Chapter 260 Engineers from Enterprises
Chapter 260 Engineers from Enterprises
In the mud pit.
The iron lump lying in the pit suddenly twitched as if it had received an electric shock. It
supported itself on the ground with both hands. Before it could get up from the ground, a gun was already against the back of its head.
”Don’t move.”
Xu Shun stared at the guy intently, ready to fire at any time.
”How to get to… the northern suburbs.” A dull voice floated out from under the armor intermittently, making people wonder if he could only say this sentence.
”What on earth is this guy?” Staring at this strange man covered with steel plates, Yu Xiong frowned, “Is he a human?”
”I don’t know.”
Xu Shun squatted down and checked the man’s armor, and found that the helmet was welded to the breastplate.
Not only that, the connection parts of the breastplate steel plates were riveted, with a neat row of hexagonal rivets, and there was no mechanism to open it.
Then the question came.
What should I do if I poop?
”I can’t take it off.” Shaking his head, Xu Shun stood up, glanced at the VM and said, “Let’s leave it to the manager to judge.” If
the manager said so, there must be a way.
Yu Xiong nodded, asked two guards to look after this guy, and then went to the captives.
There were four captives in total.
Except for the six who ran away, a total of fifteen people were killed in the melee.
Including their leader, the man named Wu Chou.
After interrogation, it was learned that these people were mercenaries from Boulder City, but they were not from the mercenary group. They were temporary workers who could not get regular work.
As for why they could not get work, they all had their own reasons.
Yu Xiong did not care about these, but just ordered people to tie their hands and feet, rush them to squat by the wall, and wait for the administrator to come and deal with them.
The situation on the players and the guards was relatively optimistic. Due to the timely support, they were fine except for some minor injuries.
Including the guy who was shot in the leg.
Fortunately, the bullet went through his leg, without injuring the bones or arteries, and the possibility of disability was not high.
However.
With such an injury, and he was still an ordinary person who had not awakened, the rest of his life probably had nothing to do with the mercenary profession.
Coming out of the alley, Roushan Damomo buried his head in shame, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
”Yes, sorry, I get scared when the gunshots sound…”
”It’s okay, it’s a small problem.” Sisi patted the white bear’s shoulder and comforted him.
Tail touched his chin and analyzed: “Is it because something is missing from his back? I feel that Rourou was quite brave last time at the experimental base.”
Sisi was slightly surprised, then recalled it carefully and nodded thoughtfully.
”Well, maybe it’s really possible.”
”Don’t be discouraged, Rourou! The place here is too small to show off. I will definitely ride you next time!”
Rourou: “Wait, wait a minute, I always feel that something is wrong–”
Sisi: “Illusion.”
Tail: “That’s right! It must be your illusion!”
Rourou: “???”
On the other side, with the help of Teng Teng and Zhima Paste, Yaya, who was stuck in the half wall, finally broke free from the pile of broken concrete.
”Damn…”
After taking off the helmet stuck on the breastplate with great effort, Yaya shook her groggy head and muttered, “That hit just now actually caused my network to be bad.”
”Are you really okay?” Teng Teng looked at the breastplate that was almost dented with worry, and whispered, “Or… you should go back and save the game.” “No
, no, don’t worry, I’m fine!”
Shaking her head that was hit hard, Yaya put on a smile that she thought was reliable and raised her thumb, “Don’t worry, Teng Teng, I will definitely get you there safely!”
Teng Teng held her forehead with a headache.
”How can I feel at ease with you like this…”
Yaya: “Ah! Woman, don’t you feel touched at all?”
Teng Teng subtly moved her eyes away.
”A little bit.”
What can I say.
Although it is an MMORPG, it feels good to be protected by someone.
Looking at the two people who have a good relationship, Zhimahu whispered, “By the way, who was the person who helped us just now?”
Yaya was stunned.
”Oh, that’s right. I remembered it when you mentioned it.”
Teng Teng: “Maybe… it’s Boss Xia?”
Ya Ya looked at her in surprise.
