Chapter 25: The Showdown of the New-Generation Mechas

Night fell slowly, and a black taxi sped along a deserted road. The location was rather remote, and at this hour, this was the only car on the street. Inside sat Liu Shaoyu and Wang Weifu, just out from the restaurant.

At last, the car stopped at a place that resembled a factory. After paying the fare, the two stepped out, following Wang Weifu into an underground laboratory.

From the exterior, Liu Shaoyu could already guess this was Wang Weifu’s lab. As he was thinking this, Wang Weifu spoke.

“My laboratory—private, of course. I tinker with a few little things,” Wang Weifu said, pausing before a metal door to scan his identity.

Liu Shaoyu wasn’t surprised that Wang Weifu owned such a lab; it appeared he had more than one.

Once the identity check was complete, Liu Shaoyu followed Wang Weifu through the metal door. The interior was unremarkable, but the transparent cabinet at the center held something that caught Liu Shaoyu’s attention.

“Well? Isn’t it beautiful?” Wang Weifu’s eyes sparkled as he noticed Liu Shaoyu’s gaze fixed on the object. It was exactly the reaction he hoped for.

What captivated Liu Shaoyu was a set of black armor in the middle of the room. This was no relic of ancient warriors, but a suit of modern, technologically advanced combat armor.

“This is my latest design—a lightweight suit, remodeled from the hull of a Fangta Mothership. It’s equipped with state-of-the-art electronics and a compact weapons system. Wearing this, you’ll be able to survive even in the void of space,” Wang Weifu explained.

Liu Shaoyu’s eyes lit up at the description. This was precisely what he needed; with this, his journey through the barren star regions would be far safer.

“Would you like to try it on?” Wang Weifu suggested.

Liu Shaoyu nodded at once. Wang Weifu entered a password, and the transparent glass receded, revealing the black armor in its entirety.

“The mech is equipped with genetic recognition. Once you’re bound to it, you’ll intuitively know how to operate it,” Wang Weifu reminded.

Standing by the armor, Liu Shaoyu entered his information on a nearby screen. The system quickly processed Thomas’s request, and a cascade of data appeared on the display before him.

“Thomas, activate and equip,” Liu Shaoyu commanded. Instantly, the assembled armor parts separated, propelled by controlled force, and began to encase Liu Shaoyu one by one. In moments, the entire suit was fitted perfectly to him.

“Let’s test it out in the proving ground,” Wang Weifu said, turning toward the exit. Beneath the laboratory stretched a vast simulation arena—so spacious that one could fire a starship cannon here to gauge its power.

Wearing the armor, Liu Shaoyu saw all sorts of data displayed on the built-in screen. The suit mimicked an exoskeleton structure and was custom-made by Wang Weifu for Liu Shaoyu, fitting him perfectly with remarkable flexibility. The built-in anti-gravity system allowed aerial combat. Advanced insulation and radiation shields, along with various accessories, ensured Liu Shaoyu felt no discomfort while wearing it.

“All systems operational,” came Thomas’s voice from within the armor. Liu Shaoyu stood at the center of the proving ground, activated the anti-gravity system, and ascended smoothly. He deftly manipulated the suit, performing a full aerial spin.

“How does it feel?” Wang Weifu’s voice came through the suit’s comms.

“It’s far more agile than military mechs. I wonder how it performs in live combat,” Liu Shaoyu replied, growing curious about the suit’s combat capabilities.

“You’ll know soon enough,” Wang Weifu said. As he finished, a silver military mech rose from the arena floor, differing from Liu Shaoyu’s suit in that its proportions were much more humanoid.

“A next-generation military test model, capable of fully remote operation. Its combat and mobility specs are thirty percent higher than previous units. With the crew compartment removed, its capacitor is enlarged,” Wang Weifu explained.

Liu Shaoyu thought to himself that there were indeed many treasures here. For a moment, he even considered taking a few things when he left.

“There are no army personnel here, so I’ll operate the mech remotely and spar with you,” Wang Weifu said, heading to the remote control room.

Liu Shaoyu was eager to test his suit’s combat performance. When Wang Weifu’s mech began to move, Liu Shaoyu engaged his own engines.

“Impact resistance test commencing,” Wang Weifu said. Four small missiles shot from the back of the silver mech.

