Because the high-level officials of Xiang Province wanted to win over the newly appointed academician, Chen Xin, the construction of the Ecological Dome proceeded rapidly.

Once the design plans were finalized, and Chen Xin provided 3D printing robots for the construction, the area in front of his shelter quickly became a bustling construction site.

Two drilling rigs, brought in through connections with Xiang Province’s high officials, began working simultaneously; one was responsible for the geothermal power plant’s Energy Tower pump well, and the other for the Ecological Dome’s heating hub return well. At the same time, another team was installing pipelines.

With multiple teams working simultaneously, the area in front of Chen Xin’s house was quite lively and noisy, and the stationed special forces became more vigilant about the situation.

Even though Chen Xin’s shelter had defenses comparable to the main armor of a battleship, with heavy machine guns installed on both sides of the main entrance, allowing for self-sufficiency as long as Chen Xin stayed indoors, the special forces commander, who had finished handling matters in Lin City, still felt it was not safe enough.

Therefore, besides conducting checks upon entering the construction area and patrolling the site, they also allocated some personnel to set up a sentry post in front of Chen Xin’s shelter, preventing anyone unnecessary from approaching, all to ensure Chen Xin’s safety and avoid any repeat of the previous incident.

However, despite this, it was impossible for Chen Xin to stay in his shelter indefinitely.

"Academician Chen, I still recommend you don’t go out," the new officer, replacing Wang Hai to serve as Chen Xin’s security guard, tried to dissuade Chen Xin from going out.

In response to the officer’s persuasion, Chen Xin displayed a rather helpless attitude and said, "Second Lieutenant Deng, you can’t just not let me go out, can you? How is that different from putting me in jail?"

"But your safety, Academician Chen..." Second Lieutenant Deng clearly had been ordered firmly by his superiors to prioritize Chen Xin’s safety at all costs: "Even though the assassination incident in Lin City has come to an end, there’s still a risk if you go out, I must ensure your safety!"

"If you want to ensure my safety, you can simply accompany me outside and deal with any danger promptly, rather than saying that for the sake of my safety, I’m not allowed to step out," Chen Xin understood that Second Lieutenant Deng had good intentions, but he agreed to let the state send people to protect him, not to be restricted in his freedom.

Regarding safety issues, after the previous incident, Chen Xin had reflected deeply and not only began learning some basic self-defense and combat techniques from Qin Lan but also improved his gear.

Power Armor was naturally Chen Xin’s first choice, but the earlier model he had was too heavy and cumbersome, making it safe to wear but lacking in convenience and flexibility.

Exoskeletons were certainly a good option as well, but unless fitted with military-grade protective plates, an exoskeleton didn’t offer significant protection.

For various reasons, gear from StarCraft’s Ghost Agent, the famous Iron Man suits, and Crysis’s Nanotech Combat Suit seemed more suitable for Chen Xin.

The protection was sufficient, and they were light and agile, not overly bulky.

However, Chen Xin wasn’t fond of the early Iron Man suits, favoring only the last one equipped with nanotechnology; yet to recreate it would require spending thousands of survival points.

Ghost Agent’s Protective Suit and Nanotech Combat Suit were relatively simple to create, and by not trying to replicate those unscientific or magical in-game features, it was still feasible to make similar equipment.

But in doing so, the outcome would be rather ordinary, not much different from wearing military Exoskeleton Armor.

After much deliberation, Chen Xin gritted his teeth and, leveraging his substantial survival points income, managed to produce a set of nanotechnology armor similar to the Iron Man suit in the movies.

However, Chen Xin’s nanotech armor differed from the Mark 50 and Mark 85 models seen in the movies. At the very least, he didn’t opt for the gaudy gold-red color scheme, nor was he keen on placing an Energy Core on his chest like a light bulb.

The final nanotech armor was designed as a watch on Chen Xin’s wrist, which would release a mass of nanites to cover his body when needed, transforming into a protective armor.

According to Chen Xin’s own tests, the full coverage of the nanotech armor took about three seconds, not very quick, but sufficient for most scenarios.

Chen Xin also considered the potential for unexpected situations, so his watch included an Energy Shield function, forming a close-fitting energy layer around his body to repel external threats without hindrance or leaving any blind spots.

As for the shield’s strength, it could withstand shots from a large-caliber anti-materiel sniper rifle without being penetrated.

With such protection, Chen Xin felt confident enough about his safety to step outside.

Otherwise, after experiencing an assassination attempt, he was very concerned about his safety.

Initially, Chen Xin was reluctant to show off his nanotech armor and Energy Shield to others, but seeing Second Lieutenant Deng’s staunch "I won’t budge no matter what reason you give" attitude, Chen Xin reconsidered and decided to display his nanotech armor.

With the need to use his nanotech armor, Chen Xin typically wore a Power Armor pilot suit on his body, though he didn’t wear the helmet.

This way, he could deploy the nanotech armor in the shortest time without being hindered by his clothing.

Second Lieutenant Deng was clearly stunned by Chen Xin’s display of nanotech armor, watching as Chen Xin swiftly enveloped himself in a shiny, liquid-like armor, and then, in a blink, the whole suit became dull and subdued; it’s impressive Deng’s jaw didn’t drop, which says something about his composure.

Of course, he might have simply been mesmerized.

In any case, after showcasing his new equipment, Chen Xin asked Second Lieutenant Deng: "This is my newly created nanotech armor; it can withstand direct hits from rocket launchers. Plus, with your team fully geared to accompany me, we should be safe enough, right? If someone could harm me with such protection, staying indoors wouldn’t matter anyway."

Second Lieutenant Deng hesitated for a moment before replying to Chen Xin’s argument: "I need to consult with the captain and political commissar."