Infinite Horror: The Strongest Zhongzhou Team

"The two of us, Lolita, and the man Lolita carried on her back back then, all belong to the military."

"We will come to see you from time to time, and all you need to do is prepare what we need."

"Of course we're talking about later; this time it's probably too late."

Wells, ignoring the last sentence, said in a daze:

"It sounds like there's no danger, similar to what we did before. So, what do you need?"

Li Xiao stepped aside and pointed to a dazzling array of high-tech products with special effects on the homepage of the screen.

"All of these!"

"Start with what you can get first."

Looking at Li Xiao's serious expression.

If it were anyone else, Wells would have already raised his hand and slapped him to bring him to his senses.

But for these two, the captain could only dream about it.

Wells' smile had become so stiff it was almost impossible to maintain.

“These…all of them?” Wells’s voice was somewhat dry at this moment.

He pointed to the dazzling device on the screen, a symbol of cutting-edge human technology.

"Just look at this 'Star Shuttle S-2356' on the homepage. The price is followed by a string of zeros, so many that I get dizzy just counting them!"
Customization costs for adaptive nanoarmor... optical camouflage... not to mention the low-spec version of the antimatter engine!

"Even if you sold the Betty, it wouldn't be enough to buy a single screw, man!"

Reeves, who was standing next to him, forcibly suppressed the urge to complain and continued to ask:

"Um, where's the money, sir?"

"money?"

Upon hearing this unfamiliar word, Li Xiao was momentarily stunned.

Then I realized that even though the world of Alien 4 is an interstellar civilization, it still requires people to spend money to buy things.

Seeing the bewildered expressions on the two big shots' faces, Wells and his companions felt a sudden jolt of unease.

The air inside the cockpit seemed to freeze.

White gloves?
This isn't a white glove operation; it's practically asking them to raid the federal vault!
Seeing the excited group, Li Xiao and Zhao Yingkong finally understood.

In the current Federal Civilization, the currency for transportation is an extremely rare and precious metal.

This rare metal is different from the gold they are familiar with.

It is an advanced scientific research material, a form of currency, and also a commodity.

Besides that, there are the numbers on the StarCraft account.

Furthermore, according to them, the digital currency within the interplanetary network can prevent any hacking.

Reeves and the others breathed a sigh of relief after explaining the situation in a circle.

Li Xiao then said, "In that case, let's try a different approach. You just need to find the location of these things, where they are."

"Then, finally, we'll keep the Betty nearby for observation, and leave the rest to us."

Wells nodded: "That's simple, yes or no, wait..."

The captain's eyes widened.

He exclaimed in shock, "What do you mean? Are you trying to rob me without paying anything?"

"Can't you?"

Li Xiao's seemingly reasonable question actually stumped them.

They realized that these two people's abilities seemed a bit abnormal.

It seems, perhaps, maybe, it really is possible.

However, these mercenaries were all too aware of the consequences of forcibly seizing the goods.

It's just a case of the cunning eating the cunning; let's see who comes out on top in the end.

Moreover, after Reeves gave up training with Li Xiao, he even shamelessly asked him about it.

That means there aren't many strong individuals like Loli in their area.

Because in their eyes, Li Xiao and Zhao Yingkong were already different beings, while Ripley and Loli were still like some humans.

The answer received was:

"There are many, as powerful as lolis, as numerous as carp crossing a river."

Ten days later.

In the vast starry sky.

"This is what you call the Space Shield?"

Li Xiao looked at the veil on the planet below him and asked Veris.

The other person nodded.

"Yes, as long as it is a colony or commercial planet of a certain standard, it is protected by aerospace shields."

"It's to prevent interstellar smuggling and security issues."

"Spacecraft can only land at designated space station ports."

"That's why we didn't land directly on Earth before, because it didn't comply with regulations."

Li Xiao remained silent for a long time, at a loss for what to do.

Because what I saw was just too breathtaking.

As a planet with a stargate, it is naturally considered a transportation hub within the Interstellar Federation.

