The So-Called "Armory"

"Tss~"

With a hiss of pressurized air, the factory doors that had resisted all attempts to breach them finally opened, revealing their mysterious interior.

Dog Head's people rushed inside the moment the doors activated, moving swiftly and in an orderly rhythm.

"Clear!" x5.

Three seconds later, Old Gao reported the situation over the communications channel.

"Just as expected!"

Outside the factory, He Zhijun and the others exchanged glances.

With the factory doors wide open, the interior was visible at a glance—an utterly empty expanse.

Truly, an utterly empty expanse!

Because there was absolutely nothing inside the factory!

They could see all the way to the back with a single glance. Just as they had guessed, the laboratory was underground; this factory was merely a cover.

"You're underground? Let us come down."

Section Chief Zhou swept his gaze around before calling out to the drone.

"You're not going to arrest me, are you?"

As expected, Guo Yi could indeed hear Section Chief Zhou. He replied over the communications channel, "I just have a feeling you're up to no good. This seems kind of unreliable..."

Section Chief Zhou narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "We've shown more than enough sincerity!

If there really is a problem, once we go down, you can take us hostage and still get whatever you want.

Our identities should be enough to satisfy your appetite, shouldn't they?"

"..." Guo Yi fell silent for a moment before weakly suggesting, "How about letting the two old men come down too?"

"No!"

"You soldiers are so annoying—so stubborn!"

"This is a matter of principle!"

"..."

Guo Yi and Section Chief Zhou remained deadlocked for a while. In the end, Guo Yi sighed helplessly. "Just you wait. The day you come begging me for help, I'll definitely make you pay for this!"

"Heh~" Hearing Guo Yi's petulant words, Section Chief Zhou gave a disdainful chuckle. "If that day ever comes, I'll do whatever you tell me to!"

"Just you wait!" Guo Yi let out a powerless roar. "After the factory doors close, the ground will descend. Don't make a fuss.

Also, don't cross that line. If you get crushed or fall to your death, it'll have nothing to do with me."

After saying that, Guo Yi ignored their reactions and directly closed the doors.

After Guo Yi's warning, everyone inside the factory hurriedly lowered their heads to look at the floor, then all moved into the space between the red line and the factory doors.

Then, they felt a faint vibration beneath their feet.

The entire area began descending.

Before long, everyone arrived underground.

A door bearing the expression "o(╯□╰)o" appeared before them.

He Zhijun looked up at the hollow above them, then at the lights concealed around the door, and softly said, "About twenty stories down—sixty meters underground~"

"Mm."

Section Chief Zhou nodded, then walked up to the door.

"Bzz."

With a faint sound, the door opened as well.

"Ah!?"

As the door opened, everyone's breathing stopped. Their pupils contracted, and their mouths involuntarily fell open.

Beyond the opened doors lay a vast space, visible in its entirety at a glance.

The ceiling was fitted with all manner of rails and lifting equipment.

Different kinds of high-mounted lamps on both sides illuminated the entire factory space, leaving every corner brightly lit.

At the center of the factory, a gigantic robot's upper body hung suspended in the air. It was a mechanical half-body with no arms but shoulders, and a huge hollow cavity in the middle of its chest.

Within that hollow cavity, various pieces of equipment glimmered faintly.

Countless cables hung downward from its head, eye sockets, chest, waist, and other areas under the pull of gravity.

Its lower body lay horizontally across the middle of the factory. The half closer to the upper body was clearly fully assembled, with no cables attached.

The outer half, meanwhile, was connected to all kinds of cables, like a great tree wrapped in vines.

Viewed from the doorway, the whole place was brimming with the sci-fi atmosphere of a movie or anime!

And in front of the robot was a row of computers—or things resembling computers!

A chair stood before several large screens and a huge, elongated machine casing. Behind the casing were various cables extending from the robot. Beneath the screens was a long table, its surface emitting faint blue light in grid-like squares!

Against the wall on the far right stood an open metal box. Inside were chairs and various control devices, with several cables likewise connecting the black box to the robot.

On the left stood a cylindrical pillar, with a cable extending from its top and connecting to the floor and the various machines. There were also several additional rooms on the left, their functions unknown.

While everyone stood there in stunned silence, Guo Yi appeared out of nowhere.

Bowing with exaggerated gentlemanly flair, he said to them, "Welcome to my 'Toy Factory'!"

"Th-this-this..."

He Zhijun stared at the massive robot, his trembling finger pointing at it as he stammered, "Gundam? Mobile Suit? Decoration? Model?"

"Oh? You're pretty trendy. You actually know Gundam?"

Guo Yi cautiously watched the people from Dog Head, as if worried they might rush him, though his tone carried an inexplicable amusement. "Why don't you guess whether it's real or fake?"

"Phew..."

Everyone let out a breath, quickly calming their turbulent emotions.

Then, He Zhijun gave Old Gao a look.

Click—

In an instant, the people of Dog Head half-surrounded Guo Yi, their firearms steadily aimed at vital points across his body.

"..."

Seeing this, Guo Yi helplessly twitched the corner of his mouth. "It's just me here!"

"Go take a look."

He Zhijun looked at Guo Yi, who was being held at gunpoint, then gave Old Gao the order.

"Group B, stay on guard. Group A, follow me!"

"Wait!"

Old Gao, who had been about to leave, stopped and turned his head, asking Guo Yi with his mind why he had told them to stop.

"Doggie~"

Guo Yi did not explain to Old Gao. He merely turned toward the Gundam and called out.

"Don't shoot! Friendly! Guide!"

The moment Guo Yi finished shouting, an urgent voice came from the direction of the Gundam.

Doggie rolled over as it shouted, and its voice grew clearer as it approached.

It was obvious that the voice was coming from Doggie.

"..."

Section Chief Zhou watched Doggie roll about while continually shouting and asked faintly, "This is Doggie?

I thought it was another one of your assistants or something. I didn't expect it to be an artificial intelligence!"

"..."

Guo Yi's face flushed red as he glared murderously at Doggie and gritted out, "Ignore what it says. Just follow it.

Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll get lost. And don't go barging around everywhere.

If you come across a closed room, have it open the door. Don't touch any equipment or buttons you don't understand.

It'll remind you."

"Artificial intelligence?"

Section Chief Zhou asked solemnly.

"No, artificial stupidity!"

"..."

Doggie stopped rolling, turned its electronic eye toward Guo Yi, and shouted at him, "A mother doesn't despise her child for being ugly! A mother doesn't despise her child for being ugly! A mother doesn't despise her child for being ugly!"

"..."

Guo Yi covered his face with one hand, utterly too ashamed to face anyone...

His cool image had shattered into pieces.

"Go on."

He Zhijun narrowed his eyes at Doggie, then had Old Gao continue the operation.

As Old Gao's Group A left, He Zhijun and Section Chief Zhou also started forward, heading toward the Gundam.