As soon as Wang Daochang entered the room, he heard the cheerful voice of a girl he didn't know.
"Ha ha! The boss is back!"
"Dad! Mom! The boss brought someone new back!"
Wang Jixuan turned the corner and saw a spacious workshop. In the center was an "operating table," surrounded by various precision instruments. Everything here was set up for Ling Tong.
The second floor seemed to be a living area. Behind the railing, a small girl in blue overalls and wearing maintenance gloves was chattering excitedly.
The only door on the second floor opened, and a couple with gray hair peered in, waving eagerly at Wang Jixuan. He raised his hand in greeting.
Ling Tong walked to the right side of the operating table with two boxes, pushing open a simple iron door that revealed a plain room.
"Can I stay here?"
Ling Tong said softly, "My usual resting room is next door."
Wang Jixuan nodded immediately, took his box, and went inside to set up.
By the time he finished laying out the sheets, a family of three mechanics had come down from the second floor and stood next to Ling Tong, curiously sizing him up.
"Hello! Newcomer!"
The girl in overalls shouted happily, taking off her gloves and extending her right hand.
She was a cute girl, slightly skinny but well-proportioned, with ordinary features and a few freckles on her face. Her big eyes were very lively.
"My name is Wan Xiaoqi! I'm Major Ling Tong's future number one mechanic!"
Wang Jixuan shook her hand lightly and smiled, "So what about now?"
"Uh, right now I'm number six... I just graduated two years ago, but I will work hard to improve!"
Ling Tong added, "Her skills are quite good, especially in network technology."
Wan Xiaoqi pouted and muttered, "But boss, why does he get to stay in a single room right away while I have to share with my parents? I need privacy too!"
Ling Tong calmly replied, "It's for convenience so I can meet with him alone."
Wan Xiaoqi's big eyes widened.
Ling Tong looked at Wang Jixuan and said, "Let me introduce you. This is Uncle Tai, who is responsible for the maintenance of conventional weapon units. This is his wife, Wan Jie, who is also Xiaoqi's mother and my main maintenance engineer for mechanical arms."
Then, pointing at Wang Jixuan, Ling Tong thought of a precise way to describe him: "Wang Zheng, my newly recruited mechanic. He mainly takes care of... well, my organic parts' daily maintenance."
Silence.
The entire workshop became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
Wang Jixuan's facial muscles twitched slightly.
Ling Tong's description was actually quite accurate; he was indeed responsible for massages, just as Ling Tong said.
Uncle Tai suddenly clenched his fist and stomped his foot, shouting "Finally!" while Wan Jie looked at Ling Tong with teary eyes, filled with relief.
Wan Xiaoqi was even more dramatic, placing her hands on her cheeks, her big eyes filled with pink exclamation marks.
"The boss finally has a girlfriend!"
Wan Jie turned and ran to the corner, saying, "I'll go make something delicious! Let's welcome Xiao Wang tonight!"
"Let's drink!"
Uncle Tai shouted as he ran upstairs. "We must drink today! I'll bring out my collection of fine wine!"
"Dad! Those wines are all expired and sour!"
"What do you know! They're rare treasures!"
Wang Jixuan smiled and suggested, "I think I should explain things."
"No matter how you explain, they will have wild imaginations."
Ling Tong slightly turned to the side: "Let me help you set up your place first, then can you give me a massage? I haven't had one today."
"Sure, you are my officer now."
Wang Daochang didn't take it too seriously, changing the subject to remind him: "Be careful of the new biological minister. I don't have a good feeling about her."
"The four psychics that appeared today should all be C-class. That muscular man is a telekinetic psychic and has shown a tendency to act against you."
Ling Tong thought for a moment, "I'll report to my superiors. You should try to minimize going out for now."
"Okay, by the way."
Wang Jixuan asked, "How often do blade beast attacks happen?"
"Maybe once every half month here, usually low-level blade beasts wandering around."
Ling Tong explained, "Attacks mainly happen below the mining area. I've dealt with one before."
"Alright, I'll tidy up then. You can come over for a massage anytime."
Wang Jixuan pointed to his room.
Ling Tong responded and waved her right mechanical arm gently.
Wang Daochang closed the door softly.
...
When you're out in the world, you have to find your own identity.
While Wang Jixuan was massaging Ling Tong's head, he asked Wan Xiaoqi and Uncle Tai to observe closely.
He didn't like being misunderstood.
Once Ling Tong fell into a deep sleep on her bed, Wang Jixuan quietly left with the two of them and gave them a spiritual energy massage.
The two new colleagues were instantly amazed.
Uncle Tai exclaimed, "Wow, Xiao Wang! You're amazing! Did you study this? I suddenly feel so relaxed, and my back doesn't hurt anymore. Can you give my wife a massage later?"
"Sure," Wang Jixuan smiled, "Maybe I have a talent for this. I studied a bit and got the hang of it. But I still need to learn the skills of a mechanic from you."
"No problem!"
Uncle Tai sighed, "My wife and I are getting older, but Ling Tong is still young. There are many young people on the team, but they are all on the front lines and haven't come over. Our only wish now is to last a few more years and help Ling Tong live past forty with our skills."
Wang Jixuan was a bit confused, "Hmm? Why do you say that?"
Wan Xiaoqi glanced at Ling Tong's room, sighed, and said softly, "The battle maiden's transformation puts too much strain on her body. We have to gradually replace her internal organs and monitor her organ data every day. By the time the boss is around thirty-five, she will become a true mechanical body, but usually, a human brain in a mechanical body breaks down within five years."
Uncle Tai whispered, "This is the first lesson our team must learn. The battle maiden has given everything for human civilization and endures immense pain every moment. We must help her ease that pain."
