Steel torrents pioneering a different world

Chapter 200 Kneeling! Assimilation! Three thousand three hundred and thirty-three tons of gold! (Please subscribe)
The deafening roar of the propellers grew louder as it approached, shattering the ancient tranquility of the far north.

An armed helicopter, kicking up snow dust, landed steadily on the makeshift helipad.

The hatch slid open, and Su Mingjin, wearing an incredibly warm, heavy executive jacket over a sharp combat uniform, jumped out. The cold wind blew her ponytail straight.

She spotted the spectacular excavation scene at a glance.

A huge excavator is lifting a hastily made box and then neatly stacking it on the open ground.

The box wasn't fully closed, and through the gaps leaked a golden light that could stop your heart from beating.

The air was filled with the smell of millennia-old dust, stagnant water, and the rust of decaying metal.

"President Su!" Dou Hanwen quickly came forward to greet him.

The meticulous archaeology professor's eyes were sunken and bloodshot, but his expression was a complex mix of extreme excitement and extreme confusion.

"Professor Dou, how much gold is there on the ground?" Su Mingjin asked with a smile as her gaze swept over the patch of gold.

"Haha, a lot, a huge amount! We've discovered over 1,500 tons so far, and we've detected quite a few cavities, so we're still excavating!" Dou Hanwen laughed, then picked up a gold brick that he had confirmed was free of toxic impurities and handed it to Su Mingjin. "President Su, take a look for yourself. After cleaning and testing, we confirmed that it contains at least four pieces of high-purity gold, grade nine..."

At Dou Hanwen's prompting, Su Mingjin put on gloves and examined the unusually large gold brick.

The coldness and astonishing weight of the metal instantly travel to your palm.

"Professor Dou, what do you think?"

“President Su, I now strongly suspect that this place was the bank or vault of an alien giant civilization ten thousand years ago!” Dou Hanwen said in a hoarse voice, “I wonder what kind of terrible war this civilization suffered before, which directly caused the ancient and glorious civilization to disappear.”

Su Mingjin weighed the gold brick in her hand, which weighed at least 15 kilograms, and remained silent.

She wasn't an archaeologist, but she was a commander.

Her first consideration was the value and use of this thing.

Gold is a relatively rare metallic substance even in the universe. In particular, it is a very powerful industrial product, and many things cannot function without it.

In addition to the high cost of producing gold, there are also its financial and monetary attributes. This has resulted in the price of gold, a precious metal, remaining consistently high even in the industrial age.

They were in a real bind before, lacking funds and expenses, and spent a lot of effort raising special funds.

It's important to know that a lot of Tokyo University's funds are being monitored, and the data is very sensitive. The funds spent during the exploration of the other world were not just a few hundred million, but in the billions.

Now, with this gold backing, they can make a large purchase of supplies.

These days, many things are separate from finances and are transparent. If you're not careful, problems can easily arise.

Military spending is limited, and given the increasing contact with various races from other worlds later on, war is inevitable.

The sudden influx of so much gold can significantly alleviate their financial pressure.

“Regardless of what the civilization that possesses it used these things for before,” she put the gold bars back in the box, concealing the gleam in her eyes, “now that they’re in our hands, they’re gold to us. By the way, how much gold do you estimate there is?”

"A rough estimate puts it at over 1,800 tons of gold."

A young researcher nearby chimed in, his voice trembling, "President Su, who knows how much further down there is!"

Eighteen hundred tons?
Even though Su Mingjin was used to big events, she was still a little stunned by this number.

This isn't an archaeological excavation; it's like finding the vault of the head office of a medium-sized country's central bank!
If managed properly, thousands of tons of gold can directly change the financial market landscape for precious metals.

“The things we found in the southern ruins were outrageous enough, but I never expected this to be the real big deal.” Su Mingjin took a deep breath of the cold air, trying to calm herself down. “This far northern snowfield was definitely a prosperous civilization ten thousand years ago.”

