Chapter 62#
Customization#
Wen Qianyong moved into Ning Feng’s dormitory, sleeping on the floor at night, feeling quite cramped. During the day, he trained with the patrol team, and in the evenings, he came back and holed up in the garage, dazed. But even so, he refused to go back, and wouldn’t say what was wrong when asked.
Mad Rat and Qiu Zhen came by every day to check on him, but Sha Mu hadn’t visited once. Word was that his missions had been very tight lately, often working late into the night.
Not seeing the person he wanted to see, Wen Qianyong only grew more dejected. Ning Feng had no choice but to let him stay and report the situation to Sha Mu every day, like a full-fledged kindergarten teacher.
Still, he didn’t have time to deal with that couple’s messy business.
That morning, while recording the unit’s supplies with Qiu Zhen, he noticed that the number of crates marked with the [G] symbol seemed to be decreasing. He wasn’t sure if it was because the patrols had been checking too frequently over the past couple of days, alerting the enemy. If Shi Fang had discovered they were investigating the matter and switched to a more concealed mode of transport, that would definitely not be a good sign.
Maybe he should forget about the transport angle and go straight to the source of the synth agent—the Research Department?
Just as Ning Feng was racking his brains, Yan Zhengsheng showed up.
“The crate was pried open?”
Ning Feng stood in front of a steel crate. One corner had a crack in it, as if it had been sliced clean through by something sharp. The crack was surrounded by piles of sundries —if a ground crew member hadn’t come looking for supplies, it probably wouldn’t have been discovered.
“Someone reported it this morning, said someone had opened the crate without authorization.” Yan Zhengsheng spoke, his eyes fixed on Ning Feng.
“… Lieutenant Colonel Yan, I hope you’re not suspecting me?”
“Everyone is a suspect.”
“But I’m the most suspicious?”
“After all, you have a record in this area.”
“…”
Making a careful circuit, Ning Feng noticed a patch of light brown liquid remaining at the cut surface of the crack. He dabbed a bit with his finger and scanned it with his lens, but found no identifiable components. After a moment’s thought, he turned to Yan Zhengsheng. “This liquid doesn’t look like ordinary water stains. It’s best to send it to the Research Department for analysis.”
Yan Zhengsheng studied his face for a while before finally speaking slowly. “You’re quite familiar with the base’s operations. Able to make a decision so quickly.”
Ning Feng paused, then gave a crooked smile. “Well, I listened carefully during the orientation tour on my first day.”
“It seems General Yin gave a very detailed introduction.”
“Of course, of course.”
Laughing dryly to cover his unease, Ning Feng was just thinking of an excuse to slip away when Yan Zhengsheng’s optical brain chimed. He opened the message, glanced at it, then looked back at the robot with intense scrutiny.
Uncomfortable under Shi Fang’s gaze, Ning Feng took a half-step back. “Lieutenant Colonel Yan, looking at me like that makes me wonder if you’ve taken a liking to me.”
Yan Zhengsheng’s brow twitched. He withdrew his gaze. “General Yin wants to see you.”
“What does he want me for?” Ning Feng was taken aback. “What about my work?”
“He’s waiting for you at the Heavy Weapons Factory. Go now.” But Yan Zhengsheng didn’t answer; he simply delivered the message and turned to leave.
Staring at his lengthy task list, Ning Feng suddenly realized that blocking Yin Beichen might not have been such a good idea. That guy could just have others deliver messages, and Ning Feng didn’t even have a chance to refuse face-to-face.
Dragging his feet, he finally made his way to the Heavy Weapons Factory.
Transport vehicles carrying huge containers passed by him on all sides. Workers bustled about, the acrid smell of welding and the scent of machine oil mingling as they drifted through the air. The moment he stepped inside, he saw Yin Beichen standing in front of an operating station, working on a half-finished combat mech. Beside him were Big Beard and Sha Mu, holding tablets and demonstrating some function.
Ning Feng curled his lip. He gave Yin Beichen’s waist and abdomen a careful look, then strolled over casually, keeping a wide distance—with Big Beard in between.
“Boss Yin, what do you need me for?”
The icy blue eyes glanced over. Yin Beichen didn’t speak.
Noticing his superior’s slightly grim expression, Big Beard took the opportunity to chime in. “It’s like this. We want to design a new type of mech, and Sha Mu submitted a proposal. We wanted to hear your thoughts.”
