CHAPTER 457: CHAPTER 455: TITANS DESCEND

In the sky, several large transport planes are slowly flying over the disaster zone in formation, with parachutes continuously blooming behind them.

More than four hundred paratroopers are bravely leaping from the sky, heading towards the designated drop zone below.

As paratroopers, although they haven’t conducted any parachute training for nearly two years since the disaster, the basic skills of parachuting have been firmly etched into their very beings, not forgotten or rusted over time.

However, even the most experienced paratroopers perhaps have never parachuted under such environmental conditions.

Below is an earthquake-ravaged disaster zone, with torn earth, collapsed buildings, and a landscape in ruins. Despite the shroud of darkness, the massive Ark above casts beams of light, making the city, like a wasteland, vaguely visible in the night sky.

This is to guide their landing, preventing them from landing on collapsed structures or other heavily damaged areas due to the darkness, deviating from the originally designated drop zone.

The drop zone designated for these paratroopers is illuminated by a giant searchlight, making it particularly conspicuous in the otherwise pitch-black surroundings, leaving no room for mistakes.

All this gives a rather surreal and unrealistic feeling, whether it’s the gigantic Airbag Ark, the giant searchlight illuminating the drop zone, or the large figures descending alongside these paratroopers.

Those are the experimental equipment requisitioned by Chen Xin, which were finally loaded onto the large transport planes sent by the Air Force in time, arriving in the disaster zone along with the second batch of airborne troops under Tang Tang’s coordination.

These huge figures have roughly humanoid silhouettes, standing perhaps two to three stories tall, possibly of varying sizes due to their prototype nature.

About twenty of these large figures, though varying in size, are all equipped with three large parachutes used for descending tanks; only a few have not deployed parachutes, relying on their engines to control their descent speed, clearly indicating those few possess flight capabilities.

As they descend, the light gradually illuminates these giant figures, revealing their uniformly metallic-colored shells, appearing like giant robots.

Their forms seem either rounded or squared, some even slightly slender, yet invariably their torso sections are somewhat bulky.

The arrival of these big robots unquestionably draws attention, whether from the paratroopers descending with them or the disaster relief teams awaiting reinforcement on the ground, all seemingly interested in these conspicuous giants at first glance.

However, the only one who thoroughly understands these big robots is Chen Xin himself. He had already informed key figures such as the rescue team’s leader and the local Deputy Mayor, avoiding unnecessary misunderstandings.

Those of the big robots possessing flight capabilities descend slightly faster, landing on the ground first. Among them, a unit looking slimmer and taller than the others surveyed the surroundings before heading toward Chen Xin and others waiting conspicuously under the lights.

Seeing the big robot walking over, both the Deputy Mayor waiting for reinforcements alongside Chen Xin and the rescue team leader felt somewhat apprehensive, their breathing becoming a bit more rapid.

It was not anything else but the intimidating and imposing presence these big robots exude, despite being entirely unequipped with any weapons.

However, when this robot reached Chen Xin and opened its cockpit to reveal the pilot inside, Chen Xin’s expression changed.

He looked tensely at the pilot’s distinctly featured right hand in the cockpit, asking nervously, "Why are you here? Didn’t I tell you to stay at home?"

"You ordered all the Titans to the disaster zone, which of course includes mine. As the pilot, naturally, I had to come along," Qin Lan jumped out from the cockpit, removing her helmet, and explained to Chen Xin.

Hearing what Qin Lan said, Chen Xin shook his head helplessly, regretting a bit why he agreed to Qin Lan becoming a Titan pilot back then.

But since she’s already here, he had nothing to say, only instructed Qin Lan: "Since that’s the case, just follow orders in everything you do."

After that, Chen Xin looked at the Deputy Mayor and the rescue team leader, who were watching him and Qin Lan attentively, sighed and explained to them: "These machines that came with the support are called Titans, the product of a heavy mecha project still in the experimental stage. We have made a total of twenty-seven different experimental models so far.

Each of their arms can lift about 10 tons, with some models capable of exerting up to 15 tons. Additionally, their humanoid structure prevents them from being easily constrained by terrain, enabling them to assist the rescue teams effectively in digging through collapsed buildings and rescuing survivors who might still be alive."

"This is wonderful!" The Deputy Mayor’s face showed a delighted expression.

He was initially puzzled about these big robots, but upon hearing what Chen Xin said, he immediately understood how valuable these big robots are for rescue operations.

The collapse of shelters and buildings caused by the earthquake, leaving behind debris, posed the biggest challenge to rescue efforts.

These fragments vary in size, with smaller pieces still manageable by a few people working together. After all, the rescue team is equipped with exoskeletons, even the civilian versions allow an individual to lift a few hundred pounds.

However, handling large pieces of building debris proves difficult even with exoskeletons. The weight is too much for a few people, and often there’s not enough space to exert force together, causing significant complications for the rescue efforts.

Previously, engineering machines like cranes and excavators could be used to aid the operations, but now, with such equipment in short supply, even if all are deployed to the front lines, it’s still not enough.

Though there are only a little over twenty Titans, they are undoubtedly a great boost to the rescue capabilities at the disaster site.

Recognizing this, Chen Xin had Tang Tang dispatch all Titans still in the experimental stage to the scene.

What Chen Xin didn’t anticipate was that Qin Lan, whom he had instructed to stay at home, would come along with the Titans, catching him completely by surprise.

However, since she was here, Chen Xin didn’t consider sending Qin Lan back, as she is, after all, one of the Titan pilots, although her interest was initially piqued by watching Chen Xin create so many Titan prototypes, spontaneously wanting to try piloting one, surprisingly succeeding due to her unexpected aptitude.

"I’ll leave the allocation of these Titans to you, but they are still experimental models, which means there’s a potential risk in terms of safety. So, please be cautious when using them," Chen Xin advised the Deputy Mayor and the rescue team leader beside him.