”Boss Xia?!”
”Well, I guessed.”
Teng Teng silently pointed to the street corner not far away.
A blue-painted power armor and a nimble figure were walking towards this side from the end of the street that was plated golden by the setting sun.
Behind Boss Xia, there was an LD-47s with a scope – a “scythe” semi-automatic rifle.
The cat ears moved slightly, and a surprised expression appeared on his sesame-paste face.
”Manager?”
”Yeah.”
Teng Teng nodded, with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
”It seems to have triggered the plot.”
…
Qian Lai, who had been hiding next to the two-headed cow, walked out of the alley, dusting off the dust on his clothes, and happened to run into Chu Guang who was walking from the west.
Qian Lai showed a surprised expression on his face, obviously he didn’t expect to meet this big man in the northern suburbs here.
”Manager… Sir?”
Chu Guang looked at him and said.
”Are you okay?”
”I’m fine. Thanks to your men, otherwise we would have lost more than one cow today.”
Qian Lai admitted that he was careless before.
These people are not weak.
Although they look a little unreliable, their insight and combat power are much stronger than he imagined.
”You should say this to them.”
Chu Guang nodded and walked towards the strange man in armor.
Next to the armored man, Xu Shun and two guards were watching.
Until Chu Guang walked up to it, it was sitting against the wall, repeating the sentence in its mouth like a tape recorder.
”How to get to… North Suburbs.”
”This is North Suburbs, and I am the manager here,” Chu Guang looked down at it and said, “Explain your purpose.”
Responding to this, the man in armor slowly raised his head and hugged his helmet with both hands.
Chu Guang glimpsed a touch of scarlet from the mesh mask.
I don’t know if it’s an illusion.
He always felt that these eyes looked familiar.
At this moment, suddenly with a “click”, the strange man in armor removed the helmet from the breastplate.
Seeing his face clearly, Chu Guang was slightly stunned.
Xu Shun and the guards standing by changed their faces wildly, and quickly raised their rifles in their hands and aimed at the rotten head.
”It’s the Crawler! Sir!”
”Wait a minute!”
Raising his hand to stop the guards who were about to shoot, Chu Guang stared at the scarlet eyes and rotten face with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
”What’s your name?”
It was really strange.
Can a slime mold alien speak human language?
The rotten face gasped softly, and there was no rationality in the scarlet pupils.
Chu Guang felt a little disappointed.
However, just when he was about to give up this meaningless thing, the rotten face suddenly opened its mouth slowly.
”Bachi…”
Seeing this guy speak human language, the guards standing around were shocked.
Including Xu Shun.
Although there were some aliens that could speak human language in the outpost, in his cognition, they were all the technology of the shelter, pets in blue coats.
And a wild alien like this – and a slime mold alien, actually opened its mouth and spoke human language. He had never heard of such an outrageous thing!
”Bachi?” Chu Guang stared at him and asked, “Your name is Bachi?”
The man nodded slowly.
”Yes.”
Chu Guang frowned.
This name…
sounds a little familiar.
…
”The analysis results are out.”
Shelter 404 B3 floor.
Medical laboratory.
Heya came out of the laboratory and skillfully handed a screen modified from a VM to Chu Guang. It was filled with a series of test results, including blood tests.
As the expert with the most say in aliens in the shelter, the only person who could hope to figure out what happened to this “Bachi” brother was probably this silver-haired SSSR.
However, Chu Guang couldn’t understand what was written on the tablet at all.
”What’s his situation?” Chu Guang pretended to take a look and returned the tablet to Heya.
Heya explained patiently.
”Infected by a mutant slime mold, and the erosion rate is as high as 67%. This situation is quite rare, because according to my research results, there should be a predator-prey relationship between slime mold aliens and other organisms. You remember, the crawler is the fruiting body of the slime mold.”
Chu Guang nodded, indicating that he still remembered.
”What about him?”
Heya: “Symbiosis.”
Chu Guang was slightly stunned.
”…Symbiosis?”
