Before going out, Zhou Tianming handed Ray a silver-white, lightweight and soft vest with circuit patterns: "Put this on. Remember the precautions?"
"Remember. Keep the battery above 30%, carry a spare battery to prevent power loss, place it on the designated hanger every night to replenish Mental Power, and wear the Simple Connector when taking it off without going beyond 10 meters."
Ray put it on while talking and zipped it up. When both sides connected, the patterns glowed faintly.
"Good."
"Can't you optimize it further, brother?"
Zhou Tianming tapped Ray's forehead: "Easier said than done. It wasn't easy to optimize it to this level. It's not something I can accomplish in an instant."
"Hehe~"
Zhou Tianming took Ray for a stroll around Mendel.
Although the central area was completed, the surrounding zones were still under construction. There wasn't much scenery to enjoy—just unfinished buildings everywhere.
The destroyed greenery hadn't been replanted yet, leaving the roadsides bare.
In Zhou Tianming's perception, not only was the scenery unpleasant, but the construction noise made it far from an ideal place.
Yet Ray was delighted, holding his arm while looking around with sparkling eyes.
"Haven't you gotten tired of wandering here for months?"
Ray shook his head, smiling: "Not tired. It's beautiful."
Patting his head, Zhou Tianming thought to himself—
His health has recovered quite well. I should take him back to Earth sometime.
After walking around with Ray, they arrived at the Spaceport where the Black Tortoise was docked.
Upon entering the Black Tortoise's hangar, they saw several familiar faces gathered around a massive machine beneath the Gundam Frame.
The machine had a large circular base with a spherical cockpit in the center. When activated, magnetic forces from the base would levitate the cockpit to simulate various movements.
As Zhou Tianming and Ray approached, the cockpit descended, and Lowe rushed out, kneeling on the ground.
He held his forehead, looking pale, and groaned incessantly.
Yamabuki Shuri hurried to his side, offering a bottle of water.
Lowe took it and gulped down a mouthful before panting heavily: "It's unbearable. How does the Chairman handle it? Can people really endure this?" Zhou Tianming walked up behind him, his shadow falling over Lowe: "Lowe Guele, you seem to have plenty of free time."
Lowe stiffened, turning his head stiffly with a pitiful expression: "Chairman..."
"If you're free, hurry up and complete the second unit. What's the point of simulating battles against Mistral's Mobile Armor all day?"
His eyes lighting up, Lowe immediately perked up and staggered up from the ground, holding his head with one hand: "President, you mean..." "Isn't this kind of thing more interesting for combat?"
"Wahoo~" Lowe cheered, "One day, no half a day, just give me a few hours!"
After saying that, he dashed away in a flash.
"Lowe!" Yamabuki Shuri hurriedly followed after him.
However, Liam did not leave but instead looked at Zhou Tianming with a worried expression.
"Something on your mind?"
He gritted his teeth and said, "This is clearly meant for combat, right? Does the president intend to deal with Coordinators?"
Zhou Tianming was taken aback: "Why would you think that? I am a Coordinator myself."
"But the president is clearly aligned with East Asia, and the Council of Nations is against PLANT..."
Zhou Tianming walked up and patted Liam on the shoulder: "You're overthinking it. Such matters are beyond the control of small figures like us." He gazed at the silently standing Gundam Frame: "Sooner or later, there will be a major war between the Council of Nations and PLANT—it's unavoidable." "Why? As long as—"
Zhou Tianming shook his head: "People can't understand each other. Rather than dwelling on things that can't be changed, it's better to think about what you can do yourself."
Liam's face darkened, and he pressed his lips tightly together.
After a long pause, he bowed and quickly left.
Zhou Tianming watched his retreating figure and shook his head.
He was being too idealistic. The conflict between the Council of Nations and PLANT wasn't just about interests—the opposition between races and abilities was the core issue. Suddenly, his sleeve was tugged. Zhou Tianming looked down to see Ray gazing eagerly at the cockpit.
He chuckled: "Didn't you go in last time? There's nothing I can do if you're not tall enough."
"I can use Psycommu Mode."
