Chapter 119: Mecha’s First Appearance

Chapter 119: The Debut of the Mecha

The coalition formed by over a dozen bases, including those called "Happiness," "Peace," and "Hope," was established to pressure the Beijing Base into meeting their ultimate goal. To maximize this pressure, the video conference was made public, allowing any individuals or bases concerned about the Magic Spring to watch.

Guang Jia, Hao Rui, and the others knew that their small alliance alone couldn’t realistically secure the Magic Spring, so they took the populist approach. The more people rebelled, the more even someone as powerful as Gu Jinsheng would have to consider their demands.

To some extent, their strategy worked. After the video call, many bases and individuals grew restless. Spies sent by other bases stirred up trouble, agitating many people. Almost immediately after the call ended, countless video requests poured in, with parties eager to join the alliance and claim a share of the Magic Spring.

Hao Rui, flushed with excitement, completely forgot his earlier fear of retaliation from the Beijing Base. His voice was high-pitched with exhilaration as he exclaimed, “I’ve received so many requests to join us—five bases alone!”

Guang Jia, equally flushed with excitement, beamed with joy. “I’ve got a message from a level-7 superpowered. They’ve agreed to join us and will support our alliance if the Beijing Base attacks. They’re willing to fight alongside us.”

“Really?” Shao Hao exclaimed in delight. “That’s fantastic! A level-7 superpowered is a top-tier fighter. As far as I recall, Gu Jinsheng is only level-7 too. I wonder who’d win in a fight between them.”

“Regardless of who’s stronger, the destruction a level-7 superpowered can unleash is unimaginable. With this high-level superpowered on our side, even the Beijing Base will have to think twice before attacking us.”

Guang Jia, Shao Hao, and Hao Rui exchanged glances and burst into laughter, as if they had an ace up their sleeves. They could already picture the Beijing Base reluctantly handing over the Magic Spring.

Though this alliance of dozens of small bases might seem insignificant, the storm it stirred both internationally and domestically was anything but. Many smaller bases, unwilling to join Guang Jia’s alliance for fear of being sidelined and receiving only scraps, quietly formed their own coalitions. They planned to soon follow suit, pressuring the Beijing Base through globally broadcast video calls to secure a share of the Magic Spring.

Meanwhile, in the M Base, Charles sat in his office, laughing so hard he nearly fell out of his chair, slapping his thighs repeatedly with thunderous smacks.

Though Charles, a level-7 superpowered, had artificially boosted his abilities using Superpowered Crystal Cores and lacked the true strength of a natural level-7, his powers were still formidable.

His assistant, watching him slap his thighs with such force, secretly wondered if Charles had bruised himself bloody.

Had the Commander-in-Chief gone so mad he couldn’t even feel pain anymore?

He's gone mad—completely mad!

The assistant shrank back in fear, barely resisting the urge to flee.

Charles roared with laughter as he addressed the leaders of other major U.S. bases over video call. “I told you all along—China is a house divided! Just find the right approach, and they’ll tear themselves apart without us lifting a finger. Look, bases are already protesting! Mark my words, it won’t be long before war breaks out in that Chinese territory. And that’s when we’ll strike.”

One of the men on the call chuckled. “Isn’t this what the Chinese say—‘When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman reaps the reward’?”

Another added, “Then let’s sit back and watch the show. And in advance, I wish us all success and immediate victory.”

Back in the Beijing Base, Gu Jinsheng glanced at Ji An and asked casually, “Who should we send?”

His tone made it clear he saw the small-base alliance as nothing more than ants that could be crushed with a flick of the wrist.

And truthfully, given the Beijing Base’s current strength, wiping out those small bases would be effortless. The alliance knew the odds were against them—their only hope was the Beijing Base’s longstanding reluctance to slaughter innocents.

“I’ll go,” He Tao volunteered, raising his hand. “This is a minor issue. No need for the big shots to bother.”

But Ji An shook his head. “Jinsheng, I’m afraid this time, you’ll have to handle it personally.”

“Why?” He Tao frowned. “No need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut. They’re just a few small bases.”

Kong Zhongcheng chimed in, “Divine Ji, if you’re really worried, I can go. They’re just small fry—sending the boss would be giving them too much credit.”

But Gu Jinsheng, a kindred spirit attuned to Ji An’s thoughts, understood immediately. “The mecha.”

That unspoken connection—where a single glance or smile conveyed everything—was something Ji An cherished. His eyes curved with amusement. “Exactly. Now that our mecha is ready, we can’t just let it gather dust at home. It’s time to take it out for a spin.”

