In front of everyone was a... small thing.
Visually, it was at most around forty centimeters in height, with a dual caterpillar chassis. Its body had prominent square edges and corners, with retractable mechanical arms on both sides. The head was relatively simple, resembling a split binoculars...
With its yellow-painted surface, and...
Chen Xiaolian couldn't help but sigh and gave a strange look to Roddy, "Is this what you call a surprise?"
Roddy chuckled and didn't say anything.
Chen Xiaolian widened his eyes, "Your... surprise is actually this, this... this..."
WALL-E?!
Exactly!
The surprise Roddy brought was none other than the iconic robot WALL-E from the classic animated film!
At a glance, it looked like a DIY product, with its appearance achieving about seventy to eighty percent similarity.
Especially the towering tires, standing next to this small thing, it was like a giant next to a baby.
Chen Xiaolian knew that although Roddy had a somewhat goofy personality, he wouldn't go too far with his antics. So, he patiently said, "Since it's a surprise, why don't you tell me all about it?"
Roddy had an "I'm awesome" expression on his face, spread his arms, and in the manner of a boxing match announcer announcing the combatants, he extended his voice dramatically, "Ladies and gentlemen, what I am introducing to you now is..."
Snap!
Miss Qiao wouldn't tolerate this guy's nonsense and directly slapped him on the head. "Speak in plain language!"
"Alright!" Roddy rubbed his head with a wry smile. "Here it is! I've modified something based on the mining robots in the mining area. It's a single-unit humanoid multi-functional combat robot. Well, judging by its appearance, you guys would certainly think it looks a lot like WALL-E. In fact, I've named it... Adam."
"Adam?"
"Yeah, the female lead in WALL-E is called EVE, you know, like Eve in the Bible. We can't call it WALL-E, or else it'll be difficult to sell the rights for novels and games, so I named it Adam..."
"Hey! That line will get censored when it's published!"
"Okay, okay!" Roddy scratched his head. "Adam! A single-unit multi-functional combat robot."
Chen Xiaolian's eyes lit up. "Tell me about its functions."
"Haha!" Roddy proudly walked over, crouched beside "Adam," and patted its body. "It's equipped with an integrated mining robot automatic AI system. I've made some adjustments so that it can perform almost fully automated functions. Of course, if you want it to make coffee or cook scrambled eggs, that's a no-go; it's not that 'smart' yet. But it can handle basic mechanical tasks and combat functions, and I've implemented an enemy identification system."
In addition, it's equipped with a power reactor derived from the mining control system. And as for the materials... please don't hit me... I... used some stardust."
Chen Xiaolian sighed while covering his forehead. He knew it!
"Don't make that expression! It's definitely worth it! With such a powerful reactor, it would be a waste not to reinforce the materials. Listen to me, I've designed this thing with provisions for weapon attachments. Besides, without attaching weapons, it can be used for excavation, mining, heavy lifting, simple mechanical tasks, and much more. Moreover, after using stardust, the material quality has greatly improved, and its power and load-bearing capacity are astonishing!"
Chen Xiaolian looked at Roddy.
Roddy took a deep breath. "Its maximum load capacity is... 1080 tons! Currently, the largest haul truck in the world is the Caterpillar 797 model! Each one can carry over 300 tons, and this little guy's load capacity equals that of three of them! You see, the Caterpillar 797 truck is a whopping 7.5 meters tall, while this little guy stands at only 40 centimeters, less than half a meter.
Do you know? The weight of a Boeing 747 is also around 300 tons, and this little guy can lift three Boeing 747s simultaneously!
Moreover, when fully loaded, its top speed can reach up to 60 kilometers per hour, equivalent to the maximum speed of regular city highway vehicles!
If you reduce the load, its maximum speed can reach 160 kilometers per hour. And do you see the tracks below? It can be used in all weather conditions and terrains! The maximum climbing angle can reach 60 degrees! It can even drive through water!"
With that, Roddy grinned. "Want to see it in action?"
He suddenly clapped his hands and whispered, "Adam, activate!"
The robot's hanging head suddenly lifted, and its binocular-like eyes blinked.
"Move that airplane next to us twenty meters forward. Go, my darling Adam!"
The robot, after scanning its surroundings with its eyes, rushed out like a flying object. It spun in place and arrived at the landing gear of the Tidal Warplane.
