Forced to marry a disabled man in the countryside? I'll repay you tenfold!

"But it's not a big problem. They're probably just looking around and won't actually cut the stones on the spot. As long as they don't cut them, who knows if the stones I picked up will turn into jade?" Su Wanqing comforted herself. Otherwise, she really wouldn't have known how amazing it would be if all the stones turned out to be jade.

Jiang Zhiping picked up a piece at random, took out his flashlight and shone it on: "This material is not bad...it's very likely to yield jade."

He picked up another piece: "This one is good too, the probability of finding jade is high."

After examining several pieces, his expression turned somewhat strange: "Dr. Su, have you... studied jade appraisal or something? These pieces all look quite good to me; I'm afraid they can all be used to extract something."

Li Guohua examined each piece one by one, nodding: "They are all good jade stones."

Su Wanqing was racking her brains trying to figure out how to smooth things over when Zhou Yanshen, who had been mostly silent, finally spoke up:

"My wife is an external technician in the geological system, and she knows a little about mineral identification."

Of course, although he was being modest, his tone was anything but. Li Guohua and Jiang Zhiping both understood that he was not just someone who knew a little bit.

Jiang Zhiping laughed heartily: "I think your wife is quite talented in this area; she knows a lot!"

Li Guohua nodded in agreement: "To be hired as an external technician, you need to have some skills, otherwise they won't accept you. Comrade Zhou Yanshen, you shouldn't be so modest."

Zhou Yanshen straightened his chest and tacitly agreed.

Su Wanqing: "..." This is a headache.

Zhou Yanshen: I'm a professional at praising my wife!

Several people gathered around the stones to examine them closely. Little Yong, always restless, wandered to a corner of the carriage, pointed at the pile of dark stones, and exclaimed:

"Sister Su, what kind of stones are these? Why are they all black? They're so shiny and beautiful! Where did you find them? Can you take us to pick some too?"

Only after he mentioned it did Jiang Zhiping and Li Guohua notice the pile of inconspicuous, dark, and translucent stones with a unique texture—these were definitely not ordinary materials; they were clearly extraordinary.

Su Wanqing's heart skipped a beat: Well, it seems the meteorite thing can't be kept secret any longer. Today, it looks like another earth-shattering event is about to unfold.

Sure enough, even without her saying it, Jiang Zhiping and Li Guohua's ability to reach their positions stemmed from a sensitivity to special metals and rare ores far exceeding that of ordinary people. Li Guohua, in particular, who was in charge of industry, immediately changed his expression.

Su Wanqing knew she couldn't hide it anymore. She had originally planned to report it privately to Elder Zhang with Zhou Yanshen, hoping to get Zhou Yanshen credited. Now… she could only go through Jiang Zhiping. Unfortunately, this meant Elder Zhang would lose out on some credit.

She gently patted her forehead, feigning annoyance: "Look at my memory! How could I forget about this... Actually, my husband and I stumbled upon these while collecting stones. Because we know a bit about minerals, we recognized them as likely nickel-iron meteorites, which are of significant strategic importance to the country's industrial development and national defense. We quickly loaded all the stones into the car, intending to report them to the relevant departments when we got back."

However, since both you, Leader Jiang and Leader Li, are here, reporting to you both should be of the same effect, and perhaps even get the matter resolved more quickly.

"It's more than just strategically significant! If it really is this kind of meteorite, it's priceless! Many of the country's key projects are waiting for a breakthrough in this type of special material! How many do you have... in your preliminary estimate?"

Su Wanqing glanced helplessly at Zhou Yanshen, whose mouth looked as if it had been sewn shut, and knew that Zhou Yanshen was unwilling to take the lead, so she could only explain, "About two hundred jin."

Su Wanqing was already calculating the reward in her mind. She wondered what kind of reward they could give. In modern times, a single meteorite would be worth about 10 yuan. So many of them, and so big, would probably be worth tens of millions.

"Great! Great! Great!" Li Guohua exclaimed three times, his excitement overflowing. "Dr. Su, Comrade Zhou, you've done a tremendous service! This material is currently heavily embargoed internationally, making it extremely difficult for us to purchase, and the price has been driven sky-high! The value of your discoveries cannot be measured simply in money!"

"The nation will never fail to reward contributors to such a significant discovery. In addition to the due honors and recognition, the central government will likely grant a special allocation of a public housing unit in any city across the country as a material reward."

He looked specifically at Zhou Yanshen, "As for Comrade Zhou, based on the level of his contribution, a second-class merit is a certainty. If subsequent research confirms that his value is particularly significant, a first-class merit is not out of the question."

He had just clearly heard that Su Wanqing was referring to both of them, therefore, both of them should be credited. The value of this meteorite also fully justifies such a generous reward.

Su Wanqing did the math in her mind: a house anywhere in the country? If it were in Beijing or Shanghai—well, that would be a great deal.

"This is just a reward at the central level; the rewards for your local areas are not under my jurisdiction." He said, looking at Jiang Zhiping.

Jiang Zhiping immediately understood, "Of course, Dr. Su, Comrade Zhou, rest assured, you'll receive everything you deserve. First, the local commendations and publicity for your exemplary deeds will definitely be in place. Second, in terms of work arrangements, the organization will prioritize your personal wishes and development needs. For example, Dr. Su, with your status as an educated youth and these significant contributions, your transfer back to the city and work assignments will be expedited, and you'll be given the most suitable position where you can best utilize your talents. In terms of living conditions, you'll also receive preferential treatment in the supply quotas for scarce materials. In short, we will never let a meritorious person feel disheartened!"

Upon hearing this, Su Wanqing felt that Jiang Zhiping was indeed a sensible and capable person.

If things had gone according to plan, Zhou Yanshen would have been transferred back to the city next year based on his military merits, and she would most likely have followed him as a military dependent. But now, with these consecutive major achievements, her own resume and standing are probably even more dazzling than Zhou Yanshen's.

She immediately straightened her back and declared righteously, "This is precisely the time when our country needs development. Even without these rewards, we would definitely hand over anything we found to contribute to the construction of our motherland!"

These were well-spoken words, and Jiang Zhiping and Li Guohua felt pleased to hear them, thinking that this comrade was highly conscious and responsible.

Li Guohua suppressed his excitement. "Old Jiang, time is of the essence. These meteorites are extremely valuable. Once the news gets out, relevant research institutions and departments will probably be scrambling to get them. We should return to Yili today and complete the preliminary handover and identification as soon as possible. I'll immediately send an urgent telegram to my superiors to report the preliminary situation."

Jiang Zhiping fully understood Li Guohua's urgency. This was tantamount to leaving a "gold mountain" out in the open; who could feel at ease with that?