Volume 1, Chapter 21: The Gallant Lin Qianying

Before the helicopter had even landed safely, the battle was already over.

The xenomechanical birds were no match for Zhang Wei’s Death Laser; the power of his skills increased alongside his combat strength. In fact, even without the combat power boost from his floating cannons, the Death Laser, with its 336-point combat strength, was something the current xenomechanical birds could not withstand.

"It’s over already?" Zhang Tao exclaimed in disbelief.

The other bodyguards who had been rushing toward Zhang Tao also froze in their tracks. How much time had passed from the start of the battle to its conclusion? They didn't stare at the sparks still fading in the sky; instead, they fixed their eyes on Zhang Wei, who stood under the night sky. At this moment, in their eyes, Zhang Wei was a god—an invincible god of war.

"Collect the source crystals. Don't pocket any for yourselves." Zhang Wei didn't care about the gazes of others, but he did care about the source crystals, so he reminded Zhang Tao.

"Right, right, Big Brother."

At this moment, Zhang Tao set aside the reserve and pride of a young master from a prominent family. Standing before his many bodyguards, he didn't hesitate to call out "Big Brother." He knew that having a "Big Brother" with such monstrous strength was a rare status symbol. This way, not only would he not lose face, but he would also make his bodyguards fear him even more. "Didn't you hear my Big Brother? Get moving! If anyone dares to pocket even a sliver, they’d better prepare to die."

Facing the bodyguards, Zhang Tao was not nearly as mild-mannered. Under his roar, the group of bodyguards scattered like birds. In truth, Zhang Tao didn't even need to warn them; who would dare to embezzle the spoils of this god of war? If he could effortlessly wipe out so many mechanical birds, he could just as easily kill them. Unless they had a death wish, no one dared to harbor any crooked thoughts.

As the bodyguards went to collect the source crystals, the roar of the helicopter finally ceased. It had landed. Five people scrambled out of the aircraft.

"Comrade, thank you! Thank you so much!" The pilot began shouting his gratitude before he had even reached Zhang Wei.

Initially, Zhang Wei had not paid much attention to the group. His rescue was not intentional, and he had not expected their gratitude. In his eyes, these people were merely passersby, irrelevant to him. However, when his gaze fell upon the only woman among the five, Zhang Wei paused. She looked familiar.

She was tall, standing as straight as a pine tree, her military uniform crisp and fitting, accentuating her heroic spirit. Although the uniform attempted to conceal her figure, her impressive curves were still faintly discernible, exuding a unique charm. Her skin was not the delicate pale kind but a healthy wheat tone, as if burnished by the sun, highlighting her resilience and vitality.

"So it's her. She looks even better in person than in the photos."

Zhang Wei remembered who she was: a formidable existence within the military in his previous life.

"Hello, my name is Lin Qinying. You are very strong."

Lin Qinying carried herself with a dashing, heroic air, devoid of any delicate, girlish affectation. This personality only added to her allure; even Zhang Tao was left momentarily dumbfounded.

"Hello, I'm Zhang Wei," Zhang Wei replied, already considering how to establish a rapport with this future Valkyrie. Unlike Zhang Tao, a nouveau riche who grew through early opportunities, Lin Qinying built her strength through personal prowess and possessed immense combat capability.

"You really are impressive. If there’s an opportunity, why don't we spar?"

"Integration!" Lin Qinying suddenly shouted.

Five seconds later, a silver-white, seven-meter-tall, slender long-range light mecha replaced Lin Qinying. Zhang Wei’s gaze fell upon the mecha, a flicker of admiration in his eyes.

He praised, "A fine mecha. However, if you only rely on that rifle, I’m afraid you won't be able to spar with me."

"This is the standard rifle that came with the initial mecha. Don't underestimate it; although its raw power isn't great, it's very accurate." Lin Qinying lightly brushed the rifle in her hand. It seemed she wasn't praising the gun’s power, but rather subtly showcasing her own marksmanship. That made sense; she was a soldier, after all—good marksmanship was to be expected.

Zhang Wei nodded inwardly. He knew how to bridge the gap with this future Valkyrie. Building a relationship with her would not only secure the friendship of a powerhouse but also provide a channel to the military. Zhang Wei didn't want to control the army; he just needed to ensure the military wouldn't view him as an enemy.

So, he asked, "Can you use a freezing gun?"

"You have a freezing gun?" Lin Qinying couldn't help but take a step toward Zhang Wei. She knew full well that the basic rifle equipped with the mecha had limited combat power and, consequently, limited efficacy—it was only slightly better than having no weapon at all.

"I do. Try it." Zhang Wei produced a freezing gun from his storage space. Its quality was only common, but it offered a 30-point combat boost, far superior to the rifle. The gun was small, appearing more like a oversized pistol in the hands of the mecha.

Zhang Tao stared closely at the weapon Zhang Wei was gifting to Lin Qinying, feeling it looked awfully familiar. *Well, well.* Isn't that mine? This was the starter weapon from the first light mecha Zhang Wei had destroyed at the zoo. Using our own gear to woo a beautiful woman—well done, Big Brother, truly excellent. Zhang Tao felt like crying again. *Can't I even do my own gift-giving?*

"This... is for me?" Lin Qinying didn't take the gun immediately.

Zhang Wei nodded. A common-grade freezing gun only held value at this early stage; later on, it would be worthless. Using it to build a relationship with a future Valkyrie was a massive bargain. "Yes, it’s for you."

Lin Qinying shook her head slowly at Zhang Wei. "I cannot accept your gift for nothing. How about this? I will exchange it with source crystals."

"Fine by me. Just give me one hundred source crystals." Zhang Wei did not refuse.

Lin Qinying nodded and produced over a dozen common source crystals. "I only have this many for now. I will pay the rest later, is that alright?"

"Fine." Zhang Wei nodded, handed the freezing gun to Lin Qinying, and pocketed the crystals.

Zhang Tao watched in a daze. *Big Brother, for such a beautiful woman, are you really that dense? It’s just a crummy gun, why are you charging source crystals for it? Wouldn't it be better to just give it to her to win her favor?* If it were Zhang Tao, he would have handed it over instantly. Charging for it—that wasn't very magnanimous.

However, what Zhang Tao didn't realize was that he was merely a low-level hunter who could only attract materialistic women, not the truly elite. Of course, Zhang Wei had no intention of "hooking" Lin Qinying; he merely wanted to build a good relationship. If he could manage to bring her under his wing like Zhang Tao, that would be even better...