“My thoughts? I don’t have any.” Ning Feng answered without hesitation. He was now ground crew in the Logistics Department—why ask him about blueprints?
“How about, how about you just say something off the top of your head?”
“Oh, come on. I’m not a mechanic. What thoughts could I have?”
“…”
Big Beard was also bewildered. He couldn’t understand why his boss insisted on calling this robot over.
Well, the robot had come, but now his boss wasn’t saying anything.
Looking at that expression—it was exactly the same face a man makes when he stays out late with friends and comes home to face his wife. He suddenly felt grateful for his full beard, which helped hide his twitching face.
Sha Mu, standing nearby, gave a faint smile. “How could that be? You’re an experienced mech pilot. Many features ultimately need feedback from the people who use them.”
Ning Feng glanced at their expressions. Big Beard probably had his mouth twitching by now, and Sha Mu looked pretty haggard too. He guessed it was all because of that kid Wen Qianyong.
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Fine, I’ll say a couple of things then.”
Leaning over the workbench, Ning Feng took a serious look, and his lens instantly brightened.
Sha Mu truly was the mechanical master of Waste City. This design had advanced functionality—aside from the external weaponry and backup power, it was far superior to his own Blade.
“This mech is really well-designed. The combat performance is great too.” He used two fingers to zoom in on the 3D blueprint. “But isn’t the cockpit overprotected?”
“No, the protective gear can’t be reduced.” Yin Beichen’s tone was firm.
“Why can’t it?” Ning Feng pointed and gestured. “Look at this protective frame, these cabin walls—swollen up like a ball. You drive mechs too. Can you honestly say this is usable?”
After a moment of consideration, Yin Beichen seemed to find it reasonable. “Are there other materials?”
Big Beard frowned in thought. “There is one alternative—dense and lightweight, but the price is… a bit excessive.”
“Switch to that.” Without a second thought, Yin Beichen turned back to Ning Feng. “Any other opinions besides the cockpit?”
“No, that’s all.”
“Is the engine performance suitable?”
“Speaking of engines…”
And so, under Yin Beichen’s deliberate guidance, Ning Feng gradually raised several more requirements. Big Beard jotted them all down. As he recorded, he suddenly realized that each and every optimization was tailored to the robot’s driving habits and combat style.
It was as if it were being custom-made for him.
Glancing at Yin Beichen, who seemed intent on continuing the questioning, Big Beard… said nothing. He quietly saved the modification notes.
“How long will the upgrade take?” Yin Beichen asked.
Big Beard furrowed his thick brows and quickly estimated the optimization time. “About a month.” He paused. “After the upgrade is complete, you’ll need to find a mech test pilot for a trial run.”
Yin Beichen thought for a moment. “Do you have anyone to recommend?”
“Recommend?” Big Beard was stumped.
He only handled R&D. Choosing test pilots was Qu Jingshan’s job.
Besides, not just anyone could be a test pilot. They had to test the mech’s performance in various simulated airspaces, check for any malfunction, and record feedback on anomalies. So test pilots had to be experienced and bold enough to handle any unexpected situation.
In the past, whenever a new feature came out, Ning Feng would always be the first to volunteer to test it. There was hardly a need to pick anyone. But now he was suddenly being asked for a recommendation…
Big Beard let out a dry laugh. “Sir, you might have to ask Captain Qu. He’s the leader of the Marine Corps—he manages the entire base’s mech unit. He’d know more about this than I do.”
“Captain Qu’s patrols are very tight lately. He can’t spare the personnel.”
That might only be temporary, though. By the time the mech upgrade was done, a month would have passed. That’s what he thought, but Big Beard didn’t say it out loud. His eyes darted around until they suddenly landed on Ning Feng.
“Hey, isn’t Luo Bo a mech soldier?”
Ning Feng’s brow lifted when he heard that. “Me?”
“Yeah!” Big Beard nodded emphatically. “You’re a mercenary. I heard you even won a competition. Your mech skills definitely pass muster. Sha Mu, don’t you think?”
Sha Mu seemed to be considering it. Slowly, he said, “You’re a robot. You can just interface your internal program with the mech and provide real-time feedback on its status. You really are an ideal candidate. However…”
“Ah, don’t ‘however’ me.” Big Beard grew more satisfied the more he thought about it. Finally, he gave the robot a firm slap on the back, producing a loud clang. “You’re the best fit.”
Yin Beichen’s eyes narrowed slightly as he stroked his chin. After a long pause, he gave a slight nod. “A Feng, you’ll do the test drive.”
