Make money by hiding in the interstellar battlefield!

Kensei had absolutely no confidence in his duel with Fujiwara Takeo.

The S-class Golden Mech was the pinnacle of human technology, and paired with a battle-hardened warrior like Fujiwara Takeo, their combat power was unmatched. No matter how ferocious the intelligent beasts were, they ultimately relied on biological mutation and instinct to fight. Their flight maneuverability, battlefield adaptability, and understanding of disassembling human mechs and weapons were far inferior to those of a systematically trained warrior piloting a top-tier mech. Shooting down Fujiwara Takeo within fifteen seconds was ten times more difficult than fighting the beast tide that night.

Without overwhelming strength, one can only rely on data to find a way out. He immediately sent Lin Zhizhi to the Mech Officer School to review all the combat, training, and instructional videos of the twelve S-class mech warriors. He also requested the combat records of the other eleven, not just Fujiwara Takeo.

During this time, he became increasingly convinced that the data reasoning function of the patch system, given a sufficiently large and comprehensive sample, was not simply data analysis, but rather a kind of "prophet" capable of accurately predicting the opponent's next move and even forecasting the course of the battle. What he had to do was to extract every flying habit and every maneuvering flaw of Fujiwara Takeo from the massive amount of video footage, calculating all the possibilities.

Lin Zhizhi wasn't idle either; she spent the entire afternoon practicing relentlessly at the training ground. She honed the speed and stability of carrying her gun and reloading, the accuracy of firing flares—every movement was ingrained in her muscle memory. She knew that in the duel, her flare was the sole opening signal for Jiansheng's ten-second kill, allowing no room for error. His reloading speed would affect whether there were any gaps in the firepower network Jiansheng had created for the enemy.

At 8 p.m., the night completely engulfed the Seventh Ring City, and a light drizzle soaked the entire city. The duel began on time.

The news had already spread throughout the streets and alleys, and more than three million residents came out of their homes, climbed onto rooftops and onto city walls, looking up at the dark night sky. Everyone was waiting for this showdown that concerned the glory of the S-class mechs and the life and death of Jian Sheng.

Fujiwara Takeo's S-class Golden Mecha slowly ascended and came to a steady stop at an altitude of one thousand meters. At that very moment, Lin Zhizhi, piloting the not-yet-fully-repaired Libra Mecha, suddenly launched a powerful flare!

A blinding white light exploded instantly, illuminating the rainy night sky as if it were daytime. The ten-second countdown to the decisive victory officially began.

"Boom boom boom boom—"

The twin-barreled sniper cannons roared incessantly without stopping. Jian Sheng's fingers moved with lightning speed, emptying all four magazines within ten seconds. Twenty-eight incendiary armor-piercing rounds, trailing flames, hurtled straight towards the S-class mech in the air.

Fujiwara Takeo maneuvered the mecha with incredible agility, dodging and weaving through the air, showcasing the full potential of the S-class mecha. However, an incendiary armor-piercing round struck the mecha's shield, exploding in a spectacular display of fire, but failing to penetrate it completely.

But what Jian Sheng truly wanted was not to win with this one blow.

The moment the flames subsided, subsequent bullets precisely targeted the weak points, hitting the mech's head, shoulders, hips, legs, and genitals in five consecutive places. The mech instantly lost power and plummeted straight to the ground.

The continuous firing of incendiary armor-piercing rounds was as dazzling as iron sparks, just like a fireworks show, truly beautiful!

On the public channel, Jian Sheng's cold and mocking voice rang out, echoing throughout the entire Seven Rings City: "This is the man from your Fujiwara family, an awesome S-class mecha warrior."

This fireworks display was witnessed by at least two million people, and this night was destined to be sleepless. Jian Sheng's reputation as the "God of Snipers" resounded throughout every corner of the Seventh Ring Road.

Another S-class mech from the Fujiwara family immediately took off and caught the falling mech safely. Fujiwara Takeo was unharmed, demonstrating the terrifying protective power of the S-class mech.

With the duel's outcome decided, the military court's verdict was no longer in doubt: Jian Sheng was found not guilty of desertion. George Thorne's lips curled into a playful smile as he muttered to himself, "See? I've taken you seriously enough. I never expected you to surprise me time and time again. The Windsor family has completely abandoned you. It seems our George family's opportunity has finally arrived. It's time to go all out. With his combat prowess and intellect, he's already surpassed an ordinary S-class mech warrior in some respects."

Although Kensei won, he was also merciful. However, whether Fujiwara Takeo was truly seriously injured and embarrassing was something the Fujiwara family tried their best to cover up, refusing to admit it. And with this duel over, what followed was the caged deathmatch with Fujiwara Ryu three days later.

The arena owner was beaming with joy. Normally, the best tickets for a regular duel cost only twenty or thirty yuan, but for this life-or-death battle, tickets outside the arena had already been inflated to a thousand yuan, and even then, they were incredibly hard to come by. The front-row seats were being snapped up by the nine major families through connections, and he dared not offend these powerful figures, so he could only sell them at the original price of thirty yuan. Even so, the ticket revenue alone was a huge sum. But the real money always came from the betting outside the arena.

