MM Racing Chapter 80 A real man pilots a mecha!
Chapter 80 A real man pilots a mecha!
As we followed Lin An through several retinal recognition gates, the temperature in the air plummeted, carrying the chilly smell of precision instruments and the odor of engine oil.
The last titanium alloy explosion-proof door, half a meter thick, slowly slid open, and the scene before her made Li Fulan raise an eyebrow slightly.
The laboratory was much larger than he had imagined, covering three or four hundred square meters, with a high dome that was at least five stories high. The walls were covered with a dense network of pipes and instruments, and various indicator lights flashed constantly, making the entire space look like the interior of a spaceship in a science fiction movie.
The ground is paved with a special anti-static material. Each step produces a slight buzzing sound, which is the sound of the weak current generated by the friction between the soles of the feet and the material being conducted away.
In the center of the laboratory stood a massive magnetic levitation force field generator, composed of twelve equidistant metal pillars, each wound with a superconducting coil emitting blue light. The tops of the pillars tilted inward, converging into an inverted cone-shaped energy convergence point, and at the very center of that convergence point, a skeleton floated silently.
The "Flame Lord's Exploding Right Palm Bone" was emitting a faint, eerie red glow, like a beating heart. The light was not static, but rather pulsed rhythmically, with each pulsation of energy creating visible ripples of heat around it.
A dozen or so data monitoring instruments surrounding the force field were beating wildly, their screens refreshing numbers at a dizzying pace. Several researchers in white lab coats were frantically recording the data, fine beads of sweat forming on their foreheads—whether from the heat or the astonishing figures was unclear.
Beside the light screen, besides the still excited Mr. Yuan, there was another man standing.
He was a middle-aged man wearing a tank top stained with oil, at least 1.95 meters tall, with shoulders as broad as a door. His skin was dark and rough, as if forged from years of working in high-temperature environments.
He was holding a blueprint in his hand.
Judging from his appearance alone, this person looks more like a dockworker carrying heavy loads or a construction worker carrying bricks, rather than an expert conducting scientific research in this top-notch laboratory.
"Come, come, Little Li, let me introduce you." Old Yuan seemed to have just noticed Li Fulan coming in and hurriedly greeted him. He pointed to the burly man, his tone full of admiration, even with a hint of a child showing off his treasure to his companion.
"This is Engineer Gu, the pillar of our base. He used to work on the arresting cables of aircraft carriers and the nozzles of launch vehicle engines. He's an eighth-level fitter, a national treasure." Old Yuan's voice became more and more excited as he spoke, and his spittle almost sprayed onto Li Fulan's face.
"Do you know what an arresting cable is? That thing has to stop a fighter jet weighing tens of tons from a speed of hundreds of kilometers per hour in a fraction of a second. The steel cable used must have aerospace-grade precision; the slightest error will result in the destruction of the aircraft and the loss of life! Old Gu's craftsmanship is a life-saving skill!"
Listening to Elder Yuan's boasting, Engineer Gu showed no smugness, only a slight pursing of his lips, as if he were already used to such flattery. He turned around, his resolute face expressionless, his features deep-set, his cheekbones slightly prominent, and his jawline sharply defined. He nodded slightly to Li Fulan as a greeting, his voice deep and resonant like a bass cannon, each word carrying a steady strength.
"I've examined the item. Its structure is very unique, and its energy density is extremely high." Engineer Gu's gaze lingered on Li Fulan for a moment, as if he were assessing something, before continuing, "Elder Yuan just discussed it with me, and we've come up with two modification plans for this bone."
Upon hearing this, Elder Yuan quickly tapped a few times on the control panel beside him. Two enormous holographic projections immediately rose from the ground and hovered in front of the three people, with blue light outlining a precise three-dimensional structure, every detail displayed in exquisite detail.
"The first one, the 'Golem' design." Old Yuan pointed to the blueprint on the left, which was a suspended spherical drone structure. The sphere was about half a meter in diameter, covered with a honeycomb-shaped armor, and inside were a complex network of wires and energy conduits. In the center was a groove specifically for placing the soul bone.
"Use the Soul Bone as the core energy source and weapon terminal to create an independent combat unit." Old Yuan slid his finger across the projection screen, bringing up several simulated animations. The spherical drone nimbly traversed the virtual battlefield, firing scorching flame rays from various angles, burning targets to ashes.
"It can be remotely commanded for bombing, with a maximum combat radius of five kilometers. Its endurance depends on the energy reserves of the soul bone, and it is initially estimated to be able to continue fighting for at least twelve hours. Its biggest advantage is safety and stability, without requiring physical contact."
Li Fulan didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly, turning her gaze to the blueprint on the right.
"The second type..." Engineer Gu continued, his rough fingers pointing to the projection on the right, which showed a metal arm armor full of mechanical beauty.
