Chapter 2

In early spring of 1908, the cold wind from the north swept across the land. While the south might be a scene of blooming flowers, this place was covered in ice and snow. The combination of strong winds and low temperatures made the air particularly cold. It was around six in the morning, and the sun had not yet fully illuminated the earth. The sunlight filtered through the air, and the mist slowly rose, creating a vast and hazy landscape, making it difficult to see the distant scenery.

In the cold sky, a black hole suddenly appeared and vanished in an instant. Something fell down with a rustling sound and then disappeared without a trace. The land was frozen for miles, and in this densely populated area, few people would be out so early. Moreover, in the wilderness where there was no sign of human activity, only the howling north wind and the flying snowflakes remained, leaving a scene of desolation.

Among a pile of disordered objects, something that seemed to be human began to stir, slowly moving and gradually getting up.

Regaining consciousness, Yang Yuanzhao's first sensation was the cold. Yes, extreme cold, from head to toe. Had the heating system broken down again?

He lived in an old neighborhood, at least 30 years old, with aging facilities that often caused the heating pipes to burst. When they burst, it was a torment for the residents. Such cold weather suggested that the heating had burst again. He cursed, "Damn property management!"

Just as he was about to get up and look around, Yang Yuanzhao was stunned. His blurry vision gradually cleared, and he realized that he was not in his room. Instead, he was in a snowy plain, with granular snow under his feet. Clearly, he was not indoors but in the wilderness.

"Damn, who's so mean to play such a joke on me? Xiao Jiu, Fatso, Big Head, or Xiao Yu!" His angry voice echoed loudly in the vast wilderness, but there was no echo, only the howling north wind.

No one was around, not a single person. Even Yang Yuanzhao, who was usually slow to react, felt something was wrong. The surroundings were completely open and desolate, with no place to hide. Within his line of sight, he could see tools from his room, including a large hoist and a stabilizer, even his refrigerator lying on its side. Various wrenches and steel bars were scattered on the ground. These items, which he had accumulated over time, weighed several tons. Moving them from his small room to the wilderness was no easy task, especially for human labor.

His large workbench, which looked unremarkable but was made of solid steel and weighed at least 800 kilograms, had been brought up with the help of a dozen people, pushing and lifting, with great effort.

Looking around, he saw no tire tracks or footprints. The snow and ice on the ground were not from today but from a few days ago, already hardened. There were no tools or signs of how he had been brought here silently. It seemed like a fairy tale. Most importantly, the temperature around him was at least minus ten degrees. In such weather, even in a racing suit, let alone a down jacket, he would be frozen stiff if he lay on the ground all night.

Strange, could he have been dropped from the sky? He shook his head with a bitter smile. How could that be possible? The sky wasn't something just anyone could access. In the Republic, the sky was regulated. Even if you were wealthy, you had to apply for a flight path, or you would be shot down by missiles.

Right, he seemed to have forgotten something. Yang Yuanzhao got up and searched around. Finally, he found his target in a pile of debris. The silver shell looked so inviting. This masterpiece of mechanical engineering was now helplessly stuck in the snow. The foam and packaging had long been removed, and Yang Yuanzhao felt a pang of pain as he picked it up and hurriedly checked for any scratches. He had gone through great lengths to get this thing, and it would be a disaster if it was damaged.

Beep, beep, beep. An electronic beeping sound rang out, followed by a synthesized voice: "Artificial object detected. Four-stroke inline-four water-cooled engine. Scan?"

"Who?" Startled by the sudden voice, Yang Yuanzhao looked around, but there was no one in sight. The voice seemed like an illusion.

"This is too strange. Did I hear things?" Just then, the synthesized voice spoke again: "Earthling, I am the intelligent elemental unit, RH55. It's nice to meet you, my master!"

Master, intelligent elemental unit. Yang Yuanzhao looked around again, confirming that no one was there. His heart raced. He was a mechanical enthusiast and a talented mechanic. He had read books online and remembered the orange glow before he fainted and the so-called "recognition" he heard. Could it be that a stroke of luck had really fallen on him? A strange encounter? An alien artifact? A third-kind contact? Countless thoughts flooded his mind, ultimately forming one question: "What are you, and where do you come from?"

"I come from the Ros Empire and am the latest generation of toys produced by the Gaotian Company!"

