Steel torrents pioneering a different world

Chapter 124 I Saw Us Hanged from Trees to Die! The Magic Stone and the New TNT (10,000 words, please subscribe)
Often, combat personnel only need to carry out orders.

Commanders, on the other hand, have to consider more factors.

Personnel coordination, logistical support, handling of various combat materials, and security during mission execution are all issues that need to be addressed.

The soldiers slept soundly, but the camp command post was brightly lit amidst the intermittent howls of the savages and giant fish.

Yu Qiwen held a glass of warm water and slowly took a sip.

Looking at the infrared display showing that many members of the Ice River Tribe hadn't fallen asleep, he smirked: "The effect of the little dark room is unexpectedly good, much better than those thirty lashes."

Zhao Chong was wiping a pistol when he heard this. Without even looking up, he said, "The whip strikes the flesh, and the pain only lasts for a while. But his voice can temper the spirits of everyone in the Ice River Tribe! In a few days, those savages who mocked the solitary confinement punishment will probably be terrified of him."

He reassembled the pistol parts one by one, his movements unhurried and deliberate, producing a crisp clicking sound.

Yu Qiwen smiled and said, "They thought solitary confinement was an act of mercy. Now they should understand what our mercy really is."

Zhao Chong nodded, his expression becoming serious: "Physical deterrence should be enough, but to completely eradicate their ingrained primitive beliefs, we'll probably need the guidance of instructors and the work of experts."

"These things can't be rushed."

Yu Qiwen rubbed his temples, which were sore from exhaustion.

"The beliefs of other worlds are tangible and visible, making it extremely difficult to change the minds of the older generation of savages. The only option is a combination of intimidation and manipulation. Fortunately, their beliefs are simply a very basic form of primitive fear worship!"

Zhao Chong holstered his pistol, a worried look on his face: "They worship a cold god, dangerous, primitive, and barbaric, but ultimately a threat. I hope our modification plan will succeed! Otherwise, modifying other intelligent beings in this world will be extremely difficult!"

Yu Qiwen nodded: "I've finished organizing and uploading the task log today. Tomorrow I'll go to their tribe under the pretext of planning the new residential area."

He paused, then added, "Keep a close eye on that big fish. Don't let him really go crazy. A madman is no good."

"clear."

"Professor Yu, be careful when you get close to the savages... the people of the Ice River tribe. They have a lot of barbaric behaviors."

In order to maintain the party spirit and modern ideas of the troops, the superiors forbade them from calling those they could communicate with "savages," but instead called them "people of otherworldly tribes."

"A few days of deterrence, plus a few more days, is more than enough." Yu Qiwen took a sip of water. "How's our logistics line?"

"The logistics coordination department is already preparing to open up the mountain and build a road."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chong visibly perked up, and the fatigue in his eyes lessened considerably.

He preferred tangible, real work to dealing with those convoluted clerical tasks.

Logistics are the lifeline that determines victory or defeat in any era and any war.

It took the military nearly a month to transform the area within a 20-kilometer radius of the time portal into an absolutely safe zone.

Now, with the combat radius suddenly extended to nearly 200 kilometers, the logistical challenges are beyond what can be simply described as severe.

To support this frontline outpost, the transport helicopter squadron has been working non-stop for the past few days, with the roar of their engines never ceasing.

As of early this morning, the various supplies that have arrived have piled up into a small mountain, with a total weight of over 8,500 tons.

This does not include the large engineering vehicles and the massive amounts of fuel.

“Our mission is to establish a base and build a fortress! If it were just a special raid, a quick strike and a quick retreat, that would be fine.” Zhao Chong cracked his wrist, making a snapping sound. “But we’re here to put down roots and build a permanent forward base.”

Under this strategic goal, a stable, efficient, and low-cost ground transportation line has become a tough nut to crack.

The Ice River Tribe is only five kilometers from the eastern sea, but a full 173 kilometers away from the Time Gate Base to the west.

