With the additions of the enhanced Facial Simulator, Desert Eagle, Lightweight Mechanical Arm, Foldable Machete, Sky Swallow Gliders, Magnetically-controlled Armor, and last but not least, these flight-capable bombs to his arsenal, Han Xiao had finally finished with all his upgrades. Although Division 13 would definitely still provide them with more equipment, at Han Xiao’s current level, his gear could be said to be semi-godly already. He was currently—without a doubt—the strongest person in his level range.
“This equipment will suffice.”
Han Xiao crossed out ‘Personal Upgrades’ on his to-do list. The next line read ‘Transport Vehicles’.
Creating an entire vehicle from scratch would take too much time, so it was better for Han Xiao to directly purchase one from Division 13 and then perform modifications on it.
Quality-wise, Division 13 would definitely not disappoint. After spending some time looking at the available options, Han Xiao decided that a detachable cargo truck would best suit their needs. It would act as a mobile warehouse and a workshop—a logistics vehicle for the team.
Han Xiao could buy the truck with either money or exchange reputation points for it, which was essentially requesting that Division 13 give him the truck.
Currently, he had a whopping $2.8m to spare. Already, the money-spending ability of the Mechanic class was starting to shine through. Of course, none of this would have been possible without Han Xiao’s prior experience that helped him in accumulating money.
Without happily spending all their money and getting used to living paycheck to paycheck, one could never become an excellent Mechanic.
Nonetheless, he decided to pay with reputation points; that’s what they were meant for, after all. In comparison, paying with money would set him back an unnecessary $800,000. Han Xiao rang Feng Jun up.
…
“Give me the vehicle. How long will it take for you to deliver it to my place?”
“I will need to pick it up from the military factory. About two hours.”
Feng Jun’s punctuality was proven time and again; exactly two hours later, Feng Jun arrived at Han Xiao’s doorstep in the very truck.
A problem immediately presented itself: the truck was too big to enter the garage.
Han Xiao and Feng Jun stared at each other, dumbfounded. They had carefully accounted for every single detail except for this issue.
“What now?”
“How about you guys expand the garage for me?”
“Come on, do you think that Engineering Department staff have that much free time to spare?”
As Han Xiao rubbed his chin, his eyes suddenly lit up.
“Didn’t you bring in an undercover squad to watch over this district? Where are they now?”
“Be more rational jackass! Don’t you think we are grabbing too much attention!”
Han Xiao looked away from Feng Jun and began to size up the military truck. It was 4 meters tall, 3.5 meters wide, and attached with an 11 meters long container that extended beyond the width of the front of the truck itself.
“What attention-grabbing? I don’t think so.” Han Xiao was not at all flustered when bullshitting.
“Only the blind would not see such a huge truck!” Feng Jun basically spouted saliva all over Han Xiao’s face.
“What is with the saliva-spitting when you speak?” Han Xiao grabbed Feng Jun’s sleeve, wiped his face, and said with a look of disdain, “Not that I am criticizing you, but the volume of saliva that came out of your mouth is huge.”
Old Man Lu walked out at this moment and exclaimed, “What a huge truck.”
“Why don’t we just demolish the whole garage?” Han Xiao’s eyes glittered.
“Get lost,” Old Man Lu scolded sulkily. He then rubbed the bald area on his head and pondered for a moment before he dug out a key from his pocket and threw it to Han Xiao.
“I have a garage a few blocks away. I will lend it to you.”
Han Xiao was utterly shocked. “So generous! Old Man Lu, are you on wrong medicine today?”
“Get lost!” Old Man Lu was swearing again. He then pushed them away as they were blocking his way, and he walked out for a leisurely stroll.
…
Han Xiao drove the truck and arrived at the garage ten minutes later.
“Bleurgh—”
“Hello. Do you really have to do that?’
Feng Jun’s face was as pale as a sheet as he leaned out the car window. He waved his hands hysterically while he continued vomiting.
