Steel torrents pioneering a different world

Chapter 125 Professional Farming! False Advertising Game! Striving Taoist Priests (10,000 words, please subscribe)
An agricultural research base in another world.

Li Donglai carefully brushed away the water droplets from a vegetable seedling. His cloudy eyes reflected the fragile green shoots, and the deep wrinkles on his face smoothed out, as if an old farmer had seen the best harvest from his own field.

"Thank goodness, we managed to save another one, at least it survived with some roots."

War is too cruel, and the clash between modern technology and magic is even more cruel.

He, an agriculturalist, had only ever seen such things on television before, but now, experiencing it firsthand, he understands its cruelty.

The disaster that occurred a few days ago, orchestrated by spellcasters from another world, or even possibly gods, almost destroyed all their hard work.

For example, mining plans that had already gotten on track came to a complete standstill.

The agricultural project he was in charge of required comparative experiments with the air, soil, and water of the other world, so the entire cultivation environment was not completely enclosed. Furthermore, it was located on the outer perimeter of the camp's defense network.

Because of this, 95% of the results achieved by his team were destroyed overnight by the overwhelming mosquito plague.

The thought of those carefully nurtured vegetable and grain plants, which carried everyone's hopes, being eaten away until only bare stems remained, caused Li Donglai's heart to ache.

If it weren't for the biological and chemical air defense forces burning and cleaning up the mountains of dead mosquitoes, these researchers wouldn't have been allowed to return to their posts.

Li Donglai rubbed his sore arms, humming an old square dance song sung by the Chopstick Brothers to perk himself up, as he walked outside.

"I planted a seed, and it finally bore fruit..."

The finishing touches were handled by his group of proud disciples and followers.

As soon as he stepped out of the temperature-controlled greenhouse, the glaring sunlight made him squint. He then saw two soldiers carrying a sealed box with a very modern military style walking quickly towards him.

"Professor Li!"

Li Donglai stopped humming and looked at the box: "Another new mission?"

“Yes, Professor Li!” The leading soldier stood ramrod straight. “This is red crystalline powder extracted by the collection team from cooled magma and obsidian. It’s called ‘Magic Essence Stone’ by higher command. The command has given special permission to send it to you.”

“Red crystal? Magic Red Essence Stone?” Li Donglai raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t Wen Min researching this stuff? Why is she giving it to me? I don’t do materials research.”

The soldier's expression was serious yet tinged with excitement: "Professor Wenmin's team has made a major discovery. This crystalline powder has an extremely strong ability to adsorb and gather magical particles. Therefore, Professor Wenmin suggests that we try using it as... a catalyst for seeds, and see the effect!"

Seed catalyst!
These three words struck Li Donglai like an electric current. His cloudy eyes suddenly lit up, and he snatched the documents and pen from the soldier, signing his name with a flourish.

"Bring it to me and see!"

The box was opened, and a layer of bright red powder appeared before our eyes.

Bathed in sunlight, it shimmers with a magnificent luster, more vibrant than the finest cinnabar and more captivating than the purest gemstone.

"Beautiful!" Li Donglai couldn't help but exclaim.

This was a treasure specifically sent by higher-ups, so Li Donglai dared not neglect it and decided to personally take charge to verify its effectiveness.

Not a single gram of the 500-gram powder can be wasted.

He quickly calculated in his mind and finally divided it into exactly one hundred experimental materials.

"Let's use bok choy and winter wheat for a comparative test!" Li Donglai instructed the students behind him. "Bok choy has a short growth cycle, and we can see initial results in just over ten days. Winter wheat is our future staple food, and it's of great significance; we must verify its effectiveness!"

He rubbed his hands together, grinned, and revealed a set of teeth that were slightly yellowed from tobacco smoke.

He wanted to see just how magical this super catalyst from another world could be!
Meanwhile, on Earth, at the Zhurihe River, in the New Materials Laboratory.

The escorts and researchers who were bringing back a kilogram of "magic red gemstone" stared at each other in disbelief, their expressions more varied than if they had seen a ghost.

When the sealed box was opened, the stunning red color of the magic stone had disappeared.

