CHAPTER 1162: SECTION 715: SAGE (3)

The week passed quickly, and when Nova was about to leave, Malin simply packed everyone up and sent them back to Westland—except for Lulu. This girl expressed that she didn’t have much to do, and would rather enjoy a sweaty summer in Thainan than freeze in the North.

Malin agreed to her request.

Maya, on the other hand, was quite keen on staying, but she really couldn’t stand the southern summer. She complained that living here meant her most frequently used spell formation was to resist extreme temperatures, and she commented that a place where the ground temperature could break fifty degrees was a miracle for anyone to survive. Malin consoled Maya and also remarked that he used to think the same way—those heat waves on asphalt under the noonday sun, the air dancing with no breeze, and a world where even stray dogs could only survive in the shade were indeed unforgiving.

However, Malin always felt that the Thanans now seemed more able to endure all of this; life is always evolving.

Thinking of this, Malin indicated that his side was ready for observation. The 130mm mimic tank cannon below fired, and Malin watched the projectile punch through four walls and hit an abandoned tread trailer of the Pioneer Corps—this was modified from a retired bombardment vehicle, the platform on top removed, so the shell’s landing point was directly in front of the vehicle, and the sloped armor couldn’t change the path of this armored piercing capped ballistic cap shell, which pierced the head of the vehicle and turned the rear half of the trailer into history, in the most standard sense.

"Not bad." Sage Zhao beside Malin put down his binoculars: "Given that the materials haven’t met our expectations, such shells are indeed a good choice. But do you really think that Chaos of the future will have chariots?"

Malin was not unaware of Sage Zhao’s concerns. After all, it had been so long, and the Thanans had barely seen any Chaos carrying firearms; even the Westland only encountered them this once at the Eastern Kingdom. They worried that the limited ammunition production would be replaced by shells that were not very useful. It was known that Thanans loved grenades the most; these big guys filled with gunpowder were the Thanans’ best way to deal with the Chaos pups entrenched in the ruins.

If one shot wasn’t enough, then another one; if it doesn’t kill you, it’ll rattle you, if not rattle you to death, then rattle you silly—that’s Thanan firepower theory, simple and full of violent aesthetics.

Malin certainly understood Sage Zhao’s concerns: "Look, let the factories here make these shells. It won’t crowd production, and we can use making these shells to let some of our craftsmen learn how to make this new type of shells. If there’s a need to shift production later, they’ll be experienced craftsmen."

This statement won Sage Zhao’s agreement, so he went to find Sage Yu, hoping New Anzhou could provide some craftsman support.

Malin accompanied him to Sage Yu’s place, where Sage Yu, along with Bixiu and Sostak No.3, had been working on dismantling that heavy chariot for a few days. Their progress wasn’t fast, but they knew what they were doing. Malin had seen their reverse-engineered plans, where each part clearly marked its position.

Upon hearing Sage Zhao’s request, Sage Yu flatly refused on the spot: "Where would I have spare craftsmen in my workshop! Only apprentices!"

"I understand your difficulties, Sage Yu, but making new shells won’t be without benefits." Sage Zhao argued, and it struck a chord with Sage Yu. He thought for a bit and offered fifty craftsmen, but most were newcomers.

"I think newcomers will do. Let the new ones make the new shells. Though it sounds a bit risky, Sage Zhao, I feel that having newcomers make them has its advantages; they won’t be bound by too many outdated ideas." Seeing Sage Zhao still wanting to argue, Malin quickly chimed in to offer advice.

Sage Zhao listened and thought it over, finding it reasonable, so he stopped arguing.

However, Sage Yu’s curiosity arose as well. He handed the chariot work over to Bixiu and his apprentices and took Sostak No.3 to see Malin’s new shells.

Upon seeing the new item Malin pulled out, Sostak No.3 immediately displayed a disdain peculiar to Germans for the Russian yokels: "I thought it was something new, but it’s just the Russians’ APHEBC."

Malin rolled his eyes. It wasn’t surprising that this kid was familiar with these shells—after all, playing Hearts of Iron on highest difficulty, dealing with the winter of 1941 and the hundreds of thousands of Martian Troopers hunting in the Moscow region daily, would overload anyone’s brain... uh, wait, Malin forgot this kid was also a computer, just a large one.

Sostak No.3 frowned but nodded: "Right, with current technological capabilities, having this is already good enough. Speaking of which, it’s strange why the Thanans make their everyday items so sturdy and durable."

To this, Malin had a different perspective: "Maybe it was because Thainan was human-oriented at the time. If you let capital make something, you’d be lucky to use a five-year warranty item for five years and one day."

Sostak No.3 pouted, sighed helplessly: "I clearly feel you’re criticizing our European Union, but I have to admit you’re right. However, I still have to say that the same items in Thainan have about ten years warranty, we in the EU have five years, the Four Island and Peninsula people have only two and a half years, and the North American ghosts only eighteen months!"