Han Xiao could not understand what Feng Jun was trying to convey. Does he mean that he will not sit in my car every again, or is he saying that I don’t have to care how he feels?
Han Xiao shook his head and threw the unimportant question to the back of his head. After he sent the nauseated Feng Jun away, he began modifying the heavy military truck.
He checked every inch of the truck and found no hidden cameras or bugs.
Products made by the military factory were of excellent quality. The truck was equipped with numerous parts, including ten cylinders and turbochargers, which enhanced its horsepower. It could move at a top-speed of 135km/hr. The truck had five heavy-duty, slip-free tires on each side. The cargo compartment was large, and it could contain quite a few pieces of equipment. Han Xiao wanted to modify it into a small workshop, so he needed to move the workshop equipment up.
The base plate of the truck was modified for multi-terrain use, with parts like spring suspension and air damping suspension, which allowed the truck to move smoothly on bad terrain. The truck was also equipped with an anti-sliding gadget, which would prevent small vehicles from sliding under the truck. The movie scenes of protagonists driving sportscar under the villain’s car to fight would never happen with this truck. Hold on… why am I naturally picturing myself as the villain?
The driving cabin was not at all small—it could easily fit six people. It was equipped with a ten-gear gearshift, so there was a suitable gear for any type of movement.
Han Xiao checked the air bags. There were eight of them. As long as the passenger did not fly out of the vehicle upon collision, they would definitely not be injured. Plus, this passenger could enjoy the pleasure of being squashed in between a big ‘chest’.
Speaking of car collisions, the front of the truck was not strengthened with a front bumper. Han Xiao needed to add it himself. He then looked at the truck windows—they were bullet-proof. Division 13 did not cut corners.
Overall, the truck was up to standard; it did not need any major modification. Han Xiao decided to add a few nitro-boost cylinders to the truck for additional thrust. The thought of having a nitro boost for the truck already excited Han Xiao greatly. His truck could be the ultimate king of the road.
Han Xiao started modifying the truck.
The inside of the cargo compartment was made into a small-scale workshop. Han Xiao also strengthened the base plate and the front bumper—the thick and heavy armor looked rather sturdy. Four nitro-boost cylinders were installed in the truck for additional thrust during crucial moments. Furthermore, Han Xiao bought spare tires, and he installed a radar with an antenna for receiving radio signals and sending wi-fi signals.
With these numerous upgrades, Han Xiao spent more than 10,000 dollars. He could not help but shake his head. Upgrades sure were costly.
Gazing upon the black truck before him, he rubbed his chin as the idea of giving it a name suddenly occurred to him.
Han Xiao decided to go with the simplest and most obvious one.
“Big Black!”
Hmm, not a bad name at all.
Chapter 69 - Before Move Out
Translator: chickenpau Editor: Millman97
“Oh my god, Xiao Han, you bought a heavy truck‽”
The four teammates were invited to the garage, and Li Ya Lin and Lin Ya’s faces were soon filled with surprise and excitement. They climbed all over the heavy truck. As Lambert was particularly interested in the engine, he opened the car hood to
admire it.
“Thank you,” said Zhang Wei solemnly to Xiao Han.
A logistical vehicle was a very luxurious item for a team like them. Zhang Wei felt embarrassed that Xiao Han had bought it with his own money.
Xiao Han laughed it off. “Hehe. Just treat it as my way of helping impoverished teammates.”
Zhang Wei’s mouth started twitching as he was lost for words. Although Xiao Han was saying the truth, it was still agitating for Zhang Wei.
“I wracked my brain to come up with a name for this truck.”
Zhang Wei listened expectantly.
Xiao Han cleared his throat and said in a serious tone, “Big Black.”
Zhang Wei’s body jerked upon hearing the ridiculous name. He gave an unwilling half-smile. “Nice… what a nice name.”
“Oh. You think so too? This name is very catchy and concise. I am quite proud of myself for coming up with this name,” Xiao Han said in a satisfied tone.
“I’m glad you are happy with the name.”