“Yes!” Yu Qiwen walked to the map and gently traced his finger across it. “One hundred and seventy-three kilometers. It doesn’t sound far, but those hundred-plus kilometers are not easy to travel.”

Their task was extremely difficult. Three-quarters of the way to the coast was flat frozen snowfield, where bulldozers could simply clear a path. The problem lay in the remaining quarter.

The remaining one-tenth is a rugged mountain range stretching forty kilometers, interspersed with geological fissures and frozen riverbeds left from ancient times, with a drop of more than eight hundred meters from the highest point to sea level.

The logistics engineers argued for several days and finally came up with two solutions.

Option one is to take a detour. The troops would travel more than 200 kilometers, bypassing the entire mountainous area. This would be safer, but it would be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and have higher transportation costs.

Option two is simple and direct: blast a road through the middle of the mountain range. They build roads through mountains and bridges over rivers.

The rabbit's engineering corps loves doing this.

Upon hearing that the journey would be difficult, Yu Qiwen laughed and said, "They've been discussing it for so long, I reckon they'll have to either build a road through the mountains or take a detour."

"Our inherent infrastructure-obsessed genes are starting to stir," Zhao Chong joked.

Building roads in the far north is indeed a headache, but it has to be done.

In the industrial era, road transportation, one of the three essential elements of transportation (roads, expressways, and logistics), was a crucial indicator influencing engineering and infrastructure development.

The better the road network, the easier the logistical support and supply. This can significantly reduce supply difficulties and improve efficiency in all aspects.

Yu Qiwen's finger moved across the map, finally pointing to a spot: "The superiors' choice of region is excellent!"

He pointed to a place less than two kilometers from the Ice River tribe, where there was a winding curve.

"A river that never freezes and flows into the sea, with deep water and a wide channel. Surrounded by mountains that act as a natural barrier, it's practically a replica of Vladivostok. A natural, high-value ice-free port."

Zhao Chong looked at the map, his eyes burning with fervor.

As a soldier, he easily understood the value of this place.

With this road and relying on this ice-free port, a low-cost water-land intermodal transport system can be established.

Then their supplies can be transported out, covering the entire region, and a navy can be built.

"Too far! Our mission is to act as bodyguards for the engineering corps," Zhao Chong replied with a smile.

Their squadron, along with the two newly transferred battalions, has three missions.

The first priority is to establish a permanent fortress here.

The second strategy is to use the stronghold as a center to radiate outwards and eliminate the wandering undead scourge, thus clearing obstacles for subsequent engineering construction.

As for the contact with the Ice River tribe, frankly speaking, it was just a convenient part of the whole grand plan.

Yu Qiwen nodded, his gaze deep.

Transforming a group of primitive people is just an appetizer.

The real battle is to conquer this perilous land. It is to kill all spellcasters, gods, or other races who dare to attack them.

Challenging the inhabitants of another world—that's something to look forward to!
On the other side, Jinhe leaned against the cold stone, gnawing on a dark red bone with relish, while listening to the heart-wrenching screams of his tribesman, Da Yu.

The sound penetrated the camp, and many savages heard it clearly.

"Brother, aren't you really going to go see the big fish? He's screaming so pitifully!" The younger brother came over, his face full of anxiety. He rubbed his hands nervously, and his clothes rustled.

Jinhe didn't even look up. He spat a small piece of bone onto the ground and took out a new duck neck from the oil paper package.

“With such a loud voice, he won’t die,” he mumbled, the spiciness in his mouth making him squint. “Those servants of some unknown god said they would only punish him, not kill him. Besides, he’s the one who’s been dishonest; who can he blame?”

"But they...they're too domineering! Just like the Southerners, they have so many rules and regulations. When have our tribe's warriors ever been treated like this!"

“Southerners?” Jinhe sneered, finally raising his eyes to look at his younger brother. “Brother, remember this: when Southerners catch someone stealing, they chop off their head! They just whip the big fish a few times to teach him a lesson.”

He paused, then lowered his voice: "Don't worry, those people are alright. They've never made us kneel down. Although they are powerful, they respect us."

