Sky-cracking Rider

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Installing the weapon platform didn't take much effort, but unpacking the packaging was so hectic it left us sweating profusely.

By the time it was almost dark, Chen Fei and Kiterley had finished setting up the dozens of weapon platforms and even completed their calibration.

The job of setting up the control system naturally fell to "Adam." Chen Fei only had to dock his "Universal Data Transceiver," usually worn as a bracelet, to the data port of the weapon platform. It took just minutes to complete the initial setup and various parameter configurations.

Although the weaponry that relied on physical ammunition couldn't be activated yet, the directed-energy weapon platforms powered by Crystalline Blocks were ready for action.

Still, not a single soul was in sight around us.

Looking over at the city wall, which had been breached widely, I saw that the steel-reinforced cages I had constructed were now filled with concrete. It seemed like the construction workers had already left.

All that was left was to wait for the concrete to harden. For at least ten days to a half-month, the walls would not see any work beyond the occasional sprinkling to keep the concrete moist.

"We're not forgotten here, are we?"

The expression on the face of Kiterley, an A-grade Metal Ability User, as he rubbed the back of his head and stared with wide eyes, spelled out "annoyed."

"Who cares! We work nine to five, the stall's closed!"

Chen Fei paid no mind. He and Kiterley had finished taking apart all the packing cases that were left here.

If there were any more cases out in the distance, that would have to wait for tomorrow.

Anyway, there was no need to worry about these weapon platforms being stolen.

"Let's go!"

Kiterley thought it made sense.

Regardless of whether the overseer had forgotten about them or not, he had no intention of spending the night here.

Imagine a mutant suddenly popping up in the middle of the night — even if it couldn't hurt anyone, it would still be terrifying.

"Hey, you two, work's over, work's over. Whatever's not done, we'll continue tomorrow."

The overseer, with a white safety helmet and a tablet tucked under his arm, came running over, bounding and leaping towards us and waving continuously.

After making a full round of the construction area he was responsible for, he finally remembered the two 'big shots' he'd almost left behind.

Nobody dared to treat ability users as if they were workhorses in a production team. Whether drained of magic power and spiritual power, or suffering from special ability fatigue, these people couldn't just grit their teeth and work overtime — when they were tired, they rested, and when they wanted to leave, they left, without a word from anyone.

But as he approached, what he saw made him pause... Emmm!

"Ah, you guys finished installing them?"

Within a kilometer radius, every packing case had been opened. On each installation base, dome-shaped full-metal dust covers, resembling huge dumplings, were already in their designated spots, ready with "Lucky Blind Boxes" for the mutants — might be "D-600 Model Parallel Railguns," or "SE-2500 Shockwave Cannons," "L-12 Laser Cannons"—surprised? Unexpected?

This was a week's worth of work. I hope they weren't just slapped together haphazardly.

"Piece of cake!"

Kiterley struck an ostentatiously proud OK gesture. If not now, when would he show off?

Chen Fei thought for a moment and then said, "Need a raise!"

Bluffing was one thing, but getting paid was more substantial, especially for the poor.

He was indeed easy to talk to but far from stupid.

"Right, a raise!"

Kiterley promptly chimed in with his younger brother.

The female boss of Jiu Defense was a good person, dealing with such a huge debt without any coercion or rush — that was what righteousness looked like.

Nowadays, heartless capitalists were everywhere. Finding a good boss with a conscience was harder than finding a wife who was both graceful and homely.

"That raise..."

As the sunset and the cool breeze picked up, the overseer's forehead was quickly drenched in sweat, caught off guard by the sudden negotiation.

They say ability users are tough to handle, and even he was no exception. Hablav City may be wealthy, but the budget for repair projects didn't just blow in with the wind.

"Little Chen, let's disassemble all these and let him find someone else to do it."

Kiterley was also holding a grudge.

It wasn't supposed to be their job in the first place. He and Chen Fei had put a lot of effort into getting these weapon platforms up and running.

The two weren't naïve newcomers to the workplace. They were doing technical work with only the basic salary from the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee.

There was no way they'd let anyone take advantage of them for nothing.

"Disassemble! Guaranteed to return it to how it was!"

Chen Fei raised his hand, dead serious.

"Stop! Stop, stop!"

The overseer blurted out, sweating profusely and gasping for air, "Raise, a raise! I'll give a raise!"

"It depends on your sincerity. Come on, let's talk!"

Kiterley shot Chen Fei a knowing look and then walked aside with the overseer, arm in arm. They murmured something inaudible together.

Only after a while did Kiterley let go of his grip, his face beaming with sincerity.

The overseer, however, kept nodding with a complexion pale as clay, his forced smile uglier than crying. How could he dare to say no? If he so much as let the word "no" slip through his teeth, the edge of an A-grade Metal Ability User's power would plunge straight into his heart.

"Hehe, done deal!"

Kiterley returned to Chen Fei, fingers waggling triumphantly.

His young brother was too young, possibly too shy or soft-hearted, but he was neither a saint nor a charitable soul.

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Shameless, indeed, invincible, Kiterley was absolutely willing to risk his reputation.

"What were you two talking about?"

