand that if Crimson is not sent to the Recycling Yard while Ethan Yang is sentenced to life imprisonment, there will be problems on the Techmasters' Alliance side as well. So..."
"I'll give you two choices," Eden interrupted him.
"First, Ethan Yang is sentenced to life imprisonment, and Crimson is reclaimed by Mecha Island."
"Second, Ethan Yang is confined for two months, stripped of management rights over Crown Club, and stripped of all assets except competition supplies such as modules and nutrient solution. He will compensate Blaze with one hundred million for medical expenses and emotional damages. In addition, the Human Federation and Mecha Island's Armed Forces Department will be reorganized. The new Armed Forces Department will consist entirely of Mecha Girls, and all underground black markets will be placed under its unified management.
"Choose!"
Clearly, Eden intended to protect Crimson.
Quentin Lin pinched the bridge of his nose.
They were far too passive in this matter. Eden had caught them red-handed.
Abusing a top-tier Mecha Girl to the point of Level 5 damage. If this got out, wouldn't the Mecha Girls on the front lines go on strike en masse?
But if Ethan Yang received life imprisonment while Crimson, who had tried to assassinate a Techmaster, was merely reclaimed, the Techmasters in the Alliance would struggle to accept it.
It would be a complete loss of face.
As for the second choice...
"Wait. What about Crimson?" Quentin Lin frowned.
"There is no Crimson," Eden said calmly. "Crimson was sent to the Recycling Yard long ago. That Mecha Girl is named Blaze."
...
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