Jinhe once heard his grandfather, who had the opportunity to explore the South, talk about some things about Southerners.

The first thing those city-state lords in the south, or the barbarian chieftains in the mountains, would do upon seeing the weak is to make them kneel down and grovel at their feet like dogs.

They claimed to be modern humans, servants of some unknown deity, yet no one was asked to kneel.

They simply announced their laws in a calm yet unquestionable tone. To survive here, you had to obey them.

In the past, Jinhe would have led his people to fight them to the death.

If you can defeat them, annex them; if you can't, migrate. This is the law of the ice fields.

But now, they can neither defeat them nor escape.

Those iron birds were terrifying!

The cold god of the north no longer protects them; faith has become a death warrant.

In order for the tribe to catch its breath, we have to accept being enslaved, let alone compromise.

Unexpectedly, life with these unknown servants of the gods... turned out to be quite nice.

Jinhe looked down at the duck neck in his hand. This thing was spicy and numbing, and it was hard to chew, but it tasted really good.

He took a bite, crunching the meat and bone in his mouth.

"Little brother, want to go find a woman tonight and have a baby?"

"I don't have any energy today," the younger brother replied weakly.

"Alright." Jinhe finished gnawing on the duck neck, licked his fingers with lingering satisfaction, and then carefully took something out of the most precious little package in his arms.

He planned to bribe a young woman he fancied with candy.

After hesitating for a moment, the younger brother finally spoke up: "Brother, I had another dream last night."

"Hmm?" Jinhe paused for a moment.

“I dreamt of the God of the Green Lands again… He told me that if we don’t leave soon, we will be hanged by the servants of the gods with ropes around our necks!”

"Ha, my dear brother, you're overthinking things again." Jinhe's tone carried a hint of impatience.

"But last time, when the servants of the Cold God were about to wipe us out, it was thanks to the help of the gods of the Green Lands that we both dreamed about! If we hadn't run away beforehand, our entire tribe would have been wiped out!" the younger brother exclaimed excitedly.

Jinhe finally took out a White Rabbit milk candy from the package.

He stared intently at the candy, saying, "But this time, I didn't dream about anything."

The Jinhe brothers of the Ice River tribe are not only chief and warrior, but also priests of the tribe and rare extraordinary beings.

The god of cold they worshipped granted them the ability to glimpse the future and the truth, though vague, which repeatedly helped the tribe escape annihilation.

However, in the past, Jinhe would sense the prophecy first, and then his younger brother would confirm it.

He absolutely refused to believe that the gods would abandon him and instead favor his timid younger brother.

"My dear brother, don't be afraid."

Jinhe's voice softened as he carefully tore open the White Rabbit candy wrapper.

"The future I see is one where our children and grandchildren are well-fed, clothed, and thriving on this land. I see neither ropes nor death."

"Brother! We should head south! If we don't, I foresee we'll all die!"

"Go south?" Jinhe scoffed, popping the milk candy into his mouth. A rich milky aroma instantly filled his mouth. "Go to the Green Lands to be hunted like wild beasts? We don't get along with those cruel and stubborn cave-dwelling half-humans, those pointy-eared little wench. And our kind further south will definitely take the initiative to attack and wipe us out once they hear about us!"

"We are the same kind of people as them, they won't kill us!"

"Ha...you foolish little brother. Do you believe that the moment those of our kind hear news of us, they'll be more excited than the servants of the Cold God, and the first to rush over and tear us to pieces and devour us!"

The sweetness spread across his tongue, and Jinhe squinted his eyes in satisfaction.

“Brother, the south is a dead end. Our ancestors fled here from the south. Here, at least we can still live.”

He tore open the wrapper of the second candy and walked toward a widow's tent nearby.

“Harley, your man is dead, and your child is still young. Come with me, and this candy is yours.” Jinhe’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.

The tent flap was lifted, revealing the face of a young woman with a look of terror on her face.

“Chief…” Harley, holding her wailing child, backed away. “The servants said that as long as we work, we can get food. Today I moved wood, and they gave me food and sugar.”

