In fact, the first person Chen Xu contacted after turning on the communicator was Jimmy.
Under the watchful eye and hypnosis of that kid "Chen Fei," Jimmy is now an absolutely loyal dog to Chen Xu.
Although Chen Fei couldn't usurp the throne like Miwad did by becoming a spirit, the hypnotic effect was generally quite good. Not only Jimmy, but the scientists remaining on the island now also possessed considerable loyalty to SMMH and Chen Xu.
Chen Xu first sent him the information on infrasound weapons, instructing him to quickly produce a batch of portable, small infrasound weapons. These weapons are effective against virtually any human being, making them essential for everyday use, from home and travel to murder and arson. For everyone's safety, Chen Xu didn't mind deactivating the weapon's protection.
Another reason is that infrasound weapons are very easy to manufacture; all you need are existing blueprints. Given the island's existing equipment and technological reserves, a finished product could likely be produced within a week or two.
Then, Chen Xu asked Jimmy questions about this "robot".
Chen Xu found Terminator 4 in Xiao Min's database - Terminator 2012. In 2012, one of the main characters was a human who had been put into a deep sleep and "modified" through this means.
Unlike the Terminators who come off the assembly line, this "modification" is based on a human template, using alloy mechanical limbs to replace the original human limbs, giving the modified person more powerful and terrifying strength... However, Chen Xu is still unsure how high the technical level of "Number Seven" is. He remembers that in 2012, the modified protagonist's brain was replaced with a biological computer, but this Number Seven doesn't seem to be at that level.
“You mean mechanical prosthetics? Yes, the Tarot Organization had already mastered this technology at least ten years ago,” Jimmy replied. “However, this technology is kept extremely secret. I don’t know the details, but mechanical prosthetics and artificial organs are Tarot’s trump cards in the world. After ten years of development, they probably really do have the ability to transform people into these monsters.”
"Is there any way to confirm that this is a Tarot technique?" Chen Xu asked after thinking for a moment. "For example, are there any markings on the prosthetic limb, such as 'MADE IN CHINA'?"
"No, because while the advent of mechanical prosthetics can certainly benefit the world, the Emperor of Tarot is an ambitious and ambitious man. He wouldn't think about using this technology for civilian purposes. According to our speculation, Tarot's initial intention in researching this technology was for use in war."
"Is it only Tarot that can do this? What about Organization X?"
"According to our intelligence, although the research directions of Organization X and Tarot are largely the same, both hoping to give humans greater power by modifying the human body. However, the research paths of the two sides are not the same, which is also related to their respective technological reserves."
Jimmy said, "When PRO split from X-Organization, most of the neuroscientists and artificial organ experts joined PRO. So, in this area, Tarot's strength is immense, even X-Organization can't match it. And these two points are precisely the expertise of artificial limbs and artificial organs. As for X, based on the information we've obtained before, they focus more on using drugs and genetics to develop the potential of the human body. So there was a joke in PRO that if World War III were to happen in the future, the products of both PRO and X would inevitably dominate the war, and it might be RoboCop versus the Hulk."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xu laughed and said, "According to you, the X-Organization's subordinates might not necessarily be the Hulk. Maybe it'll be Superman or Spider-Man. Can PRO really research and develop the Terminator or Transformers?"
"These two are unlikely, because it's strange that both X and PRO have their own ideas and considerations for future individual combat. Their research is human-centered, and I don't think I've ever heard of any organization whose research is specifically for robots or machines."
People-oriented...
This is probably the beginning of a major scam in the future world.
Both sides are using various methods to "transform" people, but this is actually a subversion of human ethics!
For the sake of war, a perfectly healthy person might have their limbs cut off and replaced with machines, or be turned into a monster using drugs...
No wonder the "Way of Heaven" is so angry!
After calming himself down, Chen Xu said, "Who said there isn't? Jimmy, I will provide you with the first batch of 10 billion US dollars in the next few days. Just do as this document says. Modifying people is too cruel and will be punished by heaven. Their approach is not human-centered, but rather turns people into lab rats. We, on the other hand, are taking the right path."
