C25 Modification of Mount Buzhou

After another victorious bout, Gu Xian was invigorated, cheerfully humming as he tinkered with the Mount Buzhou laser gun.

Out of sight, a clandestine gathering was taking place. Each face was bruised, each figure dust-streaked, all bearing an unspoken mix of sorrow and rage.

Zeng Nian, who had captured Gu Xian, was particularly aggrieved. He had mistaken Gu Xian for a docile lamb, only to discover he was a cunning wolf, commandeering their lair and critiquing their every move.

Their third rebellion had been crushed, with Gu Xian showing no mercy as he quashed their efforts, leaving them to lament the fickleness of power, symbolized by the changing flags atop the city walls.

The rebellion was not without cause. Gu Xian had been an incessant thorn in their side, critiquing their security system for its glaring vulnerabilities, mocking their lackluster combat abilities for not including mechs, and scoffing at their subpar equipment and provisions.

These were not the conditions of hostages but rather the complaints of a pampered vacationer!

The brawny man and Zeng Nian, fueled by frustration, rallied the troops in an attempt to expel Gu Xian, only to be met with his brutal counterattacks. After each skirmish, he'd chide them for their poor teamwork and weak fighting spirit.

The brawny man, with his exceptional resilience, always bore the brunt of the beatings. Thankfully, Gu Xian, aware of their intentions, refrained from lethal force, striking hard but with restraint.

"Show some respect, at least! I'm the leader, the leader!" he implored through tears and snot, pleading for the umpteenth time.

But the physical beatings paled in comparison to the psychological warfare—the true killer. They were a renowned mercenary group, and despite a waning reputation, they refused to be humiliated.

An idol was still an idol, but that didn't give them the right to trample over their dignity.

In a desperate move, someone proposed arming themselves for the next assault. Yet, when they tried, Gu Xian swiftly and decisively broke the perpetrator's arm.

Everyone fell silent, treading with even greater caution in their words and actions.

Ceng Nian had subjected himself to self-scrutiny numerous times, particularly for bringing Gu Xian to their base without fully understanding the enemy's details, an action that had drawn intense criticism from the group.

They vowed that if there was ever a next time, they would never again bring someone like Gu Xian back to their stronghold.

It was as if an old man, weary of life, was knowingly ingesting poison, seeking his own misery.

Defeated and disarmed, they were trapped. Their mission was incomplete, and there was no rescue in sight.

What were they to do?

Those three words loomed over them like an insurmountable peak.

"This is beyond the pale!" Broomhead erupted in anger. "We're not here to serve!"

"Exactly. I asked him for an autograph today, and he wouldn't even give me that!" another piped up, cowering under the collective glare.

"Why should he care whether we complete our mission? We don't expect his help now; he's irrelevant. What does it matter to us if he stays here?"

The consensus was unanimous.

"How do we get rid of him? His presence is a hindrance."

"But how? We can't talk him down, we can't beat him, and we're weaponless. What can we do?"

Despair engulfed them as they exchanged silent, mournful glances.

"Can't someone deal with this guy? His arrogance is unacceptable!"

"Does might make right? Where's the justice?"

"He blames us for bringing him here, but if we hadn't, he wouldn't be dodging the Security Department."

"Who's responsible for kidnapping him?" the crowd seethed.

"Cough," Ceng Nian interjected smoothly, diverting the conversation. "I've got an idea."

"I'm the leader, the leader!" the burly man insisted, but no one was listening.

"He's scared of the Security Department, right? Let's tip them off in secret!" Ceng Nian whispered conspiratorially.

"Have you lost your mind? We're here to assassinate, to smuggle ourselves in. Going to the police would be like walking into a trap."

"Then I ask you," Ceng Nian pressed, "given our current predicament, can we still fulfill our mission?"

"No," came the unanimous response, heads shaking in sync.

"If we fail this mission, is there a spaceship to evacuate us from B-183?"

"None."

"So, are we essentially stranded here?"

"Exactly."

"Let's shift our perspective then. What do we stand to lose if we don't complete the mission?"

"Not much, really. Just a mission failure."

"Okay, have we made any moves against Yeh Ranyi yet?"

"Not at all."

"If we haven't even started, how could the Security Department suspect us of plotting against Yeh Ranyi? And without any admission or evidence from us, what can they possibly do? At worst, we're guilty of smuggling!"

"That makes sense." The group began to feel swayed.

"Since the mission's a bust anyway, we can't let this guy roam free. Let's tip off the authorities and have him nabbed!"

The excitement was palpable.

"Turn ourselves in! Turn ourselves in!" The burly man, nursing his grievances, let them go.

"Here's the plan..." Zeng Nian laid it out, rehearsing their lines in hushed tones.

Finally, slapping the burly man on the shoulder, he said, "Our mercenary group has cooperated with Security Departments on other planets before. If we play nice and avoid trouble, the chief of B-183's Security Department won't want to stir up a mess."

"Solid plan!" The burly man nodded in agreement. "We'll risk it. Broomhead, get moving—time to turn ourselves in!"

"Exactly, to the authorities! Enough is enough!"

Hope seemed to dawn on them, their faces glowing with anticipation.

...

A full twenty-four hours had elapsed since Gu Xian's abduction, and the critical window for rescue had closed, diminishing the likelihood of his recovery with each passing moment.

Though the Security Department officials remained silent, Chen Zhuya read the grim verdict in their eyes.

They seemed to have written off Gu Xian, fearing the worst.

Chen Zhuya had pored over the Bloodsaw Mercenary Group's dossier more than once.

Their leader, known as Devil Saw, had a history with gene agents, earning him descriptors like "brutal," "savage," and the dubious note "mentally unstable" in his file.

