Otherworld Girl Development Guide

Without disturbing the old man at work, Zhou Mingrui tiptoed onto the villa's terrace and looked up at the dazzling starry sky.

Under a starry sky completely free of industrial pollution, each star shines like the most dazzling gem in the night sky, twinkling and radiant, so beautiful and captivating that it seems you could reach out and pluck it from the sky.

A whooshing sound came from behind him. Zhou Mingrui turned around and saw the red flag fluttering in the wind under the starry sky, as if it were imprinting five stars onto the sky.

As he gazed at the red flag, Zhou Mingrui instinctively stood up straight. He was quite self-aware, knowing that he was not the one to carry the flag, but even if he couldn't, he would still follow the flag.

He didn't notice that a figure watched him from the shadows for a few seconds, then returned to the room with satisfaction, crossed out a line in the notebook, and rewrote another line below it.

"Comrade Zhou Mingrui is trustworthy!!!"

Two days passed quickly, and the portal cooled down.

Zhou Mingrui packed his things. In the past two days, the retired old man had also thoroughly investigated the island, taking photos and videos, and even drawing a map of the island.

Snapped!

The portal opened again, and Zhou Mingrui, carrying a backpack full of records and mineral samples, returned to Earth with the retired old man.

The moment Zhou Mingrui stepped into the portal, he knew that from this very moment on, his life would undergo a dramatic transformation.

...........

An ordinary white Harmony train is speeding towards Shuzhou.

Inside the carriage, the old man comforted Zhou Mingrui, who was feeling restless.

"Mingrui, don't be nervous."

"I, I...I wasn't nervous..."

Zhou Mingrui wiped the sweat from his forehead. No wonder he was nervous!

In the entire high-speed train carriage, besides him and the old man, there was a group of men in black sitting not far away. A beautiful secretary was taking notes on his conversation with the retired old man. When she met his gaze, she only gave him an elegant and polite smile, without saying a word to him throughout the entire process. There were also armed guards on both sides of the carriage.

It is said that in the rear carriages, there are also mobile HQ-9 air defense missiles and 1130 close-in weapon systems.

Even more absurdly, this high-speed train had been running for a full two hours without intersecting with any other high-speed trains. Zhou Mingrui had absolutely no idea where it was headed, and dared not ask...

"Mingrui, this is the contract..."

The old man pushed a thick document to Zhou Mingrui, who picked up the contract and began to read it. The six large characters on the cover caught his attention.

"Star Ring Investment Company?"

"Star Ring Investment Company is the main organization responsible for developing Mingrui Star. As the first discoverer, the opposite side will be named after you. Of course, in order to avoid attracting external attention, the entire project is codenamed 'Nuwa'."

Zhou Mingrui twitched the corner of his mouth. He wouldn't normally think much of it, but having a planet named after him... he felt a little ashamed.

The second page of the contract lists the company's composition... It's quite simple: he holds 60% of the shares, and another, unheard-of institution holds 40%.

He only has the right to the profits, not the right to manage them, and he has no objection to this. He makes money while lying down and doesn't need to worry about anything. This is exactly the highest realm that lazy people hope for: to reap without sowing.

Zhou Mingrui quickly glanced at the contract, signed his name neatly and efficiently, much like someone skipping the user agreement in an online game.

The old man said with some surprise, "Aren't you going to take a closer look?"

"I'm not watching anymore!" Zhou Mingrui said bluntly.

Less than three seconds after the old man handed the contract to a man in black, Zhou Mingrui's new phone received a text message. He took out his phone to check... and saw a transfer to his account containing more money than he could squander in several lifetimes.

"Hahaha... Now you're the youngest richest person in the world. How does it feel to be rich?"

"It feels like a dream..."

Zhou Mingrui stared blankly at the balance in his mobile bank account. The money came too fast; it felt unreal. Even printing money couldn't have done it this fast... Now that he had money, he had to do something with it.

"Could I start a subsidiary, hire you and Hehehe, and collaborate with the Chinese Academy of Sciences?"

"Hmm? What company?"

The old man was stunned for a moment, not understanding Zhou Mingrui's meaning. Collaborating with the Chinese Academy of Sciences? Was this some kind of audacity?!

"War and Terror Situation! Abbreviated as WATS! Responsible for the development of future weapons!"

As he spoke, Zhou Mingrui's eyes lit up, a hint of something new appearing in them.

Now that we have money, we should have some high-end pursuits!

Develop some toys for men, like Gundam!

Men are boys until they die, and besides, no man can resist Gundam!

A single person building a Gundam... that's complete nonsense. Forget Gundam, just think about fifth-generation fighter jets—how many countries could actually build one?!

Large-scale structural weapons are entirely system engineering projects that test the technological development of an entire country. It is a pipe dream to think that one person can handle them!

The power of a collective is different. With the backing of the world's largest industrial nation, endless money, and technical support from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, what can't they create? Even the richest people in Dubai can't compare!

"The Bureau of War on Terrorism? Future weapons research and development? What are you going to build?"

"Build a Gundam! Of course, the Gundam I'm talking about is different from that Gundam... I'm not building a Gundam in the Japanese sense, nor is it a drone mech in the US sense! I'm making an improvement on the Type 59..."

The retired old man listened to these words for a while and felt that they sounded familiar, as if he had heard them somewhere before.

