This is really not mechanical ascension
Chapter 207 - 118: 15x Power Amplification!_2

Chapter 207: Chapter 118: 15x Power Amplification!_2

"Once they all arrive, Blue Star is going to be bustling."

So many people? Li Ming pondered for a moment and asked, "I heard that Professor Xia is also in the United Investigation Team?"

"Your news is quite up to date; many professors are involved," Ding Hui said with a hint of surprise, looking around and lowering his voice, "They invited the professor to provide reference for the gun that fired that bullet."

"That’s really troubling the professor," Ding Hui said with a bit of schadenfreude, "They want a kind of gun that can be easily disassembled, disguised, and even destroyed on the spot."

"Such guns certainly exist, but that bullet is a ’Chaser,’ and low-level firearms simply can’t fire it."

Li Ming thoughtfully considered this; it was City Defense’s consistent approach: evidence and plausibility, neither could be lacking.

"The professor mentioned..." Ding Hui’s voice lowered even more: "Fu Zongchen’s vaults have been robbed, and no one knows which interstellar thief did it, their methods were terrifyingly sophisticated, leaving behind no trace at all."

"All his vaults have been robbed?" Li Ming exclaimed in surprise. This was the first time he had heard about the vaults being breached, and for the news to have been kept under wraps for so long was unexpected.

"Yes..." Ding Hui said with a look of regret, "General Ren Cangsong even thinks the suspect is someone internal, but the vast majority have already been cleared of suspicion."

"And some even believe that the Torch Organization is behind it."

"The Torch Organization did it? Is that a possibility?" he couldn’t help but ask.

"Of course, it’s possible. Fu Zongchen just became a candidate member, and his status is almost the same as Youke’s. It’s in the Torch’s style to strike at both sides," Ding Hui nodded, then added,

"But at the Sela embassy, there are traces everywhere, and there are clues to the perpetrator and the sequence of their undercover network. Our side has even unearthed a bunch of seeds because of this."

"But on Fu Zongchen’s side, it’s the complete opposite: not a single trace can be found, so much so that General Ren even said that if the Torch had such means, we might as well all stay at home and await death."

Ding Hui grinned, sharing these pieces of gossip with Li Ming as if they were just casual chatter.

Li Ming was lost in thought; he was curious about the progress of these matters but felt it inappropriate to delve in actively, often learning about them when Qi Xing or others shared passively.

After chatting for a while longer, the food was served. Ding Hui ate his fill and then took his leave.

Li Ming saw him off, then returned to his workshop and, looking at the hammers scattered on the ground, couldn’t resist rubbing his hands together.

He felt each one in turn.

"The vast majority are Grade E, with only a few at Grade D. There are quite a few standard models; it seems they were produced uniformly," Li Ming concluded, then silently contemplated.

The objects he currently used for Power Amplification were limited to [Justice Gauntlets] and [Thunder Style Exoskeleton] counted as one. To achieve ultimate power burst, he needed to fill the remaining three slots.

Most of these hammers were somewhat damaged, but the control effect was unaffected.

Li Ming first controlled a Grade E standard Mechanical Hammer and then spent ten standard Mechanical Hammers to upgrade it to Grade D, continuing this cycle.

But from these hundred-plus Mechanical Hammers, he could only forge one Grade C hammer, with a lengthened handle up to two meters and a head as large as a millstone, full of metal grooves.

[Advanced Heavy Hammer--Grade C: A standard Mechanical Heavy Hammer with an integrated compression heavy magnet, mostly used to adjust the details of forged items.

...

Control Effect: Power Amplification--150%

Control Ability--Heavy Pressure: Charge for one second to gain 300% Power Amplification.]

A passive Power Amplification of 150%, this hammer was not top-notch but fell within the normal range.

The other two could only be upgraded using metal energy; one took over forty thousand points of metal energy, it should have consumed sixty-thousand, but upgrading another Grade C hammer with the remaining pieces made up for a portion of the deficit.

The last one needed sixty-thousand points of metal energy, not a point less.

Three Mechanical Hammers, an aggregate 450% passive Power Amplification.

Together with the Justice Arm Armor’s 200%, and its ability’s 500%, plus the Thunder Style Exoskeleton’s 200%.