“Yes, it’s a pity it’s a civilization wiped out by violence,” Dou Hanwen interjected, his eyes sharpening. “There are too many unique vitrified landforms here, formed from the scorching heat of high-temperature energy weapons. I’m increasingly convinced that this wasn’t an ordinary conventional war, but some kind of devastating war, or even a purge…”

After saying that, Dou Hanwen continued, "Even interstellar war!"

Upon hearing about interstellar war, Su Mingjin looked at the sky and then gestured for him to remain silent.

The group remained silent, then looked at the gold bricks that had been soaked for thousands of years and were being transported out. Suddenly, she blurted out out of the blue, "It's a pity they're all dead, not a single one left... Ha, the traces of civilization are almost being erased."

The soldiers and researchers around were stunned. They didn't understand why Su Mingjin suddenly laughed innocently.

Dou Hanwen understood what Su Mingjin meant.

He pursed his lips and didn't say anything.

From the perspective of a commander who pioneers a new civilization, the more thoroughly the former civilizations and former overlords on this land are wiped out, the better.

This saves countless troubles and potential conflicts.

But as an archaeologist, he longed to find living remains, or at least clearer, talking remains, relics, and books of various civilizations.

Even if that civilization survived for thousands of years after the war before going extinct, it would still leave behind countless valuable clues.

"Professor Dou, keep up the good work and try to uncover more clues!" Su Mingjin patted his shoulder. "Just let us know what you need."

“People!” Dou Hanwen immediately said, “President Su, what I lack are brains that can analyze the fragmented script of the other world, and a large number of more professional archaeological talents! Relying on us and a dozen or so little guys, we won’t be able to piece together the complete picture of the otherworldly giant civilization even if we dig until the next century.”

Archaeology is a meticulous and extremely time-consuming field.

Just like the Haihunhou Tomb that was excavated by Southeast University, it was discovered in 2011 but was not completely excavated until 2015. The cemetery covers an area of ​​4.6 square meters, but the main tomb area is only 400 square meters.

If such a small tomb took so much time, imagine how much time it would take to build an entire civilization's ruins.

Sometimes, details and important clues are hidden in the corners.

Just like when an ordinary tomb is excavated, a lump of mud inside turns out to be the original text of the Tao Te Ching, and the bamboo tube took decades to fully restore.

This is archaeology!

Although the other world has many civilizations, and even elves, a long-lived species, which can be used as historical records, the other side is uncooperative and often knows nothing when questioned.

Understanding the ancient civilization of giants would likely take a very long time.

Since ancient times, Dongda University has had a tradition of relying on others, relying on trees, and relying on oneself rather than others.

Therefore, the University of Tokyo has always pursued multiple paths.

“Approved.” Su Mingjin said without hesitation. “I’ll go back and submit a report to get students from the archaeology departments of major universities who have passed the political review for you.”

"That's great!" A smile finally appeared on Dou Hanwen's tense face.

"By the way, Lang Junshi and his front-line troops are also nearing their rotation period. How is your cooperation going?"

“Excellent!” Dou Hanwen said immediately. “Captain Lang and his team were very dedicated when protecting us! Their protection was also very reliable. If possible, I hope to continue working with them next time!”

“I’ve got it.” Su Mingjin nodded.

She did not stay at the excavation site for long.

After confirming the approximate size of the gold and the needs of the archaeological team, the group reboarded the helicopter and headed to the next location.

"Mr. Su, where should we go first?" the driver asked.

“Let’s follow the previously planned exploration route.” Su Mingjin looked at the endless snowfield outside the porthole, her gaze deep.

"Ok!"

Sitting in the office processing documents is mentally taxing; each page contains a lot of information. But the data in the reports is cold and impersonal, while the difficulties faced by the soldiers are intense and challenging.

