Chapter 1822 - 937: Thunderous Victory and Defeat (Thanks to Lord Tiger-Skin Cat, the Alliance Hierarch)

"Have there been too many eye-opening moments today?"

Having known Shi Ran for so many years, Ji Jue had no idea that his fourth brother had the talent of a cold-faced jester.

Except the joke was so cold that one really couldn't laugh.

As an engineer, Shi Ran being able to climb to the critical position of deputy minister in Chong Hui's R&D department was ultimately not solely due to family backing and arrangements. Naturally, he could also see... how negligible the difference between the so-called heavy exoskeleton auxiliary system and genuine power armor was!

It's like when you go to the countryside to help farmers and find that they're using former main battle tanks as harvesters.

You can't simply say, "Ours is electric, it lacks a military-grade armored engine, so it has nothing to do with power armor."

"Brother, isn't your courage a bit too excessive?"

"This... Nobody's managing it?"

"Who would manage it? The Military Department?"

Walking ahead, Shi Long laughed, glanced at him meaningfully: "Don't cause everyone to stop making money."

Everyone knew that Coastal Industry and Sea Tide Military Industry were always intertwined, though they were completely different companies now. In practice, whether in terms of business, production, or logistics, they were closely connected.

Sometimes things that Sea Tide couldn't handle, contracts it couldn't take, goods it couldn't sell, someone had to manage them.

As Shi Long knew, even now, Coastal Industry had a well-known 'Firefighting Team' within the industry, a highly professional engineering team, renowned in equipment maintenance, inventory preparation, and long-term overseas assignments in Central Earth.

Stable, convenient, and efficient, their prices are always reasonable compared to peers.

Moreover, no matter what your needs are, how short the inventory is, or how urgent the time, as long as you swipe the card, they always have a way to satisfy everyone.

From Hai Province to Tower City Federation Base, everyone who has used them says they're good, resolving countless debts accumulated over the years without leaving any hidden dangers.

Those retrieved equipment, even mainboard numbers and codes, are identical to system records, even better than the original.

The price is only one-third, even one-tenth...

In this situation, New Spring only added a few electric motor exoskeletons, just what a big deal!

If truly making a fuss, one should look at the stockpile in the warehouse in Seven Cities.

"Just under a year, Ahran, do you see?"

In the crowded venue, Shi Long walked ahead, sighing: "A year ago, this used to be a muddy wasteland, a rubbish paradise. But just after a year, it's turned into this."

Shi Ran nodded: "Very impressive, is that what you mean?"

"The most impressive is not the things in front of your eyes, it's here."

Shi Long raised his hand, tapped his head: "A year ago, people here were still scavenging daily with guns, the kill-or-be-killed world, constant tension.

Just over a year, people have started wearing uniforms and commuting, orderly queuing for meals, throwing trash in bins, washing hands after using the restroom, earning a bit to send their kids to school... Whenever they hear gunfire, they treat it as salutes.

No one thinks this isn't their lifestyle, all this is self-evident, reasonable, and they even believe it will persist for thirty, forty, fifty years without change."

Shi Ran was silent, unable to speak for a long time.

Self-evident, reasonable.

It sounds simple, but in reality, nothing is more terrifying than these eight words.

One day, when the conventions and ideas common to people in Central City appear in the Wilderness, every rebellious scavenger might take them as the law.

Everything seems as if recreated by an invisible hand, transformed into a new form.

Turning decay into magic!

Without even glancing at Chong Hui's booth first, Shi Long directly led his brother to the main exhibition hall, where Coastal's booth was, the largest, most important, and most extravagantly staged.

The densely packed booths of different businesses and departments filled every space from the entrance.

A year's development, along with integrating numerous overseas businesses, had quietly turned Coastal into something unexpectedly colossal to everyone.

Now featured at the expo were not just new vehicle models or scooters, but also various types of agricultural machinery, large construction tools, and even ship equipment...

Shi Ran was deeply enthralled, utterly captivated, and even used Ji Jue's privileges to personally drive the off-road car from the booth outside for a spin, returning still eager for more.

As a competitor on the same track, Shi Long wouldn't miss the chance to openly investigate, bluntly asking: "Compared to our Rhino model, what are its pros and cons?"

"I've told you, brother, they're not on the same track."

Shi Ran shook his head: "Rhino's design direction is heavy-duty conveyance, battlefield firepower support. Coastal's model is a light reconnaissance vehicle, likely intended for rapid support and multidimensional coordination, probably meant to align with Sea Tide's drone warfare system..."

He paused for a moment, then chuckled self-deprecatingly: "But when it comes to completion, we probably can't compare."

Shi Long's expression instantly turned serious: "Are you saying the Rhino still has design flaws?"