The warship modification event had always been the most important event in the Golden Finger Cup, because the participants had to optimize a normal warship under limited conditions so that it would be as strong as possible.
It was a comprehensive test of the participants' abilities. The entire modification process had to be completed by the participant alone. If the participant's skills were not comprehensive enough, they would not be able to achieve the best result.
The warship modification event was also the longest among all the other events. The participants would have to go through three days of modification, three days of elimination, and then the quarterfinals on the last day.
After breakfast, Xia Fei took the hovercar provided by the tournament to the workshop he had booked. A brand-new Keepfalcon-class frigate from Caldari was parked there quietly. All the standard frigates for the warship modification event were provided by the wealthy Caldari company. The necessary parts were also provided by the major parts manufacturers in the Alliance. The Golden Finger Cup only provided the venue and the invigilators, so it did not cost much.
The companies that were willing to provide so many valuable warships and parts for the event had their own goals. Once the champion warship was born, the parts it used would immediately become popular, and the sales would skyrocket. Therefore, the major manufacturers would spare no effort in sponsoring the Golden Finger Cup. Many companies would even sign contracts with the most outstanding participants, hoping that they would use the parts produced by their companies.
As a matter of fact, a few parts manufacturers had approached Xia Fei after the first two events, hoping to sign a contract with him to sponsor their warships, but Xia Fei rejected all of them.
The warship modification event was Xia Fei's main goal in participating in this event. He wanted to showcase the energy-shield booster to the world and gain a foothold in the highly competitive spaceship parts market. If he signed a contract, he would have to use fixed parts, which meant that Xia Fei would not have the right to choose and would be very restricted.
Furthermore, Xia Fei's modifications to his warships were mostly done on whim. Even he did not have a set plan, and there was no telling if he might have some new ideas during the modification process and make some last-minute changes. Considering all these points, Xia Fei decided to give up on the chance of getting a sponsorship. While the benefits in front of him were very tempting, Xia Fei had no choice but to consider how Quantum Holdings, which he had worked so hard to establish, would develop. Once the energy-shield booster gained the favor of the entire Alliance, the benefits that Xia Fei would reap would be far more than what this sponsorship could measure.
Xia Fei paused at the entrance of the workshop and examined the Kestrel-class frigate from afar. The first impression that a warship gave off was very important. Just like humans, warships also had their own aura, and a high-quality warship would give off an indescribable sense of shock.
A coordinator of the Golden Finger Cup in uniform walked over. He turned on the custom-made computer in his hand and compared Xia Fei's appearance.
"Xia Fei, this is the list of the parts that you ordered. The goods are already stored in the warehouse behind the workshop. I'll need you to confirm if there's anything you're not satisfied with. Also, you can tell us if you're not satisfied with the warship, and we'll contact the manufacturer to make a swap," the staff said.
Xia Fei checked the list and asked, "If I decide to make a last-minute change, how long will the organizer take to prepare the new parts?"
The staff smiled and said, "Fifteen minutes. This is the Golden Finger Cup we're talking about. The Association of Machinists is quite efficient. However, to avoid any accidents, you'll need to confirm the spare parts you have in stock. If there are any, we'll swap them out immediately. You've ordered a total of thirty-seven million five hundred and ten thousand Star Credits. According to the rules of the tournament, each participant is entitled to fifty million Star Credits.
Xia Fei nodded. "That's all. Thank you."
The staff looked behind Xia Fei and asked, "Are you planning to modify the warship on your own?"
Xia Fei nodded without saying a word.
"It's like this. The competition rules state that all participants can hire assistants, and the assistants are all outstanding members of the Association of Machinists. You only need to pay 30,000 Star Coins per person per day. Of course, this money will have to be generated from the 50 Million Star Coins that can be allocated," the staff said.
Modifying a battleship was not an easy task, so most of the participants would hire some Mechanics to help them. This was a very normal thing.
Xia Fei rejected the staff's offer, not because he was being arrogant, but because he had become more cautious after the incident with the Blood Matrix. Li Mo would surely continue to disturb him by any means necessary. Hiring machinists that he did not trust would not be good for confidentiality. If Li Mo managed to bribe the assistants and secretly get his hands on Xia Fei's warship modification blueprints, he would be able to target Xia Fei's warship modification and defeat him in one fell swoop.
Besides, Xia Fei was not some pampered young master, so he did not mind doing more manual labor. At most, he would just have to eat a few more bowls of rice. The food provided by the organizers was provided by the government.
Xia Fei inserted his participant card into the slot next to the door, and the alloy door immediately closed. The fluorescent lights in the workshop were also turned on. The organizers had taken the participants' confidentiality into consideration, so only those with permission could enter the workshop and participate in the modification of the warship.
