134: Chapter 134 Ready to Return! Parting is inevitable, though feelings remain; embracing familiar paths with warmth (3)

On the way, Mu Li took out his phone again and sent a WeChat message to Lin Wei, specifically asking about the preparation for the Technical Team's equipment debugging. His tone was rigorous and meticulous: "Lin Wei, how is the preliminary preparation for the equipment debugging on the Technical Team's side? Has all the equipment been checked? Have any problems been found?"

Lin Wei's reply was quick, her tone carrying a hint of competence and confidence: "Engineer Mu, rest assured, we have successfully completed the preliminary inspection for equipment debugging. We've conducted a comprehensive and detailed inspection and maintenance of all core and auxiliary equipment. All indicators meet the requirements, and no problems were found. We have already formulated a detailed equipment debugging plan and divided the responsibilities. Once you return, we can officially begin the equipment debugging work."

"Good, thank you all for your hard work," Mu Li replied quickly, his heart filled with gratification. He could feel the enthusiasm and sense of responsibility of the team members, and he could sense everyone's anticipation for the project's commissioning. This also filled him with confidence in the smooth start-up of the project.

As time passed, the sun gradually tilted westward, dyeing the sky a brilliant orange-red. The clouds were gilded with a layer of golden light, looking exceptionally dazzling. Mu Li drove the car, gradually approaching the city where the project was located. The scenery outside the window changed once again, from vast fields to well-arranged high-rise buildings. The traffic gradually increased, and the air was filled with the hustle and bustle of the city. He knew he was getting closer and closer to the nuclear fusion power station project site, closer to his team, and closer to the goal of project commissioning.

At dusk, the sunset gradually faded, and night began to fall. The city's streetlights lit up one after another, casting a warm yellow glow. Mu Li drove his car and finally arrived at the nuclear fusion power station project site. As soon as he reached the project entrance, he saw Zhang Hongyuan, Lin Wei, Zhao Yu, and other core team members, along with several colleagues from the Security Team, all waiting for him. Everyone had a kind smile on their face, and their eyes were full of anticipation. Seeing Mu Li's mercedes-benz gle slowly approaching, everyone excitedly stepped forward, their smiles becoming even brighter.

Mu Li slowly stopped the car, turned off the engine, pushed open the door, and stepped out. The air was mixed with the unique metallic scent and faint dust of the project site, familiar and intimate, allowing him to instantly regain his work state. "Engineer Mu, you're back! Welcome home!" Zhang Hongyuan was the first to step forward, tightly shaking Mu Li's hand. His tone was full of excitement and sincerity, and the warmth from his palm sent a wave of heat through Mu Li's heart.

"Engineer Mu, was the trip pleasant? Is the scenery in Qingyu Town as beautiful as you imagined?" Lin Wei also stepped forward and asked with a smile, her eyes full of curiosity and concern. She was still wearing her professional work uniform, clearly having just come from her post.

"Engineer Mu, you're finally back! We all missed you! During this time without you, we always felt like something was missing." Zhao Yu and several other young engineers also crowded around, talking all at once, their voices filled with joy and anticipation, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

Mu Li looked at these familiar faces, saw everyone's sincere smiles, and felt their enthusiasm and concern. His heart was full of warmth and emotion, and a gentle smile unconsciously played on his lips: "I'm back. Thank you all for coming to meet me, sorry to have kept you waiting. The trip was very pleasant, and the scenery in Qingyu Town is beautiful. Once the project is commissioned, I'll take everyone there to relax and have a good time for a few days."

"It's no trouble at all. It's enough that Engineer Mu returned safely," Zhang Hongyuan said with a smile, his tone full of sincerity. "While you were away, everyone missed you. Although the project progressed smoothly, with you here, we feel more at ease and more confident."

Mu Li nodded with gratification, turned to the back of the car, and gently opened the trunk: "You've all worked hard during this time. These are gifts I specifically brought back from Qingyu Town for everyone. There's something for each of you, come and claim them!"

Hearing the word "gifts," everyone cheered happily and swarmed around, their eyes full of anticipation. Mu Li crouched down and carefully took out the gifts one by one, distributing them. He first took out an exquisite black parker pen gift box and gently handed it to Zhang Hongyuan, his tone sincere and gentle: "Engineer Zhang, this is for you. I know you usually like to write and draw, whether it's project reports or technical notes, you're used to using a fountain pen. This pen should suit you well."