What you learn from books is never enough; you must put it into practice to understand!
She had to see for herself the members of the border reclamation team, the soldiers stationed in those lonely outposts, whether their barracks were warm, whether they had enough hot food, and whether their mental state was stable.

Now that the conditions for the pioneering troops have improved, we can no longer make the soldiers suffer unnecessary hardships.

The helicopter took off again, flying deeper into the vast snowfield.

Su Mingjin's gaze went beyond the horizon, where, besides white, there were some other vague outlines.

This civilization that used gold as bricks, a civilization that has been completely wiped out... Beneath this desolate snowfield, besides these cold metals, what legacy did they leave for their successors?

Will it be a pleasant surprise, or a deeper horror?
Half an hour later...

The propellers of the Z-20 armed transport aircraft stirred up a blizzard, and the huge airflow swept the ground of the Ice River Base clean, exposing the hard permafrost underneath.

Amidst the ear-piercing roar, the base's leaders and administrative staff braved the wind and snow, silently waiting for the propellers of the transport planes and escort formations to come to a complete stop.

In the crowd, Zhao Chong and Jinhe, the chief of the Binghe tribe, stood side by side.

After nearly two months of immersion, Jinhe's primitive tribal wildness had been worn down considerably. Now, wearing a brand-new, heavy snowsuit, he was nervously tugging at the hem of his clothes.

"Captain Zhao, is my... appearance alright?" Jin He asked nervously in broken Chinese, his voice low.

"Great! Excellent! Perfectly straight!" Zhao Chong nodded absentmindedly, his eyes narrowed into slits as he stared intently at the slowly coming to a stop rotor.

What he was really thinking about was that the guys in his team were practically growing mold from resting too long, and they were all clamoring to take on a mission.

Once President Su's inspection is over, he must be the first to submit his attendance application; if he stays any longer, the young men will be ruined.

As soon as the cabin door opened and the gangway was lowered, Su Mingjin stepped down with a crisp and decisive motion.

Su Mingjin landed firmly and patted the snow off her body.

"salute!"

At the front of the crowd, the cadre in charge of the base gave a low shout, and everyone moved in unison, raising their hands in salute.

Jinhe followed the example of the others, suddenly raising his arm, but his movements were a little stiff, and his expression was extremely reserved.

Su Mingjin returned the greeting, her gaze sweeping over each person's face: "Thank you all for your hard work. On behalf of D and the organization, I extend my greetings and blessings to you all for the festival, and of course, to everyone's favorite mooncakes and glutinous rice balls!"

Everyone laughed happily.

Su Mingjin's gaze fell on a young man who was leading the group but was only in his early thirties: "Village Chief Yu, the organization is very satisfied with your recent work performance. I have read the report, and you have done a good job."

The grassroots cadre in charge of the specific affairs of the Ice River tribe is named Yu Zirui.

A few years ago, I responded to the call and became a college student village official. Although I am not old, just over thirty, I have extremely rich experience in grassroots work and poverty alleviation.

Yu Zirui stood ramrod straight: "President Su, this is what we should do! It's nothing to be ashamed of!"

"Stop with the official talk," Su Mingjin waved her hand, her tone more casual. "How are the soldiers? Are the hot meals and heating supplies okay?"

"Absolutely no problem!" Yu Zirui replied immediately. "The soldiers say our current logistical standards are even better than when we're celebrating the New Year at home!"

"Haha, Village Chief Yu, you and the soldiers have a very high level of ideological awareness." Su Mingjin smiled and shook hands with Yu Zirui, the pressure just right.

She let go of his hand, turned around, and her gaze fell on the tall man who had seemed somewhat uneasy throughout.

The man was wearing brand-new training uniforms, but they couldn't hide the fierce aura he had developed from years of working in the icy and snowy conditions.

At this moment, however, his hands, which had witnessed too many life and death, were nervously rubbing the hem of his clothes repeatedly.

Su Mingjin's smile softened slightly as she extended her hand, saying, "Hello, you must be Jin..."