As well as the Sword Wing Knight and Melting Furnace Refining Method’s 200%.

All combined comes to a 15.5 times power amplification. With his energy level at 50D, a 15.5-times boost would be 825D, which, converted to Grade C suffix, also exceeds 8C.

This was the regular combat status he could maintain. If he switched to the Super Electromagnetic Sniper Gun, he could increase his burst power by an additional 200%.

He had just fused with a C-level gene seed and even developed it for some time, but he still could not reach 10% of the average C-level life form; his energy level was even lower than Li Ming’s now.

His progress was only at 30% now, but as he gained control over more and more objects, his strength would become increasingly formidable.

Assessing his own strength, Li Ming felt somewhat reassured.

Given some more time, the Yitelan people, Sela people, and Torch Organization would all converge on Jingnan Star—this clearly indicated the brewing of a storm.

It was unknown what changes this would bring, but anyone who underestimated him would likely suffer a great loss.

...

Inside the Sela and Blue Star Joint Investigation Team’s office,

Ren Cangsong sat in the chief seat with a solemn expression.

Personnel continued to arrive one after another, all of them influential figures—including Chen Jinglong, the Dean of the School of Science and Engineering, Professor Xia Yuanlun, and several other professors.

After everyone took their seats, Ren Cangsong was about to speak when the door opened again, and a figure walked in. Ren Cangsong frowned and couldn’t help but say,

"Lord Sain, when I sent the notification, I already stated that this regular meeting was mainly for the interim report on the assassination of Commissioner Fu Zongchen."

The murders of Fu Zongchen and Youke had not yet been linked as one case, but as there were only so many talented individuals, there was substantial overlap in the investigators.

"I’m here to observe and will not give any opinions," Sain said with a smile. Ren Cangsong frowned, but found it difficult to turn him away, as so many days had passed, and this matter was no longer a secret.

He simply said, "The intelligence department, in collaboration with the city guard forensic analysis department, has detected traces left in Fu Zongchen’s vault, and after multiple verifications, we now have the final results."

As he spoke, his face showed a flicker of change, but he quickly adjusted.

Hearing this, the attendees murmured among themselves.

"The thief left a multitude of misleading traces at the scene. After dismissing those irrelevant traces, we have narrowed down to three final suspects," Ren Cangsong activated the virtual screen, bringing up three portraits.

The crowd involuntarily looked up, then became visibly stunned and exchanged bewildered glances.

Chen Jinglong’s brow furrowed slightly, and the straightforward Professor Bai slapped the table, exclaiming, "What sort of nonsense results are these?"

He spoke bluntly, yet everyone present felt he had voiced their thoughts.

Because the three people on the screen were—Li Ming, Qi Xing, and Roth

"You’ve investigated for more than half a month and came up with three kids?" Xia Yuanlun shook his head, equally blunt: "What a bunch of incompetents."

Ren Cangsong’s face twitched. When he received this message, he had already thoroughly scolded his subordinates.

They might as well have bought intelligence from the Black Hole Network.

Unfortunately, the Black Hole Network did not consolidate or sell information on assassinations carried out using its network system.

It was the same principle as not selling Bounty Hunters’ identity information.

"What is their theoretical basis?" Chen Jinglong asked methodically.

"In the vault, there were cuts everywhere, made by unknown means, but the cubes were uniformly sized, and the same was true for the concrete wall behind them."

"However, most of these were dead ends, with only three directions that led through, each leading to one of three rooms," Ren Cangsong glanced over the report and said:

"And the owners of these three rooms are precisely these three individuals."

"Also, we found out through inquiries that around 5 a.m. that night, many residents felt heat waves, which likely was the thief in the act of breaking in."

"They are implying that one of these three people, without anyone else noticing, cut open the vault made from lead-heavy nuclear alloy," Xia Yuanlun snorted: "And in full view of everyone, took away an unknown amount of goods."

"General Ren, if I recall correctly, when these individuals came out at that time, each of them was thoroughly inspected, wasn’t it? I heard even Li Ming’s cigars were taken apart," someone pointed out.

Ren Cangsong massaged his temples, "That’s true, but since the clues are laid out before us, we must discuss them."

"Who among these people is the most suspect?" someone asked.

Ren Cangsong randomly tapped, and Li Ming’s portrait enlarged.