Hearing this, Yang Yuanzhao's excitement cooled. So, it was just a toy. In his mind, toys were things like Winnie the Pooh, ** Rabbit, or Transformers, things to deceive children. This thing wasn't even as fun as the cars he made from wire.

The mechanical voice continued, and Yang Yuanzhao listened absentmindedly. But as he listened, he was startled. Atomic-level analysis, decomposition, and synthesis were the basic functions of the intelligent elemental unit. Yang Yuanzhao, a graduate of QH University's mechanical engineering department and a member of an Asian top-tier racing team, had a deep understanding of the cutting edge of world manufacturing. Atomic-level analysis, decomposition, and synthesis represented something significant. He tentatively asked, "Is it a 3D printer?"

"3D printer? That's nothing. I can manufacture anything directly at the atomic level, even modify formulas, and scale up or down!"

"What?" Yang Yuanzhao was stunned. 3D printers were already at the forefront of world manufacturing, or rather, they were like science fiction. In the eyes of RH55, they were not even in the same league. Atomic-level analysis, decomposition, and synthesis, and the ability to modify formulas, represented something profound. Materials, the material science of the 21st century, were all about these atomic-level changes. Diamonds, for example, were just a matter of carbon atom arrangement. With this intelligent elemental unit, everything was possible. Not just mountains of gold and silver, but oceans of them.

"Rich, rich, where am I now? I want to go back, I want to go home!" Yang Yuanzhao, overwhelmed with excitement, jumped around like a child who had just received a toy, completely forgetting his frustration at being left in the wilderness.

RH55 seemed hesitant and paused for a moment before speaking in a mechanical voice: "During the parasitic process, a small accident occurred, opening a micro-wormhole. You are now in another world!"

A bucket of cold water was poured over him. "穿越" (穿越)? The word hit him hard. He had longed for such an opportunity, but after obtaining the intelligent elemental unit, the excitement of the穿越 seemed less significant. If he were to穿越 to ancient times or a backward era, what could he do with this thing? Make weapons for rebellion? Or if he were to穿越 to a high-tech world, it would just be a toy. Clearly, this was not a high-tech era; there wouldn't be such vast wilderness in a high-tech era.

Sensing Yang Yuanzhao's disappointment, RH55 quickly explained: "You haven't deviated too far. You've entered a branch of the main timeline. You are still on Earth, specifically in 1908, in the northwest commercial town of Baotou, China."

1908, not too far from the modern era. The Qing government, which had caused so much humiliation, had only three years left before its collapse. After the Qing dynasty was overthrown, the people did not enjoy happiness. Warlords fought for decades, and just when things were getting better, Japan invaded, leading to World War II. The humiliation and suffering of the Chinese nation continued, and it wasn't until forty years later that they truly stood up.

This was the best of times and the worst of times. The intelligent elemental unit and 1908, perhaps fate had brought him here to change the world with his hands?

Yang Yuanzhao became determined, his heart gradually calming. At a young age, he had become an engineer for a major racing team and a selected engineer for international competitions. He had a strong heart. If he could achieve so much with no means, how much more could he do with this magical toy, which was actually the most advanced technology?

"RH55, can I call you that?"

"RH55 is my model number. You can give me a name freely."

A name? Yang Yuanzhao thought for a moment and, almost instinctively, remembered a cartoon from his youth. In Japanese animation, there was a robot cat with a magic pocket, much like this intelligent elemental unit. Almost instinctively, he said, "I'll call you Dangdang."

Without waiting for Dangdang to respond, Yang Yuanzhao continued, "Dangdang, how do I use you?"

"You can think of my name."

Dangdang, as soon as Yang Yuanzhao thought of the name, the world went dark, and the next moment, a bright light appeared. He found himself in a large room, seemingly made of metal. In front of him were three large metal doors, labeled "Blueprint Area," "Decomposition Area," and "Synthesis Area."

"What is this?"

A shape protruded from the wall in front of him, forming like liquid metal, eventually taking the form of a silver-shining humanoid robot standing straight before him. Yang Yuanzhao took a step back, examining the robot from head to toe, and tentatively asked, "Dangdang!"

Silence filled the room, and finally, the robot spoke mechanically, "I am Dangdang!"