Chapter 15

"Sir, are you sure you want to conduct the experiment this way?" Medusa's voice came through the communication device in his ear.

"Medusa, practical combat is the only standard for testing the truth," Zhou Yi tapped the communication device with his finger, "Besides, what we are doing now is very important."

"Sir, I don't think it's a good choice to dig a few kilometers of underground tunnels. Especially since the Dawn Type One hasn't been tested yet. If an accident happens, you might be trapped 300 meters underground, and it would be difficult to rescue you."

"Don't worry, I'm not that fragile. Let's start, Medusa."

"I understand, Sir!"

The machine in front of Zhou Yi began to emit a peculiar sound, indicating that it was starting to operate at high power. Then, several flexible robotic arms extended down, surrounding Zhou Yi's body and began to attach some scattered equipment to his joints.

This equipment was mainly distributed on the knees, ankles, wrists, elbows, chest, shoulders, and head. These pieces of equipment were not only for protecting the wearer but also for coordinating the proliferation and deformation of the nanometal.

After the equipment was fully loaded, more robotic arms extended out. Unlike the flexible, lifelike hands at the ends of the first set of robotic arms, these had syringe-like ends.

These new injection arms inserted their long needles into the equipment already loaded on Zhou Yi's body. The equipment had specially designed injection ports for the input of nanometal.

As the robotic arms injected countless silver-gray metal liquids into the equipment, layers of fine, hexagonal metal blocks spread like mercury, quickly covering Zhou Yi's entire body. This was just the initial stage. These nanometals provided the innermost layer of protection, like a tight-fitting suit.

The second stage followed, with thicker metal liquids flowing out and, under the program's control, strengthening the armor's thickness across the body. The already loaded equipment was covered with a fine, thick outer layer of metal, while other parts gathered and deformed.

This stage lasted about a minute, until Zhou Yi was completely enveloped in a thick, silver-gray armor. Only then did this step end.

At this point, the Dawn Type One nanosuit, which had cost a great deal of effort and money, truly appeared in the world.

The streamlined design of the entire suit gave it a minimalist and sharp aesthetic. The thick equipment at the joints exuded a sense of power. The layered metal plates not only provided defense but also had an aesthetically pleasing design, making it look like a mythological dragon slayer.

To distinguish it from the mythological style, the helmet was designed with two external ear covers extending into crystallized nanometal, giving it a sci-fi flair.

This oddly shaped helmet was connected to the nanosuit on the back of the neck and extended to the chin, forming a meteor shape. The middle of the meteor was entirely made of crystals. From the outside, this shape only allowed a blurry view of the face, like a bright, mirror-like metal crystal, without revealing who was inside. When convenient, the helmet's protection could be reduced to just the ear communication device, leaving a way to reveal his true identity in the future, as it was impossible to keep secrets from everyone in this world.

After all, Zhou Yi didn't plan to be a spider-like hero, always hiding in a hood and tight suit.

Finally, as the crystallized nanometal in the center of the futuristic helmet emitted a faint glow, Zhou Yi's voice, now electronic, came through.

"Medusa, the activation time seems to be much longer than expected," Zhou Yi tapped the helmet, listening to the crisp sound it made. "But the design looks great."

"The activation time discrepancy is due to the nanosuit adapting to your energy source. Thank you for the compliment."

"However, I don't like this color." Zhou Yi looked at the somber metallic gray on his arm. "Medusa, change the main parts to black, and add some memorable marks."

Following Zhou Yi's command, the color of the nanosuit began to change. The main parts turned pure black. This was due to the nanometal changing color at the molecular level. Then, on the thick armor of his shoulders, a pattern resembling a golden sun just emerging from the ground appeared.

The entire suit instantly transformed, changing from a highly mechanical appearance to one filled with a dark style.

"Much better," Zhou Yi examined his new look and continued giving orders. "Medusa, assist in correcting my direction, and remember to seal the exit. I don't want to come back to a flooded area."

"Understood, Sir!"

"Great, let's get to work!" The crystals on Zhou Yi's helmet began to emit a bright white light, formed by the refraction of the thermal rays emitted by his pupils. This white light was extremely hot, instantly melting the metal and soil on the ground and turning them into hard crystals. Zhou Yi leaped forward, diving into the promising drilling work.

With ultra-high-temperature drilling and the world's top AI positioning, Zhou Yi completed his task at a speed unimaginable to ordinary people, over 300 meters underground. After about ten minutes, Zhou Yi had dug a tunnel to the seabed near Long Island. Just a couple of meters up was the underwater world.

When Medusa informed Zhou Yi of this, he punched through the top layer of rock. Countless rock fragments and a large amount of foam instantly covered the surrounding seabed. Zhou Yi leaped out, picked up several large rock formations, and, like building a house, slammed them over the exit he had created.

When the seawater calmed down, dozens of large rocks were piled together, looking like a natural underwater mountain. Ignoring the surrounding geology and the ground that looked like it had been bitten out, the tunnel was well concealed.

Zhou Yi broke through the seawater and flew into the sky. From the sky, he realized how far he had dug. From this distance, he could only faintly see the outline of the land.

He chuckled, thinking that those monitoring him would never expect him to appear so far from home.

