Counterfeit Hero

Fatty and Milan turned their heads, only to see a middle-aged man with several bodyguards arguing intensely with a short young man. The topic of their debate was the effect of the Mecha’s size and weight on its speed. This issue is actually very simple; the Mecha’s shape, weight, engine power, energy distribution, electronic systems, transmission, and drive system, as well as the initial focus of its design, all affect its speed. It’s just like humans and horses: horses are heavier and larger than humans but humans can’t outrun horses, while elephants are larger and heavier than cheetahs but can’t outrun cheetahs. This is a very clear logic, but when it’s applied to Mechas, it changes the point of view.

When it comes to Mechas, the speed of off-road travel and road travel are two different concepts. Long-distance travel at full power and short-distance burst speed are also different concepts. The drive modes of humanoid Mechas, beast-shaped Mechas, and insect-shaped Mechas are fundamentally different and can’t be debated using such general principles.

These two guys were obviously beginners, stubborn and clueless. The rich middle-aged man argued that greater power equates to faster speed, with larger Mechas taking longer strides, while the short young man loudly rebutted, asserting that the smaller size faces less gravitational and inertial impact, thus being more agile with better burst speed. They fervently interrupted each other, vehemently accusing each other of ridiculous notions.

Fatty laughed so hard his stomach hurt. The two argued loudly, heedless of those around them, their debate was completely misaligned. The middle-aged man talked about speed while the young man discussed burst speed; one ignored agility while the other ignored endurance. Yet both argued passionately, with the crowd listening intently, with even some troublemakers joining in just to stir things up.

Since their understanding of speed concepts differed, naturally the rationale followed suit. But these two gained momentum, personal attacks became evident, and more people joined in the fray. Short people mainly sided with the young man while tall ones sided with the middle-aged man. Some seasoned Mecha enthusiasts tried to intervene multiple times to explain, but were rebuffed. Fatty secretly asked Milan, "Why are these people at this level?"

Milan, listening and laughing with a hand over her mouth, said, "Those who can afford Mechas are usually wealthy. Few truly understand Mecha maintenance. Do you think everyone has your luck, getting to see blueprints in labs? Nowadays, top mechanics are recruited by major corporations. Mecha maintenance and modification involve many disciplines; it’s hard for anyone to master them all. Mechanics and modifiers in the civilian sector, regardless of skill, call themselves masters. Most are newcomers, and those with some fame are elevated high. This repair center’s strength lies not in the skill level of its mechanics but in its large, cooperative team."

Fatty pondered this, and it seemed true. Without his military training in the Repair Camp or being forced by Boswell to study theory and blueprints in the lab, he might be worse than these two. They are at least experienced Mecha players, while he had never even touched a Mecha before, only liked buying Mecha books. He was completely ignorant of internal structures and parameters. The speed concept of Mechas and Flying Cars is entirely different. The structure and drive modes are of two distinct types. With the vast array of private Mechas, even models of the same size and weight perform differently in speed. It’s extremely difficult for a novice to grasp the principles without systematic study.

Seeing no staff intervening in this heated argument, Fatty thought, "No wonder this repair center is so busy, daring to call itself unbeatable. Compared to these players, it indeed seems unbeatable. If I retire, I’ll open a repair center and claim to be super unbeatable. Wouldn’t that be cool?"

Both sides were getting heated, the short young man said, "Don’t believe me? I’ll show you. Let’s race, you’re taller, let’s see who’s faster!" This confused logic left the middle-aged man speechless. He was used to being pampered; now someone wants him to race! Fortunately, one of his well-built bodyguards stepped forward and said to the young man, "I’m taller than you, why don’t we race?"

The young man didn’t expect to be caught in his own challenge. He was confident against the middle-aged man but facing this bodyguard, built like a sprint champion, he felt unsure. His eyes roamed, hoping someone among his companions would step in to replace him.