Chapter 4: Modified Mechs

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The Gachalin Empire simultaneously landed in over 40 cities. Apart from surrounding entire cities and securing the vital transportation routes necessary to divide the federal forces, they did not need to exert full control over other unoccupied areas. The Fat Man believed he possessed some military talent; his twenty escape experiences over the past six months had made him very familiar with the operational methods of the imperial army. He continued with certainty: "These unoccupied areas are too vast for them to manage. Their focus is solely on our cities and military bases. As long as they keep a close watch on these targets, that is sufficient for them. Without supplies from the cities, these desolate areas cannot generate any resistance forces. They are simply not concerned about it."

Although I detest killing, I prefer eating meat; although I advocate for peace, my life is more precious, and if all of you were to die, I would still survive. The fat man, convinced that the battlefield recorder had captured his actions, stealthily returned to the underground cave. Just thinking about the artillery aimed at that row of barracks made his heart race: I wonder how many imperial soldiers I could kill; if I could take out two officers, I should finally get a promotion, right

Now, between the first and second lines... the fat man seemed to see a glimmer of hope.

In the past, they would forcibly land in the most important cities on the planet, tearing apart the defenses between the cities into several uncoordinated rags before launching a full-scale invasion, surrounding the immigrant cities with superior forces. However, this time, their comprehensive landing targeted only forty out of more than sixty cities, indicating that they did not have sufficient troops, or that reinforcements were still on the way, making it impossible to strike all the cities during the airborne operation. The fat man confirmed his reasoning and arrived at a conclusion that left him utterly shocked. However, this time, their comprehensive landing targeted only forty out of more than sixty cities, indicating that they did not have sufficient troops, or that reinforcements were still on the way, making it impossible to strike all the cities during the airborne operation. The fat man confirmed his reasoning and arrived at a conclusion that left him utterly shocked

Having accomplished all this, the chubby man felt a strange excitement akin to that of a mischievous child after playing a prank

A small cart equipped with bearings was pulling a machine gun. He carefully avoided the patrols of the imperial army, taking a long detour. His method of advancing three steps and then hiding cost him almost half the night. Finally, he arrived at a small slope in the southwest corner of the imperial base. He set up the energy machine gun, aiming at a row of temporary barracks in the imperial base. He installed a simple remote control modified from the remote sensing device of the imperial "Holy Armor 22" powered exoskeleton, and filled the energy chamber of the machine gun with all the broken energy blocks collected from the wreckage. He set up the energy machine gun, aiming at a row of temporary barracks in the imperial base. He installed a simple remote control modified from the remote sensing device of the imperial "Holy Armor 22" powered exoskeleton, and filled the energy chamber of the machine gun with all the broken energy blocks collected from the wreckage.

However, our situation is not too dire. Although the 6th Marine Division and the 9th Division, which is acting as a reserve, did not prevent the breakthrough of the armored division of the Gachalin Empire, they managed to hold them off for more than three hours, preventing them from encircling and dividing us at the earliest opportunity. The troops on the first line have mostly retreated, and the losses are not significant.

Just as he was thinking of something cruel, he suddenly felt someone tugging at the corner of his clothes. He looked up to see a pure and innocent female medic quietly holding onto his garment. Her expression, half-smiling yet not, seemed to have already guessed the thoughts of the chubby man, and there lingered a trace of embarrassment and annoyance from the earlier incident in her brows. However, her clear eyes were filled with trust, and in an instant, the chubby man surrendered. To hell with it, if I die, I die! There is strength in numbers; perhaps we can escape using the old methods. But where to escape to?

If the ground forces of the Empire's army land outside the basin, they will face a complex geological situation, variable climate, and the steep and harsh mountain ranges of the basin, rendering even the best land combat mechs powerless. The only way for the Gachalin Empire's army to occupy this area is to concentrate all aerial forces for an airstrike to destroy the air defense systems and force an airborne landing, while simultaneously launching a strong assault on the two highways leading into the basin. However, these highways have long been heavily fortified by the Federal army, and they are interwoven with the mountains, featuring countless bridges and tunnels that provide the defenders ample means to complicate the Empire's offensive.

