With three superpowers at his fingertips, he could dominate the 1970s.

The three of them rushed all the way and arrived at the sanatorium just in time for breakfast.

In the canteen, the old leader was quietly eating porridge from an enamel bowl, with a small dish of pickled vegetables and a white steamed bun.

When the three of them pushed open the door, they were still covered in the dew of the mountains, their eyes were bloodshot, and their faces were so tired that they looked like they hadn't slept all night—but their eyes were frighteningly bright, like charcoal that had been burning all night.

The old leader glanced at them but didn't ask anything.

But he put down his chopsticks.

He knew those three men's expressions all too well—the same look on the faces of his soldiers when he led his remaining troops to rejoin the main force after the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign. Exhausted yet exhilarated, so exhausted that their bones ached, but the fire in their hearts made them unable to sit still.

It seems that girl is indeed someone who keeps a low profile.

"Secretary Li," he called out without looking up.

"arrive!"

"Go and bring three more servings of breakfast."

Secretary Li responded and left. A short while later, he brought in three breakfasts—porridge, steamed buns, and pickled vegetables—exactly the same as the old leader's.

Just as the three were about to speak in their excitement, the old leader pressed them down.

"No rush, let's talk after we finish eating."

The three of them had no choice but to swallow back the words that were rising in their throats, suppress their pounding hearts, and wolf down their food.

Commander Qian ate the fastest—soldiers never skimp on their meals. He finished a bowl of porridge in a few bites, broke open a steamed bun, dipped it in the pickled vegetable soup, and stuffed it into his mouth. He was full in less than five minutes.

He put down his bowl and stared longingly at his old leader, his expression like that of a military dog ​​waiting for its master's command.

The old leader slowly finished the last mouthful of porridge, wiped his mouth with a towel, and then looked up at him.

"Tell me, did the little girl lie to us?"

Commander Qian shook his head vigorously: "No, no! Not only do we have everything you mentioned, but also—"

He slapped his thigh, his voice cracking:

"They even transported a huge amount of grain for us! Mountains of it! Three mountains! Neatly piled up in three cargo holds! I, Old Qian, have never seen such high-quality grain in my life; it's even better than our special supply!"

As he spoke, he became excited again, almost wanting to demonstrate on the spot how tall those three grain mountains were.

The old leader smiled slightly after hearing this.

Unsurprisingly.

Vice President Liu and Director Zhao, standing to the side, were not as outgoing as Commander Qian.

They finished their meal a beat later than Commander Qian, but the moment they put down their chopsticks, they both fell silent almost simultaneously.

Unlike Commander Qian, who was only focused on looking at things, their minds finally started to work after the initial shock.

How were so many things transported in?

Their blockade line stretched ten kilometers away, and the entire mountain was surrounded by their own men.

But that girl managed to slip over twenty kinds of large-scale equipment and over five million catties of grain into the air-raid shelter without leaving a trace.

I didn't see any people, vehicles, or any trace of transportation.

Those things seemed to appear out of thin air.

No wonder the old leader repeatedly emphasized that we must not inquire about it.

The two looked at each other and saw the same problem in each other's eyes.

Vice President Liu put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and glanced at his former leader with a cryptic look.

"Old leader... is this one one of Mr. Zhuge's men?"

The question was phrased tactfully—it didn't say it directly, but the meaning was clear: such extraordinary methods could only be explained by the Second State Archives Administration or by the hidden talents within the intelligence system; he couldn't think of any other explanation.

The old leader glanced at him.

That glance was calm, but Vice President Liu's heart tightened.

"Don't ask."

The old leader's tone wasn't harsh, but there was absolutely no room for negotiation.

"What I can tell you is—she is not one of Old Zhuge's subordinates."

He paused, picked up his enamel mug, took a sip of water, as if he were carefully considering his words.

"There isn't such a capable person under Zhuge Liang."

Everyone present could tell the weight of those words. Who was Old Master Zhuge? He was the pinnacle of their field, and none of his subordinates possessed such abilities—so, just how far had this little girl gone?

The old leader put down his teacup and slowly scanned the faces of the three men.

This world is vast and full of wonders. Those with great abilities often live in seclusion.

His voice slowed, carrying a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a deep feeling or reflection) typical of an elder:

"Only this girl, with her youthful spirit, possesses such a pure and innocent heart."

He tapped the table, his tone suddenly turning serious:

"You three, shut your mouths tight."

"Don't forget—the list she gave me included much more than just that one item."

These words were like a bucket of cold water, sobering the three of them up by half.

Yes, the list that girl gave them contained far more than what they had asked for this time. Each of those items was enough to elevate the entire national defense research system to a new level—and she simply handed them over casually.

"A 'no-holds-barred' type who won't act until he sees the benefits." The old leader snorted. "Now we can get to work."

Commander-in-Chief Qian was the first to express his opinion.

He jumped to his feet, his back ramrod straight: "Old leader, this time I'm truly impressed."

His voice, no longer carrying the previous carefree tone, had become serious and solemn.

"I'll pack up in the next couple of days and head to Gansu Province. Since that girl still has so many valuable things, I need to get the lab fixed as soon as possible so those treasures can reach the researchers. We can't wait until everything arrives and we don't even have a place to store it."

Vice President Liu nodded, adjusting his thick-rimmed glasses. "I'll go with Lao Qian. When the equipment arrives, the acceptance, debugging, and allocation all need to be overseen by professionals; there can't be the slightest mistake."

Director Zhao patted his chest: "I'll figure out the money. If the funds aren't enough, I'll coordinate. If we keep being so stingy, I might as well quit my job."

The old leader looked at the three of them and nodded slightly.

That makes sense.

He turned and ordered, "Commander Qian, make the arrangements immediately. The items should go wherever they need to be. Throughout the process—keep your mouths shut."

"Vice Dean Liu, you personally lead the team to take those devices away. I don't need to tell you how to allocate them."

Vice Dean Liu immediately stood up and gave a proper military salute: "Yes, sir!"

The old leader looked at him and added, "The goods need to be transported out, but the process must be kept strictly confidential. The equipment must be monitored throughout the entire process, from moving it to storage; no outsiders can interfere at any stage. Once the equipment is transported, we'll send in a large force when it's time to transport the grain—more people will make the commotion less noticeable."

"clear!"

The three men received their orders and strode out.

The cafeteria fell silent again.

The old leader sat in the same spot, with several empty bowls and a half-eaten dish of pickled vegetables in front of him.

He looked out the window; the morning light was already bright, and the ginkgo leaves were a translucent green in the sunlight.

His heart remained unsettled for a long time.

This girl—she really is his number one national treasure now.

He picked up the teacup and took a sip of the tea, which had already gone cold.

真苦

But he smiled happily.