Upon learning the news, Paul immediately rushed back to Seven Rings City from the rare earth mine. The Fujiwara family believed they inherited the bloodline of the Southern Star Japanese clan, and all members of the family were skilled with swords when piloting mechs. This cage fight was set as mech close combat, and the arena owner specially booked the entire black market area, which was the size of four football fields, enough for two mechs to fight at full strength.

The off-site betting amount was too large for the arena owners to handle, so Paul gritted his teeth and became the largest bookmaker. Fujiwara Ryu was a well-established double-A talent mecha warrior, and with the Fujiwara family's inherited swordsmanship, his mecha and swordsmanship contained hidden black technology, making him a favorite to win.

Even though Jian Sheng had just won the sniper god-level battle, he was still not favored. For the past three days, he stayed at home, practicing his sword with Lin Zhizhi at the mecha officer school, ignoring all the noise, betting, and discussions from the outside world.

During this time, the Helen sisters tried to see him several times, but he refused to see them each time. He didn't hate them; as members of a family, family interests came first, and there was little room for sentimentality. The Windsor family decisively severed ties with him, their core objective being to regain control of the team and appoint a pure-blooded Windsor as captain. Those not of their race could never gain their complete trust. Everything has its advantages and disadvantages; while family cohesion was strengthened, it also chilled the hearts of outsiders. This was a path the Windsor family themselves had chosen.

Three days later, at six o'clock in the evening, the black market on the North Seventh Ring Road was brightly lit and bustling with people.

The destructive power of mechs in close combat far exceeded what ordinary iron cages could contain. The arena owner specially transferred twelve Class C mechs from the Mech Officer School to guard the perimeter of the arena, both to maintain order and to prevent the mechs from breaking out and injuring the audience. The huge arena was simply fenced off, and the ticketed audience was packed to the brim. The rooftops and high platforms outside the arena were also filled with onlookers. This cage battle had become a carnival for the entire Seventh Ring City after the beast tide.

The entire city was betting. Paul was certain that Kenshin would win, so he deliberately lowered the odds, giving Fujiwara Ryu 1.6 to 1 and Kenshin 2.4 to 1, in order to attract more people to bet on Fujiwara Ryu. Roughly calculated, if Kenshin won, Paul's overseas betting profit could exceed 1.5 million, but if he lost, he would be completely bankrupt and have nothing left.

His real wife was constantly anxious, watching him repeatedly plead, "Honey, do we really have to gamble so much? Wouldn't it be better if we played it safe?"

Paul gazed at the bustling black market outside the window, his eyes filled with a desperate resolve: "I've been a dog for others for over a decade, I'm sick of it. I've finally seized this one and only chance to turn my life around, I have to gamble."

"What if we lose?" His wife's voice was trembling with tears.

"You lost?" Paul paused for a moment, then his tone turned somber. "I left you two apartments in the Third Ring Road, and a sum of money that's enough for you and the children to live on for the rest of your lives. Even if I lose, you can still survive."

On this day, almost all the powerful and influential people in the Seventh Ring City were present.

Louise of the Windsor family was also among them. She had been firmly opposed to the family's decision to abandon Jian Sheng from the beginning, but ultimately she was powerless to change it. She knew very well that the Windsor family controlled ten mech teams and nearly three hundred A-class mechs. Jian Sheng's team was not the only option for this mission. The reason they chose him, an outsider, was because his team was not of pure blood and was located at the farthest point.

This mission to take on the beast tide was not a simple military task, but rather an exchange of interests. The other eight families promised that if the Windsor family completed the mission, they would receive priority in the development of the new city in the Southern Valley. The family ultimately chose a plot of land in the eastern part of the valley facing the mountains, where there were the only undeveloped natural reservoirs and rivers in the Southern Valley. Controlling the water source and power generation rights was equivalent to controlling the lifeline of the new city. In addition, they received a 20% share of military procurement and contracting for the newly built central fortress in the north. This benefit was enough for them to sacrifice a pawn.

Louise was deeply saddened by Marcus's sacrifice. Percival had only been testing the possibility of Lin Zhizhi's allegiance and had never asked Marcus to die, yet Marcus ultimately upheld the Windsor family's dignity with his life.

The family abandoned Jian Sheng for two main reasons: First, if Marcus were the captain, the team wouldn't be in such a predicament, and while Jian Sheng appeared submissive, he had never truly submitted to Windsor; once he gained power, he would inevitably break free of control. Second, the conflict between Windsor and Fujiwara had long been public. Fujiwara, backed by the Church, had disrupted the balance of power among the three families. They wanted to use the smear campaign against Jian Sheng to break the previous operational agreement. If Jian Sheng betrayed them and shifted the blame to Marcus, Windsor would not hesitate to eliminate him. However, Jian Sheng remained silent throughout the trial, and Percival admitted to saying the mission was over. His position was not subject to family influence, ultimately leading to this awkward situation of neither abandoning nor protecting him.

