Chapter 270: 223: Treasure is indeed valuable, freedom is even more costly, but for the sake of life, both can be discarded.
Slapping Wang Fatty's meaty shoulder with a pat, Zi Liyuan gave a sly smile and then decisively left, leaving behind a distressed fatty, pondering life and whether he should prepare to run away from home ahead of time.
This time, Zi Liyuan teleported directly into Shen Yurou's manor.
Xiao Yurou was still soaking in her research lab, analyzing and researching the intelligent mechanical dog.
You could only say, this toy made by the Mechanical Race really contained a lot of black tech.
"Xiao Yurou, do you just stay in your lab every day without even working on increasing your strength?"
When he found Xiao Yurou, she was engrossed in her study of the mechanical dog and had completely failed to notice Zi Liyuan's arrival.
Zi Liyuan also couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental; her single-minded dedication was no different from those hardcore researchers.
"Eh, Li Yuan, when did you get here? Why didn't you let me know in advance so I could come to greet you?"
Shen Yurou's train of thought was abruptly interrupted as Zi Liyuan spoke out of the blue.
She was only slightly surprised when she saw it was Zi Liyuan.
After all, her manor was open unrestricted only to Zi Liyuan, Number Two, and the Fan Family Four Sisters.
Others needed her permission to teleport in.
"Just check the guide jade plaque before you speak."
Rolling his eyes, Lord Zi said exasperatedly.
After he returned from outside, he had sent messages to everyone at home, and it was evident that Xiao Yurou had been so busy with the mechanical dog that she didn't even look at the messages left on the guide jade plaque.
"Who asked you to let me research this mechanical dog!"
Women just don't reason the same way.
They can blame you squarely even when they have no reason to.
"666, my bad, there's progress with the munitions company. Is that big automated production line I sent you remodeled yet?"
Lord Zi raised both hands in surrender and then asked.
"It was finished a while ago, but it can only produce up to blue rare quality equipment. If we want to produce silver hero quality equipment, we have to manually craft it for now,"
Shen Yurou took out a Space Sealing Sphere and handed it to Zi Liyuan, then added.
"It looks like we need to recruit a lot of mechanics now."
The exoskeleton armor was silver hero equipment, and only the simplified version was blue rare equipment, which, of course, was intended for the masses of ordinary professionals.
But the military's need for equipment was also vast, and if we could only manufacture it manually, securing the military's entire order alone would be a huge problem.
"Not just any mechanic can do this job; we need to screen them for their innate abilities. The academy has already helped me filter out a list; the rest is up to you."
Recruitment was too time-consuming. She'd rather spend that time in her lab, figuring out how to upgrade the production line to the point where it could make silver hero quality equipment.
So, Shen Yurou pulled out a thick folder and tossed it straight to Zi Liyuan.
"Oh man, I really am a workhorse, aren't I? I've just returned, and now I have to leave again? By the way, what's limiting the automated production line from making silver hero quality equipment, and can you solve it?"
Recruiting mechanics was a task he could ask Wang Fu to assist with, potentially pulling in a group of mechanics quickly with the help of official power.
But it would be best to use the automated production lines for mass production; otherwise, it could take an eternity to fulfill the military's orders.
"It's the stupid system's fault; it has to be upgraded to an intelligent AI system to work."
With the mechanical dog at her disposal, once Shen Yurou fully deciphered all its black tech, she was confident she could create at least an advanced intelligent AI system.
But all this would take time, especially since the black tech in the mechanical dog was several levels higher than the black tech knowledge she had accumulated. Studying it thoroughly would have to be a slow process.
"Alright, I can't help you with that; I hope you can complete the upgrade soon.
I'll first send the modified automated production line parameters to the munitions factory, so they can create a few more of these supersized modified production lines."
```
The Mechanic should recruit a batch first, and as for developing subordinates later, you can slowly select the appropriate talent,"
He nodded. Zi Liyuan was also very helpless. In the world invaded by the game, those superb life professionals could use the power of the rules to create silver and even gold items.
