"Ring ring--"
The piercing fire alarm sounded, thick black smoke billowed from the Research and Development Department, and a raging fire broke out. The research department members hurriedly evacuated.
The automatic sprinklers on the ceiling rotated and sprayed water, quickly extinguishing the fire. All that remained was a mess: various documents and drawings were soaked and turned into soft, mushy mud that would crumble at the slightest touch; some non-waterproof computers crashed, emitting sparks; and the walls and floor were charred black everywhere.
"How did it suddenly catch fire?" The Research and Development Department looked at the mess on the ground with lingering fear and heartache.
Guards arrived quickly and inspected the scene.
"The fire started in the workshop!"
Luo Xuan was soaking wet, wrapped in a blanket, and covered in soot. He was carried out by the guards, his face charred black, his hair burned off, even his eyebrows were gone, making him look like a bald hard-boiled egg, or rather, a preserved egg.
Luo Xuan was terrified. If he hadn't dodged quickly and if there hadn't been a fire extinguisher nearby, he probably would have been disfigured.
He didn't expect that the propellant for High Combustion Ammunition was actually a gas, which would leak as soon as the warhead was opened and burn up immediately upon contact with the outside world. In other words, once it was manufactured, it could not be opened, and it could even burn briefly in a vacuum environment.
With his skills, it's absolutely impossible to replicate.
Luo Xuan looked resentful after losing.
"What have you done?!" the Research and Development Department exclaimed angrily.
The guard took out several blackened shell casings, the reddish base of which was still faintly discernible, and said in a deep voice, "These are casings from High Combustion Ammunition. Your men are researching High Combustion Ammunition."
The Research and Development Department stared wide-eyed at Luo Xuan, speechless.
Do you think my orders are nothing?!
When the higher-ups investigate, I'll be the one to take the blame again!
You guys are all awful!
Gu Hui arrived quickly and said sternly, "Explain yourself."
The Research and Development Department gritted his teeth and dragged Luo Xuan in front of him, "It was all his own doing!"
Gu Hui remained expressionless. "Do you have anything to say?"
Luo Xuan lowered his head. If his secret research had succeeded, it would have been a great achievement. However, he had been exposed, disobeyed orders without authorization, and even caused a fire at headquarters. As an ordinary member without any backing, he was bound to be in big trouble.
"I remember you're a member of the Logistics Department, transfer back." Gu Hui said this and turned to leave.
Luo Xuan swayed. He had switched jobs and left the Logistics Department, and now they were transferring him back. This was a form of being sidelined and suppressed.
Returning to the Logistics Department with a dark expression (in every sense of the word), Luo Xuan's former colleagues turned away as if they didn't see him, a stark contrast to their previous fawning over him. The Logistics Department, who had once thought highly of him, refused to even see him, merely sending a secretary to inform Luo Xuan that he would be working in the same group from now on.
Luo Xuan felt a pang of disappointment and began to doubt whether he had made the wrong choice.
If I hadn't been so arrogant and narrow-minded back then, I wouldn't have lost my balance and all of this wouldn't have happened.
"I'm still too young..." Luo Xuan dejectedly.
Han Xiao learned about Luo Xuan's situation from Feng Jun and was immediately astonished. Even he, the manufacturer, dared not open the High Combustion Bullet after it was formed. That guy was amazing.
That's incredible! I'm truly impressed.
Han Xiao quickly put the matter out of his mind; his impression of Luo Xuan remained only that of a name.
Zhang Wei's Warrior Armor was delivered to his workshop, but the prototype technology appeared quite crude.
[Warrior Armor (Prototype)]
[Type: Full-coverage small individual armor]
[Quality: White]
[Basic Attributes: Armor 682/1400, Defense 35, Power Level 86, Energy 250/250]
[Equipment Requirements: Strength 42, Stamina 48]
[Attribute Bonus: Agility -10]
[Height: 1.95 meters]
[Weight: 370 lbs]
[Control method: Human body control (no chip)]
[Energy: Electricity]
[Combat Cost: 5 Energy/Minute]
[Core power: 125/130 Ona]
[Frame module: Spring piston type shock absorber bracket, reduces load by 65%, slightly improves shock resistance, accounts for 20% of power]
[Right arm module: Large-caliber triple-mounted machine gun (three bullets per shot), attack power 105~124, rate of fire 5 rounds/s, maximum rate of fire 8 rounds/s (five-second overload), magazine capacity 30+120 (ammunition belt), output energy level 75, power consumption 35]
[Left arm module: Large-caliber triple machine gun, as shown above]
[Right wrist module: Pop-up alloy blade, attack power 12~15, output energy level 9, power consumption 5]
[Dual Legs Module: Spring-Powered Running Device, Movement Speed +15, Activation Cost 1 Energy/Minute, Power Consumption 30]
[Additional Module: Simple Thermal Imager, No Power]
[Auxiliary Module: Hexagonal Steel Shield, No Power]
[Additional Ability: Thick Armor - Reduces physical damage by 12%]
[Note: This is a disgrace to the armored vehicle industry!]
