Lin Feng's fists tightened quietly, his heart thumping wildly.
He knew this helmet was extraordinary.
But he hadn't expected it to be extraordinary to this extent.
"Don't get excited yet; this is only the beginning." Zhang Chengde's expression remained serious.
But the excitement in his voice could no longer be hidden.
"Round two, assault rifle bullet test! 5.8mm steel-core rounds, shooting distance 50 meters!
Simulating a medium-range engagement environment!"
This was a massive test of the helmet's protective capabilities.
The penetration power of a 5.8mm steel-core round was far beyond that of a pistol bullet.
If the vast majority of active-service helmets were hit head-on at such a distance, there would be only one result—penetration!
"Fire!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
This time, it was a three-round burst!
The high-speed camera playback shocked everyone once again.
Three high-speed spinning steel-core rounds hit the helmet almost simultaneously.
The moment the first bullet made contact, the warhead shattered.
The kinetic energy was rapidly conducted and neutralized by the microscopic lattice structure on the helmet's surface.
The second and third rounds followed immediately.
They struck almost the exact same spot, yet still failed to move it even a fraction of an inch.
Finally, the range staff sent an unbelievable report: "Report! A shallow pit approximately 1 centimeter in diameter and 2 millimeters deep has appeared at the impact point!"
"The helmet structure is intact! Internal sensor data shows that the peak impact force is far below the threshold for human skull damage!"
"Far below the damage threshold?!" Li Hao shouted.
"With such strong kinetic energy, even if it didn't penetrate, the shockwave alone should be enough to cause severe blunt force trauma, or even be fatal!"
"Where did this helmet swallow all that kinetic energy?"
"It's that special bionic lattice structure!" Professor Zhang Chengde slapped his thigh, his face flushing red with excitement.
"It instantaneously converts a point-like impact force into a planar energy wave, which then rapidly attenuates and dissipates along the helmet's structure!"
"My god, my god... this must be the perfect combination of materials science and structural mechanics!!"
At this moment, no one questioned the origins of this Hardware Store anymore.
Only shock at the unknown technology remained in their hearts.
The more knowledgeable a person is, the more they understand the awe of technology.
"Continue!" Lin Feng felt his blood burning.
"Bring out... the heavy sniper rifle!"
The entire control room instantly fell silent.
A sniper rifle?
And a heavy anti-materiel sniper rifle at that!
That thing is meant for taking out light armored vehicles!
Using it on a helmet?
This wasn't a test anymore; this was overkill!
"Isn't this... a bit much?" Li Hao hesitated.
"Execute the order!" Lin Feng's gaze was as sharp as a blade.
"I need to know where its limit lies!"
"Our future soldiers need a guardian deity that can save their lives in the most brutal environments! Give me the 12.7mm armor-piercing incendiary rounds!"
Professor Zhang Chengde took a deep breath and glanced again at Lin Feng's resolute profile.
Then, he nodded heavily.
"Prepare for the ultimate test! 12.7mm armor-piercing incendiary rounds, shooting distance 100 meters! Clear all non-essential personnel! Activate the highest-level protection protocols!"
The atmosphere in the entire research institute became tense.
A massive sniper rifle was mounted on a fixed stand.
The dark muzzle pointed from a distance at the helmet, which looked somewhat thin and fragile.
Everyone's heart was in their throat.
"Fire!"
"Boom—!!!"
A dull, thunderous roar sounded, and the entire testing ground seemed to tremble!
An armor-piercing incendiary round, packed with terrifying kinetic and chemical energy, roared toward the target!
Time seemed to slow down at this moment.
On the large screen, the massive warhead slammed violently into the helmet.
A burst of blinding fire erupted!
That was the effect of the incendiary agent inside the warhead being ignited!
However, the expected scene of the helmet being torn to shreds did not occur.
The high-speed camera faithfully recorded everything:
Within 0.01 seconds of contact, the hard core inside the armor-piercing round interacted with that mysterious composite material in a way that humans currently cannot comprehend.
The penetrator core was like a toothpick trying to drill into a diamond.
Under the massive counterforce, it instantly disintegrated from within and then shattered!
After enduring this world-shattering blow, the helmet jerked backward.
It was then immediately pulled back by the fixed stand.
The spot on the helmet's surface where it was hit turned a bright crimson.
That was caused by the high temperatures from the intense friction and the incendiary agent.
"Extinguish the fire!"
The automatic fire suppression system sprayed white coolant, quickly covering the entire helmet.
The smoke cleared.
With trembling hands, the staff pushed the camera closer.
