The bullet was deflected, and the stool wobbled.
Jiang Ye was quite satisfied.
With such a bracelet, activated at any time, it could be used as body armor.
Moreover, its defensive coverage was wider than that of body armor, capable of blocking bullets in areas not protected by clothing. For example, eyes, fingers, lower body, and so on.
Jiang Ye instructed the workers not to sell the shielding field bracelets produced in the coming days, but to reserve them for the police and military.
Leaving the shielding field bracelet factory, he headed straight for the spider armored vehicle factory.
The armored vehicle factory was much larger, vast and expansive. Upon entering, one was greeted by the strong scent of machine oil and metal. Bright white lights flashed continuously, and electric sparks cascaded like waterfalls, indicating the welding of key components.
Giant parts were suspended in mid-air, and the mechanical legs of the spider armored vehicle were already visible. They were much larger than imagined, at least ten meters long. Originally silver-white, they were now being sprayed with iron-black paint.
There was also a circular turret, as large as a small car, with indeed eight cannon barrels extending outwards, pointing in all directions.
Jiang Ye waited patiently. After an unknown amount of time, the first spider armored vehicle finally rolled off the assembly line.
The finished product was far more impressive than expected, not resembling a spider particularly. It was entirely iron-black, massive and imposing, exuding a cold, weaponized aura. When it rolled off the line, its mechanical legs were coiled on the ground. If it stood up, it would likely be as tall as a two-story building.
Jiang Ye personally climbed inside to test drive it.
He had expected numerous buttons and control sticks, but upon entering, he discovered that the only control stick was for adjusting the seat angle, and the only button was the power on switch.
Eight television-like screens displayed various parameters, radar data, and controls for movement and firing.
There were only two sets of operating equipment, and the so-called operating equipment was a mouse.
With a double-click of the mouse, all screens switched to window mode, allowing direct viewing of the outside scenery through cameras.
With a right-click of the mouse, a target could be locked, the cannon barrels would automatically aim, and a click would initiate firing.
Fighting was like playing a game, with simple mouse clicks.
Despite the simplicity of operation, it took Jiang Ye over ten minutes to grasp the basic controls.
Under the watchful eyes of numerous workers, the previously silent spider armored vehicle suddenly rose!
"Holy cow! This is a disaster!" the workers exclaimed, shouting and retreating in fright.
The spider armored vehicle emitted a low hum, its powerful mechanical legs moving in sequence with a clanking sound as it stepped out of the factory.
Jiang Ye was testing the performance of the spider armored vehicle.
He extended and retracted the mechanical legs repeatedly, raising the cannon compartment to the height of a second story and then lowering it back to the ground.
Sitting inside, there was no sense of bumping, much like riding an elevator.
It first moved slowly around obstacles near the factory, easily crossing the perimeter wall and entering the open space.
The massive spider armored vehicle had already attracted the attention of many nearby people. Hundreds of individuals ran out of their homes, looking up in awe and conversing with each other:
"My god, what is this thing?"
"It looks like a weapon, a combat robot, right?"
"Eight cannons all around, this thing must be incredibly violent when firing in all directions!"
"You wouldn't even need to fire the cannons against the water ghosts; its mechanical legs could kick them to death!"
"Is this thing controlled by a person, or does it move on its own?"
"Are you an idiot? If this thing moved on its own, how terrifying would that be? It would be like a living creature!"
Jiang Ye clicked around with the mouse and suddenly discovered a new function: automatic patrol.
He clicked it!
A massive amount of data appeared on the screens. The armored vehicle began to rapidly analyze everything visible in its surroundings, with prompts popping up one after another:
[Identity verification passed, network access granted]
[Loading database...]
[Loading complete, analyzing environment]
[Detected a large number of carbon-based life forms nearby, suspected to be Earthlings. Open fire?]
[YES] [NO]
Jiang Ye decisively clicked NO. A cold sweat broke out on his back. Fortunately, this thing was not loaded with ammunition. If it were loaded and he clicked YES, wouldn't it become a massacre?
[No attack at this time. All life forms will be automatically tracked and recorded. Patrol commencing.]
Jiang Ye made no further input, but the spider began to move on its own, its mechanical legs striding at a speed of about thirty miles per hour. It walked along the town's streets, its footsteps carefully avoiding the poor and houses. Each step made a resounding clang, drawing the entire town out to watch.
This thing clearly possessed considerable intelligence or operational logic. Its patrol route resembled an animal surveying its territory, circling the ring ditch around the town's edge, constantly turning its cameras to analyze what it saw.
[Detected suspected Earthling residential area. Open fire?]
[Detected suspected rapid-fire weapons. Open fire?]
[Detected suspected defensive fortifications. Open fire?]
[Detected suspected idiotic unicorn. Open fire?]
NO, NO, NO, NO, Jiang Ye clicked repeatedly with the mouse.
This thing was too aggressive. It seemed to want to blast anything it analyzed, more aggressive than the Japanese invaders.
After making the spider circle the town once, Jiang Ye turned off the automatic patrol function. This function was too risky; a misclick could lead to a massacre. He dared not use it again.
He maneuvered the spider onto flat ground to conduct a high-speed acceleration test.
This thing was astonishingly fast when running. It accelerated to over a hundred miles per hour in just four seconds, reaching its peak speed of 180 miles per hour after ten seconds.
Jiang Ye intensely experienced the G-force of a sports car, being pressed firmly into his seat.
Such a massive object, accelerating to 180 miles per hour on open ground without any bumpiness, demonstrated excellent balance and power.
Finally, Jiang Ye guided the spider back to the factory entrance, lowered it, and shut it down.
The spider armored vehicle's mechanical legs coiled together, surrounding the turret, like a sleeping spider.
Jiang Ye climbed out, touched the mechanical legs and the turret. The bottom of the turret and the joints of the mechanical legs were very hot to the touch. He spat on them, and the saliva sizzled and evaporated instantly.
"Good stuff, truly good stuff!"
Driving this thing out, he had no worries about the water ghosts.
The water ghosts were less than two meters tall, while this thing, when standing upright, could be ten meters off the ground. They were not on the same level at all. Even if the water ghosts jumped desperately, they couldn't reach the occupants, and the spider's legs could move at supercar speeds, easily leaving pursuing water ghosts in the dust.
He hadn't tested the cannons, but judging by their caliber, their power should be considerable. A single shot could likely blast large numbers of water ghosts into dust. Firing a few shots would result in a river of blood.
Jiang Ye left the factory and returned to his base vehicle.
On the way back, he kept his head down, lost in thought.
The performance and combat modes of the spider far exceeded his previous expectations.
Originally, he had only hoped that the spider armored vehicle could make the town more defensible.
But now, he had changed some of his plans.
Perhaps, he could use the spider to accomplish even greater things.
For example, to expand territory!
Unconsciously, he had reached the entrance of the base vehicle.
Jiang Ye entered, sat before the console, and typed a notice:
[Effective immediately, the Rapid Response Force will undergo a full mechanization reform.]