Instead, there was a handful of dull, black powder, lifeless and dull, like ashes left over from a burnt furnace.

"Damn it, the red has turned black!"

"When you touch it, you can no longer feel that strange energy fluctuation."

"Was the inside of the crystal purified when it passed through the time portal?"

"Guess so!"

"Let Professor Peng test it. We've found fine gold in our gold deposits before, and mithril is also quite impressive. Perhaps we can make an Anxin discovery!"

As they spoke, they handed the Magic Red Essence Stone to Professor Peng's team, who were in charge of mineral analysis.

Mass spectrometer, electron microscope, elemental analysis... After going through a set of the world's most advanced testing procedures, all the researchers looked at the data that popped up on the screen, and their expressions were more and more strange.

Everyone looked at each other, and no one could give a reason.

This guy, who was a treasure in another world, was sent to the modern world and immediately suffered from acclimatization problems!
This dream of conducting research on two fronts has been shattered.

Ten minutes later.

Li Weiguo frowned as he looked at the urgent report on his desk and the small sample next to it.

Assistant Xiao Wang stood to the side, his voice filled with barely concealed frustration: "Mr. Li, the Magic Red Essence Stone that was sent back has lost its effectiveness. It seems that further analysis and research cannot be carried out."

A printed report, still warm from printing, was delivered to Li Weiguo's desk by Xiao Wang.

Li Weiguo snatched the report and immediately looked at the final conclusion section.

Composition analysis revealed that the black powder is primarily composed of silicon dioxide, with trace amounts of oxides such as iron, magnesium, and calcium… essentially consistent with a mixture of distorted obsidian and lava. No special energy fields or magical elements were detected.

After reading it, Li Weiguo remained silent for a long time.

He gently put the report down, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long sigh.

After all that effort, using the most advanced equipment to analyze it, the result was just a bunch of... ordinary stone powder?

"It seems that magic can't come here once it leaves its homeland!" Li Weiguo said with a self-deprecating smile.

"Then our research..." Xiao Wang asked cautiously.

"Pass the word: the Magic Red Essence Stone project's research priority in the modern world is downgraded to level three, while its research priority in the other world remains unchanged." Li Weiguo regained his commander's decisiveness. "It's still a treasure in the other world, and that's enough."

Although somewhat disappointed, that's just how the path of scientific research is; it's impossible for it to be smooth sailing.

"While the modern world has lost its power, it still can in the other world. It still has considerable potential for development!"

Li Weiguo felt comforted by this thought, then looked at the progress charts of various tasks in his hand and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Aside from some setbacks with the newly discovered magic stones, other mineral resources, crop cultivation, and camp construction have all gone very smoothly.

Since the last war, electromagnetic interference has decreased, and the communication range of combat troops has been extended.

Although the equipment research institute has not yet launched a device that is completely resistant to interference, the current equipment performance is sufficient.

Scientific research equipment can be used, greatly improving the speed of research and development.

Now that the explosives are sorted out, once the geothermal power plant and steel smelter are built in the other world, and suitable energy sources such as coal and oil are found, it can automatically generate its own resources and even support the modern world.

No, it has already begun to give back to the modern world.

Thinking of this, Li Weiguo picked up his pen and wrote it down.

She planned to submit some of the achievements already in use in the other world as a monthly summary report to her superiors.

And nothing is more important than the results of farming.

The abundant humus layer, the most common feature in this other world, is the best fertilizer, even more fertile than the black soil of the Great Northern Wilderness.

The soil in the Zhurihe region where they live is not rich in nutrients, while the humus layer excavated from the other world is enriching the land of the Zhurihe region in the modern world.

Based on the current pace of transformation, it is estimated that at least 200,000 mu of land in Zhurihe will be transformed into arable land within one year.

If it weren't for the fact that the water source here is not abundant and needs to be stable in order to continue expanding, the pioneering army could have dug up all the humus layer that had accumulated over countless years in the otherworldly forest region to fertilize the fields.

Due to insufficient water resources, the higher authorities have begun to issue subsequent water conservancy development projects.

And construction has already begun at lightning speed. It is expected that the river will be diverted within two years.