Her words were like a thorn, piercing Jinhe's heart.

How dare an ant without its tribe's warriors reject his advances?
"Those are their rules, not mine!"

Jinhe yanked the woman out and roughly shoved the candy into her mouth.

"Now that you've eaten my candy, you have to follow my rules!"

“Um… no…”

The woman's exclamation quickly turned into sobs, accompanied by Jinhe's insults and the crisp sound of slaps.

Soon, the noise dissipated into the man's heavy breathing and the woman's suppressed sobs.

In the tribal settlement, many tent curtains were slightly ajar.

Several shirtless men, their eyes burning with desire, gripped their stone spears and tried to approach.

Jinhe was a generous chieftain, and they also wanted to join the battle.

But upon seeing the figure outside the tent, silently smoking while holding a knife, they all shrank back inside.

That's Jinhe's younger brother, Jinshan.

This guy is hard to talk to.

In the Ice River tribe, it is considered perfectly normal for the chief to take advantage of widows. Women without men have no dignity.

They would either be seized by the strong or become the common property of the tribe, surviving only under the protection of all the men.

Even if they are not taken by the chief, the women of the tribe will quickly follow new men.

Of course, if she doesn't go looking for a man, she will soon be shared by everyone in the tribe.

It's outrageous and bizarre! But there's no right or wrong here, only the cruel rules that primitive tribes have established for survival.

Jinshan ignored what was happening inside the tent, only giving a disdainful sneer.

He listened to the distant, heart-wrenching cries of the giant fish, which grew hoarse, and then heard the beast-like commotion coming from his brother behind him. He slowly exhaled a smoke ring.

The cigarette was given to him by the servants of the gods; it was pungent and choking, but it made him exceptionally clear-headed.

Last night's dream resurfaced in my mind once again.

My brother was hung from a wooden pole by ropes by those servants of the gods. His hands and feet twitched, and he died a gruesome death.

Those clansmen who usually obeyed their brother stood below, watching numbly. He even recognized a few of them as the very people who had peeked out earlier but were scared away by him.

They also had ropes in their hands.

My brother always says that going south is a dead end, but staying here is just waiting to die.

Jinshan weighed the short knife in his hand. He had traded three of the best wolf pelts for it from the servant of the god. It could cut a hair in two.

He stubbed out the cigarette on the stone and carefully put away the remaining half.

I probably won't be able to smoke this cigarette anymore.

The noise inside the tent finally subsided, and Jinhe walked out contentedly, without even glancing at the woman again.

Jinshan did not follow.

He turned and disappeared into the deeper night.

He was going to find those brave souls who were still willing to believe in him, rather than in a few pieces of candy.

Tonight, he will lead them away from this hellish place.

Heading south might be a dead end, but it's better than having your own people put a noose around your neck.

This night was incredibly long for the savages of the Ice River tribe.

The big fish's cries went from heart-wrenching to weak sobs and delirious murmurs, like a dying beast trapped in a snare.

Some of the savages gathered around the fire barely slept.

……

The next day, the morning light was dim.

They stared at the direction of the small dark room with complicated expressions. The punishment that they had found laughable yesterday now sent chills down their spines.

The soldier responsible for delivering the food opened the food delivery slot on the door of the small dark room.

They deliberately showed the Ice River tribe a large, still-living fish.

A ray of light shone in, and the large fish that had been locked up all night pounced like a startled rabbit, squeezing half its face into the small opening, greedily breathing in the outside air.

His eyes were bloodshot and his gaze was unfocused; overnight, it was as if all his energy had been drained away.

"Spare me...please, spare me..." His voice was completely hoarse, as if squeezed out from a broken bellows, "I'll never dare to do it again, I'll serve the Divine Messenger like a slave..."

The soldier expressionlessly shoved a bowl of corn porridge into his mouth. "Blame yourself for breaking our rules!"

You have two more days.

With a "bang," the food delivery opening was closed again, cutting off the light and the last hope.

