The First Accidental Encounter

The Collecting Robot took up needle and thread, stitching and patching.

Zombies had no intelligence, only instinctual desire for living things. A lump of metal like a robot, the zombies wouldn't even glance at.

After mending the bedsheet, the spider legs extended, smoothed it out, then gathered the Crimson Crystals scattered on the floor one by one. Next, it scurried over to the No. 10 Electric Vehicle, which had slid over a hundred meters away.

The spider legs shifted again, extending wrenches and screwdrivers. It removed the reinforcement materials Lin Qi had temporarily installed on the electric vehicle from his exoskeleton and carried them back to the bedsheet.

Packing up the bedsheet, the Collecting Robot weaved around zombie after zombie until it reached the building where Lin Qi was.

It opened the door, entered, set the bundle on the ground, closed the door, and locked it.

With general data on this building stored, the Collecting Robot headed for the stairwell and made its way toward the experimental workshop of the "Iron Man Society."

Xia Chu followed behind Lin Qi, her heart racing, her breath not yet settled.

Was Lin Qi's exoskeleton really that powerful? Or was it not the exoskeleton that was strong, but Lin Qi's extraordinary ability?

Xia Chu didn't know. She just silently walked beside Lin Qi.

Lin Qi stepped into the stairwell and headed up to the sixth floor.

According to the data the Collecting Robot had obtained, the club's experimental workshop was on the sixth floor. The space was large, a shared venue for multiple clubs.

These included, but were not limited to, the "Iron Man Society," the "Robot Combat Club," and the "Magic University Robot Competition Team." Precisely because of this, the workshop had a wealth of parts and materials Lin Qi needed.

Psychic Vision remained active. To Lin Qi's surprise, there were almost no zombies in this building, but no living people either.

"The outbreak must have happened at night. The only zombies in my Psychic Vision are the first-floor security guard. The building is basically safe."

He walked steadily up to the sixth floor and arrived at the workshop door.

The door wasn't locked. Lin Qi pushed it open.

Seeing the scene inside, Lin Qi knew this trip had been worth it.

The workshop was divided into several areas by different clubs, but everything was related to machinery.

There was almost nowhere to sit inside. Everywhere was materials and equipment.

Various types of motors, chips, alloy shell materials, and a few medium-sized 3D Printers.

From the perspective of an L-level researcher, these things were primitive, but with simple modifications, they'd barely do.

"Metal materials might be insufficient, but it's fine. There's still the materials science department's warehouse upstairs."

"With the reserves in this building, I could even set up an M-level Weapon Production Line."

Limited by material strength and equipment precision, M-level was almost the ceiling.

But there were differences between M-level and M-level, like size.

A Medium Mech over four meters tall, even if entirely M-level technology, wouldn't be weaker than an L-level implant user in combat, and might even have greater killing power.

"Xia Chu, help me check the power facilities. There's a big project ahead."

"Within 36 hours, I'm going to build a mech, then rendezvous with the Rescue Team as soon as possible."

Lin Qi had no intention of fighting alone.

The Dragon Kingdom in the Doomsday World clearly had something going for it. The weapons and equipment in Lin Qi's head, involving heavy industry, were not something one person could build alone.

By securing more manpower and material resources, Lin Qi could gain more benefits in the Doomsday World.

"A mech?"

Xia Chu was very surprised. She never expected Lin Qi's purpose at the school to be this.

Would it even work?

In Xia Chu's understanding, human technology clearly hadn't reached the point of building mechs for combat.

Take the robot marathon held just a few days before the apocalypse—only a few finished, and most robots couldn't even walk properly.

There were technical difficulties in both hardware and software.

"Trust me," Lin Qi said to Xia Chu as he walked toward the motors.

"Okay." Xia Chu made her choice.

In the Cyber World, inside Lin Qi's workshop.

Lin Qi's state suddenly changed slightly from a moment ago. The most obvious difference was his clothes.

His shirt was printed with the words "Magic University Robot Combat."

Before returning to the Cyber World, Lin Qi had quickly washed off the zombie blood from his body and changed into clothes from the neighboring "Robot Combat Club."

"In the future, I need to be more careful when passing through the [Gate]. If I end up in a fight like this time in the Doomsday World, I definitely can't bring the clothes back."

"Luckily, there are no surveillance devices in the workshop, or I'd be exposed."

Lin Qi took off the clothes and threw them directly into the ultra-high-temperature garbage processor in the workshop.

These clothes couldn't stay.

At the same time, Lin Qi had also made up his mind: from now on, the first thing he would do when heading to the Doomsday World was change clothes.

The clothes from the Cyber World couldn't be damaged—he'd have to wear them back.

"Over in the Doomsday World, the mech component modifications are only about halfway done. The materials are too shoddy; the hydraulic transmission is barely usable, but the motors need to be hand-cranked one by one."

"Next, I need to look up some data on M-level mechs. I'll have to pick a suitable model to reverse-engineer—designing from scratch would waste too much time."

"Besides that, I only managed to digest three Crimson Crystals this trip. Lucky I came back to the workshop today—I kept one in my mouth and brought it along, so it won't slow down my physical advancement to Transcendent First Order."

Lin Qi's plans for the Doomsday World were now proceeding in an orderly fashion.

It was the upheaval in the Cyber World that gave him a nagging headache.

The Assassin's League, Greenland City, Lin Xin, Red Fruit City...

According to the intel Arthur had revealed during the previous Highest Level meeting, Red Fruit City wasn't as stable as it seemed.

Lin Qi even knew that Liu Heavy Industries had been targeted too—the mercenaries' eyes outside the Weapon Research Institute were proof enough.

Sitting in the workshop, Lin Qi pondered while digesting the Crimson Crystal in his mouth.

Before he knew it, morning had arrived.

The Crimson Crystal was fully digested, and Lin Qi put on his clothes.

Stepping out of the workshop, he saw that the door to his old man's workshop next door was still locked.

Looked like the old man had taken on a big job—maybe a full-body cybernetic implant—and still hadn't finished.

Going down to the first floor, Lin Qi saw Lin Xin. She seemed to have stayed up all night too.

"Remember to upgrade to Black Gold Member," Lin Qi reminded her again.

Lin Xin didn't say a word. She just raised her hand.

A wristband stamped with the Intercontinental Stabilization Trauma Response Company LOGO appeared on her wrist.

Lin Qi raised an eyebrow slightly. Since when did his little sister listen so well?

Pretty efficient.

"I've got business at the company. Once the old man finishes this job, have him contact me. I'll be back at the Cybernetic Clinic by the latest this afternoon."

With that, without waiting for Lin Xin's reply, Lin Qi walked out and got into his flying vehicle.

Destination: Red Fruit City Weapon Research Institute.

The M-level mech data Lin Qi needed could only be accessed through the institute's network.

Arriving at the institute's rooftop, Lin Qi stepped out of the flying vehicle and looked around.

For the first time—since he started working at the Weapon Research Institute—he didn't run into Liu Xuan here.

In the company's system, Lin Qi was marked as off-duty today.