Chapter 70: The Power Exoskeleton Improvement Plan

Admitting it was impossible, Zhou Shu would never acknowledge that he was the one who slew the monster. The power exoskeleton was easy enough to explain—he had already laid out the plans on Wang Kailun’s desk—but the peculiar foreign firearms and weapons were far more difficult to account for.

Truthfully, given the system’s capabilities, it could have replaced all the markings on the armor, since it cared only about power and not labels. Even if Zhou Shu wanted to plaster the suit with images of anime girls, the system wouldn’t bat an eye. But at the outset, his bewilderment outweighed his reason, and many things had already been set in motion; hindsight was useless now. All he could do was promise not to repeat his earlier mistakes.

Over the past few days, while researching the exoskeleton modification plan, he inevitably needed reference materials, so he thoroughly examined his own exoskeleton, erasing anything that might reveal his secrets and replacing everything with unmarked items. Then he carried out another major upgrade.

Now, with no shortage of source energy, he was generous in spending on anything that could enhance his safety and combat effectiveness. He transformed the power exoskeleton from its bulky, crude appearance into something much more refined, and added ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene armor that covered ninety percent of his body.

This time, the design was deliberate. The standard firepower was no longer sufficient for someone with his fear of inadequate firepower, so he redesigned his combat gear. His right arm became a retractable close-combat blade, while his left retained the emergency three-shot grenade launcher.

He installed a folding support platform on his back, outfitted with a rapid-fire grenade launcher for area suppression and a heavy sniper cannon for precision kills. All these weapons were now brain-controlled, freeing his hands.

It reminded him of the driving scene in “Edge of Tomorrow,” where the male protagonist’s basic exoskeleton lacked coverage on the hands, forcing the female lead to drive, since her suit extended to her hands and she fought with a large blade.

Zhou Shu’s improved version now included hand exoskeletons, letting him drive, operate manual devices, and greatly enhance the suit’s versatility—he could use weapons accessible to ordinary humans.

Of course, this made the exoskeleton armor overweight, but fortunately, Dr. Carter had an upgrade plan for the servomotor system, which Zhou Shu could utilize.

Additionally, the auxiliary system needed upgrading, the battery pack required more capacity, and he went through a series of repairs and enhancements.

Fortunately, having the basic suit meant eighty percent of the material requirements were already met, so this upgrade consumed only two units of source energy.

[“Edge of Tomorrow” standard power exoskeleton armor has been upgraded to Elite Power Exoskeleton Armor!]

He then used his elite armor as a blueprint to craft a real-world power armor modification plan.

Moreover, he was not short on source energy, nor on the points and bonuses from his first monster kill. His record now boasted ten kills—nine solo, one in collaboration—and a shower of points and rewards was already coming his way.

He had no intention of admitting to the flawed “first kill.”

Alright, Wang Kailun realized he was getting carried away; after all, he’d been mulling over this for a week.

From the very beginning, he suspected Zhou Shu—not because he coveted Zhou Shu’s “superpowers,” but because he coveted Zhou Shu’s power exoskeleton armor.

The traces at the scene pointed unmistakably to a power exoskeleton, and as someone who participated in the Demon Suppression Bureau’s exoskeleton tests, he quickly discerned the differences between models.

His logic was simple: if Zhou Shu admitted it, they could trace the source of the exoskeleton and find a way to equip the Bureau’s warriors, thus boosting the Bureau’s overall combat strength.

So when Zhou Shu handed him the armor modification plan, a sudden flash in his mind brought all this together.

Now, realizing what he was thinking, Wang Kailun cursed himself for being a fool. The exoskeleton he wanted was right in front of him; was he searching for a donkey while riding one?

Looking closely, the more he examined the upgrade and modification plan, the more it matched his ideal of a balanced offensive and defensive suit. Though somewhat rough, the data was remarkably precise.

He wasn’t a mechanical specialist, but he’d learned a lot from the exoskeleton tests, enough to read the plan and confirm it wasn’t nonsense.

“These…” He looked up at Zhou Shu.

“The things I wanted to discuss before,” Zhou Shu replied, “things that can enhance the Demon Suppression Bureau’s overall combat strength.”

Before…

Wang Kailun remembered. Zhou Shu had mentioned it previously, but he had been frustrated by Hu Wenli and the other two, and had said things that discouraged Zhou Shu from his studies. Thinking back now, he realized he’d been impatient.

Zhou Shu saw the expression on Wang Kailun’s face and understood what he was thinking.

“Captain Wang, there’s no need to blame yourself. I was a bit impatient back then—no plan, just an idea, so I came running to tell you.”

“Words alone aren’t convincing, so I went and drew up this modification plan.”

Wang Kailun was nearly moved to tears. What a good kid, knowing how to give people a way out—not like those other three, who only dig pits for others.

“Sigh, you don’t need to apologize. I should be the one apologizing,” Wang Kailun waved his hand. “I’m older, yet I made the same impatient mistake. This exoskeleton modification…”

Wait, Wang Kailun suddenly realized something crucial: Zhou Shu thought he was impatient because there was no plan at the time, and now he returned with a proper plan.

So this plan was created by Zhou Shu in just a few days?!

He had assumed Zhou Shu got it from some top engineer or technical team—after all, Zhou Shu wasn’t even eighteen. No matter how talented, could he really be this brilliant?

People are not all the same, true, and “superpower” means surpassing ordinary ability. The Demon Suppression Bureau is famous for gathering “superhumans,” but even if one’s brain mutated and IQ soared above a thousand, inventions still require study and practice.

He’d reviewed Zhou Shu’s records; Zhou Shu had some mechanical studies, but only the basics—good enough for tinkering with models, but not for deeper work.

Or was Zhou Shu truly a genius with an IQ over a thousand, and everything visible was just an act?

Was he acting for me?

Seeing Wang Kailun’s changing expression, Zhou Shu understood.

Wang Kailun was overthinking.

The smarter someone is, the more they tend to overthink when faced with complex matters.

Was Cao Cao not intelligent? As a famed historical warlord, he certainly was. Yet he was most famous for his suspicion, and—

Suspicion is inevitable when one commands so many subordinates; unlike Yuri, he couldn’t control minds, so if he didn’t think more, he might be assassinated without knowing it.

It was precisely because of his suspicion that, on a foggy day, he ordered a volley of arrows at the sound of drums—giving rise to the story of “Borrowing Arrows with Straw Boats.”

Cao Cao’s actions were not entirely wrong, embodying the saying:

“In poverty, rely on tactics; in wealth, rely on firepower!”

To shoot tens of thousands of arrows in one go—Cao Cao was certainly wealthy.

So why did he fail?

His firepower wasn’t fierce enough!

What if he’d ordered tens of thousands of flaming arrows? Or used catapults? Forget borrowing arrows—even the boats would’ve been blown away!

Zhou Shu felt Wang Kailun’s dilemma was simply a lack of imagination; no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t discern the real reason.

So Zhou Shu decided to add fuel to the fire, letting Wang Kailun continue to wonder.

“Captain Wang, the neighboring Peacock Dynasty boasts a mathematician who claims divine inspiration from a goddess; our own history is filled with prodigies born with innate knowledge. Besides, my ability stems from ‘mental mutation,’ and you know my dream is to become a super scientist.”

“So don’t overthink it—just tell me if the modification plan is viable. Strengthening our Demon Suppression Bureau is what matters most!”