"Do not!!!"

After a brief silence, the small dark room erupted with screams and banging on the door that were even more desperate than the night before.

"I was wrong, I was so wrong!!!"
-
An alternate world, a materials research base.

With the war against the native spellcasters coming to an end, the base in this other world is once again brightly lit and bustling with activity.

The other world is like a vast, untapped treasure trove, containing countless new materials.

Even though the most advanced scientific research equipment could not be transported here, the materials researchers at the base remained highly enthusiastic, conducting various comparative analysis experiments day and night.

Materials science is a discipline that can turn the mundane into the extraordinary.

It can transform silicon in sand into chips that drive the entire information age; it can also transform nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium needed by plants into powerful explosives.

The two Taoist priests, Chen and Zhou, were incredibly lucky. They followed the collection team and dug out red crystals from the petrified remains of the magma dragon. After it was proven that these crystals could significantly accelerate the production of talismans, they immediately attracted the attention of the higher-ups.

All the materials science experts who came to this other world were overjoyed.

However, the laboratory was silent at this moment, with only the low hum of the instruments.

This time, they are going to conduct some rather dangerous experiments.

Professor Wen Min, who always had a stern face and wore thick-rimmed glasses and was known by her colleagues as having a "cold poker face," was staring intently at the reaction vessel.

Her goal is simple, yet extremely challenging: to use materials native to this other world to stably synthesize TNT, the foundational explosive of modern industry.

The synthesis process encountered numerous setbacks.

Magical particles are everywhere in this world. Their existence is like an invisible fog, interfering with the synthesis formulas of modern chemistry and making many reactions that should be natural become sluggish or even fail.

Strangely, as long as the materials from the other world are brought back to the modern world, all their physical and chemical properties return to normal.

Similarly, stable products synthesized in modern times can be used normally after being brought to another world.

This one-way interference of physical rules has fascinated all scientists, and everyone wants to be the first to uncover the workings of the magical particles.

Materials scientists, on the other hand, hope to use this "uncertainty" to synthesize more new materials that are as likely to win the lottery.

The competition between the various groups had already begun silently.

Whoever can solve the problem of explosives supply in the other world first will gain absolute initiative in the subsequent allocation of resources.

"Professor, the red crystal powder is ready!"

The assistant's voice pulled Wen Min back from her reverie.

"Add one gram and stir at a constant speed." Wen Min's voice was so calm that it was impossible to detect a ripple of emotion.

"understand!"

With a solemn expression, the assistant researcher carefully and slowly sprinkled red powder, measured to the microgram, into the reacting pale yellow liquid using a precision robotic arm.

That was a semi-finished local version of TNT that Wenmin's team had barely managed to integrate after thousands of failures.

In order to achieve stability, it sacrificed nearly 50% of its explosive power, greatly reducing its effectiveness.

But Wenmin never believed in anything perfect.

In her view, the red crystal that greatly improved the efficiency of the two Taoist priests in making talismans was far more than just a catalyst for talisman making.

So she applied for the precious red crystals and put them into her synthesis experiments.

When the last grain of red powder dissolved into the liquid, a miraculous change occurred.

The originally unremarkable pale yellow liquid suddenly began to glow with a faint red light, as if it were alive, and slowly flowed within the container.

"The energy reading is rising!" The assistant's voice was tinged with barely suppressed excitement. "My God... Professor, the activity level has exceeded the safety threshold by twenty percent... no, thirty percent! And it's still rising!"

Wen Min stared intently at the wildly soaring curve on the screen, her eyes behind her glasses gleaming.

Is the otherworldly version of Stable TNT, sacrificing 50% of its power, about to become unstable?

Those red crystalline powders are catalysts, and also amplifiers!
"professor?"

"Don't stop!" Wen Min's tone left no room for argument, even carrying a hint of madness. "Keep stirring!"

Hearing Wen Min's order, the assistant researcher gritted his teeth and then manipulated the stirring rod of the robotic arm to continue stirring the TNT material in the reaction vessel.

