Chapter 157 Mechanical Spider

Rebuilding Civilization

To Xie Han, this bizarre weapon looked like an oversized steel sphere pieced together from countless pieces of scrap iron of various sizes and shapes, ugly joints, a chaotic tangle of colored cables and wires, and a weird assortment of circuit boards and electronic components. It looked like industrial waste tossed into a dump, just waiting to be processed. Yet, paradoxically, it was called a weapon, and judging by the expression of the lean middle-aged man, Mountain City placed immense value on its capabilities.

Xie Han put the photograph down, his brow furrowed into a tight knot. "Is this what you call a weapon?"

His skepticism caused the lean middle-aged man to flush slightly. "Yes, it is indeed a very advanced weapon," he replied, explaining, "As you know, Mountain City's supplies and raw materials are not very abundant. We can only manufacture things using abandoned cars and various components salvaged from household appliances. That explains the ugly appearance you see before you."

"Alright..." Xie Han picked the photograph back up. "I believe this is a weapon, so it must have a name, right? And who is its creator?"

Looking somewhat embarrassed, the lean middle-aged man stammered, "I am its creator, Ning Hai." He continued, "As for its name, you may call it the Mechanical Spider."

Hearing Ning Hai call it a mechanical spider, Xie Han was clearly surprised. "This massive steel sphere is a mechanical spider?"

Ning Hai nodded. "Perhaps you harbor doubts about its capabilities. Very well, we can have it perform for you, and then you will see its true destructive power."

Ning Hai proved to be quite decisive. After leading Xie Han out of the castle and down to a cleared patch of flat ground halfway up the mountain, the mechanical spider in question was revealed, resting under a canvas tarp.

Once the tarp was pulled back, the mechanical spider looked just as it did in the photograph—a huge, perfectly spherical mass covered in a dense web of wires.

Ning Hai introduced it: "Due to environmental constraints and the technological limitations of Mountain City itself, this mechanical spider is merely the first generation in our Mechanical Spider series. It stands 3 meters tall, 6 meters wide, and 8 meters long, equipped with rudimentary artificial intelligence. What you are seeing right now is simply its retracted form."

Ning Hai walked over to an electronic control panel and pressed his palm against it. Instantly, countless tiny lights flickered to life across the G1 machine-gun spider.

"G1, initiate," Ning Hai commanded.

A harsh screech of grinding metal echoed through the air. Like a flower bud bursting into bloom, the massive steel sphere unfolded. Metal legs extended outward from the body, from limbs to head, finally taking the form of a gigantic mechanical spider. Perhaps restricted by Mountain City's limited weaponry, its weapon system was not particularly formidable, consisting solely of two light machine guns and a single laser emitter.

Endowed with rudimentary AI, the mechanical spider slightly wobbled its head upon activation, standing in place in a dazed manner.

Ning Hai explained, "During its setup, G1's artificial intelligence requires program inputs before it can execute tasks. It is a combination of rudimentary AI and control commands."

Under Ning Hai's guidance, the G1 agilely scrambled across the rugged terrain, its twin light machine guns locking onto and firing at a series of imaginary targets. However, G1's performance lasted for merely five minutes before a row of red warning lights flashed, and without any further instructions, it automatically curled back into a sphere, returning to its dormant state as a ball of steel.

Looking somewhat embarrassed, Ning Hai offered an apologetic smile. "When G1's propulsion system was originally designed, it was meant to be powered by a miniature nuclear fusion reactor. However, under the conditions of the apocalypse—especially in a place like Mountain City—we have no way to acquire the manufacturing materials needed for such a reactor. Therefore, this G1 uses a more primitive lithium battery pack for propulsion. Due to material shortages during manufacturing, G1's power consumption is staggering. A single set of lithium batteries allows it to operate for only five minutes."

Xie Han stared at the exposed wires covering the G1 mechanical spider. "Surely the G1 mechanical spider isn't just left exposed like this without any armor?" In his view, an unarmored mechanical spider could be easily neutralized by someone with a simple handgun if they managed to strike its core system circuit board.

