Section 142: A Sudden Idea

Ye Chong walked home, his mind still ruminating on the intelligence he had gathered from the young girl. He had known the Zong Institute was formidable, but he had never imagined their power could reach such an extent. It was no wonder they could maintain a standoff with the Black Horn and the Mecha Master Association. The vast strength of the Zong Institute was rooted in the potent combat capabilities of its Art-Inheritor Masters and Art-Inheritor Knights, a fact that made both the Black Horn and the Mecha Master Association deeply wary.

The Black Horn, the Mecha Master Association, and the Zong Institute—these three forces swirled in Ye Chong’s mind, intertwined yet independent. They shared many common traits, such as mecha technology far superior to that of the five major star sectors, and a level of mystery that made them nearly impossible to fathom. They were like another world—a powerful, enigmatic world of their own.

As for the young girl named Zhu Ling, Ye Chong had let her go. Although killing her would have been effortless, he had no great desire to do so. He was not a man who thirsted for blood; he killed only for survival. If he could avoid it, why would he kill unnecessarily? Furthermore, he held a certain admiration for the girl. She was calm, rational, and resilient; in her, Ye Chong saw a reflection of himself.

When the girl left, her expression was remarkably calm, as if the outcome had been within her expectations all along. Having recovered slightly, she displayed extraordinary stamina, her movements still agile, and she soon vanished from Ye Chong’s sight. Looking at the empty gravel beach, Ye Chong could not help but sigh softly. Survival was, after all, no easy task. The precious Jiu Piao Hong remained nestled quietly in his waist bag.

Upon returning to Guan the Madwoman’s residence, Ye Chong realized he had been out all day only to return empty-handed, which left him with a wry smile.

When he entered, for a rare change, Guan was not intoxicated but was busily packing. Upon seeing Ye Chong, she shouted, "Little Ye, did you see my pale yellow top?"

"Pale yellow?" Ye Chong tilted his head and thought for a moment before replying, "I must have thrown it away." During his cleaning that day, he had discarded countless items, and he truly could not remember if there had been a pale yellow top among them. But since it couldn't be found, the probability of it being trashed was high.

"What? You threw it away?" Guan’s expression went blank, followed immediately by a burst of rage. "You actually threw it away? Don't you know I still needed to wear it? Don't you know..."

"I didn't know," Ye Chong replied calmly and succinctly.

Guan’s words came to an abrupt halt. She realized she hadn't given him any specific instructions when she told him to clean the house. Her expression softened slightly as she snorted, "I'll let it slide this time, but next time you want to throw something away, ask me first. Don't go tossing things around!"

"Oh," Ye Chong replied indifferently.

"I'm going to be away for a couple of days. You stay here alone. Um, I've arranged your study materials on the light computer in Room Seven. There are specific requirements, and I’ll test you when I return. If you fail, well..." Guan was clearly still resentful about her clothes, and her tone carried an ominous air.

Ye Chong remained as unmoved as a stone, seemingly oblivious to the underlying tone in her words. He simply replied with another "Oh."

Guan snorted again and, ignoring Ye Chong, continued packing.

As far as Ye Chong knew, Guan went on long trips periodically. He remembered when he was at Nannan’s house, this was when he would come to collect the strengthening serum in advance. So, even though he didn't know the purpose of her trips, he wasn't surprised.

Guan left in a rush, leaving Ye Chong alone. He enjoyed the quiet. The study materials Guan had left behind were not extensive; he finished them in a few days and spent another two days collecting plant samples. With his tasks completed, Ye Chong found himself idle.

He recalled the trouble he had with transportation and realized he could perhaps attempt to build an all-bone mecha. Once this thought took root, it would not leave his mind.

The idea was simply too tempting.

For one, he didn't have a mecha that he could openly use, and if he were to be threatened while unable to reveal his true identity, he would be in grave danger. He desperately needed a mecha, and the standard models sold in shops were long beneath his notice.

Moreover, this would be a comprehensive test and verification of his entire knowledge system.

Ye Chong was a decisive person. Once his mind was made up, he went straight to the old man, as the materials would have to come from him.

After listening to Ye Chong’s plain explanation, the old man squinted his eyes, pondered for a long time, and said, "Follow me."

The old man led Ye Chong into a small room in the underground workshop where he usually rested. It was Ye Chong’s first time inside; the room was small, containing only a bed, a table, some daily necessities in one corner, and tools in another.

The old man walked straight to the corner and triggered a hidden switch. The wall in front of Ye Chong slid aside silently. Ye Chong was slightly surprised to find a hidden chamber, though his face remained as stoic as ever.

Seeing Ye Chong’s steady demeanor, the old man’s eyes showed a hint of gratification.

They entered the chamber. Bone materials—the room was filled with them! Compared to the mountains of bone materials outside, the quantity here was meager, numbering only a few dozen. Yet, Ye Chong immediately saw that the quality was far superior, including many rare types he recognized. To a bone-smith, these were priceless treasures.

No bone-smith could look at such exceptional materials without excitement. At least, Ye Chong couldn't. For the first time, his expression shifted.

"Heavens! These materials are magnificent!" Ye Chong’s eyes lit up as he scanned them repeatedly.

The old man was satisfied with Ye Chong’s reaction and said with a touch of pride, "Every year, the Zong Institute sends me rare bone materials as a gift. I have kept them, hoping to one day craft a true all-bone mecha. Alas, I am old and cannot keep up with you young people. I haven't made any progress in years, and I likely never will. This hope now rests on you." His voice was filled with melancholy and the frailty of age.

Ye Chong recovered from his surprise and remained silent.

The old man’s tone turned serious. "I intended to wait until your skills were truly mature before giving these to you, but you’ve had this idea earlier than I expected. I haven't been able to teach you much; your own accomplishments are entirely your own, and I have even learned quite a bit from you. Take these and use them. You are naturally cautious and meticulous; these materials won't be wasted in your hands."

The old man’s words were sincere, and Ye Chong was moved. He steadied himself and replied in a calm tone, "Thank you, Master."

With the old man’s help, Ye Chong had no more worries about materials. He had originally planned to make something passable, but the old man’s contribution of his lifelong collection changed that. Faced with these hand-picked, top-tier materials, his original thoughts were cast aside. He now had only one goal: not just to build an all-bone mecha, but to build an elite one. He even decided on a name—"Han Jia." Of course, the name had no special meaning; it was simply the result of a random selection method used by Mu. In such matters, Ye Chong was always too lazy to think, so the name was settled.

The first challenge was the core design of the mecha. Since he intended to use it himself, it would undoubtedly be a close-combat mecha. When it came to close-combat, the strongest mecha Ye Chong had ever encountered were those of the Black Horn. They were the undisputed kings of melee.

However, copying the Black Horn design was impractical. Although he had spent time there, he had never dismantled or assembled any Black Horn mecha other than the F-58, which was merely a training model and far inferior to their combat mecha. Besides, they were in the Orbit Ring, where the Zong Institute was everywhere. They were intimately familiar with the Black Horn’s style; he would likely be captured the moment he stepped outside.

It seemed he would have to use his own brain.

For the engine, Ye Chong planned to dismantle the one from the "Fish." Although the Fish’s engine was far inferior to Mu’s, it had held its own against the Mecha Master Association’s machines, which satisfied Ye Chong. Due to its nature, an engine could not be made entirely of bone, though using bone components in key areas like gaskets could boost performance. Engine design was far more intricate than mecha chassis design, and Ye Chong wasn't sure if his own design would outperform Master Fred’s work.

"I’ll stick with the existing one," Ye Chong reasoned, "at most, I’ll modify it with a few bone components."