Doomsday Mechanic: My Train Can Be Modified Infinitely

Chapter 72 Awakening Level: 0.60%

Wang Zhengyang walked to the side of the Longyuan and placed his hand on an armor plate that had already been installed. It was the first piece of Thunder Matrix armor that had been completed earlier, installed in the middle of the compartment.

He closed his eyes and concentrated.

Slowly, a faint "connection" came from the armor plate. It wasn't through the touch of his skin, but a more direct feeling, as if the armor plate had become an extension of his body. He could vaguely perceive the state of the plate—the surface temperature, the distribution of internal stress, and even the extent to which dust kicked up by a passing truck yesterday clung to its surface.

Although it is still very blurry and far from being clearly perceptible, it does exist.

This is the change brought about by the initial formation of the Thunder Matrix Network. How clear will this connection become as more "nodes" are activated, and as the entire vehicle is covered by this network?

Wang Zhengyang withdrew his hand and looked towards the distant city of Berlin. The tall buildings gleamed in the sunlight, looking no different from usual.

But only he knew that there were still twelve days left.

In twelve days, the world will be completely different.

At 2 PM, the etching of the second side armor plate was completed.

The test results were better than the first one—the average resistance value was 0.069 ohms, and the uniformity was improved by 5%.

Looking at the data, Chen Yishang couldn't help but say, "Dr. Wang, your control precision is improving. The heat-affected zone data for this board is even better than the best one from yesterday."

Wang Zhengyang didn't speak, but simply took a sip of water. He could feel the change: despite the same high-intensity work, today's mental exertion was significantly lower than yesterday's. The Caldova engine's operating efficiency was improving, allowing him to accomplish more with each unit of mental energy.

Awakening level: 0.59%.

The numbers jumped when the second board was completed. No obvious new capabilities emerged, but everything was becoming smoother—sensing was sharper, control was more precise, and the "margin" for multi-threaded processing had increased.

Like a precision machine, as it runs continuously, the various parts become more and more well-matched.

"The last piece." Wang Zhengyang looked at the third and last piece of armor plate to be processed today.

This is a protective plate to be installed at the rear of the train. It is slightly larger than the previous two plates and is also 22 millimeters thick. The rear of the train is one of the relatively vulnerable parts and requires special protection.

At 3 PM, the laser head was activated again.

This time, Wang Zhengyang tried a new approach. Instead of strictly separating his consciousness into two parallel lines, "guiding the laser" and "repairing the damage," he tried to merge them—allowing the repair process to follow the etching process more closely, almost simultaneously.

This requires greater concentration and more precise control. The thermal effects and stress waves generated by laser ablation of metal must be guided, channeled, and repaired the moment they are formed, rather than waiting for them to propagate before being dealt with.

The effect is immediate.

Chen Yishang stared at the monitor screen, his eyes widening. "This...this data..." He pointed to the real-time heat-affected zone monitoring curve on the screen, "It's almost flat! The laser power fluctuation is also controlled within 0.3%! Dr. Wang, how did you do that?"

Wang Zhengyang did not answer. He was completely absorbed in that wonderful state of "synchronization".

The laser moved across the metal surface, etching intricate lines. His consciousness, like the most skillful hand, instantly aligned the crystal lattice at the edges of each groove, relieving stress and repairing defects.

The metal became docile in his "hands," as if it had been given life, actively cooperating to complete this "transformation."

Etching, repairing, etching again, repairing again...

The whole process was as smooth as flowing water.

At 4:20 p.m., the last section of the line was completed.

The laser head returned to its original position, and the cooling system shut down. The maintenance bay suddenly fell silent.

Wang Zhengyang opened his eyes and let out a long breath. His face was a little pale, and his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, but his eyes were bright, and he no longer felt the exhaustion he had yesterday.

"Test...test," he said, his voice steady.

Chen Yishang practically lunged at the testing equipment. Holding the probe, his hands trembling slightly, he probed each of the key points on the armor plate in turn.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

He looked up, an expression of disbelief on his face: "Circuit continuity 100%... Average resistance 0.065 ohms... Maximum deviation 1.2%... Insulation performance... Absolutely perfect!"

