Chapter 82: We Agreed to Slack Off Together, Yet I Quietly Took Off

Inside the small laboratory, the workbench was crowded with parts for the second-tier armored exoskeleton.

Like the first-tier version, the second-tier exoskeleton also consisted of the five major components: head, torso, arms, legs, and feet. Yet each piece was noticeably larger than those for the first-tier suit.

Opening the casing revealed a far more intricate internal structure.

The lining now included additional organic fibers to enhance comfort for the wearer.

Ju Qingmeng was hunched over the workbench, deftly tinkering with the components, her hands moving with practiced ease. She joked, “Ren Zhong, you sure go through your gear quickly. I was about to retire this little lab of mine, but thanks to you, I’m back in business.”

Ren Zhong chuckled. “Isn’t that a good thing? Your craft is like a skill—you get rusty if you don’t practice.”

Ju Qingmeng nodded, sat down in front of him, and wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, leaving behind a smudge of greasy black oil.

At the moment, she wore only a black fitted tank top and loose work pants. The streaks on her face, coupled with her deliberately tied-back hair for convenience, lent her a wild and untamed beauty.

Ren Zhong turned away quietly and said, “By the way, thanks for taking care of my friends’ gear earlier.”

Ju Qingmeng waved it off. “It was nothing. Their needs are far simpler than yours. I just made a shopping list for them and let them pick for themselves.”

“Still, it was trouble for you.”

“No trouble at all—it's all business.”

“Right, I still owe you for repairing my gear yesterday.”

“Just settle it all at once next time.”

“Alright.”

Ju Qingmeng sighed with a hint of regret. “It’s just a pity you barely got to wear that suit you put so much effort into customizing.”

She didn’t say it outright, but she had poured a lot of her own effort into Ren Zhong’s previous first-tier suit.

Ren Zhong smiled. “Doesn’t that just mean I’m getting stronger quickly? Besides, the value of equipment isn’t in how long you wear it, but in what battles it’s seen. If it weren’t for that suit yesterday, I doubt I or Zheng Tian’s team would have made it out of the White Bone Valley.”

“You have a point. In that case, I can let it go.”

...

When Ren Zhong left the munitions mall on his bike, he was already clad in a light blue, balanced second-tier basic exoskeleton.

Since he’d only skimmed the second chapter of “Sid Meier” last time instead of studying it closely—and his funds were running low—he only asked Ju Qingmeng to perform five basic upgrades that were sure not to go wrong.

1. A third-level scanner, offering higher precision, greater range, and an upper limit of ten thousand points for estimating the energy index of Ruin Beasts.
2. An upgraded energy transmission system, capable of delivering a maximum output of 450 kilowatts.
3. Upgraded materials for key joints and drive units, allowing them to withstand power levels that regular second-tier exoskeletons couldn’t—up to 450 kilowatts. For third-tier mecha fighters, 300 kilowatts was the baseline, so Ren Zhong was already ahead. This was standard for Sid Meier-type fighters.
4. Enhanced shoulder-mounted mini cannons capable of firing second-tier thumb grenades.
5. A custom-upgraded amplifier, enabling him to deploy the full 450-kilowatt output while bearing less than 100 kilowatts of load.

The total cost for this setup was 2,800 points.

Including the 200-point repair fee he gave Ju Qingmeng for the first-tier suit, he’d blown through 3,000 points that night.

If not for the 150 points he’d earned hunting during the day, and the last short-term stock trade he squeezed in that morning—cashing out at a 40% gain by 7 p.m. for a return of 2,205.63 points—he would have been unable to afford it.

Now, only a meager 43.21 points remained in his account.

But Ren Zhong felt it was worth every bit.

Because the moment he donned the second-tier exoskeleton, even though he was prepared for it, he immediately sensed the difference.

The most impressive improvement came from the upgraded auditory resonance function embedded in the helmet’s chip.

The sense of auditory detachment from the outside world was gone.

