Chapter 111: Genius, Genius, and Genius

Private Laboratory of the Arms Mall.

Ren Zhong and Ju Qingmeng spent the entire day busy in their small laboratory. They didn't make any actual modifications today; instead, they dismantled the entire suit of armor as if performing a teardown review. Ju Qingmeng explained the function and characteristics of each component in detail, highlighting how they differed from Level 2 exoskeletons.

A Level 3 equipment upgrade project cannot be built on castles in the air; it must be established on a solid foundation of extensive information.

By three o'clock in the afternoon, Ju Qingmeng finally finished explaining the function of the last small part. Overworked and having rested poorly lately, she felt a throbbing in her head. Her throat was parched, so she took a large gulp of water and rubbed her temples. "That’s about it. Think it over yourself. Once you come up with a proposal, send it to me, and I’ll help you evaluate its feasibility."

Ren Zhong: "I actually have a few ideas already. Want to hear them?"

"Huh?"

A long while later, after hearing Ren Zhong’s preliminary design concepts, Ju Qingmeng looked at the scattered parts and sighed, "You are different from Lin Wang after all."

Ren Zhong was puzzled. "How so?"

"This set of equipment is almost identical to how it was when I last helped him upgrade it two years ago. Most of the ideas were mine. My craftsmanship is decent, but I’m not actually good at design. This meant that while the armor I modified for him performed well, it wasn't necessarily the best fit for his tactical style. You're different. You’re the designer; you can always tailor the best strategies for yourself. I’m merely the artisan who brings your vision to life."

Ren Zhong: "Uh, you're being modest. You're not bad either."

"I can't even be mentioned in the same breath as you!"

Facing such intense praise, Ren Zhong said helplessly, "It’s probably because I like to get to the bottom of things no matter what I’m doing. I might not be that amazing."

"No, no, no! Lin Wang must have purchased the same insights from Sid Meier, but he didn't gain much from them. Even when different people study the same textbook, the results can be worlds apart," Ju Qingmeng remarked again. "I didn't notice this before; without comparison, I didn't realize how formidable you were. I understand now. You don't just have the talent of a mech warrior; your mind is far superior to both Lin Wang and me."

Ren Zhong thought to himself, *Why can't this mutual flattery train stop?*

He added a thought to himself: *Actually, you're wrong. My talent for research and thinking is definitely stronger than my talent as a soldier. I only took up arms as a necessity.*

But aloud, he remained humble. "Haha, it's alright, it's alright."

Ju Qingmeng shook her head vigorously. "No, it's not just 'alright.' I wanted to pre-design for you earlier, but a Level 3 exoskeleton has at least three times as many components as a Level 2 one. The overall coordination between parts becomes much more complex. I was truly helpless, unable to sort out my thoughts, and didn't dare to start. But just after chatting with you for a while, the thoughts that were a tangled mess in my head have become clear."

Ren Zhong: "Uh..."

*Please, stop praising me! My ego is about to inflate!*

Ju Qingmeng continued, "The requirement for operational stability in an exoskeleton is the same as in an aircraft. In actual combat, if a stability failure occurs, people die. The more advanced an exoskeleton, the more complex it is, the higher the precision required for parts, and the harder it is to modify. Level 5 and above exoskeletons are basically designed by the Source Star Military Group, which pours massive human and material resources into pushing engineering methodology to the extreme, supplemented by countless trial-and-error experiments, using exhaustive methods to find minor defects, and constantly fine-tuning to improve safety and stability. Only then can a finished product be produced. Most high-level mech warriors just use standard issue equipment. Even someone as strong as Sid Meier can only improvise on Level 4 armor at most. But you... you've only been learning for less than a month, and you can already design a Level 3 exoskeleton. I feel like Level 4, or even Level 5, might not even stump you."

Ren Zhong considered not showing off too much; if he didn't, her flattery would probably never end, wasting a lot of time. He shrugged. "Alright, I think I could probably design Level 4 armor now. It’s not impossible; it’s just not necessary yet."

Ju Qingmeng: "Uh..." She was silent for a long time. "Ren Zhong."

"Yes?"

"Never mind. Let me measure your current parameters."

"Sure."

...

Fifteen minutes later, Ju Qingmeng sat by the testing cabinet, her soul seemingly having left her body.

"What's wrong?"

"Look at your current parameters yourself."

Ren Zhong stood up to take a look.

Brain-machine synchronization rate: 29.99%.
Bioelectric load capacity: 126.61 kW.
Brain reaction index: 349.52.
Comprehensive physical index: 126.69.

He calculated the time and compared the data. It was the 28th day. Aside from the sky-high brain reaction index, the other two metrics hadn't reached the level of his previous 45th-day state.

"Hmm, it's alright, I suppose."

