After listening to Lin Zhenguo's explanation, Li Yue felt somewhat speechless. It confirmed that he was in a real world where unexpected situations could arise.
Had he not arrived today or intervened in the situation, General Lin Zhenguo would have faced severe consequences. No wonder the general was so polite to him; it wasn't just because of his displayed power but also because he had indirectly resolved a significant issue for Lin.
...
"Mr. Li Yue, I had initially planned to spend a lot of time selecting pilots capable of handling the immense burden of this mech. However, after seeing you, I've changed my mind. I believe you could pilot it alone without assistance!" Lin Zhenguo's eyes shone brightly as he spoke.
"Me piloting this thing? You must be joking. Even if this mech is the most advanced in the world, it's not stronger than my own body," Li Yue thought. To him, any external object that didn't enhance his power was a burden, although he wouldn't mind collecting it if he found it fascinating. He was about to refuse but then remembered the movie's plan involving a nuclear bomb and reconsidered.
"Maybe being a mech pilot and personally exploring that alien civilization isn't such a bad idea," Li Yue thought. Of course, he wouldn't pilot the mech himself to scout.
"I can pilot it, but the mech needs modifications. Also, I'd prefer it to be equipped with a trident spear rather than the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, even though I respect Guan Yu," Li Yue proposed.
Before executing his plan, Li Yue felt it necessary to modify the mech.
"Modifications? That's unnecessary, don't you think? I believe it's perfect as is," Lin Zhenguo said with a troubled expression. It wasn't that he didn't want to modify the mech; they simply lacked the funds. They had already exhausted resources building this fifth-generation mech by scrimping and selling parts from older mechs. Now, they had no money left.
Additionally, he was already worried about the costs of repairing Storm Crimson.
...
Time passed, and soon, Li Yue had spent his first night in this new world. Reflecting on Lin Zhenguo's helpless expression earlier, he couldn't help but laugh. The seemingly grand mech base was merely a façade. They couldn't even afford minor modifications or repairs for the mech damaged by the electromagnetic pulse.
Previously, after each battle, the remaining kaiju bodies would be sold to kaiju traders, funding mech repairs and new weapons. However, this time, Li Yue's use of spatial energy left no kaiju. As a result, the base faced repair costs without any income from the kaiju defeat.
...
Li Yue understood why the movie insisted on a plan to nuke the kaiju's home. The Jaeger program was financially draining. Although the mechs could sustain themselves through battle gains, the increasing strength and number of kaiju meant nations had to continuously fund newer, more powerful mechs. Eventually, the financial strain could break the nations before the kaiju did.
...
Though sympathetic to the situation, Li Yue didn't concern himself with it. Returning to the room Lin Zhenguo had provided, he lay down and went to sleep. Although he could replace sleep with cultivation, he opted to rest on his first day.
As the base commander, Lin Zhenguo couldn't afford such leisure. He met with other base commanders, discussing the day's events and future kaiju defenses.
"General Lin, I apologize for today's sudden emergence of kaiju. Three appeared at once, preventing us from providing timely support to Hong Kong. I hope you understand," a Black general expressed at the start of the video conference.
"No problem, General Pentecost. We still achieved victory," Lin Zhenguo replied with a smile.
The meeting continued for several minutes, during which the base commanders discussed the sudden increase in kaiju strength and numbers. Despite their efforts, they had no clear answers.
"We know too little about our enemy," one commander sighed, and the others nodded in agreement. Despite years of fighting, they knew almost nothing about the aliens sending these monsters.
...
"We can't keep defending passively. Funding from our countries is dwindling," General Pentecost said as the meeting neared.
"Yes, the funding is decreasing. It's insufficient for developing new mechs," Lin Zhenguo agreed. He was stressed about Storm Crimson's repairs and Li Yue's proposed modifications.
"If you superpowers are struggling, we're even worse off. The last funds we received barely maintained one third-generation mech. If another Category IV kaiju attacks us, we'll have to rely on your support," said another Asian commander, looking defeated.
Apart from Russia, other countries were in similar situations, with just enough funding to maintain existing mechs but not develop new ones.
"Since we're all in the same boat, I suggest we take the initiative," General Pentecost proposed. "Let's launch a proactive strike and end this threat once and for all."
...