The words have not yet fallen.

"Pfft!"

A muffled sound rang out clearly amidst the howling wind and snow.

Jinhe slammed his knees heavily onto the hard frozen ground, his entire upper body prostrate low, his forehead almost touching the cold ground.

The air around them froze instantly.

The smiles on the faces of all the welcoming staff froze.

Zhao Chong was about to grin and chat with the person next to him when his mouth opened so wide it could fit an egg.

Not far away, a battlefield photographer who had just disembarked from a helicopter and was responsible for recording the footage for the headquarters at the rear almost dropped his lens because his hand trembled. After regaining his senses, he immediately focused his lens on the unexpected scene.

"Heavenly messenger above! Please accept the utmost respect from your humblest servant, Jinhe!"

Jinhe's broken Mandarin was hoarse yet devout, each word seeming to be squeezed out from the depths of his soul.

Su Mingjin's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, her smile slowly fading, and her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Quick! Help the clan leader up!" Yu Zirui's face turned pale instantly, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Your mom's going to approve!
What is this called!
The organization repeatedly emphasized the need to respect the local indigenous people and treat them equally, and yet they suddenly knelt down before you!
If this gets back, will he, the village official in charge of specific matters, still have to keep his job?
He rushed forward and used all his strength to grab Jinhe's arm.

But who is Jinhe? He's a ruthless man who dared to jump shirtless into an ice hole to fight giant beasts in the dead of winter when temperatures were minus fifty degrees Celsius.

His body was as strong as a bear, and he stood firmly on the ground without moving an inch. Yu Zirui, an administrative cadre, was so frustrated that his face turned red, but he couldn't budge him an inch.

The scene became incredibly awkward.

Su Mingjin glanced at Yu Zirui, who was sweating profusely with anxiety, and then looked at Jin He, who refused to get up no matter what, and sighed softly.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, she did something no one expected.

She unbuttoned her executive jacket and handed the thick down jacket and the badge on her chest that represented her identity to her dumbfounded assistant.

Then, she straightened the collar of her inner lining, bent her knees, and knelt down in front of Jinhe with a swift and decisive movement.

The two men stood knee to knee, their eyes meeting at the same level.

This left not only Jinhe, but everyone around him completely stunned.

Jinhe raised his head and looked at Su Mingjin, who was also kneeling in front of him with a helpless smile on her face. He was completely dumbfounded and his mind went blank.

This...this is not like what's shown in those magical artifacts!

He learned from the translator that this kneeling ceremony was a ritual in the ancient civilization of the divine messenger to express the highest respect and complete submission.

He used to scoff at this, regarding it as the behavior of cowards and servants.

But here, the tribespeople ate hot meals they had never had before, wore warm clothes that could protect them from the wind and snow, and children who used to be treated for their illnesses were pulled back from the brink of death by the miraculous medicine, no longer having to live in fear.

When he redeemed his points for his first warm and bright prefabricated house and saw his wife and children smiling peacefully inside, this decisive and ruthless clan leader decided to completely put aside all his pride and try to integrate into the lives of these divine messengers, willingly serving them like a beast of burden.

He believed that kneeling was a way of offering his pledge of allegiance.

But to his utter surprise, the other party not only did not accept it, but responded to him in the same way!

"Chief Jinhe, please rise." Su Mingjin's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. "In our region, knees are for kneeling to heaven, earth, and parents; there's no such thing as kneeling to leaders. If you kneel like that, I'll have to write a ten-thousand-word self-criticism when I get back, charged with 'promoting a personality cult,' and I'll be punished."

Her words were half true and half false, and her tone carried a hint of self-deprecating humor.

Jinhe stared at her blankly, unsure how to react for a moment.

He saw that the other person's eyes were clear and bright, without the slightest contempt or mockery, only equality and sincerity.

