A Maybach on a rainy night? Talk to my Levadin!

"The relevant laboratories and equipment are already on their way, and I will also arrange all the funding and follow-up support measures you need." At this point, Angers closed his notebook, looked up at Zhao Zizhan, and added, "By the way, I will send a reliable student from the academy to be responsible for escorting and moving the equipment. Do you mind? I'm mainly worried about any accidents on the way, and it's reassuring to have someone of our own keeping an eye on things."

Zhao Zizhan thought for a moment, and a name came to mind, but he didn't show it on his face.

"Principal, what are you saying? You're so temperamental, what can I say? It's just moving some goods, there's no problem at all!"

He bent down and took out another identical black box from the cabinet, put a new carbon brick inside, and pushed it in front of Angers. "As long as the equipment and funds are in place, you can take this carbon brick directly. Don't be shy! We have a whole bunch of cooperation plans to follow, this little thing is nothing."

Angers blinked. "I think the school's equipment department would be very happy to see this."

……

The equipment department in Kassel, located more than a hundred meters underground at the Kassel College, is proudly referred to by its members as "Wat Alheim."

In Norse mythology, Wat Aalheim means "Land of Dwarfs." It is inhabited by the world's most skilled dwarf craftsmen, who forge the weapons of the gods.

To reach the equipment department, one must take a dedicated elevator. During the elevator descent, one can clearly feel the slight vibration of the fuselage passing through layers of isolation.

The entire equipment department is surrounded by nine layers of isolation, including a three-meter-thick concrete wall, a fifty-centimeter-thick high-strength armor plate, lead-zirconium alloy plates to withstand nuclear explosions, and a large amount of graphite powder between the isolation layers, so that even in the event of an extreme attack, it can buy enough reaction time for the interior.

The full name of the Equipment Department is the Institute of Alchemy and Scientific Engineering Applications. The elites of the Equipment Department do not engage in Li Lingyan's business. Their daily work is to combine the ancient mysteries of alchemy with the cutting-edge theories of modern science, and then, through countless experiments, transform them into "practical products" that can be used on the battlefield of dragon slaying.

To put it bluntly, it's about setting up all sorts of bombs.

All kinds of bombs.

From tiny explosive devices capable of precisely destroying targets to heavy explosives powerful enough to blast open dragon scales, and even special electromagnetic bombs that can interfere with dragon speech, there's nothing they wouldn't dare to try if it could pose a threat to dragons.

Fried meat is from this area.

Although these demolition geniuses all seemed a bit crazy, it must be said that their inventions provided considerable help to Kassel's dragon-slaying endeavors.

Click!

The metal doors of the private elevator slowly opened, accompanied by a slight hiss of air pressure being released. Angers stepped out, holding the small black box containing carbon bricks.

A faint smell of gunpowder, mixed with the scent of metal and chemicals, filled the corridor outside the elevator. Before Angers could even adjust to the smell, a strange-looking figure rushed out from the end of the corridor.

The newcomer was wearing a heavy white biohazard suit, over which was a Kamen Rider armor.

He practically jogged over, his eyes glued to the box in Angers' hand the entire time, waving his outstretched hand in the air, his tone incredibly eager: "Oh, Headmaster, it's been a long time waiting for you!"

Angers took a small step to the side, deftly dodging the other person's outstretched hand, and said calmly, "French expert, take me to the laboratory first."

"It's Akarad al-Muhammad al-Fahd!"

The newcomer immediately frowned and corrected him with displeasure, "You old man, at least pronounce the person's name correctly!"

But as soon as he finished speaking, his gaze involuntarily drifted back to the black box, his tone softened instantly, and he reached out to grab it again, "No, no, stop talking nonsense, hurry up, let me see the goods! Is it the pure new goods you mentioned in the previous contact? I've already set up the testing equipment, and I'm just waiting for the samples!"

“Of course,” Angers said, holding the small box and gesturing for it to arrive, a barely perceptible smile flashing in his eyes. “I also look forward to seeing how this new material performs in your laboratory and delivers some amazing test results.”

