Chapter 112: Inspiration!

“General Chu, you’re injured! Why aren’t you resting properly in the hospital? How did you come all the way here? Please take care of yourself—we’re all waiting for you to recover so you can guide the work again!”

When Ren Boyuan saw Chu Xiao arrive, he paused his work. Chu Xiao had been too busy to visit when he was in the hospital, so now seeing him here, Ren Boyuan came over to pay his respects.

“This little injury is nothing; it’s almost healed. I came to check on the progress of the weapons development,” Chu Xiao said. Worried that the Underworld King would soon attack Jiuzhou, he couldn’t rest easy and wanted to see if there had been any new advancements.

“The weapons upgrade is progressing quickly—the range and damage have both improved to a new level. However, the development of new weapons is slower,” Ren Boyuan briefly explained their current ideas. They hoped to harness the sun’s immense heat to launch an attack, instantly melting iron into molten metal.

But this method only works when the sun is at its peak intensity, and Ren Boyuan’s team was struggling to overcome this limitation. They sought a way to store thermal energy, but all known methods had been rendered ineffective.

Chu Xiao responded lightly and began to ponder deeply. It was indeed a challenging problem.

“Wait, I remember reading in historical records about a material called ‘magnesium,’ extracted from space meteorites. It’s extremely rare,” Chu Xiao exclaimed excitedly, slapping his thigh. The pain from his wound was sharp and agonizing, causing the nearby nurse to look on anxiously. Fortunately, it was nothing serious—just a slight tear.

“How much of this meteorite is there? Where can we find it?” Ren Boyuan had never heard of such a material capable of withstanding the sun’s heat, but he didn’t doubt Chu Xiao’s words.

“The Geological Bureau or the Planetarium should have some. I’ll go ask Commander One right away,” Chu Xiao said eagerly, ready to seek permission.

But the nurse stopped him, warning that he shouldn’t exert himself too much or risk infection.

“Yes, General Chu, you need to rest more now. There’s no rush to find meteorites. We don’t even have a concrete plan yet. Once you’ve recovered, we can present a plan to Commander One. It’s better to wait a few days,” Ren Boyuan added, urging Chu Xiao to be patient.

Reluctantly, Chu Xiao returned to the hospital, planning to approach Commander One only after Ren Boyuan had a solid plan. It would be reckless to rush in with an unproven idea.

As Chu Xiao was slowly walking back with the nurse’s support, he saw Wang Lulu approaching the hospital entrance carrying something.

Seeing her coming, Chu Xiao immediately turned his back, fearing she might ignore him if she saw him leaving.

“General Chu, why aren’t you leaving? Are you planning to rest here for a while?” Wang Lulu called out.

“Shh, lower your voice. Don’t let that woman hear!” the nurse whispered to Chu Xiao. But Wang Lulu had already noticed them.

“Chu Xiao, why aren’t you lying in bed where you should be? Who is this nurse with you?” Wang Lulu’s tone was sharp and angry, her gaze fierce as she fired a rapid series of questions at Chu Xiao. She looked like a tigress on the prowl.

Her eyes never left the nurse, who was taken aback by the intensity of Wang Lulu’s glare.

“I… I was worried that if General Chu went out alone and exerted himself, the wound might tear and become infected. That’s why I followed him,” the nurse stammered, clearly sensing Wang Lulu’s jealousy and the murderous expression on her face.

“Yes, exactly. I was going to go alone, but the nurse insisted on coming along,” Chu Xiao added, trying to ease the tension.

Wang Lulu was still half-skeptical but visibly less hostile.

“Then why didn’t you come to me?” she asked.

“I thought you were too tired these past few days and didn’t want to disturb your rest,” Chu Xiao replied.

Wang Lulu’s anger dissipated, and the nurse finally breathed a sigh of relief. Chu Xiao thought to himself that this woman’s temper was fiercer than the Underworld King’s.

“Actually, I have something else to do. Why don’t you help General Chu inside?” the nurse said quickly, wanting to leave before saying something wrong and triggering Wang Lulu’s wrath again.

“If you keep wandering off like this, I’ll stop paying attention to you!” Wang Lulu pouted, pretending to be angry.

Chu Xiao quickly nodded in agreement, glancing at the lunch box in Wang Lulu’s hands.

“What did you make for me? It smells so good—I’m already hungry!” Chu Xiao smiled and hurriedly changed the subject, not daring to mention the earlier incident.

“You’re a dog by zodiac, huh? You can smell it from so far away. So, what do you think I made?” Wang Lulu teased.

Chu Xiao was embarrassed; he hadn’t really smelled anything. He was just trying to divert the conversation.

“Is… it noodles?” he guessed seriously.

Wang Lulu didn’t answer, but from her look, Chu Xiao knew he was wrong.

“Then… ribs?” he ventured again, cautiously testing the waters. Wang Lulu shot him a sharp glare.

“It’s bone broth, simmered just for you. To help you recover faster!” Wang Lulu said, eyes blazing as if willing to kill him with a look. Then she helped Chu Xiao walk back into the hospital.

“It smells amazing. Nothing beats Lulu’s cooking!” Chu Xiao exclaimed as they entered the room.

Wang Lulu opened the lunch box, releasing a rich aroma that instantly whetted Chu Xiao’s appetite.

She served him a bowl and, after cooling it, encouraged him to drink it himself. Chu Xiao was surprised; he had expected her to feed him, his lips already puckered in anticipation. But Wang Lulu made him drink on his own.

Chu Xiao looked pitifully at her, but she paid no mind. Seeing this tactic fail, he took the bowl and finished both broth and meat in just a few mouthfuls.

“Hey, I want more!” he said like a child, waiting eagerly for a second bowl. Soon, it was gone too.

Meanwhile, the Underworld King was not idle. In his secret chamber, he was building an army of machines and devising ways to counter the cannons.

Having witnessed the cannons’ power in the last battle, he was researching smaller, faster robots that could dodge their attacks.

Indeed, the Underworld King’s manufacturing speed was impressive. Once other machines were programmed, they spent all their time building more robots, only stopping to recharge.

Before long, he had produced a large batch of robots. Yet he knew well that without developing effective countermeasures against the cannons, mass production would be futile.

Searching known systems for inspiration, he looked to various animals to design new types of robots.

Soon, he found the perfect candidate—an animal form that was both small and agile.