Li Lin quickly briefed Caitlyn in the dining hall and promptly flew to the workshop. Despite Caitlyn's dissatisfaction with his irregular eating habits and nightly toil, she didn't stop him, knowing that it was urgent since Heimerdinger called personally.
Within a few minutes, Li Lin soared to the Piltover Academy.
After more than two weeks of reconstruction, the workshop within the Piltover Academy had transformed into a semi-underground manufacturing plant, nearly two hundred meters tall, with vast interior spaces.
Even though the academy's location wasn't as high as the highest point in Piltover, the Piltovian Council Building, this manufacturing plant was even taller.
Outside the factory gates, Heimerdinger was animatedly discussing something with several different-looking Yordle construction team leaders. Upon seeing Li Lin descend from the sky, he waved them away to attend to his own matters.
"Hey hey hey, come over here!" Heimerdinger beckoned Li Lin excitedly. "I bet you already guessed why I called you here today, didn't you?"
"Is it because the upgrades to Gaboga's weapon systems are complete?" Li Lin chuckled.
"That's right! But..." Heimerdinger hesitated for a moment. "There's something else today. Our research group needs two more members."
"Hmm?" Li Lin sounded puzzled. "But aren't all the qualified professors from the university already here?"
"No no no, it's not the professors from the university, it's scientists from Bandle City... You know them."
Li Lin knew exactly what Heimerdinger meant, but he couldn't help but have some reservations.
"If it's scientists, and I know them... You mean Ziggs and Rumble?"
Rumble, he could understand. After all, they had agreed back in Shurima that Rumble would return to Bandle City to find special materials capable of withstanding nuclear fusion reactions, and his arrival in Piltover was just a matter of time.
But Ziggs...
This guy who only knew how to make bombs, who treated explosions as an art form, Li Lin couldn't help but feel that he was unreliable.
"Oh yes, with their addition, our construction of the Gaboga Mech is sure to..." Before Heimerdinger could finish his sentence, Li Lin interrupted, "Professor, I can understand Rumble, but are you sure... about having Ziggs join?"
He asked cautiously.
After all, just over half a year ago, Heimerdinger had sent Ziggs back to Bandle City. At that time, Ziggs almost blew up the office building with a bomb.
Heimerdinger stroked his beard, looking thoughtful, "But Ziggs told me that he's turned over a new leaf. He promised to help us build the mech with all his might."
Li Lin: "..."
He felt speechless. Just because someone says something doesn't mean you have to believe it...
He feared that Ziggs might tamper with the mech, adding bomb modules, and accidentally blowing up the academy or parts of Piltover.
Better to add your focus-fire flamethrower module.
"Come on, let's go meet them." Heimerdinger folded his arms and turned to walk into the factory.
On the way, Li Lin learned about Rumble and Ziggs' journey to Piltover.
Due to a shortage of manpower at the academy, Heimerdinger had sent people back to Bandle City two weeks ago to call in a few construction teams.
Ziggs heard about the construction of the mech from them, and quietly followed the construction team back to Piltover two days ago.
However, compared to other Yordles, Ziggs was impossible to miss, and he was soon caught by Heimerdinger.
Later, he begged Heimerdinger and swore he wouldn't touch bombs again, and would wholeheartedly help with the construction of the mech.
After weighing the options, Heimerdinger agreed to let Ziggs stay.
As for Rumble, he had just arrived in Piltover today.
He rode Tristy, upgraded by Li Lin to a rare-quality mech, carrying tons of ores that didn't exist in Runeterra, and came to the academy through the portal from Piltovian University.
Upon hearing about Tristy, Heimerdinger didn't even hesitate and immediately invited Rumble to join the Gaboga project.
Initially, Rumble had reservations about getting involved in Heimerdinger's affairs for Piltover and humanity. Additionally, he came today to deliver ore for Li Lin and inquire about when his new mech would be ready.
However, when Heimerdinger mentioned that Gaboga was a gigantic mech designed by Li Lin, standing over a hundred meters tall, Rumble's interest was immediately piqued. He wanted to ask Li Lin about the details.
Of course, with his personality, once he decided to join the Gaboga project, it was pretty much set in stone.
As the two walked to Heimerdinger's temporary office within the factory, Tristy stood nearby, surrounded by a group of Yordle construction teams and professors from the academy. Tristy was fenced off, which was why Rumble felt comfortable letting others get close to it.
Entering the office, Li Lin immediately spotted Rumble sitting in Heimerdinger's chair, his little legs knocking against the desk as he flipped through the notes Li Lin had left there earlier.
Meanwhile, Ziggs sat bored on the sofa, tossing a small round red ball up into the air.
Hearing the door, Ziggs quickly stuffed the ball into his mouth and let out a belch of black smoke.
Li Lin was taken aback, knowing it was a bomb.
However, Heimerdinger didn't seem to notice, as his attention was entirely on Rumble. "Rumble! How dare you casually look through my notes?!" he exclaimed, storming over to Rumble and snatching the notebook from him.
"Cheapskate, with your notes in such a mess, can't you organize them properly next time?" Rumble retorted.
"What do you know!" Heimerdinger retorted, angrily taking the notebook back. "Your notes are all over the place. Can't you be more organized next time?"
"You understand nothing!" Rumble wrinkled his brow, resisting the urge to curse Heimerdinger. He then noticed Li Lin standing by the door and was surprised.
Ignoring Heimerdinger, who was checking if his precious notebook was intact, Rumble walked straight to Li Lin, patting the armor on his body.
"Your armor looks quite different from six months ago," he remarked.
"Mechanics always need upgrades," Li Lin replied with a smile.
"I brought you the ore you requested. It's currently stored in the academy's warehouse. I spent two weeks driving Tristy to dig it up!" Rumble complained, looking dissatisfied.
"You promised me a large mech. Is this it?" he asked.
Gaboga... as if I would make that for you...
"Of course... not," Li Lin elongated his voice. "Do you remember the name of the mech I mentioned to you back then?"
"Um..." Rumble scratched his head, "Was it something like Silver-something Mech?"
"It's the Super Galaxy Mech" Li Lin said in a very serious tone, beginning to spin a tale. "The mech I promised to build for you can fly out of Runeterra. But this Gaboga can only operate within Runeterra... Are you sure you want this one?"
After a few seconds of hesitation, Rumble understood the difference in strength between the two types of mechs Li Lin mentioned.
If he could only choose one...
"Alright, alright, then I'll wait for your Super Galaxy Mech" he nodded, "But you humans have such short lifespans compared to us Yordles. I can wait for decades, but you can't."
Rumble's meaning was clear: he didn't want Li Lin to delay for decades until he died.
"Don't worry, I always keep my promises, and besides, Gaboga will help us accumulate experience in building large mechs," Li Lin added mentally, "Plus, with the 'Gene Ascension' individual enhancement route, lifespan is not an issue for me."
At this point, Heimerdinger had finished checking the integrity of his notes and carefully tucked them into his pocket. He then turned to Li Lin, Rumble, and Ziggs, saying, "Alright, children, let's go showcase the plasma cannon."
(End of this chapter)