There was a door at the back of the workshop. Xia Fei walked in and saw boxes of spare parts neatly stacked. There was even a small hovercar parked at the door, making it easier to transport the heavy parts to the workshop.
Xia Fei turned on his microcomputer and compared the parts to his list. He loaded the boxes onto the car and transported them to the side of the warship. He then pushed the necessary instruments and tools from both sides.
"The strongest part of a Kestrel-class frigate is its missile system, but its armor and shield are very weak. It doesn't have any advantage in speed, either. It's basically a standard firepower output warship. How are you planning to modify it?" Phantom asked.
Xia Fei knocked on the warship's armor with his hand, and there was a loud thud in the air.
"Since it's a firepower output warship, I'll try my best to unleash its attack power. As for its defense, I plan to use a double shield enhancement system to maximize its shield energy," Xia Fei said.
Phantom pondered for a moment. "Aren't you planning to adjust its speed? This ship's cruising speed is rather slow, and it's not very agile, either. "
Xia Fei smiled. "There's no need to increase its speed. Every participant's warship is the same. Everyone is using missiles as their main method of attack. The missile system has high firepower output and is equipped with a precision guidance system. Unless I can push the ship's speed to the limit, there's no way I can avoid the enemy's attack. If two Kestrel-class frigates meet, it'll be a head-on battle. Any tricks will be futile."
Phantom nodded. The biggest disadvantage of using missiles to attack the enemy was that it required a long flight time. If the enemy was far enough away, the missiles would need to travel for a long time before they could hit their target, unlike cannons, which could deal damage to the enemy the moment they fired.
However, the advantage of the missile system was also very obvious. The powerful guidance system would quickly lock onto the enemy. Unless the enemy's warship was very fast, even faster than the missile, the missile would have a hundred percent chance of hitting its target.
Cannons, on the other hand, had a much lower hit rate than the missile system. Once the enemy's speed was slightly faster, the cannons would lose a portion of their firepower output due to the rotation speed and inaccuracy. That was why a battle between warships using missile systems was like two unprotected warriors. You punch me, and I kick you. It was a competition of endurance. Whoever could take it first would fall, and the winner would always be the one with the strongest endurance.
Actually, this sort of head-on battle was actually advantageous to Xia Fei. This was because the energy-shield booster Xia Fei had developed could greatly increase the defense of a warship.
Phantom shook his head. "Is it really that simple? That doesn't seem like your style. No, you must have something else up your sleeve. "
Xia Fei smiled, not saying a word.
"Ha, you're smiling. I knew you'd use those weird tricks again. Hurry up and tell me what you're thinking," Phantom said excitedly.
…
It was six o 'clock in the evening on Earth. The workshop's doors closed on time, and the entire modification area was completely sealed off. To ensure that the participants could compete in a better state of mind, the organizers had set the working time to twelve hours a day. Once the time was up, all the participants had to leave the modification area.
Xia Fei walked out of the workshop and stretched his back. He was exhausted after a whole day of work, but he was still in high spirits. Xia Fei had already completed more than half of the modifications in twelve hours. If everything went smoothly, he would be able to finish the modifications the next day, and the final adjustments before the tournament would take place on the third day.
Constantine walked over from afar. He was still dressed sloppily and did not seem to care about the details. He did not look like a prince at all.
Just like Xia Fei, Constantine was also working on the modifications alone. There were three hundred and twelve participants in this tournament, and only Xia Fei and Constantine were working completely on their own. The others would more or less hire a few helpers to reduce their workload.
Xia Fei and Constantine casually chatted for a while. Constantine said that other than participating in the tournament, he also wanted to marry a woman living in the capital ring. This was because most of the women in the Blood Candle Kingdom he lived in looked crude and were more or less handicapped. They did not know what gentleness was.
Xia Fei did not say anything. After all, it was a private matter, and he was not in a position to comment on it. He reminded Constantine that as a man, he needed to maintain his dignity at all times. Only then could he truly win the heart of a woman. Constantine nodded. The story that Xia Fei had once told him was deeply engraved in his heart. Ever since then, he had never shamelessly tangled with a woman he did not know.
Avril had finished her classes during the day. She was waiting outside the modification area with Pang Xing. Constantine was very envious of Xia Fei and Avril. He said goodbye sourly and returned to his dormitory alone.
"Xia Fei! Avril! "Thuram's hearty laughter came from afar.
Xia Fei went up to greet Thuram, and Avril very obediently greeted him with the etiquette of a junior. Thuram seemed to be in a good mood, constantly praising Avril for being well-mannered and well-mannered, causing the somewhat shy Avril to blush.
"I have something to tell you," Thuram said.
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