"Hiss—"
"Finally done welding after all that work!"
Late at night.
Nelson placed his welding helmet and torch on the old workbench.
His brows showed signs of fatigue.
When his father passed away ten years ago, he left nothing but an almost impossible wish.
Nelson's mother wasn't in good health either, so he had to take odd jobs to pay for his tuition.
Fortunately, after earning his master welder certification, he started getting more jobs during the summer.
Using his knowledge from his mechanical engineering major, he welded some intricate metal models, which paid quite well.
After paying his tuition, there was just enough left to support him and his mother.
His father, a genius named Jaxson Sr., was a frontline researcher ten years ago.
He worked tirelessly to break Lachlan's monopoly.
He led a team to develop a manned submersible capable of diving to 23,000 feet.
During a manned test, his father had an accident.
On his deathbed, he placed all his hopes and burdens on the academically gifted Nelson.
When Nelson promised to develop a submersible that could dive to 33,000 feet, his father finally closed his eyes forever.
"Dad, I promised you, and I will make it happen!"
Nelson clenched his fist, a determined glint in his eyes.
"Beep beep—"
The sudden sound of his phone brought Nelson back to reality.
A new message notification on WeChat—a new friend request.
A customer had arrived!
When he clicked on the profile, the avatar was a cute girl.
As soon as he accepted the friend request, a flurry of messages came through.
"Hello, Master Nelson. My name is Regine. I found your profile on the talent information network. I see you're a nationally recognized top-level welder and a student at Starsea City National Defense Technology University. You must be familiar with mechs.
"I need your help to weld a mech that's 16 feet tall. Do you have the time?
"This is really important to me, and you can name your price!"
Whoa, 16 feet?
This was a huge client!
The sudden appearance of such a big client lifted Nelson's previously gloomy mood.
The budget for this project could easily run into the hundreds of thousands.
"300k."
"Hm... alright, 300k it is."
The other side paused briefly before agreeing without hesitation.
"Uh, what?"
Nelson was taken aback by how quickly she agreed.
He decided to keep the conversation going to see what this cute girl would say next.
"Do you have any specific requirements for this mech model?"
"Not too many. It just needs to look impressive and as futuristic as possible! Also, I need it urgently. It has to be ready by tomorrow night and delivered to a location I specify. I want to surprise my grandpa at his birthday party the day after tomorrow."
She even attached three images of incredibly futuristic-looking mechs.
Whoa!
Isn't that Crimson Typhoon from Pacific Rim?
Mobile Suit Marvin's Strike Freedom?
The Gravity Body from Ling Cage???
Nelson's heart sank instantly.
He had only seen bits and pieces of these shows, just enough to recognize their names.
He was just a small-time welder, not an alien.
A 16-foot-tall mech!
Even if he got some help from school, welding a simple model would take a week. How could he finish it in less than two days?
He thought he could earn next semester's tuition and maybe improve his family's life a bit.
But now, it seemed like a pipe dream.
He had no choice but to refuse.
[Detecting the host's urgent desire to create high-tech products, the Super Tech System is binding—]
[Binding successful!]
[First meeting gift: Super Tech Workbench Lv1]
[Gift: 1000 Tech Points]
[Relevant scientific knowledge for mech creation has been transmitted]
Nelson's mind was suddenly filled with information about how to use the system and the knowledge needed to build mechs.
The system could help create various super technologies, and the shock and awe generated by these products could be converted into Tech Points.
Using Tech Points, he could develop even more super technologies.
Nelson was overjoyed, his breathing quickening.
He immediately thought of using the system to develop a deep-sea submersible to fulfill his father's last wish.
He imagined several top-tier submersibles in his mind, but the system informed him that he didn't have enough Tech Points for that yet.
Moreover, without the money to buy materials, he could only focus on completing the current order. Two days should be enough to get it done!
Nelson immediately replied to the young lady, "Please prepay $150,000 as a deposit, and the remaining balance will be settled upon delivery."
Seeing the bank notification of the deposit, Nelson couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. Rubbing his hands together, he hopped into his second-hand pickup truck and headed straight for the steel market. Time was tight, and the task was heavy; every second counted.