With global warming, the once magnificent Yunmeng Marshland may reappear.

The north will become a more humid and habitable zone than it was more than 2000 years ago.

For the sake of the future of our descendants, the higher authorities are very concerned about this.

The higher authorities plan to transform the land in the Zhurihe area into 1000 million mu of fertile farmland, and spend hundreds of billions of yuan to build a complete ecological cluster there.

In this way, even if the time portal here dissipates, it can be transformed into a new granary.

You have to admire the brains of the think tank.

Li Weiguo and his group were simply trying to use the pretext of city construction to organize resources.

The higher authorities have already relied on the potential industrial cluster impact of the time portal to design a super ecosystem that could radiate outwards, affecting the food security of hundreds of millions of people and the jobs of millions of others.

Seeing that various mining and infrastructure projects were back on track and that new minerals would soon be transported back, Li Weiguo felt a weight lifted from his heart.

He picked up the encrypted phone on the table and dialed the agricultural research institute, which was hundreds of kilometers away.

The call was answered quickly, and a cheerful voice came through.

"Ha, Mr. Li, I am Sun Minchu!"

Upon hearing this name, Li Weiguo was slightly surprised: "Professor Sun? Aren't you working on the new project? Why did you come back to the research institute?"

The so-called new project is actually the code name for an experiment in another world.

To maintain secrecy, all communications involving other worlds must use code names.

Sun Minchu and Li Donglai are the pillars of the agricultural experiment in the other world. Their mission is urgent. Now they have suddenly returned to the modern world. Could it be that they have made some major breakthrough?
“Hey, don’t even mention it. The experimental facility for the new project was temporarily shut down due to ‘sanitation issues,’” Sun Minchu said with a hint of helplessness. “I figured waiting there was a waste of time, so I just took the first batch of samples back to the research institute. The equipment here is much more complete.”

Li Weiguo's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately asked, "How are the seeds over there?"

"Great, better than expected!" Sun Minchu's voice suddenly rose, his excitement palpable even through the phone line. "The survival rate of the new seeds is extremely high! Although it didn't meet our most optimistic expectations, I conservatively estimate that the yield of the first batch will be at least 30% higher than our best conventional seeds! At most, it will be ready for harvest in two more months!"

Production increased by 30%!

Li Weiguo's fingers tightened unconsciously as he gripped the microphone.

According to calculations by top agronomists, if the seeds from another world can adapt perfectly, the yield could potentially double.

The current production increase of only 30% is mostly due to the lack of that magical particle stimulation in the modern world.

Even so, 30% is a figure that is enough to shake the entire agricultural sector!
It's important to understand that agronomy is not a minor discipline. It typically takes about five years to see some results in agronomy, and it's considered quite good if a new product can be released within ten years.

"Is there still room for production to increase?" Li Weiguo suppressed his excitement and asked in a deep voice.

“Definitely!” Sun Minchu answered decisively. “But as you know, agriculture is something that can’t be rushed. It requires generations of selection and optimization, and it takes time! Give me two years, and I dare say I can improve it even further!”

"No rush, let's be realistic, we're not under much pressure regarding food supplies right now."

Li Weiguo said he wasn't in a hurry, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

The gloom brought about by the setback in the research on the magic stone was swept away by this news.

He chatted with Sun Minchu for a few more minutes before casually bringing up the magic stone.

"By the way, Professor Sun, we recently discovered a new mineral in our new project, internally codenamed 'Red Essence Stone.' Preliminary observations suggest that it has a strong promoting effect on the growth of local plants."

"what?!"

Sun Minchu, on the other end of the phone, understood Li Weiguo's unspoken message.

He bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, "Promote growth? Did they analyze the ingredients? Is there any radiation? Forget it, I'm going back right now, right now!"

Li Weiguo could imagine the old professor's anxious expression on the other end of the phone, his beard bristling and eyes wide with rage, and he couldn't help but laugh.

The strategic significance of seeds from both worlds taking root and sprouting in each other's world cannot be overstated.

In the future, the modern world will have a continuous supply of super crops.

After hanging up the phone, Li Weiguo leaned back in his chair, twirling the carbon pen in his hand, and began to draft his monthly summary report.