Heya sighed, and supported her forehead with her hands around her chest.
”I don’t really want to popularize common sense… Anyway, he is now about half human, and half has become slime mold. Initially, the slime mold ate most of his organs, but for some reason suddenly decided to let him live, so it evolved into fruiting bodies with similar organ functions, replacing his original organs.” The fruiting
bodies evolved by mutant slime molds can imitate the behavior and characteristics of the devoured organisms, such as gnawers, crawlers, martyrs and even tyrants. However,
after eating the organs, it is rare to replace the original organs and form a symbiotic relationship with the host. Even
Xia Yan, who is fond of urban legends, has never heard of this.
Chu Guang pinched his eyebrows.
”Does that mean he only has one brain left?”
”Maybe three quarters?” He Ya hesitated, thought for a moment and said, “The slime mold infection stopped after reaching the cerebellum, and at least half of the spinal cord has been replaced by the fruiting bodies formed by the slime mold.”
Chu Guang: “How long can he live?”
He Ya: “I don’t know, maybe he can live forever.”
Chu Guang was stunned.
”Live forever?!”
He Ya nodded.
”Well… because according to my research results, there is no Hayflick limit for mutant slime molds. Even as time goes by, the functions of the organs formed by those fruiting bodies will be further improved and more powerful than before. Of course, there is another possibility. When these slime molds ‘feel’ that the host is no longer necessary, it may eat the remaining part of the brain.”
”Wait a minute,” Bachi, who was sitting next to the scanning bed, slowly raised his steel-covered hand and said in a weak voice, “I am in this state, can I still be saved?”
Chu Guang looked at this guy unexpectedly.
”You woke up?”
He thought this guy could only say one sentence.
”I injected him with an inhibitor to suppress the activity of the slime mold that invaded the nervous system,” Heya looked at Bachi sitting on the scanning bed and continued, “I don’t know how to answer this question. If you want to completely restore your original appearance, it is probably impossible, but if you can accept prosthetic modification, you can completely remove the alienated organs and replace them with bionic prostheses.”
She herself is like this.
Bionic prostheses can not only prolong life, but are also much more reliable than the original organs of organisms. But Heya also knew that replacing most parts with technology was not acceptable to everyone.
Chu Guang coughed lightly.
”There is no black box for producing bionic organs in Shelter 404… In fact, if you think about it from another angle, aren’t the organs in your body now also considered bionic organs? And they can evolve actively.”
Heya looked at Chu Guang in surprise, and after thinking for a while, she nodded and said.
”Now that you mention it, it’s true.”
Bachi showed a painful expression on his face.
”This feeling is not good at all.”
Chu Guang: “Does it hurt?”
Bachi shook his head: “No, not to mention pain, I have lost my sense of pain, I can’t even feel that I am still alive.”
Chu Guang: “What on earth did you encounter?”
Bachi was silent for a while and sighed softly.
”It’s a long story…”
That happened in the winter of 211 in the Wasteland Era.
Bachi, who was far away in Ideal City, had just received his graduation certificate and was planning a graduation trip. At this time, he received a letter from his good friend from afar.
Luo Hua described in the letter that in the far west, in the middle of the Middle Continent, there is a good place called Qingquan City.
There lived a group of good people from Shelter No. 404, which had just been unblocked. Recently, they became permanent partners of the enterprise.
Of course, the most important thing is that there are amazing food and culture there. Those blue coats have mastered many cooking methods that he has never seen before, and can even turn those hard-to-swallow alien meat into delicious dishes.
In Bachi’s cognition, food should be linked to technology. It is praiseworthy that the wastelanders can cook food. How can they know what delicious food is when they can’t even get enough food? Not to mention culture.
However, this letter still aroused Bachi’s interest. He was bored to death in the Utopia. Although life here is well-organized and regular like the code on the holographic screen, it is precisely because of this that there is a lack of necessary errors. Therefore, at the
instigation of his good friend, he set the destination of his “graduation trip” in the central part of the River Valley Province and stepped into the western wilderness with the idea of exploring the unknown.
