Lord: Starting with Summoning the Regular Army of Earth

Blue Star, Yangcheng No.1 Middle School, the sun has just risen.

The former campus has long been transformed into a heavily guarded military control zone. Even the buildings and streets near the school have been designated as controlled areas and encased in tall corrugated steel sheets, creating a "vacuum zone" centered around the school.

One after another, unmarked black sedans, mid-sized buses, and even military jeeps, after undergoing strict identity verification, silently drove into the campus and finally stopped in front of the heavily guarded main teaching building.

Elites from all over the country and from all walks of life who were urgently recruited disembarked one after another.

Most of them were dressed casually, but they walked with steady steps, sharp eyes, and carried the unique temperament of their respective fields—some like unsheathed swords, some like deep, still waters, and some with the focus and inquiry of scholars.

Inside the large, temporary registration hall on the first floor of the teaching building, the atmosphere was busy yet orderly.

Staff quickly checked the list and guided people to different preparation areas.

The leaders of each group were already in place, anxiously checking the arrival status of their respective groups.

In the classroom where the agricultural and geological exploration team is located.

Professor Zhao Lanxin and Professor Li Jianguo were welcoming their team members together, with staff from the Superdimensional Strategy Department assisting them and providing accurate information for each member.

"Professor Zhao, this is Professor Su Huaijin from the Grassland Ecology Research Institute. She has conducted in-depth research on the adaptability of plants to arid and barren land," the staff member introduced.

"Hello, Professor Su." Zhao Lanxin quickly extended her hand and shook hands with the capable-looking Professor Su Huaijin. They exchanged pleasantries, but did not discuss the upcoming work in detail for the time being, as many things were still confidential at the moment.

Meanwhile, the classroom where the Basic Science and Technology Applications Group was located was also very lively.

Unlike the agricultural and geological exploration team, this group had a more diverse composition. There were researchers in white coats who looked like they had just come out of the laboratory, engineers with oily hands who looked like senior technicians, and craftsmen and artisans with calloused hands.

The most eye-catching of them all was a man with a robust build, dressed in a rather classical style.

"Old Feng, guess what kind of mission this is? Why are they making such a big fuss?"

"I can't figure it out. There's the military, experts and engineers from various fields, and it seems there are quite a few traditional craftsmen too... This combination is too strange."

"Look at that guy, the one in the open-fronted long gown. I saw him in an interview video before. I think he's Tang Yuanshan, the successor of the Longyuan Sword."

"I was wondering why he looked so familiar. Oh, it's him! A master of traditional sword making."

"This mission is becoming more and more incomprehensible."

"Yeah, and the location is a middle school... It's really a bit strange." Several engineers who knew each other chatted casually, their hearts filled with doubt and curiosity.

Meanwhile, Professor Zhang Hongjian, who was in charge of the group, was confirming the presence of the group members with the staff.

Professor Zhang Hongjian is an expert in the history of technology and the restoration of ancient crafts. He is proficient in many modern sciences, and more importantly, he has unparalleled in-depth research on ancient technologies and lost crafts from all over the world.

He has successfully restored several ancient machines and metallurgical techniques that were thought to have been lost long ago, and can be said to be a bridging figure connecting "ancient methods" with "modern applications".

"Professor Zhang, we just received a notification that Professor Xu suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage on her way here and has been rushed to the hospital," a staff member reported solemnly.

Professor Zhang Hongjian's expression darkened. He had no time to concern himself with Professor Xu and quickly asked, "Are there any alternatives?"

"There are five more people."

"Who is the closest person to here?"

"Guo Shulin, a folk carpenter!"

……

In a small courtyard on the outskirts of Linhe City.

Guo Shulin squatted in front of the phone stand, his brows furrowed, his dark, thin face full of disappointment.

On the phone screen, the number of viewers in the live stream stubbornly remained at "87," occasionally jumping up and then falling back down.

Fortunately, a few loyal fans left comments in the comment section, asking, "What's the old man up to today?"

"This mortise and tenon structure is so complicated, I don't understand it."

"The streamer is so focused, but it's a bit boring..."

"Old man, learn from that special effects carpenter next door. He gets 100,000 likes for chopping wood with a chainsaw!"

When Guo Shulin saw that "boring" comment, he felt even more suffocated.