Tian Xingjian stared intently at the two federal female soldiers, feeling quite melancholic. Perhaps in the face of two ugly creatures, the fat man could brazenly and shamelessly say, "I have already dealt with those guarding you, hurry and save yourselves." However, the two attractive women before him, exuding the allure of their uniforms, made it impossible for the fat man to utter such words.

In the following two days, Tian Xingjian stealthily dragged the disassembled mech parts back to the cave like a mouse that only comes out at night. He even managed to find some provisions, temporarily resolving the issue of the two female soldiers not wanting to eat unknown animals or insects.

They do not know whether they have the courage to commit suicide; at least before being saved by the overweight person, they did not even have the opportunity to take their own lives

"The airport in the northeast of the city was captured; I was caught there." The attractive pilot quickly recovered from the embarrassment brought on by the fat man's striptease and pointed to another female soldier beside her, saying, "She is too; she is a medic from the aviation squadron."

The two female soldiers automatically filtered out the teasing from the overweight man. The three of them dug a hole in a thicket on the other side of the jungle, away from the Imperial Forward Base, to rest while waiting for nightfall. Outside the hole, Tian Xingjian put in considerable effort to set up several traps, camouflaging them seamlessly with branches.

The expression on the fat man's face was unpredictable, and his thoughts were in turmoil. He was already like a clay Buddha crossing a river, unable to protect himself; if he were to carry these two burdens with him...

How do we get there?" The innocent female medic blinked her large eyes in confusion and asked, "There are enemies everywhere outside.

The missile launchers on both sides of the mech's wings were modified by him into jet-assisted propulsion devices. This is Tian Xingjian's proudest modification, as there are no missiles available for use anyway, and the exterior remains unchanged. The only drawback is that they cannot automatically load missiles during combat.

"Walk north, bypass the enemy's landing base, and then head east to Galipalan." The stout man suddenly waved his hand, encouraging himself with a resolute tone

Even if the capital is occupied, the surrounding Wanshan Mountains provide an ideal refuge, with abundant vegetation, dense jungles, and a diverse array of wildlife. For Tian Xingjian, who has received reconnaissance training, taking two beautiful women into the mountains, building a treehouse among the trees, or finding a cave to enjoy some wild game and vegetables would be a truly blissful life, more joyful than that of immortals.

Three people huddled together waiting for nightfall. Although the overweight man was quite brash, this was his first experience of such intimate contact with a woman, which created a psychological barrier that made him less brazen and shameless. Instead, he tried to press his body against the wall of the cave, closing his eyes to feign sleep.

The first line of defense was breached last night. The enemy, relying on nearly 200 heavy mechs and 500 medium mechs, forcefully broke through the junction of our two divisions. By the time the reserves rushed in to reclaim the position, it was already too late. If the airport had not been occupied by their airborne troops, it would have taken them at least a week to break through the first line of defense. The beautiful female pilot clearly prioritized her appearance over her safety. She casually sat down, loosened her disheveled hair, bit down on a pink rubber band, and attempted to tidy her hair with her hands. If the airport had not been occupied by their airborne troops, it would have taken them at least a week to break through the first line of defense. The beautiful female pilot clearly prioritized her appearance over her safety. She casually sat down, loosened her disheveled hair, bit down on a pink rubber band, and attempted to tidy her hair with her hands

Tian Xingjian pointed to the destroyed and abandoned mechs on the battlefield not far away and said, "With the parts from these machines, I believe we can assemble a vehicle. Now that this place has become the enemy's forward base, the giant transport ship landing to the north will gradually abandon its base, and both resources and troops will be transferred to various forward bases like this one." He then pointed to several mountain ranges faintly visible to the north and continued, "The further north we go, the weaker their defenses become. As long as we have the opportunity to escape across the plain north of the jungle and slip into the jungle at the foot of those mountains, we can break free from the control of the imperial army."

"It's done, just as I feared." The stout man lamented inwardly. Although he had inferred the general situation from the actions and arrangements of the imperial army here, he still harbored a sense of hope. Now, the situation was set in stone; the area was surrounded by imperial troops. They could either hide in the forest and play hide-and-seek with the enemy until the war ended, or they could only rely on their own strength to escape back to the second line of defense.