It's been a month since we started exploring this other world. It's time to report our progress to our superiors and, incidentally... ask for some more resources.

After all, once the troops went in and fought a battle, the losses from ammunition and equipment alone amounted to tens of billions of dollars.

We can't exactly tell our superiors that we just dug up some soil, can we?

Li Weiguo found it somewhat amusing to think about how his colleagues in the finance department would balance the hundreds of billions of yuan in military spending that had appeared out of nowhere.

I wonder how much hair those old guys still have left on their heads.

He picked up his pen and wrote a few large characters on the draft: Output.

First, high-quality humus soil has been used to initially transform 200,000 mu of fertile land.

Second, high-yield crops, with an expected increase in production of over 30%.

three,……

After submitting this report, let's see who dares to say that the money wasn't well spent.
"We need to find a better angle, make the achievements stand out, and make the difficulties sound..."

Jingle Bell--!
A sudden, piercing phone ring abruptly interrupted Li Weiguo's thoughts.

It wasn't the black encrypted phone on the table, but the red secure private line next to it.

Li Weiguo glanced down at the caller ID; it was Zhu Yungui from the Logistics and Equipment Department.

Old Zhu is mainly responsible for the distribution and coordination of the new materials transported from another world; he's a very busy person.

He answered the phone casually.

As soon as the receiver was placed to his ear, Zhu Yungui's signature loud voice boomed like thunder.

"Mr. Li! It's done! The new engine made with new materials is assembled, and its performance is off the charts! Do you have time to come and take a look?"

The barely suppressed excitement in his voice made the table vibrate even through the telephone line.

Li Weiguo's hand holding the receiver paused slightly, and the phone call instantly cleared the tangled mess in his mind.

He was just worrying about how to write the report and how to explain the hundreds of billions of dollars in expenses to his superiors.

Isn’t this coming?
Humus-rich soil fertilizes fields, engines strengthen the military!
One focuses on "farming," and the other on "fighting"—aren't these the two things that rabbits value most?

Thinking of this, Li Weiguo felt instantly relieved, the pressure vanished, and he felt much more energetic.

"Old Zhu, you guys are fast! You've already completed the engine flight test?"

"Absolutely!" Zhu Yungui's voice was filled with pride. "The engine made with the new materials has absolutely perfect performance! The data from the first test flight was frighteningly good. The test pilots' legs were trembling after the flight, not from fear, but from excitement! We were just thinking of inviting you to come and visit, to give us a boost!"

A few days ago, the aircraft engine research institute reported that, thanks to new materials, they had increased the performance of the J-20 engine by 20%.

In just a few days, these tech enthusiasts quietly completed the first flight test.

This efficiency absolutely puts French efficiency and the industrialized production of the Eagles to shame!
"I won't be going; I have a ton of things to do." Li Weiguo smiled, his tone much more relaxed. "Your research institute needs to handle this matter well and make it a success. I think the leaders will be very pleased, and you'll definitely receive some recognition."

By giving credit to others, he can then take advantage of the situation.

"Uh, okay! I understand!" Zhu Yungui caught the unspoken meaning and chuckled. "By the way, Mr. Li, could you come up with a more imposing name for this new engine?"

Li Weiguo casually asked, "Isn't it still an improved version of the WS-10?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yungui's voice changed, sounding as anxious as if his own child had been called by the wrong name.

"My goodness, Chief Steward Li! This has been upgraded twice already, and the performance parameters are completely different now. Calling it WS-10 anymore would be an insult to it!"

Li Weiguo couldn't help but chuckle as he listened to Zhu Yungui's frantic commotion on the other end of the phone.

Why would someone like you who works in logistics get so excited about this?

He leaned back in his chair and teased him, "Why are you upset? It's a 20% performance improvement. We'll just add a letter to the WS-10 model number. That's our old tradition—low-key and understated."

"Mr. Li! Brother!"

Zhu Yungui muttered on the other end of the phone, "Hundreds of people at the research institute have been working on new materials and engines for a long time. They've lost a lot of hair!"