Spaceships that come and go, emitting different kinds of exhaust flames, can be described as all sorts of things.

They vary in size and type.

Li Xiao even saw several ships, even more dilapidated than the Betty, trembling and disappearing into space.

Besides these, what shocked the two the most was the space shield on the planet they were below.

This planet is much, much smaller than Earth.

But no matter how small it is, it is still a planet.

The fact that the federal government possesses a force field shield that covers an entire planet is beyond their understanding of this technology.

After all, they didn't believe that the electromagnetic shield Chu Xuan created could cover an entire planet.

However, Li Xiao soon discovered the problem.

What they understand seems to be a different thing from what actually is.

This light curtain that covers an entire planet has no defensive capabilities.

Its toughness is like that of a sheet of paper.

It was at this moment that Li Xiao finally understood what was going on.

The aerospace shield that Reeves and his group mentioned was actually a kind of warning device, not a defensive mechanism as he understood it.

After understanding this, Li Xiao and Zhao Yingkong regained their composure.

However, the two people's actions just now startled everyone else.

Because just as they were landing at the space station, Zhao Yingkong suddenly disappeared.

They landed directly on the aerospace shield without any equipment before returning.

Seeing the patrol ship heading this way, Reeves quickly pretended it was none of his business and led his two ancestors away.

After docking at the interstellar port.

Li Xiao and Zhao Yingkong readily agreed, changed into mercenary clothes, and followed Wells and the others downstairs.

Step out of the closed metal port.

boom……

Not only did the world become clearer, but the sounds also began to become noisy.

The noise and commotion varied.

It was obvious to the naked eye that the morale of Revis's mercenaries had improved considerably, and even Ripley looked different.

Compared to an empty space station, this is the normal situation.

Of course, in Cole's words, this is one of the characteristics of humans as social animals. The enthusiastic atmosphere even led to a significant increase in temperatures throughout the week.

On the platform of the interstellar port.

The group then merged into the crowd.

Li Xiao and Zhao Yingkong are alright; they've seen a lot, so it's not surprising anymore.

However, Ripley, who was also visiting this world for the first time, was not quite up to the task.

In any case, for her, it was no different from traveling to three hundred years in the future.

The flow of people on the platform followed the 3D icons in the sky, with very few going against the flow, though there were exceptions.

They all looked rushed.

And that's about it.

Li Xiao finally couldn't hold back after passing a small giant who was over two meters tall.

"No, are you sure the federal government hasn't announced the existence of any extraterrestrial civilizations or made any contact with aliens?"

Wilcox and the others exchanged glances and shrugged, saying, "At least we don't know."

Li Xiao pointed at Zhou Nei with a complicated expression.

"From the beginning until now, the people on this road are of all heights and weights, from two and a half meters tall to a little over one meter tall. Some weigh five or six hundred kilograms, while others are just skin and bones."

"Those weren't aliens?"

"Of course not, those are just some personal hobbies, after all, gene technology is so advanced now."

"People of all shapes and sizes like them, and some even pass them down as family traits."

"And these are all very easy, okay? Also, the environments of each colony planet are different."

"The results of reproduction and development in this process are naturally different from before."

"For example, in the Sala Galaxy, due to the strong gravity, after the fifth generation of colonists, they seem to be only a little over one meter tall from birth to old age."

"But the Vlad system is completely the opposite. The giant you just saw is because a family has lived there for generations."

"After reaching adulthood, their average height is around two and a half meters."

Christie added, "It's obvious, and there are some less obvious ones too. Haven't you noticed how many people have green hair?"

"These are the native inhabitants of the planet Fosa, where the stargate is located."

“Starting from the third generation, more and more of the local population’s hair color turned green after birth. I remember this even made the interstellar headlines back then.”

"However, the reason for this has not been found out until now."

As she spoke, Christie flicked a projector off her wrist; it must have been the headline news she had just mentioned.

"At the time, it was an investigation."

The result was that there were no other changes besides hair color.

It neither affects physical health nor lifespan.

