His father was clearly in a frenzy.
Zhang Xijin rolled her eyes and couldn't be bothered to care anymore.
Anyway, her father had a habit of getting completely absorbed in researching some technological product since she could remember.
Without her tablet, Zhang Xijin pulled out her phone, munching on snacks as she browsed. Just as she saw a news item about two young idols in a “bromance” and let out a giggle, a sudden, thunderous roar startled her.
It was her father. This military officer with the rank of Colonel.
He was now exclaiming with great amazement, like a seven or eight-year-old boy who had discovered his latest toy.
"Impossible."
"Absolutely impossible."
"This is outrageous."
"What is going on with this Huarong Industrial? Is it just an ordinary private enterprise in our Great Xia country? How could they possibly possess such advanced and cutting-edge military technology!"
Seeing her father snap out of his daze, Zhang Xijin rolled her eyes and grumbled.
"Dad."
"What are you doing?"
"You're going to scare me to death."
"Good thing we're at the Qiongzhou Resort. If this were our apartment building, your yelling so loud might even attract complaints."
Completely ignoring his daughter's complaint, Zhang Weimin grabbed Zhang Xijin's arm, leaving five finger marks on her tender skin.
"Look at this display screen of the mecha cockpit. This is completely a comprehensive feedback system for a top-tier fighter jet..."
"And look at this eye-tracking control system. This kind of module controlled by eyeballs is only equipped in the most advanced fighter jets..."
"And this micro-power hydraulic system, the nanometer-level laser rangefinder, the three-dimensional terrain imaging module... My heavens, these are all the most cutting-edge military technologies..."
Zhang Xijin struggled free from her father's grip. She frowned, rubbing her sore arm.
"Mom, come see if your husband has gone mad..."
Zhang Xijin, who had always excelled in her studies, was experiencing "domestic violence" from her father for the first time.
Zhang Weimin also realized his失态 (shītài - unbecoming behavior). He chuckled sheepishly and patted his daughter's head.
"I'm sorry, Xijin, I was just too shocked..."
"Are you sure this mecha actually exists..."
"Or rather, is this mecha really produced and sold by that private company called Huarong Technology..."
"My initial assessment is that all the components of this mecha are top-tier military equipment..."
Top-tier military equipment?
Zhang Xijin was a bit stunned. As a girl driven by romance, her biggest hobby besides studying was shipping idols and gossiping about celebrity couples. She wasn't interested in military affairs or technology.
However, coming from a family of high-ranking military officials, even if she didn't care, she would have some basic knowledge of military technology through her father's influence. Coupled with her father's bewildered expression, she truly realized that this mecha, which Chen Kun had dominated his social media feed with, was incredibly outrageous!
Zhang Weimin, who had come into contact with the Great Xia country's most advanced military fighter jets, was so flustered by this equipment. It was likely a truly superior piece of military hardware.
"Can you ask this friend to send more detailed photos..."
"His photography skills are very unprofessional, and he hasn't captured some of the finer details..."
Zhang Weimin's eyes were full of anticipation.
Zhang Xijin frowned prettily. Muttering complaints under her breath, she still opened her WeChat contact list.
"What, you were just lecturing me about exposing and debunking things..."
"And now you're acting like you're possessed..."
"Having a father like you is more than enough..."
...
Sunlight streamed down. Chen Kun, who had been up until midnight the previous day, woke up. He casually reached for his phone under his pillow and unlocked it.
Good heavens.
Countless messages flooded in from his WeChat Moments, Zhihu, Weibo, and Bilibili.
"Hehehe."
"This Phantom mecha really makes a splash."
"I'm definitely the most dazzling guy on social media these days!"
"Oh?"
"Zhang Xijin actually messaged me!"
"I never expected that Lin Hecheng's goddess would be interested in mechas too?"
"Well, it's normal. Zhang Xijin's father seems to be a high-ranking officer in the Air Force department of the J Province Military Region. It's normal for him to be interested in mechas, military equipment, and weapon systems."
"For the future of our Lin Hecheng, I must win over this goddess... Right, Lin Hecheng also managed to snatch a mecha yesterday, but his speed was too slow, and he only got the second one, which hasn't shipped yet... As expected, my speed is the fastest in the world."
Clicking on Zhang Xijin's avatar with the red dot, the message from this goddess appeared to be exceptionally polite.
[Brother Kun, can you show me some detailed pictures of the mecha?]
Brother Kun?
Good heavens!
Chen Kun felt a bit smug. After all, his best friend Lin Hecheng had known Zhang Xijin for so long, let alone calling him "brother," she rarely even replied to his messages. Most of the time, Lin Hecheng would send a bunch of messages, and Zhang Xijin would reluctantly reply with one or two. And her replies were always filled with the typical condescending tone of a goddess towards a mere mortal.
[Sleeping!]
[Heh!]
[Going to shower!]
Lin Hecheng quickly took a screenshot of their chat history, preparing to send it to Lin Hecheng to "humiliate" his best friend.
"No problem, Miss Xijin, you are our brother Lin Hecheng's goddess..."
"Tell me, what part of the mecha do you want to see..."
"Whatever you need, I'll show you..."
After sending these messages, Chen Kun switched the chat window to Lin Hecheng.
"Ah Cheng, look, your goddess is actively calling me brother..."
"You've been chasing her for so long, and you didn't even know she was a military machinery enthusiast?"
"A miscalculation, brother. For the sake of our long friendship, I'll give you some advice: hurry up and take the Phantom mecha you just snatched to win over the goddess..."
Unlike Chen Kun, a veteran military enthusiast, Lin Hecheng was merely a fan of military matters. If he had to choose between a mecha and a goddess, he would definitely choose the goddess, not the mecha. After all, he only participated in the online mecha rush yesterday at Chen Kun's instigation, just for the fun of it.
...
Qiongzhou Resort.
Looking at the message Chen Kun had replied with, Zhang Weimin's face looked a bit grim.
Yes.
That's right.
The previous message was sent by him, mimicking his daughter's tone.
"Who is Lin Hecheng?"
"Why are you Lin Hecheng's goddess?"
"Confess honestly, are you dating someone?"
Zhang Xijin's mind was about to explode. This silly Chen Kun. If you ask him something, just answer directly. Why ramble on about irrelevant things? Isn't he causing trouble for me?