The next morning, 7:50 AM, at K-0517 Dock of the spaceport.
Luo Qingning stood with her arms crossed at the entrance of the Bluebird Light Transport Ship, frowning as she surveyed the four mechas already parked inside the ship's hold, along with their pilots.
A regular person, a fat guy, and three... kids?!
She glanced again at the mechas: a Sabertooth Tiger Mk II and a Wildcat Mk I, which were acceptable.
But what model was this heavily modified mecha that looked completely unrecognizable? It resembled a canned drink, a cylindrical shape from top to bottom.
If it weren't for the tracks below, Luo Qingning might have thought it was a bridge pier...
And then, the most speechless sight was the last mecha, a Bedrock Mk I?!
A humanoid motion-capture mecha!
And it was a one-armed humanoid motion-capture mecha!
Could this thing even move?
Although for this mission, she only needed a guide and had only paid 20,000 Star Coins, not expecting to hire any high-end personnel.
But... wasn't this a bit too perfunctory?
A young man in a black combat suit and sunglasses walked up to Luo Qingning and said, "Miss, everything is ready. The departure channel is clear. Shall we... set off?"
"Sigh... let's go."
Luo Qingning sighed, turned around, and walked into the front cabin of the Bluebird Transport Ship, no longer paying attention to Qin Zheng and the others.
Qin Zheng found a gear box to lean against, feeling relieved.
This client was quite kind; even though they didn't seem very reliable, she didn't make things difficult for them face-to-face, saving them from having to explain.
Meanwhile, three kids gathered around Zhu Fugui, exclaiming:
"Wow! Fugui Ge, that sister is so pretty!"
"Yeah, even prettier than the stars on the posters!"
"Fugui Ge, you're drooling, wipe it off quickly."
Zhu Fugui hurriedly wiped his mouth, only to realize there was no drool at all!
The three kids laughed and ran off.
In the front cabin behind the one-way glass on the second level, Luo Qingning stood with her hands behind her back, watching the laughing children below, lost in thought.
A woman in a tactical suit walked over and softly called out, "Miss?"
Luo Qingning exhaled lightly, turned her head to the woman in the tactical suit, and said, "Sister Ning, I'll have to trouble you this time."
"It's my duty, Miss. Don't worry, with me here, you'll be safe."
An hour and a half later, Qin Zheng felt the shaking of the ship's hold and slowly stood up. They had arrived at YT-117 Mining Planet.
This was his first time reaching the mining planet so quickly; usually, it took two hours on a Packhorse Transport Ship.
As expected of a minor noble, they truly had the resources.
As the transport ship landed, the hatch slowly opened, and Qin Zheng and the others piloted their mechas out first, standing near the transport ship, waiting for the client's team to emerge.
Soon, a small mecha less than four meters tall emerged from the hatch. This humanoid mecha had four arms, each with numerous joints, appearing exceptionally agile.
Cangjie SC4-01, the legendary Mk IV Mecha!
Qin Zheng's eyes widened; if not for the mecha's auxiliary recognition system, he wouldn't have recognized this mecha.
Even so, he couldn't believe that he had the chance to be so close to a Mk IV Mecha!
Following closely behind the Cangjie SC4-01 were two Qianji Mk III and two Shieldmount Mk III mechas.
The Shieldmount Mk III mechas were specialized for protection, towering nearly ten meters high, with massive blast shields mounted on the outer sides of their arms.
The entire mecha moved like a small mountain, exuding a sense of security. The less than four-meter-tall Cangjie SC4-01 looked like a toy beside it.
Notably, the Qianji Mk III on the left of the Cangjie SC4-01 was painted red, its modules appearing modified, making it extremely eye-catching.
From a simple observation, Qin Zheng felt that this Qianji's modifications were likely more advanced than those of BL-3-79 Squad Leader Du Peng's.
The red Qianji Mk III had modules not only for shooting units but also for close combat physical units!
Seeing such a configuration, Qin Zheng felt reassured.
This mission was basically secure!
Perhaps they wouldn't even need to take action; with the capabilities of these mechas, they should be able to crush ordinary Sawtooth Bugs.
Thinking this, Qin Zheng's mood improved greatly. Just by tagging along, he could earn nearly 4,000 Star Coins; this was truly a profitable trip!
Qin Zheng piloted the PS-01 to the right side of the team.
They had already discussed it on the way: Zhu Fugui would lead at the front, the Wildcat on the left, he on the right, and the two brothers operating the Combat Engineers would bring up the rear.
At this moment, Qin Zheng's PS-01 was moving towards the right side of the team when suddenly one of the Shieldmount Mk III mechas started moving, heading straight forward.
The Shieldmount's path was directly in Qin Zheng's way; if he didn't change direction, he would surely be knocked over by the Shieldmount.
Everyone in the team noticed the suddenly moving Shieldmount. Qin Zheng instinctively stepped to the side, which allowed him to avoid the Shieldmount's path.
Unexpectedly, the Shieldmount changed direction again, aligning once more with Qin Zheng's route. It was clear to everyone that this Shieldmount intended to collide!
QJ3-01 (Red·Commander): "Yan Bo, what are you doing?"
MT3-02: "Oops, didn't notice. That crippled mecha, move out of the way, don't block the path."
Inside the cockpit, Qin Zheng chuckled in anger. This person was clearly targeting him.
Although he didn't know why, dodging silently was not his style.
Without wasting words, Qin Zheng took a deep breath, activating the Breathing Technique instantly, his muscles primed for action.
On the surface, the PS-01 seemed to ignore the Shieldmount's words, continuing along its predetermined path.
The Shieldmount 02's pilot smirked coldly, driving the nearly ten-meter-tall Shieldmount straight at him without hesitation!
QJ3-01 (Red·Commander): "PS-01, get out of the way!"
As if a starting horn had sounded, Qin Zheng suddenly moved, accelerating with a quick step.
The PS-01's metal drive rods exerted force, its alloy feet pushing off the ground, and the body that should have been hit by the Shieldmount suddenly shot forward, leaping over the Shieldmount!
The Shieldmount missed its target, and the pilot's face stiffened, hurriedly trying to brake and turn.
This was the moment Qin Zheng had been waiting for. He stepped forward again, the PS-01 moving like a phantom to the Shieldmount's rear.
As the Shieldmount braked, he pushed and pulled, causing the nearly ten-meter-tall Shieldmount to wobble like a drunken giant.
It was clear the pilot was doing his utmost to regain balance, but with Qin Zheng nearby, how could he let that happen?
With a loud crash, the massive Shieldmount Mk III toppled to the ground.
The Shieldmount's pilot was about to curse when, with a sharp "clang," a Ship-Cleaving Blade scraped past the cockpit window, embedding itself in the ground!