On the workbench in front of him was a meticulously crafted miniature model of a dougong (bracket set), with every mortise and tenon fitting perfectly, embodying his forty years of skill.

But in an era where traffic is king, this skill seems to be truly "outdated".

Of course, it's also possible that, as his son said, he doesn't know how to "create excitement," isn't "entertaining" enough, or lacks "gimmicks."

However, while he is highly skilled and talented in woodworking, he is a complete novice and newbie when it comes to the internet.

In fact, Guo Shulin originally scoffed at things like short videos and live streaming.

But as one reaches middle age, one sometimes has to bow to reality; his craft is no longer keeping up with the demands of the times.

However, under multiple pressures such as economic, family, and health issues, he had no choice but to compromise and try his best to keep up with the times.

So, after repeated persuasion from her family, she reluctantly started making short videos and live streams, hoping to earn more income and "monetize" her skills.

But he was stubborn and couldn't learn those loud and boisterous performances, nor did he want to fake or use "special effects".

He just wanted to honestly demonstrate the true skills passed down from his ancestors.

The result was predictable—it was lukewarm at best, with low traffic and very few viewers.

Whenever he sees those "craft bloggers" who rely on exaggerated performances or even blatant fabrication gaining hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers, he feels a surge of anger, unable to understand why.

"The most important thing about our ancestors' teachings is their solid foundation. What's the point of all that fancy stuff!" He couldn't help but mutter to the camera, with a hint of stubbornness and resentment.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Suddenly, several unusually urgent, even impatient, knocks came from the gate of the courtyard. The knocks were very forceful, unlike those of ordinary neighbors.

"Who is it? The door isn't locked!" Guo Shulin didn't even look up, focusing on repairing a crucial mortise, his tone carrying annoyance at being disturbed.

The door was suddenly pushed open, and two men in police uniforms strode in.

The leader was a young policeman who looked anxious. He spoke very quickly, his voice harsh and stern due to his urgency: "Guo Shulin? You're Guo Shulin, right? Hurry up and come with us to the station!"

Guo Shulin was stunned, looking nervously at the two policemen who rushed in.

He was an honest and simple craftsman who had never dealt with the police in his life. His first thought was whether he had unintentionally committed some crime.

Did you say something you shouldn't have during the live stream? Or was there a problem with the wood you used to make furniture for someone before? Or perhaps... something happened to someone in your family?

Could it be that something happened to my wife while she went out to buy groceries?

A barrage of negative thoughts flooded his mind, and his face turned deathly pale.

However, the police officer's words caused the previously quiet comment section of the live stream to explode instantly.

"Holy crap, what's going on? The old man's water meter is being checked by a janitor?"

"What did you do wrong?"

"Really? It feels like something's happened."

"Are we going to be invited for tea?"

"What illegal thing did Lao Guo do?"

"It's a script! It's definitely a script!"

Is Guo Degang going to switch to making short videos?

Guo Shulin snapped out of his daze, remembering the saying "don't wash your dirty linen in public," and hurriedly shut down the live stream. Then, looking at the two anxious police officers with a nervous expression, he asked, "Officer... what's wrong? I... I haven't broken the law..."

Seeing Guo Shulin's frightened expression, the young policeman seemed to realize he had been too hasty and his way of speaking was problematic. He took a breath and tried to slow down his speech, but still urged, "Don't be nervous, we're not here to arrest you. We just received an urgent notice from above saying that a very important department urgently needs your help, specifically requesting you, apparently because of your carpentry skills. The task is very urgent, and time is of the essence. We need to take you there immediately. As for the specifics, we're too low-ranking to know, but someone will explain it to you when we get there."

Hearing this, Guo Shulin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But I still felt a little strange, and even a little suspicious. Could it be that I had encountered a scammer? Although it is a society governed by the rule of law, scammers have come up with all sorts of tricks and will stop at nothing to stop them.

So it's best to be careful, after all, something unusual is bound to happen.

"Are you really police officers?" Guo Shulin looked at the two men with suspicion.

The two policemen exchanged a glance and smiled helplessly.

He immediately took out his identification, showed it to Guo Shulin, and then asked him to call the police to verify their badge numbers.

After confirming that the two men were indeed police officers, Guo Shulin, filled with doubt and curiosity, followed them out of his home, got into the police car, and sped away amidst the gossipy gazes of several neighbors.

