Volume 1, Chapter 60: Bombing Chuancheng!

"What kind of condition?" Zhang Wei was somewhat excited, yet maintained a calm expression. He couldn't let the pangolin see through him; what if it decided to push its luck?

Still, for such a magnificent treasure, what was wrong with hearing a request?

Let alone one, Zhang Wei could easily stomach three or five demands.

"Can you give this source crystal to me? I need it to cultivate my food. Is that okay?" The pangolin appeared rather submissive.

Its words made it crystal clear to Zhang Wei that even if he refused, it wouldn't be the end of the world—the pangolin would still compromise.

Yet, Zhang Wei found himself deep in thought over this dilemma.

Logically speaking, Zhang Wei ought to take the source crystal for himself.

A legendary-grade source crystal would undoubtedly yield extraordinary rewards.

Just look at the enhancements to his combat power and the legendary detection core—how massive of a boost had those two items provided him?

And yet, considering the pangolin's unique abilities, Zhang Wei hesitated.

In truth, to truly win the pangolin's allegiance, parting with this source crystal was not entirely out of the question.

After all, the pangolin could generate even greater value in the future.

"Very well, it's a deal."

"Really? Thank you, Big Brother! You're the best!" The pangolin was moved to tears of gratitude.

Perhaps it had completely forgotten that if Zhang Wei hadn't suddenly ambushed it, the source crystal would have belonged to it in the first place.

"From now on, your name is Little Treasure." Zhang Wei bestowed a name upon the pangolin.

The word "treasure" had to be included, seeing as he was counting on the pangolin to hunt down treasures for him.

Initially, Zhang Wei considered naming it Big Treasure, but upon second thought, that name sounded rather cringeworthy, so Little Treasure was definitely the better choice.

"Understood, Big Brother!" The pangolin didn't care about names; it cared only for its source crystal and the bright future awaiting it.

"Are you taking these remains with you, or would you rather eat them right now?" Zhang Wei pointed at the semi-mechanical ants scattered across the cavern floor and asked Little Treasure.

"Right now!"

Little Treasure was not a picky eater. It opened its massive maw and enjoyed one final feast in its old lair.

By the time Zhang Wei and Little Treasure reappeared on the surface, Lin Qianying was pacing back and forth in visible anxiety.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Wei inquired upon seeing her state.

There were no apparent dangers around the vicinity; why was Lin Qianying acting this way?

"Something has happened!" Lin Qianying told Zhang Wei.

Zhang Wei had grown quite accustomed to such statements. If a day passed without an incident, that would truly be the abnormal part.

"What happened?"

"The higher-ups are going to bomb Chuan City!"

"What?" Now it was Zhang Wei's turn to be struck dumb with shock.

What on earth had happened?

The military was actually planning to bomb Chuan City?

"A king-grade mechanical bird has appeared in the skies above Chuan City. Its wingspan exceeds twenty meters, and it has been circling overhead leading a flock of over a thousand mechanical birds. Quite a few people have already died."

"There was no sign of this when we left. Did this just happen?"

Lin Qianying nodded at Zhang Wei. "Yes. The military tried to drive them away, but they showed no intention of leaving. The military's plan is to evacuate everyone in the city, and once the personnel are fully cleared out, they will strike."

Zhang Wei didn't ask how the military intended to execute the bombing. Their military might was unfathomable, and the destructive power of their various missiles and bombs was immense.

Fortunately, the military possessed such a deterrent force; otherwise, the entire country would have descended into absolute chaos long ago.

"Doesn't that mean we're losing our home?"

This was an event that had never occurred in his previous life. Its sudden materialization left Zhang Wei somewhat at a loss.

For Zhang Wei, Chuan City was not merely a home, but also a safe zone. Without this safe zone, his evolutionary mecha would lack a peaceful sanctuary.

"Don't worry, the military has already begun organizing personnel to construct a steel fortress. The initial city won't be very large, but the space should be sufficient." Lin Qianying conveyed the military's decision to Zhang Wei.

"Fine then." What else could Zhang Wei say?

Such events were entirely beyond his control.

Lin Qianying felt a trace of disappointment.

Originally, she had believed Zhang Wei might have a solution to deal with that king-grade mechanical bird. As long as that threat could be neutralized, bombing Chuan City would become unnecessary.

It could only be said that Lin Qianying was overestimating Zhang Wei.

Had it been a ground-based king-grade mechanical beast, Zhang Wei would certainly have had a way to deal with it—and would have been more than happy to do so.

Every single king-grade mechanical beast represented a high-quality source crystal.

However, when it came to a king-grade mechanical bird in the sky, Zhang Wei truly had no means to counter it.

The creature could fly and constantly operated at altitudes of a thousand meters; currently, the only offensive capability Zhang Wei had that could reach it was his floating cannons.

Yet a king-grade mechanical beast could never be defeated by floating cannons alone.

At the very least, Zhang Wei's current combat strength was insufficient to resolve the crisis.

If his combat power reached tens of thousands, a single blast could shatter that king-grade mechanical bird into pieces.

"Let's go, let's head back first. Does Zhang Tao know about this?" Zhang Wei took the lead and began walking toward Chuan City.

Lin Qianying walked alongside him and replied, "He has already been notified and is currently making preparations. Soon, the military's decision will be broadcast to everyone still surviving in Chuan City. As for how many people will be able to evacuate safely..."

Lin Qianying trailed off, refusing to continue.

Because this evacuation was destined to cost countless lives.

During a large-scale human migration, the mechanical beasts lurking in the shadows would inevitably emerge to launch attacks.

Presently, very few individuals possessed self-protection capabilities, and the military lacked the manpower to dispatch escorts for everyone.

Therefore...

"Do our best, that's all we can do." Zhang Wei offered words of comfort to Lin Qianying.

From Zhang Wei's perspective, this couldn't entirely be considered a bad thing.

With humanity gathering together, most of those creatures hiding in the dark and refusing to show themselves would likely be unable to resist stepping out into the open.

While they hunted humans, Zhang Wei could hunt them in return.

"Oh, right, this is Little Treasure. He's joining our crew from now on." Zhang Wei introduced Little Treasure to Lin Qianying.

"You took him in as a pet?" Zhang Wei's words pulled Lin Qianying's thoughts back to the present.

"You could say that."

Zhang Wei nodded.

Given that it was merely a verbal agreement, "you could say that" was the most accurate description.

As for signing any formal contracts, that was out of the question—no such service existed in this wasteland.

"Hello, Big Sister, my name is Little Treasure." Little Treasure behaved with utmost obedience; it knew this was its Big Brother's companion and must not be offended.

"Hello, Little Treasure, my name is Lin Qianying." Lin Qianying introduced herself in return.

Yet, immediately after introducing herself, she contacted Zhang Wei privately through the mecha's comms channel.

"Does it have any special traits?" Lin Qianying asked, burning with curiosity.

It was obvious that Little Treasure was a mechanical beast of a fairly high grade. Judging by Zhang Wei's usual behavior, such a creature shouldn't have survived two seconds in his hands. Why had he suddenly chosen to tame it this time?

"Its capabilities are immense. It can track down treasures and will be of great use."

Zhang Wei didn't elaborate further, offering only a brief summary.

"By the way, when will the military haul away the metal wreckage inside the city?"

"The convoy has already set out and will arrive tonight. It's estimated to take about two days to clear everything out."

"Which means we only have about two days left!"

"Yes!"

"When we get back, I'm going to evolve my mecha first."

"Evolve again?" Lin Qianying suddenly halted in her tracks and stared fixedly at Zhang Wei.