It was impossible for Lin Yu to ride Dian Wei.
After all, just the creation of Dawn had completely drained his financial resources.
Let alone manufacturing another Mech, he didn't even have the funds to create a regular vehicle capable of carrying Dawn.
Moreover, with the escort team's attack imminent, he didn't have the time for that.
However, designing from the perspective of Lü Bu's personality did spark quite a few useful new ideas.
Sacrificing some lower limb performance in exchange for a mount was actually a very good concept.
Mechs typically require more energy and power in their lower limbs than in their upper limbs to maintain weight-bearing and mobility. Consequently, considering energy, power, weight, and size, it was inevitable to sacrifice performance in other areas.
Yet even the worst Mech weighs several tons; unless equipped with an anti-gravity system or flight system, it is impossible for a Mech to perform actions other than mobility with its lower limbs. Combat and attacks are primarily executed with the upper limbs.
If an additional 'mount' is paired, shifting the mobility demands to an external vehicle would allow for a reduction in lower limb performance, which could then be redirected to optimize and enhance the upper limbs or to carry some additional combat modules.
Of course, that was all for later; with the battle about to begin, he couldn't make major modifications to Dawn at this time.
Although Rupert claimed that the escort team wouldn't arrive until tomorrow, to be safe and ensure he could board the Mech in time, Lin Yu did not leave the Mech workshop again.
Staying in the workshop, he adjusted and gradually familiarized himself with the feeling of driving. Half a day and a night quickly passed.
The entire night was silent.
The next day, at five in the morning.
The specialized communicator seized from Rupert rang precisely at the hour.
"Answer it, tell them to come here."
Lin Yu stepped out, went to the bathroom, and kicked Rupert, who was curled up on the floor, awake, tossing the communicator onto him.
"Huh?"
Rupert was still a bit dazed from sleep, but upon being pointed at by Lin Yu with a gun, he instantly woke up, nodding repeatedly before connecting the call: "You come to Gray Mouse Street, number 274, the goods are here."
His tone showed no signs of abnormality, appearing very honest.
However... it was too quick.
Normally, there would definitely be a communication process when connecting a call; at the very least, the other party should briefly identify themselves or ask a question.
But Rupert had clearly skipped that process, immediately instructing the other party to come over.
If the other party was sufficiently alert, this would be a very obvious signal.
Nevertheless, Lin Yu paid no mind to Rupert's little cleverness.
As long as he could attract them over, that was enough.
The more vigilant they were, the better it was for him if they all came together.
With Dawn present, unless something unexpected happened, it wouldn't matter how many regular troops came; the more they came, the easier it would be for him to wipe them out. If too few came, that would be troublesome; he couldn't go looking for them one by one, nor could he wear the Mech all the time while guarding against thieves.
And if something happened that even Dawn couldn't handle... then there was no need to think too much about it.
"Lin... Brother Lin, have they already arrived?"
Perhaps hearing the commotion, Bai Wei, clearly sleep-deprived, opened the door from her bedroom.
"Mm."
Lin Yu nodded slightly, then his gaze fell on the few items in her hands.
A few things resembling firearms, with structures like compressed air pumps, were likely homemade simple pneumatic weapons.
In addition, there were some bottles and jars that Lin Yu could easily identify as thermite, incendiary devices, and other 'primitive' but effective weapons.
What caught his attention the most was a clearly homemade power mechanical arm armor, looking shabby and made from various discarded parts.
"It seems this girl isn't completely a fool…"
Seeing these pieces of equipment, which were more refined than his own from a purely weapon perspective, Lin Yu couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration.
The other items were one thing, but that power mechanical arm armor was not something that could be made in just a day or two.
Especially since many of the components looked familiar; they were basically the unsuitable parts he had discarded while making Dawn.
If he were still in his original body and harbored any ill intentions, he might have truly found himself in trouble at the hands of this seemingly naive girl.
"I... I don't really know how to use it. How about you do it, Brother Lin?"
Seeing Lin Yu's gaze on the items in her hands, Bai Wei hesitated slightly but still handed the crude mechanical arm armor and air pump gun to Lin Yu.
At this point, they were about to confront the human traffickers' escort team, which was akin to going to their deaths together. There was no point in considering precautions; the current situation was clear enough.
Regardless of what he had done before or whether his previous statements were true or false, at the very least, he was now genuinely trying to make amends by risking his life.
"No need, keep it for yourself. Just take care of yourself and find a place to hide for now."
Lin Yu shook his head and turned directly into the Mech workshop.
The power mechanical arm armor was a branch of the development direction of mechanical power armor—an intermediate creation of exoskeleton armor.
Mechanical power armor actually encompasses several types, but it usually refers to larger Mechs with thick armor for defense, powerful and massive mechanical arms, and even various weapon and function modules.
Exoskeleton armor, as the name suggests, clearly indicates its characteristics; it resembles an external skeleton, primarily lightweight and wrapping around the human body, mainly serving to provide defense, support, life support, mobility, and slightly enhance human functions.
Due to its small size, most of the space in the torso and limbs needs to remain hollow to accommodate the human body, so the energy it can carry and the power it generates are relatively weak, with entirely different uses and positioning.
The power mechanical arm armor is even easier to understand.
Even exoskeleton armor ultimately requires a wearing process, which is generally quite cumbersome. The mechanical arm armor is the result of further sacrificing functionality and performance to enhance convenience.
Like gloves, it can be worn and used immediately, enhancing arm strength but sacrificing all protective and life-support functions, with all the pressure during use needing to be borne by the human body.
Although the human body is not as fragile as imagined, and many people may have undergone cybernetic modifications, relying on a human body to bear inhuman strength has its limits; if one is not careful, they could end up with broken bones.
Lin Yu already had a complete Mech, so he naturally had no use for this mechanical arm armor.
Whoosh!
Entering the Mech workshop, he activated Dawn, and with a hiss of air, the cockpit located in the chest opened from the bottom up.
Impact resistance systems, life support systems, air circulation systems, and the like are standard in Mech cockpits.
Since it was a small Mech, Dawn's cockpit resembled exoskeleton armor more closely; the pilot could only enter in a wrapped upright position, with little room for movement inside. However, the advantage was that it allowed the pilot to adapt to control more easily.
Clank~ clank clank~
Lying in the cockpit, various intricate mechanical sounds followed, and the entire cabin tightened further. Various myoelectric and torque sensors adhered to his body, wrapping tightly around him, allowing Lin Yu to completely merge with the Mech, as if he were donning a heavy armor.
A visor descended, wrapping around his eyes, adjusting the viewing distance, and the scene before him transformed into Dawn's multi-spectral lens view.
"Dawn armor deployment complete."
"Conducting interaction system test…"
"Interaction system operating normally…"
"All modules of the Mech are functioning normally…"
Streams of data flowed before his eyes.
The steel giant kneeling in the dark room seemed to regain its soul at this moment, its eyes suddenly glowing with a crimson light.
(End of Chapter)