"...If the Gundam is the RX-78-2 Gundam and the first generation Gundam, then what I'm doing might be 0.2? 0.3?"

This experimental version, at its core, is essentially a modified Type 59. Besides, it's not that easy to create a Gundam!

"You little rascal..." Zhou Mingrui's words made the retired old man both laugh and cry. Good heavens... wasn't this just a repeat of what he had said to fool the J-20 back then?

"...Alright, since you have plenty of money, we don't mind bringing in some technical expertise."

As a professor specializing in weapons research, I believe that while things like Gundam are impractical, small mecha are still highly feasible.

Suddenly, it went dark outside the window as the high-speed train entered an underground tunnel, and the lights inside the carriage came on.

Chapter 7 Nuwa Base

The high-speed train slowly slowed down, it seemed to be approaching the station. But where exactly was this place...? The retired old man acted as if he knew nothing, and Zhou Mingrui wisely refrained from asking... it would be pointless to ask anyway.

Zhou Mingrui slung his backpack, which contained a change of clothes, over his shoulder and, guided by his smiling secretary, stepped out of the high-speed rail station.

The moment Zhou Mingrui stood on the platform, he froze... Good heavens, he must have a knack for burrowing, The Wandering Earth really lived up to its name.

They actually dug up such a huge base underground! No wonder they're called the infrastructure maniacs!

The LED array lights on the roof illuminated the entire station, and the design was extremely futuristic... If this weren't not American territory, Zhou Mingrui would have thought he had wandered into Area 51.

On the opposite freight platform, soldiers wearing exoskeletons, holding Type 95 assault rifles and AR augmentation glasses, surveyed their surroundings with hawk-like eyes.

Cranes moved containers from the train to the station, where they awaited sorting...

Soldiers used mobile devices to scan the QR codes and barcodes on the containers to classify them. The classified containers were then moved away by forklifts, and everything was done in an orderly manner.

A creaking sound came from behind him. Looking back, he saw the high-speed train that had brought him here slowly driving away. Apart from the bureau chief, none of the people accompanying him got off the train.

"How about that? Impressive, right!" The retired old man looked at Zhou Mingrui, who was standing there dumbfounded, and said with great enthusiasm, "We have several places that are even more impressive than this!"

Zhou Mingrui nodded subconsciously, thinking to himself, "The Central Propaganda Department is utterly incompetent!"

Tsk... good things are always kept hidden! No wonder the retired old man always suggests that the rabbit occasionally show off his wealth.

"Here, take this with you."

Zhou Mingrui took the work badge, hung it around his neck, and looked down at it.

Name: Zhou Mingrui

Sex: Male

Position: Researcher

......

Below this basic information is a barcode for identification, which Zhou Mingrui suspects may also contain an electromagnetic encryption chip.

"Don't lose it, one for each person, it's a hassle to replace it..." the retired old man instructed after putting on his work badge.

"Okay, I'll be careful."

The two stood on the platform, the retired old man glancing at his watch every now and then, as if waiting for something.

"Next, this will be the forward base responsible for developing Mingrui Star, the main implementation department of the Nuwa Project. We will not restrict your freedom, but you need to report when you go out and also pay attention to the confidentiality regulations."

Zhou Mingrui nodded. He was aware of this, and besides, he wasn't a big mouth who would say everything.

Less than two minutes later, an officer who looked to be in his thirties and held the rank of captain approached the two carrying a briefcase.

He stopped beside the two, unloaded his suitcase, stood at attention, and gave a loud and clear salute:

"Greetings, sir! Captain Shi Qiang reporting!"

After the retired old man returned the greeting, Zhou Mingrui, who was standing to the side, felt a little awkward. Saluting was not appropriate, but not saluting would seem impolite, so he could only nod respectfully.

"Mingrui, I still have some tasks to hand over. From now on, Shi Qiang will be your personal assistant. If you need anything, just tell him. If he can't handle it, then come to me..."

After finishing his remarks, the retired old man left immediately. He had many tasks to complete, including developing a preliminary development plan.

After watching the old man leave, Zhou Mingrui was at a loss for words when facing Shi Qiang.

"Follow me." Shi Qiang gestured for Zhou Mingrui to follow.

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome!"

After verifying his identity, Shi Qiang helped Zhou Mingrui collect the daily necessities and then headed to the living area in silence.

After taking the elevator, they arrived at the fourth floor of the base and stopped in front of room 04. Shi Qiang turned to look at Zhou Mingrui:

"This is your room. Just swipe your ID card to go in."

He picked up the ID card and placed it in the electromagnetic induction area. With a beep, the identity verification was successful. The door clicked open, and Zhou Mingrui entered the room, followed closely by Shi Qiang.

After entering the room, Zhou Mingrui looked around. It was a single room of about 80 square meters, simply decorated, but fully equipped except for the kitchen. It was practically move-in ready.

"This is your room. There's a phone by the bed. If you get hungry, you can order food, and the orderly will bring it over within ten minutes. Of course, you can also go to the mess hall, which is open 24 hours a day."

After saying that, Shi Qiang picked up the file box and placed it on the table. After the fingerprint and password were verified, the file box clicked open.

The first thing you see is a well-made PAD, a conspicuous red file folder, a set of military uniform, and several thick books.

Shi Qiang took out a red file folder, opened it, and handed the officer's ID card from the sealed bag to Zhou Mingrui.

"Keep your military officer's ID safe."