Akadullah missed his target. He withdrew his hand dejectedly and said in a frustrated tone, "Fine, fine, then come with me."

"Damn it, he won't let me see the thing even though it's right in front of me. That old man is no good..."

As Akadula walked, he muttered to himself.

He secretly glanced at Angers behind him out of the corner of his eye and saw that the other man was following slowly behind, clutching the small box tightly in his hand, as if he were guarding some rare treasure. His frustration increased even more.

Despite his annoyance, his thirst for technology compelled him to continue asking, "But did this thing come from that new consultant you mentioned? How did he get his hands on it? Did he dig up some dragon king's grave?"

To be honest, although the full name of the Equipment Department is "Alchemy and Science Engineering Application Research Institute", these guys who are obsessed with blasting and machinery have never really touched the core technology of the field of alchemy.

They call themselves the successors of "Wat Alheim," but they are far inferior to the dwarf craftsmen in mythology who could forge weapons for the gods.

The equipment department's metalworking group can use superalloy casting to produce weapons. Superalloy weapons are comparable to the Murasame Shadow Blade forged from Tamahagane steel, but they are definitely not as good as Chu Tianjiao's Murasame True Blade.

Because that thing was imbued with life, a truly pure alchemical weapon.

It's no wonder that the madman in the equipment department reacted so strongly to the new materials.

There was no way around it; they were just too eager to improve.

People always say that their equipment department only knows how to cause explosions, but they also have their own difficulties.

Of all alchemy techniques, the explosion reaction is the simplest. You only need to determine what can explode, then determine when it will explode, and finally, the user determines where it will explode.

Is it in our own hands, or at the enemy's feet?

Nevertheless, the level of danger of such explosive reactions remains very high. Despite being demolition geniuses, there are no people in Cassel who value their lives more than them.

If a completely new material can be developed and used, their research progress will be greatly accelerated!

An alchemical folding knife?

That's garbage!

Chapter 210 Contradiction.

Although no one can say for sure what conclusions old Angers reached in that secret test overseas, the old man certainly made the payment quickly.

As soon as Old Angers boarded the plane back home, his domestic bank sent him a text message confirming the funds had been deposited into his account, with the amount accurate to the single digit and even the transaction fees calculated in advance. The next morning, customs called to say that a batch of containers labeled "scientific research equipment" had been cleared through customs with priority and were being transported to the laboratory.

That's why people say someone can become a school principal; when it comes to being open and honest, there's nothing to criticize.

Of course, Zhao Zizhan hasn't been idle these past few days either. The advent of the new material has raised his reputation among many people in China. If he were to produce any more results, even if Hakimi on the roadside just snorted at Zhao Zizhan, he would probably be shot into a bloody mist by the security guards nearby.

As for all matters concerning the new materials, they were naturally handed over to Senior Brother Chu. It must be said that Old Chu is indeed very useful.

With an extremely high sense of responsibility on one hand, and a desire to compete with Caesar on the other, Chu Zihang has been acting like a nuclear-powered donkey these days.

But while some admire him, others harbor resentment. As the old saying goes, "where there are people, there is a world of intrigue." Zhao Zizhan's shocking move that stunned the entire mixed-race world hadn't yet faded from public discussion, and coupled with his astonishing martial prowess, it had already kept many people tossing and turning at night, feeling that this young man's existence had disrupted some established balance.

Zhao Zizhan's previous activities were quite rough, and anyone with a discerning eye could easily spot the irregularities if they did a little research.

Just like in this secret meeting that is currently being held, the conflict has been brought to the forefront.

"I think we can't give Zhao Zizhan too much freedom. The higher-ups have been too lenient and indulgent with him all along!"

"I still think we can't give Zhao Zizhan so much freedom anymore!"