“Wow. The driving space is huge.” Li Ya Lin was having a lot of fun when she suddenly thought of something. “who is going to drive the car?”
“This is my truck. Obviously, I will be driving it,” Xiao Han said.
Immediately, Li Ya Lin’s face paled, and her body started trembling. “Can… can I not travel in the car?”
Zhang Wei frowned and reprimanded her. “Xiao Han spent so much money to let us enjoy some comfort and convenience. How can you reject this?”
Li Ya Lin’s face was now as pale as a sheet. She felt that nothing was more horrifying than this.
“You guys will regret this,” she mumbled.
Regret? Zhang Wei was puzzled. Is Xiao Han a terrible driver?
Then it’s nothing serious. How bad can his driving be? Everyone here is a well-trained agent in excellent physical condition. Nobody gets dizzy on roller-coasters. There’s nothing to fear about this, Zhang Wei thought to himself.
“Oh yeah. Our boss told us that we will be moving out in four days,” Lin Yao said suddenly.
Xiao Han’s eyes lit up. He had spent about ten days giving the truck an overhaul. He still wanted to install heavy firepower on truck. He had already mastered the knowledge required, but there was simply not enough time. He thought for a while and said to Zhang Wei, “Bring the Combatant Armored Suit to me. I will help you improve it.”
Zhang Wei’s eyes lit up. He had confidence in Xiao Han’s mechanic skills.
Li Ya Lin overheard their conversation. She jumped at Xiao Han and nudged his shoulder. “What about me! What about me! You promised to customize some equipment for me!”
“You have to wait till I have some inspiration.”
As a Pugilist, you should focus on using your fists to punch people. Why are you always eyeing my mechanic equipment? Xiao Han pushed the noisy Lin Ya Lin aside.
The original Combatant Armored Suit was brought out right away by a staff member from the logistics department. Just like the armor exhibited in museums, it was propped up with a plastic skeleton and stored in a human-height metal box.
“Since time is running out, I will have to focus on the most essential modification. Firstly, I will increase the energy capacity. Then, work on the structure will begin to reduce the weight and upgrade the skeleton of the mechanical parts. This will help to improve your overall movement.”
“That will be great!” Zhang Wei’s face brightened with happiness. The suit was extremely heavy for him. After every use, his whole body would ache badly, worse than after running ten kilometers.
“Next, I will modify the sensing system. I will fit a simple chip onto the suit to survey the situation outside, and I will personally donate a firepower control system, which will give your long-range weapons an auto-aiming ability.
“Lastly, if time permits, I will also add a simple close-combat weapon.”
“Sounds great!” Zhang Wei was exhilarated.
But suddenly, Xiao Han changed his tone. “And, of course, all of these things are chargeable. The total cost will be $360,000.”
“How… how much‽”
Zhang Wei stared him, his mouth agape in disbelief. His total saving had not even reached a million dollars.
“Do you think this is too pricey?” Xiao Han narrowed his eyes at Zhang Wei.
“Are your parents still alive?”
“Why are you asking about them? They have already passed on.” Zhang Wei was startled by the strange question.
“Do you have any siblings?”
“No. I’m their only child.”
“Do you have a wife or a girlfriend?”
“N…No. I’m all alone.”
Xiao Han shook his head with a perplexed expression. “Then what’s the point in saving so much money?”
The comment shot right to his heart!
“Fine. Fine… Stop talking. I will pay!” Zhang Wei gripped his chest in pain. He felt like his heart was being stomped on by a thousand rhinos.
…
Like an unscrupulous business man, Xiao Han received the payment from Zhang Wei’s trembling hand before he commenced the modification of the suit.
[Basic Energy Theory] Lv. 3 had given Xiao Han the ability to strengthen energy mechanics. However, he didn’t want to give Zhang Wei’s suit a mighty modification, so there was no need for a new energy blueprint. Good stuff had to be kept for personal use.
To build in a weight-bearing mechanical skeleton and a sensing chip, one could actually use blueprints. These two were rather common.