"Our Indian neighbors improved their engine performance by 5%, and they're practically throwing a national launch event to brag that it's a generational upgrade. Ours is a solid 20%, enough for them to upgrade three or four generations! If they keep calling it the WS-10, those guys will tear my office down!"

Li Weiguo's smile deepened.

He certainly knew the weight of the engine.

For every percentage point improvement in the performance of an advanced fighter jet's engine, it represents the culmination of countless researchers' hard work. While a 20% improvement might be suspected of using inferior materials, it's not just an improvement; it's a complete transformation.

"Alright, alright, I know you've all worked hard," Li Weiguo reassured her. "I'm just discussing this with you. The research institute won't forget their contributions, so you can put their minds at ease!"

"Ahem... Okay, I understand! I understand. The engine will proceed as usual, but the private, non-public commendations are absolutely essential. To get the new engine off the production line, I've promised the engine factory quite a few benefits. All the employees at the engine factory are eager to advance!"

"Don't worry! The rest will be handled with strategic ambiguity."

As is well known, the East often uses obfuscation to conceal the performance of its weapons.

For example, the Type 99 tank produced in the 1990s is completely different from the upgraded Type 99, and it is a completely new vehicle compared to the Type 99A.

The 99A is a completely new car.

Although all PL-15 missiles are the same type, with a stated combat range of 150 kilometers, the combat capabilities of the first batch and subsequent batches are completely different.

The printer has a lot to say about this!
In the fields of military equipment and aircraft, there is a particular need for reverse misrepresentation to confuse the enemy.

The University of Tokyo never follows the example of the Eagles next door, who boast about their weapons and equipment. The GBU-57 bunker buster bomb has been overhyped for many years, making everyone believe that this thing is invincible.

Then they launched Operation Midnight Hammer, only to be humiliated by Gagga.

Many weapons and equipment have exaggerated performance claims, but they often perform poorly in actual combat.

This has a significant impact on strategic planning.

The University of Tokyo either chooses not to disclose the performance of its military equipment or only discloses it selectively.

For example, the J-20A and J-20S are almost two completely different aircraft, but they are still called minor modifications.

The engine's performance is even more vague and outrageous.

The first batch was the Russian Type 31 series, but we won't go into that.

Later, when it became the WS-10, the engine was no longer in the same class as the WS-10DE currently used on the J-20.

But these engines are all called the same model.

Those who don't pay attention to these areas might think these things are very simple!
In recent years, the University of Tokyo has also been conducting some anti-terrorism propaganda operations, all for the purpose of strategic ambiguity.

If it weren't for strategic reasons, many things wouldn't be voluntarily revealed by experts!

Some military equipment numbers that differ by only a few letters actually conceal various cunning schemes designed to mislead the enemy.

Nuclear weapons are most effective when they are on the launch pad.

The deterrent effect of weapons and equipment is before the trigger is pulled.

If military secrets cannot be maintained, the enemy will develop countermeasures that will cost soldiers their lives.

After the phone call ended, Zhu Yungui began preparing some publicity for the engine.

It's just about releasing some information to mislead outsiders and prevent certain individuals with ulterior motives from constantly trying to investigate the performance of the new engine.

Even if only 5% of the 20% performance is ultimately revealed, that would still be considered a major revelation.

The University of Tokyo is really good at hiding this.
-
As soon as Li Weiguo hung up the phone with Zhu Yungui, Zhu Yungui immediately communicated with Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group and other departments.

The aircraft equipped with the new engines are also ready.

soon--

A J-20 fighter jet, equipped with the latest WS-10 turbofan engine, launched itself from the runway with an audacious maneuver, taking a distance nearly one-fifth shorter than before, and soared straight into the sky.

A few kilometers away, inside a high-rise apartment building.

A man with long hair fixed his camera on the climbing raptor and let out a soft exclamation.

"Incorrect takeoff distance!"

His name is Chen Mo, and his online nickname is Raven.

He's a local who earns a little extra money by providing photos and intelligence to specific overseas channels.

He has hundreds of J-20 takeoff and landing data in his database. There was definitely something wrong with that last one!
He quickly adjusted the telephoto lens, zoomed in, and steadily locked onto the tail of the plane.