Ning Hai chuckled. "The G1 mechanical spider certainly has armor. But do you honestly believe Mountain City's conditions can provide enough specialized metal to forge armor plating? By design, its armor is fully capable of withstanding heavy-caliber armor-piercing sniper rounds."

Indeed, Xie Han was tempted. However, he was not tempted by the G1 mechanical spider itself, but rather by Ning Hai. Someone who could independently design and, under such crude conditions, still manufacture a machine like the G1 was undeniably a person of extraordinary talent. Such talent was an absolute necessity for New City. It was easy to imagine that in a post-apocalyptic world plagued by severe population shortages, robots would inevitably become the dominant force of an era. If New City wished to establish a lasting foothold in this wasteland, it had to master its own robotics technology to guard against potential mechanical crises.

"Since your G1 is so crude, and arguably worthless, on what grounds do you propose to trade with New City? I do not believe bringing this pile of scrap iron back to New City would be a wise choice," Xie Han stated bluntly, pulling no punches.

At this point, the middle-aged man wearing glasses finally found an opening to chime in. "To be precise," he said, "what we are trading is not this single G1 mechanical spider, but its underlying technology. Exchanging such advanced G1 technology for weapons will, I believe, create a win-win situation for both New City and Mountain City."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Xie Han asked, "What kind of weaponry do you expect in exchange for your G1 mechanical spider technology?"

The bespectacled middle-aged man pulled a document from his coat pocket and handed it to Xie Han. "These are the terms set by Mountain City."

After scanning the pages for just a few moments, Xie Han was left between laughter and tears. Mountain City genuinely believed the G1 mechanical spider was a priceless treasure, drafting such exorbitant exchange terms as if New City were a gullible fool. Furthermore, from Ning Hai's own lips earlier, Xie Han knew the G1 mechanical spider was already an obsolete product line. Did they really think they could pull the wool over New City's eyes with such backward technology?

Xie Han shook his head. "Your requisition list is far too bloated. I am merely a caravan captain, and I have no authority to finalize this. However, I can pass it along to New City's management. If this exchange list is ultimately approved, New City will dispatch envoys carrying the exact quantity of weapons Mountain City requires to complete the trade as soon as possible."

They had likely anticipated this outcome from the very beginning. After all, a transaction of such massive proportions could not be decided by a mere caravan captain. In Mountain City's eyes, Xie Han's role was simply to witness the mechanical spider's performance and relay the message. Finalizing the deal required the consent of New City's highest administrative body, and given the staggering volume of weapons requested, New City might not even be willing to negotiate at that scale.

Tucking the document away inside his jacket, Xie Han turned to Ning Hai and asked, "If this G1 mechanical spider were powered by nuclear energy and outfitted with the full array of weaponry you originally envisioned, what kind of performance could we expect? This is New City's primary concern, so I must ask clearly."

A flush of excitement spread across Ning Hai's face. "Because the G1 mechanical spider is our first-generation model, many cutting-edge weapons were omitted from its initial design blueprints. However, I can assure you that once all planned armaments are installed according to the blueprints, its destructive capability will easily match that of two thousand of the most elite soldiers. In particular, its mother-nest design is capable of deploying a high-damage weapon known as the Metal Storm."

"What is a Metal Storm?" Xie Han asked, hearing the term for the very first time.

Looking slightly surprised, Ning Hai explained, "The Metal Storm is one of the world's most advanced weapon systems, invented by the Australian Mike O'Dwyer. Utilizing electronic chemical primer ignition technology, it can fire sixteen thousand specialized rounds of ammunition within a single second. And that was just the firing rate during its initial invention; a 36-barrel Metal Storm can exceed a million rounds per minute. Today, the most advanced versions have broken the threshold of 1.8 million rounds per minute across 36 barrels. Just imagine what would happen if the G1 mechanical spider were to unleash a barrage of Metal Storm fire, whether in the air or on the ground!"

