Extreme germ phobia

Chapter 371 New Equipment (Mainly exoskeletons; skip if you don't like it)

After a few days of adjustment, a total of 104 people returned to South America and boarded the ship.

In addition to the 82 people selected in the preliminary rounds, the extra 22 people were selected from various factions on the main island.

Although the genetic testing by Hua Tuo confirmed that this group of people had the ability to resist pneumococcus, and the experiences of some of them indirectly confirmed this, people still had doubts.

After all, you're dealing with infected people. Not getting infected only eliminates some of the risks. What if you get bitten to death by an infected person?

Unbeknownst to them, at the request of the 2.0 version of the Linfu, the Dongzhou had already dispatched warships to the designated area in advance. They not only destroyed the bridges of all sizes leading to the area, but also used drones to repeatedly patrol and kill all the infected people they could find, clearing out a relatively safe area.

The transport ship docked at a dilapidated seaside town. The group first tidied up the town, then unloaded a large amount of building materials from the ship and set up camp at a pre-selected location.

The kind that's surrounded by an electric fence!
In the following period, various agricultural machines arrived one after another.

These agricultural machines are specially manufactured and have a sturdy cab. With just one layer of armor plating, they can be used as tanks, greatly enhancing the safety of the crew.

Even when surrounded by a large number of infected people, they can still fight their way out.

The anxious crowd gradually calmed down and began cultivating the land under the remote guidance of the new city, and the plan slowly got on track.

Initially, the farm was not well-known, but soon scattered refugees began to wander into the restricted area.

At the request of the neighboring government, the farm quickly changed its mindset and established a brand-new shelter to take in the survivors.

These people are temporarily quarantined on the farm and must be observed for a period of time before they can be sent to the main island.

Version 2.0 even launched a radio broadcast to summon survivors and prepare for rebuilding the country.

Overnight, news about the farm spread throughout most of South America.

Although the social system here was destroyed by the pandemic, there were still many survivors. However, after experiencing various difficulties, the vast majority of people chose to stand by and watch, while only a small number of people had to turn to the neighboring city for various reasons.

Version 2.0 is very satisfied with this result.

They are not ready to accept refugees on a large scale yet. They will take in a small number first, and then expand the scale after the farms have a good harvest in a few months.

However, things did not develop as the neighboring government had planned. A certain councilor, who was hiding in some unknown corner, suddenly appeared and arrived at the farm in a grand manner.

If it were just about making a living, that would be fine; taking in one more person would just be one more thing.

However, the clerk, relying on his status, actually put on airs in front of a group of underground members and demanded special treatment.

Just outrageous.

Alex, who was in charge of receiving them, almost laughed out of anger.

That's right, this guy is lucky; he's also immune.

But Alex didn't reveal his true intentions. Instead, he agreed on the surface and made proper arrangements for the group. Then, late at night, he led his men into the senator's residence and killed everyone in a hail of bullets.

It was publicly stated that an infected person was hidden among the members of parliament and their entourage, and that the person fell ill at night. In order to ensure the safety of others, the farm had to take decisive action.

The method is simple, crude, but also very effective.

When the news reached Saint Václav Island, Zhu Yiming curled his lip and hit the nail on the head: "Serves him right. A beggar trying to get a golden rice bowl? What time is it? He still can't let go of his politician's airs?"

Ou Yang responded with a laugh: "Some people are just insatiable."

As the two were talking, a small wind turbine slowly rose into the air above Belling Island, providing a continuous power supply to the newly completed ant colony.

In addition to the airship that has already taken off, another one remains on the ground as a backup in case of an unexpected power outage.

"Don't you have a feeling?" Zhu Yiming asked mysteriously.

"What does it feel like?" Ouyang didn't understand.

"Well, how should I put it?" Zhu Yiming organized his thoughts, "I think the higher-ups don't seem to intend to stay here for long, which is why they've been using wind turbines instead of building a real power station!"

"Aren't you overthinking it?" Ou Yang glanced at him sideways. "You know what kind of people the Lin family is, don't you? We only have the right to use the new city. What if the Lin family comes and tries to take it over after we've laid all the groundwork? We need some means to restrain them."

Zhu Yiming scratched the back of his head: "Really? Just using electricity?"

"And there's the supply of food and provisions," Ou Yang said. "As long as the neighboring government doesn't do anything stupid, they should know that without us, their current achievements... haha!"

No need to go into details, those who understand will understand.

