When disaster struck, I became a big shot surviving in the ocean.
Chapter 255 - 202: Reputation System, Sudden Wealth and Sudden Poverty_2

Chapter 255: Chapter 202: Reputation System, Sudden Wealth and Sudden Poverty_2

Apart from that, what remained were the Scavengers and the Ant Nest. The Scavengers count as battle machinery but can also be categorized under medical machinery.

They are humanoid machines, and in their introduction, they have the function to remove mechanical viruses.

As for the Ant Nest, Mini Rabbit finally could escape from its role as a Power Worker.

The Mechanical Ant Nest’s Titanium Crystal Flying Ants are considered logistical support machinery, excelling in assembly, disassembly, and transport tasks.

With a blueprint provided to them, they are the best workers.

Chen Qing finally could be freed from the tedious factory assembly work.

Moreover, unlike the Assistant Bee, these Titanium Crystal Flying Ants had a complete group structure—Ant Queen, Worker Ants, Soldier Ants...

Their nest was also complete.

Chen Qing immediately instructed Mechanical Heart to find a suitable place for the Mechanical Titanium Crystal Flying Ant Nest and to put them to work right away.

A large number of machines were put to work, and the factory started to operate.

Before Chen Qing had time to check out the Scavengers and the Liquid Metal Enforcers, she received a ledger about the Mechanical Ship organized by Mechanical Heart.

All expenditures on the ship were detailed, with the final conclusion being—a deficit.

And it was a huge deficit.

The burden of the ship was heavy on Chen Qing to begin with—it had never entered into a virtuous cycle.

Now, there was a bunch of freeloaders, such as those battle machines she had been maintaining, the battle machinery legion.

Based on the current conversion of everything into goldfish, Chen Qing’s total income, averaged out to each day, was one thousand two hundred eighty-four goldfish.

However, the daily expenses required by the ship were two thousand one hundred seventeen goldfish.

This was still an estimate by Mechanical Heart before, not counting the newly added Liquid Metal Enforcer, a huge consumer.

The more advanced the machine, the more money it consumes. They are not like the mechanical factory or the fishing fleet, which have net gains after deducting income and expenses.

These battle machines count as pure expenditures.

Add on the Mechanical Extraordinary Ship, and being a massive machine itself, the cost of maintenance and operation consumed even more money.

"The Light Energy Butterfly that we just obtained—"

Chen Qing looked at the ledger and asked calmly.

"A drop in the ocean."

Mechanical Heart responded to her indifferently.

After all, the Light Energy Butterfly was a Grade C machine; the energy it could supply every day was limited.

"I understand. Calculate a new ledger for me with the latest income and expenses."

"Include all the Mechanical Diagrams on the ship that can be put into use and make a projection of subsequent income and expenses."

"Yes, master."

Chen Qing’s expression remained calm; money matters were never an issue if they could be solved with money.

She lacked money, but she had the ability to produce money.

This Mechanical Ship was like a massive money printer; it’s just that its current speed of printing money was a bit slow.

If it was slow, then the solution was to find a way to increase it.

Chen Qing wasn’t worried, compared to that, she was more troubled by the immediate issue with the Assistant Bee Nest.

She had dismantled a small part of the Assistant Bee Nest, but had no clue about it, as the materials inside were also unfamiliar to her.

Continuing to fret over it, she suspected there would still be no progress.

The Hive was a relic of the predecessors, and all the knowledge Chen Qing had acquired was from the current civilization, not easy to apply.

Her gaze fell on the bottle of Talent Potion on the table.

[Talent Enhancement Potion (Special Item): Consuming it may randomly enhance a talent, with short-term side effects.]

Short-term side effects.

Acceptable.

Chen Qing opened the potion bottle and drank it in one gulp.

The cool liquid flowed down her throat; Chen Qing felt no discomfort. After waiting for about half an hour, there was still no reaction.

Chen Qing looked at the Hive again, what she didn’t know, she still didn’t know.

It seemed the talent that was enhanced wasn’t in mechanics.

What specific area it influenced, more experimentation was required.

Chen Qing opened her eyes and stood up; the Hive’s smooth metallic surface reflected Chen Qing’s current appearance.

"?"

She had undergone a drastic change.

Chen Qing had Mechanical Heart bring her a mirror so she could clearly see her current appearance.

She had become Half-Skeleton.

Half of her body was still her original self, the other half was only bones.

A green light orb floated amidst the half skeleton.

Chen Qing tried to touch it, her fingers passing through the light orb—it was intangible.

Was this what they called a side effect?

Chen Qing’s current appearance was quite startling, as the cross-section of flesh, blood vessels, and organs could be seen very clearly.