303: Chapter 303 Mechs

Aelia turned her gaze toward the mechas once more, and after a moment of contemplation, she asked in a soft voice, as if afraid of disturbing them.

Chen Wuwang rested his right hand on the edge of the control panel, his eyes focused as if in deep thought.

Only then did he slowly turn around, his silver hair swaying with the movement. His Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flickered slightly as he glanced at her before returning his gaze to the row of mechas.

"Which part do you want to see?" he asked.

"Everything," Aelia said bluntly. She walked around Unit 003, inspecting it from the shoulder plates down to the ankle drive shafts. Her fingers traced along the energy-conducting rails; the texture was so smooth it didn't seem handcrafted. "Are these patterns a Psionic Coupling Array? Were they automatically engraved?"

"Mhm," Chen Wuwang nodded. "Each unit has been independently calibrated, with an error margin of no more than 0.015."

"What equipment did you use to roll the Nano-Spirit Silk? I've seen the production lines of three different civilizations, and none could achieve Level 3 Homogenization at room temperature."

"In-house development," he said flatly. "It's a trade secret."

Aelia stopped in her tracks and stood directly opposite him, looking him straight in the eye. "Head of the Chen Family, I want all of these mechas. Give me a reasonable price."

The humming in the workshop suddenly grew clearer, and the rhythm of the guide rails seemed to quicken by half a beat.

Chen Wuwang didn't respond. He paced to the edge of the seventh segment of the guide rail, his fingers continuing to tap on the control console's casing—once, twice, thrice. He stared at the flickering frequency of the energy cores as if waiting for some data to finish processing.

Three seconds later, he finally spoke: "We can talk."

He paused, then added, "However, as for the price, it depends on how much you can accept."

Aelia's brows twitched slightly, and her tone shifted instantly. "Are you trying to jack up the price?"

"It's not a price hike." He turned around, the three claw marks on the right side of his face particularly prominent in the interplay of light and shadow. "It's the actual cost. The line blew up seven times, three technicians died, seventeen versions of the blueprints were revised, and four furnaces were scrapped. How do you plan to settle those accounts?"

She was momentarily speechless.

The Jade Slip in her hand grew somewhat warm from her rubbing it.

"I know you've put in a lot of effort," she said, letting out a breath. "But I am the first non-military procurement. According to Star Domain custom, the first batch of orders should have a discount. 800,000 Spirit Stones per unit, for at least 300 units—I'll take them all."

Chen Wuwang laughed. It wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling edge. "800,000? Do you think these are street-stall junk?"

"Market quotes across civilizations are indeed over a million, but yours haven't been combat-validated, and the System stability hasn't undergone high-intensity testing. You can't expect me to shoulder the entire risk premium."

"Risk?" He raised a finger toward the seventh segment of the guide rail. "An Interference Spike was welded there just last night. The person Xiao Dao caught had a Self-Destruct Talisman Flake in his mouth; even at death's door, he wanted to detonate the central hub. Our shields held, and the production line didn't stop."

Aelia's pupils constricted. "You knew someone was coming to sabotage it?"

"We knew," he nodded. "So what blew up wasn't the real line, but a dummy segment. The true new assembly line was switched to Psionic-driven mode at six this morning."

She took a deep breath, finally realizing that these sixteen mechas before her weren't just products that had "just come off the line"—they were finished products that had undergone combat pressure tests and had even killed assassins.

"Then how much do you plan to sell them for?" Her voice grew a few shades deeper.

"1.2 million," he stated the figure without the slightest hesitation. "Not a single stone less."

"That's too high!" she blurted out. "The Chuanyun Sect only spent 900,000 for ten customized Flying Sword Caskets!"

"Those are sword caskets," Chen Wuwang interrupted. "This is 'Iron Spine.' Its armor strength can withstand a full-strength strike from the Golden Core realm. It has thirty-seven built-in security protocols, its energy core can sustain seventy-two hours of continuous combat, and the AI will autonomously learn the battlefield environment. You're comparing it to a sword casket?"