-----
On the high seas, aboard a private luxury yacht, Regine lounged by the window. Her bright eyes and white teeth, coupled with her fair skin, gave her an ethereal presence.
After transferring the $150,000 deposit to Nelson, she turned to the middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses beside her and asked, "Dad, does it really cost $300,000 to make a 16-foot mech model?"
"$300,000?" Mason frowned at the price and casually asked, "Which top-notch craftsman did you hire? Is it Casian?"
"Um... Master Nelson. You probably haven't heard of him," Regine replied, bracing herself for a scolding as she had just blown through a week's allowance.
Mason didn't say much. His precious daughter was naive and had been scammed more than once. He was too tired to lecture her, and a few hundred thousand dollars wasn't a big deal to him.
Regine silently prayed, Master Nelson, please make it look grand and impressive.
She didn't want to embarrass herself in front of her dad and grandpa. With that thought, Regine sent another message to Nelson via WhatsApp.
"Master Nelson, remember, it has to be grand and futuristic! The more sci-fi, the better!"
"If necessary, I can pay extra!!!"
---
In Starsea City, South District, inside an old warehouse, Nelson put down his phone after reassuring Regine.
He began to build the mech.
Nelson took out the Super Tech Workbench Lv1 from his system space and placed it in the center of the warehouse.
He piled the purchased materials around it.
Taking a deep breath, he said to the workbench, "Super Tech Workbench, activate!"
[Ding—]
[Super Tech Workbench Lv1 activated]
[Host's mech concept read successfully]
[Information and data fully enhanced and corrected...]
[Aerodynamics calculations completed]
[Micro hydrogen energy module load calculations completed]
[Vector propulsion system simulation and calibration completed]
[Corrections completed!]
[Materials scanned]
[This build will consume 900 Tech Points and is estimated to take 26 hours. Starting construction...]
The three-meter-tall workbench started to rumble and operate.
Three massive mechanical arms, equipped with retractable features, began to precisely process each mechanical component under the control of the intelligent computer terminal on the workbench.
Nelson stared at the shiny metal components, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
It was like a kid in a candy store, but way cooler.
Half an hour later, the workbench was covered with intricate parts.
The heavier pieces, like the outer shells, were placed around by robotic arms, waiting to be assembled.
Nelson locked the warehouse door from the outside and headed home.
He arrived just in time for dinner.
"Nelson, have you been busy lately?" his mom suddenly asked.
"Yeah, pretty busy. Why, Mom?"
"You're already twenty-two and still don't have a girlfriend. I'm just worried about you!"
She handed Nelson a bowl of rice and continued,
"Your second uncle's neighbor has a daughter who's also studying in Star City. I've already asked around, and she's willing to meet you. You should meet her when she has some free time in a few days."
"I'm still in school, Mom. I don't have time for dating," Nelson replied, exasperated.
"You don't get it. Our family isn't well-off. The sooner you get married, the less dowry we'll have to pay. I heard from Aunt Susan today that the dowry has already gone up to 8,800 dollars, and who knows how much higher it'll go in the future!"
Nelson mumbled a response and didn't say much more.
---
Early the next morning, Nelson arrived at the warehouse.
He opened the warehouse door.
Nelson stood there, completely stunned.
Even though he had mentally prepared himself, the sight of the massive machine before him was overwhelming.
The mech's overall structure was fully assembled.
The remaining components were still being manufactured and installed.
Standing at 16 feet tall, the mech gleamed with a cold metallic sheen.
Even without paint, it was already visually striking.
Agile mechanical arms swiftly welded and installed each precise component.
Sparks from the welding fell from above, creating bursts of light.
Nelson walked up to the mech, his 5'11" frame barely reaching its shin.
A smile crept onto his face.
"The more sci-fi, the better, right?"
"Wonder if this is enough..."
As night deepened, Nelson dozed off in a chair.
---
[Ding—]
[Unnamed Mech 1.0 construction complete, awaiting naming...]
The system's notification jolted Nelson awake, his drowsiness instantly gone.