bookbashuk Chapter 37: Trading your life for a bad review? This batch of clients is unmanageable!
Chapter 37: Trading your life for a bad review? This batch of clients is unmanageable!
【CE71.2.18. African Community - Tassir Region】
Above the desert, murderous intent surged.
In the distorted air of the heatwave, two mobile suits were engaged in a life-or-death duel. The white Strike Gundam resembled an enraged grim reaper, its beam saber whirring and tearing through the atmosphere; while the four-legged, desert-painted Lako was like a seasoned beast, each pounce precise and deadly.
Sweat beaded on Andrew Bartfield's forehead as he gritted his teeth and pushed the joystick to its limit. Kira Yamato,
This young assault pilot's growth rate exceeded all his expectations.
At this moment, what gleamed in the opponent's eyes was the same resolute determination that belonged to a top ace, just like his own.
"Andy!" Elsa's exclamation rang out in the cockpit.
The Strike Gundam's movements defied the limits of physics in an instant, executing an unbelievable turn that bypassed all of Lako's bullets, and thrusting its beam saber straight into the cockpit!
Bartfield's pupils contracted sharply. He couldn't escape.
In that split second, a "seed" shattered in Kira's eyes, a flash of golden light disappearing in an instant. SEED erupted! The Strike's movements were faster and more ruthless, the energy on its beam blade even elongated due to the speed, determined to bury the "Desert Tiger" completely.
"Andy!"
Driven by the instinct for survival and the determination to protect, Aisha made her final choice. She snatched the auxiliary control stick and, without hesitation, thrust her co-pilot area towards the beam of death!
Everything will end in the next second.
However, time seemed to be forcibly slowed down by an invisible hand.
A black lightning bolt, without warning, forcefully entered the battlefield from the side at an angle that completely defied the laws of aerodynamics and inertia!
"boom--!!!"
It wasn't a clash of weapons, but a suicidal collision of extreme brutality!
The black "Ghost," the special-equipped Zeon that should have been observing from afar, unleashed a roar from its engine that seemed out of place in this era. It didn't use a shield, made any blocking motion, but instead used its fragile left shoulder and arm to slam itself headfirst into Lako's torso!
[SR Card - Banagher Links (Unicorn Mode) - Activate!]
[Psychic Frame (Imitation) - Short-Term Resonance!]
"Are the friendly forces' mobile suits old Zeon models? Where did they come from?"
Inside the cockpit, Ling Yu's veins bulged as he stared at the crimson control panel and let out the resolute roar of the "Beast of Possibility."
"Yes! You also think this battle was a mistake? Great, there are others besides me who think this battle was a mistake."
"Get on it!"
An invisible force exploded from the center of the "Ghost's" body!
"Sizzle—"
With a piercing metallic tearing sound, the Strike Gundam's deadly beam saber merely grazed the rapidly shifting Ghost's body, instantly melting and vaporizing its entire left arm along with part of its shoulder armor! The massive Lako, under this brute force, was like an iron can struck by a giant hammer, tumbling and flying dozens of meters away!
Bartfield and Aisha, who had narrowly escaped death, stared blankly at the tactics screen.
On the screen, the tattered body of "Ghost" billowed with black smoke, like a wounded but still unyielding guardian, standing between them and the Strike Gundam.
The entire battlefield fell into an eerie silence.
"Hello!"
A cynical yet crystal-clear voice resounded through the public channel, reaching the cockpit of every mobile suit.
"You white-haired guy! I'm talking to you, Kira! You won, fine, but you want to take your family too? That's so unfair!"
Inside the cockpit of the Strike Gundam, Kira Yamato awoke from the state of SEED's explosion. He stared blankly at the black figure that had saved the enemy and severely injured him.
Why? Why would he save the ZAFT people?
The voice continued, filled with complaints and dissatisfaction towards the customer:
"Andy, my 'escort' service was pretty good, wasn't it? Forcing a lane change in an emergency, charging an extra 90% risk fee isn't unreasonable, is it? Remember to give me a five-star review later! Otherwise, I'll give you a bad one! I'll reimburse you for the tea later!"