Ju Qingmeng angrily pointed at the display. "You call this 'alright'? Look at the brain reaction index! You're only Level 2! How can your brain reaction be this fast? Aren't you afraid of an overload? Do you ever suddenly feel exhausted or mentally hazy?"

Ren Zhong recalled for a moment. "Honestly, no."

"Forget it, forget it. I'm so tired. Let's go back to the laboratory. I need to take a ten-minute nap, and then I'll help you reassemble the armor and install the amplifier. I need to rest now; I can't afford any mistakes."

"Sure, thank you for your hard work."

Three minutes later, back in the lab, Ju Qingmeng fell into a deep sleep on the cot almost instantly.

She slept soundly, an irrepressible smile on her face. Even though hope remained slim and the road ahead was long, she could clearly see Ren Zhong sprinting toward his goal.

He is moving forward, so I am moving forward too.

The once-elusive glimmer of changing destiny was gradually becoming a brilliant, azure sun hanging high in the sky.

It was wonderful.

Ren Zhong didn't leave after Ju Qingmeng fell asleep. Instead, he stood before the workbench with his hands behind his back, looking at the thousands of parts of all sizes scattered across the table, lost in thought.

His gaze focused on the tactical helmet, which was brimming with a sense of technology. It featured a perfectly aerodynamic streamlined design, with a slight protrusion at the back of the head ending in a small, sharp tail. Inside that tail was a palm-sized box. The material of this box boasted ultra-high strength, toughness, and superior radiation-shielding and heat-insulating properties.

The most core and precise high-tech modules of the Level 3 exoskeleton—the auxiliary brain chip and the auditory-visual nerve resonance resonator—were all inside this box.

A Level 2 mech warrior can achieve auditory resonance, while a Level 3 warrior possesses both auditory and visual resonance. Ren Zhong had known this, but it wasn't until he saw the parameters of this Level 3 tactical helmet that he understood the terrifying nature of visual resonance.

When he first drove the training suit, it was through coordinated commands issued by his brain, which were then recognized by chips in different parts of the armor, broken down into sub-commands to control the joints, and finally combined into the desired movement. The training suit and Level 1 equipment only had the ability to read brainwave signals and could not input information back into the human body. Level 2 equipment added reverse input of auditory nerve signals to compensate for the sense of isolation. Level 3 equipment added reverse input of visual nerve signals.

The most direct manifestation of this was the ability to deceive the human visual center, creating the illusion of directly projecting augmented information onto the retina. Combined with the auxiliary display of the tactical helmet, the human eye could see more battle intelligence similar to AR interfaces, forming a digitized battlefield analysis.

For instance, after fully activating the performance of the Level 3 exoskeleton, if he looked at another mech warrior, he could see the general performance of their armor and identify areas with hidden damage or cracks, displayed directly as projected color blocks on his vision. When the armor’s omnidirectional information detector picked up threats outside his field of vision and activated situational awareness, it could even mark the direction and distance of the threats in prominent colors on the periphery of his vision.

A Level 3 warrior could respond immediately, as if they had hawk eyes growing on the back of their head.

It was like using a "weakness detection" cheat in an online game.

In the 21st century, beyond the differences in the airframe itself, the key differentiator between fifth-generation and fourth-generation fighters was the pilot's helmet. A new type of helmet with high-tech content, stability, and comprehensive functionality provided an unimaginable boost to combat capability. The gap between this Level 3 helmet and the Level 2 helmet was several times larger than the gap between the helmets of those old fighter generations.

Furthermore, the Level 3 exoskeleton featured higher computing power, faster operational speed, and superior brainwave signal recognition. The body's turning performance, acceleration, and inertia buffering were also significantly enhanced.

This set of Level 3 armor also came with built-in mid-range energy cannons and short-range self-reactive defensive energy guns. Lin Wang had even installed a low-power anti-gravity engine; although it couldn't provide rapid movement, it had a wide range of applications, greatly improving the armor's infiltration and traversal capabilities. Lin Wang had also paid a high price to have Ju Qingmeng install a full set of upgraded, multi-functional comprehensive combat systems. As for the core weapons, they were two powered throwing spears, the same series as Lin Wang’s silver spear.

Looking at all this, Ren Zhong felt both moved and filled with a tremendous sense of achievement.

*If just a Level 3 suit is so much stronger than our modified Level 2 gear, then regardless of how many coincidences were involved in that final battle, and regardless of whether Lin Wang was injured, I still managed to fight him to a mutual destruction.*

*Lin Wang is strong, but I am stronger.*

Additionally, combining the previous combat experience with an analysis of the equipment before him, Ren Zhong fully understood Lin Wang’s combat style. Lin Wang considered everything thoroughly; his armor’s performance had almost no shortcomings, respecting the "Law of the Minimum" to the extreme. This seemed perfect, yet it contained a flaw: it lacked extremity. The essence of having no shortcomings is that everywhere is a shortcoming. When it comes to a life-or-death struggle, trading pieces like the classic strategy of "Tian Ji’s horse racing" is the royal road to overcoming the strong.