Ning Feng’s whole body stiffened, and then a series of clicking sounds came from him—whether from being asked to test-drive the new mech or from hearing that “A Feng” was hard to say.
Seeing this, Yin Beichen’s gaze deepened, with a hint of hidden amusement.
Ning Feng… Ning Feng stuffed one hand in his pocket, his long legs casually propped against the control panel as his lens swept over everyone’s expressions before finally settling on that pair of blue eyes. Suddenly, his mouth twisted into a grin.
“I’m ~ not ~ testing.”
Yin Beichen was taken aback, then frowned slightly, displeased.
“Why not?”
“Not interested.” Ning Feng picked at his nails.
“This is the latest model mech.”
“Oh.”
“You don’t want to test-drive it?”
“I don’t drive mechs anymore.”
Ning Feng tilted his head, his tone full of indifference.
If this had been the old him, seeing such high-end functionality would have made him eager to try it. After all, aside from his most precious Dragon II, the Blade was his favorite. Whenever he went out on missions, he’d find a way to get new blueprints. Every time Big Beard updated a new function, he’d be the first to go test it out. Sometimes he’d even drag Yin Beichen into a fight and then propose all sorts of optimizations.
But now…
What did it have to do with him?
For a moment, the workshop went silent—so quiet you could hear the hum of the condensers. An awkward atmosphere hung in the air.
Yin Beichen didn’t speak. His fingers tightened slightly, but his eyes never left Ning Feng, almost as if trying to burrow into his body. He seemed to sense the change in the robot’s attitude. In his gaze were anger, confusion… and a barely perceptible panic.
Ning Feng saw all of it, then slowly turned his face away.
Sensing the situation was getting more and more tense, Big Beard hurriedly tried to smooth things over with a laugh. “Luo Bo, these optimizations came from you. It’s only natural that you do the testing.”
“What’s natural about it? It’s not like I asked to give them.” Ning Feng tilted his head, his tone carrying a lazy, slightly sarcastic edge.
Yeah, right. Those nearly thirty optimization suggestions just typed themselves out, I’m sure. Big Beard silently grumbled, then forced a smile. “You’re new here, so you wouldn’t know. Our base has a tradition: whoever suggests something is responsible for testing it.”
“Oh, really? How come I’ve never heard of this tradition?” Ning Feng’s lens narrowed dangerously.
It was just a beat-up robot, but its presence pressed down on Big Beard so much he couldn’t lift his head. Worst of all, a chill was radiating from the side, and he was stuck in the middle like a windbreak—except the wind was still getting through.
Beside them, Sha Mu had quite sensibly taken two steps back. He glanced between them, then gave a faint smile. “Why don’t we do the optimization first? As for testing, we can talk about it later. Maybe a candidate will turn up by then.”
Ning Feng didn’t argue further. He turned to Yin Beichen. “Boss Yin, anything else? If not, I’ll get back to work.”
Yin Beichen’s lips moved slightly, then pressed tightly together. He remained silent, staring fixedly as the robot gave a casual salute and then shuffled out of the workshop.
Watching the tall back, Yin Beichen suddenly felt a bit dazed.
For some reason, he felt that Ning Feng had changed. Not in appearance or way of speaking, but in attitude—toward him.
It was as if he no longer… cared.
Unconsciously, Yin Beichen clenched his fist, his long fingernails digging into his palm. The slight sting brought him back to his senses. He closed his eyes and let out a silent breath, then turned back to finalize other plans with Big Beard, as if nothing had happened.
As for Big Beard, he had been about to say something to smooth things over, but the moment he saw that familiar salute posture, he froze. An answer was on the tip of his tongue, but he didn’t dare confirm it. He could only absentmindedly listen as his equally absentminded superior went through the motions.
After seeing Yin Beichen off, Big Beard stood frowning in thought.
“Big Beard, what’s wrong?”
Suddenly, a gentle voice came from behind. Big Beard paused, then scratched the back of his neck. “Nothing. Just thinking.”
As Big Beard made a show of fiddling with the blueprints, Sha Mu adjusted his glasses. “Don’t you find it familiar?”
Big Beard was taken aback. He looked at the man suspiciously. “What are you trying to say?”
Sha Mu covered his mouth with a smile as he carefully put away the blueprints he had been showing. “I’m saying, when he wants you to know, you’ll naturally find out.”
“…?”