28: Chapter 28 I want to buy land to grow sweet potatoes, but the mayor thinks I want to build a nuclear base.

Tianhai City Mayor's office.

The premium Longjing tea on the coffee table had been refilled three times, with steam rising in curls.

Mayor Zhao Dongliang sat opposite on the sofa, his back straight as a rod. His usually imposing square face was now filled with cautious probing. He held a freshly printed "Application for Change of Land Use" in his hands, his gaze lingering on the "Project Name" column for a full five minutes, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter.

【Project Name: Western Suburbs High-Yield Sweet Potato Cultivation and Strategic Reserve Base】

【Applicant: Chenxing Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd.】

【Legal Representative: Jiang Chen】

Zhao Dongliang swallowed, looked up at the young man leisurely drinking tea across from him, then looked back down at the line of text, feeling his brain struggling to keep up.

Just half an hour ago, he had received a confidential call from Commander Qin Weiguo of the Southeast Theater Command himself.

On the phone, the iron-blooded general's tone was unprecedentedly serious:

"Old Zhao, Mr. Jiang is going to your place to file a record. Remember, no matter what he wants to plant in the ground, even if it's an atomic bomb, you must give him the green light!"

"This concerns the fate of the nation! If something goes wrong, neither you nor I can bear the responsibility!"

After hanging up, Zhao Dongliang broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly had the best tea brought out, preparing to welcome a top-secret national-level project.

The result...

Sweet potatoes?

Spending a billion to buy industrial land just to grow sweet potatoes?

"Um... Mr. Jiang."

Zhao Dongliang put down the document, pushed up his glasses, and spoke with the caution of someone defusing a bomb, "Are you sure... the purpose stated here is the truth?"

Jiang Chen put down his teacup and nodded with a calm expression:

"Of course it's the truth. Mayor Zhao, food is the most important thing for the people, right? I recently researched a... well, a genetically modified new variety of sweet potato. The yield is huge, the size is massive, and it's especially suitable for strategic food reserves."

He wasn't lying.

To feed the people in that city in the Wasteland, high-calorie, shelf-stable sweet potatoes and potatoes were definitely the top choices. And he did indeed plan to build a huge warehouse there, so the reason was perfectly reasonable.

But to Zhao Dongliang's ears, this meant something completely different.

"High yield? Massive size? Strategic reserve?"

Zhao Dongliang's heart skipped a beat, and countless codes from spy movies flashed through his mind.

Sweet potato... yam...

Decades ago, during the war years, "yam" was a communication code only known to the core top brass!

And besides, what kind of sweet potatoes need a billion-dollar plot of land to grow? And require Commander Qin to personally call? And need a shell company like "Agricultural Technology" to cover it up?

There was only one truth!

These aren't sweet potatoes at all!

These are code names!

What's buried underneath is definitely that "big guy" that can render the other side of the ocean barren once launched!

"I understand!"

Zhao Dongliang slapped his thigh, a flash of "I get it all" wisdom in his eyes.

He lowered his voice, leaned forward, and said with a serious face:

"Mr. Jiang, you don't need to explain. I'm familiar with confidentiality regulations; I won't ask what I shouldn't ask."

"Since it's a 'strategic reserve,' the security level must be the highest, right?"

Jiang Chen was stunned for a moment.

Is this mayor's awareness this high?

"Uh... it does need to be high." Jiang Chen thought about it, "After all, it is my... hard work. If it gets stolen or sabotaged, it would indeed be quite troublesome."

If the black technology shipped from the Wasteland were stolen, that would indeed be a huge problem.

"Understood! Completely understood!"

Zhao Dongliang took a deep breath, a grave expression appearing on his face.

Sure enough!

If it were ordinary sweet potatoes, why fear theft? Only that kind of super weapon would fear being sabotaged!

He picked up his fountain pen and signed "Approved" in big, heavy characters on the application, the ink bleeding through the paper.

"Mr. Jiang, since this is part of the country's covert front, our local government must cooperate fully."

Zhao Dongliang stood up, walked to the giant map on the wall, picked up a red pen, and drew a huge red circle over the land in the Western Suburbs.

"I have specially approved this plot of land!"

