"How did you get all this?" Optimus Prime lowered his head and stared at Merlin as he asked in a deep voice.
After Arcee obtained the data, she sent it to them, so they did not doubt its authenticity.
They just could not understand how Merlin, a high school student, had gotten hold of it all.
"Of course, I found a way to hack in, then filtered it out." Merlin handed Megan and Sam a bottle of cola each, then brought out several barrels of Engine Oil.
"Want some?" This was a custom shop. It had nothing in abundance except Engine Oil.
"Thanks!" Bumblebee grabbed a barrel with one hand after thanking him.
"Hey! Kid, you're really to my liking." Ironhide's attitude took a complete one-eighty as well, and he happily accepted it.
Ratchet nodded in thanks and took one too.
Though it could not replenish AllSpark energy, it was indeed a fine drink.
"Thank you! What do you want?" Optimus Prime took the Engine Oil, drank a mouthful, and then asked.
He could tell that this human was different from Sam and the others. It was apparent from the engine modifications he had made to Arcee and his ability to infiltrate networks.
Even when the Decepticons invaded the network, they had not found anything. Yet Merlin had uncovered it based on a few words from Arcee. That said it all.
"Arcee, and the AllSpark."
The moment Merlin's words fell, the previously relaxed atmosphere instantly became tense.
Arcee, meanwhile, felt lightheaded.
"Human, do you know what you're saying?" Ironhide leaned forward and asked in a grim tone.
Optimus Prime and the others also fell unusually silent.
They had come to Earth to find the AllSpark. It was the last Spark of Cybertron—how could they possibly hand it over to an outsider?
"Oh, calm down, calm down, everyone calm down." Seeing that things were going badly, Sam hurriedly stepped out to soothe Optimus Prime and the others. Then he turned to Merlin and said anxiously, "Hey! Man, are you crazy? That thing is their lifeline."
Merlin scratched his head. "Sorry, I wasn't clear. After we obtain the AllSpark, I want it handed over to me for research for a while."
Hearing the explanation, Optimus Prime and the others immediately relaxed.
Seeing the tension ease, Sam also let out a breath of relief.
"As long as you can help us find the AllSpark, it will not be a problem for you to study it for a while. Arcee can stay behind to protect you as well." After thinking for a moment, Optimus Prime nodded in agreement.
They had finally found a lead and did not want to give it up. Besides, the Decepticons had also arrived on Earth. They had to race against time.
In the end, they reached an agreement: Merlin would help them locate the AllSpark, and after they obtained it, they would hand it over to him for research for a period of time.
As for who would ultimately obtain the AllSpark, that was hard to say.
Arcee, meanwhile, was to remain at Merlin's side and protect him during this time.
"Merlin, can I get your contact information? You don't mind if I come by your shop often, do you?"
Just as she was about to leave, Megan suddenly stepped up to Merlin and asked.
On the work bay, a modified Dodge Hellcat sat quietly beneath the lights. After the modifications, the DABS intake kit on its hood stood out prominently.
Its sleek, muscular lines tugged at the heart.
This was John's car, modified based on inspiration from Dom Toretto.
And what interested Megan most were these muscle cars.
"Of course, but remember to contact me in advance. I may not be at the shop." Merlin smiled and pointed at the rolling shutter door.
"The contact information is on the door."
"Can't you give it to me yourself?" Megan blinked, looking somewhat confused.
"He doesn't have a phone." Arcee suddenly interjected.
Megan froze for a moment as she looked at the somewhat hostile Arcee. In the end, she could only walk to the door and note down the contact information.
After everyone left one after another, Merlin closed the shop and rode Arcee home.
The preliminary tasks had already begun. All that remained was for the right opportunity to arrive.
One month later, at night, Statue of Liberty.
A small truck slowly drove beneath the Statue of Liberty's enormous pedestal and came to a stop. In the driver's seat, a young man dressed in gray work clothes took out his phone.
[Arrived at the mission location. Please deliver the goods.]
Having arrived at the designated location, the young man got out of the truck and placed the box from the cargo compartment on the ground.
[Goods delivered. Congratulations, player, you have received three hundred dollars.]
Seeing the extra three hundred on the R-Star Platform, the young man smiled excitedly.
"This delivery mission pays so much. Too bad this is the last one." He shook his head regretfully.
Ordinary deliveries generally only paid around thirty to one hundred, but Evolution Mission deliveries paid more than three hundred per order.
Over the past week, he had earned nearly three thousand dollars.
After placing the goods at the designated location, he drove away with practiced ease.
Not long after he left, two enormous Lizard figures emerged from the Statue of Liberty and approached the cargo.
Peter opened the box, saw the silver cylindrical launch port inside, and nodded.
"The launch component is here. We can finish assembling the last Canary Device tonight," he said to Professor Connors beside him.
"Excellent. Once the assembly is complete tonight, we'll begin loading the Regeneration Potion tomorrow. We'll light the Statue of Liberty's torch once more and take the first step in humanity's evolution!" At that moment, Connors could barely contain his excitement, and his voice trembled.
Over the past month, they had traveled through mission-marked locations across Apple City: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx... and finally the Statue of Liberty's torch.
They had finally assembled and installed all six devices.
Now, they only needed to place the Regeneration Potion inside the devices. Once it was atomized and sprayed, all of Apple City would be covered.
"We will be heroes to all humanity." Peter's eyes shone brightly, full of anticipation for the future.
Merlin's Custom Shop.
As the rolling shutter door slowly rose, Frank stepped into the shop.
"I heard my Wildfire is finished," he asked Merlin, who was busy at the work bay in coveralls.
"Don't move around. The Railgun hasn't been installed yet." Merlin tapped Arcee and spoke softly, then looked toward the refrigerator. Frank had already opened it with practiced ease, taken a bottle for himself, and tossed one over.
"Yes, but it still needs testing. Once the test flight checks out, you can fly it." He caught the cola, took a sip, and nodded.
"Sounds good. How have things been here lately? I heard a lot of R-Star offline weapon stores and mod shops have been shut down." Frank looked around as he asked.
As things developed, all kinds of game vehicles had begun running rampant throughout Apple City. Since the police simply could not trace the platform's source, they could only start by cracking down on stores involved in selling Platform Weapons and vehicles.
"For now, nothing's happened here."
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