It extended its mechanical arm and effortlessly lifted the heavy aircraft off the ground!
Then, with its tracks in motion, it effortlessly dragged the massive Tidal Warplane, which weighed over a hundred tons, twenty meters forward. After gently setting it down, it rotated in place and sprinted back to Roddy's side, lifting its claw-like arm in a triumphant gesture.
"Good boy!" Roddy chuckled.
Chen Xiaolian and the others were left with wide eyes!
"It has thrusters inside its body, as well as a reverse thrust system. So, if needed, we can even equip various weapons on its body, such as machine guns, missiles, and more! Because of the reverse thrust system, we don't have to worry about recoil from cannons and missiles. It can become a humanoid weapon on the battlefield! Moreover, it can also serve for reconnaissance and patrol duties."
It's quite small in size and can even shrink down. Its 40-centimeter-wide body can contract to one-third of its size. If enemies hide in an air raid shelter, it can invade through the ventilation pipes... Oh, and it can also camouflage."
Roddy continued, "Adam, activate chameleon camouflage mode!"
Adam immediately lifted its head and spun around rapidly. Suddenly, its body seemed to become almost transparent!
Though you could still faintly see it, from a distance, it would be hard to spot!
"Optical camouflage, achieved by reflecting light off its body material to create a mirroring effect," Roddy explained proudly, as if his face read, "Come on, praise me!".
Chen Xiaolian's expression indicated his satisfaction.
This thing was indeed impressive, especially considering the use of some stardust to enhance it. In fact, it could be seen as a mini-mecha.
After all, for Roddy to reinforce his large mecha with stardust would be costly and require more stardust than he had available. Creating a mini version was a reasonable alternative.
"In reality, it still has some flaws, like aerial operations. While I was in the mine, I didn't have enough materials to retrofit it. Now that I'm back, I plan to stay in this equipment room for a few days and give it a flying mechanism. Then, it'll truly become an all-terrain, all-weather, air, sea, and land, fully functional combat machine!"
Chen Xiaolian nodded, "Indeed, it's excellent. We'll undoubtedly encounter many instances where thermal weapons are used in the future, and it will provide us with significant combat power."
"It's voice-controlled. I'll input its control recognition system in the next couple of days, including your voice patterns, so everyone can control it with their voices."
Qiao Qiao, who had been silent, finally spoke up, "Can I do it too?"
"Of course!"
"Alright, I'll teach it how to make scrambled eggs."
"..."
...
In the woods,
Nicole, panting heavily, stared fiercely at Tian Lie.
Although Tian Lie wasn't breathing heavily, his face had turned pale.
Tian Lie's face and body were covered in injuries, and his left arm hung limply, clearly indicating a broken bone.
The sword in Nicole's hand had been bent into a ruler-like shape and was casually stored in her storage equipment.
The floating angel looked at Tian Lie and gritted her teeth. "Are we continuing?"
Tian Lie grunted.
Their recent bout had been brief, and the intensity had been consciously controlled by both of them. Otherwise, if these two really went all out, the entire neighborhood would likely have turned into ruins by now.
Moreover, to be honest, neither of them was at their peak state.
Tian Lie was like that.
Nicole was the same... Her most powerful floating angel was currently in Roddy's possession.
"So... call it a draw?" Nicole raised an eyebrow.
"Continuing would draw attention from regular people," Tian Lie shook his head. "My mood has improved a lot, so let's call it a draw. You should consider yourself lucky, little girl!"
Nicole huffed, "You're such a rough guy. Are you always this rough with girls?"
Tian Lie glanced at the sky. "I never lay a hand on women, but today is an exception."
Nicole heard those words and her heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if feeling a familiar sensation. She subconsciously glanced at Tian Lie's slender figure.
She snorted, "Fine! Since we're calling it a draw, I'll come back another day!"
"You can wait outside the neighborhood, but as long as I'm here, you won't get in until you defeat me," Tian Lie said as he turned and walked away.
"What's in it for you? Stopping me?"
Tian Lie turned back, grinned, and said, "I'm just having fun!"
Once he walked out of the woods and was out of Nicole's sight, his wounds on his face and body began rapidly healing!
This guy was quite cunning. During his battle with Nicole, he didn't display his ability to liquify his body into metallic form.
And Nicole, naturally, had her reservations.
...
