The Three-Way Win

Watching Mang Ke handle various secondhand parts from different mechs one by one in the "armory," Old Li led Feng Xue out of the room and whispered in Yan Country Language:

"Didn't you go to Palin with that person? How come you're suddenly here? It's a good thing it was me; no one else could have made such a scene so quickly!"

"The Trait I was working on was already on track. The three Dream God had all joined in, and with Ke Ya's macro-control, there shouldn't be any major problems. This was actually a backup plan I left behind when I came in last time, and this time, the fish just happened to bite the bait..."

Feng Xue gave Old Li a wink, and Old Li glanced thoughtfully at Mang Ke, who was drooling over a mechanical hand bigger than a person, and said:

"Is this mechanic bait?"

"No, it's fish, a school of fish," Feng Xue said, drawing a circle with her hand.

"She's a highly skilled technical expert from the Parlin Kingdom. It's a small country with a small population, and I gave them a glimmer of hope to break through the technological blockade imposed by the Ideal Country. So, you understand!"

"Good lad, you've really given me a wonderful surprise!" Old Li, having been Weird Tale for decades, immediately understood Feng Xue's meaning. His gaze towards Mang Ke instantly transformed from "a somewhat capable but foolish girl" to "a gold mine," and he promptly said:

"I'll immediately expand the channels and try to concentrate the business here. The time you gave me was a bit rushed, and the preparations were still insufficient."

"No need. Your current status as a lower-level bookmaker is actually more useful. We'll play a couple of games first, and then you can use that to contact other bookmakers, putting your rise to prominence entirely under their observation. That way..."

"You really know how to play the game!" Old Li immediately understood Feng Xue's meaning, and a mischievous smile crept across his face.

"This way, it not only deepens the impression but also helps with maintenance. How wicked!"

"How can this be called bad?" Feng Xue immediately corrected her with a stern face:

"Pallin gained the technology, Pallin's mechanics gained experience, and we gained knowledge—it's a win-win-win situation!"

"Yes, a win-win-win situation!"

"I've made my selection. Do you have a delivery truck?"

Mang Ke, picking out items of all sizes, eagerly called out to the two people "catching up" at the door. Old Li, however, walked into the warehouse with a serious expression and said:

"There's no need for that. Just show I Think the parts list that pops up, and I'll have a pretty good idea of your skill level."

"Why is it like this?" Mang Ke seemed a little disappointed that he couldn't assemble the treasures he had picked out himself, but he still pointed to the parts he had chosen and began to explain them.

Old Li glanced at it briefly and then said:

"The configuration is alright, but how are you going to solve the energy conversion problem by mixing Magic Propulsion Device and Electromagnetic Drive System?"

Upon hearing Old Li's words, Mang Ke, who had already prepared, immediately replied:

"Magic technology isn't my specialty, but the thrusters I chose are just a booster, only used for explosive propulsion in critical moments. This can solve the problem of insufficient explosive power in the KU3 Shoulder Thruster. It doesn't need to be linked to the main power source; a small Magic Energy Furnace can be installed in the waist."

"How do we address propulsion errors? What about vibration damping design?"

Old Li raised a series of questions about the parts. Although Mang Ke was working on this kind of Stitched Monster mecha for the first time, which of these designers didn't start by imitation? They copied a little from here, a little from there, then considered compatibility, and then downgraded to a low-end version that could be made with current technology. Isn't that just the initial model?

Therefore, she was confident and fluent in answering Old Li's questions.

As Mang Ke spoke more and more fluently, even explaining the various parts' combinations without asking questions, and seeing that it was about to exceed his own knowledge, Old Li quickly nodded and said to Feng Xue:

"This guy seems promising, he appears to have some skill. Feel free to use whatever I have here. Three days. Within three days, develop a usable machine. After three days, I'll find you an opponent. As long as you can win, the rest is negotiable!"

"Just you wait and see!" Feng Xue nodded confidently. Old Li didn't waste any more words, waved his hand, and left the room.

Only after his figure disappeared did Feng Xue breathe a sigh of relief and say:

"Not bad, didn't embarrass me."

"How much do you underestimate me! Although I haven't actually done it, this kind of hypothetical equipment setup is a basic skill!" Mang Ke give a porn star, his intense gaze making Feng Xue a little uncomfortable.

However, this kind of gaze actually had its advantages. After pondering for a moment, he leaned closer to Mang Ke and said:

Are you confident you can get it done within three days?

"It won't take three days. As long as there's a basic framework, it can be done in a day. However, the key isn't the hardware configuration, but rather the software coordination. Even though I've done a lot of related simulations, there will definitely be quite a difference in reality, especially since these parts themselves have some wear and tear, requiring a considerable amount of time for fine-tuning..."

Mang Ke's tone grew weaker and weaker, but Feng Xue waved her hand to stop her from speaking:

"I'll handle the software. You just need to hurry up and assemble the mecha. But this mecha only needs to be able to handle one battle. It's a bit of a waste to use the good muscle bundles, and those parts that have been used by who-knows-how-many people aren't reliable. Let's use hydraulic and mechanical transmission for now, and we'll consider other things after we get through this."

"That would severely compromise agility! Iron Armor Steel Fist doesn't allow the use of energy weapons and large-caliber machine guns, so it can't utilize the Ideal Country mid-range combat strategy." Mang Ke immediately pointed out the problem with this approach, but Feng Xue hesitated, unsure whether to agree.

"Don't worry about that. I'm Ace Pilot who can fight the Gold Knight in close combat even with your piece of junk!"

"Calling it garbage is going too far! 'Dawn' is just a half-finished product that hasn't even had its weapon systems installed yet!" Mentioning his work, Mang Ke immediately retorted. Feng Xue didn't seem to care, but simply bent down to examine the components Mang Ke chosen, pointing to a spinal shock absorber and saying:

"This thing has been replaced at least three times, and it's all a bit bent to the side. I wouldn't dare use it as the main shaft of a mecha!"

"It's definitely not the main shaft. I just need the material on it. This is Titanium Alloy! Although it's a bit troublesome to process, it's absolutely top-notch for armor coating! Only those mechanical idiots in Budali would turn it into a shock absorber... What a waste!"

Mang Ke holding a mechanical spine that was thicker than her waist; if it were censored, it would be unbearable to look at.

However, Feng Xue shook her head at her statement and said:

"Budali doesn't care about that. For them, the magic energy conduction efficiency of Titanium Alloy is the key. Perhaps in the eyes of those mage lords, you, who used the load-bearing pillars of the Mage Tower as an armor layer, are the ones wasting resources!"