A woman in a well-tailored dark suit slammed the report on the conference table, her voice filled with barely concealed urgency and dissatisfaction. "I just received news this morning that he has just accepted a huge amount of foreign exchange investment—this is absolutely a dangerous sign! Think about it, if he dares to accept overseas investment without any scruples today, he might dare to leave the country behind our backs tomorrow! And the day after tomorrow? Once he's really out of our sight, who will be able to control him?"

As soon as she finished speaking, an elderly man with gray hair and reading glasses, sitting at the head of the conference table, slowly raised his hand and interrupted her calmly: "Oh, alright, alright, don't get so agitated. Aren't the things the child is doing all within the bounds of the law? If they're not illegal, just let him be."

"Not illegal!?"

The woman's voice rose several octaves, "Then I'd like to ask, how do you explain the origin of all that gold he brought back from overseas? And what about those people with unknown identities who keep appearing around him? Not to mention that he's been buying up huge quantities of pig blood every day lately, dozens of tons at a time. Who knows what he's up to? Is all of this normal?"

No one uttered a sound.

The old man continued, "So what do you want to do?"

"His movements must be restricted!"

The woman immediately took over, speaking rapidly as she outlined her plan: "It's far too dangerous to let a key national researcher like him, who possesses core scientific technologies and strong military capabilities, roam freely outside like this! Moreover, we must assign special personnel to intervene and manage some of the sensitive operations in his lab, ensuring that every research project is under our supervision... Also, his acceptance of foreign investment must be stopped immediately. Even if we can't stop it, we must make him clearly list out the uses of the funds one by one and accept our scrutiny!"

The middle-aged man in the corner interrupted, "Have you considered what would happen if we did what you said and angered the child, causing them to turn against us?"

"I must make one thing clear to you first: Zhao Zizhan is not someone to be trifled with. Everyone witnessed the previous attack, and as you know, those people haven't even left a trace; they've all turned to ashes. Teenagers are at the age when their emotions are most easily impulsive."

"Even so, this child has been doing his best to respect us all these years and has been actively helping the country solve many problems. His ambition is actually very clear. It is to solve the problem of Odin hanging over our heads, and to reach the stars and the sea. These are things we can observe over time."

The middle-aged man paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, his tone becoming more serious: "If, because of some people's wrong decisions, we push someone with ability, strength, and overseas connections to the opposite side, who will be responsible for the losses if something really happens afterward? You, or all of us here?"

The middle-aged man's words were quite harsh; he was practically cursing the other person to their face.

As a witness to the attack, he had seen the mixed-race people who had been attacked by Zhao Zizhan, and he had also seen the base that Talulah had instantly refined. The power that ordinary people could not describe was beyond their reach. Instead of making friends with people, he wanted to restrict people with rules.

They've really gone stupid from reading too much.

After listening, the old man nodded slowly and took over the conversation in agreement: "Moreover, the matter of funding Kassel College that was just mentioned is actually a reminder to us—Zhao Zizhan may not necessarily only cooperate with us. If we really upset him, it's not impossible for him to want to find another partner. We can't let good people suffer both physically and emotionally, and break their hearts."

"Our country is so big, with thousands of years of history, what kind of talent can't we accommodate?"

The old man picked up the teacup on the table, took a small sip, and his tone returned to its previous calmness. "I'll say it again: whether he's collecting pig's blood or exchanging it for gold, as long as he hasn't broken the law, isn't this actually a good thing for the country?"

"We are like the elders in a family. As long as the child doesn't make a big mistake, we shouldn't always try to meddle in other people's family affairs. Let him make his own decisions and give him enough trust. That's better than anything else."

"Even if we take a step back and assume he really wants to go abroad, do you think those guys overseas watching him are more relaxed than we are? They're probably even more nervous than we are."

"Alright, that's enough for now, meeting adjourned."

After the meeting, seeing the woman still looking unwilling, the old man beckoned to the middle-aged man and gently instructed him: "You have too much of a temper. When you go back, remember to do more work on the cadres' files and try to control your temper."

The middle-aged man nodded slightly: "I understand."

PS: I'll take a break before updating the second chapter. I have to catch a flight today.

