hotmtlnovel Chapter 70 Who Else But Me?
Chapter 70 Who Else But Me?
A few days after the weapons were installed, a message came crashing down.
A highly anticipated gladiatorial contest.
This time, the arena put its name on a very prominent note.
Five days later, Zhen Tianzun vs. Hercules.
The news sent shockwaves through the entire city of Charon. The arena immediately began expanding, adding outer passageways, re-dividing spectator seating areas, and increasing the number of live broadcast lines compared to usual. Even before the day of the match, the pre-match hype and promotion alone had created an atmosphere that was incredibly noisy.
Everyone knows this is no ordinary event.
If Zhen Tianzun wins, he will sit on the champion's throne in the arena.
When Yin Vector saw the schedule, his finger paused at the edge of the terminal for a moment, then he looked up at Zhen Tianzun on the other side.
"They've already set up the stage for you."
Zhen Tianzun leaned against the wall, glanced at the interface, and spoke in a completely flat tone.
"They also built a grave for themselves."
-
More than the schedule itself, Soundwave is concerned about something else.
[The manager has confirmed their attendance.]
[The highest grandstand box.]
[Route locked.]
Following this is a complete set of structural diagrams for the spectator tiers, including the distribution of passageways, guard rotations, and surveillance coverage around the boxes. It details everything down to which section is the elevator, which section will be heavily guarded 15 minutes before the match, and which section is most likely to have brief gaps due to concentrated attention during the climax of the match—all clearly marked.
The shockwave quickly picked up and filtered out several window segments.
"The guards on the box level aren't sparse. But once the main viewing area starts, attention will be drawn to the center of the arena. Especially in the middle and later stages of the match, if Zhen Tianzun and Hercules exert high-intensity pressure, the reaction time of the perimeter guards will be slower."
Red Spider leaned against the table, frowning impatiently as he heard this: "Simply put it."
"At that time, all the cameras will be focused on the match. Those few minutes are the best time to strike."
Orion sat on the other side, reviewed the structural diagram sent by the sound waves again, and added:
"A manager doesn't just bring his own people. In those situations, he'll also be accompanied by a delegation from the council and external systems. If it's time to act, you have to be quick, otherwise even a second's delay will cause chaos."
The ambulance was behind them. After watching for a while with their arms crossed, they said, "Either grab the person in one go, or better yet, don't touch them."
"Yes." Orion nodded.
Red Spider has already started adjusting its interface.
"Technically, we can provide you with two layers of protection. The first layer addresses temporary signal noise, and the second layer addresses short-term monitoring delays. The time won't be too long, but it will be sufficient."
He raised an eyebrow: "You're quite generous this time."
"Enough with the nonsense." Red Spider grinned, seemingly disgusted with him. "I just can't stand seeing a bunch of useless idiots make such a mess of things. And, by the way, I'd be even angrier if they trespassed on my territory again."
Everyone knows that this match is not as simple as "Zhen Tianzun defeating Hercules".
The real problem is who goes to the private room to deal with the manager.
The room was silent for a few seconds, and no one spoke first.
Finally, Yin Xiang pushed the interface in his hand aside, his tone cold and flat, with only a bleak and calm silence.
"I'll go to the private room."
Several computers on the table looked up at her at the same time.
Orion frowned first: "You're going?"
"Yes." Vector nodded. "You all need to be busy in other positions. Megatron has to step in, Soundwave and Shockwave need to keep an eye on the data and windows, Starscream needs to provide technical support, and Ratchet, Knockout, and you need to cover for the backup. I'm the right fit."
"Suitable doesn't mean it has to be you." Orion's tone turned a little somber. "That place is too risky."
"I'll go too."
"Attraction vector".
"I know what you're going to say." She looked at him, her tone calm. "You can give me a more legitimate path, like your credentials, or temporary access from Master Titanium's apprentice. But once we're inside, I'll be the one who does the work."
Orion didn't answer.
Her words were too direct and too clear. She wasn't trying to be brave; she simply said solemnly, "This strike must be made by me."
The interface on the other end of the sound wave lit up briefly, and a line of text quickly appeared.
I can do it.
The vector directly shook its head.
"No. You can do it, but it's not suitable for you. You need to monitor the entire information flow. If you leave, everyone else will be missing half their attention."
The interface was silent for two seconds, then another message popped up.
[Full-process corrections are available.]
"You handle this. I'll arrest the person."