On the screen, at the impact point on the helmet, a shocking mark of destruction appeared—an irregular depression the size of a bowl's mouth with melted edges, but... "No... No penetration!!"
Li Hao's shout even carried a hint of a sob, "It held! It really held against a 12.7mm armor-piercing incendiary round!"
After a ten-second long dead silence in the entire control room...
...a tsunami of cheers and applause instantly erupted!
Professor Zhang Chengde excitedly took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes vigorously with the back of his hand.
He kept muttering, "Incredible... simply incredible! This truly is a guardian deity for soldiers..."
Lin Feng stood where he was, his fists clenched.
He looked at the helmet on the screen, which, though damaged, still stood firm.
It was as if he could see soldiers on future battlefields emerging unscathed from hails of bullets.
At this point, there was no longer any need to conduct the originally planned fragment simulation tests!
But ballistic performance was only one of the hard indicators.
Other comprehensive performances were equally important.
Next, impact and puncture resistance tests were conducted in a new laboratory.
A conical steel block weighing 5 kilograms was dropped from a height of 3 meters, slamming hard onto the top of the helmet.
The sensors showed that the impact force received inside the helmet was only equivalent to being struck by a fist with moderate force.
Then, a hydraulic press pushed a sharp steel spike.
It slowly pressed against the side of the helmet with one ton of pressure.
As a result, the tip of the steel spike was forced to curl and blunt.
Only a faint white mark was left on the surface of the helmet.
"Is... is this damn thing even a helmet? It's practically a small fortress worn on the head!"
Even Elder Zhang, who had seen many grand scenes, couldn't help but swear after seeing this series of test results.
Everyone's face was filled with an uplifted smile.
Finally, it was the comfort test.
A young tester, whose physique was similar to that of an active-duty soldier, was called over.
He took another brand-new helmet and immediately exclaimed in surprise.
"This helmet is way too light! It feels... it feels just like wearing an oversized hard hat."
He skillfully adjusted the suspension system and put the helmet on his head.
He shook his head left and right, then performed a few tactical evasion maneuvers.
"How is it? How does it feel?" Lin Feng asked.
"Report! Perfect!" Xiao Wang's eyes lit up like lightbulbs.
"It's very lightweight to wear, the center of gravity is stable, and it doesn't wobble even during intense movement."
"The key is that its lining is designed so scientifically; it's ventilated and breathable, not stuffy at all, very comfortable!"
"It's much better than the 'tin cans' we use now!"
Hearing the most direct feedback from the wearer...
...the final weight on everyone's hearts was lifted.
Formidable protection, excellent structural strength, extreme lightweight, and unparalleled comfort... this helmet from the Old Lu Hardware Store showed generational superiority in every aspect.
This was no longer just a "high-quality product."
It was a disruptor capable of changing the future landscape of individual soldier protection!
All the test data was quickly compiled.
Forming a report so detailed it was almost outrageous.
Behind every piece of data, a comparison with the top-tier active-service "Dragon Scale III" helmet was attached.
The results of that comparison were practically a public execution.
In terms of ballistic performance, Old Lu Hardware won completely.
In terms of impact resistance, Old Lu Hardware won completely.
In terms of lightweighting, Old Lu Hardware won completely.
In terms of comfort, Old Lu Hardware won completely.
Looking at the finally generated comparison chart, Li Hao couldn't help but joke:
"If this chart were posted online, I've already thought of the headline—'Shocking! Mysterious Hardware Store Possesses Alien Tech; Dragon Country's Highest-Spec Military Helmet Suffers a Dimensional Strike!'"
Although it was a joke, it expressed the thoughts of everyone present.
Professor Zhang Chengde held that heavy report, his hands trembling slightly.
He walked up to Lin Feng and solemnly handed him the report.
"Xiao Lin, this report... its weight is a thousand, ten thousand times heavier than its physical weight!"
"You must submit it immediately, at the fastest possible speed!"
"Also, procedurally, for a supplier of this caliber, we must appoint a high-level joint inspection team to... inspect its production line."
When he mentioned the words "production line," the corner of Zhang Chengde's mouth couldn't help but twitch.
A Hardware Store... what would its production line even look like?
Would they be tightening screws with pliers or hammering steel plates with large iron mallets?
Just thinking about that image... tsk, one simply couldn't imagine it.
Lin Feng took the report and gave a standard military salute.
"Mission guaranteed!"
His voice was forceful and resonant, echoing through the vast and solemn research institute.
He turned and strode out of the research institute with large steps.