Soon after, a boiling reaction occurred inside the container!

The pale yellow, thick semi-finished product churned violently, just like a burning flame.

Then, a piercing alarm sounded throughout the laboratory, and the red light made Wen Min's face appear crimson.

The energy reading instantly broke through the safety threshold, and the pointer crashed into the rightmost limit value with a resolute attitude.

"It's over!" The assistant's face turned pale, and he subconsciously took a few steps back, waiting for the reactor to explode.

Wen Min adjusted her thick-rimmed glasses, her eyes fixed on the reaction vessel, the lenses reflecting the violent light inside.

Just when everyone thought a violent explosion was inevitable, something unexpected happened.

The faint red light emanating from the red crystal powder did not extinguish during the violent chemical reaction; instead, it shone even brighter!
It was like an invisible hand, forcefully holding back the boiling liquid and suppressing the violent energy that was trying to tear the container apart.

The chaotic storm of colors gradually subsided, and the churning liquid stabilized.

Eventually, everything inside the container returned to calm.

The pale yellow liquid had now turned into a deep, pure orange-yellow, flowing quietly like a fine work of art.

The alarm stopped abruptly.

In the laboratory, only the low hum of the instruments running smoothly and the heavy breathing of the assistants remained.

"It...it's a success?" The assistant's voice trembled as he looked at the stabilized data.

Wen Min did not answer. She stepped forward and gently tapped the outer wall of the reaction vessel. The ruby ​​liquid inside only rippled slightly, remaining incredibly stable.

The almost imperceptible curve at the corner of her mouth finally widened a little.

"The samples are being packaged and solidified in preparation for various safety and detonation tests." Her voice remained steady, yet carried an irrepressible excitement.

"Yes!" The assistant snapped out of his daze and immediately began operating with utmost care.

A few minutes later, at the test site.

With a muffled bang, the shockwave, far exceeding expectations, caused the explosion-proof glass of the observation room to tremble.

The assistant stared intently at the energy data displayed on the screen, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. He rubbed his eyes, leaned closer to the screen, and opened his mouth wide enough to fit an egg.

"Professor...am I seeing things?"

Wen Min pushed him away and examined the data herself; her pupils suddenly contracted.

"The explosive power of TNT has increased by two hundred percent!"

The assistant carefully checked and finally confirmed that he hadn't misread it, becoming so excited that he was incoherent.

"This is far more powerful than the original we brought from Earth!"

“The data may contain errors.” Wen Min took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in her heart. “Conduct two more tests and take the average.”

The results of the next two tests showed an error of no more than 15 percent.

Facts have proved that they succeeded.

Not only did they successfully and stably synthesize TNT in another world, they also created a brand new explosive with power far exceeding that of the original!
Wen Min looked at the report in her hand, her brows furrowing slightly.

"How exactly do these red crystals, which can absorb magical particles, affect chemical reactions at the microscopic level?"

She muttered to herself, then felt another headache.

"Unfortunately, red crystals are too rare. Every little bit used is one less available. To thoroughly understand the principle and verify it would be incredibly costly."

Just then, her gaze inadvertently fell upon a box of materials used for comparative experiments in the corner—obsidian.

A bold idea struck her instantly.

"If red crystals can do it, then obsidian, which is also rich in magical energy and has a huge reserve... could it also have a similar effect?"

She has always adhered to the rigorous logic of modern chemistry, attempting to replicate Earth's technological advancements in this world. While she has achieved some success, the synthesis of high-energy materials such as explosives and fuels has consistently been hampered by magical particles, causing her to encounter obstacles at every turn.

In retrospect, she herself walked into a dead end.

"If you can't fight it, then use it, or even... control it!" Wen Min's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

She shoved the freshly completed report, which was enough to make the entire base's top brass ecstatic, into her assistant's arms.

"You, go to the command post to report on your work."

"Oh? Professor, aren't you going? This is an incredible achievement!"