"No wonder the boss's body data has improved recently!" Wan Xiaoqi exclaimed, "So it was you helping her with organic maintenance!"
Wang Jixuan shook his head with a smile and asked, "Is fighting blade beasts on the front lines frequent? What's the death rate for our profession?"
Wan Xiaoqi hesitated, "Uh... about that..."
"The front lines are definitely much more dangerous than the rear."
Uncle Tai said with a smile, "It's a fight for survival between us and the blade beasts. Either we eliminate the invading blade beasts or they wipe out human civilization. Our team's turnover rate is about two to three people a year, and so far, there have been zero retirements."
Wang Jixuan made a shocked face in response.
Uncle Tai continued, "So, my wife and I won't hold back. We'll teach every young person on the team everything we know about mechanics."
Wan Xiaoqi giggled, "Dad! Don't scare him!"
Wang Jixuan said seriously, "I can also contribute to humanity."
—When he can take down SS-class psychics and the strongest blade beasts.
Wang Jixuan wanted to ask about the circumstances of blade beast attacks.
He was half a step away from reaching the Gathering Spirit Realm. If he practiced normally, it would take about a month and a half, but if he could get three low-level blade beast cores, he could easily step into the Gathering Spirit Realm.
With spiritual awareness, he could create some relatively complex magical tools, boosting his combat power to a new level.
Before he could speak, he felt a slight movement in his spiritual sense, sensing several figures approaching.
The surface camp of the external C zone was already bustling, especially in the evening when people came and went.
But Wang Jixuan noticed that these four people were quickly moving toward "Ling Tong's supply station" from three different directions, and they all had a strange aura about them.
Beep—beep—
An alarm sounded outside the workshop.
"What's going on!"
Wan Xiaoqi rushed to the nearby screens that lit up, and Uncle Tai jumped up from his chair.
Wang Jixuan looked at the surveillance screen, where two men and two women were approaching.
Before Wan Xiaoqi could react, the self-aiming weapons installed all around had already locked onto the four individuals.
A clear electronic female voice announced: "This is a military confidential facility. According to military management regulation No. 2230, deliberately approaching this area will result in retaliatory defense from our side."
"This is a military confidential facility, according to military management regulation..."
The four people showed no reaction and continued to move forward.
Wan Xiaoqi, who had never been on the battlefield, started to panic: "Dad! What should we do!"
"Prepare the electric capture net!"
Uncle Tai's voice was very decisive, and Wan Xiaoqi hurriedly pressed two buttons.
Wang Jixuan stood by, hands behind his back, observing... he actually didn't quite understand what the father and daughter were so nervous about.
The four were about to reach the container.
"Release!"
Uncle Tai called out softly, and Wan Xiaoqi immediately pressed the button. Outside, there was a series of sounds.
On the surveillance screen, the four figures were simultaneously covered by a net dropping from above, their bodies trembling and collapsing to the ground.
Wan Xiaoqi let out a long sigh of relief.
"Dad, what do we do next?"
Wan Xiaoqi asked softly, "The operation manual doesn't have any procedures for handling humans."
"You're still too inexperienced."
Uncle Tai muttered, "The most dangerous time for me was when the supply station on the front line was surrounded by blade beasts. Hundreds of them charged at us, and we held out for three minutes and forty-two seconds, exhausting all our self-defense ammunition. At the last moment, the mecha troops finally came to our rescue... How about we bring them in and ask some questions?"
"We don't have the authority to enforce the law."
Wang Jixuan reminded him, "If there's a law enforcement team in the camp, contact them. If not, ask the stationed military to come help. Also, these four seem a bit strange; they may have been controlled by mimic blade beasts. I suggest we do a mental check on them and upgrade our defensive firepower. This should just be a test."
"Oh! Okay!"
Wan Xiaoqi immediately began contacting the stationed defense forces in Zone C.
Uncle Tai turned his head, somewhat astonished, and looked at Wang Jixuan, praising, "Not bad, young man. You're calm under pressure."
Wang Jixuan shrugged, "In our fortress, we have conflicts every few days. Although I haven't seen blade beasts, I often deal with people."
Uncle Tai believed him.
A few minutes later, more than ten panting soldiers quickly arrived near the supply station.
Uncle Tai stepped forward to negotiate briefly with them and handed over a recording of the surveillance video.
The leading officer repeatedly apologized and promised that they would strengthen patrols in this area shortly.
About fifty meters away from the supply station, a muscular psychic in dark gray work clothes was hiding in the corner of a metal building, coldly observing the scene.
The psychic's lips curled into a sneer.
'They don't dare to shoot directly? Just using an electric net? They really overestimate these guys.'
He pulled down his hat and quickly left.
This psychic didn't know that his hiding spot had vaguely appeared in Wang Jixuan's mind.
Wang Jixuan opened his eyes in his room, the hand seals he was holding slowly dissipating as he pondered.
This guy was indeed keeping an eye on this place.
'C-class, telekinetic psychic. Without a sniper rifle, it seems I can't handle this opponent.'
'And he's just a front-line soldier. If I act against him, it will attract the attention of the Thirteenth Institute. They must suspect Wang Zheng is Mu Liang.'
'I need to think of a way to deal with this psychic reasonably, using the military's warning to the Thirteenth Institute, while also not drawing the fire onto myself.'
Wang Jixuan contemplated briefly and looked toward the noise coming from next door.
Ling Tong was awake.
Wang Daochang adjusted his black-framed glasses, his eyes flashing with ideas, and soon he had a general plan.
With a strong ally, he could mix in.
(End of Chapter)