Thinking about the agents monitoring his home, Zhou Yi smiled. He decided to keep this in mind and lower his opinion of S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Medusa, help me monitor the police network in New York and see if there's anything we can get involved in."

"Sir, part of the nanometal on your right hand is damaged. I suggest you repair it before proceeding with your next plan," Medusa offered her opinion, but Zhou Yi often ignored her advice.

Looking at his right-hand armor, the metal at the finger joints was already cracked, and in some deep areas, the inner layer of the nanometal was visible. Although the nanometal was actively self-repairing, the repair speed was clearly too slow.

"Record the research direction for the Type One nanometal, focusing on enhancing its protective capabilities. Also, monitor the police network; we'll deal with this minor issue later."

"Yes, Sir." Medusa, lacking a strong personality, accepted the command. Soon, Zhou Yi's earpiece began to receive various messages from the police network.

"Someone is streaking in Central Park. Does anyone want to handle it?"

"Queens received a call about a burglary. Nearby officers, please check it out."

"Illegal street racing in Manhattan. Nearby officers, please provide support!"

"Sam, your mom brought your favorite cookies. Old Josh said he'll thank your mom for you, and the cookies are really good."

"Amanda, tell Old Josh I'll come back and kick his ass."

After connecting to the internal wireless network of the New York Police Department, Zhou Yi realized what the police were doing with taxpayers' money. If not for his good relationship with Police Commissioner Stacy, he would have suggested to Tony to cancel all the charity events for the police department in recent years.

"Medusa, continue monitoring the situation and forward me any necessary information." After about ten minutes of waiting, Zhou Yi, tired of the delay, handed the task to his AI assistant and flew directly into space.

Instead of wasting time monitoring the police's daily lives, he preferred to go outside the Earth and bask in the sun. For Zhou Yi, who absorbed solar radiation for energy, this was a much more comfortable choice.

At supersonic speed, he tore through the clouds, leaving a deep red trail in the thick atmosphere, a result of the friction and heat generated by high-speed movement. The nanosuit's surface began to turn slightly red, but only slightly.

Even after Zhou Yi left the Earth's protective layer, the nanosuit showed no further changes. Clearly, the nanometal's heat resistance was at a very high level, which did not disappoint Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi's reckless flight naturally caught the attention of those who were watching.

"Sir, unidentified flying object 484 has been detected." The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, assigned by Commander Hill to monitor the recently discovered unidentified flying objects, quickly reported the situation to Commander Hill.

The code 484 was the internal file number for Zhou Yi in S.H.I.E.L.D., with a security clearance level of seven, meaning only a few people had access to the real information. Those with insufficient clearance, but responsible for tracking, only knew the code 484 and the unidentified flying object, not his true identity.

Those monitoring Zhou Yi only knew they were watching a billionaire, not 484.

This was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal confidentiality principle. The more secrets kept, the harder they were to manage, so they had to protect them in various ways.

Commander Hill, already annoyed by 484, immediately ordered:

"Send me the image, and contact Team 11."

"The image has been uploaded, and Team 11 is on standby."

Commander Hill glanced at the image, a black shadow zipping past the Earth's geostationary orbit, captured by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s satellite's high-speed camera.

A figure in a sci-fi exoskeleton suit flew past the camera in a classic pose, recognizable to anyone who had seen it: the Boy Scout salute.

Commander Hill, already not fond of 484, saw this as a clear provocation. She angrily said:

"Do you think you're a model child?" Then, she calmly gave the order. "Notify Team 11, report to me!"

The agents who had witnessed the entire process were impressed by Commander Hill's composure. She could quickly regain her composure, living up to her title as commander. Of course, her perpetually stern face was indeed intimidating. No wonder she was still a spinster.

The agents, with their unhealthy thoughts, quickly carried out Hill's orders. Soon, a crisp female voice came through Commander Hill's communication device.

"Sir, Team 11 reporting. This is Agent Morse."

"Barbara, report your situation."

"The target has remained in the villa, with no signs of leaving. However, three and a half hours ago, the target went out to pick up a pizza, and we haven't been able to pinpoint the target's exact location since."

Without hesitation, Commander Hill ordered, "Barbara, infiltrate the villa without being detected and gather as much information as possible. I believe there's another exit, and the target is no longer inside."

The blonde beauty, sitting in a black SUV, paused, opened the door, and stepped out. At this moment, her most distinctive feature became apparent: her height, towering at over 180 cm, and even 190 cm with heels. This height was intimidating to most men, and combined with her athletic build, beautiful face, and wavy blonde hair, she was no less impressive than a supermodel, perhaps even more so.

However, her expression was not pleasant as she asked, "Sir, are you sure about this? The target is not an ordinary person."

Given that Director Fury had ordered the mobilization of an external team and had Agent Hill, a Level 9 operative, directly responsible, the target was clearly not ordinary. Agent Morse found Commander Hill's actions puzzling.

As a Level 6 operative, Agent Morse did not have access to 484's true identity, and Hill would not explain. She simply said, "I'm confident, and this is an order."

"Understood, Sir!" Having reached this point, Agent Morse, as an operative, had no intention of disobeying and accepted the order.

Then, without anyone noticing, Barbara stealthily approached Zhou Yi's villa.