"Ahem! What I mean is, nuclear energy is naturally out of the question. What are the other options?" Seeing that Chu Xiaoxiao was about to get angry, Nie Yun quickly changed his tone.
"The most efficient option would be solar power generators. Other common choices include diesel generators and wind power generators," Chu Xiaoxiao said, clearly irritated.
"Alright, then I'll take one of each!" Since he had the mechanical bugs, one set was equivalent to countless sets.
"Additionally, I'd like a robot with some flexibility, though it doesn't need to have too many functions."
"A flexible robot? What's it for?" Chu Xiaoxiao asked, puzzled by Nie Yun's odd requests.
"Ahem! You know, life at sea can be quite monotonous. It's just for fun!" Nie Yun fabricated an excuse.
He couldn't very well say that he needed it as a crew member. Regular sailors weren't suitable for the Sea Wolf. After thinking it over, this was the only solution he could come up with. Although the mechanical bugs could transform into various tools, their efficiency was still limited without a physical body, and Nie Yun often had to supervise and correct their work.
If he could provide the mechanical bugs with a robot body, many tasks would become much more efficient. More importantly, it would make the mechanical bugs look more like real sailors!
A great fishing boat needed loyal crew members working hard to swab the deck. Nie Yun felt something was missing without them. The Sea Wolf seemed somewhat incomplete.
Mechanical bugs: "..." (Why is it always about swabbing the deck!?)
So, based on this idea, Nie Yun came up with the "robot sailor supplementation plan."
"Alright, I'll keep an eye out for that. There are plenty of such robots on the market, so it shouldn't be too hard to find. Besides these, is there anything else you need?"
"Nothing else for now. By the way, how much will all this cost?"
"About one to two million. If it's not enough, I'll cover the extra for now."
"Okay, I won't be polite. I just happened to find some ancient coins recently. I'll have you sell them and pay you back!"
"Again… found ancient coins! Do you think they're as common as cabbages on the street? You find them just by going out?"
"Ahem! I'm serious. I don't know what's going on these days, but I keep stumbling upon them. It's like the coins are trying to make me find them one by one!"
Chu Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes. So, it turns out you were supposed to find them all at once?
"Alright, but not all ancient coins are worth as much as the one you had before. Rarity makes them valuable. Your previous coin was particularly rare. The rest may not fetch such high prices."
Chu Xiaoxiao was worried that Nie Yun's expectations might be too high and felt the need to remind him.
"Mm, I understand. Just have them appraised first. I don't expect to sell them for too much."
Nie Yun wasn't overly optimistic. He didn't expect each coin to fetch more than a million, but with a large number of them, it would add up. Even at a hundred coins valued at one million each, it would still be nearly a billion!
"Alright, none of these are difficult. Our group's procurement team can handle it all in a day. You'll have it by this time tomorrow. Where should we meet for the delivery? You'll also need to sign the purchase contract and related documents."
"Mm, let's do it tomorrow at this time. I'll let you know the location. Oh, and also buy some scrap iron and fuel to put on the ship—more is better!"
"Hm? Why scrap iron?"
"Oh, it's for modifying and upgrading the ship with my friend. We need a lot of iron material," Nie Yun came up with a reason on the spot.
"Using scrap iron for modifications and upgrades?!" Chu Xiaoxiao was baffled by this idea.
Is the technology for building aircraft carriers this casual?
Hanging up the phone, Nie Yun hadn't expected that the problem that had troubled him for days would be solved so quickly with just a few words. As long as the new ship and equipment were received, the mechanical bugs would no longer face development constraints, leading to a massive construction surge.
"Indeed, Chu Xiaoxiao is like a divine teammate. I must hold onto this opportunity tightly!"
The next afternoon, several nautical miles from Nie Yun's secret base, three ships were anchored together. One was Nie Yun's fishing boat, the old Sea Wolf, still shabby and worn.
Another was a white medium-sized yacht, over thirty meters long, with a streamlined appearance. The yacht was elegantly designed and meticulously painted and waxed, resembling a work of art.
"Hey! Your ship is that one!"
Chu Xiaoxiao looked both amused and exasperated as she saw Nie Yun drooling over her yacht. She pointed to the third ship.
"Oh! Oh! It's that one!" Nie Yun glanced at the large cargo ship next to the yacht. It was noticeably larger but somewhat bulky, with some paint peeling off, definitely a used ship.
Then he turned back to continue admiring Chu Xiaoxiao's yacht…
The difference was stark! It was like a country bumpkin encountering a high-class lady!
Nie Yun deeply realized the disparity between them.
"Want it?" Chu Xiaoxiao asked with a playful smile.
Nie Yun turned to look at Chu Xiaoxiao. She was wearing a pink sleeveless low-cut dress and had applied light makeup. She looked strikingly beautiful against the sea breeze, making Nie Yun momentarily dazed.
She looked even better than the yacht. Nie Yun suddenly had the thought.
"No, I'm just appreciating it—yes, appreciating!" He slightly shifted his gaze, unsure if he was referring to the ship or the person.
Chu Xiaoxiao was dazzlingly beautiful!
Seeing Nie Yun's awkwardness, Chu Xiaoxiao felt a bit smug. She had spent three whole hours preparing this outfit!
Looking down at the exposed skin, she felt a bit embarrassed. She had never worn such revealing clothes before.
However, remembering the "Aunt Shu Yun" Nie Yun had mentioned, Chu Xiaoxiao's anger flared up again.
That night, after hearing Nie Yun compare her to "Aunt Shu Yun," she had made a note of that name. Later, she specifically asked someone to investigate this woman at the South Bay Dock.
The results quickly reached Chu Xiaoxiao. Shu Yun indeed lived near the South Bay Dock and ran a beef noodle shop, which was easy to find.
However, when Chu Xiaoxiao saw the photo of Shu Yun, she was furious. The woman in the photo was a plump middle-aged woman in her forties with an ordinary appearance, but her defining feature was extremely obvious!
Her size was huge—no, it should be described as extremely large!
"Damn Nie Yun!" Chu Xiaoxiao was livid!
How could she possibly compare to that?