Eunuch, do you really know these martial arts?

"Look at my memory! Battalion Commander, I'll have to trouble you to take me to the tank company!" Zeng Maozhe said with a smile when he turned around and saw that the battalion commander had also come out.

The battalion commander grinned and respectfully led the way.

In truth, the battalion commander was also having doubts. But seeing Zeng Maozhe's excited expression, it seemed that nothing he said could stop him from going to the tank company.

The battalion commander glanced at Zhang Ze discreetly, scratching the back of his head in thought: Just who is this Comrade Jiang Nian? How could Zeng Maozhe say something like "the institute's treasure"? The problem is, the battalion commander clearly remembered that Zhang Ze said Comrade Jiang Nian was someone he had invited from the Southeast Military Region's repair company.
With his head full of questions and no one to help him find the answers, the battalion commander was extremely frustrated and decided that once this matter was resolved, he would punish Zhang Ze by making him run twenty kilometers.

Jiang Nian has completed the inspection of all the tanks.

He originally wanted to find someone to take him to see Zhang Ze, since what to do next depended on Zhang Ze's specific arrangements.

However, Zhang Ze had considered everything very carefully beforehand. To prevent anyone from disturbing Jiang Nian's work, he had ordered that no one be allowed to approach the area. Therefore, Jiang Nian really couldn't find a single person, not even a shadow of one.

Zhang Ze could not have predicted that Jiang Nian could inspect nine tanks so quickly.

Unable to find anyone, Jiang Nian returned to the area where the tanks were parked and found a spot to sit and rest. He was confident that Zhang Ze would come over.

After Zeng Maozhe arrived at the tank company, Zhang Ze led the way.

He desperately wanted to see Jiang Nian, and everything else could be ignored for the time being.

"Academician Zeng, Battalion Commander, Comrade Jiang Nian is inside testing the tanks. Shall we—"

Zhang Ze led his men into the tank storage area and tried again to explain to Zeng Maozhe and the battalion commander: Jiang Nian is busy, and it wouldn't be good to disturb him. Taking this opportunity, Zhang Ze also wanted to clarify Jiang Nian's identity—Zeng Maozhe must have mistaken him for someone else.

"It's okay, I just love watching Jiang Nian work!"

Before Zhang Ze could finish speaking, Zeng Maozhe interrupted him, saying bluntly.

A word stuck in his throat. Zeng Maozhe had already said that, what else could Zhang Ze say? He had seen the displeasure in the battalion commander's eyes. He knew he was in deep trouble after this was over.

"Alright then, let's go in and find Comrade Jiang Nian!"

Zhang Ze, disregarding the consequences, strode in first.

Since he couldn't stop Zeng Maozhe and the battalion commander anyway, he simply gave up. The worst that could happen was being punished with a 20-kilometer run. Regarding the battalion commander's methods of punishment, Zhang Ze remarked: "I'm thick-skinned; I'm used to it."

"Company Commander Zhang, you're finally back!"

Hearing footsteps, Jiang Nian got up and came out. She saw Zhang Ze walking ahead and greeted him immediately.

"Comrade Jiang Nian, long time no see! I didn't expect you to have hidden in the tank company. Do you know, those old guys have been looking for you!"

When Zhang Ze saw Jiang Nian come out, he immediately quickened his pace, wanting to explain the current situation to him so that Jiang Nian could be prepared.

Before Zhang Ze could even speak, Zeng Maozhe quickened his pace, taking three steps at a time to reach Jiang Nian, and spoke with a broad smile.

Anyone could tell that although Zeng Maozhe's words carried a hint of resentment, his affection for Jiang Nian was undisguised.

"Uh, Academician Zeng, what brings you here?"

Jiang Nian was also surprised to see Zeng Maozhe.

He never expected to run into Zeng Maozhe here. Jiang Nian scratched the back of his head somewhat embarrassed by Zeng Maozhe's words.

He's just back to rest for a while, isn't Academician Zeng exaggerating a bit? What do you mean "those old guys are all looking for you"? Jiang Nian remembers that he had already finished everything he needed to do before he came back, and there wouldn't be any problems with what happened next even if he wasn't there.

Therefore, Jiang Nian chose to ignore Zeng Maozhe's words.

"I have some work to do at the tank company. But the food there is pretty good, how about I take you to try it?"

Jiang Nian naturally changed the subject, not wanting Zeng Maozhe to keep staring at her.

"Well, Academician Zeng, Comrade Jiang Nian, it's lunchtime. Let's talk after we eat!"