Kong Zhongcheng and the others brightened. “Military intimidation.”

Zhou Qin smacked his fist into his palm. “Hell yeah! Who needs reasoning? It’s the apocalypse—whoever has the bigger fists makes the rules!”

He Tao looked at Gu Jinsheng with envy, "No wonder the Commander-in-Chief himself has to go. I mean, that mech—none of us can establish a mental link with it except the Commander-in-Chief. No one else can even pilot it."

The mechs developed by Ji An were tiered into different levels based on mental strength. The first mech he personally crafted had extremely high mental requirements. So far, only he and Gu Jinsheng in the entire base could establish a link with it.

Ji An was no slouch in combat. On the contrary, he was highly skilled in actual combat. Although he had been focused on research lately, he never neglected his training and practiced whenever he had time.

However, since Ji An was now a top-priority asset, they tried their best to keep him out of danger and avoid involving him in battles.

Kong Zhongcheng grinned cheekily, "Divine Ji, do you have any way to quickly boost mental strength? I want a mech too."

Ji An replied, "To improve mental strength, you can grind more VR mental combat training, but it still takes time. As for mechs, we’ll produce models suited for different mental strength levels later, ensuring that superpowered folks of any level can pilot them."

Wan Xueying’s eyes lit up, "Divine Ji, are you planning to form a mech unit?"

"I intend for all combat personnel in our base to be equipped with mechs," Ji An said.

"Cool!" Zhou Qin was so excited that he jumped up from the ground. In his exhilaration, he even had the audacity to pat his boss, Commander-in-Chief Gu, on the shoulder. "Boss, you hit the jackpot landing Divine Ji!"

Gu Jinsheng’s gaze fell on Zhou Qin’s hand resting on his shoulder. Zhou Qin’s hand went icy under that stare and he awkwardly withdrew his hand.

Gu Jinsheng then turned his gaze to Ji An, his cold eyes instantly softening with warmth.

Gu Jinsheng nodded at Ji An, "I’ll go now. I’ll be back soon."

It sounded like he was just running errands rather than heading into battle.

Kong Zhongcheng chased after Gu Jinsheng, shouting, "Boss, let me come with you! How many squads are you taking?"

Gu Jinsheng’s monotone voice replied, "Just me."

"Not even a single squad?"

Gu Jinsheng didn’t answer, only scoffed. Anyone could understand the implication—those nobodies? Please.

Meanwhile, Hao Rui, Shao Hao, and Guang Jia were still discussing the day’s events in their base. They were deluding themselves that, no matter what, they would get a share of the Magic Spring this time. They even began fantasizing about how they would use it once they obtained it.

"I heard the Magic Spring can cure zombification. With more of it, it’s like having an extra life. I’ll hoard it all in my stash and sell it to the highest bidder," Shao Hao mused.

"You actually have a storage artifact? Those things are ridiculously expensive on the market. Your base rolls deep," Guang Jia said enviously.

He’d been dying to cop one, but the price was too steep. Unless his entire base pooled resources, he couldn’t afford it. And though he was the base leader, convincing all residents to contribute their savings just for his personal storage artifact was impossible—they’d riot before handing over a dime.

Shao Hao shrugged carelessly, "I don’t have one now. The ones sold by the capital base are way too expensive for small bases like ours. But just because I don’t have one now doesn’t mean I won’t after getting the Magic Spring. Once we have it, people will be lining up to trade storage artifacts for it. Maybe even treatment pods, scanners—we’ll have so many we can toss them after use. Heck, we might even get our hands on a few hovercars for fun."

Hao Rui, however, flashed a shit-eating grin, "I do have a storage artifact. Since my base pledged allegiance to the capital base, I got it at an insider price. Not too bad, not too expensive."

Guang Jia and Shao Hao glared at him with jealousy. Guang Jia grumbled, "Whatever. Once I get the Magic Spring, a storage artifact will be nothing. Treatment pods and hovercars will be a cakewalk too."

Shao Hao laughed heartily at the thought, "Yeah, we’re gonna be rich! Hahaha..."

Greed had them by the throat, never considering that even if the capital base did back down and let them obtain the Magic Spring, they might not have the strength to protect such a priceless treasure against the ensuing scramble for profit.

"Commander! We got a situation—there’s a steel giant outside!" A scout came barreling in, panic written all over his face.

The three exchanged glances, their grins wiped right off as their expressions darkened.

"What’s with the panic?!" Hao Rui snapped, then paled as a possibility dawned on him. "The capital base’s hovercars?"

