Steel torrents pioneering a different world

Chapter 100: The Scientist's Self-Criticism! (Bonus Chapter)
In this other world, Qin Longlong and the others had their eyes opened for quite a while.

After wandering around for a while and getting familiar with the general area of ​​the campsite, it was time for lunch before we knew it.

Li Jingze led everyone into the cafeteria, where the air inside and outside were completely isolated.

A warm current, a mixture of the aroma of braised pork and the steaming heat of white rice, wafted over them, instantly dispelling the chill they had brought from the hangar.

Looking at the huge stainless steel plates steaming in the food section, with stewed beef, stir-fried vegetables, seaweed and egg drop soup... a good mix of meat and vegetables, and a wide variety of dishes, Qin Longlong breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the environment here is a bit harsh, the food and accommodations are top-notch!
"Wow, this standard is pretty good, even better than our institute's canteen!" Senior Brother Li was already carrying a tray and unceremoniously piling up a small mountain of food for himself.

The group found an empty table and sat down, wolfing down their food to replenish their energy while exchanging whispers. They were already thinking about how to modify their previous design plans into equipment that could adapt to this harsh environment.

Just then, a buzzing sound suddenly came from the loudspeaker in the corner of the cafeteria.

Then a male voice came out—

"that……"

"Ahem... Colleagues, comrades, I'm sorry to disturb your meal. I'm Deng Dakang, and I'd like to... offer my apology."

In an instant, the previously noisy cafeteria became much quieter.

Some soldiers were suppressing laughter, while some scientists frowned.

Most people slowed down their eating and listened attentively to the opera.

"This morning, I lost control of my emotions and said some irresponsible and harsh things about the Taoist traditions of Master Chen and Master Zhou. I feel deeply ashamed!"

“I should not have doubted the wisdom of the Taoist sages, and I should not have been disrespectful to the founder of Wudang! Here, I solemnly express my sincerest apologies to the Taoist community, especially to the founder of Wudang!”

"To show my sincerity, I have decided to donate all of my salary and base allowance from the past year to Wudang Mountain for the renovation of Taoist temples and halls!"

The voice on the radio spoke faster and faster, conveying a sense of despair, a feeling of "social death."

"I hope everyone will take my experience as a warning, respect traditional culture, and have reverence for the unknown! The end of science may not be theology, but at least it is not ignorance and arrogance! My self-criticism is finished!"

The broadcast was abruptly cut off as soon as the words were spoken.

There was a two-second silence in the cafeteria, followed by an eruption of suppressed chatter and snickers.

Qin Longlong and his fellow students from Institute 207 looked at each other, forgetting to chew their food.

"What's going on? We've just arrived and we've stumbled upon a live public execution?" Senior Brother Li's eyes widened in disbelief.

Li Jing slowly shoveled rice into his bowl, saying without looking up, "It's a debate between Taoist methods and scientific approaches. It started a few days ago, and it exploded today."

"Boss, could you explain in more detail? This... is too strange, isn't it?" Qin Longlong's curiosity was completely piqued.

“A few days ago, Master Chen and his companions used cinnabar and yellow paper to draw a kind of talisman to ward off evil. Those talismans are very powerful and can be activated every time.”

Li Jingze took a sip of soup.

"Professor Deng Dakang, who is in charge of researching paranormal phenomena, is the one mentioned on the radio just now. He firmly believes that this is an unknown chemical or energy reaction. He and his team spent several days analyzing the composition of cinnabar and detecting energy fluctuations. Although they managed to replicate the talisman one-to-one, it was completely useless!"

"I suspect Professor Deng has gone mad. Some people say that today, in front of quite a few people, he directly told Master Chen that his ideas are the dregs of idealism and so on!"

"Hiss—" Qin Longlong and the others all gasped in surprise.

“Even so, shouldn’t it be enough to make him apologize publicly? If this happens, how can we cooperate in the future? Won’t the relationship be completely ruined?” Senior Brother Wang raised the question. “Ruined? No, this is the only way to repair it.” Li Jing shook his head, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “The two Taoist priests value the Taoist tradition, while Professor Deng adheres to the spirit of scientific exploration.”

He paused, then lowered his voice: "So, this isn't Master Chen asking him to apologize, but rather Professor Deng summarizing the errors in his scientific experiments!"

"This is a completely new world. Because of magical elements, well, maybe psionic particles, the physical world here is very different from the modern world. That's why we've brought so many young people like you here!"

After hearing Li Jingze's words, the group fell silent.

When they first entered this world, they considered dragons, magic, and gods as novelties.

They suddenly realized that there are things in this world that are more important than the word "science".

The thought of dealing with these mystical things in the future, and even having to use my research findings to support these "unscientific" ideas, is daunting.

It is even estimated that in the future, it will completely overturn their traditional cognition and knowledge!
The crowd felt a mix of emotions, a mixture of trepidation and inexplicable excitement.

Li Jing smiled as he watched their changing expressions and pointed with his chopsticks at the plates in front of them.

"Welcome to the new world, everyone. Here, the solution to a problem is the solution of truth."

"So hurry up and eat, have a good rest today, so you'll have the energy to create your own truth tomorrow."
-
Forty-two kilometers away from the otherworld pioneer team.

A convoy of six snowmobiles is speeding through the mountainous snow forest where trees have been cleared and paths have been created.

The tracks rolled over the thick snow, making a dull thud that sounded particularly jarring in the desolate, lifeless alien world.

Along the way, you can see many barbed wire fences half-covered by snow. These are the marks left by the special forces, and also safety boundaries carved out with bullets and bombs.

"Listen, the bugle call of the new journey has sounded, the goal of building a strong military beckons us forward..."

On the communications channel, Zhao Chong shouted the loudest, and several young soldiers shouted along with him.

Without any accompaniment, relying solely on sheer passion, even though the tune was off-key and could be heard from seventy miles away, it still managed to unleash a certain boldness.

Wang Kang, who was driving, didn't sing along. His gaze was fixed straight ahead, and all other noises were filtered out, leaving only the roar of the engine and the friction of the tracks.

When the coordinates on the paper map coincided with the mountain valley at the edge of his field of vision, he almost instinctively lightly stepped on the brakes.

The sharp sound of a horn pierced the singing and echoed through the valley.

"We've arrived at our destination. Everyone, proceed with Plan Number One and construct the circular defensive position!"

Zhao Chong's voice came through the throat vibration microphone, calm and clear.

"Roger that!"

Without a word, the six snowmobiles immediately started moving, their front ends facing outwards and their rear ends touching, blooming like metal petals.

In less than a minute, relying on the slight undulations of the terrain, they formed a very simple yet sprawling hedgehog-shaped defensive fortification.

The car doors opened, and heavily armed soldiers filed out, their movements swift and their coordination impeccable.

"Maintain vigilance around the perimeter and reinforce the three-dimensional fire network!"

(End of this chapter)