The Municipal Public Security Bureau, in a quiet reception room.

Guo Shulin was politely invited here, and a staff member even poured him a cup of hot tea.

This treatment greatly relieved him of a great deal of worry.

Not long after, two middle-aged men dressed in dark suits, with a calm and capable demeanor, walked in.

The man at the head of the group shook hands with Guo Shulin with a smile, then showed his identification and said in a calm tone, "Hello, Master Guo. We are staff members of the Cultural Heritage Protection and Application Project Team. My surname is Zhang. We have received orders from our superiors for a highly classified national mission that urgently requires the participation of experts like you who have mastered top-notch traditional woodworking skills. The compensation is generous, and we hope you can cooperate."

"A national mission?" "Top secret?"

Upon hearing these words, Guo Shulin was so shocked that his mouth dropped open.

If he weren't working at the municipal bureau, he would definitely think the other person was a fraudster.

However, after the initial shock, an indescribable surge of emotion welled up inside me—it was recognition, and national-level recognition at that.

His craft, which had been swept into the background by the tides of time, unexpectedly found a place to be used again. The depression of years of unfulfilled talent instantly dissipated, replaced by a heavy sense of mission and excitement.

"What exactly is the mission?" Guo Shulin asked curiously.

"As I just said, it's a classified mission, so naturally it has to be kept secret. Even the two of us don't know the details. You'll probably only find out the specifics of the mission once you get there."

"Oh, okay, do I need to leave Linhe City?" Guo Shulin asked again.

"Yes, the mission requires complete secrecy and complete cutoff from the outside world, and it is expected to last about a month. So please call your family now, because time is of the essence, we must depart immediately." The man surnamed Zhang spoke solemnly and urgently.

"Okay, I'll call my wife..." Guo Shulin had just taken out his phone, but before he could dial, his wife called first.

As soon as the call connected, Li Xiulan's angry complaints came through: "Guo Shulin, where have you been again? You haven't swept up the wood shavings all over the yard, and you haven't locked the door, you..."

"Xiulan, listen to me!" Guo Shulin interrupted her excitedly, "The government just sent someone to find me. There's an important national mission that needs my help, and I have to leave home for a while!"

There was a second of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by an even greater outburst of anger, tinged with a hint of disappointed disappointment: "Guo Shulin, you've really grown up! You're lying without even thinking, huh? A national mission? Why don't you say the UN invited you to build a building? Were you drinking with Lao Wang and the others? Guo Shulin, don't you know your own situation? You just recovered from a stomach hemorrhage, and you've already forgotten the pain, haven't you?"

"No, Xiulan, it's true! There's a leader here, listen to what the leader has to say!" Guo Shulin was sweating profusely as he handed his phone to the man surnamed Zhang.

The man surnamed Zhang answered the phone and said in a serious and clear tone, "Hello, Mrs. Guo. I am Zhang Dongyuan, a staff member of the Cultural Heritage Protection and Application Project Team. What Mr. Guo Shulin said is completely true. He has been recruited by the country to participate in an important project due to his special skills and needs to depart immediately. The details of the mission are confidential, so I cannot disclose them at this time. However, please rest assured that the country will absolutely guarantee his safety and rights. A specialist will come to your home to explain in detail and handle the relevant procedures."

There was silence again on the other end of the phone, then Li Xiulan's shrill voice, clearly disbelieving and even mocking, came through: "Keep acting! Keep acting! Guo Shulin, you're really getting worse! You've even learned to hire people to impersonate government officials? Let me tell you, this trick won't work! You get back here right now, or don't ever come back!"

"Beep—beep—beep—"

Zhang Dongyuan glanced at his phone, both amused and exasperated, gave a dry laugh, and then looked at the embarrassed Guo Shoulin, saying, "Master Guo, time is of the essence, we must set off immediately. We will arrange for someone to handle your wife's matter properly, and we will definitely explain things to you clearly. Rest assured, we will definitely resolve all your worries and ensure that your wife will warmly welcome you when you return."

Guo Shulin gave a wry smile. He knew he couldn't reason with his tigress, and it seemed that this was the only way for him. He didn't want to miss such a golden opportunity.

It wasn't just about making money, but also about proving his worth, so he nodded and said, "Okay, let's go."

……