Half an hour later.
Zhang Weimin, standing on the beach, was about to turn into a statue of a woman waiting for her husband.
Zhang Xijin and her mother, dressed in formal attire, were finding it difficult to endure the scorching sea breeze and sunshine on the beach.
Damn it.
The beach was meant for wearing bikinis and sunbathing.
Not for being fully dressed, standing at attention in the scorching sun and fierce wind.
Zhang Xijin rolled her eyes.
She led her mother to a beach umbrella and lay down, ordering two large cups of iced fruit juice from the waiter.
Well.
If her father liked standing at attention on the hot sand under the scorching sun, then so be it.
She, Zhang Xijin, and her mother were both princesses who needed to protect their tender and smooth skin.
Before long.
A large speed boat with the "Chengfeng Express" logo emblazoned on it sliced through the waves.
The hull of the speedboat was deeply submerged.
It was obvious.
This large speedboat was carrying extremely heavy cargo.
"May I ask if this is Ms. Zhang Xijin or her family..."
"Please present your ID. We need to verify your identity..."
"Identity verification successful. This is your cargo. Chengfeng Express, mission accomplished. Happy to serve you..."
Watching the Chengfeng Express personnel sail away again.
On the beach, only a box about five meters high and two meters wide was left.
Overjoyed, Zhang Weimin rubbed his hands and dismantled the combination lock on the box.
Hum... Rumble!
As the combination lock was unlocked.
The simple self-opening wooden box unfolded outwards, landing on the soft sand with a not-too-harsh sound.
The brand-new Phantom power armor appeared before Zhang Weimin.
This mecha, standing on the beach, immediately attracted countless shirtless men in shorts, playing in the sea and sunbathing.
These men, old and young, fat and thin.
They all gathered around, their eyes filled with shock and envy.
As for Zhang Weimin...
The head of the family, a senior military officer who always appeared mature and steady in front of his wife and daughter, was now acting like a child who had gotten the newest, most unique, and most eye-catching toy.
Under the gaze of hundreds of men, fat and thin, old and young, he was wiping down the mecha that was not a speck of dust.
"Mom, what is Dad doing?"
"My image of him as a loving father and a strict father has completely collapsed!"
"How old is he? He's acting like a child showing off a toy, showing off endlessly!"
"And what about those grown men? They're acting like kindergarteners, surrounding Dad and trying to get closer!"
*Pfft.*
Zhang Xijin's mother let out a suppressed laugh.
Her eyes were deep, as if reminiscing about the past.
"Daughter, you must remember, men, as a species, never lose their childlike innocence. They are always boys at heart..."
"When you were just born, your dad bought you a lightsaber as a gift, and then, using the excuse that you didn't play with it, he took it to play with himself..."
"When you were eight, your dad bought you a highly simulated excavator, and then, using the excuse that you didn't know how to operate it, he drove it off somewhere..."
"And, do you remember last year when you were in your third year of high school, your dad bought a PS5 game console? Did you think you would like that kind of thing? And you were approaching your college entrance exams, how could you possibly play with such a thing? So, naturally, it became your dad's private collection..."
Zhang Xijin listened, dumbfounded.
Heaven and Earth!
Her usually extremely serious father, who seemed like a devil when training soldiers, almost wanting to skin those brats, actually had such a childish side and so many shameful dark histories that couldn't be looked at directly...
"So, sometimes, when you meet a guy you like, you just need to coax him like a child..."
"Satisfy his desire for self-esteem, self-reliance, and self-love. Learn to cook to fill his stomach, and, after confirming that he will be responsible for you... sleep with him!"
Huh?
Eh?
Ah?
What is Mom doing?
Is she teaching me the "man-slayer" secrets?
Who am I supposed to deal with?
Meng Hao?
Suppressing the embarrassment and racing heart.
Zhang Xijin pretended not to hear her mother's "patient guidance."
She deliberately changed the subject.
"Wow, so many handsome guys..."
"Wow, he has abs..."
"Wow, that's actually a V-line..."
"Wow, ..."
At this moment, Zhang Xijin was completely like a giddy teenage girl.
...
Just as Zhang Xijin's mother said.
At this moment, Zhang Weimin was clearly acting like a child who wanted to show off his prized "toy" but also prevent other "kids" from touching his toy!
"Hey, don't touch it, you'll scratch the paint on the mecha's casing with your nails..."
"Hey, can you not smoke next to my power armor? The salt and carbon dioxide will corrode its strength..."
"Hey, why are you throwing stones at the mecha? If you make a dent, I'll deal with you..."
"..."
If any of the fans from Major General Maoxiong's country or Qin Muyan's live stream were present.
They would definitely scold Zhang Weimin for being "pretentious."
Damn it.
The Huarong Type I mecha could withstand the bombardment of artillery fire that would turn a large destroyer into pieces.
Even though the Phantom power armor, as the second product of Huarong Industries, might have slightly inferior technical parameters to the first mecha... Except for Meng Hao, no one knew that this mecha was just a scaled-down version with simplified components and optimized wiring. The composite metal material used for its outer shell had not been weakened at all... But its structural strength was still not to be underestimated.
Scratched paint by fingernails?
Corroded structural strength by cigarettes??
Damaged by thrown stones???
Please.
Are you kidding me?
This is a Phantom power armor produced by Huarong Industries, not some roadside trinket to fool three-year-old children.
...
The men, who were scared into retreating by Zhang Weimin and dared not touch the mecha, scanned the Phantom's body with unrestrained gazes.
Whether it was to intentionally get closer to Zhang Weimin or simply out of curiosity about the mecha.
Countless questions bombarded them.
"By the way, is this mecha a toy? It looks so cool!"
"What toy? Do you know about Huarong Industries? It's very popular recently. This mecha is produced by that company... It's a large toy power armor that can crush all military robots in the world... By the way, this mecha is molded as one piece. How do you pilot it?"
"By the way, did you watch Brother Hao's test video carefully? This mecha is bound to the pilot and can be started directly with voice commands... However, the video doesn't look as solid as the real thing... Old man, can you pilot it? How about I teach you? In exchange, you let me feel the cockpit?"
"..."
Facing the noisy chatter around him.
Zhang Weimin's eyes were rolling so hard they were about to reach the sky.
"I can start the mecha, and I can pilot it even better. I am an ace pilot with over twenty years of experience..."
"No need for your concern. The 'first operation' of this power armor can only be mine..."
"Please stay away from my mecha. Only wives, daughters, and mechas cannot be lent out."