Without needing Ning Hai to paint any further picture, Xie Han could already imagine the terrifying devastation of a Metal Storm. It was unequivocally a supreme military asset; even heavily armored tanks would likely be reduced to nothingness under such a storm of steel. However, Xie Han's mind immediately gravitated toward using the Metal Storm to combat zombies. Regardless of how many hordes of the undead approached, one merely needed to unleash this Metal Storm directly into their midst. Under the barrage of a million bullets, zombies within the blast radius would probably not even leave behind a speck of dust.

Extending that imagination just a bit further, it wasn't hard to picture R3-level zombies being shredded into pure pulp under a Metal Storm. To say Xie Han was completely captivated would be an understatement. Filled with admiration, he praised, "I never expected Brother Ning Hai to possess such profound talent. I am truly impressed." He gave Ning Hai a light pat on the shoulder, a beaming smile spreading across his entire face.

Although the deal was not clinched on the spot, judging by the expression on Xie Han's face, the people of Mountain City had every reason to believe that New City would bite.

The entire negotiation concluded around four o'clock in the afternoon. Xie Han declined Mountain City's invitation to stay the night and depart the following morning, setting off with over sixty thousand seedlings and dozens of pounds of gold. However, merely ten kilometers outside of Mountain City, Xie Han ordered the convoy to halt and wait in place.

No one understood Xie Han's sudden move, but they dutifully found a spacious area to park, once again forming a defensive perimeter. Acting on Xie Han's orders, the soldiers pulled back the canvas covering the Skysweeper transport vehicle, revealing the sleek fuselage of the Skysweeper drone.

At Xie Han's command, the Skysweeper slowly extended its wings from the fuselage. In barely half a minute, its fully deployed form was revealed. Yet, instead of climbing into the cockpit, Xie Han leaned against the transport vehicle, pulled out a cigarette, took a deep drag, and instructed, "Everyone has worked hard today. Rest in place and have someone prepare dinner."

New City was only a little over five hundred kilometers away, and it was only 4:30 PM. Once they hit the highway, they could return to New City in three hours. Yet Xie Han had ordered a rest, leaving everyone somewhat baffled. After dinner, lacking any further orders, the crew—aside from the guards on perimeter watch—retreated to the vehicles to close their eyes and rest.

When six o'clock finally arrived and the sky gradually darkened, Xie Han appointed Zhao Baian to lead the caravan back to New City while he himself sprinted back in the direction of Mountain City. Xie Han's spatial storage had a 500cc motorcycle, but in the quiet of the night, using it would risk blowing his cover. How fast could Xie Han run? He had never tested his limits, but moving at full throttle now, he felt the wind howling past his ears. In the blink of an eye, the trees along his path were left far behind.

As soon as Xie Han departed, the AI-controlled Skysweeper powered up autonomously, slowly lifting off from the transport vehicle. With a low hum, it vanished into the dark night sky.

Ten kilometers—a distance that might take an ordinary person three full hours to traverse—was covered by Xie Han at a dead sprint in a mere fifteen minutes, bringing him to a ridge not far from Mountain City. By now it was 6:20 PM, and total darkness had fallen. Within a radius of one mile around Mountain City, floodlights blazed, illuminating the surrounding area to deter sudden attacks from wandering zombies.

High atop the massive walls at the base of Mountain City, blinding white beams from laser searchlights periodically swept across the terrain. By the intermittent light, squads of three soldiers could be seen patrolling the ramparts. Meanwhile, the towering peak above remained largely unlit, save for the castle at the very summit, which glowed with fire-like illumination.

Hearing the faint, distant putter of diesel generators, Xie Han let out a cold smile. It was clear that Mountain City's power grid relied entirely on these diesel generator sets, which explained why ordinary residents had no access to electricity. Yet this flaw made Xie Han's plan all the more foolproof. Utilizing his blistering speed, he darted through the shadows of trees and boulders, quickly pressing his body flat against the towering outer wall of Mountain City.

At that moment, Xie Han felt a surge of exhilaration. This kind of covert infiltration reminded him of the martial arts heroes in wuxia novels, moving effortlessly through the shadows. Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he reminded himself that the heavy machine guns mounted on the walls were nothing like the hidden projectiles in martial arts tales, and he certainly lacked the ability to deflect bullets. Waiting for a patrol squad to pass, he pulled a pre-prepared rope from his spatial storage and tossed it upward. Once the grappling hook caught the ledge, he nimbly scaled the wall.