The compressed solid energy blocks were filled into the mecha's energy compartment. Three individuals squeezed into the mecha cabin; although it was somewhat cramped, it did not hinder the stout man from operating the mecha. On the contrary, the two alluring figures beside him gave the stout man a sensation akin to a soul ascending.

The fat man would not tell the two female soldiers about these shameful matters of escaping; he truly enjoyed the feeling of being gazed at with astonishment and admiration. This greatly satisfied his vanity.

Then, Tian Xingjian installed the various undamaged instruments he found inside the cabin. He continued to use the "Holy Armor 22" individual mech control system from the Gachalin Empire, but he had removed the computer, converting all controls and instruments to manual operation. Additionally, he equipped the base of the two imperial individual armor's mechanical legs with six automatically retractable mechanical legs, which could be retracted into the mech's abdomen when not in use, making them completely inconspicuous.

At night, Tian Xingjian secretly dug out the energy blocks and the cannon, instructing the two female soldiers to transport the energy blocks back to the cave. The fat man decided to create some chaos for the imperial army to facilitate his escape

"Hello, we still do not know your name," the female medic said softly and gently.

This... I am Tian Xingjian, a corporal in the first squad of the logistics team of the Third Armored Battalion of the Fifth Division. The voice of the chubby man was very restrained and somewhat trembling, a consequence of the tingling sensation in his arm.

It is quite pessimistic... Essentially, it has already been occupied by the Gachalin Empire. When we arrived, only a few areas were still resisting, while most of the federal troops had retreated to the south of the Supon River. The enemy is now deploying their forces, preparing to attack our second line of defense. The female pilot cradled her chin in her hands, her expression somber.

By the time they returned to the cave, it was already 4:00 AM, with nearly three hours left until dawn. The stout man rested for a while and decided to take action immediately; if they waited any longer, it would be disastrous if the machine gun was discovered by someone.

Soon, the exterior of the Gachalin Empire's "Holy Armor 22" individual mech, which had changed almost not at all, was completed. Nia and Mido were completely stunned by the dazzling performance of the chubby man. His imaginative yet reasonable modifications, the speed at which his hands moved, and his familiarity with the structure of the mech made the two female soldiers hardly believe that this chubby man was merely a mechanical repairman; he could easily be regarded as a mech expert. In his hands, modifying a mech was as easy as a child playing with building blocks. The seamless integration of instruments and components from the Empire and the Federation, which had completely different philosophies, required an immense wealth of knowledge! This seemingly unremarkable chubby man was truly a genius among geniuses.

Her movements were enchanting, and the stout man exerted great effort to divert his gaze from her soft and fair hands

The overweight man let out a sigh of relief. As his tense body relaxed, he suddenly realized that two soft bodies were closely nestled against him. The contact between his bare forearm and the female soldier's skin was both near and distant, a sensation that was difficult to articulate, leaving the inexperienced man entranced, lost in a dreamlike state.

If they were to abandon them, they would certainly be unable to escape, and there is a high likelihood that they would be shot during their flight or executed after being captured. There are many methods of execution, with the most probable being that they would be executed in turn by the imperial soldiers. Given the situation at the base, the purpose of escorting these two female soldiers is very clear; this is an advanced base of the imperial army, and no prisoner of war camp has been constructed here. What could be the purpose of escorting two beautiful federal female captives to this location? A moment's thought would reveal the answer.

The female pilot Nia seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep. Upon hearing her name, she responded with a half-asleep murmur.

"Let's wait until it gets dark; once we've rested enough, we can dig together at night. Hehe, I can't do this alone." After saying this, the scoundrel lewdly asked, "Who wants to sleep with me? It's very warm."

The two female soldiers were assigned by the fat man to dig a tunnel. They must excavate a tunnel that is 3 meters deep, 5 meters long, and 5 meters wide beneath their hiding place, which will serve as an underground workshop for the fat man to assemble and conceal vehicles

Next to the original base of the federal army, there lies a large block of high-compression energy buried by Tian Xingjian. The burial site was chosen beneath a massive tree with its enormous roots intricately exposed above the ground. Due to the ashes and debris left by the gluttonous arsonists that covered the original base, the imperial army's new base naturally avoided this area and opted for a dense forest to the south of the jungle, close to the original federal artillery base, which was more suitable for concealing mecha materials

The two female soldiers actually had no concerns. Before being rescued by the fat man, they had almost stopped daring to think about the consequences of being escorted to the base. They fully understood how they would be treated—execution after being violated. They wouldn't even live to see the execution. That kind of fear was suffocating.

