Chapter 1247: Chapter 1247: Which Side Are You On?

Alliance First Military Academy Academic Affairs Office, tea room.

"Report my name, 90% discount."

"For two units or more, 95% discount."

"For five units or more, 80% discount! That’s right, you heard correctly, not 88%, just 80%!"

"Furthermore, this product is available in limited time and quantity; the Alliance Research Institute has made only 5 units, once sold, there’ll be no more for sale, so seize the opportunity to buy for use, learning, viewing, collecting... all great choices."

"You might not need it, but your sons, daughters, grandsons, or granddaughters might; your relatives or friends might need it... the best choice for gifting on visits."

"Look at its appearance, combining trendiness with classical elegance, rich with historical significance, it’s a rare collectible. If not buying the Heavenly Dog Replica Mecha, getting a model isn’t bad either, and it’s not expensive, only 100,000 credit points."

...

Hong Jiang singlehandedly turned the entire tea room into his stage for product marketing, making the atmosphere all the more peculiar; many even shifted their attention from the student competition progress to browsing products in the Alliance Research Institute’s official store.

Behind everyone present stands a school, whose teaching scope isn’t limited to mecha battle, but includes various departments, among which Mechanical Manufacturing is the largest category.

The Heavenly Dog’s replica, a perfect replica from Heavenly Dog’s remains, serves as an invaluable learning model for students in the Mechanical Manufacturing System.

Hence, many schools express the intention to purchase, immediately, someone heads to a small corner, contacting school management to discuss, and soon, they happily purchase a unit.

Once the first is sold, then the second, third...

Soon, half of the 5000 Heavenly Dog replicas are sold.

Throughout, Hong Jiang’s smile is crooked.

...

Meanwhile.

Mu Jianling, who has been leading students to watch, suddenly receives a message; she initially doesn’t intend to check it, but the notification sound keeps ringing, prompting her to open it, and her eyes freeze.

This message is from the Alliance Research Institute’s official store’s smart assistant:

"Dear Teacher Mu:

You’ve successfully sold the replica of the Heavenly Dog appearance you authorized: 2517 mechas, 1012 1:1 models. The total share of 70.342 million credit points has been transferred to your account, please check."

After careful inspection to ensure correctness, Mu Jianling’s furrowed brows slightly ease.

At the same time, the conversation with Hong Jiang from earlier flashes in her mind.

That day, Hong Jiang stood by the railing on Lanyue Star’s tallest floor with hands behind his back, looking up at the starry sky, Hong Jiang said, "Is hiding always the best strategy?"

Mu Jianling calmly replied, "I just want to protect her."

Hong Jiang said, "Protecting her doesn’t necessarily have to be this way; there are more choices."

Mu Jianling’s dark eyes remain tranquil, like still water without ripples, saying, "Only she suits Heavenly Dog, only she can use Heavenly Dog, she’s Heavenly Dog’s only path, I have no other way."

Hong Jiang turned to face Mu Jianling, who was stubborn, sighed and said, "As I’ve said, to protect her and Heavenly Dog, they don’t need to hide behind sunlight or darkness."

Mu Jianling abruptly raised her head, saying, "Impossible. Absolutely cannot reveal Heavenly Dog’s existence."

Hong Jiang raised his hand, massaging his brow, saying, "Your so-called finding Heavenly Dog a new master is making it exist as a pet forever?"

Mu Jianling, upon hearing, fell silent.

Hong Jiang said, "Leave this matter to me."

Mu Jianling frowned deeply, "Old Hong... if revealing Heavenly Dog brings only disaster to Ji You and Heavenly Dog, then let it remain a lovable, well-behaved pet."

Hong Jiang sternly asked, "Then all these years of repairing it with materials, was to add fun to its pet life?"

Mu Jianling again remained silent.

Hong Jiang with hands behind him said, "The Alliance Research Institute once collected the genome from Heavenly Dog; I will personally negotiate custom-made Heavenly Dog replicas with Dean Munong City, convincing him myself."

As Mu Jianling heard, her fingers clenched tightly.

Hong Jiang said, "I’ve decided on this, won’t change."

Mu Jianling’s tightly clenched hand relaxed slightly, her complexion returned to normal, saying, "Whatever."

Hong Jiang said, "Whether you admit it or not, you and I know all these years, we’ve been within the research institute’s sight, your Heavenly Dog holds no secrets from them."

Indeed, Hong Jiang did not deceive the people in the tea room; in his hand, the Heavenly Dog was merely a remnant, missing its critical gene chip, which among the high ranks of the Alliance Research Institute isn’t a secret either.

Moreover, until now, neither the core gene fragment’s holder nor its purpose is known to Hong Jiang or Mu Jianling.

"You know, what we must truly guard against isn’t the Alliance Research Institute nor a Munong City, but those people—" Hong Jiang gazes at the vast starry sky above, his deep black eyes, saying, "What’s hidden till now is by a few’s pleasure; since so, why not let the world know."

Mu Jianling becomes increasingly silent.

Hong Jiang said, "If always hiding from the sun, you’ll never feel its warmth and heat."

"Step forward." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Sword Spirit."

Mu Jianling pressed her lips, remaining silent.

...

Thoughts return to reality, Mu Jianling watches the Heavenly Dog replica mecha one by one being sold in the Alliance Research Institute’s official store, soon the stock will run out...

By then, perhaps many in the Alliance will use mechas styled after the Heavenly Dog replica, and the original Heavenly Dog, identical to the replica, might just fade into the masses.

Mu Jianling’s long-tightened lips suddenly lift a bit.

...

On the other side.

Having successfully sold out the Heavenly Dog replicas, Hong Jiang, with a smile so wide his mouth was crooked, was seen by Niu Houdao who grinned and then grabbed the proud Hong Jiang, saying, "Old Hong, sit down."

Hong Jiang felt just the right amount of fatigue and sat down.

Niu Houdao squinted, suddenly asked an abrupt question, saying, "Old Hong, which side are you on?"

Hong Jiang’s hand holding the teacup paused abruptly.

Niu Houdao, shedding his prior impulsive, irritable, volatile demeanor, naturally asked, "Old Hong, you’ve tangled with the Alliance Research Institute, so you are—"