The next second, his pupils suddenly contracted.

The two engine nozzles are different colors!
The tail flame on the left is a fiery bright white, full of explosive power, while the one on the right is the familiar orange-red.

"Asymmetric testing?" Chen Mo's heart skipped a beat. The thrill of a hunter discovering his prey sent his adrenaline soaring. "Single-sided refit? They're testing a new engine!"

He immediately deduced that this practice of testing with only one engine replacement was either due to a severe shortage of new engine production capacity or insufficient stability, making it impossible to replace two engines simultaneously.

Regardless of the reason, it indicates that the University of Tokyo's new engine project has encountered a bottleneck!
This is a major discovery!
Suppressing his excitement, he frantically pressed the shutter button, capturing all the details of the tail flame from different angles and under different lighting conditions.

After finishing, he immediately sent the clearest pictures and his judgment to an encrypted channel.

[Raven: The target is undergoing asymmetric flight testing. The left engine has been confirmed to have been replaced, with thrust estimated to increase by about 6%. Stability and production capacity may be questionable.]

Less than 30 seconds after the message was sent, the other party replied.

[Hive: Received. The intelligence is very valuable. Bounty 2000, settled according to the usual rules.]

Chen Mo smiled as he saw the notification that two thousand US dollars had been deposited into his account on his phone.

He quickly packed up the equipment and drew the curtains, as if nothing had happened.

Of course, he had no idea that the J-20 was deliberately flying right under the nose of a "professional" like him, and even circled several times over the residential area.

The crowd watching below was quite lively.

"Wow, J-20! So cool!"

"Hey, stop looking. This is old news. You see it every day. When are you going to show off that space carrier from the Nantianmen Project?"

"Hey, look, isn't the fire at the rear of that plane bigger on one side and smaller on the other?"

"Are you seeing things? The sun is too bright! Let's go, let's go, the price of cabbage at the market is going to go up!"

Most people just watch the spectacle, and only a very few, like Chen Mo, would let their imaginations run wild over the different engine nozzles.

The more professional their guesses, the further they stray from the terrifyingly high actual figure of 20%.

This is exactly the effect that Li Weiguo and Zhu Yungui wanted.
-
The Octagon, a heavily guarded intelligence analysis office.

General Johnson leaned back in his chair, slowly sipping his coffee while his fingers flew across his phone screen.

Girlfriend number three sent a message full of crying emojis: "Honey, I really don't want to get married! I just want to be with you!"

Johnson didn't even lift his eyelids, replying expertly, "Honey, be good. Think about the benefits of marriage: a stable life, endless money. And it won't stop you from being my cutest, most obedient sweetheart."

After sending the message, he casually deleted the chat history.

His girlfriend got married, so he was no longer responsible for her.

The screen lit up, and my wife's profile picture popped up with a short and concise message: "Family gathering this weekend, don't be late."

Johnson's lips twitched, his fingertip paused on the screen, and he finally replied with "Received".

dong dong dong.

There was a knock on the office door.

Johnson quickly locked his phone, tossed it into a drawer, straightened his tie, and said in a deep voice, "Come in."

Peter pushed open the door and entered, his eyes rimmed with dark circles, holding a document in his hand, looking as if all his energy had been drained away.

“General, the latest developments in the East.” Peter’s voice was a little hoarse. “Everything is as usual over Zhurihe, but our informant has taken some photos at Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group.”

Johnson took the folder, glanced at it, and frowned: "The quality of informants these days is really declining. The photos are so blurry they look like antiques from the last century. And they actually dare to ask for $2 for this?"

He threw the photo on the table; in the photo, the tail nozzle of a J-20 fighter jet displayed two distinctly different colors.

"What do the aircraft experts say?"

“It’s been analyzed.” Peter opened the report. “Axis believes this should be a test of a new type of engine. But judging from the difference in the exhaust plume, it’s more like Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group is testing the extreme performance of a single engine, or simulating a single-engine failure. The conclusion is that it’s a routine test.”

“Routine test…” Johnson chuckled, tapping his fingers lightly on the table with a dull thud. “That’s all they can do. They put on an asymmetric thrust test, trying to make us think they’ve made some major breakthrough? What a boring trick.”