He was merciless and unhinged. What chance did Gu Xian have if he ended up in his clutches?

Chen Zhuya had abandoned all hope.

Her concern for the situation ran deep, not only because Gu Xian was her friend but also because Old Chen was wracked with guilt.

The moment Gu Xian's disappearance became known, 33 Bay Road was the first to be informed. Old Chen believed he bore a significant part of the blame.

Chen Zhuya had wanted to help Old Chen untangle his remorse, but now, it seemed all hope was lost.

Lost in her somber thoughts, George burst in, exclaiming, "There's news!"

Chen Zhuya perked up. "News?"

"The Bloodsaw Mercenary Group has filed a report claiming Gu Xian has been wreaking havoc at their base, committing unspeakable acts. They're hoping we can apprehend him and restore justice."

A look of incredulity crossed Chen Zhuya's face as she blurted out, "What is this mess? What on earth did Gu Xian do to them?"

George gave a wry smile. "Honestly, in all my years at the Security Department, I've never encountered anything like this."

Exchanging glances, they both recalled the fierce battle between Gu Xian and the Aegis in the iron tower, and their sympathy for the Bloodsaw Mercenary Group's plight grew.

"We're about to head out. Are you coming with us?"

"I'm in."

Shortly after their departure, a middle-aged man running a stall at the entrance of the Security Department sent out a message—over twenty people from the Security Department had set off, and Yeh Ranyi was among them. It was time to act!

...

Gu Xian found life in the derelict factory quite agreeable.

He was blissfully unaware that his joy was at the expense of the Bloodsaw Mercenary Group.

In his view, he was doing them a service by highlighting their deficiencies—a grand favor.

Inspired by Ceng Nian's ideas, he too wanted to experiment with the "Tailed Snake" energy structure on other objects.

The energy structure overhaul for the Molten Light C-2 was a blueprint provided by Black Hole, sparing Gu Xian the need for any brainstorming.

Gu Xian had been learning from the little ghost for more than just a day or two, and he was eager to see if he could tackle this task on his own as a way to gauge his progress.

From his point of view, he was a wanted man once again, and this time it was even worse—he had no spaceship, no mecha, making escape from B-183 seem all but impossible.

He felt vulnerable, like a crab that had just molted, exposed to danger.

Something had to be done.

His attention turned to the "Mount Buzhou" laser gun. This weapon, designed to attach to a mecha, boasted a sleek, silver-white alloy shell, measured 1.5 meters in length, and weighed 80 kilograms. Despite its relatively small size and weight, it packed nearly as much punch as a standard laser gun. If only the Mount Buzhou didn't have such a low firing rate, it would have been an outstanding weapon.

There were eight of these Mount Buzhou guns on hand. Gu Xian had managed to fire one before, proving he could handle it.

With no mecha available, Ceng Nian had convinced a black market dealer to supply disposable energy cartridges—eight in total, one for each Mount Buzhou, each capable of firing a single shot.

Gu Xian planned to acquire a flying car and take them all with him when he left.

The casing of the Mount Buzhou had been previously opened by the Bloodsaw Mercenary group, but thankfully, they hadn't damaged the internal structure.

Inside, Gu Xian discovered an energy conversion system unlike any he had seen before. So far, he had only encountered "O"-type and "Tailed Snake" configurations. This new structure was clearly more complex, appearing to be a nested conversion system.

No longer the rookie he once was, Gu Xian quickly deduced the intricacies of this nested structure after accidentally ruining one of the Mount Buzhou guns. Understanding its design, however, didn't guarantee a successful modification.

After toiling away for quite some time, he even stopped by the training camp to solicit the little ghost's opinion on the matter.

The little ghost showed a keen interest and offered Gu Xian a few pointers.

Five hours later, the final plan was ready.

The nested energy exchange structure of Mount Buzhou was the key to the small laser gun's immense power, yet it also restricted its rate of fire.

The designer had considered making changes, but tampering with such an established system was risky; a tiny miscalculation could lead to significant errors. In essence, given the constraints of size, materials, and energy, one couldn't have both a high firing frequency and great power.

Gu Xian couldn't replace the "Ouroboros" structure, but he took the advice of his junior and retained the nested design, managing to optimize a third of the internal structure.

This wasn't designed for mecha integration. Like his previous concepts, Gu Xian focused on enhancing the laser gun's power and improving energy conversion efficiency.

Originally, Mount Buzhou had an output of 2000 kW, and one shouldn't underestimate a laser weapon of this caliber. A standard laser rifle operates at 800 kW, while a 200 kW laser can pierce through six meters of steel in just one second.

The 2000 kW laser gun's power greatly surpasses that of conventional gunpowder-based anti-aircraft weapons, and that's just at standard frequency, not to mention high or ultra-high frequencies.

Legend has it that back in ancient Earth times, powering laser weapons was a significant challenge. A 150 kW laser required an amphibious warship with a full-load displacement of 25,000 tons to support it. Today, that's no longer an issue.

However, the suitability still depends on the mecha model. For instance, if you were to equip a Bladedge with only a 2500 kW main engine, firing once would render it inoperable.

Bronze Level mechas typically avoid laser guns since their engines don't offer much more power than standard models. Silver Level mechas, however, might be a different story.

With Gu Xian's modifications, Mount Buzhou's output reached 3000 kW, officially entering the realm of high-frequency laser guns.

He had experienced the might of this device firsthand at the training camp, and it had performed impressively.

With his anxiety somewhat eased, Gu Xian began the joyful task of modifying the remaining six Mount Buzhous.

It was during this period that the Bloodsaw Mercenaries greeted their visitors—some expected, and some unexpected.

​