The boss of a foreign organization called the police, claiming that he was defrauded by me

Mengyin quickly skimmed through the secret letter, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Knowing the gravity of the matter, he immediately replied solemnly, "Your humble servant obeys! I will certainly not fail Your Majesty's trust!"

"Furthermore," Yang Xia stepped closer and lowered his voice, "after returning to Yan, you must work closely with Yu Meiren to train an elite navy as quickly as possible. Remember, I don't want an ordinary army, but a fierce and powerful force capable of taking on a hundred men each."

"This humble general understands!" Meng Yin raised his head, a resolute light flashing in his eyes. "However... I am truly worried that Your Majesty is left alone in Great Zhou. The Xingyun Kingdom is full of cunning schemes, so please take good care of yourself."

Yang Xia nodded slightly and patted Meng Yin on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Go and make preparations, we'll set off immediately."

Meng Yin bowed again, turned, and strode away. The sound of armor rubbing against each other faded into the distance, eventually merging with the wind outside the hall. Yang Xia stood alone in the empty hall, gazing in the direction Meng Yin had gone, motionless for a long time.

As night fell, palace lanterns were lit one by one. Attendants tiptoed in to add oil to the lamps three times, not daring to disturb the emperor's deep thought. Yang Xia finally moved, walking to the table and unfolding a sheepskin map. His fingertips traced the winding coastline of the Star Cloud Kingdom, finally landing on the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

"If this sleeping behemoth, the Nebula Kingdom, were to be fully enraged..." Yang Xia muttered to himself, a deep worry creeping into his eyes. "The Yan Kingdom still has natural defenses to protect it, but the Great Zhou Dynasty..."

He thought of the neighboring countries that were eyeing him covetously: the Red Cake Kingdom, India, the Atlantean Empire… These countries were like sharks that had smelled blood; once the Nebula Kingdom attacked the Great Zhou, they would surely take advantage of the situation. At that time, the Great Zhou would face a desperate situation of being besieged on all sides.

The candlelight crackled, casting flickering shadows on the wall. Yang Xia paced to the window, gazing at the distant, continuous palace walls. This risky interception of the Nebula Kingdom's weaponry, while temporarily strengthening their forces, had also sown the seeds of greater trouble. If handled improperly, it could very well backfire.

“We must plan ahead.” He turned back to his desk, took out a blank bamboo scroll, and said, “We must make thorough preparations before they realize what’s happening.”

However, after writing a few words, he stopped. The existing weapons and equipment—weather controllers, all-purpose islands… were sufficient to deal with ordinary enemies, but far from enough to confront a behemoth like the Nebula Nation.

Yang Xia put down his pen, closed his eyes, and concentrated. Deep within his consciousness, a pale blue screen slowly unfolded—it was the system interface that only he could see. Ever since he transmigrated to this time and space, this mysterious system had been with him, providing assistance at crucial moments.

"System Shop," he murmured to himself.

The text on the screen flowed like ripples on water, finally settling on a dazzling array of items. Yang Xia carefully browsed each redeemable item: new warship blueprints, improved cannons, special armor… each one was tempting, but each required a huge amount of merit points to exchange.

His gaze lingered on several high-level pieces of equipment for a moment before he reluctantly looked away. These pieces of equipment were good, but either they required too many merit points or were unsuitable for the current situation.

Just as he was about to log out of the system, he suddenly caught a glimpse of an inconspicuous icon at the very bottom of the store. It looked like a drawing, mostly obscured by other items.

"What is this?" Yang Xia's heart stirred, and he focused his attention on the blueprint.

The icon slowly zoomed in, revealing its full form—it was indeed a design drawing, titled "Tower Defense Cannon Design Blueprint." Yang Xia's breathing quickened immediately; he eagerly examined the detailed specifications:
[Tower Defense Cannon: An ultra-long-range heavy defensive weapon. With a range of up to 100 kilometers, it is equipped with an automatic aiming system and can use special ammunition. Construction requires 10000 merit points and a certain amount of special materials…]

Excitement gleamed in Yang Xia's eyes. This was exactly the weapon he had been dreaming of! If he could build several such giant cannons along the coastline of the Great Zhou Dynasty, forming a defensive network with the versatile islands and reefs, it would surely inflict heavy losses on any invading enemy.

But soon, his brows furrowed again. 10000 merit points were no small sum; they represented almost all of his current savings. Moreover, those special materials—Star Iron, Molten Core, Thunder Crystal… each one was extremely rare, and collecting them would be no easy task.

He paced back and forth inside the hall, his boot heels striking the jade floor with a crisp sound. The moonlight outside the window gradually brightened, casting a silvery glow on the furnishings. Occasionally, the distant sound of a night watchman's gong could be heard, exceptionally clear in the silent night air.