In the new city, everything is gradually getting back on track. Various departments have been established and are gradually put into operation, and the previously centralized powers are being systematically separated.

One of these was the police station. From then on, security issues were no longer linked to the emergency response team, but the emergency response team was not abolished. Instead, it served as the armed force of the new city.

Well, seven people is indeed a bit few, but there aren't any powerful forces here, so seven people are enough.

The key is that the emergency response team is just the outward appearance; behind it is a powerful team that can call for support from warships or drones at any time in case of an emergency.

Modern warfare is about comprehensive strength, and it's about getting things done efficiently without anyone showing their face.

As the two were chatting, Ou Yang suddenly received a call from Lu Wei and immediately gestured for Zhu Yiming to be quiet: "Hello, it's me!"

"Ouyang, come to the training ground right away," Lu Wei said succinctly.

"What's the matter? Is there a mission?"

"No, I'm here to try out the new equipment."

Ou Yang immediately agreed: "Okay, I'll be right there!"

Leaving Zhu Yiming with a look that said, "You're so disloyal," Ou Yang rushed to the training ground as fast as he could.

He immediately noticed the new equipment on Luohan's body and his eyes lit up: "An exoskeleton?"

Ouyang had seen people using this thing on warships, but the equipment in front of him was obviously an improved model, lighter and more compact. At first glance, it was just a few metal rods with some locking mechanisms. It didn't look conspicuous at all and was easy to overlook.

Only the thing around the waist that looked like a battery was rather bulky.

"Yes, it's an exoskeleton!" Lu Wei couldn't hide his smile. "Want to give it a try?"

"Is there even a question? I have to try it!" Ou Yang was itching to try it, but unfortunately he couldn't take pictures or post them on social media.

He couldn't wait to go over, change into the matching new combat suit, stand in the designated position, and with the help of others, adjust the length of the exoskeleton's arms and legs, and then tighten the buckles on the waist, legs, back, and other parts.

"That's enough." 27 patted Ouyang on the shoulder.

"That's it?" Ouyang was somewhat surprised. "That's too easy!"

After speaking, he raised his arms and kicked his legs without any hindrance. "How does it feel?"

"It's much easier than usual," Ou Yang said very frankly.

"Come on, come on!" Lu Wei pulled Luo Han over. "Let's test the speed first!"

The two got ready, and Lu Wei raised his arms: "Ready...run!"

The two exerted their strength at the same time, leaping off the ground and sprinting with all their might, crossing the finish line in the blink of an eye.

Lu Wei timed: "Ouyang 10.32 seconds, Luohan 11.16 seconds!"

Luo Han looked at Ou Yang in surprise and asked indignantly, "Really? They were only a few steps apart, how could there be a difference of almost a second?"

“Even without this thing, I wouldn’t be much slower!” Ouyang was not modest at all, and was also a little disappointed. “I didn’t even get under ten seconds? I thought I could break a record or something.”

"You're still not satisfied with under 11 seconds? This is the standard for a first-class athlete, you know?" Lu Wei wanted to kick him. "Stop talking nonsense, tell me, how does it feel?"

Ouyang thought for a moment and said, "Nothing special. It was very easy the whole time, and I didn't have to exert any effort. I felt like I was about to fly."

"Try reaching high again!"

Ou Yang first looked up, then jumped a few times to get a feel for it, and then suddenly jumped up and slammed his fist against the wall.

“3.62?” Lu Wei’s voice was off-key.

These are two people who are 1.8 meters tall!

Ou Yang wasn't surprised at all. Even without wearing this thing, he could still jump up to the second floor without feeling much of a boost.

Luo Han also tried it once, reaching a height of 3.16 meters.

"Wow, someone like me can dunk in basketball?" Luo Han was both surprised and delighted.

"Is this all you're aiming for?" 27 Half immediately refuted Luo Han's statement. "You can be happy when the rules allow you to wear an exoskeleton on the field!"

"You're really boring," Luo Han retorted. "Can't you wear it on both sides?"

27 stroked his chin, imagining a group of people leaping and tumbling, fiercely battling like rugby balls, and nodded in agreement: "Great idea!"

"What are you two whispering about? Come on and continue!" Lu Wei interrupted loudly.

The initial test ended quickly, and Lu Wei concluded: "It's certain that the exoskeleton can indeed make us jump higher and run faster, but the increase is within a reasonable range and does not exceed human limits. Therefore, we must be clear that this thing only provides assistance and cannot turn you into a superman."