“I hate meetings.” Wen Min waved her hand impatiently, her eyes already glued to the box of obsidian. “By the way, help me apply for some access. I need to use the base’s obsidian powder to research some hypotheses.”
-
A few minutes later, at the Otherworld Command Center.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was somewhat somber. Reports were piled up on the table, each representing a problem that urgently needed to be solved.

Wen Min's assistant researcher stood in front of the conference table, somewhat reservedly projecting a data report onto the screen.

"...These are Professor Wen's preliminary experimental data."

On the screen, a string of bright red data stood out starkly, especially the conclusion at the end that "explosion energy increased by 212%", which made the air in the entire conference room freeze.

Su Mingjin's fingers, which were lightly tapping the table, froze in mid-air.

"Two hundred and twelve?" Brigade Commander Fu's gaze was fixed on the screen, his voice strained. "Are you sure you didn't misplace the decimal point?"

This is no longer about solving the problem of existence; it's about leaping from a bicycle to a star destroyer.

"Reporting to Commander Fu, the data has been verified three times, and the error is within 0.5 percent." The assistant researcher pushed up his glasses and answered methodically, "Professor Wen believes that this may be a completely new catalytic and solidification reaction, and the specific principle is still under analysis."

"Great! Great!" Commander Man slapped his thigh, his sullen face finally lighting up. "Professor Wen Min has done a great job! This scientist is truly our precious gem! She has finally solved our major problem of making explosives in another world!"

The ability to manufacture interdimensional explosives instantly relieved a significant portion of the logistical pressure.

Su Mingjin shifted her gaze from the data to the assistant researcher, asking a question that stunned the officers present: "Since this substance can catalyze explosions, is it possible... to use it in agriculture? For example, to catalyze plant growth?"

The assistant researcher clearly hadn't caught up with this leap in thought. He scratched his head and honestly replied, "Well... Professor Wen didn't mention it. Her research has always focused on materials science. But theoretically, everything can be catalyzed, so we could give it a try."

"Hahaha!"

Commander Fu couldn't help but laugh out loud, and the tense atmosphere in the conference room immediately relaxed.

"President Su, your mind works too fast. We were just thinking about how to blast the mountain, and you've already started thinking about planting and fertilizing."

Su Mingjin smiled and tapped her knuckles lightly on the table: "We can't help but overthink it. A tiny piece of crystal powder can increase Master Chen and his team's efficiency in making talismans many times over. It can also dramatically increase the power of TNT, which means that the energy level it contains is far beyond our imagination. It would be such a waste to use such a treasure only as an additive to explosives."

His words calmed everyone down again; the excitement faded, replaced by a deeper reflection.

“We only found these things where the magma dragon was destroyed,” Su Mingjin said, looking at Commander Man. “But how much is one dragon? Now that the strategic value of these red crystals is so high, we must find a stable source of ore, or at least find out how to refine and make this stuff.”

“Professor Wen mentioned a hypothesis in her report,” the assistant researcher added. “She believes that the red crystals may be condensations of high concentrations of magical particles under specific conditions.”

"Volcano!" Brigade Commander Fu and Brigade Commander Man exclaimed almost in unison.

"The lair where the magma dragon was summoned is in a volcano, so this thing is very likely a special product of the volcanic environment." The more Commander Fu spoke, the more plausible it seemed. "Didn't the geological team say that there are large obsidian veins near that extinct volcano we explored before? Obsidian also contains magical energy, so could there be some connection between the two?"

"It's very possible that the red crystals are the essence of obsidian under some extreme conditions!"

Su Mingjin immediately made the decision: "Order the geological exploration team to conduct a second in-depth exploration of that volcanic area! This time, we need to not only look for minerals, but also analyze the geological composition."

"In addition, have the combat troops draft a joint defense plan to guard against any unusual developments over there. The safety of the exploration team must be guaranteed!"

The order was quickly relayed, and all departments began to get busy.

Some soldiers and researchers on leave returned to the modern world carrying newly discovered encrypted files from headquarters.
-
In the modern world, the logistics and overall command center.