“It’s worth the risk.” Finally, Yang Xia stopped, a resolute look flashing in his eyes. “With this, Great Zhou will have the resources to contend with the Nebula Kingdom.”

He reopened the system interface, his gaze falling on his merit point balance—10247 points. Just enough to exchange for the blueprint, but after exchanging it, he would be penniless.

Without further hesitation, Yang Xia chose to exchange. A faint light flashed, and he felt a heavy scroll appear in his hand. Unfolding it, he saw intricate and complex mechanical diagrams, densely covered with annotations—technology never before seen in this world.

"Wonderful..." Yang Xia couldn't help but exclaim. The ingenuity of this giant cannon's design far surpassed the technological level of this era. If it could be built, it would definitely be a weapon of mass destruction.

But the joy was quickly dampened by reality. They had the blueprints, but where to find those special materials? Stellar Iron only found in meteorite craters in the frigid far north; molten cores had to be mined from the depths of active volcanoes; and Thunder Crystals existed only in storm-prone, thunder-filled seas…

Acquiring each material is fraught with danger, not to mention the need for a large number of skilled craftsmen and ample time. And the Nebula Kingdom clearly doesn't have much time left for them.

Yang Xia sat back down at his desk and began to plan in detail. He first made a list of materials, then marked the possible ways to obtain each material based on its place of origin. Next, he drafted a recruitment order for craftsmen, which he planned to send to various places after dawn.

“Su Qi should be able to help.” Yang Xia thought of his trusted confidant who was good at trade. “He travels to various countries all year round and may have access to special materials.”

As for Ni Qing and Su Qin, one is proficient in mechanical arts, and the other excels in organization and coordination; both are indispensable talents in this plan. Yang Xia has already figured out how to allocate tasks so that everyone can make the most of their strengths.

As night deepened, the candlelight was trimmed and lit countless times. Yang Xia worked with complete concentration, sometimes consulting ancient texts, sometimes marking maps, and sometimes writing furiously. He was oblivious to the footsteps of the guards changing shifts outside the palace.

As the first rays of dawn shone through the window, Yang Xia finally raised his head and rubbed his sore eyes. The table was already piled high with bamboo slips and blueprints, each scroll filled with detailed plans and annotations.

He rose and stretched his stiff limbs, then walked outside the palace. The rising sun was bathing the entire imperial city in gold. The sounds of people beginning to echo from the distant streets signaled the start of a new day.

"Time waits for no one," Yang Xia muttered to himself. He summoned his attendants and distributed the orders he had written overnight: "Immediately summon Su Qi, Ni Qing, and Su Qin to the palace."

While waiting, Yang Xia ate a simple breakfast and then began to peruse the precious design drawings again. The more he studied them, the more amazed he became by the weapon's ingenuity. If it could be successfully built, it might truly change the future of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, the three lords have arrived." The attendant's voice roused him from his reverie.

Yang Xia straightened his clothes and regained his royal demeanor: "Summon them."

The palace doors opened, and three figures entered in succession. Su Qi was still dressed as a merchant, the jade pendant at his waist jingling; Ni Qing wore artisan's clothes, his fingers still stained with oil, clearly having just come from the workshop; Su Qin, on the other hand, wore a scholar's robe, holding a feather fan, his expression composed. "Greetings, Your Majesty," the three bowed in unison.

Yang Xia gestured for them to come closer and briefly explained the plan for the tower defense cannon. As he spoke, the three men's expressions changed from doubt to surprise, and finally to unbelievable excitement.

"This...this is simply divine intervention!" Ni Qing was the first to exclaim in surprise, his eyes fixed on the design drawings. "Such an exquisite structure could only be achieved by the skill of a god!"

Su Qi stroked the list of materials on the blueprint, his brows furrowing slightly: "Star Iron, Molten Core... these are all rare treasures, their price comparable to gold. However..." He changed the subject, "If Your Majesty urgently needs them, I do have several procurement channels."

Su Qin gently waved his feather fan and pondered, "Building such a massive cannon requires a great deal of manpower and resources. I suggest that it be carried out in three stages: first, collect materials and train craftsmen; then, select a site for construction; and finally, test and deploy it. This will save time and improve efficiency."

Yang Xia nodded in satisfaction. This was exactly the kind of talent he needed—each with their own strengths, and able to complement each other.

“Good!” He clapped his hands to finalize the decision. “Su Qi will be in charge of material procurement, Ni Qing will be in charge of craftsman training and manufacturing, and Su Qin will coordinate the overall operation. This matter concerns the fate of the nation, so I hope you will all do your utmost.”

"We will not fail in our mission!" the three replied in unison, their eyes burning with fighting spirit.