“Damn, this is serious!” Liu Shaoyu exclaimed, hastily locking onto the missiles. He pressed forward, releasing an energy blast. Two incoming missiles exploded midair. Spinning around, he used the laser emitter on his arm to detonate the other two missiles behind him.

Not one to let an attack go unanswered, Liu Shaoyu targeted Wang Weifu’s silver mech and fired two small missiles in return.

“I told you, it’s an impact resistance test!” Wang Weifu quickly activated an energy shield as Liu Shaoyu’s missiles approached.

Liu Shaoyu instantly switched to a particle lightsaber, accelerating toward Wang Weifu. The red blade clashed with the blue shield, casting a violet glow.

Wang Weifu tried to seize Liu Shaoyu with the mech’s arm, but Liu Shaoyu’s agility outmatched the cumbersome machine. With a nimble leap, he evaded the attack.

Just as Liu Shaoyu’s suit steadied from the retreat, he noticed the silver mech’s arm panel flip open, launching sixteen micro-missiles.

“Shield up!” Liu Shaoyu shouted, activating his shield and retreating. But it was too fast—he was hit by four of the missiles, dodging twelve.

“Shield at 80%... 75%... 60%... 55%...” Though the energy shield and outer armor absorbed most of the impact, the explosion still sent a jolt of pain through Liu Shaoyu.

“Going hard, huh?” Liu Shaoyu muttered, then accelerated rapidly, firing six missiles to force Wang Weifu’s mech into defense. Switching back to the particle blade, he charged the silver mech, detonating bombs along the way. Suddenly, a black figure emerged from the lingering smoke, its lightsaber shattering the blue shield.

“Stop! I surrender!” Wang Weifu’s voice came hurriedly. This was no simulation; losing the shield here could cost millions.

Suspended in midair, Liu Shaoyu quickly retracted his blade, but couldn’t halt his momentum.

“Bang!” Liu Shaoyu’s suit collided with the silver mech.

The impact left Liu Shaoyu dazed, but Wang Weifu—who wasn’t inside the mech—was unharmed.

“Alright, let’s call it here. Come take a look at the combat data,” Wang Weifu’s voice sounded.

Liu Shaoyu got up, removed the suit, and walked to the control room, rubbing his shoulder as he examined the data on the screen.

“The impact is intense,” he commented.

“Well, there’s only so much you can do with armor like this,” Wang Weifu replied. Liu Shaoyu nodded in understanding.

“When I leave, get me a few sets of these,” Liu Shaoyu said.

“What! A few sets? Do you know how much yours and the one below cost?” Wang Weifu almost stumbled at Liu Shaoyu’s words.

“Is it very expensive?” Liu Shaoyu asked.

“Forget about the one below—it’s the latest custom military model. Even if you took it, you wouldn’t dare use it. The one you’re wearing is yours,” Wang Weifu said, matter-of-factly.

“Five sets of mine, then,” Liu Shaoyu pressed.

“What will you do with so many?”

“No spice, thank you.”

“Two sets!”

“Four.”

“Three, and not a single more!”

“Deal.”

Liu Shaoyu wasn’t greedy; he simply wanted to give one set to Xin Qingyi, whose safety he deeply cared about.

Wang Weifu wasn’t truly stingy either; in fact, he only had three sets left.

“Don’t worry about Xin Qingyi. The investors have prepared a custom suit for her. It was meant to be sent over anyway—since you’re going, you can deliver it,” Wang Weifu said. The metal panel behind them rose, revealing three more suits.

The one on the far right was obviously made for a woman—its waist was remarkably slender.

The other two belonged to Long Ruyuan and Monkey. The faceplate of Monkey’s armor had a monkey motif, a whimsical touch.

Seeing Liu Shaoyu smile at the armor, Wang Weifu remarked, “A little mischief—don’t you think the monkey is adorable?”

Liu Shaoyu immediately thought of Sun Wukong from Journey to the West. “You should give him a staff—it’d be perfect.”

“Can we be serious for a moment?” Wang Weifu replied, exasperated.

“You started it…”

The two left the lab—it was already late. When Liu Shaoyu learned that Wang Weifu lived in his old residence, he felt a pang of nostalgia.

The next morning, as a ray of sunlight streamed through the window onto Liu Shaoyu’s face, a new day began.