Zhang Hongyuan carefully took the gift box and gently opened it. Seeing the black Parker pen inside, with his name engraved on the side of the barrel, his eyes instantly lit up. A look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face, and his tone was full of emotion: "Engineer Mu, thank you so much! I've had my eye on this pen for a long time but couldn't bring myself to buy it. I didn't expect you to remember my preference. You're so thoughtful! I will definitely treasure it and use it to record every important moment of the project's commissioning."

"It's only right," Mu Li said with a smile, his tone full of sincerity. "You've worked hard during this time, helping me share a lot of the workload—coordinating construction, controlling safety—you've done a great job in every aspect. Without you, the project couldn't have proceeded so smoothly."

Then, Mu Li took out an exquisite velvet box and gently handed it to Lin Wei, his tone softening a bit: "Lin Wei, this is for you. I hope you like it, and thank you for your persistence and dedication to the technology during this time."

Lin Wei carefully took the box and gently opened it. Seeing the exquisite pearl necklace inside, her eyes instantly lit up, and a shy yet happy smile spread across her face. Her tone was full of surprise and emotion: "Wow, what a beautiful necklace! Engineer Mu, thank you, I love it, thank you so much!" She gently picked up the necklace, her fingertips brushing against the smooth pearls. The luster of the pearls looked exceptionally soft under the streetlights, and the silver chain was slender and delicate, with a small diamond at the end shimmering with fine light, perfectly complementing her gentle and elegant temperament.

"I'm glad you like it," Mu Li said with a smile, his eyes full of tenderness. "You are one of the few women on the team, yet you possess a tenacity and ability that rivals any man. You're always serious and responsible in your work, and you've led the Technical Team to overcome many difficulties. You've worked hard."

Next, Mu Li took out five black packaging boxes and handed them one by one to Zhao Yu and the other four young engineers, his tone full of encouragement: "These are for you—the latest Apple iPads and wireless earphones. I know you young people are very interested in tech products and can use them in your daily work. I hope you like them."

Zhao Yu and the other young engineers carefully took the boxes and couldn't wait to open them. Seeing the iPads and wireless earphones inside, they all jumped for joy, their voices full of excitement and gratitude: "Wow! It's the latest Apple iPad and wireless earphones! Engineer Mu, you're too good to us! These are products I've been dreaming of, thank you so much!" "Thank you, Engineer Mu! We will definitely work hard and not let your expectations down, contributing all our strength to the project's commissioning!"

"You've put in a lot of effort on the technical side during this time—staying up late, working overtime, and repeatedly deducing to overcome many technical hurdles. You deserve these," Mu Li said with a smile, his eyes full of gratification and expectation. "I hope you continue to work hard in the future, stay grounded, strive for excellence, and constantly improve your professional skills to contribute more to the smooth start-up of the project."

"We definitely will! Thank you, Engineer Mu!" Zhao Yu and the others said in unison, their eyes filled with fighting spirit and determination as they tightly held their gifts, their faces full of happy smiles.

Finally, Mu Li took out several cloth bags printed with the scenery of Qingyu Town and handed them to the Security Team colleagues nearby, his tone full of sincere gratitude: "These are for the cafeteria ladies and the Security Team colleagues. Inside are specialty snacks and souvenirs from Qingyu Town. Everyone has worked hard during this time, whether it's patrolling during the day or standing guard late at night, you've done it without complaint, silently guarding the project's safety. The cafeteria ladies also wake up early and sleep late every day to prepare hot meals for everyone to replenish their energy. Thank you for your silent dedication; you've all worked hard."

The security colleagues carefully took the cloth bags, simple smiles appearing on their faces, their voices full of gratitude: "Thank you, Engineer Mu! You're too kind; this is just our duty. In the future, we will definitely continue to work hard, strengthen patrols, and strictly control safety. We won't let your trust down and will guard the safety of the project and everyone."

