Crimson Typhoon

The office.

Chuan Pu flipped the table again.

"Oh fuck, this son of a bitch!"

"Is he challenging my authority?!"

"He didn't even consult me about something this big, does he still have me, the President, in his eyes?!"

"Sir, this is a report from General Jonathan to you, detailing his reasons for doing so!"

The female secretary beside him handed the document to Chuan Pu.

Chuan Pu, who had been full of righteous indignation, grew even more somber after reading the document.

"Sir, shall I send a telegram to reprimand General Jonathan?"

"No need. Tell him I want evidence, concrete facts, not speculation!"

Dalian Shatterdome Base.

After a painful three-hour journey, they finally arrived at their destination.

Xiao Shou swore that even if he had to go on an armed cross-country run for ten kilometers, he wouldn't want to experience flying again.

It was too painful. Waiting itself was the most agonizing part, not to mention being unable to sit properly, lie down, or sleep.

Hiss, it was truly a terrifying experience.

Indeed, staying at home was the best.

Uh, at the base.

After disembarking from the helicopter, they were greeted by Deputy Commander Zhu Qian.

Upon seeing Dr. Herman disembark, Zhu Qian stepped forward to shake his hand.

"Hello, Dr. Herman. I am Zhu Qian, Deputy Commander of the Z Nation Jaeger Combat Department, also known as the PPDC Z Nation branch."

"Hello."

Although Dr. Herman was naturally reclusive and somewhat of a germaphobe, not extending his hand at this moment would have been impolite.

Moreover, this was a deputy commander. Since he had personally come to greet him, he had to shake his hand, and with both hands at that!

The Z Nation Jaeger Combat Department indeed attached great importance to Dr. Herman's arrival.

He was the cornerstone of current Jaeger-related technology, having overcome many technical difficulties.

Furthermore, he had a deep understanding of "wormholes" and had developed a system for detecting massive biological energy signatures.

So far, no Kaiju emerging from any known wormhole had managed to evade this detection system.

This had a significant impact on human safety.

It allowed for timely evacuation announcements, resulting in far fewer casualties.

In this information age, even the disappearance of a pet could become front-page news.

Let alone the casualties caused by Kaiju attacks.

The number of casualties could not be concealed and would cause severe social unrest.

Dr. Herman's research achievements had a profound impact on the world.

How could the Z Nation not value him?

If Mao Shucheng were at the Dalian Shatterdome Base, he would have personally come to greet the plane to show his sincerity.

"Dr. Herman, your living accommodations will be of the highest standard here. I will arrange for two guards to show you around later. Please let us know if anything is unsatisfactory."

"Commander Zhu, there's no need for such politeness. I'm not here on vacation. Please assemble the technical expert team; we'll begin discussing the implementation plan for laser weapons on the 'Taishan' immediately."

"Understood."

It was naturally best for him to proactively bring up work, as he was a visiting professor invited from headquarters, not a subordinate, so direct orders would not be appropriate.

Zhu Qian would not engage in false modesty; there wasn't much room for pleasantries between soldiers.

He immediately beckoned a soldier over and asked him to lead Dr. Herman first.

Then, he turned his attention to Xiao Shou and Xie Yushan.

"Did you get fatter there?"

Xiao Shou: "???"

You kept me here just to say that?

"Your body is too weak. As a soldier, a Jaeger pilot, you were panting after just a one-kilometer run. There's no question, you will undergo special physical training next!"

??? What's going on? Shouldn't you be saying, "Oh, you've worked hard on your special training, go get some rest!"?

Why are we starting special training again right after returning, and it's physical training at that!

Zhu Qian then turned to Xie Yushan, his face filled with kindness and warmth, completely devoid of the fierce expression he had shown Xiao Shou moments before.

"Yushan, you must be tired after your special training. You've worked hard, go get some rest!"

Ten thousand 'grass mud horses' galloped through Xiao Shou's mind.

Well, well, look at this guy with the thick eyebrows and big eyes playing favorites!

After their playful banter ended, Xiao Shou sidled up to Zhu Qian.

"Commander Zhu, where's Commander Mao? He wouldn't leave the Shatterdome base easily; this is his battlefield."

"I knew you'd ask. It's no harm to tell you, he's gone to supervise the construction process of the Hong Kong Shatterdome base."

"The nation is giving us tremendous support right now, with a huge influx of funds. The Jaeger Combat Department is quite... cough... prosperous. In short, the Hong Kong Shatterdome base is officially on the agenda."

"Twenty thousand elite engineers and over a hundred thousand construction workers have been allocated. There are absolutely no worries about funding. It's estimated that the Hong Kong Shatterdome base will be completed in just a month or two."

"Then Commander, we have the base, but what about the Jaeger..."

Zhu Qian chuckled and handed a document he'd tucked under his arm to the two of them.

On its cover was a giant, simplified diagram of a Jaeger.

The head resembled a variable-focus telescope, and the neck was a multi-purpose piston with a counter-thrusting component, greatly enhancing its flexibility.

Unlike the nuclear turbine engine of 'Taishan', its power source was a turbo-piston diesel-electric drive.

What caught the eye was its right arm, which split into two, giving it a total of three arms.

The right hand had dual arms, with fifty diesel engines on each muscular limb.

The left arm was a massive cannon barrel with a multi-lobed structure.

The entire body was painted a deep crimson.

"Commander, this new Jaeger looks very imposing. Does it have a name?"

"Of course, its name is,"

"Crimson Typhoon!"