All the mechanized workers were fitted with smart chips and started up, Li Lin ensuring their normal operation.
According to the plan, six mechanized workers remained in the factory to assist in the production of parts and assembling new workers, while the other six were allocated to three other factories, two each, to assist workers in construction and command.
The functions of the mechanized workers were diverse, from mining to welding and assembly line production, mastering every aspect, even utilizing mining laser beams and possessing certain combat capabilities.
The mid-level plaza was too far from the upper city for the factory's intelligent system to connect to Kiramman's home.
However, Li Lin equipped each factory area with an "AI brain," and specially installed network signal transmission enhancement devices in each factory, and even in the midsection of the Piltover Canyon.
The three factories in the lower city's midsection could be interconnected, then linked by the "Wells Machinery Parts Processing and Assembly Factory" and the "Old Tin Can Factory" at the boundary of the black alley to the upper city's Kiramman home, the main database of Li Lin's workshop.
In this way, the intelligent systems of the four factories could achieve real-time connection with the upper city, synchronously updating the database.
After completing his work and inspecting the other two factories under construction, Li Lin discussed with Vander about sending Powder, Vi, Claggor, and Milo to the upper city to study.
Vander agreed promptly, but Vi, who had been confined, was initially reluctant.
However, under Powder's pleading and Vander's request, she reluctantly agreed.
Li Lin chatted with a few children for a while and told them about what he had seen and heard in Shurima.
After two more hours had passed, as the sun was about to set, he waved goodbye reluctantly to Powder, who was reluctant to part, and returned to the upper city.
He had dinner with Caitlyn, Kai'Sa, and Kiramman couple, and Cassandra instructed Li Lin about tomorrow's matters, especially the precautions for the Progress Day assembly the next night.
Although these things were fully recorded on the process paper that Cassandra gave him today, he still patiently listened to all her instructions, after all, she was his mother-in-law.
One night passed in the blink of an eye.
The next morning, before dawn.
While the servants had not yet risen to knock on the door, Caitlyn sent Li Lin back to his room.
He took a good bath, ate the breakfast brought by the servants, then put on the fourth-generation battle armor, scanned the specially customized outfit that the family had prepared for him, which was quite different from last year's, and changed it into an identical dress.
When it was almost time, Li Lin went to Kai'Sa's room first.
The door was open, and the voices of Kai'Sa and another young maid conversing could be heard inside.
Due to the living skin on her body, she couldn't wear ordinary dresses, only using makeup to cover the deep purple marks on her cheeks and forehead.
The only thing Kai'Sa could do was to try her best to shrink the cheek pouches on her shoulders to make them less prominent.
Fortunately, Li Lin's powered armor was now well-known in both cities, so Kai'Sa didn't have to worry about strange looks; instead, she would be looked upon with envy and admiration.
He knocked on the door and patiently watched the maid finish Kai'Sa's makeup before leading the slightly excited and nervous Kai'Sa to the reception hall.
In the small village in the southeastern valley of Shurima, the liveliest event Kai'Sa had attended during her childhood was the annual bonfire party in the village.
This was her first time attending such a grand celebration.
They arrived at the reception hall, just as Caitlyn and the Kiramman couple, all neatly dressed, came down the stairs after them.
Caitlyn's dress, apart from the high heels, was also transformed by the battle armor, different from last year's brown-red dress.
Today, she still wore a shoulder-length knee-length belted dress, but the color had changed to a violet-blue, perfectly matching her hair color.
With the enhancement of the genetic potion, although Caitlyn's body had not changed, it looked more shapely.
Especially her fair and smooth calves exposed in the air, and those slender feet in the pink-purple open-toe high-heeled evening shoes, aroused Li Lin's interest.
Caitlyn seemed to sense a certain gaze sweeping over her unabashedly, turned her head to glare at Li Lin, warning him with her mouth to behave himself and not to mess around.
When it was almost 8 o'clock, Lady Cassandra turned back to inform Li Lin and Caitlyn, who had been sticking together for some time.
Today, instead of going to the usual square to introduce the usual inventions displayed by the Kiramman tent to the public, they would go directly to the University of Piltover.
Just as they walked out of the reception hall, Li Lin stopped Lady Cassandra, "Lady Cassandra, please wait a moment."
Lady Cassandra and Tobias stopped, turning half of their bodies, "What's the matter? Do you have something else to do?"
Li Lin glanced at the iron carriage parked on the street, almost the same as last year's.
He withdrew his gaze, turned back to the Kiramman couple, and smiled slightly, "This year, let's not take the carriage."
Caitlyn and Kai'Sa turned their heads at the same time, staring at him with a mixture of surprise and joy.
"Not take the carriage…" Tobias immediately guessed Li Lin's idea, couldn't help but raise his voice, "Are you suggesting we take your invented hovercar?"
"Yes, the five of us will fit perfectly.".
Tobias was quite intrigued. Although he had ridden on airships before, they paled in comparison to the behemoth warriors.
However, without Cassandra's input, he couldn't make a decision. "Darling, what do you think?"
Cassandra raised her eyebrows, glancing at the carriage outside and then towards Li Lin's workshop, appearing hesitant.
Li Lin could guess what was on her mind. "Don't worry, Lady Cassandra. Though the warrior is designed for four passengers, it's spacious enough to accommodate five. You need not worry about propriety."