After Qiao Qiao's return, the ruins of this island resort underwent a complete transformation.
As a super-rich second-generation heiress, Qiao Qiao took direct action and, after a few days of being away, accomplished something remarkable: she used her family's company, under the leadership of Qiao Yifeng, to purchase the project owning the abandoned resort with money.
The company that owned the dilapidated resort was thrilled to have a buyer, and they sold the property to Qiao Qiao quite readily.
Chen Xiaolian and the others now truly had a "base" of their own!
The entire island on the surface was now theirs.
When Qiao Qiao and Chen Xiaolian went out together for a few days and brought back a large quantity of building materials using their storage wristwatches, Roddy's process of modifying Adam was temporarily interrupted!
Adam was indeed a "surprise"!
Once Roddy input the construction program into Adam, it transformed into a frantic construction worker!
With its incredible load-bearing capacity, ability to interpret architectural blueprints, perform calculations, and build tirelessly, it was a powerhouse.
You could see it zipping around the ruins of this resort, its tracks spinning rapidly as it dashed around.
In just three days, a significant portion of the construction materials brought back by Chen Xiaolian had been used up, and the main building of the resort, which was in ruins, had been entirely reconstructed by WALL-E!
In three days, this tiny 40-centimeter robot, equivalent to a three-story resort building, had completed its roof!
"We can't hide in the base all the time; we have to live outside," Chen Xiaolian explained clearly. "While the base is safe, it's entirely cut off from the outside world, with no contact, and even the system's information extraction from copies is blocked. The base should only be entered when it's necessary. Otherwise, everyone should operate on the island."
With the expansion of their territory to the entire island, security became a top priority.
The island was surrounded by water on all sides, naturally isolated from the outside world. However, if someone were determined to spy, they could sneak onto the island from any direction. So, a comprehensive security system was necessary.
Security equipment could be exchanged for in the system for many different items, including some from the military supplies provided during the Trial Assistance.
After Xia Xiaolei, the human discount card, browsed through some of the security and defense equipment in the exchange system, it sparked a team discussion.
Roddy and the spare tire, one being a tech enthusiast and the other a military fan, both set their sights on a piece of equipment in the exchange system.
The Tesla Magnetic Storm!
Yes, it looked very much like the magnetic storm towers from the game "Command & Conquer: Red Alert"!
When they saw this item, the two of them were practically bursting with excitement.
However, Chen Xiaolian resolutely rejected the proposal!
"Are you kidding me? You want to get something like this, a killing device that could explode even a tank? We're located near a reservoir! What if there are fishermen on their boats nearby, accidentally ending up on the island and getting roasted like chickens? How do you plan to deal with that?"
When Chen Xiaolian voiced his concerns, the two military enthusiasts finally dropped their idea.
In the end, Chen Xiaolian came up with a compromise.
They would place surveillance cameras in several strategic locations around the island to monitor its perimeter. They would also hang up prominent signs, warning that it was private property and prohibiting outsiders from entering.
Furthermore, they decided to build a wall around the central area of the island, surrounding the resort.
Inside the perimeter of the wall, within the resort, they decided to place some defensive weapons that could be lethal, such as...
"Automatic 360-degree rotating machine gun turrets?"
"Get lost!" Chen Xiaolian kicked Roddy away. "What if it's just a thief? They'd be turned into Swiss cheese."
"I suggest using two sets of devices," Qiao Qiao spoke up. "One set of defensive weapons should use tranquilizer darts, suitable for dealing with ordinary people. That way, if anything happens, we won't expose ourselves to the outside world. The other set of devices can be placed near the main building, both inside and outside, using non-lethal measures. Guns are risky, even if the sound doesn't carry too far. Let's use electric shock devices instead."
"I agree!" The steady spare tire was the first to express support.
So, this proposal was approved.
With Adam, the crazy construction worker, everything, including the wall and surveillance cameras, was completed within a few days!
Chen Xiaolian couldn't help but sigh, "With this guy around, even if we go into real estate development, we'll probably surpass Wanda in market value in a few years..."
About a week later, the entire resort looked completely different.
Even the exterior of the main building had been completely renovated, and several rooms inside had undergone refurbishment.
WALL-E's mechanical arms could transform into electric drills, welders, and more. Almost all it needed was a set of blueprints and materials, and then you could sit back and relax while it worked.