Make money by hiding in the interstellar battlefield!

While the others continued to communicate with the engineers at Windsor Arms about the details of their mechs, Jian Sheng noticed that Chief Engineer Billy was free for the time being, so he went up to strike up a conversation.

"Chief Engineer Billy, I've always had a question. How was the initial industrial system of Seven Rings City built? Products like mechs clearly have a technological content that exceeds the existing industrial manufacturing capabilities."

This was a question that Jian Sheng had always had, but he had never found the right person to ask.

"The current mechs are worse than trash compared to S-class mechs. As for the initial construction of the industrial system, that's a long story!"

The general process involves completing the genetic modification program for the mothership in space before the mothership lands, while simultaneously deploying humanoid mech warriors to establish a preliminary industrial production line using the mothership's miniaturized industrial equipment. Only after all these preparations are complete can the genetically modified humans—the first generation of the nine major families in Seven Rings City—begin establishing colonies.

So, although the Seven Rings City has only been established for 70 years, the mothership has actually been in preparation for over a century.

"What about those humanoid mech warriors? And the industrial equipment?"

"Of course, it was war damage; perhaps some parts have been preserved. As for the equipment, do you think the nervous system on the current C-type mech can be manufactured using the equipment here?"

Although Billy didn't spell it out clearly, Jian Sheng understood. These most sophisticated devices had been divided up among the nine major families, which was why they were willing to collaborate on developing new mechs—or rather, why they had to.

After everything was settled, everyone gradually returned home.

"Brother, I have to go earn money today, so I won't be going back with you."

"What do you need money for? If you need money, I have some."

"I want to earn my own money. I used to be supported by Sister Lanlin, but I don't want to rely on others anymore."

"Making money is a good thing, but what are you going to do to make money?"

"Just leave it alone."

Lin Zhizhi left mysteriously, unaware that a meerkat was hovering in the air behind her, and a person was not far away.

"Bai Sheng, what do you think this silly girl is doing coming all the way to the North Seventh Ring Road to make money?"

"Chirp chirp...!"

"Get lost, you little pervert."

Bai Sheng landed on Jian Sheng's shoulder, and together they entered a large, enclosed shed. The environment was noisy, filled with laughter, shouting, and crowds of people.

"Sir, we need to buy tickets here."

"How much is a ticket?"

"20 Blue Crystals!"

Jian Sheng deftly pulled out a 100-yuan blue crystal coin, and the ticket seller at the door promptly began giving change. During this brief pause, Jian Sheng couldn't help but ask a question.

"Excuse me, what kind of performance do you put on here?"

Before asking that question, Jian Sheng had many inappropriate images in his mind.

"When I first met Lin Zhizhi, I didn't know there was a difference between men and women. Could it be because she's been doing some kind of adult performance for a long time?"

Amidst his frantic inner monologue, the ticket agent replied nonchalantly.

"Is this your first time here? No problem, you'll like it after a couple more visits!"

Seeing that the ticket seller was still charging the people behind him, he didn't dare ask any more questions. But his heart was pounding, already planning how to be a hero and rescue the damsel in distress. No, how to teach this silly girl a lesson for doing this for a little money.

After squeezing through the crowd, I finally got a clear view of the surroundings.

In the center was a massive, completely sealed iron cage, roughly 30 meters in diameter. Four cylindrical iron cage bands surrounded it, clearly for releasing something uncontrollable into the center. Jiansheng sat in the third row closest to the cage, according to his ticket. It seemed the ticket seller knew it was his first time there and sold him the most expensive ticket.

The noisy venue soon quieted down. A host walked into the cage with a microphone and began to introduce the evening's performance.

Jian Sheng had a bad feeling, which made him even more uneasy than before he came in.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Seven Rings City Colosseum! Tonight's highlight of the month is the challenger: the Dual-Sword Queen. Class Master: the Star Beast Butcher."

The crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers, clearly indicating that this match was attracting considerable attention.

"Let me briefly explain the rules. Two people will duel with their own weapons. At the same time, every 10 seconds, we will randomly release an unspecified number of six-legged dogs, for a total of 8. There are only three possible outcomes: the player who defends wins 40. The challenger wins 20. The last one is that neither of them survives. I believe everyone has already placed their bets."

Upon hearing this, Jian Sheng understood everything.

"That brat, she's come here to make money by risking her life!"

As Jian Sheng was thinking about how to stop Lin Zhizhi from risking her life, he overheard a man and a woman discussing something nearby.

"Honey, isn't this too cruel? A woman going to do this kind of thing, isn't she courting death!"

You can tell from the woman's coquettish tone that they can't possibly be a couple.

"Haha, just wait and see how this six-legged dog tears this little girl to pieces. I bet 20 that she won't come out alive. I've watched this butcher's matches many times. It's just that the odds are too bad, only 1 to 1.3."

Judging from his appearance, the man is not a fool; he seems to be someone who makes a living in the underworld.

Jian Sheng felt a chill in his heart, because this kind of person was worldly and his judgment wouldn't be bad. But Jian Sheng still felt very uncomfortable after hearing these words.

"But I have high hopes for this dual-wielding queen. How about I bet you 20? The odds are 1:1, I won't take advantage of you."

The man turned around and looked at Jiansheng with a mocking expression.

"Hey kid, do you have any money?"

Jian Sheng wasn't wearing his uniform today, nor would he be carrying that much cash. He could only hand over his identification; a captain at the Mech Officer Academy, someone of considerable wealth and status. Therefore, this identification was sufficient as collateral.

The middle-aged man carefully examined the document, then compared it to Jian Sheng's face, and nodded. His eyes darted around.

Jian Sheng's attention was not on him at this moment, because the contestant had already entered the arena.