The battalion commander finally found an opportunity to interject and quickly tried to smooth things over. After all, he couldn't just let them stand there chatting, could he?
Zhang Ze then remembered that Jiang Nian had been busy and hadn't had time to eat, so he also joined in trying to persuade her.

Zeng Maozhe hadn't planned anything in the first place. He couldn't interfere with Jiang Nian's affairs anyway; he just wanted to see her. Knowing Jiang Nian was quite the foodie, he went along with it. The group headed straight to the cafeteria.

After a hearty meal, the battalion commander and Zhang Ze were still somewhat bewildered, unable to understand how Jiang Nian, a member of a repair company, could be involved with the research institute.

However, this did not prevent them from listening to Jiang Nian and Zeng Maozhe's conversation.

"Jiang Nian, how long do you plan to stay in the tank company this time?"

Zeng Maozhe asked proactively.

If he could, he wished Jiang Nian could stay at the research institute 24 hours a day. With Jiang Nian's abilities, if he stayed at the research institute, he would definitely be able to develop even more great things.

"I'm not entirely sure yet. All nine tanks here are nearing the end of their service life. Although I've identified the issues that could keep them in service, fixing them will probably take at least half a month."

Jiang Nian roughly calculated the time. He could repair it himself without too long, but some of the necessary parts would have to be transported from outside, which would take some time.

"This... Comrade Jiang Nian, can you really repair these tanks to look brand new and keep them in service for several more years?"

The battalion commander hadn't intended to interrupt, but when Jiang Nian mentioned repairing the tanks, he couldn't help but ask cautiously, looking at Jiang Nian.

If this is true, the battalion commander thinks that all the tanks in the entire Southern Military Region could now be repaired by Jiang Nian. After all, replacing new tanks requires time to break them in, and it would be best if the old tanks could continue to serve.

When Zhang Ze submitted his report, the battalion commander thought he was joking—no matter how skilled a person is, it's impossible to repair all the tanks that are about to be retired and make them look brand new.

Even when Zeng Maozhe said Jiang Nian was capable, the battalion commander still thought Zeng Maozhe had mistaken him for someone else—this Jiang Nian was not the same Jiang Nian. Hearing Jiang Nian say this with his own ears now, one can imagine the shock the battalion commander felt.

His gaze toward Jiang Nian was intensely passionate, like that of a thirsty person staring at a bottle of water.

"That's right. To be precise, a refurbished tank can have a service life of five to ten years."

Faced with the battalion commander's serious demeanor and extremely solemn expression, Jiang Nian was equally serious and gave a relatively precise time range.

After Jiang Nian finished speaking, not only was the battalion commander stunned, but Zhang Ze was also taken aback. Zeng Maozhe knew Jiang Nian's capabilities and knew that if he said it, he could definitely do it.

But Zeng Maozhe felt he had to immediately pass on the news that a tank that was about to be retired could be made to look brand new and have its service life extended by five to ten years.

"Jiang Nian, is what you're saying true? I'll contact Yang Hongkang right away!"

As Zeng Maozhe spoke, he took out his phone and was about to make a call.

Who is Yang Hongkang? Why should we contact him?

Jiang Nian asked subconsciously.

He couldn't quite understand Zeng Maozhe's thought process; how come it was so different from normal people?

When the battalion commander and Zhang Ze heard the name "Yang Hongkang," they exchanged a shocked glance.

Jiang Nian might not know who Yang Hongkang was, but the battalion commander and Zhang Ze did.

Yang Hongkang, that's the chief engineer who developed the new tank!
The two hadn't thought too much about it, only that it was just repairing a tank, so how could it be related to the people developing a new type of tank? Academician Zeng seemed to be exaggerating a bit, didn't he?
"Yang Hongkang is the person in charge of tank development. It's alright, don't worry about it, I'll just call him over."

Zeng Maozhe explained very casually.

He said that Jiang Nian should just do his own thing, and he would naturally take care of the rest.

The battalion commander and Zhang Ze, who were standing to the side, realized that they were no longer needed here—after all, Academician Zeng's word was enough to summon even Yang Hongkang.

"Academician Zeng, what are your plans next..." The battalion commander stepped forward and asked.

He now needed to figure out Zeng Maozhe's plans. These were all national treasures; if they really were going to stay at the tank company commander's residence, there were many things he needed to prepare in advance. Especially after listening to Zeng Maozhe's conversation with Jiang Nian, he feared that Academician Yang Hongkang would also be coming over.

"Comrade Jiang Nian is here, and I happen to be free recently, so I'll stay here and keep him company. Don't worry about me, just treat me the same way you would Comrade Jiang Nian."