Jimmy is now completely obedient to Chen Xu, so he naturally has no objection to what he said. He opened the file that Chen Xu sent him, and after only glancing at Jimmy's face, he became extremely fanatical!
"SMMH is the most powerful entity in the world!"
Seeing Jimmy's utterly submissive expression on the screen, Chen Xu said, "Read these materials carefully. Once you've compiled a list of what you need, tell me. If I can buy it, I'll buy it for you. If I can't... I'll snatch it from you! In short, this is the most important part of our first wave of development on Tongchi Island. I want to see the initial finished product off the assembly line within a year!"
"clear!"
"Alright, take a look first. If you encounter any difficulties, just let me know."
Chen Xu sat in his seat, his brows furrowed.
What he had just given Jimmy made Chen Xu feel very heavy-hearted.
If what Chen Xu retrieved from Xiao Min's files were all medical and entertainment items, then this time, Chen Xu has truly opened Pandora's box.
That document contained nothing other than weapons! Killing weapons used in war!
The world's first single-soldier controllable amphibious transformable robot, Model F! Codenamed "Jingwei"!
This type of machine is simply called... mech!
From Jimmy's few words, Chen Xu deduced that both Tarot and X were dedicated to the research of the next generation of individual weapons.
Although in future wars, the air force will first bombard the enemy with missiles, then the ground artillery will bombard them, and finally the heavy-armored army groups will be the ones to unleash their power.
However, with the experiences of the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan, people have also discovered this problem—ultimately, the key to capturing cities still lies in the army!
Therefore, many people believe that the role of the army will become smaller and smaller in future wars. However, more military strategists have noticed that it is not that the role of the army is becoming smaller, but that the army's strength is becoming weaker and weaker under the suppression of other branches of the armed forces and powerful weapons.
But the army is indispensable!
Therefore, barring large-scale or even world wars in the future, the army will remain the most important branch of the armed forces. Improving individual soldier survivability has thus become a research focus for many military scientists.
Clearly, both PRO and X have found their own paths.
One is to transform human bodies into mechanical monsters, and the other is to enhance human bodies, but it is unknown to what extent the X Organization's research has progressed.
But Chen Xu knew they had all gone down the wrong path.
Human modification is truly against natural law and morality, something that Brother Tiandao finds utterly unacceptable. It's safe to say that if Chen Xu were to reveal the existence of "Number Seven," it would inevitably provoke strong opposition from governments worldwide. In Western countries with free speech, large-scale protests and demonstrations would certainly erupt!
Although Chen Xu didn't understand why PRO and X would take this path, he assumed they must have their reasons.
However, they've gone down the wrong path, and I'll need to correct them in the future. Otherwise, if Brother Tiandao were to intervene... things would definitely not be so simple.
The term "mecha" has appeared in many science fiction novels.
This is a maneuverable robot whose mechanical shell grants it superhuman strength and defense, while the special features of the mechs make them more agile than conventional army vehicles and capable of performing a variety of missions.
Therefore, in the future, the level of mechs will be an indicator of a country's army's combat capability. By 2050, the first generation of mechs will have been equipped in the armies of various countries, becoming the "sharpest blades" of the army!
Although it is the first generation of mecha, the mecha has many different appearances and functions.
The "Jingwei" mecha that Chen Xu asked Jimmy to build is a lightweight combat mecha that can transform mechanically and is capable of amphibious operation on land, sea, and air.
The transformation is not as complex as in the movies. It simply involves adjustments to the mechanical legs, allowing the mecha to retract them when flying, run like an ostrich on land, and transform into a flipper on the sea surface for rapid movement.
In Chen Xu's view, this type of mecha is the most suitable for the current situation on Tongchi Island.
Although this amphibious mech is slightly inferior to other classic mechs of the first generation in terms of firepower and other aspects, such as the "King Kong" and "Demon Tiger" mech models in the first generation, which are best suited for jungle warfare, the mechs that are actually small aircraft for air combat are another domestically produced mech named "Bifang", and for naval warfare, there are the "Dolphin" and "Tuna" type mechs that can be used for diving.