An indescribable surge of warmth welled up from the bottom of his heart, instantly washing away all his unease and calculations.

This tribal chief, who was once ruthless and treated human life like dirt, now looked like a child who had done something wrong, his cheeks slightly flushed, and he smiled shyly.

"I couldn't help myself!"

“Chief Jinhe, please get up. We don’t do that.” Su Mingjin said, standing up first and pulling him up with her.

This time, Jinhe didn't insist and stood up with her help.

Su Mingjin defused the misunderstanding with remarkable ease.

The atmosphere of the subsequent conversation was noticeably more harmonious.

Jinhe was no longer as reserved as before. When answering Su Mingjin's questions, although he still carried a certain reverence, he was able to answer fluently and even took the initiative to report on the tribe's recent production and learning situation. "So, how are everyone's meals and accommodations these days?"

"...I'm well-fed, warmly dressed, and everything smells great! It's just...there are too many rules." Jinhe scratched his head, a hint of simple-minded distress on his face. "Before, in the forest, if you needed to use the restroom, you could just find a tree. Now we have to go to that 'public restroom' place, supposedly for hygiene and health reasons. I find it too troublesome!"

Upon hearing this, Su Mingjin smiled and said, "Chief Jinhe, remember one thing: be hygienic, set a good example, and let health and civility benefit everyone. Then Death won't be able to find its way home!"

Upon hearing that Death could not find its way home, Jinhe nodded as if he understood, and memorized the words as a new divine decree.

As we were walking, a group of tribal children dressed in modern-style thick cotton clothes surrounded us like a flock of little penguins.

They weren't afraid of people; their dark, bright eyes stared curiously at Su Mingjin, and a few of the bolder ones were even secretly swallowing their saliva.

A chubby-faced boy was pushed forward. He puffed out his little chest and shouted loudly in slightly fluent Chinese, "My Lord! My mother said that if I study hard and make progress every day, I can exchange it for candy!"

Another girl chimed in, not to be outdone: "My dad was patrolling the mountains yesterday and found tracks of three snow hares. He said he could trade them for candy!"

Children's innocent remarks drew laughter from the crowd.

Su Mingjin's smile softened further, and she gave her assistant a wink.

The assistant understood and took out a handful of colorful fruit candies from a box behind him.

Besides this, there were also mooncake boxes they brought specially!
These are all items for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The saying goes, "One misses their loved ones even more during festivals," and with the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, Su Mingjin naturally needed to reassure everyone. Otherwise, it would affect the later work and the overall progress of land reclamation!
"Children, I am not a divine messenger. Studying hard and making progress every day will certainly allow you to enjoy more sweets. However, you should thank not me, but the Party, and the country!"

Only after she spoke did she distribute the candy to each child.

The children, upon receiving the candy, erupted in deafening cheers and scattered in all directions, eager to find a place to share their spoils.

Seeing this vibrant scene, Su Mingjin felt much lighter.

She casually walked into a newly built modular house, which was warm and cozy, with pots and pans polished to a shine and placed in the most conspicuous position.

The stove showed obvious signs of use and blackening, and some handmade woven items made by women were piled up in the corner.

The handicrafts were set up to provide work for the women of the Jinhe tribe, allowing them to pass the time, earn points, and exchange them for various items such as oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, clothing, and food.

It is better to teach people to fish than to teach them how to fish!

The University of Tokyo will always remember this.

Although the points are much less than those for hunting, patrolling the mountains, and other physical labor, older people and children in the Ice River tribe can also work.

This means that the burden on women, children, and the elderly among primitive people was significantly reduced.

This way of working will also completely change the traditional survival structure of the Ice River tribe.
Houses and various jobs are the permanent assets of each tribe in the Glacier Tribe.

Those who have stable property have stable minds.

Once they get used to this stable and prosperous life and completely say goodbye to their past primitive lifestyle, they will wholeheartedly accept this place within ten years.