"Are you sure? Last time, you had a headache for a week after coming out."
Ray looked determined: "It's fine."
Zhou Tianming rolled his eyes and shook his head: "It might be fine for you, but I got scolded by Mom for ages."
Ray looked dejected, pouting as he lowered his head and fiddled with his fingers.
Ruffling the boy's hair, Zhou Tianming said, "Alright, alright. I'll make some adjustments, and then you can go in."
Ray, who had been tidying his blond hair, immediately broke into a happy smile: "Thanks, bro."
Zhou Tianming entered the simulator to further adjust the Psycommu Mode. At the same time, he discovered that Lowe had been using this mode earlier—no wonder he ended up in that state.
The original version of the Psycommu System was indeed torturous. Even Zhou Tianming found it uncomfortable to use, as his Mindpower had to remain highly concentrated at all times to prevent his Thoughts from wandering. Issuing too many commands at once would cause the system to crash.
Over the past few months, he had been continuously optimizing it and writing specialized Auxiliary Operation Software.
Naturally, this involved Lowe, who diligently served as a test subject. Everyone else who tried the Psycommu System once never dared to touch it again. Only Lowe, despite repeated failures, persistently provided Zhou Tianming with extensive data from an ordinary person's perspective.
Absorbed in his work, hours flew by unnoticed. When he snapped back to reality, it was already 5 p.m.
Zhou Tianming hurriedly stepped out of the cockpit and looked around. Ray was sitting quietly not far away.
"Sorry."
Ray shook his head, trotted over, his light blue eyes filled with anticipation: "Is it adjusted?"
"Done!!!!"
Before Zhou Tianming could answer, a loud shout came from the distance.
Both of them looked over.
Lowe, covered in grease and looking grimy, was sprinting toward them with a grin on his face.
He came to an abrupt stop right in front of them, then started coughing as he choked on his own breath.
Zhou Tianming didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Slow down, slow down."
After catching his breath, Lowe exclaimed excitedly, "I'm done! President! Let's battle!"
The roar of an engine sounded as a large truck carrying a disc-shaped base and a spherical cockpit approached from the distance.
Speechless.
This guy really built a simulator in just a few hours. What a madman.
Zhou Tianming glanced at Ray. "Are you hungry? Should we eat first or—"
Before he could finish, he saw the answer in Ray's eyes. "Alright, let's play a couple rounds."
He turned and walked toward the Gundam Frame.
Lowe immediately scrambled over. "Let me! Let me!"
Zhou Tianming spread his fingers and mercilessly pressed them against Lowe's face, his expression full of disgust. "No, you're too dirty!"
"No!!"
Lowe knelt on the ground in despair.
Using the Gundam Frame, they moved the simulator from the truck and placed it next to the first one. Lowe eagerly began connecting various cables.
The machine had a rugged exterior, clearly rushed, with many exposed wires and only critical parts of the outer shell installed. After a moment, the machine booted up and operated normally. Lowe proudly puffed out his chest.
Zhou Tianming had to admit the guy's hands-on skills were impressive.
"President! Let's fight!"
Yamabuki Shuri and Liam covered their faces, shaking their heads in silence.
Zhou Tianming smiled and nodded.
The two entered their respective simulators.
The three outside stepped back as the bases lit up. Soon, the cockpits levitated.
A bulge appeared along the waistline of the cockpits, and two rings—one large, one small—began rotating irregularly.
The three outside turned their attention to the large screen nearby.
As soon as the three-second countdown ended, two Gundam Frames launched into the sky.
The two machines soared upward, one after the other.
Then, in the next second, the higher Gundam Frame flipped over, instantly drawing a 40-meter Beam Saber and slashing downward vertically.
Lowe had no time to react. He crashed headfirst into the blade and was instantly split in two, exploding.
The lights on Lowe's cockpit dimmed. The two rings retracted to the midline, and the sphere descended.
Yamabuki Shuri rushed over anxiously. "Lowe! Are you okay?!"
The cockpit door opened, and Lowe burst out, eyebrows furrowed in rage.
"President, you cheated!!"