Jian Sheng neither betrayed the Windsor family nor protected their dignity. Windsor, in turn, did not put him to death. This ultimately led to the current situation: neither betrayal nor protection.

Louise's emotions were extremely complicated. The scene of Kenjiro's ten-second kill against Fujiwara Takeo was like a heavy hammer blow to the faces of all the family decision-makers, proving her foresight back then. But now it was too late to say anything.

This caged battle was not a casual sparring match, but a fight to the death.

Fujiwara Ryu had already attempted to put Kensei to death in the military court. Desertion was a capital offense, and Kensei's public humiliation of the Fujiwara family, making Fujiwara Takeo a laughingstock of the entire city, was an unbearable disgrace. The Fujiwara family would never let this go unpunished. The higher-ups of Seven Rings City wouldn't intervene either; the Northern Seven Rings were essentially a lawless zone, a buffer zone between various factions. A voluntary life-or-death duel, regardless of the outcome, would go unpunished. The Fujiwara family couldn't afford the shame, and Kensei, alone, had no one to stand up for him.

Louise knew that Kenjiro's swordsmanship was something she had taught him, and even if he had improved, the Fujiwara family had been deeply involved in mecha swordsmanship for many years, and the Twin Dragon Whirlwind Blade was a secret weapon of the family. Fujiwara Ryu had a very high chance of winning, and she herself was not confident in the fight.

George Thorne, on the other hand, was much more relaxed. While outwardly cold towards Kensington, he inwardly admired his unyielding yet defiant spirit. Kensington was already mortal enemies with the Fujiwara family and had been completely abandoned by the Windsor family. Among the three elite clans, his only option for survival was to ally with the George family. If Kensington could survive this deadly struggle, his value would be immeasurable.

The other S-class mecha warriors from the other families each had their own agendas.

The twelve S-class mech warriors, bound by their own interests for years, rarely had the opportunity to face each other directly. Percival, based on his age and combat record, was revered as the leader of the twelve, a position the others already resented. Now, Jian Sheng, having defeated an S-class mech with a C-class one, and also belonging to the sniper track alongside Percival, has everyone eager to see how far this seemingly ordinary young man can go. They also want to use this duel to glean insights into the practical weaknesses of their fellow mechs in combat.

Church representative Lin Lan was also present at the scene.

His cooperation with the Fujiwara family was merely a political alliance, not a willing one. Lin Zhizhi had cried and argued with him for Jiansheng's sake; though he felt sorry for her, he had no choice. But whether for personal reasons or for the interests of the church, he hoped Jiansheng would win. The three powerful clans were too rigid; the Fujiwara family was dominant, and the church was always at a disadvantage in the cooperation. Only when the Fujiwara family's prestige was damaged could the cooperation become more equal. The church, originally a rising force from the common people, had always been excluded by the nine major families and had never touched the core power of the mothership. Only by breaking the existing family structure could the church truly enter the decision-making level of the Seven Rings City and gain the right to participate in the First Ring Temple District.

With each faction harboring its own schemes and plots, the deadly battle in the cage officially began amidst the clamor and watchful eyes of the crowd.

The Fujiwara clan and its allies continued to mock him, labeling Kensei as a runaway captain, a lucky winner, and an overconfident individual. They all placed large bets on Fujiwara Ryu, determined to see Kensei killed on the spot.

The common people initially supported Jian Sheng, given his humble origins. However, faced with financial gain, no one dared to bet on an underdog, and the vast majority placed their bets on Fujiwara Ryu. With profit at stake, their stances shifted instantly, and the entire arena was filled with voices favoring Fujiwara Ryu. For Jian Sheng, this was a completely away game.

But Jian Sheng, who was in the middle of the field, particularly enjoyed the atmosphere of being isolated and helpless.

Having lived in this world for over nine months, he had always been cautious and barely surviving, constantly dealing with the schemes of various parties and being pushed to the brink of cannon fodder time and time again. His heart had long been filled with irritability and repression. His reasoned arguments in the military court and his godlike kill in the dueling arena allowed him to completely break free from the shackles of forbearance and realize his true nature—he was never one to willingly live a life of subservience.

In his past life, he despised his father's hypocrisy and tyranny, yet he had to admit that his inherent arrogance always stemmed from his privileged background. Although he was born out of wedlock, he could still use the excuse of "my dad is Li Gang" to bully 99.99% of people.

Having come into this world, he had no family background to rely on, no way out, and could only rely on himself to fight for his life.

Tonight, he wants more than just to kill Fujiwara no Tatsumi; he wants to break free from the vicious cycle of being manipulated, constantly on the run, and repeatedly becoming cannon fodder.

From this day forward, I will decide my own destiny.