54: Chapter 54 Chu Ge's Heart-to-Heart Talk with the Military Industry System

Over the next week or so, Chu Ge fully experienced the daily life and hardships of a firefighter.

Wherever the various research and experimental groups needed him, Chu Ge had to be there. This was why they had all been concentrated in the Ordnance Research Institute from the very beginning.

If they had been scattered all over the country, Chu Ge probably would have had to summon [Soul Blade] and just fly everywhere...

Gradually, some eerie scenes began to play out at the Ordnance Research Institute.

"Hello, Academician Chu!"

"Mm, hello!"

"Hello, Academician Chu!"

"Huh? Academician Chu, weren't you just over with the Quantum Research Group?"

"Eh? Academician Chu, weren't you just with the Individual Weapons Research Group?"

*Hiss!* "Academician Chu, just how many of you are there?"

"..."

After spinning around like a top for these past few days,

The work of each group began to proceed in an orderly fashion. In particular, Li Gang's Individual Equipment Group was making rapid progress in developing the helmet's subsystems.

Chu Ge finally found some free time. He looked at the calendar; the Prism Tower project should be nearly finished, and he needed to prepare for a site visit.

After arranging his current tasks, Chu Ge went straight to Academician Chen's office.

"Old Chen, I plan to visit the Prism Tower Base tomorrow. Everything is normal at the bunker, and the construction of the Prism Tower Base should be fully complete. According to the plan, it can be integrated into the grid and start operating tomorrow."

"Little Chu, your nose is quite sharp. All twelve Prism Towers were completed yesterday. The military was even urging you to head over soon today. I thought you looked a bit tired lately, so I..."

"Thanks, Old Chen, but I'm fine. I'm in great shape and can set off tomorrow. Going out will also be a way to clear my head, right?"

Chu Ge said this while pointing to his own head.

"Haha, you... which Prism Tower Base do you plan to go to? I'll have the military make arrangements in advance."

"Q City. There's the ocean there, and our Huaxia naval base. I want to take this rare opportunity to mix a little personal business with pleasure, hehe."

"No problem. I'll have Commander Wang arrange a special military flight immediately. Tomorrow, you can go directly to the military airport to fly there."

"Isn't that a bit of a waste? I can just take a civil flight. Anyway, Captain Gong and the others will be with me when I go out, so there shouldn't be any issues."

"I'm afraid that won't do. The top leadership has specifically discussed your security. You have a heavy burden to carry in the future, and many, many projects still need you to lead the breakthrough, so nothing can be allowed to go wrong. It's fine here at the Ordnance Research Institute or even in Yanjing; we have a large security force around us, both overt and covert."

"Once you go out, all route arrangements must remain under military protection. Local police and armed police can only stay on the outer perimeter. Those surrounding you must be our most trusted and reliable elite special forces."

"Uh, I'm getting a sense of being treated like a giant panda."

"Haha, it's pretty much the same! No, there are still nearly 2,000 giant pandas, but there's only one Chu Ge."

"One? Grandpa Chen, you're being a bit cheeky lately..."

"Haha."

Chu Ge stayed in Academician Chen's office for a long time. Chu Ge didn't know how many apples he had eaten, and the two of them talked about many things—family matters, the next steps, and the future development of Huaxia.

Family, country, and the world—these things have complemented each other since ancient times.

Only with a family can there be a country, and only with a country can there be a family!

After Chu Ge took his leave, Academician Chen's eyes followed his back the entire time.

"Chu Ge, I hope these old bones of mine can live to see the moment you lead Huaxia to rule the world."

Academician Chen looked down with a face full of expectation, but when his eyes swept over the photo on his desk, the smile vanished instantly. His expression darkened as he pulled out his phone.

"Grandpa... sigh. Sigh... what did I do now? ...Dad, Grandpa is scolding me again. How many times has it been this month???"

...

Chu Ge went back to his dormitory after eating. He didn't plan to work himself to the bone tonight and went to bed early. Perhaps because he hadn't slept this early in so long, Chu Ge tossed and turned, unable to feel sleepy for a while.

His biological clock clearly hadn't reacted yet.

His eyes stared at the ceiling above, thinking about the words Academician Chen had said to him that afternoon.

"System Big Brother, are you asleep?"

[If you have something to say, spit it out!]

"Uh, your learning ability is really strong. It seems you've already adapted to the communication style of an old married couple."

[...]

"I was thinking about my conversation with Old Chen this afternoon regarding personal safety. I suddenly wanted to ask you, in those miscellaneous items of yours, are there any internal cultivation methods, superhero level-ups, or things like that? Let's just chat, don't go stuffing things into my head; it's about to explode."

[No.]

"Didn't you say you're more awesome than Doraemon?"

[Doraemon doesn't have those things you mentioned either. I've checked.]

"That works too? You're amazing! Then are there any of those awesome formulas for refining pills? Like one pill for marrow cleansing, two for Core Formation or Nascent Soul... things like Earth Immortal aren't necessary, the environment isn't right."

[No.]

"Sigh, as expected, your industrial era stuff and those cultivation systems are completely on different wavelengths. Wait, I'm the host, okay? I need something for self-defense. If I kick the bucket, won't you kick it too?"

[I won't kick it.]

...

[However, the Ultra-Dense Body Gas Shield can be used for self-defense.]

"You're really something. So you're saying I have to wear a helmet every time I go out? It's fine in winter, I'll just treat it as performance art, but what about the damn summer?"

"Oh, right! I can mount that system somewhere else; it doesn't have to be embedded in the helmet."

Chu Ge had a sudden realization.

"But it feels like the practicality isn't very high. If it really comes to that, this thing of yours can only make me invincible for a moment. It probably won't even last as long as a 'five-second real man'! If there are two attacks with a slight interval, I'm definitely dead!"

[There is an upgraded version.]

The system really couldn't stand this generation's host's constant nagging.

"Holy crap, for real? Where is it?"

[Shop System, Miscellaneous Category, Major Category 255, Sub-category 1324, No....]

"Stop. How much? How do I use it?"

[It's instantaneous, but only the host can use it. It consumes the host's prestige points.]

"This, haha, why didn't you say so earlier? Host benefits. A few hundred?"

[Let me see how many prestige points you have left... Oh, 6,000,000 for 9 uses.]

"..."

Chu Ge glanced at his prestige points. Oh ho, they had increased quite a bit: 6,000,500.

"I seriously suspect you're quoting the price based on my remaining balance. All those cool master skills are 100 or 200, but this costs 6 million? Are you trying to price-gouge me?"

[The main mission of the Military-Industrial System is to assist the host in establishing a powerful military alliance. It does not want the host to use other things excessively, lest you lose your ambition through trivial pursuits!]

"Ha, you're even getting all high and mighty on me? Fine, you're the boss, I give in. Where did you learn all this? Even the 'chicken soup for the soul' is coming out."

"9 uses, exchange..."

Before Chu Ge could finish,

[Ding! Congratulations to the host on the successful exchange. Remaining prestige points: 500.]