Volume 1, Chapter 65: Sister, Just Keep It to Yourself

"Alright, handle the situation in Chuan City however you see fit. We'll have to evacuate sooner or later anyway. Tomorrow, I'll go with you to the military command."

"Really?"

Lin Qianying was quite surprised. She knew that Zhang Wei generally resisted visiting the military district.

If it were just a matter of borrowing an aircraft for some purpose, it wouldn't need to be so troublesome at all. Lin Qianying could simply contact her superiors to sort it out. There was no need for Zhang Wei to go in person.

"Yes, to offer some suggestions—regarding the Steel City," Zhang Wei stated his intention.

Although the military had agreed to Zhang Wei's proposal to build the Steel City, they certainly lacked a detailed plan for its specific execution. As someone who had returned from the future, Zhang Wei was well aware of the threats the future Steel City would face. He also had a thorough understanding of how to construct the Steel City without taking unnecessary detours.

"Great, I'll notify them right away. How shall we go?" Lin Qianying showed a hint of excitement.

"Have them send a transport, a helicopter will do," Zhang Wei said, glancing up at the King-class mechanical bird still circling in the sky.

"Understood!"

If anyone else had made such a request, Lin Qianying would have flatly refused. With a King-class mechanical bird hovering overhead, sending a helicopter out at this time would be pure suicide. But since the one making the request was Zhang Wei, it was a different story entirely. Besides, Lin Qianying was very eager to see what Zhang Wei actually looked like.

"Big brother, can I come along?" Zhang Tao asked in a low voice.

It wasn't that Zhang Tao held any particular fondness for the military; rather, he was afraid that once Zhang Wei left, he would become a snack for the bird in the sky.

"You stay and guard the house. Xiaobao will keep you company. That thing in the sky is badly injured; with Xiaobao around, it won't dare come down."

"Fine then. I'll have the others make preparations tomorrow, ready to move at any time." Zhang Tao nodded and accepted Zhang Wei's order.

Xiaobao didn't care in the least. As long as there was food, it didn't mind wherever it stayed.

The night passed quietly. Zhang Wei did not deactivate his mecha because it was continuously nourishing his physical body. This nourishment was not something achieved overnight, nor did it involve instantly flooding Zhang Wei's body with massive amounts of energy. However, after nourishing him for the better part of the night, the mecha's current phase of physical reinforcement for Zhang Wei was complete.

"As expected, the human body can gain roughly one-tenth of the mecha's combat power."

"Now, my bare-handed combat power has reached 145."

Zhang Wei turned his head to glance at Zhang Tao. If Zhang Tao knew that Zhang Wei's unarmored physical strength could now rival his mecha in a contest of strength, there was no telling what he would think.

"Zhang Wei, the helicopter is on its way and will be here shortly. Do we need to prepare anything?"

"Not really."

"We surely can't go looking like this, right? The aircraft won't be able to carry us."

Lin Qianying's intent was now crystal clear. Hearing this, Zhang Tao also moved closer. Zhang Tao had never seen Zhang Wei's true form either, and it would be a lie to say he wasn't curious.

"Alright!"

Sooner or later, they would see it anyway. The only reason he hadn't shown them before was because separating from the mecha posed risks. Now, however, Zhang Wei's physical body possessed 145 points of combat power, which was more than enough for self-preservation. Even if danger arose, he had the capability to re-merge with his mecha.

"Disengage!"

When Zhang Wei chose to disengage, the towering twenty-meter-tall mecha rapidly shrank. Within mere seconds, the massive entity vanished from the spot. In its place stood Zhang Wei, whose height had stretched to one meter eighty.

Originally somewhat slender, he didn't look drastically bulkier, but the muscles across his bare upper body were undeniably real.

"Oh my god!" Disregarding his usual image, Zhang Tao dropped flat onto the ground, staring fixedly at Zhang Wei with wide eyes. He had to lie down because standing too tall prevented him from seeing Zhang Wei, who looked so small by comparison.

Staring for a long while, Zhang Tao couldn't help but praise, "So handsome!"

It wasn't mere flattery; he genuinely looked handsome. Not only were his facial features striking, but his well-defined physique was something not only women would admire—even Zhang Tao found himself appreciating it.

"Disengage!"

Following Zhang Wei's separation from his mecha, Lin Qianying also disengaged from hers. Once separated, she quickly walked up to Zhang Wei.

"So you really are a little brother, and unexpectedly handsome too." Lin Qianying circled Zhang Wei twice, her eyes filled with undisguised appreciation. She simply adored a real man radiating such masculine charm; the pretty-boy types held zero appeal for her.

Zhang Wei paid no attention to these trivialities. Instead, he hung the mecha core around his neck. Through the core, he could check the mecha's detailed status—a function that only unlocked after the third evolution. Monitoring the mecha's status, performing repairs, and carrying out maintenance could all be done this way.

In its core state, repairing and maintaining the mecha was significantly faster. This essentially became a mandatory daily routine for anyone who owned a mecha in the future. After all, whenever combat occurred, the mecha would inevitably suffer impacts. Even if many of those impacts weren't enough to cause serious damage, what about the scratches? Scratches accumulating past a certain threshold would eventually become the final straw breaking the mecha.

Furthermore, the mecha's equipment also required maintenance, the most fundamental being the restoration of the outer armor's durability. Besides, repairing the mecha in its core form consumed very little energy—an expense well within everyone's means, making it an effortless choice.

"Hey, little brother Zhang Wei, what are you daydreaming about?" After circling him twice and noticing that Zhang Wei hadn't even glanced at her, Lin Qianying couldn't resist reaching out to poke his pectoral muscles a couple of times with her finger.

"Wow, it's real."

"Big sister, it's enough that you know it yourself, you don't have to say it out loud, do you?" Zhang Wei gave Lin Qianying an exasperated look.

Lin Qianying was indeed three years older than Zhang Wei, but hearing him call her "big sister" still rubbed her the wrong way.

"What kind of tone is that? You should call me 'young big sister', understand?"

"Fine, young big sister, could you please help me find some clothes?"

"Big brother, why don't you wear mine? I have some at home," Zhang Tao chimed in after snapping out of his daze of envy.

"Sure!" Zhang Wei wasn't picky about clothing at all; as long as it was wearable, it worked.

"Big brother, how come you were shirtless?" Zhang Tao asked after dispatching someone to fetch the clothes.

Zhang Wei glanced at Lin Qianying, then smiled without answering.

Zhang Tao was left with a head full of question marks.

*Wasn't that a question meant for a guy like me to ask? Why are you looking at Lin Qianying? And why are you smiling?*

Zhang Wei offered no explanation. He was never one to suffer a loss in silence. During the third evolution, because the mecha's energy had to infuse his body, the primary region of influx had been his upper torso. Consequently, under the scouring of that mecha energy, the clothes on his upper body had simply vanished into thin air.

Truth be told, anyone undergoing the third evolution would experience this exact result, including Lin Qianying. According to Zhang Wei's estimation, Lin Qianying would undoubtedly finish her evolution faster than Zhang Tao. When that time came, he wouldn't bother poking her chest muscles—just getting a look would be revenge enough.