"Besides, other council members are confined to carriages, while you have the privilege of riding in a flying vehicle directly to the academy. Others envy you."
"Mother, I've been on Li Lin's war vehicle a few days ago. It's definitely more comfortable than a carriage, plus it has heating and symphonic music."
"Yes, Lady Cassandra! You must experience the sensation of flying in the sky!"
Encouraged by her daughter and the charming Kai'Sa, Cassandra's heart fluttered. A spark of excitement glinted in her azure eyes as she turned her gaze back to Li Lin. "Then... let's go with your suggestion."
...
...
The group of five boarded the vehicle, rising slowly into the air.
Cassandra and Tobias sat in the back, with Kai'Sa being petite, she didn't take up much space, so she sat snugly next to Cassandra. Caitlyn remained in the front passenger seat.
Li Lin reminded everyone to fasten their seat belts, switched the vehicle to flight mode, and activated the plasma thrusters, lifting the vehicle into the air.
The AI automatically played gentle symphonic music according to Cassandra's preferences, while Li Lin, sitting in the driver's seat, didn't exert much effort. He had already input the entire map of Piltover into the database. Now, with the vehicle being controlled by AI, he hardly needed to focus.
All he had to do was slow down the speed, prolonging a journey that could be completed in four to five minutes to over ten minutes.
Coincidentally, that was what Cassandra desired.
About fifteen minutes later, the vehicle arrived above the administrative building of the academy, gently descending in the courtyard.
Nearly all the students, lecturers, and even a few professors were gathered around the vehicle, crowding the area.
Li Lin hurriedly got out of the vehicle, first opening the door for Cassandra, then holding Caitlyn's hand like a gentleman as he helped her out.
Upon seeing it was Li Lin and Councilor Kiramman, some onlookers wore expressions of realization. Some seemed unsurprised, as if they had expected this, while others, not paying much attention to social gossip, only became aware of the flying vehicle incident from their companions' reminders.
To ensure the safety of the councilors, security personnel quickly arrived to disperse the students and teachers.
Not long after, several other councilors who had arrived at the academy came down from the administrative building.
Leading them were Mel and Jayce, followed closely by Salo, Hoskel, all wearing expressions of astonishment.
Bolbok and Shoola walked at the back, occasionally glancing at the behemoth warrior, whispering to each other.
Heimerdinger ran out from the crowd and went straight to the warrior, shouting in amazement, "Oh, the sweet scent of science! What a magnificent invention!"
"Happy Progress Day, Councilor Kiramman. I never expected you to make such a shocking entrance," Mel greeted Cassandra first, genuinely impressed.
"You too, Councilor Merdarda. All thanks to Li Lin's idea," Cassandra couldn't help but smile slightly, feeling pleased with the councilors' reactions.
Then, they began discussing the agenda for the Progress Day assembly. Jayce approached Li Lin, joining Heimerdinger in studying the behemoth warrior.
The fact that Li Lin's previous flying armor had already left them in awe, not to mention the idea of a "satellite" which seemed beyond what modern Runeterrans could conceive.
It had only been a few days, and now there was a vehicle that could fly in the sky, with functions similar to an airship, and even transform into a humanoid form with mechanized capabilities, all created by Li Lin.
Jayce was genuinely starting to wonder what other cutting-edge technology this guy had up his sleeve.
As for Heimerdinger, when Li Lin mentioned that the mech could transform, he immediately requested a demonstration, impatient to wait until tonight's Progress Day assembly.
Li Lin felt somewhat helpless. He regretted mentioning to Heimerdinger that the mech could transform.
Of course, this was just a passing thought in his mind. Even if he hadn't mentioned it, allowing Heimerdinger to touch the behemoth warrior a few times would probably lead to similar conclusions. Besides, in parallel universes, the construction of these behemoth mechs was an outstanding contribution that Yordles couldn't ignore, especially Heimerdinger.
His signature was still on the design blueprints of the behemoth, the behemoth warrior, and the behemoth beast displayed on the system panel.
After consulting Cassandra's opinion, Mel expressed his curiosity about the other form of the behemoth warrior upon hearing about it, so he instructed Li Lin to operate it and invited the other four councilors to watch.
In the curious and intrigued eyes of the four councilors and the curious gaze of Mel and Heimerdinger, Li Lin returned to the driver's seat, and his ceremonial attire transformed into the form of the armor, connecting to the warrior's network.
With a single thought from Li Lin, the warrior's chamber suddenly transformed, rapidly extending to fit Li Lin's body, finally adhering tightly to the outer surface of his armor.
From the outside, in just three or four seconds, before the councilors could react, with the sound of mechanical gears and components rotating, the vehicle that was in the previous position no longer existed, replaced by a humanoid mech towering six to seven meters tall, exuding an oppressive aura.
Even though Cassandra had seen it before, she still felt shocked, let alone the other councilors.
Heimerdinger was speechless with astonishment.
Mel managed to keep his composure without overreacting.
Bolbok was purely mechanically modified and showed no expression.
But Salo, Hoskel, and Shoola stood still, staring wide-eyed at the behemoth warrior.
After a long while, they finally reacted.
"Is this... magic?!"
(End of this chapter)