When Nian Yun returned to his base aboard the Sea Wolf, it was already late at night. Regardless of the ripples the events of the night would create in the outside world, it no longer concerned him.
As soon as the mechanical worms returned, they resumed their task of devouring the Chengjiang, creating countless new mechanical worms, and further increasing their efficiency in an exponential manner.
Nian Yun began reviewing the spoils of the night. No guns, no cannons—no problem! The enemies had provided all the weapons he needed.
After the battle, Nian Yun had meticulously gathered valuable firearms, equipment, and the mercenaries' fast boat, bringing them all back. The Annan mercenaries, despite their tragic and inexplicable defeat, had wielded top-notch weaponry, representing an elite team in the mercenary world.
Unfortunately for them, luck was not on their side. With these weapons and equipment now in his possession, Nian Yun could proudly say he had upgraded from bird guns to cannons.
Gleaming in silver, Nian Yun's view was filled with an array of military weapons, including AK-47s, rocket launchers, and grenades.
"Tsk tsk, if I went into the arms trade now, I'd be making a fortune! Foxconn would be nothing compared to my mechanical worms. I must be the most powerful subcontractor in the world now!"
In addition to the weapons, there were also communication devices, signal jammers, and a military-grade laptop, which enriched Nian Yun's tactical options.
He used the military-grade chip in the laptop to upgrade his underwater robots, improving their response time by 10% and reducing energy consumption by 5%. More valuable were the tactical data, precise maps, and military knowledge stored in the laptop. These resources opened up new horizons for Nian Yun and provided a foundation for initial military technology knowledge. At least now he understood what ballistic trajectories were.
With the enhanced knowledge, Nian Yun realized the potential of the mechanical worms was far from fully tapped. His development of them was still insufficient; his imagination needed to be even more ambitious!
All of this, however, hinged on energy, raw materials, and countless samples!
...
Over the next few days, Nian Yun stayed put, directing the mechanical worms to increase their numbers. At the same time, he set up hundreds of energy collection devices around the island, almost covering the entire island. During the day, solar panels collected solar energy, and at night, these panels transformed into wind energy collectors, solving the energy shortage problem.
The island had become his backyard, and Nian Yun had made extensive preparations for camouflage. From the outside, the island appeared dense with vegetation and seemed perfectly normal, with no hint of the busy functional buildings hidden beneath the camouflage.
With ample raw materials and energy, devouring over 2,000 tons of the Chengjiang took only two days, causing the number of mechanical worms to increase tenfold in what could be called a population explosion.
To better manage the mechanical worms, Nian Yun decided to measure their quantity by weight due to their tiny size, which would result in astronomical numbers. The current estimated weight of the mechanical worms was around 1,000 tons.
With this scale, Nian Yun was able to fully mechanize the Sea Wolf. With the ample manpower, this transformation didn't take much time. In just half a day, the Sea Wolf became a gleaming, medieval-style sailing battleship!
"Tsk tsk! This style… it's just too ostentatious with its 'luxury silver' look!"
Next, Nian Yun began a major overhaul of the Sea Wolf.
First, the mast was removed. The Sea Wolf transitioned from wind-powered propulsion to a hybrid oil-electric drive system, driven by three large propellers.
What about design rationality? Nian Yun believed such things were unnecessary! If it fits, it's reasonable!
This was Nian Yun's simple and crude ship design philosophy.
Next, the Sea Wolf was sealed off entirely, with the lower hold converted into a water tank! When needed, sea water could be injected into the tank to allow the ship to submerge. In other words, the Sea Wolf had now become a dual-use vessel capable of diving!
This was one of the ideas Nian Yun had recently come up with. The principle of a submarine was quite simple, with the biggest technical challenge being maintaining sealing. For mechanical worms, this was no problem at all.
Then, Nian Yun moved the stern structure to the mid-rear section of the Sea Wolf, where it now served as the bridge, captain's quarters, and his living quarters.
Finally, the Sea Wolf's interior was filled with modern weaponry. In addition to the 51 unchanged cannon positions, the deck was now covered with a dense array of rocket launchers.
According to Nian Yun, this could double as a missile boat, albeit with a shorter range but compensating with a larger quantity!
Moreover, with the information from the military laptop and by disassembling rockets, grenades, and C4 explosives, Nian Yun had learned to make smokeless powder using sulfur, nitrate, and charcoal. The result was a more powerful explosive.
To put it bluntly, with enough raw materials, he could flood his enemies with ammunition, which was practically free for him.
Once all the modifications were complete, the Sea Wolf had undergone a radical transformation. Its medieval-style hull, streamlined bridge, modern propeller propulsion, and an interior that looked like a weapon museum created a strikingly abstract warship.
The sight of such a ship floating on the sea was nothing short of miraculous.
"Uh, although it looks a bit shabby, I'm a practical person. Don't worry about the aesthetics. Hmm! That's it!" Nian Yun wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"At least, if the ship sinks, I won't be too worried!" he added silently.
Mechanical Worms: "..."