"Now entering the stage is the Twin-Sword Queen, who has won multiple matches this month!"

A woman, Lin Zhizhi, about 1.8 meters tall and wearing a simple exoskeleton, entered the arena. The entire audience erupted in cheers, indicating her immense popularity.

"Now entering the arena is our king, the man who has held the title for 180 days, the Star Beast Butcher!" Another huge cheer rang out, and the entire arena reached its peak of excitement.

This person is over 2.1 meters tall, has a fierce look on his face, and seems to have some strength.

"My mind is out of control. If anything happens to this brat, I'll go in and chop that idiot into pieces and feed her to the dogs!"

Jian Sheng's palms were slightly sweaty. He wanted to stop it, but he knew it was too late. Bai Sheng, on the other hand, was extremely excited when Lin Zhizhi appeared, chirping incessantly. It was cheering Lin Zhizhi on.

Without further ado, the host left the stage.

The butcher made a very lewd gesture of cupping Lin Zhizhi's buttocks with both hands, and showed a mocking expression.

With a whistle, the competition began.

Duel field

The cage door slammed down with a deafening roar. Lin Zhizhi, tall and slender, was encased in a makeshift exoskeleton, her twin swords drawn, their cold glint reflecting the chill in her eyes. The "butcher's" lewd gesture had barely ceased when his sinister grin froze on his face—the next second, Lin Zhizhi was already upon him.

The mech's joints exploded with a bang, and the twin blades slashed out. Amidst the shrill clang of metal clashing, "Butcher" was jolted back several steps, his shoes carving deep furrows in the ground. Enraged, he swung his heavy axe, the force of the blow carrying a stench of blood. Lin Zhizhi swayed, dodging the attack like a ghost, her twin blades grazing the axe's surface and slicing through his armor, blood instantly seeping out.

The "Butcher" turned red-eyed, abandoned his axe, and lunged forward, aiming to choke her with his bare hands. But just as he got close, a hidden compartment on the side of the arena suddenly popped open, and a six-legged dog covered in black armor roared and charged out, its foul-smelling saliva flying everywhere, lunging straight at Lin Zhizhi's waist and abdomen.

Upon seeing this, the "butcher" retreated.

The ferocious beast lashed out with its claws and teeth, tearing through the air. Lin Zhizhi blocked with her twin blades, the clang of which made her hands go numb and her mecha arm guards dent instantly. Using the momentum, she flipped backward, her toes touching the cage bars as she leaped into the air, her twin blades slashing fiercely at the soft flesh connecting the beast's head to its skull!

"laugh--"

The blade pierced flesh, spraying black and red blood three feet wide. The six-legged dog howled fiercely, its head falling off simultaneously, its body convulsing as it crashed to the ground, its filthy blood spreading across the rough surface.

Taking advantage of the opening, "Butcher" swung his fist at Lin Zhizhi's face. She didn't dodge, but instead blocked it with her left elbow, her arm guard twisting and cracking, while her right hand simultaneously thrust out with two knives—one severing her wrist, the other piercing her chest.

"Pfft!"

Blood gushed out, bone fragments mixed with blood splattering onto the mech. "Butcher" screamed and fell to his knees, blood gushing from the hole in his chest, staining the ground in front of him red.

Lin Zhizhi drew her sword, and beads of blood slid down the blade. She looked down at her limp opponent, her twin swords hanging at her sides, her mecha humming as it cooled down. The bloodstains on her body and her chilling aura intertwined, exuding a terrifying ferocity.

But things happened so fast, and perhaps because such an upset would be too much of a loss for the organizers, they didn't end the competition. Four more six-legged dogs were released at the same time; it seems that it's best for them that no one comes out alive.

Lin Zhizhi forcefully kicked the butcher, who was not yet completely dead, towards a six-legged dog. She then turned and swung her long sword down, cleaving a six-legged dog that pounced on her in two. Then, with her left hand, she slashed diagonally, cutting another six-legged dog in half.

The last one may have become fearful after witnessing its companion being instantly killed. Even a six-legged dog is an intelligent animal, and those with intelligence will feel fear. As for the last one, it was still gnawing on the butcher's "lychee," which is a common habit among many carnivores—starting with the softest part.

Seeing this, there was no need to release the last three, as the outcome was already decided.

"The Dual-Sword Queen becomes the new champion!"

The referee's voice pierced the deathly silence, and the entire arena erupted in cheers. Lin Zhizhi didn't turn around to look back. The spotlight fell on her bloodstained mecha, its cold gleam sharp. The pool of blood and the mangled remains of the ferocious beast behind her became the bloodiest footnote to her title of "Dual-Sword Queen."

Jian Sheng, sitting in the audience, finally breathed a sigh of relief, his tense body relaxing instantly. But Bai Sheng on his shoulder was even more excited, spreading its wings and flying all over the place before finally landing on Lin Zhizhi's shoulder.

Upon seeing Bai Sheng, Lin Zhizhi naturally knew that Jian Sheng was also present, so she could only quickly run backstage.

What Jian Sheng didn't expect was that the man next to him who had lost a lot of money showed no sign of frustration; instead, he clapped and cheered loudly. It was as if he was the most loyal fan of the Double-Sword Queen.

"Captain Jiansheng, I wonder if I could invite you both to dinner to celebrate the Dual-Sword Queen's victory? Afterwards, I'll have my wife go and withdraw 20 yuan in cash."

Jian Sheng was quite surprised, but he could tell that the other party had no bad intentions, and it seemed that there was more to come, so he did not refuse.

"Okay, I'll be waiting for you two at the door in ten minutes!"

"Okay, just a moment!"

Jian Sheng could tell that the other party wouldn't renege on their debt, and what he wanted to do most right now was to teach Lin Zhizhi a lesson!