Therefore, many mechs have specific combat environments. It's impossible to say which mech is the best, but there is one that is most suitable.
Tongchi Island is surrounded by the sea, making the "Jingwei" light amphibious mech the perfect choice for the island.
But... was everything really that smooth sailing?
"We don't have the resources to manufacture it..." Jimmy quickly scanned the information in the document and said to Chen Xu with a bitter face, "Excuse me for being frank, but if the United States or the European Union got their hands on this information, they could indeed manufacture the first batch of finished products within a year. But if we give it to them, I'm afraid it might take ten years to manufacture it!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Xu became displeased and said with a stern face, "What do you mean by that?!"
"Because of the hardware!" Jimmy said, "There are no military factories on Tongchi Island. I know you have a good relationship with the Chinese military and can rely on their strength, but to be honest, even if we give this information to the Chinese military, they still can't make a finished product. Don't be impatient, Master. Let me explain a few key points. First, the alloy material of the outer shell."
I took a look, and the most important aspect of such a tri-amphibious mech is its surface material—it needs to be both lightweight and sturdy. Ordinary steel simply can't be used; it must be a special alloy, preferably aerospace-grade, but at the very least, it can't be inferior to the materials used in fighter jets! The Chinese military does a good job in this regard.”
Chen Xu nodded: "I also have the smelting methods for alloys. Although this is a problem, it's not a major one."
"Alright, then the second, and most serious, problem... the engine! This Jingwei mecha isn't particularly heavy, but it's not exactly light either. According to the data, the mecha weighs around 23-25 tons, so the engine's importance is extraordinary. I've looked at the data, and the Jingwei mecha requires at least the current F119 engine! Master, I regret to say that China's aircraft engine technology is really too poor. We're completely controlled by the powerful Western countries, and China simply doesn't have the capability to produce an engine that matches this kind of mecha."
Chen Xu thought for a moment: "I also have the engine's data, detailed to the point of including blueprints and manufacturing methods. In terms of technical level, it is at least two or three levels higher than the F119 engine. Why can't it be manufactured?"
Jimmy smiled wryly and said, "Master, the engine is a core component with extremely high requirements. Because of the Western countries' blockade against China, China cannot even manufacture good car engines, let alone airplane engines."
China's aircraft engines are all imitations of foreign products. From some perspectives, China's current aircraft engine technology, technically speaking, far surpasses that of domestically produced aircraft engines. However, this industry cannot succeed with just technology; without the equipment, it's impossible to manufacture them. Domestically produced imitations cannot match imported engines in terms of lifespan or power—and the engines that Western countries are willing to import are mostly second- or third-tier products at the current publicly available level, far inferior to the advanced engines disclosed in current data. Compared to the more advanced engine technologies possessed by companies like X and PRO, they are completely incomparable.
"Aircraft engines have extremely high precision requirements, operate at very high speeds, and operate in harsh environments, making the material requirements incredibly demanding. Given China's current capabilities, focusing on the aerospace industry, it's possible to manufacture a few engines at any cost, but mass production is simply impossible!"
Chen Xu gasped. He wasn't a true military enthusiast, so although he knew that China's military technology was inferior to that of Western powers, he didn't expect it to be this ridiculously bad. For one thing, the engine is like the heart of a vehicle. If China's engine is so much worse than others, it means that the two sides are not even on the same starting line!
"Then... um, is all the aircraft engine data my teacher researched completely useless?"
“Yes!” Jimmy said, “If I’m just making a grammatical adjustment and don’t mean to doubt SMMH’s capabilities, then if SMMH possesses aircraft engine technology that surpasses the F119 engine, then they can slowly refine the hardware requirements based on that technology. This process is lengthy, possibly two to three years, but it could also take ten years to manufacture. You see, China started too late; Western powers have already spent decades accumulating innovative technologies. It’s impossible for China to achieve this overnight through trial and error. The simplest way…”
"Is it a simple way?"
