That's not enough! The most critical thing is, this superalloy actually possesses the properties of memory metal! Whoever invented this metal is truly a genius among geniuses! This is simply a miracle that only a god could create!

　　"Alright, I admit, this thing is not a toy!" Big Guy was completely defeated. Faced with this mech that absolutely stands at the pinnacle of current technology, even the most shameless person couldn't deny it—facts are facts, after all.

　　Looking at the smug smile on Ethan Brooks's face, Big Guy's bad habit flared up again as he blurted out, "Where did you steal this mech from?"

Chapter 7: Who Is Killing Our Loved Ones

　　Ethan Brooks finally lost her patience and snapped! She grabbed a gun and shouted angrily, "Damn Big Guy, are you looking to die today or what?"

　　"Bang!"

　　A bullet hit the ground right next to William Carter's foot.

　　Big Guy was startled, jumping up quickly, his whole body trembling like a dog wagging its tail frantically at its master. His chubby face immediately filled with a fawning smile: "Just kidding, just kidding. This is absolutely, without a doubt, the masterpiece of the beautiful and intelligent Miss Ethan Brooks."

　　Seeing that Ethan Brooks still seemed angry and on the verge of another outburst, Big Guy, who knew this seemingly quiet woman was actually a powder keg, hurriedly changed the subject: "What exactly is the metal used in this mech?"

　　Mentioning her proudest creation, Ethan Brooks seemed to calm down a bit. She tossed the gun aside and clapped her hands, saying, "Let me teach you something. This is a bi-phasic metal that I invented together with Professor Cooper, experimental code BM3633. It doesn't even have an official name yet."

　　As Ethan Brooks walked toward the giant computer by the wall, she motioned for Big Guy to follow, continuing, "This metal has all the advantages of liquid metal, but none of its drawbacks. Of course, the price is just as high as liquid metal. In some ways, it's even rarer than liquid metal."

　　She opened a file on the computer's touchscreen, pointed to a plant in the document, and said to Big Guy, "This metal can only be obtained in its raw form through this gold-devouring grass. This grass only exists at the North Pole of Milok Star. It's extremely rare. Because the soil in the Arctic Circle contains natural radioactive substances and super-heavy metal particles, basically no other life can survive there. This grass is the only master of that place. In maintaining its own nutrients, the proportion of metal is very high. The metals it can't absorb are expelled from its body, and this excretion is the raw form of the bi-phasic metal."

　　"The special properties of this metal were discovered by Professor Cooper." Ethan Brooks's slender fingers spun an atomic pen rapidly, her delicate nose wrinkling with pride as she said, "I used the repulsion between the gold-devouring grass and the raw ore to create this alloy!!"

　　Big Guy understood: "So, liquid metal is when the biological cells of the gold-devouring grass make the metal take on a liquid state, and when these biological cells are forcibly isolated or shut down, this metal, which is like a biological fluid, returns to a solid state. Although the gold-devouring grass can change the form of the metal, this metal is actually the excretion it can't absorb, so it avoids the phenomenon of biological cells devouring the metal. Then, by mixing in memory alloy to accelerate this transformation process, you get this superalloy. Is that right?"

　　"Correct answer." A voice came from behind Big Guy. Turning around, Big Guy saw it was Professor Cooper.

　　The old man patted Big Guy's head with some delight and said, "Your comprehension is quite good. You were able to deduce the experimental approach from just one sentence from Ethan Brooks. It seems letting you do only mechanical repairs is a waste of your talent."

　　The old man turned to Ethan Brooks and said, "Show him the manufacturing theory and data for this mech." Then to Big Guy: "Be sure to read the last sentence carefully. If you have any questions, Ethan Brooks will help you."

　　Feeling flattered, Big Guy quickly finished reading the file, but the last sentence made him tremble all over, at a complete loss.

　　At the end of this document, which recorded all kinds of data, manufacturing theories, and experimental results for the mech, it was boldly written: This document is an S-class top secret file of the Lelei Federation.

　　For a mechanic who is desperately hoping to have his death sentence commuted to life, seeing an S-class top secret file can only mean one thing—Big Guy didn't even dare to imagine the consequences.

　　"Two years!" A voice sounded in Big Guy's ear, and to Big Guy it sounded like the devil himself. It was James Cooper, who had used his curiosity to trap him.

　　The old man said coldly, "You have to work here for at least two years, until this file is declassified or its secrecy level is downgraded to B-class. For these two years, just settle down and stay here."

　　Big Guy was a bit confused, thinking to himself, "Aren't I on a suspended death sentence? What does he mean by two years?"

　　……

　　The brutal war was still raging on.

　　The Gacharin Empire had intensified its ground offensive on Milok Star. The Lelei Federation, with its air power almost completely destroyed, had its main lines of communication between cities cut off by the Imperial Army. The defending forces in each city were left to fight on their own. Despite their desperate defense, five cities still inevitably fell into the hands of the invaders.