Chen Yuan watched the expressions on the three men's faces, and a feeling of disgust rose in his heart.
If these three had just left obediently, he wouldn't have done anything. But now, it was clear that human greed was being infinitely amplified in this environment. Since that was the case, he had no reason to be polite.
More importantly, true peace of mind only came when you held "Truth" in your own hands.
With this thought, he spoke in a leisurely tone. "Tiedan, go play with them."
「Roger.」
Tiedan responded, then sprang into action, its four legs generating explosive force as it charged forward. Its two mechanical arms extended, opening like a bloody maw.
"Get him! If we catch this kid, we'll have plenty of supplies!" Wang Hao shouted, charging forward to meet the robot dog. His two companions nodded grimly and rushed forward as well, brandishing a baton and an axe.
Three men versus one dog...
Unfortunately, the gang-up they had envisioned did not occur.
Tiedan swung its offensive mechanical arm in a powerful strike. The sharp tip shot out like a cannonball, aiming for the men's legs.
Schlick! Schlick!
The two sides had barely clashed for half a round before three men were on the ground, groaning in agony.
Tch. Is that all? Chen Yuan pursed his lips with disdain, his satisfaction with Tiedan growing even more.
Fresh blood gushed from their thick trouser legs, staining the white tiled floor crimson. Wang Hao gritted his teeth and sucked in a sharp, cold breath, his eyes filled with terror as he looked at the robot dog. He hadn't even seen how the mechanical arm had struck. It was only after he was on the ground that he realized he had gravely underestimated this hunk of iron.
The other two men were also filled with regret. They had lost their heads at the mere mention of supplies. In this environment, never mind a piercing wound like this; even a simple cut could be fatal.
Chen Yuan looked at the three men on the ground without a trace of guilt. You wanted to rob me of my supplies. Why should I be polite to you? In the old world, robbery on the street could get you the death penalty.
He patted Tiedan's head. "Good job."
One versus three, and it didn't even have a scratch on its metal chassis. At this level of strength, Tiedan could probably take on ten men.
Chen Yuan turned his gaze to the fallen men. "I gave you a chance."
"Big brother, I was wrong! I'll leave right now!" Wang Hao said, his face a mask of pain. He desperately needed to find a place to stop the bleeding and bandage his wounds.
"Heh, be my guest." Chen Yuan took two steps to the side, clearing a path for them.
Although he could have had Tiedan finish them off, as a normal person, he still couldn't bring himself to do it.
Wang Hao glanced at his companions, gritted his teeth, and said, "Let's go!"
The other two certainly didn't want to stay. The three of them helped each other up and limped towards the stairs.
Tieqiong (Iron Dome) released its mechanical arm, watching the men leave.
"Tieqiong, stand guard here. Don't let anyone come up," Chen Yuan commanded.
「Roger.」
Chen Yuan nodded and walked with Tiedan toward the end of the hallway. There were still a few wooden stakes on the ground from the attempt to break down the door, but those things were useless to him.
He patted Tiedan's head and grinned. "It's all up to you. Break down this door."
「Roger!」
Tiedan took two steps forward and extended the offensive mechanical arm on its back. The two spindle-shaped tips began to rotate slowly, then faster and faster, until they emitted a low whirring sound. Chen Yuan hadn't realized the offensive arm could be used this way. He folded his arms and stood back, waiting with calm anticipation.
ZZZZZZZZT—
The sound of grinding metal echoed through the entire building. The tooth-rattling noise made his skin crawl. Sparks flew, and the unique, acrid smell of burning metal filled the air.
An armory was an armory; there was no telling how thick this door was. But no matter how thick, it couldn't hold up against Tiedan's mechanical arm.
In just three to five minutes, there were several sharp cracking sounds. The steel-reinforced, explosion-proof door creaked and swung slightly outward.
Being cautious, he didn't rush in directly. Instead, he spoke to Tiedan. "Go in and check. See if there's any danger."
「Roger!」
Without a hint of hesitation, Tiedan used its sharp claws to pull the door open and squeezed inside. Less than ten seconds later, it rushed back out.
「Report, Master. No moving objects inside. No explosives. No potential threats detected.」
Only after hearing this did Chen Yuan nod with satisfaction and step inside. As his feet crossed the threshold, Tiedan activated its lighting system beside him. The completely sealed room was illuminated as if it were day.
Chen Yuan's eyes quickly scanned the room. It was only about a hundred square feet. Inside were many steel weapon racks and some iron cabinets.
Wait, where's my 'Truth'?
Where's my 'Great Equalizer'?!
He strode quickly to the weapon racks. They were spotlessly clean. They hadn't left him so much as a single hair! Unwilling to give up, he pulled open an ajar iron cabinet next to them. It was also completely empty.
"FUCK!!!"
Even with his good temperament, he couldn't help but curse loudly. I went through all that trouble for nothing?!
Chen Yuan kicked the iron cabinet in frustration, which emitted a dull thump.
He was furious!
He spun around, walked out of the armory, and went directly to the office area. Since he hadn't found his "Truth," he wasn't about to leave empty-handed.
Looking at the rows of computers, he issued a command. "Tiedan, break open all the mainframes."
"Tieqiong, take out all the circuit boards, chips, and hard drives. Don't miss a single electrical wire in the room."
"Tieniu (Iron Bull), you're in charge of... never mind, just stand by. Tieqiong, put the things in Tieniu's basket."
「Roger.」 「Roger.」 「Roger.」
With three mechanical acknowledgments, they began their work.
Tiedan's mechanical arm lifted a computer tower and tore off the outer casing as if it were paper. With a flash of metal, the entire office area became a scene of chaotic demolition. Tieqiong's flexible arm skillfully extracted the circuit boards containing the chips and placed them on Tieniu. The three robot dogs worked in tandem with remarkable coordination.
Chen Yuan rubbed his chin as he watched from the side, finding it all rather amusing.
In about ten minutes, the twenty-plus computers in the office had been completely dismantled.
But he wasn't done yet.
Chen Yuan led his "subordinates" into the private offices, scavenging ceramic mugs and ink cartridges from the printers. Of course, there was also a pleasant surprise. In several of the drawers, he found silver handcuffs.
This was good stuff! An essential item for home and travel! The next time he captured someone, he wouldn't have to use rope.
Hmm, no key?
What does that matter? I'm only responsible for cuffing them, not for uncuffing them.
Walking out of the police station, he looked at the baskets on Tieniu and finally felt the satisfaction of a full harvest.
After all this work, it was already around one in the afternoon. But Chen Yuan had no intention of heading back just yet. Since he was already out, he might as well bring more stuff back.
That "Hyperspace Portable Tent"—he was very envious of it. It would provide enormous help, both now and in the future. Especially since it came with twenty square meters of internal space. He could fit all his materials and supplies inside.
That way, no matter where he wanted to go in the future, he wouldn't have to worry about food and drink.