_____________________
Do you wish to proceed with talent fusion?
(Lv. 1 Basic Spatial Sensing + Lv. 1 Basic Virtual Electrical Engineering)
This fusion will cost you 10,000 EXP.
_____________________
Do you wish to proceed with talent fusion?
(Lv. 2 Basic Dynamics Principle + Lv. 4 Basic Mechanical Engineering)
This fusion will cost you 10,000 EXP.
_____________________
Fusion Success!
Congratulations, you have discovered [Low Level Smart Chip]!
_____________________
Fusion Success!
Congratulations, you have discovered [K600-type Mechanical Skeletal System]!
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
These two were common mechanical blueprints, so most Mechanics would have them. Xiao Han achieved fusion success on his first try without any hiccups.
[Low Level Smart Chip] was also sold on the market. However, by unlocking the blueprint, Xiao Han could tweak it by writing his own code. The words ‘low level’ indicated that there would be more advance versions of it, such as highly intelligent Al for large robots or even intelligent system control for huge space vehicles and war machines.
On the other hand, [K600-type Mechanical Skeletal System] was one of the basic models of inner mechanical skeletal systems.
The outer mechanical skeletal systems were worn directly on the body, while the inner type fitted the whole body seamlessly, hidden inside of the external armor. It retained the same functions as the external skeletal system but provided extra mechanical power. The inner skeletal system was a must for making a Mechanical Armored Suit. Needless to say, the more advanced versions were applied to small, medium, large, and extremely large armored suits.
Xiao Han removed the exterior of the combat suit, exposing the intricate parts in the interior. Xiao Han observed for a moment before he began his work.
First, he increased the energy capacity, then he added in the skeletal system and the smart chip, and lastly, he purchased some imaging devices, cameras, and infrared sensor for the sensing equipment.
On dawn of the fourth day, he finally finished upgrading the Combatant Armored Suit.
Despite the same old, black, and heavy primitive suit exterior, the inside of the suit had been changed tremendously. It finally resembled a powerful and advance
mechanical armored suit.
But time constraints did not allow Xiao Han to add a close-combat weapon. Xiao Han was not bothered by it. Not delivering the promised product after payment was not new to him; he had already delayed the delivery of a High-Explosive Gunpowder for more than half a month.
Xiao Han yawned and looked at his interface.
[Combatant Armored Suit: Deriving progress 2%]
Retro-derivation of equipment was one of the methods for Mechanics to obtain blueprints. The requirements were very stringent because the progress would usually halt when they could not fulfil the pre-set conditions. Sometimes, just as the progress reached 30%, it would sometimes ask for INT to reach XX before it could continue the derivation. Furthermore, even when the progress reached 100%, a huge amount of EXP would have to be consumed in order to officially master the blueprint.
The core of the [Combatant Armored Suit] was part of the Advanced Mechanic Knowledge [Heavy Machine Modification]. When the progress bar reached 50%, it looked like this knowledge would be required. Since the blueprint for the suit was not essential for Xiao Han, he was not bothered with that.
It was move-out day. The team of four gathered in the garage. Lin Yao looked at the computer screen and said suddenly, “The department has gathered. The gathering point is the East Sentry Post.”
“Okay. Let’s board the truck!” Zhang Wei said solemnly.
As soon as he gave the instruction, Li Ya Lin moved rapidly onto the driver’s seat and stared at Xiao Han anxiously. “Can… Can I drive the truck?”
Xiao Han rubbed his eyes. He had been burning the mid-night oil for the past few days, so he was sleepy beyond measure. Thus, he did not insist on driving. He told her to drive steadily before moving to the back of the truck. He used a few backpacks as blanket and lay on the floor to sleep.
Li Ya Lin sighed in relief at once. She felt as if she had just escaped death narrowly. She didn’t even have the energy to point out the irony in Xiao Han’s words “drive steadily.”
The Legendary Mechanic c1-1385 Page 37