Chapter 32: The Loyal Warrior Robot
1697 Words
Chapter 32: The Loyal Warrior Robot
Upon arriving in Liyaer, Jiang Yue Sheng learned that the first phase of the floating island project for the research institute had already begun two months ago. The site was located on a reef cluster about fifty kilometers west of the Liyaer Archipelago.
This was Jiang Yue Sheng's first time witnessing the construction of an artificial floating island.
The foundation of the floating island consisted of layers of floating units, with the bottom layer being the first to be constructed. Workers began by placing one-cubic-meter floating blocks on the sea surface in a grid pattern. Then, they inserted high-strength ropes into the slots of each floating block, connecting them together. A 20-centimeter gap was left between each block.
The workers continued this process, linking the blocks together like building blocks, expanding in rows and columns until they reached the required size for the first layer.
A large ship near the construction site produced the floating blocks and ropes, continuously supplying them according to the needs of the project.
Once the first layer was completed, the second layer was built on top. The second layer began in the center of the first layer. The designer's instructions required that the seams of the blocks in the second layer should be staggered with those in the first layer. Each block in the second layer would sit on four blocks from the first layer, and they were connected using structural components. Additionally, the edge length of each block in the second layer was slightly larger than those in the first layer, increasing by 10 centimeters, and the gap between the blocks was reduced to 10 centimeters.
The floating blocks in the second layer were also connected by high-strength ropes.
The process continued with the third, fourth, and so on until the tenth layer. By the third layer, the blocks were arranged tightly together with no gaps in between.
From the sixth layer onward, space was reserved for various pipelines, and the overall weight distribution of the island had to be carefully balanced.
The reason for the weight balance was that the floating island would host buildings of different weights—some areas would have residential buildings, factories, and even heavy equipment. To maintain stability, weight distribution had to be planned carefully. For example, under heavy buildings like factories, spaces could be left for dormitories or gyms to lighten the load. In areas with lighter buildings, such as green spaces, heavier equipment like sewage treatment and power generation systems would be installed beneath them to add weight.
Liyaer is a typical tropical island nation, located over 300 kilometers north of the equator in the Western Pacific. The country has twelve larger islands and a population of 320,000, most of whom are involved in fishing, agriculture, and tourism.
Aside from the heat, humidity, and frequent typhoons, Jiang Yue Sheng found everything else in Liyaer very much to his liking.
The beaches, lined with tall coconut trees; the streets, with majestic, proud palm trees; the variety of delicious tropical fruits; and the diverse seafood all charmed him.
He began to enjoy the local scenery, learn about the customs, and also started drafting the preparation plan for the robot research institute.
Drawing from his previous experience in robot assembly and design, he decided to create an affordable and high-performance "Loyal Warrior Robot."
He envisioned two main operating modes for the robot: a "Follow Mode" and an "Autonomous Mode." However, most of the time, the robot would operate in "Follow Mode" because its autonomous capabilities were limited.
In "Follow Mode," the robot would mimic its owner's actions and follow their commands. If the owner was killed or incapacitated during combat, the robot would activate "Autonomous Mode" to search for a new owner. Once it found a new owner, it would switch back to "Follow Mode."
The reason for designing such a robot was that the newly established research institute had limited resources, and it would be more practical to start with simple, cost-effective products. Additionally, the cost of the "Loyal Warrior Robot" would be about half that of conventional combat robots.
He also planned to develop a mech suit and a reconnaissance robot.
Two weeks later, Jiang Yue Sheng completed his proposal and returned to Shuangqing to report to General Cao.
General Cao found the proposal generally sound but thought there were too many products planned for the early stage. He suggested focusing on just one product to start with, such as the "Loyal Warrior Robot," and adding new products gradually.
He also recommended that Jiang Yue Sheng begin recruiting veterans for security purposes, as the environment there was complicated, and armed forces might be needed in the future.
Jiang Yue Sheng remembered that when he first met General Cao, Cao had emphasized that "combat is primary, research is secondary." Now, he was recommending armed security, which seemed to confirm that real battles might be in the offing.
"I underestimated the complexity of this matter," Jiang Yue Sheng thought to himself. "I didn't fully understand the true meaning of 'combat is primary, research is secondary.'"