In terms of reaction speed, his brain’s response to external changes was at least ten milliseconds faster.

In life-and-death situations, those ten milliseconds could mean everything.

Moreover, his regular movement was no longer limited to just walking; when necessary, the second-tier exoskeleton’s built-in thrusters at his hips could lift him slightly off the ground, with up to twenty minutes of accumulated flight time—far superior to the previous add-ons.

His sudden bursts of speed, impact force, and velocity were all dramatically elevated.

Now, when he swung his heavy arc-blade with full force, setting aside the blade’s cutting power, the kinetic impact alone exceeded 300 kilowatts—the equivalent of over 400 horsepower in a 21st-century car.

In the 21st century, even a standard heavy truck tractor had about 400 horsepower.

Ren Zhong’s second-tier exoskeleton wasn’t yet fully upgraded, but his overall strength had already far surpassed what it was earlier that day.

As for the first-tier exoskeleton, he simply left it at the munitions mall for consignment, priced at 1,500 points.

If it actually sold, after costs he’d net a tearful profit of 500 points.

Many of the materials in it were purchased out of Ju Qingmeng’s own pocket, and her craftsmanship was part of the deal—Ren Zhong was essentially getting it all for free.

He felt a bit embarrassed and offered to share the proceeds, but the wealthy Ju Qingmeng just showed him her account balance.

Wow! Quite the little tycoon!

No wonder she was a second-tier citizen, the “governor” overseeing the munitions mall of an entire town.

Even in her current state, she still had over ten thousand contribution points in her account—a five-digit figure.

Ju Qingmeng hadn’t shown him her balance to flaunt her wealth, but to assure him not to fuss over such trifles.

She only hoped Ren Zhong would grow quickly.

If Ren Zhong weren’t so self-sufficient and reluctant to ask for help, she would have sponsored him outright—unlike a certain miserly doctor who preferred to remain unnamed.

But Ren Zhong didn’t envy her, either, because by tomorrow morning, he’d be the richer one.

Soldiers are raised for a thousand days to be used in a single moment.

Having mastered the core sauce-making technology, the biggest breakout stock of the past month—Liancheng Reed Liquor Company—would close at precisely 9:15 tomorrow morning.

A new tycoon worth twenty thousand points among the Desolates was about to be born!

Last time he was resurrected, at this exact moment, Ren Zhong was fighting in virtual reality with Bei Lihui’s fourth-tier wristwatch, only an hour away from the end of his life.

But this time, he was equipped from head to toe as a second-tier warrior and about to become a twenty-thousand-point tycoon.

Each time, he felt his steps upon the earth grow more solid.

At 8:59 p.m., inside the communal sleep pod.

Chen Hanyu was about to activate the hypnotic function on her rented wristwatch when she saw Ren Zhong stride in from the doorway.

She set down her watch and sat up, looking at Ren Zhong with a puzzled expression.

Ren Zhong said little, merely gave her a nod, then lay down and switched on the hypnosis. He was asleep in seconds.

Chen Hanyu understood.

Tomorrow morning, everything would proceed as usual—but tonight, Mr. Ren had finally decided not to go out hunting.

He truly knew how to balance work and rest.

How wonderful.

...

At five the next morning, Ren Zhong awoke, refreshed in both body and mind.

From today, he was officially a certified second-tier professional, eligible for a daily wage of two points.

His deliberate return to sleep and use of hypnosis last night had nothing to do with exhaustion or laziness.

He had other plans.

He had told the others not to attempt the second-tier certification, not because he wanted to keep them down, but because they lacked absolute confidence and would need to buy special potions to boost their chances—actions easily noticed.

Having only one second-tier professional in Zheng Tian’s squad was tolerable for Lin Wang.

But if the entire team advanced, that would raise red flags.

Ren Zhong’s own case was different.

Since Lin Wang already saw through him, hiding his abilities would only arouse suspicion—it was better to go with the flow.

