Translator: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
To help the Biology Research Institute with researching mutants, Jiang Chen ordered Xu Lu to establish an area to house the mutants outside of Camp 27’s walls. The area would support research intended to genetically modify the mutants while conducting breeding tests. As for the task of capturing mutants, Jiang Chen assigned the task to the Hunter Corp.
With the support of the helicopter and power armor, aside from the difficulty in capturing Death Claw, other mutants were relatively easy to catch.
All experiments would be done outside the walls. Any mutants who escaped would be killed by machine guns and electromagnetic cannons on the wall which prevented uncontrollable circumstances from arising.
After all this, Jiang Chen returned to Fishbone base via helicopter.
When he returned, Jiang Chen headed to the warehouse and moved a set of T-3 power armor, kinetic skeleton, and Reaper Assault Rifle into his storage dimension. After all this, only a laser sword would fit inside the three hundred cubic meter dimension. Emptiness in the storage dimension didn’t make Jiang Chen feel safe.
Heading to the city center would still require a period of preparation before their mission could be executed – whether it was designing the rocket launcher or producing ammo at the base, it all required time to complete.
The crystals on the ground would especially need people to pick them up.
Therefore, after Jiang Chen and Han Junhua had a discussion, the attack on the city center was set for mid-September.
The reproductive cycle of creatures wasn’t short; even a month after the rain of destruction, the number of mutants and zombies didn’t increase substantially.
Seeing as he didn’t need to assist with anything else, Jiang Chen returned to the modern world.
The 20 days were almost up as he was eager to see the results of the construction robots. He needed to solve the mining problem as soon as possible so Future Mining could officially start its business and virtual reality helmets could then be manufactured.
Leaving his mansion on Coro Island, he went to a telecommunication store along the way. While he reactivated a new SIM card, Jiang Chen purchased a new phone.
Although Yao Yao was designing a phone for him, he still needed a phone in the meantime. In such a digitalized world, being without a phone practically meant being back in the primal age.
After all the troublesome things were dealt with, Jiang Chen took a boat and arrived on Coconut Island. Just as he approached the island, he discovered from afar that the dock built along the shore was completed.
The primary structure was reinforced concrete with the top covered by metal roofing. The interior was a concaved water trench. Compared to the hundred-meter-long dry dock, the small dock could only be described as tiny.
But despite its miniature size, it possessed all the functionality of a dock. And if there was a need in the future, it could be expanded further.
He dragged the boat onto the dock and headed to where the construction materials were stored.
The two construction robots were in standby mode where the materials were stored. After they completed the construction mission, they automatically entered hibernation.
The reinforced steel, anti-corrosion concrete, and sand were mostly consumed, the explosives used to blow up the shore were all gone, and the six fuel rods used as batteries were depleted. After he placed all the remaining construction materials back into the storage dimension, Jiang Chen walked to the drone terminal among the trees.
The bee nest-shaped drone terminal quietly laid there with most of the drones charging on standby mode; only a small portion hovered near the beach outside the forest.
He connected the cable to his EP and checked the reconnaissance reports of the drones. After he confirmed that no one approached the island, Jiang Chen removed the cable and headed to the dock.
He opened the dock door before he saw the deepwater submersible floating on the surface.
The length, width, and height were nine meters, three meters, and four meters respectively. The waterdrop-like design had a smooth surface.
The rear end was embedded with a “T” shaped structure, the inlets on both ends allowed water to be fed into the engine without interruption, while the back-end nozzle jet pressurized water. The tail tilt of the shell produced a water pressure squeeze effect, and the dual effect of the water jet propulsion gave the submersible the speed of victory over all the submarines.
The “Droplet” had two pairs of mechanical arms installed in the front, capable of conducting deepwater construction as part of the construction module. An eight-meter cylindrical device hung on the bottom as part of the mining module. The construction robots assembled all parts and were operational once charged.
The submersible consumed electric power designed to fit the 100mmm nuclear fusion battery, but due to a lack of nuclear material, Droplet used crystal fuel rod.
The submersible’s built-in molten salt electrolytic carbon dioxide reduction device meant that in theory, as long as sufficient power was present, it could maintain a normal water supply in the submersible.
Jiang Chen jumped on top of Droplet. While he felt it sway under his feet, Jiang Chen carefully kneeled down and finally found a camera-like device on top.
Jiang Chen moved closer then spoke in an undertone.
“Initiate.”
“Iris verification passed. Welcome, captain.”
A crack appeared one meter away from Jiang Chen before exposing a way inside the submersible.
Jiang Chen moved closer. After confirming its safety, he jumped inside.
“It is transparent? No… should just be an optical effect.”
When he entered the cabin, Jiang Chen scanned his surroundings in shock.
It was hard to imagine that viewing the outside from the inside was easy – it looked transparent.
[Wide angle imaging?]
By hiding some full-angle cameras on the outside of the submersible, external images were presented on the screen in the cabin. Standing in this submersible felt like being inside a huge transparent bubble.
After exclaiming at the magnificent image, Jiang Chen passed through a narrow hatch and entered the cockpit.
Most parts of this submersible were printed by 3D printing, costing more than half a million crystals. But when he saw everything inside, he didn’t feel it was a high cost at all.
“Captain, please name the submersible.” The courteous digital voice instructed Jiang Chen.
After deliberating, he said:
“Droplet.”
Because the exterior looked like a droplet of water, it was Droplet then.
“Great, Droplet at your service. Captain, please follow the instruction manual…”
Without complicated operating procedures and with the help of basic artificial intelligence, even a single person could operate the piloting system that normally demanded the cooperation of multiple people. There were controlling rods at the captain’s seat – one was responsible for controlling the XY axis while the other controlled the Z axis. Beside them was a series of other instruments.
Other than manual control, it could be set in automatic control mode as well. Based on the map stored inside the deepwater submersible, the captain could control through a tablet or voice.
Once Jiang Chen familiarized himself with the controls, he immediately used the terminal to instruct the submersible to submerge.
With the low noise of water breaking, the entire submersible plummeted below the vast ocean surface outside the dock. Needless to say, it was more fun compared to being on a boat. With the waves splashing, the waves looked as if they could hit him since the cabin was transparent.
He felt as if he was surfing.
Jiang Chen immediately ordered as he stared at the waves disappearing.
“Submerge, 100 meters.”
“Roger.”
The digital voice spoke out before Droplet began to submerge. Just like submerging a person’s head into the water, the sound of the waves instantly vanished.
Jiang Chen observed the instruments next to his hand as the symbol signaling depth continuously flashed before finally stopping at the 100-meter mark.
He took a deep breath and suppressed the excitement in his mind as Jiang Chen set the coordinates of Future Mining’s mining platform as well as a depth of 7000 meters.
With excitement in his voice, he said:
“Droplet, set sail!”
“Roger, captain.”
Into the deep eerie ocean, Droplet plunged down.