He pushed the blurry photo aside, clearly having lost interest.

“Keep a close eye on Zhurihe.” Johnson’s tone became serious. “Intelligence indicates that they plan to cultivate 200,000 acres of farmland in that barren wasteland within a year. This is very suspicious! Military base doing agriculture, what are they trying to do? Are they short of food, or are they doing some kind of strategic deception? This is the key point we should be focusing on.”

He felt that the University of Tokyo was hiding something from him!
"Understood." Peter nodded immediately, but before leaving, he hesitated for a moment before saying, "Sir, I'm getting married next month and would like to ask for a few days of leave for my wedding."

Johnson looked up, glanced at his exhausted subordinate, his eyes flickered a few times, and then he smiled gently: "Of course! Congratulations, Peter. But as you know, the department can't do without you lately. Before you leave, make sure to finish up any work you have on hand. Don't worry, I'll give you the best performance rating and the biggest bonus."

"Thank you, sir!" Peter managed a gesture of gratitude.

“Keep up the good work. I’d be happy to be the godfather of your first child,” Johnson said, patting him on the shoulder affectionately.

Peter thanked him again and turned to leave the office.

The moment the door closed, the smile on Johnson's face vanished without a trace.

He sent a message to his third girlfriend saying he would go see her later.

Then Johnson made a phone call: "Sir, the intelligence agents these days are so unprofessional! $10 for a single photo! Fuck... Guaranteed authentic, yes, absolutely authentic, inside information..."
-
Different world.

In the surveillance footage, the female elf captive sat quietly in the corner, her long green hair spread out on the ground, gleaming strangely under the light.

Su Mingjin tapped her fingers unconsciously on her arm, the rhythm slow but conveying an invisible pressure.

"She's only eaten one banana in a whole day and night?"

"Yes, Mr. Su."

The voice of the soldier in charge of guarding the prisoners came through the communicator, tinged with a hint of helplessness.

"After we put in a lot of food that was suitable for her, she observed for five hours before picking out that banana. She didn't touch any of the other food we prepared for her."

"Where's the water?"

"I had two drinks."

"As long as she doesn't die." Su Mingjin's tone was very calm. "The biologist said that her kind of creature can photosynthesize with her hair, so even if she doesn't eat for five days, she won't starve to death."

She paused, then asked a question that everyone was concerned about but too embarrassed to ask.

"She's been curled up and not moving. Has she pooped yet?"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the communicator before an awkward response came through: "Uh... Reporting to President Su, not yet."

Su Mingjin stared at the female elf curled up on the screen, like a statue, and gently exhaled.

For a whole day and night, she has been so restrained even in urination and defecation. Her psychological defenses are very strong, making her much more difficult to deal with.

"Is there any progress in Gong Pengfei's interrogation?"

“Temporarily halted.” The soldier’s tone turned serious. “However, Mr. Su, the talisman the Taoist priest gave us is indeed a treasure. We tested it, and even when wearing the talisman, the mental impact on the female elf is negligible, even when looking directly at her. The female elf was quite surprised!”

"That's good."

This is a rare piece of good news amidst a bunch of troubles.

Su Mingjin stopped looking at the female elf and turned to leave the monitoring room.

She had more important things to deal with.

The enemy's offensive paused, giving the base a precious respite. The various projects that had been forced to halt work resumed full-speed operation like thawing machines.

The construction site of the geothermal power plant is bustling with activity.

Large modular components imported from the modern world are being precisely assembled into place by engineering machinery.

With this new equipment, the construction period was compressed to an astonishing half-month.

Within half a month at most, the abundant power supply will completely solve the base's energy bottleneck.

By then, more powerful phased array radars, and more automated steel mills and explosives factories will all become reality from blueprints.

Once the first batch of crops from the agricultural base is self-sufficient, their accumulated strength will be enough to support pushing the defensive perimeter outward by at least 150 kilometers.

“Energy…” Su Mingjin watched as heavy trucks loaded with ore drove by in the distance, kicking up dust, but her mind was already thinking about things further ahead. “I wonder when we will be able to find oil or coal mines.”

