Chapter 329: Experiencing the Mecha

Chapter 329: Chapter 329: Experiencing the Mecha

Two minutes later, Shi Lan came out.

She emerged with her long hair down, wearing pajamas covered by a long windbreaker. She was bundled up tightly, but on her feet were a pair of fluffy slippers worn without socks, revealing her fair, smooth ankles.

Shi Lan spotted He Hanshi waiting by the door and happily started walking toward him. But He Hanshi was faster, striding over to her with his gaze fixed on her ankles. He sighed helplessly. "Lanlan, why aren’t you wearing any socks?"

Even though the base had heating, the weather was cold, and some of the vents still let in a chilly draft.

Shi Lan pulled a Red Crystal from her coat pocket to show him, saying with a grin, "It’s fine! I brought this, so I’m not cold!"

Despite her words, He Hanshi didn’t wait for an explanation. He swept her up into his arms, pulled one of his own garments from his Space Chain, and wrapped it around her ankles. "Mhm, Lanlan isn’t cold. I’m just afraid you’ll get cold."

His smile was indulgent, but his actions were decidedly firm.

The doctor on duty, peeking from a corner, sighed to herself. ’This is my new favorite ship. Totally.’

’So this is what the Admiral is like in a relationship.’

In the end, Shi Lan couldn’t argue with He Hanshi. Cradled in his arms, she couldn’t be bothered to struggle anyway. But as they passed the on-duty doctor, she still said, a little embarrassed, "Doctor Wang, thanks for covering the night shift. I’m heading to my Beast Husband’s quarters. If anything comes up tonight that you need me for, just contact me."

"Okay, okay."

The doctor on duty nodded eagerly.

He Hanshi also gave her a polite farewell before immediately carrying his wife away.

He Hanshi’s arrival and departure were swift. The doctor on duty watched him leave. Like most males, he was tall and powerfully built, and with Shi Lan’s petite frame cradled in his arms, only her hands and feet were visible.

But now, even her feet were covered by his clothing, completely cocooning her in He Hanshi’s personal space.

The doctor wore that same starry-eyed expression again. ’If I weren’t on duty tonight,’ she thought, ’I’d be looking for my own Beast Husband for some snuggles.’

Damn Insect Clan!

She cursed under her breath, sat back down, and went back to binge-watching her show, continuing her vigil.

Meanwhile, nestled in He Hanshi’s arms as he walked, Shi Lan found herself thinking. Even though he hadn’t had a chance to shower, she still thought he had a faint, crisp scent of cedar—perhaps it was just instinctual attraction. It was very refreshing. Her nose twitched, but she couldn’t detect any unpleasant odor.

Shaking off those thoughts, something else occurred to her, and she couldn’t resist asking, "Han Shi, do you have a Mecha?"

He Hanshi recalled noticing the simulation environment she had chosen earlier. He had been quite surprised that Shi Lan had picked the Mecha bay.

He nodded. "I do."

"Would you like to try it out?"

Shi Lan’s eyes lit up instantly. ’He really has one!’

She eagerly replied, "Yes!"

"Alright. I’ll take you there."

With that, he turned and headed in a different direction.

The military’s Mechas were stored in a dedicated hangar. They had to be returned to their designated spots every night for automated maintenance checks.

Mechas came in many different types: some were defensive, some were for heavy assault, and others served as transport vehicles. Of course, this classification only referred to a Mecha’s primary strength; it didn’t mean a defensive model, for instance, had no other capabilities.

Ever since He Hanshi was promoted to Major General, he’d had his own exclusive Mecha. His was a heavy assault model, equipped with numerous weapon bays.

He led Shi Lan to the Mecha hangar. A dozen or so Mechas were already parked inside. A few soldiers were on patrol, but any Mechas currently deployed were obviously not here.

Still, the sight of just this dozen was enough to leave Shi Lan in awe.

She had to tilt her head all the way back, straining to see the full form of each one.

"Whoa, this is so cool!"

She breathed in amazement. He Hanshi just smiled and led her onward. "Mine isn’t in this section."

His Mecha had its own private bay.

Shi Lan’s curiosity was fully piqued. If these Mechas were already so impressive, she couldn’t begin to imagine what He Hanshi’s looked like.

In truth, even though she had tried to prepare herself, the sight of the towering, blue-and-white Mecha before her left her speechless.

He Hanshi’s Mecha was predominantly blue and white. Its heavily armored, articulated waist was a darker shade, and its mechanical arms—sculpted like powerful, sinewy muscles—each featured two small, red cannon muzzles.

He Hanshi explained that the Mecha’s chest plate housed an entire weapons arsenal with immense firepower. As it was a heavy assault Mecha, built for offense, he had named it: *Dauntless*.

To charge ever forward on the battlefield, dauntless in the face of peril.

As he spoke, he raised his hand toward the Mecha. A sensor on his chip automatically linked with the machine. The Mecha’s blue mechanical eyes flared to life. It lowered its torso, bent down, and extended an arm, while a hatch slid open beside its head.

Seeing his opening, He Hanshi, still holding Shi Lan, easily vaulted from the Mecha’s outstretched arm into the cockpit.

The cockpit was sealed from the elements. Only after they were inside did he relax and place Shi Lan in a seat.

"Lanlan, do you want to try piloting it?"

Of course she did. She nodded immediately.

He Hanshi moved her into the main pilot’s seat and settled himself in the copilot’s chair.

To prevent any accidents, He Hanshi disabled all the weapon turrets beforehand. Although the hangar itself was well-fortified, the noise from any weapons fire would be deafening and could easily startle his wife. Not to mention, it was a waste of ordnance unless absolutely necessary.

After pressing a few more buttons, he told Shi Lan, "Lanlan, your spiritual power is very strong. Try linking a portion of it to the control stick."

"Modern Mecha have been modified to be highly efficient, conserving a pilot’s spiritual power. But the machines are massive. To establish a truly close link with the Mecha’s main body, using spiritual power is essential. Especially on the battlefield. With enough practice, it becomes as agile as your own limbs—you don’t even need the control stick."

In essence, spiritual power acts like a nervous system, connecting to the Mecha’s limbs and allowing the pilot to control it with fluid precision.

Shi Lan only half-understood the theory, but when it came to the practical application of spiritual power, she was highly proficient.

She immediately released a spiritual power thread.

He Hanshi continued, "Lanlan, try to visualize the Mecha in its entirety in your mind. At the same time, sense your spiritual power thread as it roams through the machine’s different parts."

"Let’s start by getting familiar with the limbs. Lanlan, raise the left arm."

Following He Hanshi’s instructions, Shi Lan visualized it. The Mecha’s sleek, fluid mechanical lines filled her mind’s eye. She focused her thoughts on its arm and gave it a try.

From the copilot’s seat, He Hanshi clearly felt *Dauntless*’s arm begin to move. A flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes.

’Lanlan never ceased to amaze him.’

’He never expected her control over her spiritual power to be so refined. She was making the Mecha move smoothly on her very first try.’

He suppressed the shock in his eyes and continued in a steady voice, "Lower the left arm. Now the right."

Shi Lan did as he said.

"Left leg... right leg... turn at the waist..."

Shi Lan executed each of He Hanshi’s subsequent commands smoothly. It was only at the very end, when she tried to make the Mecha walk, that she faltered. The Mecha stumbled and dropped to one knee.