He looked at Wang Zhengyang, his voice trembling: "Dr. Wang, the data on this board... is even better than the A-01 board on the front of the car yesterday! Much better!"

Wang Zhengyang walked to the armor plate and reached out to press it.

This time, it felt much clearer.

Without closing his eyes, he could "feel" the lightning matrix network inside the board—those intricate grooves and lines, like a glowing net, embedded in the metal substrate. He could sense the potential flow of energy within this network, and feel the subtle "resonance" between the entire board and himself.

More importantly, he could sense a faint connection emerging between this newly completed "node" and the previously completed "nodes." Although they were not yet physically connected, an affinity based on the same structure and the same "imprint" already existed.

When all these armor plates are installed on the Dragon Abyss, when the Thunder Matrix network is truly connected...

Wang Zhengyang withdrew his hand and looked out the window.

As the sun set, golden sunlight bathed the silver-gray exterior of the Longyuan train. This steel train was gradually transforming into his vision—a mobile fortress, an ark capable of surviving the apocalypse.

Deep within consciousness, the numbers pulsed for the last time:

Awakening level: 0.60%.

Breakthrough.

There were no earth-shattering changes, but Wang Zhengyang could clearly sense the difference.

First, there's the subtle expansion of his perception range. Previously, the radius he could clearly perceive was about fifteen meters, but now... it's about seventeen meters. The improvement isn't huge, but it's very real.

Secondly, there's the improvement in control precision. Previously, when he controlled the three hovering pistols, although he was precise, there was always a feeling of "being separated by something." Now, that sense of separation is reduced, as if the connection between him and the objects he's controlling is more direct.

Finally, and most importantly, his understanding of the Thunder Matrix network has deepened. He can now "see" more clearly the potential energy flows within those lines, and even vaguely predict what effects will occur when the network is fully activated.

"That's enough for today," Wang Zhengyang said to Chen Yishang. "Archive the data and label the boards."

"Yes!" Chen Yishang replied loudly.

When Wang Zhengyang stepped out of the maintenance bay, it was already getting dark outside. The lights on the construction site were on, and Li Ruijun's team was still doing the final finishing touches.

He walked to the front of the car, climbed the escalator, and stood on the roof.

From this angle, the silhouette of the Longyuan appeared exceptionally massive in the twilight. Newly installed armor plates on the roof, one after another, resembled the scales of a giant beast. The weapon mounts on the sides were still empty, but they would soon be filled in.

Five days left.

Five days later, the Longyuan will complete all its main modifications.

In twelve days, the world will change.

But he is ready—or rather, he is preparing at the fastest speed.

At 6:30 p.m., the lights came on again in the open space of the marshalling yard, and the aroma of food wafted through the air. Tonight's dinner party was smaller than yesterday's, mainly consisting of core members from the three teams, totaling about twenty people.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was very pleasant. After yesterday's in-depth exchange, everyone was noticeably more familiar with each other. Li Ruijun was discussing track system maintenance techniques with Zhang Hao, Chen Yishang was listening to Zhou Ming explain the details of circuit design, and several young people were chatting and laughing together.

Wang Zhengyang didn't eat much; he mostly listened. He looked at these people—those who might become his companions in the future, or those who might die in the initial chaos—and silently assessed them.

Li Ruijun is calm, reliable, and responsible.

Chen Yishang is technically proficient and of upright character.

Zhang Hao is intelligent, resourceful, and has leadership potential.

Lin Luoer is highly skilled and mentally resilient.

And those apprentices and young people, each has their own strengths.

If all goes well, if they can all survive that initial period...

Dinner was eaten until 7:30 PM, and everyone gradually left. Wang Zhengyang returned to the command center and opened the latest message sent by Li Ming.

The screen displayed a map of the Berlin port area, with one warehouse specially marked. Next to it were the warehouse's structural diagram, guard distribution, and patrol times—data that Li Ming had collected and compiled over the past few days.