Chen Fei glanced at the supervisor fleeing like he was escaping, who if not a War Professional must be a Wind Ability User, running incredibly fast.

"Installation of a weapon platform is 50,000, we'll split it half and half."

Kiterley said with a smile, patting Chen Fei's shoulder reassuringly.

Earning extra through skill, it was only natural for brothers to settle accounts clearly.

He felt perfectly justified in driving a hard bargain and saw dividing the profit with Chen Fei as something to be taken for granted.

"You're awesome!"

Chen Fei figured that the supervisor had agreed under Kiterley's intimidation, opting to spend the money rather than face disaster.

Although this deal wouldn't lose money, its profit margin was likely to shrink significantly.

Ultimately, it was the other party that had given Chen Fei and Kiterley a reason to act. If they dared not agree, they would only take responsibility for disassembly, not assembly, as some items were designed to be permanent and there was no guarantee they could be reinstalled once removed.

If Kiterley didn't cash in on this opportunity, the weapon platform's manufacturers would certainly do so with ease – it was the same logic as getting a free printer with the purchase of ink cartridges.

"Come on, come on, let's go take a shower first, then enjoy a good meal, treat ourselves," Kiterley said cheerily. "Call Adrian and the others, it's my treat."

The agreed upon extra payment was necessary, and that supervisor wouldn't dare go back on his word, especially when dealing with such valuable weapon platforms.

Having managed to fleece a fat sheep, it was time to celebrate.

"With the restaurants probably in ruins by now, how about we do a barbecue ourselves? I remember Adrian has plenty of food."
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When it came to hosting a barbecue party, Chen Fei had abundant experience.

All you needed was the Mobile Base Vehicle in place, lights on, music playing, charcoal burning, endless meat, and drinks – the atmosphere would naturally get fired up.

"Well, actually, that's not a bad idea, let's do the barbecue!"

Kiterley scratched his head and agreed with Chen Fei's suggestion.

With half of Hablav City turn to ruins and most of the survivors still in shock, too busy picking up the pieces to give any thought to reopening for business, the foodservice industry had taken a heavy hit and it would be hard for him to find a place to host even if he wanted to.

The barbecue had just been set up, and before the scent of meat could even waft through the air, a text message arrived: 1.2 million Star Yuan had been transferred to Chen Fei's phone.

Having read the message, Chen Fei caught sight of Kiterley winking and gesturing at him to keep quiet.

The old river rat was reminding him to make a fortune in silence!

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's get high!"

Kiterley grabbed two green fluorescent sticks and smashed them against his forehead, immediately covered in foamy beer and glass splinters.

True to being a Metal Ability User, he didn't spare himself when going wild.

If it had been someone else, looking ferocious and not sparing even themselves, not ending up with a concussion would be a blessing.

After demonstrating his genuine head-banging skill, the vibe at the event immediately took off!

Boom crack crack, boom crack crack... The fierce 'kick-the-dog' music surged, the ultra-heavy bass enough to kill a dog on the spot.

Hundreds of men and women circled the Mobile Base Vehicle like a horde of wild demons.

The Mobile Base Vehicle opened its half lid, and news of the BBQ spread quickly through the residential building, with residents from several nearby buildings also gathering spontaneously – unlimited meat, unlimited drinks, but once the mood got heated, food and drink were forgotten.

Three Magic Arrays were added to the Mobile Base Vehicle: "Light Gathering," "Wave Gathering," and "Crystal Energy Conversion," harvesting local energy sources to power the onboard Crystalline Blocks.

"Wave Gathering" referred to the movement of air, whether it was wind, sound, or even vibration, all of which could be converted into Crystal Energy to be stored, although the collected energy was often minimal. However, over time, the aggregation of small amounts could build up significantly.

With big skewers of meat smelling deliciously, Chen Fei joined the random dance, only to see Rossi, the Liaison Officer of Team 04, pushing his way through the crowd with a deadpan expression, heading his way.

Good lord, Rossi actually had such an interest!

One could only imagine seeing a serious, stone-faced person doing goofy dances amongst a colorful crowd – it was an endearing contrast!

Without saying a word, Chen Fei handed him a large green fluorescent stick and several big skewers.

"I... I..."

Stuttering over his words, it took Rossi a while to push away the beer and skewers to some passersby, pointing outside the crowd, he shouted, "Got... something!"

"Huh?" Chen Fei was perplexed and shouted back, "Old Luo, are you not going to join in?"

Rossi replied irritably, "P! Come!"

Following him to the outskirts of the crowd, the noise from the festivities quieted down, and Rossi finally stopped.

"You, join, hunting, tomorrow, 7 am, A2 district, Ninth Street, building three, be there," he said.

Even without lowering his voice deliberately, it was impossible to hear what Rossi was saying from a few steps away.

Chen Fei looked at the members of Team 04 in the crowd, puzzled, and asked, "Check-in? What about Team 04?"

Was he being drafted into another squad?

"Bear hunting, paused!"

After thinking for a moment, Rossi added, "Confidential!"

It seemed that even Adrian wasn't informed, and they had chosen to contact Chen Fei directly.

"Got it!"

Chen Fei had no power to refuse and could only wait and see how things unfolded.

By 7 am tomorrow in A2 district, the truth was likely to come to light.