However, what he didn’t expect was that this journey was full of surprises from the very beginning…
”…My father is a wine merchant. I first followed the caravan sponsored by my father to the western part of Yunjian Province. Since then, I have been on the road alone. I hired guards, guides, and doctors, and made all the necessary preparations. I followed the tracks of the Pioneer. Everything went as planned, but when I passed Yongdong City, an accident still occurred.”
”There was no one there, like a dead city. The survivors’ settlement that should have appeared on the map was gone. Out of caution, we planned to withdraw from the city. However, at this time, we were suddenly besieged by thousands or perhaps tens of thousands of Gnawers.”
Bachi took a deep breath.
”When I was knocked down by the Gnawers, I thought I was dead, but when I woke up, I found that all the Gnawers around me were gone…including my teammates. I thought it was a nightmare until I found a mirror, and then I realized that the real nightmare had just begun.”
Bachi’s Adam’s apple moved and continued.
”Since then, I have become like this.”
Heya and Chu Guang looked at each other and couldn’t help but say.
”This is too bizarre.”
Chu Guang nodded.
”Indeed.”
When Chu Guang heard the first half, he had already figured out the identity of this Bachi. It was Luo Hua on the Explorator who said he would introduce him to his engineer friend.
However, Chu Guang still had some doubts about the second half of Bachi’s words.
It is not uncommon for players to die in tunnels occasionally, but he has never heard of any player being parasitized by a slime mold alien.
As Heya said, the fruiting body of slime molds first reacts to the captured prey by eating it directly and turning it into nutrients for producing spores.
It was the first time he heard that someone was turned into “one of their own” by slime molds.
Bachi smiled bitterly and continued with his head down.
”Anyway, after that, the aliens seemed to have lost interest in me. The slime mold aliens treated me as one of their own kind, and the mutant hyenas would not eat me unless they were extremely hungry. Even if they did, they would only eat one of my hands…or maybe a leg. But it didn’t matter, because I didn’t feel any pain at all. The lost hands and legs would slowly grow back in a week or two, and they would be stronger than before. Later, the hyenas couldn’t bite me anymore, and I became what I am now.”
Regeneration of broken limbs? !
Evolution of regenerated limbs? !
Damn.
This ability is quite awesome.
After listening to this guy’s description, Chu Guang’s face was full of surprise.
He bet that if there was a choice, I’m afraid many players would be willing to exchange “life” with him. This “sequence” is a little ugly, and he can hardly think of any weaknesses. As long as the brain is not broken, can’t it live forever?
”Are you envious?”
”Not really…”
”No, I can feel it,” Bachi shook his head and continued with a bitter expression on his face, “You don’t understand this feeling at all. Since then, I have never been to a human survivor settlement, and I have to stay away from people when I see them. They don’t believe I am a human at all. Even if I tell them it was an accident, they will drive me away.”
Chu Guang: “…Then you can’t have made this armor yourself, right?”
Bachi: “I met a slave trader when I entered the Valley Province.”
Chu Guang: “Slave trader?”
”Yeah,” Bachi nodded, “That guy is the only good person I met along the way who was interested in me. He said he would take me to the Wandering Swamp and sell me to the academy for research. I thought that maybe the academy could really figure out what happened to me, and being sold to the academy seemed not bad, so I followed him.”
”That man found a blacksmith and made me a set of steel armor so that I could easily enter the survivor settlement without attracting attention. However… plans can never keep up with changes. His slaves rioted because of some things and hanged him on a tree.”
”I had no idea how to get to the academy. I asked the slaves but they didn’t know either. They just wanted to go home. I had to walk the rest of the way alone. Then I suddenly remembered that Luo Hua told me that there was a place called Shelter No. 404 in Qingquan City, so I continued walking west. But as I walked, my physical condition suddenly began to deteriorate, and my consciousness became hazy… It’s hard to describe the feeling, it’s as if there was a rope between my soul and my body.”
