Pretending to be a genius starts with the civilization advancement assessment.

Chapter 161 Li Zhenguo's Plans
The Starburst fighter jet streaked across the sky. Inside the jet, Lin Yi sat in the cockpit. After thinking for a moment, he instructed, "Starburst, connect me to Zhou Dong from the General Staff."

The communication system responded immediately, and soon Zhou Donglai's voice rang out in the cockpit: "Comrade Lin Yi?"

Lin Yi didn't stand on ceremony and went straight to the point. "Chief of Staff Zhou, I'm on my way to the Longyuan Command Center and expect to arrive in 30 minutes. I need to meet with Chief Li."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the communication line, then Zhou Donglai's voice was somewhat solemn: "Of course you can see Chief Li directly, but Chief Li is unwell." He paused, then added tactfully, "It shouldn't be too long; he needs to rest."

Lin Yi nodded. Although Zhou Donglai couldn't see his movements, the certainty in his tone was conveyed: "I've heard about this matter, and I've come here to resolve it."

Zhou Donglai's heart stirred, and he keenly grasped the deeper meaning in Lin Yi's words, but he did not ask any further questions. He simply said solemnly, "Okay, I will arrange it for you right away."
-
Longyuan Underground Command Center, Medical Area.

In stark contrast to the tense and busy command center, the air here is filled with the smell of disinfectant, and the corridors are lined with heavy blast-proof doors, each leading to an independent medical unit.

Outside the innermost ward, two armed guards stood at attention, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Inside the ward, Li Zhenguo lay on the hospital bed, his once robust body now appearing exceptionally thin.

As the saying goes, illness strikes like a landslide. This former commander, who once commanded the battlefield, has lost a lot of weight, but his eyes still retain their former sharpness.

Zhou Donglai knocked softly on the door before pushing it open and entering, his footsteps very light.

He walked to the bedside and whispered, "Commander, Comrade Lin Yi wants to see you."

Although Li Zhenguo's health had deteriorated significantly, a smile still appeared on his lips upon hearing this: "Oh? He's coming? Is there good news or some new idea?"

Zhou Donglai nodded, his tone filled with excitement: "Yes, Comrade Lin Yi launched a series of attacks a couple of days ago and killed a Star Core-level Abyss Beast."

"Star Core level?"

Li Zhenguo's eyes lit up immediately. He struggled to sit up, and Zhou Donglai quickly stepped forward to help him up. "This is great news, haha. Since Comrade Lin Yi can already kill Star Core level monsters, perhaps it won't be long before he can take action against the Abyss Beasts in the main nest."

The old man's laughter echoed in the ward. Although his voice was weak, it was still full of pride. "It's a pity that I don't think I'll live to see the day when Lin Yi storms the main nest."

At this point, Li Zhenguo's expression turned serious: "It just so happens that he wasn't supposed to come, but I've invited him anyway. I need to take advantage of the fact that I can still handle things now and explain some matters to you two to ensure a smooth transition and avoid any trouble."

"Before Comrade Lin Yi arrives, let me say a few words to you first." He looked at Zhou Donglai with a deep gaze: "Donglai, times have changed. The future belongs to Yuan Energy. You must change your mindset. From now on, you should focus on assisting Comrade Lin Yi and protecting him."

"Hey, what nonsense are you talking about, old man?" Zhou Donglai smiled, trying to lighten the mood: "Didn't you say that Lin Yi is the Son of Miracles? With the Son of Miracles around, you don't need to be so pessimistic."

Li Zhenguo smiled too, a hint of relief in his expression: "Yes, the Son of Miracles."

The two chatted for a few more minutes, then Zhou Dong glanced at his watch and said, "It's almost time, I need to go out and meet him."

Soon, Zhou Donglai arrived at the helipad outside the Longyuan Command Center from the deepest medical area.

Although he had a smile on his face, a hint of worry could still be seen between his brows.

In the distance, a dark blue dot of light rapidly enlarged, the optical camouflage on the surface of the Starburst Fighter gradually faded, revealing a streamlined fuselage. The source energy engine emitted a deep hum, and it descended slowly with an elegant posture, eventually coming to a complete stop.

The hatch opened silently, and Lin Yi stepped out.

He was still wearing that simple combat uniform, but the aura he exuded made the surrounding air freeze.

As soon as Zhou Donglai saw Lin Yi, he went to greet him.

"Comrade Lin Yi, welcome to Longyuan." Zhou Donglai gestured for him to enter. "Commander Li is already waiting for you."

Lin Yi nodded in acknowledgment, "Thank you for your trouble."

The two walked side by side into the command center. Soldiers along the way stood at attention and saluted them. Their eyes held not only respect for Zhou Donglai, but also admiration for Lin Yi.

As the elevator slowly descended, Zhou Donglai suddenly spoke up: "Comrade Lin Yi, Chief Li's health condition is more serious than it appears. The doctor said it's due to long-term overwork combined with age-related organ dysfunction."

Lin Yi didn't say much, only replying, "Mm."

His tone was calm, but Zhou Donglai could sense the confidence within it, which increased his anticipation even more.

Actually, Lin Yi hadn't thought that much about it. He just felt that since they were almost there, nothing he said now would be as effective as showing Zhou Dong the results later.

The elevator doors opened, and the two walked toward the medical area, arriving at the ward's door amidst salutes from the guards along the way.

Zhou Donglai pushed open the door, and the two entered the ward.

Li Zhenguo wasn't lying down; he was leaning against the headboard.

"Comrade Lin Yi, you've arrived." Li Zhenguo said with a smile, his voice weak but still hearty.

Lin Yi walked to the bedside, his gaze lingering on the old man's face for a moment: "Commander Li, I have brought a solution to your health condition."

A flicker of surprise crossed Li Zhenguo's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure: "Oh? What method?"

Lin Yi didn't speak, but with a slight thought, a dark purple spiritual crystal with golden wisps floated out from his belt.

"This is a Spirit Crystal dropped by a Star Core-level Abyss Beast," Lin Yi said, gently pressing the crystal down with his soul power.

"Crack!"

The crystal shattered upon impact, turning into starlight that dissipated into the air. In the place where the crystal had been, a potion emitting a soft blue light slowly appeared and floated in mid-air.

Li Zhenguo was a man of great stature; he only needed a moment's thought to guess the general idea.

He asked, "Have you heard about my health issues?"

Lin Yi smiled but did not answer the question directly.

Instead, he brought up something else.

"When I was cleaning up a large nest, I obtained a source energy evolution fluid. However, it can only be used after one has mastered the basics of source energy. It can directly elevate one to the Stardust level."

"But the downside is that unless you raise your source energy control to a normal stardust level, it's very difficult to cultivate on your own. I gave that branch to Nie Chang."

"At the time, I thought that, based on the pattern of items dropped from crystals, higher-level crystals might contain more effective evolution fluids, either with lower entry requirements or stronger effects."

"After hearing about your situation, I decided to try my luck, and it seems I was indeed lucky."

"You were really lucky."

Li Zhenguo's eyes were filled with complex emotions. He silently repeated to himself, "Fortunately, nothing went wrong with him."

Then, Li Zhenguo coughed lightly and said, "Comrade Lin Yi, based on my understanding of you, if you were absolutely certain, you would have gone to deal with the leader-level Abyss Beast, right? So, the Star Core level should actually be nearing its limit."

He sighed and continued, "I don't think you should take the risk. Even if I, Li Zhenguo, am gone, there's still Comrade Donglai. But you are irreplaceable. You are more important to Xia Guo than I am."

(End of this chapter)