Shao Hao gritted his teeth, "The hell they think they’re doing? They asking for every base in China to jump them?"

The assistant who rushed in was still wheezing, gasping, "It's not a hovercar. I've seen the hovercars from the capital's base in videos—it's not that. The thing outside is over three meters tall, made of what looks like steel. If I had to compare it to something, it’d be like the Iron Man from pre-Collapse films."

The three didn’t dare delay and quickly ran outside. On the way, Guang Jia still clung to a sliver of hope, saying, "Could it be that high-level superpowered individual who contacted me online? Given that they’re a high-level superpowered individual, it’s not impossible they’d have some extraordinary encounters or rare artifacts."

Shao Hao, however, was more worried than hopeful. He had an inexplicable sense of unease, feeling more that the capital’s base had sent someone.

But at this point, words were useless. Shao Hao could only say, "Let’s hope so."

The three quickly reached the base’s square and saw a steel giant hovering above the base, just as the assistant had described—over three meters tall, its entire body seemingly made of metal, yet unlike any metal they’d seen before. Up close, the sheer intimidation was palpable.

Someone handed Guang Jia a megaphone. He took it, his voice trembling as he called out to the steel giant in the sky, "You honor us with your presence. We mean you no harm at all. Could you kindly tell us your name so we might properly address you? Whatever the matter, please come inside, and we can discuss it slowly. Everything is negotiable."

The base where Guang Jia and the others resided was a small one within China, always lying low and never daring to confront larger bases. If they accidentally provoked a major base, they’d kowtow, offering apologies—ceding territory, sending gifts, even offering tributes—anything to appease the other side’s anger.

By all logic, they wouldn’t dare oppose a behemoth like the capital’s base. But drunk on greed, they had forgotten that. Recently, the capital’s base had adopted a more lenient internal policy, promoting shared development and survival with resources like nutritional rations and holographic tech. This had emboldened small-time schemers like theirs to grow greedy.

"Capital’s base," Gu Jinsheng didn’t even bother giving his name. "Here to answer your challenge."

Guang Jia’s face darkened instantly. He hadn’t expected the capital’s base to actually show up.

Guang Jia said grimly, "Aren’t you afraid that attacking us will provoke outrage among other superpowered? Our demands aren’t excessive—just a bit of the Magic Spring. It’s a gift from nature, a lifeline for all humanity. How can the capital’s base monopolize it without a shred of guilt? Don’t you feel remorse seeing the freshly turned zombies out there? Handing over the Magic Spring could save countless infected."

He completely disbelieved Ji An’s claim that the Magic Spring couldn’t cure zombification.

While stalling, Guang Jia secretly sent urgent distress signals to the Level 7 high-level superpowered individual who had contacted him, flooding their comm channel with plea after plea.

Noticing Guang Jia’s covert actions, Shao Hao stepped forward to stall as well. "The capital’s base is selfish. A hero like you surely wouldn’t want to side with them. You must’ve been deceived. Why not join us now and redeem yourself? Better than becoming humanity’s sinner, forever reviled."

Unaware that their opponent was Gu Jinsheng, they still harbored hopes of swaying him. Had they known, they wouldn’t have wasted their breath.

Some in the base had clearer heads. Seeing the levitating behemoth in the sky, they knew their small base stood no chance and had already packed up and fled in secret.

The three had no idea chaos had erupted behind them, with many seizing the chance to escape. Even if they had known, they wouldn’t have cared now.

Gu Jinsheng couldn’t care less about their blathering. He was merely giving those caught in the crossfire a chance to flee.

Glancing at the timer on his display, he said, "Evacuation timer: five minutes."

Guang Jia’s face flushed with anger. His utter disregard was a blatant insult.

"Don’t get too arrogant," Guang Jia sneered, puffing out his chest. "I don’t know the origins of your gear, but surely even you wouldn’t dare disregard a Level 7 high-level superpowered individual. Our base has allied with one."

In his small base, as Commander-in-Chief, Guang Jia was merely a Level 4 peak superpowered—the highest rank there, hence his position. The rest were Level 3 or below.

A Level 7 high-level superpowered individual was something he’d only heard of in legends, a mythic-tier powerhouse he assumed everyone should fear as much as he did.

And most did. Level 7 was the pinnacle of superpower ranks. But that was for others. To Gu Jinsheng—also a Level 7 peak superpowered, and among the best of them—such threats meant nothing.

Gu Jinsheng didn’t respond. With a sweep of his steel arm, a holographic countdown blazed across the sky.