Chapter 28: Takeoff

While fending off the Bladeworm, Wen Lei’s chest armor and massive shield both suffered damage.

The chest armor was a complex structure, with intricate circuits running through its interior, making it the priciest piece of equipment for a mech warrior. A basic Level One exoskeletal chest armor cost forty contribution points, while Wen Lei’s enhanced model was priced at sixty. Judging by the extent of the damage, Wen Lei estimated the repair cost would be twenty points.

The shield was a special case, forged as a single piece from alloy. If severely damaged, a welded repair would only cost five points—but the shield’s structural rigidity would be compromised. The best option was to replace it outright, but that meant spending twenty points.

Wen Lei currently had just thirty points to his name, which put him in a tough spot.

“Originally, I figured after paying for medical treatment I’d be left with twenty points, so I’d just repair the chest armor for now and keep using the shield as is. Now that you’ve helped me save ten points, I can get the shield fixed too. It won’t be perfect, but it’ll do for now,” Wen Lei said cheerfully.

Ren Zhong frowned. “You’re a fighter. The shield is your livelihood—how can you settle for less?”

Wen Lei waved it off. “Ah, what’s the big deal? Plenty of mech warriors can’t afford a full set of gear; some go out hunting with just arm guards. I used to be worse off, scavenging scrap metal from the trash to patch together my own armor. Sometimes it would fall apart in the middle of a fight. If I didn’t die, it was pure luck.”

Ren Zhong instinctively felt something was off. “Getting hurt by the Bladeworm wasn’t your fault. You acted as the squad’s shield, but you have to pay for treatment and repairs yourself? That doesn’t seem right.”

Wen Lei explained further. “The squad has communal funds. Every operation, we each contribute twenty percent of our earnings to a reserve. But just now Zheng Tian said our vehicle’s performance is terrible, and she’s managed to connect with someone selling a used armored truck at a good price. It offers decent protection, speed, and endurance—way better than my patched-up junk. Opportunities like this don’t come often, so she wants to spend all the communal funds, meaning I have to cover my repairs myself for now. I’ll make do with the shield for a few days.”

Ren Zhong nodded. “I see.”

Maybe Zheng Tian was making decisions for the good of the team, but Ren Zhong had a different perspective.

Zheng Tian was taking advantage of an honest man.

Wen Lei, as the team’s shield, using a substandard shield was putting his life at risk.

If they were lucky and only faced Level One Ruin Beasts on upcoming missions, it would be acceptable. But if luck faltered, and they encountered a Level Two or several Level Ones at once, Wen Lei would be in real danger.

“Here’s what we’ll do—I’ve got plenty of money. Let’s go together to the armory and get you a new shield. Consider it a loan from me,” Ren Zhong offered.

Wen Lei was overjoyed and didn’t stand on ceremony. “Thanks!”

“You’re welcome.”

“But Ren Zhong, you’re still too generous. You should learn to save up,” Wen Lei advised.

The fact that Wen Lei now offered Ren Zhong advice meant he considered him a true friend—the barriers of unfamiliarity had fallen.

Ren Zhong laughed heartily. “Wen Lei, do you know what’s worse than being alive and broke?”

“What?”

“Being dead with money left unspent. If you’ve got it, spend it. Investing in you is an investment in the squad’s strength, which is also my own safety. It’s worth it.”

Wen Lei understood. “I see.”

Then Ren Zhong asked when Wen Lei had joined the squad.

“About half a year ago. Back then I was a total rookie, penniless and inexperienced. Now at least I’ve got some gear,” Wen Lei mused. “Zheng Tian is famous among the wastelanders. She’s not as well-known as you, but she’s professional and smart. If the last mech warrior hadn’t died, I’d never have gotten a spot—guess I’m lucky. And she’s easy to get along with, unlike some scavenger leaders who look down their noses at everyone, sending their men to die and treating them like animals. You have to be careful talking to them, or you’ll get kicked out or quietly eliminated.”

Ren Zhong smiled amiably. “She’s not bad.”

“Zheng Tian started leading the team about three years ago. Back then she wasn’t even a Level One gunsmith, just a newbie leading a bunch of rookies without titles. In these three years, her squad has always had a five-person roster, which is pretty complete for a small team.”

Ren Zhong asked, “Oh? How many people have cycled through? Do you only replace members when someone dies?”

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“About twenty people in total, twelve of whom died. Besides herself, only the disassembler Chen Hanyu has stayed the whole time.”

Ren Zhong nodded and asked one last question. “Compared to other scavenger squads in Spark Town, how does Zheng Tian’s squad’s death rate measure up?”

Wen Lei thought carefully. “About average.”

Ren Zhong’s pupils contracted. “Got it. Rest up for now—once you’re healed, we’ll train.”

“Alright.”

Ren Zhong was puzzled.

Even without direct contact with other scavenger squads, he sensed that Zheng Tian was far from ordinary among wastelanders.

Logically, her squad’s mortality rate should at least be above average, if not the best.

Ordinary people, or those unfamiliar with Zheng Tian, wouldn’t dwell on such details. But Ren Zhong was the kind of person who once published a paper in Science based on a minor anomaly in an experiment’s data.

He excelled at uncovering traces in the details.