Heya interrupted.
”It should be from that time that the slime mold has invaded the nervous system. I can perform a small operation on you later to prevent the slime mold from continuing to spread to the nervous system.”
”Thank you,” Bachi took a deep breath and looked at Chu Guang with pleading eyes, “Later, I only remember the northern suburbs of Qingquan City, and then walked all the way here… This is all my experience. I don’t know what to do now. Can you help me?”
”Of course I will help you. Your friend Luo Hua is also my friend. He has helped me a lot. What’s more, this happened to you on the way to me. There is no way I can leave you alone.” Chu Guang then looked at Heya, “In addition to replacing the bionic organ, is there any way to restore it to its original state?”
Bionic organs are too expensive.
If it was just replacing eyes, hands and feet, it would be fine. But if the whole set from blood vessels to skin was replaced, I’m afraid few rich people in Ideal City could afford it.
Many things are non-renewable resources, just like nuclear fusion. There is more than one dimension difference between the words “usable” and “manufacturable”.
Heya shook her head.
”His immune system has been completely replaced by the fruiting bodies of slime molds. Strictly speaking, it’s not that he accepted those slime molds, but that those slime molds allowed him to keep his brain and control his body that has become a different species. Compared with replacing bionic organs, I actually recommend changing the body directly… How about putting the head in a petri dish first?”
Bachi hugged his head painfully.
”Then I might as well die…”
Heya’s eyes lit up, and she was about to encourage her to say something, but Chu Guang, who saw her thoughts, coughed lightly and interrupted the guy’s words that were almost on his lips.
”I don’t think changing to a machine body will necessarily be more optimistic than the current situation. Anyway, you should live here for a while. You have nowhere else to go in your current state.”
After a pause, Chu Guang continued.
”By the way, you just mentioned the graduation trip… What’s your major?”
Bachi: “Materials engineer.”
Chu Guang asked in surprise: “Materials engineer? Specifically? What are you researching?”
Bachi’s expression was a little subtle.
”Carbon nanotechnology… But don’t expect too much from my professional ability. I may know more about wine and food.”
He got his diploma by cheating.
This situation is not uncommon in Ideal City, especially for people like him who have no intention of working in this industry, and don’t have to worry about being exposed.
Bachi originally planned to go back and inherit his father’s red wine business after the trip and expand the market outside Yunjian Province, but now, let alone going back, he doesn’t even dare to let his father know that he has become like this.
He can be sure that his father will not spend that money to replace him with a mechanical prosthesis that cannot reproduce, but will choose to have another one without hesitation.
”It doesn’t matter. Everything starts from being unskilled to being skilled. What you lack is just a little experience, and I can provide you with an internship opportunity,” Chu Guang patted his shoulder excitedly. “As for wine, don’t worry. We don’t just have wine here. There are many more interesting things than that… Can you still drink after you become like this?”
”Of course, my sense of taste is still normal…” Bachi whispered guiltily, “What do you want me to do?”
Chu Guang didn’t answer. He stretched out his hand and pressed on the VM. Soon, footsteps were heard outside the door, and Yin Fang walked in from outside.
”What do you want to talk to me about? I’m busy.”
Yin Fang stood at the door with an obviously impatient expression on his face.
Recently, his players have recovered a lot of valuable information from the ruins, and he has been analyzing the valuable clues in those information.
When this guy is busy, he even eats in the laboratory. He probably hasn’t taken a shower for a while. Not only is his hair messy, but he hasn’t shaved his beard.
But Chu Guang doesn’t care about these.
”Let me introduce you to a new employee. This is Bachi. Although… he looks a little scary, he is a good person.”
Yin Fang stared at Bachi for a while.
”Crawler?”
Bachi showed a bitter expression on his face.
”This is an accident. Do I…really look like a crawler?”
Yin Fang nodded with a strange expression.
”A little bit.”
Looking at Bachi who was in depression, Chu Guang coughed lightly.