After three generations, the Ice River tribe will be fully integrated into the Dongda family.

Of course, the erosion and infiltration of magic remains a sword of Damocles hanging over our heads, and we must always be vigilant.

Once everything was confirmed, Su Mingjin nodded in satisfaction.

After separating from the Ice River tribe, we arrived at their office area.

As soon as the door closed, Su Mingjin's face immediately hardened.

"Comrade Yu Zirui!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable pressure.

“I need an explanation. Why did Chief Jinhe kneel before me? How did you convey our community discipline and our principle of equality to them?”

Fine beads of sweat instantly appeared on Yu Zirui's forehead. He stood at attention, his face full of bitterness: "President Su, you are right. But... grassroots work is really difficult."

He sighed and began to explain the whole story.

It's very simple.

"President Su, I'm coming clean. Our concept of civilization is too far removed from theirs! We must be more realistic and practical... The project team came up with a makeshift solution."

Yu Zirui lowered his voice, his eyes darting around.

In the early days of the People's Republic of China, in order to quickly eliminate illiteracy and get illiterate farmers to use chemical fertilizers, people had to bring out deities like the Jade Emperor and the God of Harvest and Wealth to let everyone taste the benefits before telling them what would happen next.

The most difficult part of literacy campaigns and poverty alleviation is the initial stage.

Once you get started, and you stick with it, it should be enough in one or two generations.

Su Mingjin listened patiently, and after a long while, she finally let out a long breath, her tense shoulders relaxing.

"I see." She looked at the overwhelmed, almost gray-haired grassroots cadre in front of her, her eyes softening. "I've been away from the front lines for too long and made assumptions. Comrade Yu, thank you for your hard work. This was my subjective assumption, and I apologize to you."

Yu Zirui quickly waved his hand: "President Su, please don't say that! This is what we should do. As long as we can break the deadlock, a little misunderstanding is nothing!"

"Hmm, very good, but you'd better write it in more detail in your future reports."

Yu Zirui nodded repeatedly.

Su Mingjin then changed the subject: "Alright, let's go check out other things this time. We need to confirm the defense network, various civilian facilities, and the agricultural areas in the glacier cluster."

This place is more than 170 kilometers away from the time portal. As the saying goes, customs vary from place to place. If the food, clothing, housing and transportation of people over hundreds of kilometers are not handled well, there will likely be problems in the future, which will also affect the long-term plan.

The administrators at the University of Tokyo prefer long-term planning and stable development.

They may not be very experienced in handling unexpected situations, but they can easily and rigorously manage things within the plan.

The inspection of the Ice River tribe took Su Mingjin a whole day, and the misunderstanding about the messenger of the gods gave her a completely new understanding of the complexity of frontline work.

After resting for a day at the Ice River Tribe and adjusting her mindset, she boarded a helicopter early the next morning and headed to the oil extraction area in the far north.

The rotors roared, leaving the endless white and sparse green of the ground behind.

It's hard to imagine that green plants could exist in such a cold place.

If this were the North or South Pole, it would be a dead end.

Perhaps due to the magical particles, the far north has fewer frost-resistant plants.

Some botanists have even begun to try transplanting plants, hoping to grow these things in the Arctic and Antarctic.

The helicopter flew further north, its rotors cutting through the cold air with a deep, rumbling sound.

The plane was flying at an extremely high speed. Su Mingjin looked away from the report in her hand and gazed out the window.

In an instant, she sat up slightly.

Outside the porthole, a striking scene appeared on the snowy landscape to the side.

It was as if an invisible giant compass had drawn a perfect circle on the vast white canvas. At the edge of the circle, the raging wind and snow seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall. Although it did not stop abruptly, the further one looked into the compass, the more one could discover the differences within.

Deep within the circle lies a desolate, gray-brown earth, devoid of any ice or snow, and without a trace of life.