Red Spider glanced at her, unusually refraining from his sarcastic tone: "You know you're talking about the highest grandstand box, not some random shack in the lower section, right?"
"Know."
"Then why are you going by yourself?"
"right."
"...Why?"
The vector looked at him, paused for a moment, and then spoke.
"First, they've been watching me all along. They've practically figured out this lead by now, so it's actually the most logical thing for me to go." She paused. "Second, I know better than any of you how much I want to kill him right now."
Everyone knows how much resentment she harbors.
She had been watched, investigated, and had her information leaked before, and was almost killed in an alley. Then, in the past few days, she'd heard everyone recounting how they'd also been tested. She was already burning with resentment.
"Moreover," Vector continued, "when the Heavenly Venerable is fighting down there, all the machines will be watching him. That's when it's easiest for me to get in."
Zhen Tianzun hadn't spoken a word until now, but finally he looked up at her.
They stared at each other for a few seconds, and all that could be understood from his eyes was their complexity.
"Have you thought this through?"
The vector nodded: "I've thought it through."
"Wasn't it just a momentary lapse of judgment?"
"no."
"Once inside, you can't delay even a step."
"I know."
The room was quiet for a while.
Zhen Tianzun looked at her and finally replied softly and in a low voice.
"OK."
Her attitude made it clear to everyone that there was no room for negotiation.
So what we need to do now is to minimize the risks.
Orion closed the optical glasses for a moment, and when he opened them again, he was no longer in the state of trying to persuade her.
"I'll give you the voucher. I can't take you directly to the private room, but I can get you into the inner passage. I'll guide you through the rest of the way using sound waves."
The voice immediately replied: "[Okay.]"
The shockwave re-examined the structural diagram.
"After you go in, the best window of opportunity is between the sixth and eleventh minute after the intense clash between Zhen Tianzun and Hercules. During this period, the guards' line of sight is the most diffused, and the delay in the real-time replay of the VIP box level is the most noticeable."
Red Spider threw two things directly onto the table.
One is a short-term jammer, and the other is a signal shield as thin as a sheet of metal.
"Take these two. The former will help you disconnect a small section of surveillance, and the latter will let you pass a scan. Neither will take long, don't be stupid enough to waste them."
"Can't you just speak normally for once?"
"cannot."
Hearing this, the ambulance driver finally chimed in, "I'll be on the perimeter with Knockout as a backup. If you really get bloodied inside, don't delay when you get out; run to the pre-arranged point immediately."
Knockout nodded: "I'll leave a gap for you over at the medical exit. If anyone chases you, just go that way, it'll hold them off for another half a minute."
"I'll go too."
A light, cheerful voice suddenly came from the doorway.
Several machines turned their heads at the same time.
The jazz musician stood outside, leaning against the door, his hand still resting on the doorframe, as if he had been listening for a while.
"I'll cover up part of the private room part for you," he said. "I may not be better than Soundwave at other things, but I'm good at blending in and out of big venues and diverting someone's attention a little."
Yin Xiang looked at him, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"So you're willingly getting on this pirate ship?"
"The ship's already sailed this far," the man said, spreading his hands to either side. "I can't exactly stand on the shore and applaud."
Red Spider scoffed, "You sure know how to find excuses for yourself."
The jazz chuckled and added, "Since the person in the private room has already tacitly agreed to be dealt with, then don't leave too many unnecessary survivors on the outside. Seal off the area with the guards if possible, and don't let them see what's happening inside too quickly."
"I'll handle this," Zhen Tianzun said again. "Tianzhen and Haiyi will guard that area. If something really happens, they'll hold off the first wave of attackers."
Now, the last layer of support is complete.
-
In the following days, everyone went into full preparation mode.
Orian wasn't idle. On the surface, he was still going in and out of the archives as usual, organizing materials, adjusting permissions, and occasionally processing some old documents for Master Titan. But a closer look would reveal that the things he had been adjusting these past few days were all internal access, escort visits, and access to the vicinity of the high-level viewing area.
Of course, Master Titanium could tell.
That day, Orion handed over a prepared temporary access hierarchy. Master Titan took it, glanced at it, and didn't ask if there was anything wrong. He simply flipped to the next page as usual and casually added a higher-level auxiliary recognition layer.
Orian paused and looked up at him.
Master Titanium remained calm as always, and said indifferently, "Bring this along too. In some places, an extra layer is always better than none."
Orion paused for two seconds before accepting the newly added permissions.
"……good."
Alita's style is different.
