The little star from the Gobi Desert, handed over to the state, is hailed as a national treasure.

With the expert team's precise planning, the core pipelines of the circulating cooling system were successfully laid, and the cooling problem of the missile ground test was solved in one fell swoop.

Meanwhile, the hydropower project is also progressing smoothly. As the first water turbine was put into operation, the barracks were lit up one after another. The days when we had to use diesel engines and kerosene lamps to save electricity are finally over.

The entire base was jubilant, and everyone felt that the dawn of victory was getting closer and closer.

Behind this inspiring sentiment, an ominous cloud was quietly gathering over the base—

After several days of calculating key data, Professor Qian suddenly collapsed from exhaustion next to his workbench.

This incident was nothing short of a bolt from the blue for the base. Professor Qian was the "brain" of the entire missile development system, possessing the most core and top-level key data. He was responsible for almost all of the design and calculations. His sudden illness at such a critical moment was an immeasurable loss, both to the start of the experiment and to the progress of missile development.

After a preliminary examination, Dr. Sun from the clinic looked grave. "Commander," he said, "it's highly likely that Elder Qian's symptoms are caused by a long-term vitamin deficiency! We've been lacking fresh fruits and vegetables here for a long time. Not only Elder Qian, but all the other researchers are also severely depleted. If this continues, they'll have problems sooner or later!"

This was a hidden danger that all the base personnel were well aware of. They thought that with fish and grain, the nutritional problems would gradually be alleviated, but they forgot that the previous deficits had already depleted their physical strength, which could not be replenished in a short time. And the crops in the fields had just been sown, so the distant water could not quench the immediate thirst.

Commander Liu immediately made the decision: "Prepare the car and take Old Qian to the town hospital right away. Our conditions here are not good, and this illness cannot be delayed."

"Commander, vitamins are in short supply nationwide. Does the town hospital have any in stock?" Chief Designer Wang asked.

"I've already made contact, and the town hospital has two vials of Vitamin C injections, which can be used for emergency purposes. As for the rest, I'll try to get them from the city."

"But this doesn't solve the fundamental problem," said Dr. Sun anxiously. "The best solution is to ensure that the base can supply vegetables and fruits normally, otherwise there will be more trouble later."

"Comrade Sun Yanjun, you make it sound so easy. We even cobbled together the seeds in the fields. Fruit? Where am I supposed to conjure it up for you?" Zhao Youtian, who was in charge of logistics, rubbed his temples in frustration.

"Send Old Qian to town first. We'll talk about the fruit later. If all else fails, I'll personally report to the capital." Commander Liu waved his hand and ordered Liang Zhe and Song Dazhuang to lead several soldiers to take full charge of the escort mission.

Ten minutes later, just as Mr. Qian was being carried onto the vehicle on a makeshift stretcher, a small figure suddenly rushed out of the barracks.

"Dad, wait for me!"

"Sweetie, Daddy's taking Grandpa Qian to the hospital. You can play with the aunties at the base." Liang Zhe squatted down, gently patted his daughter's head, and prepared to get in the car.

"No!" Sweetie grabbed her father's leg and shook her head vigorously. "Sweetie wants to go too! Sweetie wants to take care of Grandpa Qian!"

"There are a lot of germs in hospitals, and children are prone to getting sick there," Liang Zhe coaxed gently.

"Don't be afraid, Sweetie! Sweetie is healthy!" The little girl stubbornly raised her face, her expression unwavering.

Liang Zhe was in a dilemma. His daughter meant well, but this was a serious mission, not a trip. Without approval from his superiors, he absolutely could not bring the child along. Just as he was about to try to persuade her again, Brigade Commander Bai, who was seeing them off, waved his hand: "Little Liang, take the child with you. We all know Tian Tian's abilities; maybe this time there will be an unexpected surprise."

As he spoke, Brigade Commander Bai took out a few banknotes and a stack of grain coupons from his pocket and stuffed them into Liang Zhe's hand: "When you get to town, take some time to visit the supply and marketing cooperative. The kid has been at the base for so long, and hasn't had anything decent to eat. Buy him whatever he likes, don't be stingy."

"Brigade Commander, this won't do..." Liang Zhe was about to refuse.

"Here you go!" Several experts nearby also took out money and food coupons and handed them over. "First, to help Old Qian recover, and second, to buy some nutritional supplements for Little Sweetie. We don't want people to look down on the people from our base when we get to town."

Liang Zhe's eyes reddened slightly. He glanced at his youngest daughter at his feet, tears welling in his eyes, and accepted the money and food coupons. He then gave everyone a crisp military salute: "Yes, sir!"

He had already made up his mind that this money must not be spent recklessly. In addition to buying medicine for Qian Lao, he must bring back some food for the experts at the base who work day and night.

The car slowly started and headed towards the town. The base was located deep in the desert, and it would take at least an hour to drive to the town. Adding to the difficulty, there wasn't a single decent road along the way; most of the route was a mix of yellow sand and broken concrete, making bumpy rides a common occurrence. This posed a significant challenge to the driver, who had to be fully focused on avoiding quicksand sections to prevent the vehicle from getting stuck.

Professor Qian leaned back in the seat with his eyes closed, his face pale and his expression weak. Dr. Sun sat close to him, occasionally whispering to the driver, Xiao Wang, "Xiao Wang, drive slowly, try to be steady, don't jolt Professor Qian."

"Dr. Sun, with these road conditions, it's hard to drive steadily," said Xiao Wang, who was fully focused on the steering wheel.

Sweetie sat in Liang Zhe's lap, her small body tossed up and down with the bumps of the vehicle. She blinked her big, round eyes and suddenly asked, "Uncle, if the road is smooth now, will Grandpa Qian not feel uncomfortable anymore?"

Xiao Wang, focused on the road conditions, casually replied, "That's true! It's a pity we don't have such good roads around here."

Before the words were even finished, a miraculous scene unfolded. The previously soft and sunken sand suddenly solidified the moment the wheels rolled over it, as if an invisible layer of cement had been laid. The vehicle steadied itself abruptly, and the teeth-grinding jolt vanished instantly.

"Huh?" Xiao Wang looked in the rearview mirror with surprise and doubt. The road he had driven countless times was now unusually smooth.

Not only him, but even Dr. Sun in the back seat noticed something was wrong and was surprised to find that Professor Qian's pale face, which had been caused by the bumpy ride, had obviously eased up a lot.

"Sweetie, what happened? How did the road suddenly become smooth?" Xiao Wang looked incredulously through the rearview mirror!

"Sweetie didn't do anything." The little girl leaned softly against her father's chest, her eyes clear and her face innocent. No one expected that her innocent question would actually turn the soft yellow sand into a solid road surface comparable to cement.

"Commander Liang, your sweetie is truly our little lucky star!" Xiao Wang was overjoyed. If only there were roads like this every time we went to town!

With the smooth road surface, Xiao Wang drove very fast and arrived at the town's hospital in less than half the usual time.