With someone like him joining, perhaps in Zheng Tian’s eyes, her squad now had a brighter future. Buying a new vehicle was the first step toward her ambition.

Is buying a vehicle good? Of course.

Better mobility, improved protection, superior sensors, greater endurance—the squad’s hunting efficiency would skyrocket. The benefits were immediate; as long as the price was right, the value would even surpass official models.

But if Wen Lei died…

What would be the point of upgrading the vehicle?

...

At one o’clock in the afternoon, in the intermediate section of the mech warrior training facility next to Spark Town’s armory.

Wen Lei looked at Ren Zhong, pained. “This is too extravagant. I’d have just found a random place outside. Why are we doing entry training here, and in the intermediate section? Four hours cost ten points! Ren Zhong, maybe we should switch to the beginner section—it’s only one point, and you seem friendly with Manager Ju; she’d probably agree.”

Ren Zhong waved off the concern. “It’s fine. Time is the most precious thing. Like I said, money isn’t something you take with you when you die. The intermediate section has full facilities and saves time, which is worth more than anything. If there were an advanced section, I wouldn’t even bother with intermediate.”

Wen Lei was stunned by such extravagance. He could never understand Ren Zhong’s mindset.

Ren Zhong had no idea when he might die.

To him, his money truly wouldn’t go with him to the grave.

The only way to guarantee a return was to spend it now, investing in himself.

“Alright then.”

“So, Ren Zhong, I’ll assume you know nothing?” Wen Lei asked.

“Yes.”

Wen Lei quickly got into training mode, his expression serious. “You know the four core parameters of a mech warrior, right?”

“Yes.”

“Usually, only when all four parameters are advanced can you pass the title assessment and move to the next stage. Any weakness means you can’t fully utilize your strength and will inevitably fail against the assessment’s mech armor.”

Ren Zhong replied, “Go on.”

“Your neural-machine synchronization rate is up to standard. Now you need to improve the other three: load power, brain response index, and overall physical fitness. Load power is something you can only build up slowly with training armor. As for the other two, you can use the intermediate training facility’s simulators to accelerate your progress. There’s also enhanced training armor you can wear here, which not only boosts load power but also uses electrical stimulation to strengthen muscles and bones, plus nutrient meals for high absorption. The beginner section only has basic gym equipment and brain response trainers, so you can’t do both steps at once. Ten points is expensive—I could never afford it—but for you, it’s worth every penny.”

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Ren Zhong said, “Good.”

“Now, Ren Zhong, head over to the bioelectric load power tester. I’ll gradually increase the load—let me know if it’s too much.”

“Alright!”

...

Five minutes later, drenched in sweat and trembling uncontrollably, Ren Zhong shouted, “Stop! Stop!”

The terrifying sensation of electricity abruptly vanished. Ren Zhong collapsed to the ground, feeling as if everything but his brain no longer belonged to him, his face twitching uncontrollably.

He waited, but Wen Lei didn’t announce the result. When he finally managed to speak, he urged, “How much?”

Wen Lei hesitated. “Well…”

“Don’t ‘well’ me—just tell me!”

Wen Lei swallowed. “Two kilowatts.”

Ren Zhong shook his head in disappointment. “Still far from the ten-kilowatt minimum for Level One.”

“But Ren Zhong, you only started wearing training armor last night! Do you realize what that means? The average person has a load power of about one kilowatt. In less than a day, you’ve already increased by one kilowatt! That’s about 1.6 kilowatts per day. In at most six days, you’ll be able to wear Level One exoskeletal armor!”

Wen Lei’s emotions were mixed.

When he advanced from ordinary to Level One, it took him half a year. Granted, he didn’t have daily access to batteries, but overall he used twenty, for a total of forty days, averaging just 0.225 kilowatts per day.

Ren Zhong had bought five training armor batteries as backup, but now it seemed three would suffice.

Ren Zhong didn’t ask for details, but seeing Wen Lei’s crestfallen expression, he guessed the reason.

Alright—his talent for becoming a warrior was as strong as his academic prowess.

He didn’t feign modesty, only said, “So, not bad?”

Wen Lei scratched his head. “Not bad, but I don’t get it. Normally, we have to train load power and physical fitness together. Stronger bodies naturally have higher load power, like strengthening a pipe’s structure to handle high-pressure water flow. If physical fitness doesn’t improve, load power shouldn’t rise so quickly. Unless…”

“Unless what?”

“Unless someone’s initial neural-machine synchronization rate is exceptionally high, their neural network is naturally resilient with low electrical resistance, so their channel widens much faster than most.”

Ren Zhong pointed at himself. “So you mean me?”

“That’s right. After all, you still look a bit pale, like someone recovering from a serious illness. Your physical improvement has a lot of room before you reach peak fitness.”

Ren Zhong nodded, thinking Wen Lei had it right.

He really had been much stronger once.

Now, he was weak, tortured by cancer to the brink of death.

At this moment, the abnormal cell devourer was likely still purging the remnants in his body.

“Ren Zhong, maybe you should test your neural-machine synchronization rate again? I seriously doubt it’s only eleven percent.”

“No need—no point wasting money.”

Ren Zhong suddenly became frugal again.

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