She didn't specifically seek out an opportunity to have a long talk with the vector, but simply sent a single frequency band.
【Are you there?】
The vector was looking at the route at the time, glanced at it, and replied:
[Yes. What's wrong?]
Alita replied very quickly.
There's a message I think you'd better know.
Without beating around the bush, they sent over a section of the internal arrangement adjustment. A small section of the change record was extracted, which precisely marked the temporary changes to the access for two accompanying observation groups in the high-level viewing area.
After reviewing the vector diagram, the optical mirror slightly retracted.
This kind of thing is extremely valuable at this point in time.
She lowered her head and replied:
You're basically sending me inside information directly.
Alita replied quickly:
Not too far inside.
But it is indeed useful enough.
As the vector looked at those two sentences, the engine warmed up.
Why did you help me?
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end, then Alita sent a short message.
My master trusts you.
Orion too.
After our brief conversation, my impression of you wasn't bad.
She paused for a moment before sending the last sentence.
So this time, I'm willing to give you a push.
The vector stared at those few sentences for a long time without moving, before finally replying:
【it is good. 】
Then I'll owe you a favor this time.
Alita's response was very lukewarm.
[Get out of here alive first, then you can pay the debt.]
-
For the remaining five days, everyone knew what they were supposed to do, where they were supposed to be, and when.
I've already memorized the route for the vector input.
She checked the layout of the VIP boxes, the two backup passages, the medical facilities, the intersection of the viewing lines, and which surveillance cameras would experience a brief delay during the middle of the match due to the main screen switching.
The newly installed pulse energy cannon is almost broken in.
On her first day, she wasn't quite used to the recoil. By the second day, she was already able to coordinate her shot and movement without affecting her changes of direction. On the third day, after watching her precisely shatter the center red dot on the left side of the simulated target with a single shot, Red Spider gave her a weak assessment: "At least now she doesn't look like a piece of junk swinging around with a new toy."
It was much quieter on Zhen Tianzun's side.
In the days leading up to the fight, he wasn't scheduled with a bunch of random matches by the arena like he had been before. This was probably because the Hercules match was already important enough, and the management didn't want to be too blatant at this crucial juncture.
He trains as usual, prepares as usual, and even his public appearances haven't changed much. But every time I see him, I can clearly sense that he's preparing for more than just a match.
Fortunately, these past few days haven't been without a moment's respite.
Sometimes, when we're busy until the wee hours of the morning, after finishing our tasks on both machines and the room finally quiets down, we'll sit down together. We don't necessarily say anything; sometimes we just lean against each other, each looking at our own screen. Whoever closes theirs first, the other follows suit.
Zhen Tianzun has actually been under immense pressure these past few days. The arena, his supporters, preparations for action, and the route and backup plan for the vector control—everything is pressing down on him. But when he actually sits next to her, that tension eases briefly.
The same applies to the vector.
Sit for a while, then get up and continue doing what you need to do.
He meticulously compiled every piece of information from the sound waves. He recorded everything: changes in the spectator seating, guard shift changes, habits of entering and leaving the VIP boxes, the frequency of the administrators' travels in recent days, the list of the temporarily added observation team, and even which floor's live broadcast line would be prioritized for which area on the day of the match.
Sometimes, just by lowering the vector, a new correction will pop up on the terminal. A more accurate route, a clearer window, and less room for error.
The jazz don't come often, but each time they do, they bring accurate information.
Sometimes it's a reminder about audience movement, sometimes it's a new piece of information that the perimeter is actually dangerous, and sometimes it's simply a sentence:
Don't try anything unnecessary. Cover me; leave the direct confrontation to the one going into the arena.
After reading that sentence, I casually replied:
The way you're describing it makes it sound like I'm usually prone to acting recklessly.
The reply came instantly.
You don't like to do things recklessly.
You can make reckless behavior look like normal behavior.
The ambulance and the knockout team were responsible for handling the aftermath. They went over in advance which medical corridor could be used for temporary hiding, which treatment room could be cleared out the fastest, what items were needed for several common injuries, and even who was responsible for rescuing people first and who was responsible for blocking the first wave of pursuit if blood was actually drawn inside.
Tianzhen and Haiyi were even more straightforward.
Zhen Tianzun personally reviewed the outer defense line and conflict points with them, and left a few brief instructions at the end.
Don't drag it out too long; just stop the first wave. If something really happens, don't let the guards see what's going on in the private room too quickly.
By the fifth day, all preparations were complete.
Next, we just have to wait until that day.