The other world is incredibly rich in minerals, but they haven't yet found the most crucial industrial lifeblood and food.

This current model, which relies on time portals and is fueled by the modern world, is ultimately not a sustainable solution.

They must put down roots in this world.

Just then, the communicator on her wrist suddenly vibrated.

It's a call from the command center.

Su Mingjin's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly answered the call: "I'm here, what's up?"

"President Su, headquarters has reported a breakthrough in the research of magic essence ore... Hey, why is that female elf up? Ha, she's started attacking the cage!"

"I'll be back right away!"
-
One kilometer outside the portal, a long line of combat vehicles, trucks, and engineering machinery are neatly arranged on the road.

A full battalion of soldiers, dressed in protective suits and armed to the teeth, stood in strict formation, the air thick with the solemnity of a pre-battle preparation.

Brigade Commander Man and Brigade Commander Fu stood side by side, looking at the two Taoist priests who were "performing a ritual" not far away, with different expressions.

The mobilization meeting before the operation has long since ended, and now it is time for traditional customs unique to the East.

"Old Man, I always feel uneasy about what the Taoist priest and the others are doing," Commander Fu said in a low voice.

"Mysterious?" Brigade Commander Man's eyes widened. "If it weren't for the talisman last time, Professor Deng Dakang would have died! Who cares if it's mysterious or not, as long as it works! Besides, it's also a kind of psychological support, giving the soldiers some peace of mind."

"Master Chen and the others are working so hard, they probably think their counterparts are coming!" Commander Fu said with a smile.

Brigade Commander Man:

He really wanted to complain that the people in the General Staff were really... good at playing games. In order to give full play to the initiative of the two Taoist priests, they deliberately created a lot of psychological and behavioral suggestions to make the two Taoist priests devote themselves to their work.

Commander Man suppressed the less-than-honorable thoughts and then said, "At least it's something that can motivate them to act. Stop talking and watch carefully."

Ahead, Master Chen's agile figure weaved through the steel behemoths, his movements incredibly fast.

With a flick of his wrist and a swirling motion of cinnabar on his fingertips, he precisely affixed yellow talismans to the front of the vehicle, the driver's cab, and even the cannon barrel.

Behind Master Chen were two pale-faced "boys," none other than Wang Hu and his sworn brother Teng Yanchen.

Wang Hu's face was as white as paper, and his lips were chapped.

He was carrying a wooden box full of talismans when he felt a cramp in his calves.

Teng Yanchen, who was standing next to him, wasn't in much better shape. He muttered under his breath, "Brother Tiger, I need to eat ten eggs to replenish my strength when we get back."

Wang Hu glared at him, lowering his voice even further, "The Taoist priest is much more tired than us. Look at his hands, they're almost trembling."

There may be magic stone veins in the extinct volcano area, where the magical power has been consistently strong ever since a magma dragon emerged from it.

Magic essence ore is very important in this other world, and the General Staff sent a battalion of people to carry out the mission in order to start reclamation as soon as possible.

This time, the military also prioritized preventing mental pollution.

The thousands of purification mantras and evil-suppressing mantras nearly turned the two Taoist priests and more than a dozen warriors with high spiritual awareness into anemic individuals!

If it weren't for the fact that the magic stones could greatly increase the success rate of Taoist priests drawing talismans, the priests certainly wouldn't dare to do this.

The two Taoist priests were sensible and understood the importance of their mission.

For the safety of the soldiers and to spread the orthodox teachings of Taoism, he stayed up all night, ensuring that not only more than 500 soldiers each had three talismans, but also equipping these cold, mechanical machines with them.

When Master Chen affixed the last talisman to a huge drilling rig, he visibly swayed and had to lean against the rig to avoid falling over.

He turned around and gave a perfunctory salute to Brigade Commander Man, Brigade Commander Fu, and the battalion commander who had been waiting respectfully beside him. His voice was hoarse and dry: "Layman Li, I have done my best. The rest is up to you."

As soon as he finished speaking, he could no longer hold on and plopped down on the chair that the guard had brought over, panting heavily with sweat all over his forehead.

(End of this chapter)