Chapter 211 The Awakening of the Industrial Behemoth

Those of you here are all seasoned veterans who have been working in the government system for many years. Some things don't need to be said too explicitly. Just do more archival work in your spare time, rather than saying you will be in charge of archival work later. Considering what happened at the meeting, the deeper meaning behind this doesn't need to be explicitly stated.

Government work emphasizes "following the rules." From policy-making to daily affairs, everything must be done within the framework of the regulations, without any ambiguity. Often, checking files is just a pretext; the real purpose is to investigate the people behind the scenes and to find loopholes in the process to deal with you.

Just like in the meeting just now, as soon as that female cadre said those words, many people below secretly frowned. The tone of her words sounded really outrageous. What do you mean by saying that you plan to restrict the personal freedom of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator?

Even so, no one jumped out to interrupt or dragged the person away. After all, according to the meeting's rules, all proposals must be heard. No matter how unexpected the content is, everyone must have a chance to speak. We cannot make a big fuss over a disagreement with someone, as that would violate the basic logic of how this huge country operates.

But there are always exceptions. For high-profile targets like Zhao Zizhan, a new system needs to be established. Making outrageous remarks on important national issues requires accountability. One cannot simply walk away and disappear. Those who should be investigated must be investigated, and those who should be held accountable must be held accountable. There can be no ambiguity.

"Pay more attention to your own coordination work. Today, I see that the situation is a bit strange. By the time the child cries, he's probably already soiled his pants." The cigarette between the leader's fingers was burning with tiny sparks, and the smoke slowly drifted upwards. He added a word of advice, still not entirely at ease.

The middle-aged man's expression turned serious: "I will be more careful and will definitely not repeat the mistake I made last time."

The leader had just extinguished his cigarette and casually stubbed it out in the ashtray in the corridor: "Also, how's the construction of the research base going?"

Once he entered his area of ​​expertise, the middle-aged man immediately began to speak fluently: "Don't worry, the base is already fully operational. The technical team is working overtime to catch up on the schedule, and we expect that by 2 a.m. today, the overall design plan for the base, based on Comrade Zhao Zizhan's design requirements, will be fully reviewed and finalized without any deviations."

"Once the overall plan is finalized, all the detailed work—including the layout details of each functional area, the precise parameters for equipment installation, the planning of pipeline routes, etc.—will be completed by 11:00 AM tomorrow. At that time, the plan will be sent to the precision equipment manufacturing plant we are cooperating with, so that they can start the production process of the relevant equipment immediately."

"Regarding the factories, we collaborated with multiple departments to conduct three rounds of comprehensive assessments, screening them from production capacity, technological level, quality control to emergency response speed. After this rigorous selection process, we identified a total of 325 factories with the corresponding production capabilities. These factories have now fully entered the emergency transformation and upgrading phase, with production line adjustments, specialized equipment debugging, and raw material procurement and preparation proceeding simultaneously and steadily."

He took a half step forward, his tone more confident: "We can now guarantee with certainty that as long as the complete construction and upgrade plan and all the necessary equipment designs are finalized and officially transferred to the factory, production can start immediately without any gaps in the process."

"What about the transportation? With so much equipment and materials, there can't be any problems with the transportation process."

"The transportation arrangements have been coordinated long ago. All transport trucks in the military region that meet the load-bearing and protection requirements have been urgently requisitioned, totaling more than 200 vehicles. Each vehicle is equipped with two experienced drivers working in shifts. Police cars will escort the entire transportation process, and the transportation departments along the route have also made route planning in advance to avoid congested sections. Emergency support personnel have also been arranged to be on standby at any time, which will absolutely guarantee the successful completion of the transportation mission and the safe and timely delivery of supplies to the base."

While the two were talking, Shilan City was quite lively.

One after another, heavy trucks marked "Emergency Supplies" and with their warning lights on sped like arrows toward the heavily guarded large temporary construction area on the outskirts of the city.