The design of the arm armor was completely different from the first type of spherical drone, exuding a wild and violent aesthetic. It was streamlined, extending from the shoulder to the fingertips, with miniature hydraulic devices embedded in each joint. The silver-gray metal shell was engraved with strange patterns that echoed the flame patterns on the surface of the soul bone. Hydraulic lines and energy circuits intertwined, like the blood vessels and nerves of the human body, appearing and disappearing between the gaps in the armor.
On the inner side of the forearm of the arm armor, there is a specially designed soul bone placement slot, surrounded by densely packed energy conduits, like the gaping maw of a thirsty beast, ready to devour the soul bone containing violent energy at any moment.
"The 'Individual Exoskeleton Mech' proposal." Engineer Gu's voice was deep and steady, but his words revealed an undisguised enthusiasm. "We'll embed the Soul Bone into the core of the arm armor, directly driving it through a neural connection. The armor will become one with your arm, and the energy of the Soul Bone will be directly injected into your body, released through your will."
He paused, his sharp eyes fixed on Li Fulan, and continued, "But this thing puts a heavy burden on the body, and the backlash when it's activated is no joke. Moreover, once a neural connection is established with the soul bone, the energy shock will be directly fed back to your brain, and the pain level is at least ten times that of ordinary combat."
"To put it simply," Mr. Yuan added from the side, "the first option is to drive a tank, where you sit in the driver's seat and press buttons. The second option is to ride a motorcycle, where you have to use your body to feel every acceleration and braking, which is exciting, but also more dangerous."
"Even wilder," Gu added at the end, a slight smile playing on his lips, as if to say: I know what you'll choose.
Li Fulan's gaze swept over the two drawings, and almost without hesitation, a wicked smile spread across his lips. That smile contained no hesitation or weighing of options, only a pure, almost childlike excitement.
"Is there even a need to choose?"
He stretched out his finger and tapped it heavily on the blueprint on the right. His fingertip passed through the illusory light and shadow, stirring up ripples of blue light. Something burned in his eyes—the youthful, masculine spirit, a primal desire for mecha etched into his DNA.
"A real man pilots a mecha! What's the point of hiding in the back playing with a remote-controlled airplane?"
"I knew it."
A rare smile appeared on Engineer Gu's usually serious face, an expression like that of an old hunter meeting a like-minded young hunter. He tossed the vernier caliper aside, the tool somersaulting in the air before landing precisely on the workbench with a crisp metallic clang.
He strode to the tool shelf on the other side and picked out a specially made file from the dazzling array of tools. The file had a simple, antique design, and the blade gleamed with a dark luster, clearly an old tool that had been used for many years. The handle was wrapped with a thick layer of tape, the marks left by years of handling.
"Since we've chosen mechs, we must strive for perfect harmony between the individual and the machine." Engineer Gu's voice was calm and resolute, each word carrying the unique confidence of a craftsman. "These key transmission bearings and energy guide channels—if the machining precision isn't sufficient, they're lifeless, soulless."
He walked to the control panel, where a rough, unpolished high-strength titanium alloy blank lay. The metal blank was as thick as a forearm, its surface gleaming with a silvery-white metallic sheen, reflecting a cold, sharp light under the lamplight. This material was an aerospace-grade special alloy, each gram costing as much as gold, and was typically used only to manufacture satellite parts and critical components of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Engineer Gu took a deep breath, and his languid demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling focus. His eyes changed, becoming incredibly sharp, as if the entire world was irrelevant to him at that moment; his eyes were fixed solely on the titanium alloy blank and the perfect design drawing in his mind.
His large, rough hands were as steady as a rock, without the slightest tremor. His grip on the file was fluid and effortless, the muscle memory honed over decades of practice. The moment the blade touched the metal, it produced a rhythmic friction sound, crisp and melodious, like the playing of some ancient instrument.
"It still has to be rubbed by hand."
As metal shavings danced like snowflakes, Engineer Gu's wrist moved with incredible speed and precision. The flying metal shavings shimmered with a silvery light under the lamplight, like a fine rain of metal, falling gently onto the ground around him.
His gaze was as sharp as a scalpel, each cut precise to the micrometer level. The originally rough metal surface gradually became smooth in his hands, and the outline gradually became clearer; a precise bearing prototype was slowly taking shape.
"No need to look at the blueprints?" Li Fulan raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with curiosity. In his mind, the machining of such precision parts required repeated comparison with the blueprints, for fear of making even the slightest mistake.
"The blueprints are in my head." Foreman Gu didn't even look up; his hands moved so fast they left afterimages, yet with terrifying steadiness. That contradictory combination seemed so natural on him, as if his hands were born for this kind of work.
His voice was deep and resolute, carrying an unwavering confidence: "As for precision... my eyes are the ruler."