"Also, to ensure... ahem, the growth environment of the 'sweet potatoes' is not disturbed, I have decided to activate a Level 1 emergency response plan."

He turned to look at Jiang Chen, his tone resolute:

"With this land as the center, a ten-kilometer radius will be designated as a military restricted zone!"

"The two chemical plants originally planned there will be relocated! The nearby residential areas will be demolished and relocated within a month!"

"I will make sure not even a fly can get into this ten-kilometer radius! Absolutely ensuring your 'sweet potatoes' are foolproof!"

Jiang Chen's hand holding the teacup froze in mid-air, and he almost spat out his water.

"Wait... Mayor Zhao, a ten-kilometer restricted zone? And demolition?"

Isn't this blowing things out of proportion?

I just want to hoard some food and occasionally flip some second-hand exoskeletons. You're making this look like a nuclear test base; isn't that too high-profile?

"It's not high-profile! Not high-profile at all!"

Zhao Dongliang waved his hand, looking righteous, "This is a matter concerning the fate of the nation! If foreign forces infiltrate, it would be a disgrace to our Tianhai City!"

"Rest assured, to the outside world, we will announce it as… establishing a 'National Ecological Agriculture Demonstration Zone.' I'm familiar with this kind of cover!"

Looking at the mayor's resolute expression of "I'm willing to take the blame for the country," Jiang Chen opened his mouth, but in the end, swallowed his words.

Forget it.

Let it be a misunderstanding.

Anyway, he would definitely be shipping more outrageous things over there in the future, like mechs or spaceships. Having a restricted zone blocking everything would save him from having to explain.

"Then... I'll leave it to you, Mayor Zhao."

Jiang Chen stood up and shook Zhao Dongliang's hand, which was trembling with excitement, "If the sweet potatoes are ripe in the future, I'll definitely send you two baskets to taste as soon as possible."

Zhao Dongliang's eyes turned red with emotion.

Listen to that!

What simple and unadorned language!

"Sending sweet potatoes"—this was clearly implying that when the national defense cause succeeds in the future, there would be a share of the military merit for him!

"Mission guaranteed!"

...

When he walked out of the municipal government building, it was already late.

Jiang Chen held the heavy official document in his hand, his mood a bit complex.

These days, when you tell the truth, no one believes you, but when you spout nonsense, it all becomes the truth.

"Boss!"

Company Commander Zhao Gang, who had been waiting at the entrance, stepped forward and opened the car door. Ever since he was assigned here by General Qin Weiguo last time, this special forces king had become Jiang Chen's full-time driver and bodyguard captain.

"Go to the Western Suburbs."

Jiang Chen climbed into the car, "Let's go see our new territory."

The convoy sped along and soon arrived at the Western Suburbs.

The originally desolate industrial ruins were now a scene of bustling activity.

Dozens of large excavators were roaring, and searchlights turned the dark night as bright as day. On the outermost perimeter, rows of temporarily erected barbed wire fences had already been pulled up, with bright red "Military Restricted Zone, No Entry" warning signs hanging on them.

But that wasn't the point.

The point was, at the unfinished gate, several menacing-looking heavy trucks were parked.

What they were carrying on the trucks wasn't bricks, nor was it cement.

Instead, they were thick, large launch tubes pointing diagonally at the sky.

"That is..."

Jiang Chen leaned against the car window, his eyes almost popping out, "HQ-9 air defense missile trucks?!"

The hell is this for farming?

Whose family needs air defense missiles to guard sweet potatoes? Defending against what? Defending against aliens stealing sweet potatoes?

"Report, Chief!"

Company Commander Zhao Gang turned his head and explained proudly, "This was specially approved by Commander Qin. He said since Mayor Zhao has designated this place as a restricted zone, the security specifications must keep up."

"In addition to air defense missiles, we have also deployed a radar battalion and an armored infantry company."

"Commander Qin said, we must ensure your 'base' is so secure that not even a bird can fly through!"

Jiang Chen held the document labeled "Agricultural Technology," looked at the murderous missile trucks outside the window, and was left in a daze in the wind.

This misunderstanding...

Seems like it really can't be explained clearly anymore.