CHAPTER 461: CHAPTER 459: QIN LAN’S MECH

A total of twenty-seven Titans were manufactured by Chen Xin, with one being the personal ride of Qin Lan, while the drivers for the remaining twenty-six were drawn from the army.

The selected drivers were originally tank drivers from the army, all having considerable vehicle driving experience to quickly adapt to piloting Titans.

A total of 120 tank drivers were drawn at the time, out of which twenty-five were selected as primary candidates and another twenty-five as reserves, making a total of fifty.

At that time, there were also twenty-five experimental Titans ready, and the additional two were newly constructed by Chen Xin after testing and technical validation, during which Qin Lan also became a Titan Driver.

Initially, these Titan Drivers thought Qin Lan got her position through connections, but during the subsequent training, her efforts and talent quickly silenced them, and she won them over with her performance.

It was precisely because of these performances that the drivers acknowledged Qin Lan as their leader.

After all, Qin Lan was not only capable but also had a close relationship with Chen Xin, and since no team captain or such was appointed, it was not surprising for them to be led by Qin Lan after being impressed by her.

"Sister Lan, what did Academician Chen say? What’s our new task?" As soon as Qin Lan returned to the temporary camp for Titan drivers, people swarmed around her to inquire.

Although the Titans, relying on the battery technology restored by Chen Xin, do not need refueling, they still require upkeep and maintenance after long periods of high-intensity work.

Facing the driver’s questions, Qin Lan didn’t respond immediately but spoke only after everyone had gathered: "The rescue team has to establish new settlements. The Titans’ next task is to reinforce the foundations of existing settlements and assist in demolishing several surrounding buildings, leveling the ground after the demolition."

"You’re asking me to demolish houses?" Some of the drivers gathered around Qin Lan showed peculiar expressions. Although they understood and had no objections to using Titans for rescue efforts in disaster areas, having the Titans do actual construction work felt somewhat unusual to these former tank operators.

After all, the initial orders they received were about experimenting with a new type of vehicle, and upon seeing new military equipment like new fighter jets, Heavy Mecha, and Heavy Power Armor at Chen Xin’s research base, they naturally thought the Titans were also new military equipment.

However, now being tasked with construction work made it feel somewhat like using a tank to pull a plow.

Even though they didn’t have objections, it indeed felt a bit strange.

Qin Lan certainly understood this sentiment and thus explained: "It’s not demolishing; it’s blowing up. Demolition is too slow, so we blow things up directly. Blow up the remnants of these surrounding buildings to flatten the area for building new settlements, as the current settlement space is insufficient.

If workers were to do this, it would require a large number of personnel and machines, and also time. Using Titans, the efficiency will be much higher."

"Understood. So when do we start the mission?" The drivers naturally had no issues with their awareness, they were just momentarily taken aback. After Qin Lan said this, they began to worry about executing the tasks properly: "These past few days of disaster relief, the Titans need maintenance. If we keep them running non-stop, they’ll break down."

Already, two Titans had malfunctioned before, and indeed the current batch of Titans needs inspections, parts replacements, and maintenance.

"Therefore, it’s going to be hard work for the maintenance crew. Tonight, they’ll need to work overtime to conduct repairs on all Titans," Qin Lan said, seeing that there were maintenance crew members surrounding them, and she relayed another requirement from Chen Xin: "Academician Chen requires that all Titans complete inspection and maintenance by noon tomorrow. In the morning, we must start reinforcing the current settlement. Maintenance crew, any issues? Are the spare parts and components enough?"

"We’ve brought plenty of spare parts; that’s not an issue." The maintenance crew chief, also concerned about the new mission, was beside Qin Lan, confidently replying: "Most of the Titans are in good condition; the main issues are external shell damage and component wear. Working a bit of overtime tonight, we should be done by tomorrow morning."

"Thank you so much for your hard work!" Qin Lan thanked the maintenance crew chief, then turned to the other drivers, saying: "Tonight, have a good rest, adjust your state, and assemble for the task briefing at eight o’clock tomorrow morning."

"Understood!" "Roger that!" The drivers and maintenance crew around quickly agreed and then dispersed in groups of two or three.

A few drivers who felt there were issues with their machines joined the maintenance crew to inspect their equipment, while the others took the opportunity to rest.

These past few days of rescue tasks were extremely exhausting for these drivers, and they indeed needed proper rest.

Seeing this, Qin Lan did not follow them to rest but instead headed towards her own machine.

Qin Lan’s machine was a Titan that looked more slender and compact, visibly different from the others.

This was the second-generation model Chen Xin improved after manufacturing twenty-five prototypes, having significant differences in shape and structure.

There were two second-generation machines in total: Qin Lan’s compact type and another machine with enhanced output power.

The two machines were neither superior nor inferior to each other, merely differing in focus.

In fact, none of the twenty-seven Titans were identical; each had distinct characteristics to test the applications of Titans under various conditions.

Qin Lan approached her ride, opened the cockpit, and inserted her identity verification key to start the machine’s self-check.

Due to this machine being smaller and more compact compared to others, the cockpit was relatively cramped, with its surroundings tightly enclosing Qin Lan’s body. Her feet also needed to be placed into the machine’s leg compartments, unlike other machines where the feet were placed inside the cockpit.

The trade-off, however, was the machine’s exceptional flexibility. In numerous tests conducted before, this machine, specifically designed with reverse-joint legs and reinforced, exhibited outstanding jumping and agility, similar to an agile assassin in games.

Qin Lan particularly liked this machine. Although it had less output power compared to others, its excellent flexibility indicated to Qin Lan that if used on the battlefield, the machine could become the most dangerous assassin.

Of course, for now, this dangerous machine was merely a handy piece of construction equipment, slated for construction work the next day.