"The limits of a person determine the limits of an exoskeleton, understand!" Luohan said.

“That’s right, that’s exactly what I mean.” As he said this, Lu Wei glanced at Ou Yang.

Everyone saw an increase, but not by much.

But it's different with Ouyang. He has a solid foundation, so the increase is greater.

The others also glanced at Ou Yang in unison, cursing him as a pervert in their hearts.

Lu Wei changed the subject: "Actually, the role of exoskeletons is not just about being higher or higher, but also about significantly increasing the load-bearing capacity of each person... Come on, Luohan, try carrying a 27.5-liter exoskeleton for 100 meters!"

"Huh?" Luo Han nearly went crazy, looking up at his tall and strong companion. "Me, carry him? Isn't that like an ant trying to carry an elephant?"

Lu Wei retorted, "Just try it! Stop with the nonsense!"

Helpless, Luohan could only lift 27 half, only to find that the latter's feet were almost touching the ground.

However, it wasn't as heavy as I had imagined.

When Lu Wei gave the starting signal, Luo Han sprinted forward and crossed the finish line in no time.

"17.76 seconds!" Lu Wei announced the result with a cheerful smile. "Not bad, not bad at all."

The fact that they could achieve such good results while carrying a heavily loaded human body immediately gave everyone a new understanding of the load-bearing capacity of exoskeletons.

Luo Han was also quite surprised by this result.

Lu Wei continued, "The individual soldier exoskeleton can significantly increase the load-bearing capacity of an individual soldier without affecting their running ability. Even if a person is short, they can easily carry a Gatling gun with 5000 rounds of ammunition, or six sniper grenade drums with 15 rounds each!"

Ouyang smacked his lips. "Six 15 rounds each? That's a total of 90 grenades, weighing over 120 kilograms!"

"And this too!" They took out a small device, no bigger than a palm, and gently placed it into the slot on Luohan's back. "This is a basic new tactical backpack that comes with the exoskeleton. It integrates multiple functions such as fire control, information processing, and communication. Come on, let's shoot some targets and see how it works!"

The shooting range was located in a corner of the training ground. Several people took turns firing and quickly concluded that the exoskeleton could effectively counteract the recoil generated during shooting, making the gun more stable and accurate!
It's like playing a game; you can hit the target with ease.

The tactical glasses used previously have also been improved to some extent, concentrating information on the left lens and freeing up the right eye used for aiming.

After discussing it amongst themselves, everyone felt that the integrated information was a bit complicated and that it would be best to keep only the important key information and hide the less important information.

Lu Wei wrote down everyone's opinions one by one, preparing to send them back for further improvement.

Ouyang asked curiously, "Besides the basic version, what other versions of this tactical backpack are there?"

"I'm not entirely sure either," Lu Wei said. "I only know that different modules can be added to the basic version to achieve different functions, such as focusing on individual air defense, fire support, or even adding a few appendages like Spider-Man!"

"Of course, I'm just thinking about it casually; it's not something I can achieve right now."

Dafei couldn't help but ask, "Do you have backpacks specifically for drone pilots?"

"Is that even a question? Of course there will be plenty!" Luo Han punched Da Fei. "You'll be carrying not only drones in your backpack, but also the accompanying equipment. You can fly anywhere and fight anywhere. Isn't that great!"

Lu Wei chuckled: "The higher-ups must have considered this, but whether they will provide us with equipment is another matter. After all, there are no potential powerful adversaries near Saint Václav Island. Even if they develop particularly powerful equipment, it won't be available to us anytime soon."

Upon hearing this, everyone sighed in unison.

"You guys are done!" Lu Wei unfastened the buckles on his body. "Take it off once you're familiar with it. This thing is only for missions; you don't need it for regular training!"

If you wear this during regular training, wouldn't that be cheating?
Ultimately, people are the most crucial factor in determining victory or defeat; equipment is secondary. The more you sweat in peacetime, the less you bleed in wartime.

Following the example of the others, Ou Yang carefully packed the exoskeleton into a special box, feeling a mix of emotions.

During a previous gathering, we remarked on how fast technology is developing these days; in the blink of an eye, we're already equipped with exoskeletons.

It's not really that strange. The concept of this thing appeared a long time ago, and related research has been ongoing. There are even places in scenic areas that rent out simplified exoskeletons for tourists to climb mountains.

The civilians have already started using it, so how could the military not be making a move?

(End of this chapter)