After thinking over it for several days, he decided to adjust his plan and prioritize building an armed security team over focusing on the research institute.
He began studying how to form and manage a security team and immediately started the recruitment process.
He entrusted the recruitment of staff for the research institute to a professional HR team.
After more than half a year of effort, Jiang Yue Sheng had successfully assembled a 20-person security team, a 7-person research team, and recruited personnel for other departments.
By then, the first phase of the floating island project and the research institute's first phase in Liyaer were nearly complete.
Jiang Yue Sheng moved the newly formed security and research teams, along with other departments, to the newly built floating island research institute.
This floating island's design incorporated lessons learned from previous floating island projects and featured large-scale improvements and innovations. Many underwater compartments were added, taking advantage of the constant temperature of seawater. These were used as living quarters, storage rooms, equipment rooms, and even gyms, greatly improving the living conditions for the staff.
The above-ground portion also featured a large vegetable planting area on the rooftop and solar power systems, along with wave barriers around the island to mitigate the impact of typhoons on the floating units.
Compared to earlier floating island factories, the comfort of this new floating island research institute had been greatly enhanced.
One day, Jiang Yue Sheng was in a meeting when suddenly the security captain burst into the room.
"Mr. Jiang, some native fishermen are trying to force their way onto the island!"
Jiang Yue Sheng was taken aback, not fully understanding the captain's report. He blinked and asked, "What's going on exactly?"
"There are three boats, about twenty people, shouting by the western dock. It looks like they want to board, but we can't understand what they're saying."
"Oh?" Jiang Yue Sheng hesitated. He remembered General Cao repeatedly telling him that the situation here was very complicated, and it seemed that was indeed the case.
"Let's go check it out!" Jiang Yue Sheng stood up and quickly followed the captain toward the dock.
When they were still about a hundred meters away from the dock, Jiang Yue Sheng saw three fishing boats moored nearby. A group of about twenty native fishermen was shouting at the security guards standing on the dock.
Seeing this, Jiang Yue Sheng turned to the captain and said, "Go to the logistics department and ask Director Zhao to send someone who can speak Chinese to translate for us."
Within five minutes, the captain returned with a local who could speak some Chinese.
"What are they saying?" Jiang Yue Sheng asked the translator.
"They say you scared the fish away, and now they can't catch any. They want compensation."
"Tell them we can buy more fish from them in the future, and we'll be friends," Jiang Yue Sheng instructed.
The local translator relayed the message to the fishermen.
The fishermen began shouting again.
"They say buying fish isn't enough. They want compensation," the translator reported.
Jiang Yue Sheng felt a bit frustrated. He turned to the local translator and asked, "What do you think we should say?"
"I think you don't need to worry about them. They'll get tired of shouting and leave," the local replied in broken Mandarin.
"And you?" Jiang Yue Sheng asked the captain.
"We can just wait it out here. Let's see how it plays out," the captain replied, uncertain.
"Alright, we'll wait," Jiang Yue Sheng said, turning and leaving the dock.
Later that evening, the captain came to find Jiang Yue Sheng.
"Mr. Jiang, they now say they want to sell us fish instead of demanding compensation. They just want us to buy more fish, and they'll leave."
Jiang Yue Sheng smiled. It seemed that waiting had worked. He told the captain, "Go to Director Zhao and tell him to buy some of their fish. You two decide how much to buy."
A few days later, after dinner, Jiang Yue Sheng went for a walk along the shore. Suddenly, he saw more fishing boats gathering near the dock—about ten, and the situation looked much bigger than before.
He quickly walked to the dock and saw the native fishermen shouting at the security guards again. He suspected they were trying to sell fish again, but with so few people on the floating island and limited consumption, how could they buy so much fish?
The security captain saw Jiang Yue Sheng arriving and gave him a helpless smile.
"Call that local from the logistics department again," Jiang Yue Sheng told the captain.
After a while, the local arrived.
"Tell them we can buy a maximum of 100 kilograms of fish per day. Any more than that, we won’t buy. Let them take turns and come one boat at a time," Jiang Yue Sheng instructed.
The local relayed the message, and after a brief pause, the fishermen started shouting again.
"I think we’ll have to wait it out again," the captain said, smiling
- Writer