Even in this far north of the other world, where temperatures drop to minus forty degrees Celsius, there are still some cold-resistant coniferous forests and tundra that stubbornly add a touch of dark green to this land.

But there was nothing inside that huge circle.

It was so clean it gave me the creeps.

"Is that the ruins of an ancient battlefield in another world?" Su Mingjin asked.

The accompanying technician next to the driver immediately turned around, adjusted his headset, and said, "Yes, Mr. Su!"

Su Mingjin stared at that strange area: "Have there been any new tests recently?"

"No!" The technician looked somewhat helpless. "We've tried drones, tracked reconnaissance vehicles, and even live animals, various hunting dogs with cameras strapped in... and the results are all the same. We've detected the same thing for tens of kilometers around the arc."

Su Mingjin continued to stare at the vast area, but her mind drifted back to Dou Hanwen's face, which was filled with longing.

If that grave-digging archaeology fanatic hadn't been kept in check by them, Dou Hanwen probably would have already risked his life.

The people of the Ice River tribe have mentioned this place. Their ancestors strictly forbade any member of their tribe to approach this "forbidden land of life," saying that it devours all souls and no one can return safely from there.

A forbidden zone that easily devours life and technology... What exactly is hidden inside?
Is it an ancient weapon capable of destroying the world, or a treasure trove of knowledge that could change the course of human civilization?

The helicopter did not fly directly through, but instead circled around.

The damage to countless technological creations has led to a victim syndrome among the military.

Venturing there would likely result in a greater chance of being destroyed by some unknown force.

Only when they are stronger and begin formal maritime scientific expeditions will everyone attempt to enter that forbidden area from the sea again to observe it closely.

As the helicopter continued flying north, Su Mingjin gradually caught sight of the presence of oil and industry.

Because this place is too close to the far north, strange undead often appear. Although the oil region is not the front line of direct confrontation with the undead, its severity is no less than that of the oil region.

Workers must operate machines in sub-zero temperatures to excavate black industrial gold from deep within the frozen soil.

This hard work alone deserves the highest level of appreciation.

The helicopter landed on the cleared helipad, and a huge gust of air kicked up snowflakes.

There are no alien natives from the Ice River Tribe here; all you see are Dongda University students wearing heavy orange winter coats.

They were all outstanding workers who had passed through multiple rounds of screening. They were standing in a line, their faces chapped from the cold wind, showing more restraint than surprise.

Su Mingjin knew that her own position was a pressure in itself for these grassroots comrades who had been working hard all year round.

She took off her goggles and tried to put on a gentle smile.

"Comrades have worked hard!"

"Serving Southeast University!" The response was loud and clear, yet it also carried a stiffness characteristic of standard procedures.

A middle-aged man who appeared to be the foreman of the work area hurried forward, nervously rubbing his hands: "President Su, you...you came in person, in this freezing weather..."

“It’s precisely because it’s freezing cold that I had to come.” Su Mingjin’s gaze swept over the young and honest faces, and then looked at the faces of Peng Daqing and other skilled workers. “You are here drilling for hope for the country, while your families are waiting for you back home. I’m here on behalf of the family to see you and bring you something.”

She turned slightly to the side, and her entourage immediately opened several large insulated boxes.

The neatly arranged mooncakes of different styles were immediately revealed.

"These mooncakes were made by the chefs back home!" Su Mingjin said with a smile. "Everyone worked hard this holiday without a break. I have already applied to the higher-ups, and everyone's points and holidays will definitely be included."

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted into an uncontrollable cheer.

"Thank you, Mr. Su!"

"Long live the Party!"

More points and more vacation time are real benefits! More substantial than any empty slogan.

A young worker in his early twenties, quite bold, shouted, "General Manager Su, could you please install an internet cable next time? I can play a couple of games with my comrades during my time off!"

A burst of laughter erupted around them, and the person in charge turned pale, about to reprimand them.

