Counterfeit Hero

At five in the afternoon, the sun showed no signs of restraint. The streets of Mars Central City were cut into patches of varying light and shade by the shadows cast by the tall and short buildings on both sides.

On the sidewalks, pedestrians either buried their heads in the crowd and walked briskly or stood in groups of two or three on the roadside, talking loudly. Others waited anxiously, watching the atomic clock on the bell tower at the street corner, while some strolled aimlessly, gazing at the shop windows.

On the truck lane, heavy trucks loaded with supplies rolled by slowly, making a loud noise. Closer to the center, flying cars sped by silently on the flying lane, their roof height lamps and tail brake lights flashing intermittently, forming two roaring streams of traffic.

The entire city was enveloped in a constant rumble. It was the sound of mechas and debris trucks clearing the remnants of war, and the sound of engineering mechas and giant cranes building new buildings or new space cities on the already cleared land. Though harsh and noisy, this sound made the world seem vibrant.

The central business district of Central City was the first place on Mars to regain its prosperity.

This planet, full of opportunities, offered plenty of money to be made. Ships flocking to Mars brought supplies, information, funds, and manpower, which gathered and flowed here. Countless enterprises and commerce groups, millions of practitioners from various fields, gathered here to seize every opportunity for profit.

The Southern District of the business area, near the Inner River and Seg Convention and Exhibition Center, comprised a large building complex with a white giant exhibition-like central building featuring a retractable arched dome, surrounded by hotels, office buildings, malls, and other adjoining structures. The main building of the exhibition center stood 260 meters high and measured 1800 meters in length and width—equivalent to the volume of six Mammoth-class giant transport ships.

This white colossus, like an Arctic Bear, prominently settled in this commercial district.

At this moment, the most notable feature of Seg Convention and Exhibition Center was the banner of the Sect Mecha Tournament in front of its central entrance and the registration desk set up outside the hall.

Originally, such event registrations should be indoors in the cool air. However, to catch the eye and demonstrate the Mars Front Army’s control over this planet, Cheng Zhixuan specifically set the registration desk outside the hall.

The effect of this tactic was obvious. Since the announcement of the registration began, the parking lot of Seg Exhibition Square was filled with flying cars from various sects. Even a small sect held high status on Mars, bringing substantial income from affiliated enterprises, commerce groups, and various organizations. Hence, their flying cars were more luxurious one after another.

The presence of these flying cars alone served as an attraction. When people saw the huge banner and streetwide advertisements, and then saw those famous mech knights and even sect masters lining up in the winding waiting area, their interest soared to its peak.

With more and more sects registering and rumors and news flying everywhere, as well as the approaching tournament opening date and the scarcity of spectator tickets, the Sect Mecha Tournament had become the hottest topic among Mars’s population. The entire planet was ignited by this competition, involving countless entanglements of interests.

Nakagawa Daiki of the Tai Sect and Kirburn of the Absolute Kill Stream were long-renowned War God-level figures. Other registering sects were also showcasing their elite. Mecha knights numbered over nine hundred, and mechanical commanders over one hundred. Many sects with outstanding disciples had their sect masters personally competing.

Many skilled disciples from stronger sects also returned from mercenary armies or pirate groups just to qualify for this competition.

It must be noted, the conditions offered by the Fei Alliance were indeed too favorable.

Whether or not to participate was beyond the governing alliance mech knights’ concerns; it was the sect masters’ decisions. They only knew that once they achieved decent results in the tournament, not only would they receive substantial prize money, but they could also directly become citizens of the Feiyang Republic, bypassing military selection and merit accumulation, and directly become a Fei Alliance Officer.

Ordinarily, such a thing would be impossible. Not that these mech knights cared much about such treatment, but even if they wanted to, before mecha combat entered the era of close combat, they were not subjects that Feiyang was keen on recruiting. Now, though, close combat in mecha was gradually showing its power. The control sects had over mech knights was gradually weakening, especially after experiencing sect wars, leaving the mech knights eager to find a path to prominence in these chaotic times. Both sides reached an agreement.

However, for Mars’s populace, while they focused their attention on these sects and mech knights already registered, they were speculating on another question.

Would the Sect Mutual Aid Alliance and the bandit army of Puluo Town participate?

It was clear to discerning observers that the Feiyang people were here to pick the fruits. The Fatty from Leray was more straightforward; he directly transported personnel and materials away, leaving the Feiyang people only able to gaze longingly at the fruits!

Mars Freeport fell into the hands of the Feiyang people, with an announcement to gather heroes from all over the world. Under the pressure of the Mars Front Army, ordinary sects, if they wanted to survive, continue to run schools, or maintain their industries and groups, had to follow the instructions of the Feiyang people.