Simple!
Han Xiao could hardly bear to look at him.
First of all, the power is too low, and there isn't even a chip installed! The chip is the core of the mech, used to load various combat programs and assist the user in combat. Without a chip, it's impossible to quickly collect and process battlefield information, and there's no wide-area Detection capability. Relying solely on the naked eye to find enemies, with the field of vision limited by the helmet, is unplayable! No wonder Zhang Wei used sweeping fire instead of burst fire; he couldn't aim accurately at all!
Let's talk about the power. Only the legs have simple mechanical drive, and there isn't even an internal skeleton installed. The rest of the body has to be moved entirely by the user. He finally understood why Zhang Wei didn't use the steel shield on his back. Damn it, he couldn't move it!
Furthermore, the outer armor was so crudely made that it was unbearable to look at; a few large iron plates were simply welded on as armor, revealing Terilous's crudeness everywhere.
Even if this is just a prototype, you better take it seriously, you idiots!
Han Xiao's lips twitched as he examined the Warrior Armor, his arms crossed over his chest, his fingers rhythmically tapping his arms as various ideas gradually surfaced in his mind.
However, the modification could not be rushed. Some ideas still needed to be learned and understood. After a hasty repair, Han Xiao asked Feng Jun to return it to Zhang Wei.
Now we need to consider something else. The three Germinal bases have been destroyed. What intelligence should we give to Stardragon next?
The three branch bases are merely the tip of the iceberg for the Germinal Organization. There are no other Germinal bases within the Stardragon. The location Han Xiao subsequently provided requires Stardragon's forces to operate outside the country's borders. Armed forces trespassing into another country's territory is blatantly provoking war. Although the Six Nations are secretly vying for power, none of them want to start a war at this time. The great war that spanned the old era and into the new era has greatly depleted their national strength. Six Nations are recuperating and healing the wounds of war. Whether they will fight again in the future remains to be seen.
Therefore, cross-border operations require cooperation with other countries, which increases many variables. His intelligence alone is insufficient; he must go on expeditions with the team to deal with any unforeseen circumstances.
The question is whether Stardragon's senior management will reject his application to leave West Capital.
Feng Jun suddenly called, his tone serious.
"Han Xiao, the spies from the Germinal Clan who have infiltrated West Capital have begun their operation. They're looking for you and seem to know you're working for us."
"I know."
Han Xiao remained calm; he had anticipated this situation when he had Li Yalin use the Light Power Arm.
"Don't worry, we have deployed a large number of people in the area for 24-hour surveillance."
West Capital the territory of the Thirteenth Bureau. Even if the Germinal Organization finds out his location, the cost of dealing with him will be very high.
However, caution is still necessary, as Han Xiao knows that the Germinal has some very difficult superhuman assassins to deal with.
You should prepare some weapons for self-defense.
"Please fetch two Mad Eagle Pistol from your department's warehouse."
The Mad Eagle Pistol is a close-range combat pistol known for its large caliber power. Within a 30-meter range, its power is comparable to that of a Sniping rifle, while beyond 30 meters, its power rapidly diminishes.
A high-powered pistol, combined with [slide and step shooting], is the only way to achieve both offense and defense.
In addition to pistols, they also need to manufacture melee weapons.
Over the past three days, Han Xiao has gained nearly 100,000 experience points from manufacturing High Combustion Bullet. Without hesitation, he spent 40,000 experience points to upgrade [Basic Refinement] to level 5, meeting the manufacturing requirements for Taibo Alloy.
He needs to upgrade his equipment.
A few days ago, the leader learned that Zero's Light Power Arm had appeared on a Stardragon agent. Connecting this to the three military attacks on Stardragon's branch bases, no matter how unbelievable it seemed, he could only conclude that Zero had defected to Stardragon and leaked the Germinal intelligence.
Is this a paranormal event?
The leader couldn't understand how Zero, who had never been exposed to this kind of intelligence, could know the location of the organization's secret base. He hadn't suspected Zero at all before, and even thought there was a mole within the organization, almost mistakenly killing a high-ranking member and suffering huge losses.
More than a month ago, Zero's arrogant words flashed through my mind. "I will destroy you all!"
Is this all you're relying on?
The leader clenched his fist, his eyes menacing. "I underestimated you. You're not qualified to be our enemy! I don't believe you really possess any classified information!"
"Pass on my orders: recruit some new faces and wanderers, and send them to Stardragon to Investigate Zero's whereabouts. The organization will reward them handsomely for any successful investigations!"
The leader's tone was chilling, his killing intent resolute.
"If we find a clue, let Nosa deal with him."
Nosa, of the same rank as Hila, is an executive officer of the Germinal Organization and an assassin.
Each executive has their own strengths, and the number of executives in the Germinal Organization has always been a secret, even among its own members.
The leader had deep, penetrating eyes.
Did they think they could act without restraint just by joining Stardragon?
Innocent!