Su Mingjin waved her hand, smiling even more broadly: "I've got this suggestion in mind. We definitely need to improve our entertainment options. I'll go back and mention it to the logistics team, and try to get everyone playing games and ranking up here as soon as possible!"

The phrase "Let's play together and rank up" instantly bridged the gap between everyone. The atmosphere became incredibly lively, and everyone gathered around Su Mingjin, chattering about funny things that happened at work and complaining about how monotonous this godforsaken place was.

Humans are social animals, and modern people live in even more comfortable environments.

Although their working environment is extremely harsh, they hope that after working long hours they can enjoy some better quality rest.

Su Mingjin nodded, promising to ensure good logistics, and everyone's quality of life gradually improved.

It's not like conditions are bad; we just need to adapt. Besides, the workers here have made great sacrifices and created countless opportunities for the University of Tokyo, so they must be well taken care of.

Su Mingjin's last stop was a military camp in the oilfield.

While the helicopter was still circling in the air, Su Mingjin saw that on the outer perimeter of the military camp, the muzzles of several self-propelled artillery pieces were emitting wisps of smoke.

"boom!"

A muffled boom came from afar, and a cloud of snow mist shot into the sky.

"Are there still scattered undead below?" Su Mingjin asked through the internal communication.

The accompanying liaison officer quickly explained, "Reporting to General Su, those areas were identified as anomalies using magic, and we suspect there are lurking undead units. According to the operational plan, before the patrol team sets off, we will conduct a violent cleanup using artillery fire."

Su Mingjin nodded slightly. War is a matter for soldiers; she would not interfere.

As the plane landed, she was greeted by a battalion commander with dark skin, an upright posture, and wearing snow blindness glasses.

The soldiers were in excellent spirits, standing as straight as little white poplars in the snow.

After a brief inspection and exchange, Su Mingjin did not linger and returned two hours later.

Only when the helicopter disappeared into the horizon did the battalion commander, whose face had been tense, finally let out a long sigh of relief and relax completely.

He turned around and smiled at his adjutant beside him, saying, "Finally, they're gone! Go tell the cooks that tonight we'll have these mooncakes and a few hearty dishes! The brothers have been on edge for this inspection!"

"okay!"

after one day……

Su Mingjin looked at the latest archaeological discoveries and detailed survey data provided by Dou Hanwen and his team.

An excited look appeared on his face.

"Three thousand three hundred and thirty-three tons! I never imagined there would be so much gold at an archaeological site! It's a pity it was discovered a few months too late!"

If humanity knew there was so much gold underground, perhaps they wouldn't have bothered selling the goods to the powerful and wealthy of the modern world to obtain initial funds and curry favor with some upper-class individuals.

"Do these alien giant civilizations use different units of measurement than humans, or do they use other types of units of measurement?"

Su Mingjin poured herself a cup of tea, and after looking at the gold, she continued to look at the mottled, almost vanished text and photos.

This is a collection of surviving texts from ancient civilizations, compiled by Professor Dou Hanwen and his team.

There are not many characters, and most of them have been damaged over the millennia, with only a small portion remaining.

After she organized the text, she sent it to Gong Pengfei and the others, asking them to try to get clues from the elves' captives.

Only then did she look at Dou Hanwen's archaeological discovery.

Due to water rust and other reasons, it has been corroded over thousands of years and has turned into scrap iron slag. However, a lot of remnants of the large safe that can still be vaguely identified have been found. But it would probably take countless hours and efforts to restore these things.

Just like the bamboo slips and clay artifacts unearthed from ancient tombs, it would take at least several years to restore them properly.

In any case, archaeologists will be busy for some time to come.

"Unfortunately, that large vault and warehouse did not store any particularly valuable knowledge or inheritance."

Su Mingjin muttered to herself, then, thinking about Dou Hanwen's discovery and the recent protection, she shook her head and laughed: "Why did I want to achieve everything in one step? I was just too greedy!"

(End of this chapter)