Unbeknownst to him, the military training was drawing to a close. Jing Mingqiu was in the experimental workshop, helping Mo Ruixue adjust the auxiliary mecha.
She, along with other classmates, had choreographed a new dance centered around the auxiliary mecha, preparing to perform it at the welcome party.
"This should be about right," Jing Mingqiu said, attaching the small electric motor he had just modified to the auxiliary mecha and handing it to Mo Ruixue. "I've increased the power by ninety percent, it can now support a person's weight."
"However, because this is only a light-duty auxiliary mecha, the total battery capacity is limited. Full power output can only last for about ten minutes. Be mindful of that when you're dancing."
Mo Ruixue nodded obediently. "The entire dance is only five minutes long, so this time is more than enough. Mingqiu, shall we have lunch together? My roommates said the rice noodles at Cafeteria No. 3 are really delicious."
"Sure, I'll just tidy up."
Jing Mingqiu readily agreed. After nearly a month of military training, coupled with Mo Ruixue frequently seeking him out to hang out, they had become very familiar with each other. Their relationship was currently in that delicate stage of being more than friends but not yet lovers.
Swiftly putting away the tools on the workbench, Jing Mingqiu went to the nearby faucet, quickly washed his hands, and was about to head out to lunch with Mo Ruixue when he overheard discussions among other mechanical engineering students.
"Li Zhizhuan had a car accident. He's in a coma and his life is uncertain. Should we go and see him?"
"See him for what! He's such an arrogant guy. Our teacher, on the other hand, suddenly had a heart attack and is in the hospital for emergency treatment. Let's pool some money together and buy some gifts to visit him."
"Teacher Li was really good to us. We should definitely visit him..."
"Wait a minute, I wasn't talking about Teacher Li, I was talking about Teacher Zhao from mechanical engineering."
"Teacher Zhao is in trouble too! Both our project advisors are hospitalized. This is going to be a big problem..."
At the same time, three people suffering consecutive incidents, all with some connection to the auxiliary mecha they had built, made Jing Mingqiu recall what the top leaders of Dragon Country had told him, and he suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
"Mingqiu, what's wrong?" Mo Ruixue noticed the change in Jing Mingqiu's expression and quickly rushed over to hold his arm. "Are you feeling unwell? I'll take you to the campus clinic."
Jing Mingqiu took a deep breath and forced himself to cheer up. "It's nothing! Maybe I sat for too long and got a bit lightheaded when I stood up suddenly. Xue'er, let's go eat first."
Having spent so much time online and read so many novels, Jing Mingqiu was well aware of the principle of not tipping one's hand.
He didn't rush to contact the dean to inquire about the truth. Instead, as usual, he took Mo Ruixue to the cafeteria, wandered around campus, showered a nearby single person with affection, and then, satisfied, returned to his dormitory to rest.
Lying on his bed, he drew the curtains, put on his headphones, and ensured there was no eavesdropping before quickly pulling out his satellite phone and calling Feng Weiguo.
Before long, the call was connected. Jing Mingqiu immediately poured out the questions weighing on his mind.
After listening to Jing Mingqiu's questions, Feng Weiguo let out a long sigh. "You guessed correctly. Their sudden accidents were not accidental, but someone took action against them."
"Moreover, it wasn't just them. Experts researching mechas at other universities and outstanding students have also been attacked to varying degrees."
"Why wasn't I attacked?" Jing Mingqiu asked, puzzled. "As the creator of the auxiliary mecha, shouldn't I have been the first target according to common sense?"
Feng Weiguo said very seriously, "If you had shown your true strength, they would never have let you off. Under their insane attacks, even the guards we arranged around you might not have been able to protect your safety."
"Fortunately, we made preparations in advance. Over the past month, others have made continuous progress, with the production line for mechas researched by two teachers from our school, the heavy full-coverage mecha created by student Li Zhizhuan, and various new products from other universities."
"These diverse products and inventions successfully overshadowed you, pulling you out of the eye of the storm. Coupled with the fact that after inventing the unique structure of the auxiliary mecha, you spent most of your time doting on your girlfriend."
"When no other products emerged and you appeared to be consumed by your affection, they naturally let their guard down towards you. Combined with some other reasons, they did not attack you."
"Well," Jing Mingqiu quickly clarified, "she's not my girlfriend, just a friend..."
On the other end of the phone, Feng Weiguo couldn't help but chuckle. "Who you like is your own business, you don't need to explain to me. As long as you lie low recently and don't come up with any major inventions."
"Since they didn't make a move on you last time, the possibility of them targeting you next time is slim. You can peacefully enjoy your campus life."
Hearing this, Jing Mingqiu showed a troubled expression. He had just completed the research and development of a small, high-performance electric motor and planned to promote it to replace current car engines.
This would pressure the country to build new controllable nuclear fusion power stations, helping him complete his system upgrade tasks.
Sensing the silence on the other end of the phone, Feng Weiguo thought Jing Mingqiu was afraid and deliberately laughed, "You really don't need to worry about your safety. Not to mention that the security forces around you are not weak. After this large-scale attack, most of the spies lurking in our country have been exposed."
"Your current status alone means that if they don't want to face China's full-scale retaliation, they won't make a move against someone they consider to be merely a mascot, the discoverer of a new mecha structural design..."
Feeling Feng Weiguo's concern, Jing Mingqiu hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell him about his new research achievement. "Principal, I'm not worried about my safety, it's just that I accidentally came up with something new again..."
After hearing Jing Mingqiu's explanation about the recently developed electric motor, Feng Weiguo was utterly stunned.
Since he had released the new structural design of the auxiliary mecha, laboratories across the country had been working overtime, day and night. From military to civilian applications, from auxiliary transport to battlefield assault, many products had emerged.
However, these products had minor or major flaws and encountered many difficulties during the research process.
The biggest difficulty among them was the engine.
Mechas needed to fit snugly with the pilot's body. Without sufficient shock absorption, fuel engines powered by gasoline combustion were not suitable for small mechas.
But current electric motors were either underpowered or too bulky. Forcibly installing them would only lead to more trouble.
"Student Jing, I can't make a decision about this. Please wait a few days, and I'll discuss it with the higher-ups..."
"This isn't very urgent. Oh, right!" Jing Mingqiu frowned. "Principal, Li Zhizhuan and the others were injured, and it's also somewhat my fault. I'd like to visit them in the hospital. Would that be convenient?"