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Chapter 19 Drone Upgrade! A New Direction!
The successful ignition of the "ark reactor" was like a shot of adrenaline injected into the hearts of everyone in the "scavenger" project team.
This meant that they were no longer passively receiving and looking up to alien technology, but truly possessed the ability to independently "generate their own blood."
Although it was only the most basic form of "blood generation," this breakthrough from 0 to 1 was of extraordinary significance.
Lin Yuan was also genuinely happy for Academician Wang and the others. Over the past three months, he had witnessed with his own eyes how this group of respectable scientists burned their lives and wisdom for a common goal.
Now, his recuperation time was almost over.
After repeated confirmation by the Medical Team, his physical and mental state had completely recovered to their peak, and were even slightly better than before.
Chen Weiguo and Academician Wang found him once again.
"Comrade Lin Yuan, how are you feeling?" Chen Weiguo asked routinely.
"Reporting to the Chief, I couldn't feel better! If you don't let me do some work, I feel like I'm going to get moldy," Lin Yuan joked.
Academician Wang smiled: "Don't rush, the work is coming right up. It's time for your drone to be upgraded."
Lin Yuan's eyes lit up instantly.
"Upgrade? That's great! It was so severely damaged last time, I thought we would have to repair it first."
"Repair and upgrade can be done simultaneously," Academician Wang explained, "We have already sent the remaining 'oracle-grade armor' material to the connection room. According to the system's requirements, this should be enough to serve as the 'skeleton' for the repairs."
"As for the energy..." A smug smile appeared on Academician Wang's face, "Guess how much we have prepared for you?"
He took Lin Yuan to a newly built warehouse.
The warehouse door opened, and Lin Yuan was stunned by the scene before him.
Inside the huge warehouse, thousands of fist-sized spheres emitting a blue glow were neatly stacked.
These were the newly developed "ark reactor"s!
"Here... here are ten thousand samples of the 'ark reactor'," Academician Wang introduced proudly, "Each one contains enough energy to rival a small nuclear power plant."
"We have conducted tests, and your system can absorb the energy in the 'ark reactor'. One reactor can provide you with approximately 500 points of energy."
Lin Yuan's mouth dropped into an "O" shape.
500 points each, ten thousand of them... that would be... five million points of energy?!
He hit the jackpot! He really hit the jackpot this time!
He felt like a pauper who had suddenly inherited a mountain of gold.
"Academician Wang, you guys... you guys are just too fierce!" Lin Yuan exclaimed genuinely.
"This is all because of what you brought back." Academician Wang patted his shoulder, "Now, we have both the energy and the materials. For the next salvage operation, how do you plan to upgrade your 'scavenger'?"
This question made Lin Yuan fall into deep thought.
He followed Academician Wang to the combat conference room next to the connection room.
On the table, a holographic projection displayed the upgrade options for the drone.
γ Please select an upgrade path: γ
γ A. Engine (Increase speed and maneuverability) γ
γ B. Stealth Coating (Reduce the probability of being discovered by the 'Void Devourer') γ
γ C. Energy Core (Increase energy limit, extend salvage time) γ
γ D. Mechanical Arm and Payload (Increase gripping force and payload limit) γ
γ E. Scanning and Detection (Increase scanning range and precision, unlock new functions) γ
γ F. Defense System (Increase energy shield or armor hardness) γ
Compared to before, there were two more upgrade options: E and F.
Obviously, with the increase in the drone's level and the unlocking of Lin Yuan's permissions, more upgrade paths had been opened.
The conference room was filled with heads of various departments.
"I suggest prioritizing F, the Defense System!" The Minister of Security, a burly soldier with a resolute face, spoke up first, "Comrade Lin Yuan's safety is the top priority! Wasn't the lesson from last time deep enough? If the drone had sufficient defense, even just a basic energy shield, it wouldn't have been damaged so severely, and Comrade Lin Yuan wouldn't have almost sacrificed his life!"
His words were agreed upon by most people.
"I agree. Coming back alive is more important than anything else." The Head of the Medical Team also nodded.
