Chapter 116: Dragon Rider

The Longyin Research Institute in the early morning was shrouded in a thin mist, but the training ground was already bustling with noise.

Thirty "Jing-An Type 1" mechs stood like steel giants waiting for inspection, shimmering with a cold metallic luster in the morning light.

The sixty "Iron Wolf - Assault Type" exoskeletons lined up neatly beside them, although slightly inferior in size, were no less imposing.

"My god..." Lieutenant Xu looked up at the "Jing-An" that was about to belong to him, his voice trembling.

"This is even more majestic than the training mechs!"

Indeed, this batch of officially equipped mechs had undergone final optimization and adjustment.

There were dark red decorative lines at the armor seams, and the laser-etched dragon patterns on the shoulder armor were faintly visible in the morning light.

The rear thrusters had also been streamlined, and the whole thing looked like a cheetah ready to pounce at any time.

"Don't just watch the fun!" Wang Hao wore a crisp formal suit, rarely adjusting his tie seriously.

"Hurry up and change into your formal wear; Brigade Commander Gao will be here in half an hour!"

The changing room was chaotic, with trainees scrambling to put on their newly issued "Dragon Rider" combat uniforms.

The black-bottomed, silver-edged design featured a soaring dragon pattern embroidered on the left chest and the "Longyin" badge on the right arm.

It retained the dignity of a military uniform while also taking into account the flexibility required for mech piloting.

"Holy crap, this fabric is good!" Squad Leader Zhang touched the fabric of the combat uniform, "Even more comfortable than our special forces' combat uniforms!"

"Of course!" Wang Hao interrupted proudly.

"This is a specially developed smart fabric with a built-in life monitoring system and temperature regulation, and it can provide basic protection in emergencies."

Just one set is enough to buy that second-hand jeep of yours!"

A gasp sounded in the changing room.

Just as everyone was tidying up, neat footsteps suddenly came from outside the training ground.

Through the window, one could see a team of special "Iron Wolf" pilots lining up to enter.

They were technical non-commissioned officers selected from the entire army, specifically responsible for mastering these auxiliary combat platforms.

"See the one leading the team?" Lieutenant Xu nudged his companion.

"That's Old Zhou, formerly in the engineering unit, a bomb disposal expert. Now he's specifically responsible for the 'Iron Wolf's' engineering module."

Suddenly, an alarm sounded, and everyone lined up quickly.

In the distance, three military off-road vehicles drove into the training ground surrounded by an escort convoy.

The car doors opened, and Brigade Commander Gao was in full military uniform, the stars on his shoulder boards shining in the morning light.

Feng Yan hurriedly led the core team to greet him.

Everyone was wearing formal attire today, even Zhao Gong had rarely tied a tie, although it was tied crookedly.

"Good! Good! Good!" Brigade Commander Gao's gaze swept over the neatly lined-up mechs and exoskeletons, saying "good" three times.

"This is what it should look like! This is what our Dragon Country's Great Wall of Steel should look like!"

The equipment handover ceremony officially began, the military band played a majestic march, and amidst the solemn national anthem, the Five-Star Red Flag rose slowly over the training ground.

Everyone straightened their backs, their eyes flashing with irrepressible excitement.

"I announce," Brigade Commander Gao stood on the temporarily erected podium, his voice spreading across the field through the megaphone.

"'Dragon Rider' guard, officially established!"

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience, followed by the equipment handover session.

The trainees stepped out one by one to receive the badge symbolizing their "Dragon Rider" identity from Brigade Commander Gao.

It was an exquisite dragon-shaped brooch made of special memory metal that could be pinned anywhere on the combat uniform.

When Lieutenant Xu wore the badge, his fingers were trembling slightly.

He remembered the awkwardness of climbing onto the simulator for the first time a month ago, the day-and-night training under the guidance of "Instructor Torch Dragon," and the thrill of almost falling during the first live operation...

"From today on, you are no longer just pilots, tank soldiers, or special forces." Feng Yan's voice pulled his thoughts back to reality.

"You are 'Dragon Riders'! You are the sharpest sword and the strongest shield of the motherland!"

When it came to the equipment handover session, the scene was even more shocking.

Each "Jing-An" and "Iron Wolf" was awarded a unique number and call sign.

Lieutenant Xu was assigned a "Jing-An" codenamed "Dragon Tooth-07." When he placed his palm on the identification area on the mech's leg.