At that moment, everyone who heard these words had their worldview shaken to varying degrees.
Inside Laco's cockpit, Bartfield stared at the tattered silhouette of "Ghost" on the screen, and heard the flippant "escort" and "good review" again. A thought struck him like lightning.
A businessman? No.
This man was never a businessman!
The transaction was the means, the intelligence was the bargaining chip, and everything he had done and said before was a prelude! In order to stage this scene, a "benevolent" script of his own!
He wasn't doing this for the alliance, nor for ZAFT. He has his own principles!
A mixture of awe, gratitude, and fervor instantly seized the heart of this desert overlord.
---
On the distant sand dunes, a ferocious four-legged hunting dog—"Lu Feng"—lies silently in wait.
Inside the cockpit, Xiao Ran's brows were tightly furrowed, and the data stream on his retina was refreshing rapidly.
[Warning: A major paradox exists in the target behavior logic.]
[Analysis in progress... Determination: This action yields no clear military or strategic gains. It results in a pure loss of energy and resources. Benefit assessment: -85%.]
[Conclusion: This behavior falls under the category of irrational "value display" or "self-gratification." It is unpredictable, unquantifiable, and uncounterable.]
For the first time, Xiao Ran felt that things were getting tricky.
Rationality can be calculated, and greed can be tempted, but how do you contend with a pure "madman" who cannot be measured by self-interest?
He stared at the black Gene emitting black smoke on the screen as if he were looking at an indescribable monster from a higher dimension.
---
The battle ended abruptly due to this unbelievable turn of events.
Kira, deeply traumatized, piloted the Strike Gundam and chose to retreat under the cover of the Archangel.
Bartfield watched the black "ghost" limp away into the horizon, without ordering a pursuit. He simply gripped Aisha's cold hand tightly, which trembled slightly with lingering fear.
He remained silent for a long time before making a decision that would change the entire course of the war in Africa.
He cut off all communications with the ZAFT home fleet and issued new orders to all his troops.
"All personnel, immediately enter radio silence mode."
His voice was incredibly firm.
"Our primary mission is no longer the Archangel."
"Instead, I'll find that 'ghost' and repay this...life-saving debt."
---
In a rocky rift valley hundreds of kilometers away.
Ling Yu finally managed to hide the "ghost," which now only had half a body, and slumped into the driver's seat, panting heavily.
"Damn it...we almost messed up. Luckily, Banagher was tough enough, otherwise we would really be done for today."
He brought up the system panel with lingering fear.
[Ding! Side quest: "The Desert Tiger's Tea Party" has been exceeded!]
[Hidden achievement unlocked: Unparalleled Benevolence (Rescue key story characters in battle using non-hostile methods)]
[Rewards being calculated... System points received: 1500 points.]
[Special Reward: 1 Random Recipe Blueprint]
"Oh? There are random blueprints too? Not bad, not bad at all. At least my left half of a Zeon wasn't wasted." Ling Yu rubbed his hands together and clicked on the blueprint icon that was flashing with golden light with anticipation.
[Congratulations to driver Ling Yu for obtaining a rare recipe blueprint:]
[Elsa Teaches You How to Make Authentic Bavarian-Style German Sausage (Home Recipe)]
Inside the cockpit, there was absolute silence.
The smile on Ling Yu's face gradually froze.
"...No, are you serious? That's it?"
He looked at it again in disbelief.
"I piloted a mobile suit, withstood a beam saber, pulled off an epic, suicidal rescue, moved myself to tears, terrified the enemy, and turned the tide of battle... and you give me... a recipe for roasted sausages?!"
Ling Yu slammed his fist on the control panel in anger.
"System! Come out here! What's wrong with a man being a pervert?! What's wrong with me liking pretty older women?! This is workplace PUA! I demand a different reward! Otherwise, I'll file a complaint against you!"
The system did not respond.
Only the sausage recipe with the cute little pig head on it radiated an innocent yet mocking light on the screen.