Ultimately, it can only be concluded that it was a targeted gene mutation caused by a specific environmental factor.

"And that was the end of it."

Li Xiao and Zhao Yingkong looked at the various news materials projected on the screen, nodded, then smiled and said:
"According to what you're saying, if things continue like this, in just a few years, even without aliens, things will still change."

Wells nodded:
"Pretty much, but isn't that to be expected? Different living environments and different lifestyles naturally lead to differences in appearance."

"Didn't the Earth era also have this? It's just that the difference has been magnified now."

"After all, compared to the distance of thousands of kilometers between Earth, the distance between colonized planets is now tens of thousands of light-years."

Looking at their nonchalant expressions, it seemed they had long been used to it.

Li Xiao then nodded.

"Then can someone tell me what they are?"

In the crowd.

There are quite a few eye-catching bags.

However, these eye-catching bags are not the kind found on Earth.

Rather, it was someone they had just met not long ago.

It is indeed a cyborg.

It was at this moment that Li Xiao and Zhao Yingkong remembered.

Why weren't Reeves and his crew surprised when they saw those hybrid cyborgs?

It turns out that such beings have spread throughout the entire Interstellar Federation.

Mechanical prosthetics, and even direct physical modifications.

Li Xiao's appearance even resembles that of Muhammad from the Indian team back then.

A pair of red-glowing mechanical eyes scanned back and forth.

However, Zhao Yingkong, who possesses the bloodline of the Grim Reaper, could clearly sense that these beings were distinctly different from the hybrid robots on Earth.

The former is no longer considered human, while the latter still possesses a soul.

"If I'm not mistaken, besides those, this is a cyborg, that's a clone, and the one on the right is a modified human."

"right?"

Wells looked at Li Xiao and also saw those who possessed these mechanical prosthetics.

Metal mechanical limbs painted in various colors, constructed from alloys, are seamlessly joined together.

There are even biomimetic structures resembling muscle bulges, adding a touch of aesthetic appeal.

Compared to the semi-mechanical systems on Earth, it is infinitely more advanced, boasting a high-tech feel.

"Oh. You mean all this?"

"I don't know when it started, but suddenly a group of people appeared, shouting about the suffering of flesh and blood and the ascension of machinery."

"That means them. While mechanical power is indeed strong, 99% of interstellar mercenaries would not choose such mechanical prosthetics."

Before Li Xiao could even ask why...

Reeves shook his head and said, "It's actually very simple."

“Interstellar mercenaries typically need to travel for long periods of time on every mission, and the key to dealing with this is to use hibernation pods to put them to sleep.”

"But these mechanical prosthetics are precision machines, and they all have an expiration date."

"Moreover, regular maintenance, inspection, calibration, and upkeep are extremely troublesome."

"These things are in hibernation pods for seven or eight years, and most of them will have problems when they come out."

"Otherwise, I would have replaced my lower body long ago, or even just had a mechanical spine."

"Of course, I've heard that the Federal Academy of Sciences is working on these problems. Maybe once the level of technology improves further, these mechanical modifications won't have these minor issues anymore."

Ripley asked curiously:
"Then, what about clones?"

"And how come those two..."

Li Xiao had just seen it too, which is why he knew the other party was a clone.

It's very simple: two identical people holding hands.

Isn't it obvious?

As for twins?
Li Xiaoke wasn't that naive.

Moreover, with his keen eyesight, he could even match the other person's fingerprints.

Wells chuckled twice: "That's right, they are indeed clones."

Is there anyone in this world who loves themselves more or understands themselves better than they do?

"I remember a professor from a galaxy-level university saying that everyone loves themselves more."

"So some perverts have emerged who clone themselves and then fall in love with themselves."

"To this, I can only say that there are all kinds of birds in a big forest."

"Why do you have to like yourself when there are so many beautiful blondes and blue-eyed women out there? If you like yourself, why don't you go look in the mirror?"

"As for the issue of gender, it's no longer an issue. After all, it was possible to change genders at will back in Earth's time, let alone now." (End of Chapter)