"Purchase equipment! Master, your relationship with Organization X is quite good, and Organization X basically represents the US military. As long as they give their approval, we can purchase the most advanced and highest-precision machine tool production line in the world! With this production line, we can then manufacture a second and a third high-precision machine tool production line! It's like a hen that can lay eggs, but precisely because of this... it will probably be very difficult. Because Western countries regard China as an enemy, and they will definitely not give in if they finally have a means to contain China militarily."
"Even if SMMH had to trade its cutting-edge technology for it?!"
"Well, I can't say for sure, because I don't know how many years ahead SMMH's technology is in this era, or how much it surpasses that of Organization X... But if I may be frank, Organization X probably won't give in easily. Because if they do, it's like rapidly creating a military superpower, and their advantages will diminish. So, unless SMMH comes up with something that can elevate their overall technology by one or two steps, they won't give in. And if SMMH does actually do that... it would undoubtedly be like raising a tiger to threaten them."
Chen thought about it and realized it was indeed as Jimmy had said, but he still wanted to give it a try; he couldn't give up so easily. Machine tool…engine…
It seems I have no choice but to get involved in the military industry. Fine, even if you don't budge, I will do everything I can to improve this technology!
This is a matter of life and death, a matter of the future!
"So, are there any other questions?"
"As long as you can resolve the machine tool issue, everything else will be fine..."
Chen Xu contacted the X organization.
Upon hearing that SMMH wanted to buy the world's most precise machine tool production line from them, Organization X replied almost without hesitation: "That's impossible! Respected S, please don't dwell on this issue. Even if it offends you, we must say NO to this question! Because the imprint of China on you is too deep, we cannot cultivate a terrible enemy like this, so please don't ask this question again next time."
That one sentence completely shut down Chen Xu's next words!
Of course, Chen Xu was not willing to give up so easily, and tempted, "I can use some technology to exchange with you. I guarantee that this technology will satisfy you, or even... surprise you!"
"Please stop talking. We know that your technology is more advanced than ours. Since you've said that this technology will surprise us, it must be true. However, no matter how amazing this technology is, we will never sell the very foundation of our advantage. So please don't waste your time."
This isn't even allowed?!
It seems the temptation wasn't strong enough!
Chen Xu typed rapidly on the keyboard: "What if I could provide you with the technology to turn people into 'gods'?"
"A god?!"
Chen Xu spouted nonsense: "Intelligence, strength... Humans can possess everything that gods in our imaginations can do, can fly freely in the sky without any tools, have extremely high intelligence, can dive into the sea, have immense strength, live forever, and have legendary superpowers... With such gene-altering technology, are you still unwilling to budge?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end before a reply came: "That's not how you joke... If you really had that kind of technology, what would you need machine tools for?"
Chen Xu was embarrassed; he had blown his own horn!
No matter how much Chen Xu pleaded, they remained adamant that they would never sell the technology. Even if Chen Xu offered some advanced technology, they wouldn't budge. The X organization knew that without the hardware, no matter how advanced SMMH's technology was, they couldn't build anything!
If it weren't for the fact that SMMH is not someone we can afford to offend for the time being, they would have ignored him long ago!
This infuriated Chen Xu...
In a fit of anger, Chen Xu said, "Are you afraid that China will use this opportunity to become powerful if you refuse to sell me equipment?"
"Let's be frank, we are indeed very afraid. An advanced engine machine tool production line could instantly advance China's aircraft manufacturing industry by twenty years. China's potential is too terrifying, and we will absolutely not agree to such a thing."
"China has always sought a peaceful rise, I don't understand why you all think so much about it... Fine, then let me tell you, in the future, your enemy will not be China, but Europe, Tarot, do you believe it?!"
“Tarot and we do not have a good relationship, but you are exaggerating.”
"Scar-mongering? Fine, I'll show you something." Chen Xu sent over the preliminary examination data of Number Seven from the experts at the Butler's underground fortress, along with photos: "This is an assassin my student encountered in Las Vegas last night. Although we don't yet have enough reason to confirm he's from Tarot, we suspect so. Take a look, this is definitely not scaremongering. We're currently in a secret base of the North American Clover Butler. If any of you don't believe me, you can come and see for yourselves!"