Chapter Thirty-Six: Twenty-Five Days!

There was still a fervent gleam in his eyes. Wang Zhi felt his lips twitch—he was still here, yet the two of them had already locked eyes! Was this what people called a passion for talent?

As soon as Wang Zhi left, Chu Xiao went straight to the point, beginning negotiations with Ren Boyuan.

“I need an offensive weapon,” Chu Xiao said, fixing Ren Boyuan with a steady gaze, pronouncing each word with care. “This weapon must have two traits: penetration and explosive force.”

“Nuclear bombs, missiles, ordinary bullets, and artillery are all unsuitable. Nuclear bombs and missiles cause too much devastation, while bullets and artillery lack sufficient penetration. So I thought of energy conversion: channeling a special kind of energy so that, upon release, it forms a sharp linear burst capable of piercing a machine’s innards, halting within, and then detonating from inside to shatter it completely.”

Chu Xiao spoke in one breath, and beside him, Ren Boyuan was left dumbstruck.

What kind of imagination did this man possess to conceive such a staggering weapon?

What astonished Ren Boyuan even more was that Chu Xiao had thought of energy conversion!

Ren Boyuan had assumed no one would ever consider it again, since everyone nowadays pursued missiles and high-powered explosives. His own theories had languished unused, and for lack of funding, research results were scarce. Now, finally, his expertise had found its place—against the Machines of the Underworld King, no less. If they succeeded, this would be an unparalleled masterpiece!

A sense of fulfillment and unprecedented excitement welled up inside Ren Boyuan. So intense was his emotion that he shed scalding tears; their heat did not burn his skin, but fused with the fire in his heart.

“I will devote everything I know to assist you!” Ren Boyuan declared loudly, his trembling voice betraying the thrill he could barely contain.

Chu Xiao nodded solemnly, then disclosed the present difficulties.

“We have the concept, but lack practical experience—even the model is unknown.”

“The immediate problem is, we have no idea which mineral’s energy can meet our requirements. Testing them one by one is possible, but time is too short! We must find the most suitable material as quickly as possible.”

“Moreover, the energy conversion technology itself is immature. Harnessing the smallest energy to yield the greatest explosive force is the challenge before us.”

Ren Boyuan calmed upon hearing this.

He understood well how arduous this task was; impatience would not help. It could only be tackled one experiment at a time. Even Edison tested over two thousand materials before inventing the light bulb. Hoping for instant success was utterly impossible.

Ren Boyuan knew this truth, and he trusted Chu Xiao did as well—though right now, Chu Xiao seemed a bit reckless.

“Director Chu, let me speak! What you’re proposing is perfectly feasible, but you must realize it’s not a matter of days. Truth comes from practice!”

“Furthermore, I need to construct an energy converter first, so I can test which mineral is suitable for the weapon.”

“You must stay calm!”

Hearing Ren Boyuan’s words, Chu Xiao realized he had indeed been too impulsive. This was the critical hour for the survival of Jiuzhou; he must stay composed! Chu Xiao took several deep breaths, banishing the restless thoughts from his mind.

“You’re right. We’ll follow your plan. Do you have any ideas for the device?” Chu Xiao asked, his expression earnest.

Ren Boyuan smiled mysteriously. “To be honest, I’ve already made some progress in researching this before—it’s just not perfected. If you provide enough materials, I can finish it in three days!”

He raised three fingers, his gaze unwavering.

All these years, he had never abandoned his research into energy conversion, but due to limited funding, each paycheck barely covered a few materials, so the process was slow. With sufficient supplies, he could complete the construction in a single day; the remaining two days would be for testing and modifications.

“Really?” For Chu Xiao, this was nothing short of wonderful news—it would save a great deal of time!

Ren Boyuan nodded. “I, Ren Boyuan, never boast about anything I’m not confident in!”

These words underscored his resolve.

“Excellent! Where are your materials? I’ll send someone to fetch them. If you need anything else, just tell Wang Zhi—he’ll do everything in his power to assist you. If there are any problems, come straight to me!” Chu Xiao could hardly keep himself from wishing he were a material, so Ren Boyuan could make use of him at will.

“Very well! They’re at my house. Let’s go together!” Ren Boyuan was also deeply moved.

Half an hour later.

Chu Xiao stared at the two-meter-tall energy converter before him, eyes wide in astonishment.

He hadn’t expected the device to be so enormous; if they had to carry it onto the battlefield, it would be difficult to handle.

After a long moment, Chu Xiao turned to Ren Boyuan standing behind him.

Ren Boyuan was admiring his own creation with an air of enjoyment.

“Can you make it smaller—and add a self-destruct mechanism?” Chu Xiao’s voice suddenly broke the silence.

Ren Boyuan looked at him in surprise. “Why?”

“It’s too big for combat, and if the enemy picks it up, it would become their weapon,” Chu Xiao explained.

Ren Boyuan was enlightened. “You’re right!”

“The self-destruct is easy, but reducing the size will require more time.”

“How many days?” Chu Xiao asked.

“Give me ten assistants, and I’ll need five days,” Ren Boyuan replied confidently.

“Five days!” Chu Xiao was surprised; this exceeded his expectations. There were fifty-two days left—subtracting eight days left forty-nine.

“How long do you think it’ll take to find the right mineral?” Chu Xiao pressed further, needing to know if time would permit.

Ren Boyuan counted on his fingers. “No more than twenty days.”

“Twenty days?” Chu Xiao exclaimed.

Twenty plus five makes twenty-five; that meant the finished weapon would be ready only about twenty-seven days before the Underworld King awakened.

There would be forty-nine days to manufacture the weapons, and twenty-seven days to mine the minerals and distribute them quickly.

Time was pressing—they could not afford to wait.

“Good! Don’t worry about anything else—just concentrate on your research. I’ll handle the rest!” Chu Xiao’s words steadied Ren Boyuan’s heart.

“Very well! Rest assured, I will deliver a satisfactory creation in twenty-five days!” Ren Boyuan’s gaze was as firm as steel, impossible to bend.

Chu Xiao embraced Ren Boyuan tightly.