200: Full of confidence

The tracks of the type 100 tank crushed the frozen earth as it slowly rolled into the garage.

The headlights went out, the engine stopped, and the cockpit fell silent.

Chen Wang released the control handles, the muscles in his hands slowly relaxing.

He didn't speak, looking down to check the status of the kindling system—all modules were normal, cooling was complete, and the weapons were ready for use.

Su Ling sat in the turret position, her fingers still resting near the firing button.

She took off her gloves and looked at the number in the bottom right corner of the control panel: four rockets remaining.

This number made her heart tighten.

That last shot had blown up an entire iceberg, but it had also used up too much ammunition.

She closed her clipboard, placed it on her lap, and didn't stand up.

Amy Chen leaned against the ammunition crate by the wall, holding the supply list she had just finished writing.

She paused at the "energy core" column and crossed out two places where they couldn't be bought.

The caravan outside hadn't replied yet, and the next batch of high-tier cores would take three days.

She looked up at the towering turret, suddenly smiled, and whispered, "With this vehicle, we can go anywhere."

Lin Wei crouched outside the power compartment, a detector tucked under her arm, using a wrench to tighten the last screw.

Her forehead was sweating, but she didn't have time to wipe it.

The results of the inspection showed that the interface temperature was normal and the weld seams hadn't cracked.

She stood up, patted the dust off her pants, and said softly, "It's stable."

Just then, Su Wan opened the door to the medical pod.

She walked inside and touched the newly installed life support machine.

The machine was still humming, the sound very faint.

She remembered a wounded person being brought in three days ago, with only ten minutes of oxygen left.

Back then, they were scraping by with old batteries.

Now, it was different; the system could save three critically injured people at the same time.

"It has saved many lives," she said.

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried far in the quiet garage.

Star Pupil stood next to the vehicle and walked over slowly.

She raised her hand, pressing her palm against the armor, and closed her eyes.

A few seconds later, her breathing steadied.

She felt a rhythm, like a heartbeat, or something else entirely.

It wasn't an illusion; it was what her senses were feeding back to her.

"Its energy... is very stable," she said, opening her eyes.

"Like my heartbeat."

No one answered.

But the atmosphere had changed.

The previous silence had been due to fatigue and calculating data; now, the silence felt like they were listening to something important.

Amy Chen stood up from the crate and tucked her clipboard under her arm.

She looked at the turret, then toward the cockpit, and said clearly, "I used to always calculate whether we could win, but I don't calculate that anymore. I feel like we can go very far."

Lin Wei walked to her side and nodded.

"The structure held up; even the folding array, which is most sensitive to vibration, wasn't damaged. Next time we encounter a difficult road, we can just drive right through it."

Su Ling stood up and walked to the vehicle.

She reached out and touched the barrel of the electromagnetic cannon; it had already cooled down.

But she still remembered the vibration when firing.

That power didn't come from having many people; it was built piece by piece, one steel plate and one circuit at a time.

Chen Wang hadn't moved.

He sat in the driver's seat, looking at the kindling interface in front of him.

The data was all green.

He knew this battle had gone well, and he also knew the cost had been significant.

But he understood one more thing—it wasn't over yet.

He unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door.

After his feet hit the ground, he didn't walk toward the others but instead circled to the side of the vehicle, grabbed the tracks with both hands, and jumped up onto the roof.

He stood there, with his back to the red logo of the vehicle name, facing everyone.

"This is not just a modified vehicle," he said.

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard him clearly.

"This is the hope we built."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Su Ling's face, Lin Wei's hands, the figure of Su Wan standing in front of the medical pod, the clipboard in Amy Chen's arms, and Star Pupil's hand pressed against the armor.

"This is our type 100!"

His voice grew louder.

"It is a mobile ark that we pieced together with screws, a welding torch, and our lives!"

"It is not just a weapon—it is the kindling of human civilization!"

After he finished speaking, the garage was silent for a few seconds.

Then, Su Ling raised her right hand and shouted, "Long live the type 100!"

Lin Wei smiled, the corners of her eyes slightly damp, and she raised her hand to wipe them.

Amy Chen whistled and hugged her clipboard tighter.

Su Wan clasped her hands together as if in prayer.

Star Pupil didn't move, but the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, her hand still pressed against the vehicle.

Applause broke out.

No one led it; everyone just started clapping.

Some stomped their feet, some shouted names, and some repeated the phrase: "Long live the type 100!"

Chen Wang stood on the roof, saying nothing more.

The wind blew in, carrying the cold from outside, but he didn't feel cold.

He looked at these people, looked at this vehicle, and knew they were no longer just individuals fleeing for their lives in a chaotic world.

They were teammates, a support system, people fighting for the same goal.

Lin Wei bent down to pick up her tool bag, preparing for one last inspection.

She opened the power compartment cover and leaned in to check the wiring connections.

The interfaces were secure, nothing was loose, and the temperature was normal.

She took out a pen and wrote in her logbook: "Test 198 complete, all systems passed."

Amy Chen leaned back against the ammunition crate, flipped open her clipboard, and reordered the list.

Fuel first, metal second, parts third.

She whispered as she wrote: "Must replace the core before the next operation."

Su Wan returned to the medical pod and opened the cabinet to check the serum.

She took out a new vial of antiviral agent, held it up to the light to inspect it, and then placed it in the refrigerator.

Then, she gently closed the door.

As she turned around, she noticed Star Pupil had entered at some point.

The girl was standing next to the life support machine, one hand resting on it, her eyes closed.

"Are you listening to it?" Su Wan asked.

Star Pupil nodded: "It is breathing."

Su Ling climbed onto the turret to recheck the locking mechanism of the electromagnetic cannon.

She pulled the slide, and it moved smoothly.

Then she opened the safety cover and pressed the self-test button.

The green light came on.

She nodded with satisfaction and fastened the protective cover.

Chen Wang was still on the roof.

He looked down at his hands.

These hands had repaired thousands of vehicles, but never one like this, pieced together bit by bit from ruins.

He touched the burn scar on his left arm, left there ten years ago while changing an engine.

Back then, he thought he would be a mechanic his whole life.

Now he knew he had built more than just a vehicle.

The wind blew in through the cracks in the door, kicking up a bit of dust.

In the distance, there were sounds of people moving things.

Someone called out a serial number, someone else checked a list.

The world outside the garage was still cold, and the black tide could come at any moment.

But here, it was different.

Here, there was light, sound, and a heartbeat.

Star Pupil suddenly opened her eyes.

Her fingers twitched slightly.

"What's wrong?" Su Wan asked.

"It just... skipped a beat," Star Pupil said.

"The vehicle's heartbeat, it sped up."

Su Wan frowned: "Is there a problem?"

Star Pupil shook her head: "It's not a malfunction. It's a signal. A frequency is approaching."

She turned and walked outside, her pace quickening.

Chen Wang heard her voice and looked down, asking, "What signal?"

Star Pupil walked to the center of the vehicle and pressed her palm against it again.

"It's not from E-7," she said.

"And it's not the enemy's either."

She closed her eyes, her brows slowly furrowing.

"But it recognizes us."