The cockpit cover opened slowly, and the internal lights lit up one by one, as if welcoming its master.

"This is too cool..." He muttered to himself.

What was even more blood-boiling was yet to come.

Under the coordination of the "Torch Dragon" system, thirty "Jing-Ans" and sixty "Iron Wolves" started simultaneously.

The low engine roar converged into a heart-shaking symphony, and the ground of the training ground shook slightly.

"Attention everyone!" Li Yang's voice sounded in the communication channel, "Demonstration begins!"

The "Iron Wolf" squad appeared first.

Twelve exoskeletons were divided into four tactical groups, maneuvering rapidly on the training ground.

They utilized terrain for cover, launched assaults, and the weapon modules on their shoulders switched rapidly under command, showing amazing adaptability.

"See that No. 3 machine?" Wang Hao leaned over to Brigade Commander Gao to introduce.

"Old Zhou is demonstrating the engineering module; that mechanical hand is more flexible than professional bomb disposal equipment!"

Next was the collaborative combat demonstration of the "Jing-An" mechs.

Three mechs formed an assault formation and pushed forward rapidly in complex terrain.

When they simultaneously activated the rear thrusters for short-distance jumps, the huge bodies drew beautiful arcs in the air and landed steadily at the predetermined positions.

"My god..." On the viewing platform, a civilian officer from headquarters couldn't help but gasp.

"This mobility simply subverts the concept of traditional armored warfare!"

The most spectacular finale was the coordination demonstration of the "Insect Legion."

As Chen Guang started the command, hundreds of mechanical spiders, mechanical mantises, and mechanical butterflies emerged from their hiding places, forming a three-dimensional reconnaissance network in the air and on the ground.

When the simulated "enemy target" appeared, the mechanical mantises launched the attack first, and the micro-lasers hit the target accurately.

"The combat power of these little guys should not be underestimated." Chen Guang explained to Brigade Commander Gao.

"They can perform reconnaissance, interference, and even suicide attack missions."

Throughout the demonstration, the "Torch Dragon" system was always coordinating silently in the background.

It analyzed the battlefield situation in real-time, assigned appropriate tasks to each unit, and ensured the efficient operation of the entire system.

After the demonstration, warm applause erupted from the audience.

Brigade Commander Gao walked excitedly to the front of the ranks and shook hands with the trainees one by one.

When he walked to Lieutenant Xu, he suddenly asked: "If you were asked to drive a mech to the front line now, would you be afraid?"

Lieutenant Xu straightened his back, his voice sonorous and powerful: "Report to the Chief! I am afraid! But I am even more afraid of failing the people behind me!"

Brigade Commander Gao patted his shoulder heavily, his eyes slightly red: "Good kid! You have a future!"

The equipment handover ceremony came to an end amidst the majestic military songs.

The trainees couldn't wait to climb into their respective vehicles, familiarizing themselves with the officially equipped gear.

The training ground was filled with excited discussions and engine roars.

Feng Yan and Brigade Commander Gao stood side by side on the viewing platform, looking at the bustling scene below.

"Little Feng," Brigade Commander Gao said softly, "You have forged a sharp sword for the Dragon Country.

Next, it's time to let some people see the sharpness of this sword."

Feng Yan didn't speak, just nodded silently.

He saw Lieutenant Xu taking a selfie next to the mech, preparing to send it to his family;

Saw Old Zhou patiently teaching new team members how to operate the "Iron Wolf's" engineering module;

Saw Wang Hao getting a megaphone from somewhere, shouting and yelling on the training ground again...

These scenes reminded him of the afternoon more than a year ago when he first met Li Yang in the warehouse.

At that time, he never dreamed that in just over a year, they could build such a force that would change the form of warfare.

"Brother Feng! Brother Feng!" Wang Hao's shout interrupted his thoughts.

"The cafeteria has prepared a celebration banquet! Today, we specifically invited a master chef from the city to roast a whole lamb!"

Cheers erupted on the training ground. Even Brigade Commander Gao laughed: "Let's go! An exception today, I'll join you young people for some fun!"

As the sun set, the aroma of roasted whole lamb wafted over the training ground.

And in the hangar not far away, the newborn "Dragon Riders" were still circling their beloved vehicles, as if they could never see enough of them. ===== CHAPTER 117 =====