A blue light connected to Su Chen's chest, a guiding prompt from the system.
His current task was to introduce the plan for the Glamoth Iron Cavalry.
At the same time, the system interface popped up as expected:
[Proposed the S.A.M. mecha design, accelerating the research progress of the Glamoth Iron Cavalry.]
Su Chen couldn't help but click his tongue.
He recalled the original intent behind designing this game.
It was meant for players to become Iron Cavalry pilots controlling Sam armor,
Indulging in the addictive thrill of a mowing-down game, time and again,
Only to be hit with a plot twist, leading the Iron Cavalry to its downfall, turning their weapons against the Republic.
This contrast, from exhilaration to tragedy, would surely trigger an emotional explosion in players.
It would definitely deepen everyone's impression of Firefly.
However.
Why was his version of the game about becoming the creator of the Glamoth Iron Cavalry?
Isn't that kind of unsolvable?
But.
This could be good too. He could forge a completely different path.
Su Chen slowly approached the white-haired man.
He knew this man was the general commanding the Republic's military forces—Ilich.
Su Chen spoke slowly, "Everyone, in the face of the swarm, the Republic seems to have no chance of winning. There's a natural gap between humans and the swarm. Sooner or later, we'll lose everything we have now."
Ilich cast a chilling glance. "Dr. Su, do you know how many soldiers lose their lives in the seconds you waste on nonsense? Get to the point!"
Su Chen smiled faintly. "I'm getting to the point. We need to understand where the gap with the swarm lies.
First, battlefield attrition. This attrition is multifaceted—not just manpower, but finances and land.
When facing the swarm, relying solely on manpower leads to being devoured completely. Using large-scale destructive weapons can effectively repel the swarm.
However, the wounds left by such weapons take a long time to heal, and the swarm will return before long.
So, I designed a new armor—S.A.M., Firefly IV Type, assault armor."
With that, he snapped his fingers. The screens displaying the war situations on various planets merged into one massive screen, prominently showing the appearance of the Sam armor.
At that moment, a young prodigy at the round table interrupted Su Chen.
"Dr. Su, if this is your plan, I suggest you come up with a new one, or find a way to compensate for the 1 minute and 35 seconds of system time you've wasted.
The Republic tried mechas long ago, but their learning curve is too steep, the production costs are too high, and the effort invested doesn't match their battlefield performance. A pilot needs at least months of training to operate a mecha, and fully mastering one takes even longer, not to mention it heavily depends on the pilot's talent."
Another attendee joined the attack on Su Chen. "Exactly. Creating a mecha strong enough to counter the swarm is incredibly difficult! Weapons are one thing, but defense is nearly impossible to address. Even if you bolster defense, you sacrifice mobility.
Without mobility, a mecha is just a sitting target for the swarm on the battlefield!"
"Dr. Su, you've received so much funding from the Republic. Now, when it's time to offer suggestions, you give us this half-baked idea? Are you worthy of the Republic's support?"
"Yes, yes, General, I urge the National Assembly to fully entrust development rights to me!"
"What a complete waste of time."
"…"
The round table meeting erupted in relentless criticism of Su Chen, showing no signs of stopping.
Smack—
General Ilich slammed the table heavily. "Everyone, interrupting is already extremely rude."
The round table fell silent for the moment.
Ilich's gaze grew colder. "Dr. Su, continue your presentation, but don't spout nonsense and betray the Republic's investment in you.
If I find you're being perfunctory, I swear by the Aeons, I'll shoot you myself!"
Su Chen glanced at the crowd before him.
This bunch of bastards.
All itching for my death?
And this general with his grim face, acting like I owe him millions?
Did I eat your rice or steal your land?
They don't yet see the strength of the Glamoth Iron Cavalry. He needed to explain it thoroughly.
Moreover, the Iron Cavalry's backstory in the plot was quite pitiful.
As a high-ranking official in the Republic, he could surely change this class disparity.
He cleared his throat, preparing to speak.
Just then, a system prompt popped up in the top-left corner.
[Connecting to the barrage system.]
[Connection complete…]
[Loading barrage…]
[Galactic Baseballer: Wow, we're really in!]
[Cosmic Lens: Didn't expect this game to be so smart, even loading a barrage!]
[Pink Fairy Lady: Ehe, everyone's here♪]
[Scolding Moon Sea Fishy Cat: What's going on? Why am I still stuck with this title?]
[Cat-Petting Emanator: Check if you can change the interface.]
[Think Tank Admin: Uh… Stelle, why'd you change my name to this?]
[Galactic Baseballer: Fits the lore.]
[An Ordinary Singer: Really looking forward to Boss Su Chen's performance.]
[Sam and Firefly: ヾ(◍°∇°◍)ﾉﾞ Go for it!]
[Silver Finger: Finally don't have to pretend to be the system.]
[Phaethon Male: Such a random name.]
[Phaethon Female: Yeah.]
[Star Sovereign: Su Tian is dead, Zhou Tian shall rise.]
Su Chen's mouth twitched. What's this?
I'm playing a game, and there's a whole audience?
What?
I'm not the God of Drama?
Su Chen gritted his teeth and whispered, "Watch if you want, but don't spam the barrage too much! And whoever invented this, explain yourself."
Sure enough, the barrage went silent the next moment.
Su Chen calmed himself and finally addressed the crowd.
"Everything can be solved. If a person has piloting a mecha ingrained in their DNA from birth, no training is needed! With strong control, we can reduce the armor's weight, greatly enhancing its offensive power. Attack is the best defense!"
"That still doesn't solve the root issue. Where do we find the pilots?"
Su Chen let out a long breath. Though he knew it was all fake, saying it himself was still hard to stomach.
His heart rate kept spiking.
He took several deep breaths to steady himself. Each word that followed was deliberate, each one piercing his heart.
"We will… shake… the essence of humanity!!!"