Everyone had received their own gift, and every face beamed with a happy smile, their eyes full of emotion and expectation. The atmosphere at the project entrance became exceptionally warm and lively, as if a family were reuniting. There was no barrier between superiors and subordinates, only the friendship of fighting side by side and sincere care. Seeing everyone's happy expressions, Mu Li's heart was also full of satisfaction and gratification—he knew that although these gifts weren't expensive, they allowed everyone to feel his care and concern, further uniting the team's strength so that everyone could work together toward the goal of project commissioning.

"Alright, everyone take your gifts back to the dorms and put them away, then get some rest," Mu Li said with a smile, his tone gentle. "Tonight, we'll have a big feast together in the cafeteria. It's on me, to reward everyone for your long-standing hard work and also to make amends for making you all work so hard while I was away."

"Great! Thank you, Engineer Mu!" Everyone cheered excitedly, their smiles growing even brighter. They took their gifts and headed toward the dormitories, excitedly discussing their presents along the way, the air filled with laughter and joy.

Zhang Hongyuan and Lin Wei did not leave, staying where they were with gentle smiles. Zhang Hongyuan watched the others depart, then turned to Mu Li and said: "Engineer Mu, I'd like to give you a brief report on the specific progress of the project and some detailed issues during this period, so you have a more comprehensive understanding."

"Alright, let's go to the Main Control Room. It's quiet there and convenient to check the relevant materials," Mu Li nodded and said in a steady tone, turning to walk toward the Main Control Room, with Zhang Hongyuan and Lin Wei following closely behind.

Entering the Main Control Room, the staff inside were busy in an orderly fashion. Everyone was focused on the screens in front of them, their fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboards, their expressions rigorous and serious. The air was filled with a tense yet orderly working atmosphere. Seeing Mu Li walk in, everyone stopped their work and smiled to greet him: "Engineer Mu, you're back!"

Mu Li nodded to everyone with a smile and said gently, "You've all worked hard, keep at it, don't mind me." After saying that, he walked to the console, his gaze falling on the screen, which clearly displayed the construction progress and equipment operation status of each project area. Everything was normal and orderly.

Zhang Hongyuan stepped forward quickly, took the project schedule out of a folder, and gently placed it in front of Mu Li, reporting in a rigorous and detailed manner: "Engineer Mu, during this time, we have steadily advanced various construction tasks according to the plan you deployed before your departure. Currently, 90% of the main project has been completed. The remaining work mainly consists of finishing touches, such as cleaning around the equipment, final debugging of pipelines, and environmental sanitation of the site. It's estimated that everything will be finished within a month, without delaying the overall progress of the project. During the construction process, we strictly controlled construction quality and safety. Every day, we arranged for dedicated personnel to conduct comprehensive safety inspections and quality acceptance of the construction site. No safety accidents or quality problems occurred, and everything is proceeding in an orderly manner."

Mu Li picked up the project schedule and looked at it carefully. On the schedule, the completion status of each construction area, the remaining workload, and the person in charge were all recorded clearly at a glance. He nodded slowly and said firmly: "Very good, the progress is ideal. Thank you for your hard work, Engineer Zhang." After a pause, he added, "Safety and quality are the lifelines of the project. At no time can there be the slightest slackening. Although the subsequent finishing work seems simple, it cannot be handled carelessly. We must strive for excellence to ensure that every detail meets construction specifications, laying a solid foundation for subsequent equipment debugging and project commissioning."

"Understood! Engineer Mu, rest assured," Zhang Hongyuan nodded firmly and said rigorously, "We will certainly continue to strictly control construction quality and safety, arranging for dedicated personnel to follow up on the finishing work throughout the process, checking for omissions and filling gaps, ensuring no oversights occur and that all tasks are completed with high quality."

Seeing this, Lin Wei also stepped forward quickly and added competently: "Engineer Mu, there have been no problems on the technical side either. We have completed all the preliminary preparations for the debugging of core and auxiliary equipment. We organized colleagues from the Technical Team to conduct a comprehensive and detailed inspection and maintenance of every piece of equipment, troubleshooting potential hazards one by one to ensure all indicators meet debugging requirements. Additionally, we conducted further decryption and analysis of the communication devices of the remaining members of 'Dark Web Phantom' and found no other valuable leads or new hidden dangers. News has also come from the Huaguo Public Security General Administration that Chen Tian, Li Mo, and the others have been formally arrested, and the case is under further trial. I believe there will be a final result soon."