Chapter 16: When the Skyrocket Monkey Meets the Robot Dog

Wang Hao's arrival.

Was like pouring a ladle of cold water into an already boiling pot of oil

—it exploded instantly.

The space in the warehouse felt increasingly cramped.

Li Yang's territory was piled high with metal skeletons and wires.

Chen Guang's corner was set up with laser equipment and computers.

Now, there were also the large toolboxes Wang Hao brought and a pile of bizarre "rocket experiments."

The air, besides the smell of machine oil and solder, now faintly carried a hint of gunpowder.

Feng Yan looked at the bustling scene, and his heart was filled with joy.

This is what a team should look like!

Wang Hao was a man who couldn't sit still.

He hadn't even been settled for half a day before he went over to Li Yang's side, staring at the exoskeleton frame and clicking his tongue in wonder:

"Brother Li, this thing of yours... can you really wear it and walk around?"

Li Yang was busy debugging a hydraulic valve on a knee joint; he didn't even look up, answering concisely: "Yes."

"Awesome!" Wang Hao gave a thumbs up.

Then he looked at the silent four-legged robot dog on the floor nearby.

"What about this doggy? Can it run and jump?"

This time, it was Chen Guang who answered him.

The little genius adjusted his glasses, his tone carrying the pride of a parent whose child had been complimented:

"Basic dynamic balance and terrain adaptation have already been achieved; we are currently optimizing its gait algorithms and perception system."

Wang Hao's eyes darted around.

His gaze swept back and forth between the robot dog and his own pile of "rocket treasures."

A bold (or perhaps outrageous) idea instantly took shape.

He slapped his thigh hard, the sound so loud it startled Feng Yan, who was secretly scrolling on his phone nearby.

"Brother Feng! Brother Li! Brother Chen Guang! I have an idea!"

Wang Hao was so excited his face turned red.

"What do you think would happen if we combined this doggy with my 'Little Black Fatty' that can turn corners?"

Feng Yan was stunned:

"Combine? How? Make the dog carry the skyrocket monkey and run?"

"No, no!" Wang Hao waved his hands repeatedly, gesturing.

"I mean, install my skyrocket monkey... uh, or a scaled-down version of the thruster, onto the dog!"

"Give it a 'boost' or 'emergency maneuver' function!"

"Think about it: it's a dog most of the time, but at the critical moment, ignite the rear, whoosh—it instantly transforms into a low-altitude assault dog! How cool is that!"

Feng Yan: "..."

Li Yang's movements stopped.

For the first time, he looked up and stared seriously at Wang Hao, his eyes actually... showing a hint of interest?

Chen Guang opened his mouth, subconsciously starting to calculate:

"If we add a small solid-fuel thruster, we need to consider thrust vector control, the impact of center-of-gravity changes on the balance algorithm, and the issue of protection against high-temperature tail flames..."

Feng Yan watched these three: one dared to dream, one dared to do.

And another had already started theoretical calculations; he felt the responsibility of being the "family head" was heavy.

He cleared his throat:

"The idea... is very advanced. But Old Wang, is your thruster safe and controllable?"

"Don't blow up our only dog."

Wang Hao patted his chest with a thud:

"Brother Feng, don't worry! I know what I'm doing!"

"We can start with small-dose test fuel, make a micro-thruster, and hang it on the dog's back to test the effect, just like giving the dog a 'nitrogen boost'!"

Li Yang finally spoke, setting the tone:

"We can try it. We need to design a quick-release interface and a simple ignition circuit."

Chen Guang immediately followed up:

"The ignition signal can be integrated into my main control system, triggered by the balance algorithm when it determines the need, with corresponding attitude compensation."

Feng Yan watched as these three established such an "outrageous" project in just a few words.

He felt that saying another word would be a blasphemy against their "scientific research enthusiasm."

He waved his hand helplessly:

"Fine, fine, go ahead! Be careful! If the dog blows up, it's fine, just don't get yourselves hurt!"

Over the next few days, the warehouse became even livelier.

Wang Hao was responsible for burying his head in his "armory box," mixing small doses of test propellant.

Carefully sealing them into micro-thrusters he had processed from thin copper pipes.

Li Yang used scrap materials to design a universal interface bracket for the robot dog's back.

It could firmly fix the thruster while allowing for quick disassembly.

Chen Guang buried himself in modifying the code, adding a thruster ignition module to the robot dog's control system.

And designing several simple trigger conditions.

—Such as automatically igniting to attempt to restore balance when detecting a major loss of equilibrium.

Or performing a short-range sprint after receiving a specific command.

Feng Yan was responsible for shouting "666" from the sidelines.

And nervously watching Wang Hao's operations, terrified that a shaky hand might ignite the warehouse.

The first static ground ignition test.

Took place on a sunny afternoon (specifically chosen in an open area outside the warehouse).

The micro-thruster was fixed to an iron frame, with the lead wire pulled far away.

Wang Hao, Li Yang, and Chen Guang squatted in the distance, their expressions serious.

Feng Yan held his phone, ready to record this "historic" moment.

"Three, two, one... ignite!" Wang Hao pressed the button on the homemade igniter.

"Sss—"

A short, intense white flame erupted from the rear of the thruster, lasting about a second.

It made a sound similar to the burning of an extra-large firecracker fuse.

The iron frame holding the thruster was even shaken by the reaction force.

"Thrust output stable! Working time about 1.2 seconds!"

Chen Guang shouted while looking at the data recorded by the sensors on his phone.

"Interface structure intact, no loosening!" Li Yang reported after checking the bracket.

"Success!" Wang Hao jumped up in excitement and high-fived Chen Guang.

Feng Yan watched the video of the flame eruption on his phone and let out a sigh of relief.

At least the first step didn't blow up.

Next, it was time to install this thing on the robot dog "Xiao Bai"

(the name Chen Guang had given it).

When that micro-thruster, slightly larger than a cigarette case, was firmly fixed to "Xiao Bai's" back.

This robot dog, which had looked a bit cute before, instantly gained a hint of the murderous aura of an "iron beast."

"First dynamic test, target: three-meter short-range acceleration."

Chen Guang wore noise-canceling headphones and operated the computer, "Start!"

"Xiao Bai's" four legs began to move in coordination, trotting forward.

At the same time, Chen Guang pressed the thruster ignition command.

"Sss—"

A burst of thrust surged from behind "Xiao Bai."

Its speed increased sharply, as if it had been kicked by something, and it lunged forward.

It almost tipped over and fell because of the excessive acceleration.

Fortunately, the balance algorithm optimized by Li Yang intervened in time, adjusting the leg posture, and it barely managed to stabilize.

"Effective! Acceleration significantly increased!" Chen Guang looked at the data, his voice filled with excitement.

Wang Hao rubbed his hands together excitedly:

"I told you it would work! This is just a small one! If we install a few more, make a vector nozzle..."

Feng Yan watched the robot dog, its rear smoking, sprinting away.

Then he looked at the three geniuses beside him with glowing eyes, and a thought suddenly popped into his head:

With these guys together, they might really end up making some incredible waves in this world.

He seemed to see it already, some day in the future.

A scene of a robot dog carrying a rocket thruster, running faster than a car, executing a mission in some extreme environment.

The image was too beautiful; he almost didn't dare to imagine it. ===== CHAPTER 17 =====