Security personnel at the entrance were already prepared. Checking information and registering numbers was done swiftly and efficiently. As soon as the truck stopped, it was immediately guided to the designated area to unload. Once unloaded, the truck, like a beast poised to pounce, quickly turned around and sped towards the next distribution center.

Truckloads of building materials—steel bars, cement, and fireproof boards—were piled up like small mountains; all sorts of circuit boards were neatly stacked in anti-static packaging boxes; there were also special steels wrapped in protective film and precision cables labeled with their models… These supplies, like a surging tide, continuously converged on this seemingly inconspicuous temporary base.

Meanwhile, in factories elsewhere, hundreds of engineers in protective suits are busy modifying and debugging equipment on long production lines.

Old Wang, who lives in a village near the valley, was carrying a hoe to go to the back mountain to farm early in the morning. He was stunned when he reached the village entrance. The valley, which used to be frequented only by birds and wild animals, was dusty today, and the roar of machinery could be faintly heard.

He squinted and looked into the distance, where he saw rows of military green trucks driving into the valley along a newly built temporary dirt road, their trailers loaded with equipment that was hard to see. Soldiers in camouflage uniforms were also patrolling along the roadside.

"Hey Lao Zhang, look over there! Why are there so many soldiers? What big thing happened?"

Old Wang grabbed a neighbor who was also standing and watching, his tone full of doubt.

Old Zhang frowned and shook his head: "I can't reach it."

Unbeknownst to them, the valley chosen as the research base was selected after multiple rounds of surveys and repeated screenings. Such a highly confidential project naturally couldn't be located in a bustling urban area; even normally sparsely populated suburbs were excluded due to potential signal interference and population movement issues.

This valley is located in the mountainous area at the junction of the two cities. It is surrounded by dense forests, and the interior is almost invisible from the outside. Its seclusion is far beyond expectations. Thanks to the long-term road infrastructure construction, the transportation is also very good. In addition, it is far away from the city, with fresh air, clean water, and environmental conditions that fully meet the requirements of a scientific research base.

The only problem is that it is undeveloped, and the entire area still retains its original natural appearance. The entrance to the valley is covered with waist-high weeds, and further in, there are dense forests with trees as thick as bowls everywhere, as well as exposed rocks scattered around. A small river runs through the middle of the valley, further fragmenting the already uneven land.

But then, your worker grandfather arrived.

A large number of construction machines began to operate. The bulldozer buckets, like giant hands, shoved hard at the trees blocking the road, snapping a man as thick as a bowl in half. He was then lifted by the iron arm of an excavator and placed steadily on a transport vehicle. The rocks were blasted into pieces with explosives and then crushed into gravel by a crusher to be used as raw materials for paving the road. On the river, several bridge-building machines worked simultaneously, precisely splicing together steel bridge panels. In just a few hours, a temporary floating bridge capable of accommodating heavy trucks was erected across the river. As for the weeds, they were not worth mentioning.

More than a dozen graders shuttled back and forth on the uneven land, and the dust they kicked up formed beams of light under the sunlight. The originally pitted and uneven ground was leveled into a large open space at a speed visible to the naked eye.

One after another, dark green military tents were erected, and medical vehicles, refrigerated trucks, field catering trucks, and other equipment were parked in their designated locations as if planned in advance.

Deep in the valley, a bustling scene unfolded. Countless workers, wearing safety helmets and carrying tools, moved through the mountains; some were surveying and laying out lines, some were erecting scaffolding, and others were moving materials. One after another, thick steel beams were lifted by cranes and steadily placed in their designated positions. The tallest steel beam tower had already risen more than ten meters high, gleaming with a cold, hard metallic luster in the sunlight. From a distance, it looked like a steel giant rising from the ground.

And these are far from the complete form of this industrial behemoth.

……

Zhao Zizhan was naturally unaware of this turbulent meeting.

He is very happy now.

After Surtr broke through that thin veil of secrecy, their relationship seemed to accelerate rapidly, progressing at a visible pace, and the personal distance they previously had to maintain became increasingly closer.