I started with a portal, then turned around and handed it over to the nation.

At three o'clock in the morning, the automatic door of the biology laboratory slid open with a "hiss".

A strong smell of sourness and burnt aroma wafted over.

Zhao Zhenguo had just stepped one foot in when he stopped.

The ground was littered with scraps of paper, some of which were covered in an unidentified liquid.

Several figures in white lab coats were slumped over the lab table, their postures contorted, whether asleep or unconscious, it was unclear.

Only one centrifuge in the corner was still spinning rapidly, emitting a piercing buzz.

"No! It still won't work!"

A furious roar came from the inner cubicle.

Zhao Zhenguo frowned and walked over, stepping over the piles of scrap paper.

Inside the cubicle, Sun Dehai was scratching his head in front of the microscope's display screen, his already sparse white hair standing on end as if struck by lightning.

His eyes were sunken and bloodshot, and he looked like he was about to collapse.

"Old Sun." Zhao Zhenguo knocked on the door frame.

Sun Dehai turned around abruptly, still clutching a dropper in his hand, the green liquid inside sloshing around.

Upon recognizing Zhao Zhenguo, he lunged forward and grabbed Zhao Zhenguo's sleeve.

"Commander! You've come at the perfect time!"

Sun Dehai's voice was hoarse, as if he had swallowed a handful of sand: "People! I need people! Give me people!"

Zhao Zhenguo was jolted by his tug, glanced down at the stain on his sleeve, and did not dodge.

"Old Sun, didn't we just transfer twelve PhDs to you the day before yesterday?"

"Twelve?"

Sun Dehai widened his eyes and held up two fingers, waving them in front of Zhao Zhenguo:

"That's linguistics! I need materials analysis! Molecular biology! High-energy physics!"

He released Zhao Zhenguo, rushed to the lab bench, and frantically searched through a mountain of documents.

"Snapped!"

He slammed a thick document onto the table, dust swirling in the light.

"See for yourself!"

Sun Dehai pointed to the data charts on the document, his fingers trembling:

"This is the preliminary metallographic analysis of that 'fire-patterned steel.' Its crystal structure completely defies common sense in geophysics; it is a natural, nanoscale, self-locking structure."

He took a deep breath and pulled out another picture from underneath.

"This means that if we can master its melting temperature curve, we can create an alloy that is half the weight of current tank armor but three times harder!"

"And this too!" Sun Dehai didn't give Zhao Zhenguo a chance to speak at all, and grabbed another sealed bag containing the dried "green moss".

"The root extract of this plant has a 99% kill rate against cancer cells in a petri dish! And it doesn't harm normal cells!"

"This is a miracle drug! It's something that can leapfrog our country's medical level by fifty years!"

Sun Dehai became increasingly agitated as he spoke, spittle flying everywhere:

"But including myself, there are only three of us researching this! Just three people!"

"We need to test for toxicity, metabolic cycle, and synthetic pathways... Just the purification step alone made those two kids urinate blood!"

The old professor's eyes suddenly reddened, and his voice trembled with emotion:

"Sir, the goods are right here, mountains of gold and silver! But we're like digging with a spoon, it's too slow... really too slow..."

Zhao Zhenguo remained silent and picked up the report on "fire-patterned steel" from the table.

The paper was light, but heavy in his hands. He couldn't understand the complex molecular formulas, but he could make out the line in the conclusion column: "Potential to disrupt the existing industrial system."

He glanced again at the eerie green liquid in the petri dish beside him. That wasn't ordinary medicine; it represented the lives of countless terminally ill patients.

In the outer room of the laboratory, a young researcher rolled over, and the notebook in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

The young man's face was sallow, and his eyes were dark circles; he had clearly pushed himself to his limit.

Zhao Zhenguo took a deep breath and gently placed the document back on the table.

"Mr. Sun, how many people do you need?"

Sun Dehai suddenly raised his head and stretched out a palm:

"I need the best materials laboratories in the country to cooperate with me! I need those old guys at the Chinese Academy of Sciences to get moving! Not just people, but also equipment!"

"That newly developed particle collider! And...we also need agricultural experts!"

"Can this green moss grow on Earth? What kind of soil and sunlight does it need? These are questions that require a specialized team to answer!"

Sun Dehai finished speaking in one breath, staring intently at Zhao Zhenguo, his chest heaving violently.

Zhao Zhenguo took out a cigarette case from his pocket, and just as he was about to take one out, he glanced at the surrounding instruments and put it back.

He paced back and forth in the narrow passageway, his military boots making a dull thud on the ground.

Simply reporting by phone or sending an encrypted file is not enough to convey the significance of this matter.

Those sitting in the office, who had never smelled the sour stench of this laboratory or seen the treasures Lin Mo brought back, could hardly imagine what was behind this "door."

The "Night Watchman" project requires massive funding and political backing, and Sun Dehai's research needs even more national support for scientific research.

This is no longer a problem that the Northwest Base can handle.

Zhao Zhenguo stopped and turned around, his eyes becoming unusually sharp.

"Pack your things."

Sun Dehai was taken aback: "Huh? Pack up what?"

"Pack up everything you just showed me, including the most crucial data and samples."

Zhao Zhenguo glanced at the time and said in an unquestionable tone, "Take your two most capable assistants and put the data in the top-secret box."

"Assemble on the tarmac in one hour."

Sun Dehai's mouth dropped open, his beard trembling: "Where...where are you going?"

Zhao Zhenguo walked to the door, held onto the door frame, and glanced back at this laboratory that was as messy as a pigsty but held the future of the country.

"Go to Kyoto, go to the Cabinet."

A fierce look appeared on Zhao Zhenguo's face, the expression of a veteran before going to the battlefield:

"You want people? You want money? I'll personally take you to get it! To rob them!"

"I want to show those people up there what kind of trump card we're holding."

After saying that, Zhao Zhenguo strode out of the laboratory, took out a walkie-talkie, and pressed the full-band broadcast button.

"This is Zhao Zhenguo. Wu Qian, come to the command room immediately. Bring your 'Night Watch' plan, don't forget a single word."

"Notify the air force to prepare a special plane and apply for the highest-level flight authorization to fly directly to Kyoto. Reason: Top-level combat readiness report."

In the corridor, the alarm lights flashed silently twice.

The once quiet base instantly sprang into action upon receiving this order.

Sun Dehai stood there stunned for a few seconds before suddenly realizing what was happening.

He turned abruptly and roared at the students who were still unconscious:

"Wake up, all of you! Get up! Get the hell out of here! Seal up the best samples!"

"Even if you have to use your underwear as a rag, you have to make sure the suitcase shines!"

"We're going to Kyoto to beg for food... no, we're going to be killed!"