Chapter 27: The Compensation Plan

"I'm completely numb—I'm numb, Yang Bo!"

The people at Base 16 were utterly stunned, watching in disbelief as Yang Bo's mech—and several mutants—were blasted by the orbital laser cannon. One of the attackers had managed to flee into a cave, while the other three were shattered on the spot.

"Bastards! Bastards!" cried Blood Bat from inside the cave, spitting blood as he hurled curses. As one of the five chief protectors under the general, he couldn't believe he'd been played for a fool.

Blood Bat now looked like a middle-aged blond white man, and his external armor writhed as if it were alive.

"There's definitely an insider!" Blood Bat sputtered between bouts of blood, his mind racing through the series of events until he reached a single, chilling conclusion: there was a mole in our midst.

Mech Piloting +16!

Three consecutive alerts flashed in his mind, accompanied by messages boosting his Sound Wave Control skill.

"Three were killed—what was that bright flash just now?" Yang Bo muttered internally.

"What kind of ability makes those things appear out of nowhere?"

"Weren't those four attackers coming right at me?" Yang Bo was utterly shell-shocked. All he'd intended was to calmly tend to the small animals, yet somehow someone had hidden in the grass—and someone had dared disturb a 'fisherman's nest.'

After a period of black screen, an official email finally arrived. Yang Bo opened it to read:

"Dear Player, we regret to inform you that your mech was damaged by the base's remote defense system. As compensation, we are providing you with a new mech free of charge. Additionally, for detecting an enemy target unit, you have been rewarded 500,000 gold coins."

Below the message was a single "Accept" button—no option to appeal or file a complaint.

Yang Bo couldn't help but laugh bitterly. His nerves were shot. "I need to change bases—Base 16 is no longer safe. Those invisible bastards must have been tracking me as soon as I left the base," he thought.

He immediately called customer service.

"Sir, how may we assist you?" came a mechanical voice.

"I want to change my base. Base 16 blasted my mech again, and the damage to my body and spirit is severe," Yang Bo demanded bluntly.

"Apologies, sir, but the game has not yet enabled a base-change service," the customer service agent replied.

"What's the point of that base anyway? Every time I'm out, they blast my mech. This game is downright anti-human—I'm going to take you to court! This is nothing short of a violation of human rights and a mockery of the law," Yang Bo raged. He was determined to get a new base.

At that moment, video footage of Yang Bo's mech being destroyed had already surfaced on the forums. In reality, it was from the time he first threw a shockwave bomb—an incident that had drawn attention. Other mech pilots, believing someone was battling a polluted creature, were shocked to see four mutants ambushing Yang Bo, and then his mech getting blown to pieces—with one of the mutants even disappearing into a cave.

Viewers were too terrified to pursue, knowing that even surviving a hit from the base's defense weapons was no laughing matter.

"Isn't that Bird Slayer?" someone exclaimed online.

"What kind of crappy game is this? Not killed by the enemy, but by your own people!"

"Bird Slayer? What's that about?"

"Bird Slayer got his mech blown up for the second time by the base. How can this game be so messed up? I'm gonna report it outside."

"Exactly—who can stand being repeatedly blown up? The mental toll is enormous."

"Spare us the mental injury talk. These guys are nuts—they casually kill small animals. That guy went and killed bats again today."

"Hey, use some brain—some people just mow the grass and set fires, and then a hidden infiltrator appears?"

"This definitely calls for mental compensation. Who could handle this without compensation?"

"From a lawyer's perspective, the contract is binding—players have already paid the fees. They should be compensated."

"Could it be that Bird Slayer is actually a master?"

Online, the forums buzzed with debates about Yang Bo's two instances of having his mech destroyed by the base's defense system.

The high-ups at the base were equally speechless. The first time, they took responsibility, but the second time involved the orbital defense system—beyond their authority.

As for switching bases, that was a logistical nightmare. It involved highly confidential data channels that used cutting-edge technology. Those channels weren't under the base's control.

"Players are advised to change their IP address and re-enter the game," customer service could only reply.

Yang Bo immediately asked, "Can the game data be migrated?"

"Players may exchange in-game currency for credit points," the agent continued.

Despite knowing that this was all remote control, Yang Bo felt exasperated.

"Then compensate me with 300 shockwave bombs and 300 micro-hydrogen bombs," he demanded—this was his ultimate goal.

"Shockwave bombs are acceptable. As for micro-hydrogen bombs, the maximum we can offer is 100 units," the agent replied after a 30-second pause.

"Totaling 600 units?" Yang Bo lashed out. "Since I can't switch bases, then I want to be compensated with items."

"If need be, I'll be extra cautious in the future. If it really comes to it, I might even consider not playing at all," he added.

Then Yang Bo had another crazy thought. It appeared that on the planet where he controlled his mech, space weapons reacted very swiftly. So if those mutants were tracking him, wouldn't that be another opportunity? As soon as he attacked them—and then got his mech destroyed again—his abilities would level up rapidly.

"Fine."

"Deal," Yang Bo quickly agreed. "Spare me the talk about mental damage—I'm not one of those weak-nerved folks in this world. A black screen is nothing."

Looking at his brand-new mech and the warehouse stocked with 500 shockwave bombs and 100 micro-hydrogen bombs—truth be told, Yang Bo was asking for the moon. Based on their price, they were valued at over ten million gold coins.

Yet Yang Bo suspected that the base's authority wouldn't simply dole out gold coins—since coins could be exchanged for credit points, but supplies were a different matter. In his mind, his ideal compensation was 50 shockwave bombs and 10 micro-hydrogen bombs.

The micro-hydrogen bombs' shockwaves delivered a brief burst of energy that could disrupt an enemy mech's systems—even that of a mutant's bio‑mech. This was one reason why not all mechs were fully equipped with smart systems: if they were interfered with, they'd be completely rendered useless.

After the game ended, Yang Bo logged off with a satisfied grin. Then he checked his skills. The biggest change was in his Sound Wave Control, now at Grandmaster level (14,350/100,000).

His Mech Piloting skill had improved to Intermediate (56/100).

Later, while lying in his bathtub, Yang Bo pondered the differences between Sound Wave Control and the earlier Sound Wave Localization. He blew a whistle…

"Click, click." In an instant, Yang Bo experienced what felt like a god's-eye view—the area within 300 meters around his building was completely mapped out in his mind, rendered in much more sophisticated lines than before. It was as if his vision now showed exactly what was there—though with some exceptions, such as cables with shielding devices appearing blurred.

In the window of the neighboring building, more than one young lady was bathing…

Moved by the scene, Yang Bo glanced at the cup on his washbasin and, acting on a suggestion from a well-known figure, snapped his fingers.

Crack! With a single, sharp sound, the ceramic cup shattered into countless fragments.

(End of Chapter)

Last Chapter Next Chapter