Twelve minutes later, Ju Qingmeng woke up on time. Without a word, she dove into the assembly machine and began inputting programming commands rapidly using brainwave signal reading.

Half an hour later, she stood up with a clap. "Done."

Eight flexible mechanical arms extended from the assembly machine, beginning to reassemble the exoskeleton with precision and speed, while accurately embedding the amplifier.

"By the way, I added a tactical camouflage device for you. Otherwise, when you operate in coordination with Lin Wang, he would be able to see your specific parameters from the command system. Now, he can only see the values you want him to see."

Ren Zhong nodded in satisfaction. "Thank you. Your consideration is truly thorough, and I had overlooked that. Luckily, I hadn't entered his command system yet. By the way, how much do I owe you?"

"Say that again?"

"Uh, thank you."

Ju Qingmeng clapped her hands and stood up. "You keep watch here; I have to go to the manager's office. I've been slacking off too much lately, and it's starting to affect my performance evaluation."

"Yeah, go ahead."

...

At 6:00 PM, Ren Zhong wobbled back to the manor on his hovering motorcycle.

Lin Wang and the others had already returned from their hunt and were discussing matters in the courtyard.

*Bang!*

Ren Zhong’s landing was quite unique. The front of the motorcycle embedded itself deeply into the rockery. As for him, he dove headfirst into the rockery as well.

Ten seconds later, he awkwardly and frantically struggled out of the rocks, covered in dust and looking completely disheveled.

Bei Lihui pointed at Ren Zhong and burst into laughter. "You are too stupid! That’s ridiculous! Even with the amplifier causing lag, you shouldn't be this clumsy!"

Ren Zhong took off his helmet, his face flushed red with anger and embarrassment. "Brother Hui, don't mock me. It’s not just the amplifier. This is the Captain’s modified Level 3 equipment! It’s a miracle I managed to ride back alive!"

Bei Lihui rolled his eyes. "Stupid is stupid, don't make excuses."

"You..."

Ren Zhong gritted his teeth, looking furious but holding back, as if suppressing his rage.

Lin Wang raised his hand. "Bei Lihui, that’s enough. With my equipment, even a Level 3 mech warrior would need at least a week to achieve qualified combat capability. Ren Zhong just took it over, and with the high latency from the amplifier, it's natural he’s not used to it yet."

With the Captain speaking up for him, Ren Zhong suppressed his anger. "Thank you for understanding, Captain. It seems you all are discussing important matters, so... should I go back to my room to rest?"

Bei Lihui pouted and muttered, "Tch."

Lin Wang glared at him, and Bei Lihui reluctantly shut up.

Lin Wang turned back to Ren Zhong. "You don't need to avoid it. I’ve already made my decision. But before that, perform a few movements in the yard. I need to specifically assess your level of control over the new equipment. We can't have you being dead weight when we go out for a big job, right?"

As he finished, a smile appeared on Lin Wang's face. Before joining his team, Ren Zhong’s talent was strikingly, even scarily, high. But now that he had been given this equipment, it turned out his talent was still within controllable limits.

That was good.

As for the friction between Ren Zhong and Bei Lihui, Lin Wang didn't care. Although not as good as himself, Ren Zhong was still a decent genius. Geniuses always had a bit of pride.

And so, Ren Zhong walked back and forth in the courtyard a few times, then swung his throwing spear with apparent difficulty. While controlling the spear remotely, he made another mistake. If Bei Lihui hadn't dodged quickly, he would have been pierced through.

"Damn! Are you doing this on purpose?"

"Brother Hui, I'm sorry! With my level, would I dare try to scare you? I'm so sorry!"

Lin Wang mediated again. "Bei Lihui, that’s enough. It’s impossible he did it on purpose. Alright, stop arguing. Ren Zhong, continue."

...

After a dozen minutes, Ren Zhong, sweating profusely and panting, said, "Captain, how was that? Is it okay?"

Lin Wang nodded. "About right, a bit better than I expected."

He was satisfied with Ren Zhong's performance. Although he could only manage minor maneuvers and was quite weak, as long as he could move, he was qualified enough to act as a porter.

Ren Zhong cupped his hands. "Thank you for the praise, Captain."

He wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was truly exhausted. It turns out that pretending you don't know how to do something is even harder than giving it your all. Every great actor must have been a fallen angel in their past life.

*But I did a good job. I might be a genius actor too.*

"Then, Ren Zhong, I formally notify you: the day after tomorrow at 12:00 PM, wait for us outside the town. We have a big job, and I’m taking you along. Keep training hard over the next two days."

Ren Zhong showed a look of wild joy. "Thank you for your guidance, Captain!"

*I can finally go to the new mining site.*