Aelia bit her lip, her eyes flickering.

She was calculating.

Buying at 800,000, even with a thirty percent profit margin, she could double her money selling to those barbarian tribes in the Northern Border. But if the price was stuck at 1.2 million, the profit margin would be cut by more than half.

But if she didn't buy...

Others would.

Moreover, if the Chen family could build sixteen today, they could build 160 tomorrow. Once the volume went up, the price would only drop. If she didn't grab them now, she wouldn't even be able to reach the threshold later.

"900,000 won't work?" she probed. "I can pay a thirty percent deposit upfront and sign a three-year exclusive agency agreement to guarantee your sales."

Chen Wuwang shook his head. "No agency agreements, no exclusivity. What I want are spot Spirit Stones, settled unit by unit. 1.2 million is the minimum threshold."

"One million!" She looked up sharply. "That is my final bottom line. Any more, and I'd rather go dig up your discarded prototype wreckage to study it myself."

He looked at her, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flickering slightly as if scanning the fluctuations in her expression.

"Do you know why I'm not afraid of people stealing my technology?" he suddenly asked.

Aelia was taken aback. "Why?"

"Because what's truly valuable isn't the mechas." He raised his hand and slapped the shoulder plate of Unit 001, producing a dull thud. "It's this line. Whoever wants to steal it, let them come. I'd like to see who can haul away an entire Psionic-driven Assembly Line right under my nose."

She fell silent.

After a moment, she whispered, "You don't actually want to sell them, do you? You want to use me as a mouthpiece to tell everyone—the Chen family's goods are expensive, but they're worth stealing."

Chen Wuwang neither denied nor admitted it, only offering a small smile. "What do you think?"

Aelia stared at him for a few seconds before suddenly smiling as well. "Fine, I admit defeat. 1.1 million. I'll bring spot Spirit Stones and take the first batch of thirty units today. Is it a deal?"

"Still 100,000 short." He remained standing still. "I'm not hurting for the money from those thirty units."

"Then 1.15 million." She stepped closer, her wings unfurling slightly, her voice lowered. "But I have one condition—you must allow me to send people in to record the assembly process and create a Technical White Paper. It won't be leaked; it's only for internal evaluation."

Chen Wuwang's expression finally changed.

He slowly raised his hand and pointed toward the inspection area at the end of the production line. "You can record the external processes. But the core control System, the Energy Synchronization Algorithm, the AI Learning Modules—any part involving code or array logic is forbidden from being filmed or recorded. Violators will have their hands severed on the spot."

"That's too harsh!"

"Harsh?" He sneered. "Have you ever seen an Artifact Refiner write down the Mind-Cultivation Technique for refining their Lifebound Treasure into a book to sell? These mechas are our lives. If you want to take a piece, you have to pay the corresponding price."

Aelia gritted her teeth, her fingertips making the Jade Slip creak.

She knew she had to pass this hurdle.

Otherwise, the entire Angel Race merchant caravan would be excluded from the Cyber Cultivation System for the next thirty years.

"Fine." She finally nodded. "1.15 million. External process recording is allowed, but I want to witness the delivery on-site to ensure they aren't models or defective products."

"Very well." Chen Wuwang raised his hand, pointing to the first mecha that had settled into its slot. "Unit 001 is on standby and can be started at any time. Your people can inspect it. But remember—if you break it, you pay the full price."

She took a deep breath and held out the Jade Slip. "Then shall we sign a preliminary letter of intent now? No need to wait for a formal contract?"

Chen Wuwang looked at the Jade Slip but didn't take it.

"A letter of intent doesn't count," he said. "I want to see Spirit Stones in the account before we talk about the next step."

Aelia was stunned. "You won't even leave a written commitment?"

"As for me," the corners of his mouth curled up into a nearly crazed smile, "I have always only believed in cold, hard cash."