”Don’t judge a book by its cover… In addition, this is a D-level explorer from the academy. Haven’t you been looking for the academy? He is from the academy, although it was in the past.”
”Hello, Mr. Bachi,” Yin Fang still extended his right hand very politely – the bionic prosthesis produced by the academy, “What is your specialty?”
”Brewing wine, and…knowing a little about materials,” Bachi slowly raised his bulky steel arm, reluctantly shook hands with him, and added cautiously, “But I only know a little.”
Yin Fang’s eyes lit up.
”Materials? Great!”
Chu Guang looked at him.
”Have you made any new discoveries?”
”Of course! It’s some information about Zhongzhou Aerospace, and some data about aerospace external equipment needs to be repaired. I just need an expert in materials science, which will greatly speed up my work progress.” Yin Fang looked at Bachi with joy, “Can I trust your professional ability?”
Bachi actually wanted to say no, because he himself didn’t really believe in his level, but the expectant look made him unable to say it.
Since he turned into this ghost, everyone he met hoped that he would get out of the way, the farther the better.
This is the first time that someone didn’t care about his face and said that they needed his help…
Nodding, Bachi said cautiously.
”Although I think brewing and doing business are more suitable for me, but… I can give it a try.”
”Great!”
Chu Guang patted the old man’s shoulder happily.
”Don’t worry, you will have a lot of time. In addition to work, you can of course try things that interest you. At the same time, we will do our best to find a way to change you back.”
Bachi smiled bitterly.
”I hope so.”
He originally planned to use Shelter 404 as the starting point of his journey.
But now it seems that his graduation trip seems to have ended early…
College, enterprise, legion, and the old popsicle in the shelter… The NPC lineup of Shelter 404 is getting bigger and bigger.
Just when Chu Guang settled this friend who came from afar, the ten Iron Horse 60-pot camels bought from Boulder City were finally delivered to the industrial area of the outpost.
Eight of them were sent to Steel Plant No. 81, and two were sent to Goblin Technology.
According to the task received.
Steel Plant No. 81 needs to convert four of them into large tractors that can provide 60 horsepower within two weeks, and complete a set of traction-type four-row deep sowing seeders for it.
In addition, there are irrigation canals on the north bank of Linghu Lake, and mechanized mills needed for granaries, which will use two of each.
Looking at the compact and tightly designed equipment in front of him, the lone wolf who happened to be helping at Steel Plant No. 81 showed a surprised expression on his face.
”Is this a pot-carrying machine?”
Brother Ceso and Brother Levin looked at each other and looked at him in confusion.
”Any questions?”
Lone Wolf shook his head.
”Nothing… I just think it’s rare.”
The pot-carrying machine consumes a lot of wood and was basically eliminated in the 1970s. Only a few rural and remote areas use it.
In his impression, the more common power is 8~12 horsepower, and there are rarely more than 20, let alone 60 horsepower, which is comparable to a fuel engine.
But…
this is quite wasteland.
”I’m afraid this thing consumes a lot of wood.”
Brother Levin smiled and said, “It doesn’t matter. The last thing here is wood. There are wood everywhere from the city to the outside of the city. When we were reclaiming the land, we cut a bunch of them, just enough to consume a little!”
Brother Ce Suo agreed, “That’s right! But we have also been studying internal combustion engines recently.”
Lone Wolf was surprised.
”Is there oil here?”
Brother Levin: “There is a crop that can produce oil in the setting.”
Brother Ce Suo: “That’s right! Although we don’t grow it, the manager said that he can help us borrow some from our neighbors!”
Borrowing a little is okay.
Lone Wolf looked at the pot-carrying machine.
”Can I take it apart and study it?”
Brother Levin said readily.
”It doesn’t matter! We were planning to dismantle it and study the structure inside.”
”That’s right!” Brother Ce Suo nodded excitedly, “The manager said it can be dismantled, as long as it can be put back together!”
Lone Wolf’s eyes were filled with excitement.
He was very curious.
How realistic can the developer of this epoch-making MMORPG be in terms of details?
(End of this chapter)