Moreover, their military strength is insufficient. As the fat man spoke, he pondered, gaining a clearer understanding of the entire situation: They aim to control the four colonized planets in the Galilio star system and Milok II in the Newton star system. These five planets occupy the vast majority of their ground forces. This planet should be the endpoint of the Gachalin Empire's campaign; the time is too short, and to fully control these six colonized planets, they require more time

The city of Garipalan is located in the Three Lakes Basin of the Milok planet. In addition to the three vast lakes that possess a complete ecological chain, the tall mountains surrounding the basin also tightly guard the capital, Garipalan. Before the imperial army can destroy the six air bases within the city and the more than three hundred anti-air missile bases scattered throughout the mountains, the giant air transport ships of the imperial army cannot land at all. Without ground forces, occupying the capital is merely an empty statement. Before the imperial army can destroy the six air bases within the city and the more than three hundred anti-air missile bases scattered throughout the mountains, the giant air transport ships of the imperial army cannot land at all. Without ground forces, occupying the capital is merely an empty statement

In the night, the sky had completely darkened, and the only star in the Newtonian system, also known as the Sun, had disappeared below the horizon. The planet, devoid of the moon as a companion, was shrouded in darkness. The stout man stumbled upon the wreckage of a mech and swiftly began to dismantle the parts he needed with his mechanical arm. The rigorous training at the mechanical maintenance camp had made him well-versed in the structures of various mechs, and his disassembly work was as swift and seamless as a master chef carving up an ox.

It should be noted that the energy engines of this era are significantly different from the various fuel engines used before humanity entered space. The invention of high-compression solid energy, high-capacity batteries, and ultra-light alloy micro kinetic chambers has brought about revolutionary changes in engine technology. A heavy engine made of ultra-light alloy can be lifted by a single person. The weight of the mecha is entirely in the armor; no one would extravagantly use expensive super alloys for the surface armor of ground combat mechas. Aside from the need for immense energy and the large size and weight of anti-gravity devices that cannot be resolved due to technological limitations, conventional power systems have been fully miniaturized, yet the power they generate is dozens to hundreds of times greater than before.

I am called Meiduo. The voice of the female medic remained gentle: "Her name is Nia"

Since the large-scale multi-point landings of the Imperial Army, the orders issued by the Federal Front Command located in the capital, Galipalan, have not been interrupted for a moment. The major communication broadcasts in the capital have continuously called upon the citizens of Milok Star to engage in unrestricted resistance. This indicates that the capital has not yet suffered a devastating blow

At the moment Tian Xingjian jumped up from the grass, in their hearts, this somewhat foolish, somewhat ruthless, and somewhat despicable fat man had already become their pillar of support

The disappearance of the soldier escorting two defenseless female soldiers triggered a large-scale search at the imperial base as night approached. However, this search quickly came to an end. Under what circumstances would a male soldier escorting two defenseless female soldiers go missing? The imperial soldiers exchanged knowing glances, silently communicating their views on this disappearance case. These two women were of no concern to them; they were the prey of the commanders, and some soldiers even felt a twinge of glee.

The soldiers escorting them were killed, and regardless of whether it was the prisoners who did it, they cannot escape responsibility. Moreover, it is well known that Gachalin treats prisoners with extreme cruelty; for instance, if a single prisoner escapes, the imperial army will execute the entire group of prisoners to which that escaping prisoner belonged. There are countless other atrocities, such as systematically burying prisoners alive, burning them, conducting chemical experiments on them, or confining them in dilapidated civilian space transport ships to use as target practice, all due to the inability to guard them or the fear of them becoming a burden.