So he paid the forty-point registration fee and entered the virtual reality scenario for the certification exam.

This simulation wasn’t as immersive as the one he’d experienced on Bei Lihui’s wristwatch, but it was good enough to assess his abilities.

Ren Zhong breezed through, battling second-tier Ruin Beasts for hours inside, and ultimately passed the evaluation with a perfect score.

“Mr. Ren, shall we go?” Chen Hanyu gently shook his shoulder.

Ren Zhong nodded. “Let’s.”

The two of them descended the stairs side by side under the lights.

The unfamiliar night watchman was curious but didn’t question them.

When they reached the parking lot, Yu Jin was already waiting by the Thunderbolt car.

“I told you to arrive at 5:05. Why are you early?”

“I didn’t want you to wait, sir.”

“Alright, but tomorrow, make sure you’re at sleep pod building thirteen by 5:03 to pick up Chen Hanyu and take her outside the town.”

“Understood.”

Ren Zhong introduced Yu Jin to Chen Hanyu.

The three of them boarded the Thunderbolt—Chen Hanyu in the front seat, Yu Jin in the back—and set off.

Chen Hanyu craned her neck toward the back seat, not to look at Yu Jin, but searching for a case.

“Mr. Ren, aren’t you bringing specialized weapons this time?”

Ren Zhong shook his head and patted his shoulder. “Didn’t you notice? Look at my armor.”

Chen Hanyu understood.

He was going to take them head-on this time.

You’ve only just upgraded to second-tier gear, man!

But she soon calmed down.

Thinking back, this guy had occasionally taken on second-tier Ruin Beasts head-to-head even in first-tier gear.

Now that he was second-tier, taking on third-tier seemed almost “routine.”

Mr. Ren never fought without a plan.

...

At six in the morning, the Thunderbolt car returned to town bearing the corpses of two third-tier Ruin Beasts.

Chen Hanyu and Yu Jin were speechless the entire way.

Their heads were spinning.

It could be done like this?

How did you manage that?

Ren Zhong, however, ignored their astonishment and instead looked regretful. “Something’s off—I still haven’t unlocked the full potential of my armor. I guess… I’ll have to let that old man fleece me again.”

“Who?” Chen Hanyu asked.

Ren Zhong rolled his eyes. “A genuine, honest-to-goodness sly old merchant—Sid Meier.”

“Uh…”

Chen Hanyu was stunned.

From his tone, it sounded as if he was on familiar terms with that legendary warrior.

So Mr. Ren’s connections extended beyond just Spark Town!

Ren Zhong went on, “Yu Jin, you did well today. If your marksmanship and timing hadn’t been so good, and you hadn’t lured only one White Stone Ape, we might have had to bail immediately—and only gotten one third-tier Ruin Beast.”

“Thank you for the praise, sir, but it was all thanks to you. I didn’t actually do much.”

“Don’t be modest. I’ll find you a better gun someday.”

Ren Zhong thought of Bei Lihui’s Scorpion-Lion 191.

That was a fine weapon; you could barely feel the pain before you died.

“No need, sir. I’ll save up for it myself.”

“We’ll see, we’ll see.”

...

A little after seven, while Ren Zhong was selling his haul at Spark Resources, he received a call from Ju Qingmeng on his wristwatch.

“Good news! Your armor sold at asking price. I’ve already transferred the money to your account through the mall’s consignment system, so you won’t have to pay a transfer fee.”

“Who bought it?”

“A fat merchant from out of town with a bushy mustache—surname Wang.”

Ren Zhong realized at once.

That sly merchant Wang Zhaofu had walked right into his net.

He laughed. “Makes sense. No one in Spark Town can afford this suit, but traveling merchants are always able to find big clients.”

Almost simultaneously, payment from Spark Resources arrived as well.

Ren Zhong glanced at his wristwatch and grinned. Well!

Another 1,715.41 points in hand!