After signing the documents for the arrival of the new batch of supplies, Li Weiguo tapped his fingertips lightly on the thick file before picking up his teacup, which had already gone cold.

Since we used some special methods to fool those ubiquitous spies last time, and deceived the eyes of the heavens with careful disguise, we can finally catch our breath these past few days of keeping secret.

But it was just a matter of catching one's breath.

"Sigh, it's easier to keep things confidential when there's no internet."

Li Weiguo rubbed his temples and sighed softly.

These days, information travels faster than people. Starlink satellites in the sky are like a stubborn skin disease. Because this is not a military base, communication needs to be guaranteed. Completely cutting off satellite signals is harder than climbing to heaven.

They could only use the most rudimentary method: a thorough, door-to-door search of all suspicious individuals entering the restricted area.

If it weren't for the AI ​​system assisting in the screening, their limited manpower would be exhausted and they still wouldn't be able to handle it.

He had categorized and organized the intelligence, and was about to close his eyes and rest for a few minutes when there was a knock on the office door.

"Enter."

Assistant Xiao Wang pushed open the door and entered, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement.

"Mr. Li, there's been a major breakthrough in the other world!"

Li Weiguo opened his eyes instantly, all his fatigue vanishing. He put his glasses back on and leaned forward slightly: "Is it good news?"

"Fantastic news!" Xiao Wang rushed forward and handed over an encrypted document. "Professor Wen Min's team has developed a new synthesis formula that can stably produce TNT and double its explosive power!"

Li Weiguo's breath hitched, and he abruptly reached out and took the document: "Report it to me!"

Explosive materials!

This is the cornerstone of the entire military-industrial complex!

Without stable and reliable explosive materials, the troops would be unable to move an inch in the other world, and all supplies would have to be transported from the modern world, making the logistical pressure unbearable.

Although the portal is stable, who can guarantee that it will always exist? If it suddenly disappears one day, the troops from the other world will be left adrift and without roots.

Therefore, establishing a preliminary military-industrial system in another world was a direct order from above.

Li Weiguo's fingers flew across the data on the tablet, and when he saw those key numbers, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Stability is on par with standard TNT...

Explosive energy feedback...increases by 200%!

"Two hundred..." He practically spat out the words through gritted teeth, and then a surge of immense joy welled up inside him, making him chuckle softly.

"Hahaha, okay! Okay!"

This isn't just solving the problem of having or not having something; it's practically achieving a miracle in one step!
With this thing, let alone establishing a basic military industrial system, it's not impossible to bring about a shocking upgrade to the modern world's technological system!

He exhaled a long breath, feeling as if the mountain that had been weighing on his heart for months had been shattered in an instant.

"Have Professor Wen Min and his team speed up the analysis. Also, intensify the mining of those red crystals at all costs!"

"Yes!" Xiao Wang replied, then added, "President Li, Vice President Su sent a message saying that this red crystal has not yet been officially named, and we would like you to make the decision."

Li Weiguo pondered for a moment, then picked up a pen and wrote a few words on the paper.

"To the outside world, we'll call it Red Essence Stone. We'll disguise the information and say it's a newly discovered rare mineral."

He paused, then tapped the words with the tip of his pen.

"Internally, it's called Magic Essence Stone, hmm, Magic Red Essence Stone! A... crystal containing incredible power!"

He wanted everyone involved in the project to understand that they possessed something powerful enough to change the world order!
"understand!"

Xiao Wang accepted the order and was about to turn and leave when Li Weiguo called him back.

"Wait a minute, Comrade Deng Dakang isn't busy today, is he?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Wang wore a wry smile: "No, you gave a strict order last time, so we temporarily cut off his access to information from the outside world. However, after the doctor's examination, he said that Professor Deng's health is not seriously affected, but long-term high-intensity work will increase the risk of relapse, and he needs to take mandatory rest."

"That's good." Li Weiguo gave a meaningful smile. "Let him rest for a couple more days and get plenty of rest."

"Let's wait a few days before going out to take action!"

(End of this chapter)