Even such a hasty search made the fat man tremble with fear. He focused his mind and lay against the cave wall, using his ears to capture every subtle sound around him. An imperial soldier approached the thicket, but the tangled branches and dense thorns quickly dissuaded him from entering. He carefully observed the outside of the thicket and found no signs of anyone having passed by, so he turned and left. An imperial soldier approached the thicket, but the tangled branches and dense thorns quickly dissuaded him from entering. He carefully observed the outside of the thicket and found no signs of anyone having passed by, so he turned and left

The remaining issues are energy and how to find an opportunity to escape

A mechanic can think of problems that the command center can also consider He reassured himself, finding his concern for the ancients somewhat amusing

He did not continue speaking, and this inference sent chills down his spine. He thought to himself: "Such an invasion can only be maximally guaranteed under precise strikes against ground troops and defense bases. Accurately destroying ground defenses, then encircling and occupying the city with minimal forces. There are numerous bases hidden underground or within the mountains, yet without exception, they have all been destroyed. The two space fleets responsible for the defense of the Galileo star system were defeated far too quickly, almost collapsing at the first touch. It seems there are traitors at the high levels of the Federation; the military deployment maps of the six immigrant planets are not accessible to ordinary people."

The fat man is certainly a genius, but he is not the genius among geniuses. A genius, if he has assembled countless strange and wonderful things from these parts during more than twenty escapes from death, can become the genius among geniuses

What shall we do now?" the innocent female medic gently asked

The thought of these two beautiful female soldiers, akin to delicate flowers, being ravaged by the imperial soldiers filled the fat man with a sense of deep indignation and anger, even a tinge of jealousy. This is a common flaw among men; when they are unable to do something themselves, they are often unwilling to see others do it. However, while escaping this jungle may be easy, evading the enemy's patrols and defenses, and successfully fleeing with two women across open ground visible for several kilometers is a task more difficult than ascending to the heavens

He furrowed his brow, contemplating the direction of his escape. Returning to New Rome, heavily guarded as it was, was certainly not an option. The cities and military bases near New Rome had almost all been secured or occupied by the imperial forces that had landed in large numbers, making them inaccessible as well. The only place that might be safe should be the capital of this planet, Galipalan City

The work of the two female mice was also remarkably effective; the underground burrow they excavated was beautifully crafted, and the soil they dug out was meticulously disposed of. Even the plump one felt that the two of them had a natural talent for tunneling

In a moment of hesitation, the stout man’s previously resolute retreat plan began to waver: "Then, the defense of the capital, Garipalan..." He found it too melancholic; it was indeed troubling for a mechanic to contemplate such profound issues.

Using the soundproofing tiles from the disassembled armor, the stout man began to focus on creating his vehicle. He first assembled a cabin capable of accommodating three people from a hollowed-out Imperial single-soldier mech pod, removed the small energy engine of the Empire, and installed three powerful Federal [Honor 15] energy engines. One of these engines would supply the energy required for the energy shield. He first assembled a cabin capable of accommodating three people from a hollowed-out Imperial single-soldier mech pod, removed the small energy engine of the Empire, and installed three powerful Federal [Honor 15] energy engines. One of these engines would supply the energy required for the energy shield

"What about the city? Where have the enemy's attacks reached?" The stout man vigilantly observed his surroundings, ensuring that there were no imperial patrols, when he happened to encounter three unfortunate federal souls: one man and two women.

"Gali Palan? It's several thousand kilometers away from here!" The female pilot's eyes widened.

As the switch of the remote control for the artillery was activated, the stout figure maneuvered the mech to break through the ground, while in the distance, the faint sounds of explosions from the imperial base's barracks and the furious roar of the artillery could be heard

However, you have not yet told us how to escape from here

The energy defense shield required considerable effort from the overweight individual. This mech, which sacrificed all offensive capabilities and most external armor, would be utterly destroyed in a single shot without the energy defense shield. However, the special requirements for installing the energy defense shield posed a significant challenge for him. In the end, he managed to awkwardly create a small rabbit tail at the back of the mech, which was the transmission probe for the energy defense shield. Not one to stop there, he also installed a backup probe between the two mechanical legs. While working, this shameless individual grinned foolishly at the two female soldiers, Nia and Meiduo, who were both exasperated and amused. They felt like taking an axe to this lewd fat man's head to see what was inside.

After lewdly imagining a secluded life with one man and two women, the fat man made up his mind

"You all... um, I mean... how did you get captured?" The chubby man felt that the expressions of the two female soldiers he had rescued were quite unfriendly. He glanced at himself and found nothing amiss, showing no sense of shame regarding the fact that he had stripped completely in front of them moments ago.