With the help of the robotic arm on the workbench, Xu Fan wrapped the entire mecha in red cloth and loaded it onto the truck.
Out of absolute responsibility to his client, he didn't want anyone to see the mecha before it reached its destination.
A few minutes later.
Xu Fan drove the rented heavy truck out of the warehouse gate.
In a puff of smoke, it vanished into the night.
Zhonghai City, Yunlai Mountain.
Yunding Manor sits halfway up the mountainside.
It is the private estate of Zhonghai's renowned entrepreneur Wang Tianhao.
It's also the venue for the 70th-birthday celebration he's organizing for the family patriarch.
After passing identity verification, a legally modified heavy truck rolled through the manor gates.
Pavilions, kiosks, waterfalls, and flowing springs—everything one could wish for adorned the estate.
Once the truck stopped, Xu Fan saw farm-raised peacocks and ostriches flee in panic.
He parked the mecha on the open ground in front of the villa, still keeping it tightly shrouded in red cloth.
After two days and a night of nonstop work, the job was finally done.
He needed to go home, mute his phone, and get a good sleep… The Wang family of Zhonghai City held a position of distinction.
Besides the venerable Wang Baoguo, a towering figure in the scientific community, his two sons were both prominent names in the business world.
Early the next morning.
The entire manor sprang to life.
One after another, Rolls-Royces and maybachs cruised into Yunding Manor.
Leading business magnates from Zhonghai City arrived in force to offer birthday congratulations.
With lunchtime still a while off, many guests brought their children to stroll the grounds.
They all noticed a huge object wrapped in red cloth standing on the open ground in front of the villa.
Assuming it was a birthday gift arranged by one of the old man's sons, no one dared touch it.
As noon approached.
Three military vehicles drove into the manor and parked on the open ground.
Soldiers from the front and rear vehicles dismounted first, all armed and on high alert as they secured the perimeter.
An elderly man in a Zhongshan suit stepped out of the middle armored car.
"What are Eldest and Second thinking? I said keep everything simple—this… sigh!"
Frowning, the old man strode steadily toward the villa.
"Haha, Old Wang, you're late to your own birthday bash—did you lose track of time again while tinkering with your research?"
"Hmm?"
Hearing that familiar voice, Old Wang's cloudy eyes suddenly brightened.
"Old Hua, you old rascal—how'd you manage to abandon your post and run all the way here?"
Out of the villa came another white-haired old man, dressed in the exact same Zhongshan suit as Old Wang.
The two obviously went way back and were soon deep in conversation.
Behind them followed a middle-aged man with a bit of a paunch.
Guests nearby recognized Old Man Hua and immediately stood in solemn respect.
Whether Old Wang or Old Man Hua, both were titans of modern science.
They deserved every ounce of heartfelt reverence.
They were the true mainstays of the Zhonghai Military-Industry Research Base!
Each had produced major breakthroughs in Xia's mechanical-intelligence field.
National treasures!
Shoulder to shoulder, Old Wang and Old Man Hua entered the banquet hall inside the villa.
Guests filled every seat around them.
Yet the two old men's minds were not on the birthday feast at all.
"Old Wang, truth is, I came to discuss speeding up our Exo-Armor R&D."
"What's up, Old Hua—heard something on the wind?"
"I got word last night: the Northern Theater is working on Exo-Armor too, and they're already in the testing phase!"
"That fast? How do the functions and strength tests look?"
"Extremely strong!"
Old Wang immediately furrowed his brow.
They were still only in the first stage of R&D.
The results would directly determine where follow-up support and funding flowed.
If the Northern Theater stole the limelight, where would he, an old man, put his face?
Just then, a petite girl of about eighteen hurried toward Old Wang.
"Grandpa, the banquet's about to start; everyone's here except Second Uncle and Big Sister Yixue."
With a sweet smile, the girl mysteriously produced a gift box.
"Here's my present for you, Grandpa!"
Old Wang accepted the box with a beaming face, his eyes full of fondness as he looked at Wang Ning.
"It's an Exo-Armor model I bought from the Eagle Military," Wang Ning said, chin lifted proudly.
At the words "Exo-Armor," both old men's eyes flashed.
Back when Xia was developing nuclear subs, a model they'd obtained from the Eagle Military had provided crucial verification.
Without exaggeration, that seemingly modest model had played a huge role.
The same logic applied: perhaps this Exo-Armor model could spark some inspiration.
Old Wang unwrapped Wang Ning's gift.
Exquisitely made, every joint and mechanism ingenious.
Old Man Hua could tell at a glance it was extraordinary.
"Sure enough, whoever built this must have referenced the Eagle Military's actual hardware."
"Hahaha, Xiao Ning, you've given Grandpa a terrific gift!"
Old Wang laughed heartily and gently pinched Wang Ning's nose.
"Grandpa, I'm glad you like it."
Hearing her grandpa's praise, Wang Ning looked even prouder.
She took out her phone, snapped two photos of the model, and posted them to her social circle.
Feeling it wasn't enough, she forwarded them to Wang Yixue.
Beep—
Just as Wang Yixue was about to enter, her phone chimed.
She glanced at the screen: it was from Wang Ning, her cousin from the eldest uncle's branch.
Wang Ning was only two months younger than her and had competed with her over everything since childhood.
School exams, piano contests, even clothes—everything became a contest.
Yet Wang Ning had never won.
Seeing the message, Wang Yixue smiled helplessly.
Her little sister hadn't changed a bit.
The text was all about how delighted Grandpa was with the gift she'd given him.
Even birthday presents had to become a competition.
Wang Yixue didn't mind; she laughed it off.
What she was really worried about was whether the 50-centimeter mecha model she'd commissioned from Master Xu had been delivered to the manor.
She'd texted and called Master Xu, but he hadn't replied.
The Rolls-Royce glided into the manor.
Wang Tianhao and his daughter Wang Yixue finally arrived just before the banquet began.
"Dad, may your blessings be as vast as the Eastern Sea and your longevity as enduring as the pines of Southern Mountain!"
Wang Tianhao presented a two-hundred-year-old Changbai Mountain ginseng he'd spent half a fortune to secure at auction.
"What do I want this for? Just like your elder brother—always throwing money around!"
Old Wang sounded displeased, though he wasn't truly angry.
After all, it was Second Son showing filial piety.
"Eh? Little Yixue, it's only been a short while, yet just like Xiao Ning you've grown into a graceful young lady."
Apart from his research, what Old Wang cared about most were his two granddaughters.
Seeing Wang Yixue, his face lit up with a smile.
Wang Tianhao laughed beside him,
"Dad, you still think of her as the little brat who needed milk!"
"Haha…"
Relatives and guests all burst into laughter.
The atmosphere was harmonious; host and guests alike enjoyed themselves.
"Yixue, you've prepared a gift for Grandpa too, right? Stop being mysterious—show us!"
A voice rang out at that moment.
Wang Ning poked her head out of the crowd and asked with a smile.
There was a definite note of rivalry in her tone.
Old Wang's eyes brightened as he pressed,
"Yixue, your dad said you've got a great gift for Grandpa—where is it?