Zeng Maozhe had already made up his mind. Anyway, his current project was progressing very smoothly, and he had plenty of free time. In fact, the credit for his project's smooth progress went entirely to Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian's participation in these scientific research projects has earned him the rank of a first-level researcher. Because of this, his identity information is now top secret, accessible to only a very few people throughout China. Jiang Nian declined all rewards and, as for his role in the military, he prefers to remain a regular repair squad leader, which will help him remain hidden and prevent him from being discovered by those with ulterior motives.

Zeng Maozhe looked at Jiang Nian with great affection, the kind of look one would give a very satisfied junior.

If Jiang Nian weren't still relatively inexperienced, becoming the director of a research institute would be an easy task for him.

After receiving confirmation from Zeng Maozhe that he would be staying at the tank company, the battalion commander hurriedly left. He still had some matters to attend to, so the task of accompanying Zeng Maozhe and Jiang Nian fell to Zhang Ze.

"Company Commander Zhang, I have inspected all of these tanks. I will write a maintenance plan tonight and submit it to you tomorrow. There are quite a few things that I will need to trouble you to find a way to get them."

Jiang Nian already had a detailed plan in mind regarding this. He would have to trouble Zhang Ze to arrange the necessary materials.

Zhang Ze thought that Jiang Nian and Zeng Maozhe would chat for a while longer, but to his surprise, as soon as the battalion commander left, Jiang Nian immediately got into work mode and began to discuss the specific matters with him in detail.

At this moment, Zhang Ze realized that Jiang Nian's identity was far beyond what he could comprehend; he could glean this from Zeng Maozhe's attitude alone.

However, he did not expect that Jiang Nian would be so serious about his work and would not ask for any special treatment because of his special status.

"Alright, as long as Comrade Jiang Nian can repair these tanks, I'll get you whatever materials are needed!"

The tank company usually keeps a lot of materials needed for tanks—after all, as the people who operate tanks, they need to maintain their equipment at all times.

That's why Zhang Ze dared to guarantee that he could meet Jiang Nian's requirements.

But when he received Jiang Nian's so-called list of materials the next day, he was filled with regret—regret for speaking too soon.

At this moment, Zhang Ze naturally had no idea what he would face the next day, so he was in a very good mood.

“Perfect timing, shall we head to the testing ground now? It’s time to take out Company Commander Zhang’s tank and test its performance in all aspects, and see if there are any other minor issues that need to be addressed.”

Jiang Nian knew that the tank he reassembled had definitely improved in performance, but Zhang Ze hadn't actually test-driven it yet, so the specific data was still unclear. Only through actual testing could they truly feel where the difference lay.

"Okay, I'll take you there right away!"

Upon hearing that a tank test was to be conducted, Zhang Ze was in high spirits and said with a smile, then led the way in another direction.

"I heard that Company Commander Zhang's tank was severely damaged this time, almost to the point where it had to be decommissioned immediately. The repair company of the Southern Military Region directly refused the repair request. Are you really sure it's been repaired?"

Zeng Maozhe walked beside Jiang Nian and deliberately lowered his voice to ask quietly.

His visit this time was partly related to Zhang Ze's tank.

A tank that was already scrapped and awaiting retirement was completely beyond repair. Zeng Maozhe came to take Zhang Ze to Yang Hongkang's place to show him the new tank that was still under development, and planned to have Zhang Ze serve as the operator of the new tank prototype.

After meeting Jiang Nian in the tank company, Zeng Maozhe changed his original intention—he was not in a hurry to take Zhang Ze away, but instead wanted Yang Hongkang to come here.

Yang Hongkang's research and development has also reached a bottleneck. Zeng Maozhe has a feeling that the problem will definitely be solved when it comes to Jiang Nian.

"It's fixed. I repaired it myself. And its performance should be even better than before."

Jiang Nian didn't mince words in front of Zeng Maozhe; he directly explained the specifics of the tank.

Despite being repeatedly shocked by Jiang Nian's previous actions, Zeng Maozhe still felt his heart becoming increasingly vulnerable to fright.

Listen to what Jiang Nian is saying! Is this even human language? He keeps shattering our understanding. Even if the older generation is being swept away by the younger generation, shouldn't we at least give the older generation some face?
In front of Jiang Nian, Zeng Maozhe had felt a deep sense of defeat and an indescribable powerlessness countless times.

Jiang Nian is practically a genius—at least, Zeng Maozhe has never seen Jiang Nian encounter any difficulties. It seems that no problem is insurmountable for Jiang Nian.

That's why Zeng Maozhe wanted to see how Jiang Nian would react when faced with insurmountable difficulties.

However, it's clear that he hasn't had the chance to witness such a scene yet. (End of Chapter)