"I object." The Minister of the Technical Support Department, an engineer who looked somewhat thin but had sharp eyes, proposed a different opinion, "Pure defense is useless. Facing a high-dimensional creature like the 'Void Devourer', no matter how thick the turtle shell is, it only makes the difference between being swallowed in one gulp or two. I think we should upgrade B, Stealth! As long as we aren't discovered, there's no danger. This is the most fundamental way to save one's life."
"Stealth has already been upgraded once, and the effect was not ideal; it was still discovered," the Minister of Intelligence Analysis retorted, "I think we should upgrade A, the Engine! In all martial arts, only speed is invincible! As long as our speed is fast enough, we can escape before the 'Void Devourer' catches up to us!"
"Then what if we encounter a gravitational field like last time? No matter how fast the speed is, it's useless!"
"Then upgrade D, the Mechanical Arm and Payload! We can grab bigger things, the yield from a single salvage will be higher, and we can accumulate resources faster to max out all the options!"
"Putting the cart before the horse! No matter how much you salvage, what's the point if the person is gone?"
The conference room was once again in an uproar.
Everyone stood from their own professional perspective, believing that their own plan was the optimal solution.
Chen Weiguo did not speak, just listened quietly, and finally, he cast his gaze toward Lin Yuan.
"Lin Yuan, what are your thoughts?"
Everyone's gaze focused on Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan did not answer immediately. He looked at the six options on the screen, his mind thinking rapidly.
Saving one's life is indeed the top priority. So F and B both make sense.
Running fast is also a way to save one's life, so A also makes sense.
Salvaging more leads to faster upgrades, so D also makes sense.
But...
Lin Yuan's gaze finally fell on the option that had not appeared before.
γ E. Scanning and Detection (Increase scanning range and precision, unlock new functions) γ
"I choose E," Lin Yuan said slowly.
His words made the entire conference room quiet down instantly.
Everyone looked at him with puzzled eyes.
Choose E? Scanning and Detection?
This thing can neither save one's life, nor run away, nor salvage more things; in everyone's view, it is the most "useless" option.
"Lin Yuan, are you sure?" Academician Wang also frowned, "This option, at the current stage, has the lowest cost-effectiveness."
"No, Academician Wang." Lin Yuan shook his head, his eyes exceptionally clear, "You have all ignored one most critical problem."
"What problem?"
"We know almost nothing about the 'Cosmic Graveyard' or the 'Void Devourer'," Lin Yuan said word by word, "We are like hunting in a forest with our eyes covered. We don't know where the prey is, let alone where the tigers are. All of our actions are based on 'luck'."
"Being able to salvage the data core last time was good luck. Being able to escape from the mouth of the 'Void Devourer' was also good luck. But luck cannot always be on our side."
"If we upgrade defense, we don't know how thick a shield is needed to withstand one hit from it. If we upgrade stealth, we don't know how strong the cloaking needs to be to remain completely undiscovered. If we upgrade speed, we don't know how fast an engine is needed to break free from its gravity."
"These are all using our own 'shortcomings' to collide with the opponent's 'strengths'. We are passively taking hits."
Lin Yuan's words made all the experts present fall into deep thought.
They discovered that this scrap yard owner with low academic qualifications had a perspective on the problem that was actually more thorough and essential than them, the top experts.
"So, what you mean is..." Academician Wang seemed to understand something.
"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated," Lin Yuan said an old proverb, "What we lack most right now is not power, but 'information'!"
"I need to see further and more clearly! I need to know, how does the 'Void Devourer' appear? What is its target acquisition mechanism? What kind of energy fluctuations is it most sensitive to? Are there any precursors before it appears?"
"I also need to know, where are those high-value items distributed? What is the environment around them like? Are there other dangers besides the 'Void Devourer'?"
"Only by turning this dark 'Cosmic Graveyard' into a 'map' that we can understand and is marked with all kinds of information can we truly take the initiative! Only then can we change from 'betting on luck' to 'making plans'!"
Lin Yuan stood up, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.
"So, I choose E. I need a brighter pair of 'eyes'. Only by seeing the road clearly can we go further."
The entire conference room was silent.
After a long while, Chen Weiguo took the lead and slowly started clapping.
"Well said." On his face was undisguised appreciation and admiration, "Let's do as Comrade Lin Yuan said! Upgrade E, Scanning and Detection!"