But the automatic production line didn't possess this power of the rules. Therefore, for extremely high-quality items, they were generally handcrafted.
This was also why the officials valued the production blueprints uploaded by Shen Yurou so much.
They could be mass-produced, usable by low-tier professionals of all classes and considered extremely powerful limit-breaking equipment. They could help weak ordinary professionals pass the standard or elite-tier Second Order and Third Order promotion quests.
This was something that could overall enhance the strength of the entire Great Xia Empire!
"If there's nothing else, get the hell out of here and don't disturb me while I continue researching the dog,"
She had no time to foster subordinates now, thankful that the teachers at Dragon Academy had talked to her.
She didn't have to abide by the academy's competition rules; she just needed to focus on her research, and nobody would disturb her.
Of course, Zi Liyuan, that bastard, was an exception!
"Research is research, but you also need to quickly increase your own strength. The Sea of Realms is the real place we should set foot in."
Blue Star is a great base, and helping the Great Xia Empire unify the globe to create a stable rear is right, but it shouldn't delay the enhancement and accumulation of your own power.
Shen Yurou is the future Mechanical Queen that Lord Zi has earmarked, the controller of the Mechanical Calamity!
He even wants to combine the Mechanical Calamity with the Undead Calamity to sweep through billions of different races.
Just imagine a horde of Skeletons piloting massive Mechas rampaging through various planets.
Wraith Mages commandeering interstellar spaceship fleets, sweeping through star systems.
A swarm of Mechanical Bone Dragons annihilating billions from different races.
Thinking about these scenes is somewhat beautiful.
"Rest assured, the Third Order LV80 exoskeletal armor has been modified and redesigned by me. This time it is made based on the Mecha form you described, and it will definitely boost my strength by several levels."
Of course, she wouldn't forget to enhance her own power, but upgrading the exoskeleton armor to a Mecha form this time was very troublesome and would take a lot of time.
Otherwise, she would have rushed to test the new equipment in a dungeon run already.
"As long as you know what you're doing, this is the [Heart of the Lord]. Try using this thing to see if you can enhance your innate skills or, you can try to see if you can use it to improve the intelligence level of your AI."
After shearing a bunch of wool and giving No. 2 so many [Heart of the Lords], it wouldn't be fair to play favorites.
Knowing that this thing had some all-cure attributes, all sorts of weird ideas popped into Lord Zi's mind.
If No. 2 could enhance his innate talents with it, could others do the same?
Lord Zi was the first to experiment on himself, and the result was useless; he didn't even get a reaction.
Then he thought that perhaps his own talents were of too high a quality, and the mere [Heart of the Lord] simply couldn't enhance them.
So, he planned to turn his attention to Shen Yurou, the Fan Family Four Sisters, and Sikong You.
As for the Dragon Sister Daris, she was already confirmed to be able to evolve into an Epic Boss, so there was no hurry for her.
Looking at the 10 [Heart of the Lords] on the trade interface, Shen Yurou was somewhat dumbfounded.
This was an item that could make someone a Lord of the Sea of Realms. A single one could lead to countless people fighting over it, yet Zi Liyuan just gave her ten?
"Did you rob the Dragon Academy's treasure vault?"
There were [Heart of the Lords] for exchange in the treasure vault, but one cost 100 million Contribution Value, plus ten types of Purple Epic-quality materials.
"When I someday reach the top strength on Blue Star, I wouldn't mind actually robbing the treasure vault of Dragon Academy."
I'll have revenge for not sending an invitation to me; this humiliation must be avenged!
But one shouldn't step too far and risk straining one's nuts.
Set a small goal first: give all the students of Dragon Academy a psychological shadow, then do the same to the academy's teachers!
Lord Zi doesn't hold grudges, so of course, the things noted in his little book must be avenged quickly.
```