With the tasks assigned, Yang Xia climbed alone to the highest point of the palace. From here, he could see the coastline stretching into the distance, with sails dotting the azure sea. Those were fishing boats and merchant ships of the Great Zhou Dynasty, peaceful and serene.

But Yang Xia knew that this peace might soon be shattered. The warships of the Nebula Kingdom might be gathering in some unseen corner, and could appear on the horizon at any moment.

"We have to speed things up." He gripped the railing tightly, his knuckles turning white from the effort.

In the days that followed, the entire Great Zhou Dynasty was mobilized. Messengers traveled day and night to spread the King's orders throughout the land; craftsmen gathered in the capital from all directions; and caravans carried rare treasures to distant lands to exchange for the materials they needed.

Yang Xia worked tirelessly, discussing progress with his ministers every day and resolving various difficulties. Sometimes it was a shortage of materials, sometimes a technical bottleneck, sometimes personnel allocation issues... He had to weigh and decide on each problem.

In the quiet of the night, he would always take out that design drawing and study it repeatedly, trying to find a more optimized solution. Although the system provided complete drawings, the actual implementation still had to take into account the technological level of the time. Many adjustments and compromises had to be made.

On one occasion, Ni Qing came to him with a worried look on his face: "Your Majesty, the precision requirements for the spiral pattern inside the cannon barrel are too high, and our existing tools are simply unable to process it."

Yang Xia pondered for a long time, then suddenly remembered that there was a precision milling cutter blueprint in the system shop. Although it would cost a lot of merit points, he gritted his teeth and redeemed it to solve this crucial problem.

When Ni Qing saw the unprecedented tool design, he was so excited that he almost knelt down: "God bless the Great Zhou! God bless the King!"

And so, after overcoming countless difficulties, the foundation for the first tower defense cannon was finally laid on the cliff by the sea. Yang Xia personally went to inspect it, and seeing the craftsmen working enthusiastically, he felt somewhat relieved.

However, at this moment, an urgent report came from the border: a reconnaissance ship from the Nebula Kingdom appeared in the nearby waters, seemingly probing the coastal defenses of the Great Zhou.

"What was bound to happen has finally happened." Yang Xia's expression was grave. He ordered the project to be expedited, and at the same time, he dispatched additional patrol fleets to guard against espionage from the Nebula Kingdom.

The pressure mounted daily. Yang Xia often stayed up all night, standing in front of the map, analyzing all sorts of possible scenarios. Sometimes, when he was too tired, he would take a short nap at his desk, then wake up and continue working.

Seeing this, Su Qin couldn't help but advise, "Your Majesty, your health is of utmost importance. If you collapse from exhaustion, the Great Zhou will truly be in danger."

Yang Xia simply waved his hand: "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. We can rest after we get through this."

A month later, when the massive first tower defense cannon finally stood tall on the beach, everyone involved in its construction couldn't help but cheer. Its dark barrel pointed straight to the sky, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen in the sunlight, like a colossal beast poised to pounce.

Standing beneath the cannon emplacement, Yang Xia gazed up at this masterpiece that embodied countless hours of painstaking effort, his heart filled with mixed emotions. With this, the Great Zhou finally possessed the strength to fight.

But he also knew that this was far from enough. The Nebula Kingdom was powerful and would not give up its attack just because of a giant cannon. The real test was yet to come.

"Your Majesty," Ni Qing reported, "the first giant cannon is complete. Shall we begin construction of the second one?"

Yang Xia withdrew his gaze and nodded firmly: "Continue. Build as many as possible before the Nebula Kingdom's army arrives."

"Yes!" Ni Qing accepted the order and left.

The sea breeze stirred, ruffling Yang Xia's clothes. He gazed into the distance, where the sea and sky met, and it seemed that dark clouds were gathering.

A storm is coming. But he is prepared—or rather, he is preparing as best he can.

"Only in this way can I make good use of the talent, so that they can help me at crucial moments."

Yang Xia repeated the sentence in a low voice, his gaze falling once more on the tower defense cannon design blueprint on the system interface that had captured his heart. However, when his eyes inadvertently swept over the exchange price marked in the lower right corner of the blueprint, the smile on his face instantly froze.

He even involuntarily gasped, his once bright eyes instantly dimming and replaced by an undisguised sense of frustration.

"My God..." Yang Xia almost groaned as he uttered these words, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table. "This price is outrageous! It's practically robbery!"

He rubbed his eyes repeatedly, making sure he wasn't mistaken about the number. The defensive fortification design he'd been longing for was priced at a staggering 13,000 merit points. This astronomical figure made him dizzy, and cold sweat broke out on his back. (End of Chapter)