Chapter 150: Steel Behemoth
Although the circuit lap race carried plenty of suspense, Lin Huai still secured an overwhelming victory, claiming first place alongside a mountain of rare upgrade materials.
The endurance rally was led by Old Wang and Sister Cai, who took the crown in their division as well.
Meanwhile, Cute and Sparkling and Milk Tea competed in the straight-line sprint race, securing solid placements of their own.
Seeing the final event leaderboards, the survivors who had recently merged from Zone 390 were thoroughly awed.
[Pork Belly]: I honestly have to hand it to them… It turns out the gap between our old home and the server’s number one zone isn’t just about Boss Bone Ash.
[I Am a Thug, Who Do I Fear]: No way… How are even the ordinary players from Zone 444 this much stronger than us? Why isn’t there a single one of our old crowd on the leaderboard…?
[Dragon Soul Young Master]: Open your eyes. Look right above you—Pork Belly made the board, and Shudao Mountain placed as well. You’re the only one missing.
[I Am a Thug, Who Do I Fear]: You didn’t make the cut either! Who are you calling out?
[Chaikofu Driver]: Did you newcomers misunderstand something? While we might be regular members compared to the core eleven, we still belong to the Elite Guild. The Elite Guild doesn’t carry dead weight!
[Honey Blood Ice Orange]: No exaggeration here—our Zone 444 once wiped out Sector 888 down to the last man. The battle logs are public record!
[Little Grass Don’t Float]: Exactly! Back during the first ten-zone joint trial in the Ghost Mother’s Lair, surrounded by top-tier squads from every server… it was a complete bloodbath. If you want the full story, transfer fifty credits to my inbox!
…The core Elite Squad paid no attention to the banter in the main lobby. They were entirely focused on cracking open their prize chests and cataloging their rewards.
Suddenly, Old Wang’s excited message popped up in their private channel.
[AAA Building Materials Old Wang]: !!!! Holy cow! I took first place on the individual contribution leaderboard for the rally race!
[Young Miss]: Oh, congratulations?
[Cute and Sparkling]: Wow, Brother Wang is amazing!
[Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice]: Since Old Wang is so capable, you can take point and lead our next trial!
[Dragon Emerging from the Sea]: [Thumbs_Up.jpg]
[AAA Building Materials Old Wang]: No, that’s not what I meant! What I’m trying to say is… take a wild guess at what prize dropped for me!
[Shudao Mountain]: A special artifact?
[Flash Delivery Yellow Knight]: Did Brother Wang pull a skill card?
[Hungry Spirit Blue Knight]: Does having an advanced degree actually boost your drop rates?
[AAA Building Materials Old Wang]: Hehehe, you guys will never guess what kind of treasure this is! I can finally run my own business and earn real money too!
With that, Old Wang dropped a screenshot of the item’s specifications directly into the chat:
[Vehicle-Mounted Psionic Workshop: A versatile equipment manufacturing bay and lathe system. Capable of structural gear modification, custom equipment tailoring, high-tier weapon fabrication, component reinforcement, and more.]
[Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice]: !!! Old Wang, I want a custom-forged weapon!
[Sister Cai]: Old Wang, build one for me too!
[Young Miss]: I have a major business proposal to discuss with you. Should I drive over to your lane right now?
In less than three minutes, the entire squad phased their vehicles onto Old Wang’s lane, gathering around his heavy rig to inspect the new equipment.
Old Wang had already bound the system to his vehicle. When the hydraulic latches on the truck’s reinforced steel trailer hissed open from the side, a complete assembly bay was revealed, lined with automated diagnostic consoles and heavy fabrication tools.
Old Wang gave an eager tour: “This section handles weapon modification. It can reinforce physical properties like metal hardness and material density. But if we mix in mystical catalysts like Yin energy crystals or dragon scales, we can infuse weapons and chassis plating with supernatural elemental traits…”
He gestured deeper into the bay. “Over here is a modular repair platform, that station is a high-precision 3D fabricator, and that rig mounted on the ceiling is an armored hydraulic crane…”
Listening to his breakdown, even Lin Huai was impressed. “Old Wang, when did you become such an authority on materials?”
Old Wang scratched his beard with a sheepish grin. “Don’t let my relaxed attitude fool you; I’ve actually been hitting the books hard behind the scenes.”
“In the old world, I held a doctorate in materials science. Seeing how everyone else’s real-world backgrounds gave them unique advantages in this survival game, I started researching early on how my own field could apply here.”
“My background was all about the physical behavior of matter…”
He reached into the cab and pulled out a thick, hand-bound notebook, flipping through the worn pages for the squad to see. “I wrote down every physical property of real-world metals and alloys from memory. Then, as we encountered supernatural drops, I ran field tests on mystical catalysts and recorded their interactions right here…”
“The Boss mentioned before that specialized profession-oriented vehicles hold a massive edge in this system. I noticed that survivors driving work-related rigs trigger gear that matches their trades far more often. So I deliberately steered my heavy truck toward a technical support build.”
“I packed the trailer with precision tools and welding gear, and combined with my material research, this milestone drop finally triggered a specialized vehicle evolution. My rig is now an official mobile equipment fabrication bay.”
Fastest Hand at SF Express stared at the glowing lathe, completely baffled by the technical terms yet glowing with sheer admiration. “Man, does having an advanced degree really make this much of a difference? Brother Wang, can you help me brainstorm a path too? What kind of development route works for an express courier van? Is it too late for a guy like me to hit the books?”
Old Wang snapped his fingers with a wink. “Leave it to me! I can tune up your suspension and frame first, which will bump up your odds of rolling logistics-focused attachments.”
Lin Huai was far more direct. With a flick of her wrist, she drew her signature war scythe. “I’m handing this over to you. Run diagnostics on it first and see how it can be upgraded.”
“This scythe has served me well as a high-tier weapon, but I want to customize it and push it to rare grade.”
Old Wang took the heavy weapon and clamped it into the automated scanning cradle. “Understood. I’ll run a full diagnostic to see what rare catalysts the blueprint requires. Once the scan finishes, I’ll print out a bill of materials. You gather the ingredients, Boss, and I’ll forge the upgrade for you.”
Dragon Emerging from the Sea ran his calloused palms over the reinforced steel plating of the trailer, his eyes shining with envy. He had always loved heavy industrial machinery, and this armored beast made his heart beat faster.
Meanwhile, Milk Tea, Cute and Sparkling, and Shudao Mountain huddled around their own vehicles, taking notes on where Old Wang could install structural reinforcements.
The Young Miss, however, stood to the side, flipping through Old Wang’s handwritten notebook page by page. Her eyes grew wider with every leaf she turned.
Snapping the journal shut, she looked at him with an intense sparkle in her eyes. “Old Wang, with this setup, you can generate an enormous fortune for our guild. Are you open to discussing a long-term business contract?”
Seeing the look of an investor who had just spotted a literal money tree, Old Wang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Miss, so you don’t look down on this old contractor anymore? I’m finally worthy of being your golden goose?”
The Young Miss let out a bright, melodic laugh. “Look down on you? Not a chance! You’re my favorite teammate now. Your commercial potential is through the roof, and we need to sign a deep profit-sharing partnership immediately!”