Quickly hauling the rope up behind him, Xie Han vaulted over the rampart and dropped into Mountain City.

Trees dominated the landscape here. Although people were gathered in front of many small houses trying to catch the evening breeze, who could possibly make out Xie Han's appearance in the dead of night? Moving between the shadows of the trees, Xie Han strolled openly along the path toward the summit. He passed several groups of people along the way without even bothering to dodge them; with over fifty thousand residents living in Mountain City, anonymity was guaranteed in a sea of faces where strangers passed each other constantly.

As he neared the summit, Xie Han pulled a palm-sized tracker from his pocket. Upon activation, a blinking green dot quickly materialized on the screen. "Hehe, Wu Donglin's little gadgets always come in handy. If I didn't have this tracker tonight, finding this guy Ning Hai would truly be like searching for a needle in a haystack."

Indeed, the moment he witnessed Ning Hai's genius, Xie Han had been utterly captivated and had immediately hatched this scheme. His earlier pat on Ning Hai's shoulder had been a ruse to slip a tiny metallic beacon onto the man's clothing, allowing him to easily pinpoint Ning Hai's location during his nocturnal operations.

Pinpointing the exact residence, Xie Han smiled smugly. Mountain City placed a high value on technological personnel like Ning Hai; not only did he enjoy electricity just like the castle above, but he was also assigned a pair of guards. To Xie Han, however, two ordinary soldiers were entirely negligible. With a flash of movement and two precise palm strikes, he knocked them both completely unconscious.

He rapped on the door, prompting a voice from within. As the door creaked open, Xie Han squeezed past Ning Hai, ignoring the man's dropped jaw and wide, bulging eyes. He chuckled, "Brother Ning Hai, we meet again."

Ning Hai never expected Xie Han to reappear at such a time. "You... didn't you already leave?"

Narrowing his eyes, Xie Han smiled. "I intended to, but I realized I forgot something, so I had to come back for it."

Sensing that something was amiss, Ning Hai opened his mouth to speak, but before he could react, Xie Han said, "Brother Ning Hai, my apologies." Without hesitation, a swift chop to the neck sent Ning Hai slumping softly to the floor.

Scanning the room, Xie Han swept his arm across the space, sweeping every single object that looked remotely useful directly into his spatial storage, cleaning the place out entirely.

Quietly shouldering the unconscious Ning Hai, Xie Han stepped outside. Taking advantage of the sparse population near the mountaintop, he smoothly made his way to the highest peak of the towering mountain. This spot, situated even higher than the megalithic stone castle, had been cleared into a spacious lawn complete with benches and tables—presumably Zhang Yikuang's private recreational retreat.

Xie Han pulled out the pocket-sized tracker and tapped it a few times. Moments later, driven by its magnetic propulsion thrusters, the Skysweeper descended silently into the airspace above.

Four deceleration thrusters emitted a low roar as the drone slowly lowered itself vertically. Before the Skysweeper had even fully touched down, Xie Han tossed Ning Hai into the cockpit, vaulted up after him, and took the controls. Amidst a rising roar of engines, the craft lifted smoothly into the air. A second later, its twin main thrusters flared, transforming the craft into a dark streak of shadow trailing a tail of fire as it vanished into the night sky.

By the time the castle guards, drawn by the roaring engines, came rushing up to the summit, all they could catch was the faint trailing image of the Skysweeper disappearing into the distance. They had no inkling whatsoever of what had just transpired.

*(Author's Note: For details regarding the Metal Storm, readers can search "Metal Storm" on Baidu. I'm sure many of you are unfamiliar with this cutting-edge weapon, so feel free to look it up. Also, if you have recommendation tickets, please cast them for this book. Thank you! Special thanks to the enthusiastic reader who provided the technical data on the Metal Storm... Haha, I'll thank you again in the chat group!)*