211: Chapter 210 Mysterious Light Destroys the Enemy! Dawn Breaks the Darkness to Secure the Nation, Power Warms the Hearts of the People (2)

That evening, the National Headquarters sent a congratulatory telegram, commending the Xuanguang Team for their outstanding contribution to this Home Defense War. They awarded core members such as Mu Li, Zhao Gang, and Li Rui the honorary title of "guardians of the homeland," calling on people across the country to learn from the Xuanguang Team. People throughout the nation expressed their gratitude to the Xuanguang Team through various channels. Inside and outside the Xuanguang Energy Base, the joy of victory overflowed everywhere, with flags fluttering and cheers echoing incessantly.

But Mu Li did not immerse himself in the joy of victory. He knew well that the end of the war did not mean everything had returned to normal. While reviewing the post-war loss reports, a report regarding damage to power facilities caught his close attention. The report indicated that the Void Temple's Dark Energy attack had not only caused severe damage to the atmospheric defense network but had also affected power facilities on the surface of Home. Large-scale power grid paralysis occurred in several provinces, especially in remote mountainous areas where power lines were most severely damaged by Dark Energy erosion and the aftermath of battle. Broken utility poles, short circuits due to aging lines, and destroyed transformers left millions of people facing power outages, their lives plunged into inconvenience.

Grassroots power personnel had already committed themselves fully to the repair efforts. However, due to the wide range of damage, shortage of repair equipment, limited technical means, and complicated terrain in some areas with poor transportation, repair materials could not be delivered in time, leading to slow progress. As Mu Li looked at the data in the report, scenes of grassroots power personnel braving wind and snow and facing danger to repair lines during previous rescue operations flashed through his mind. They were undaunted by hardships and stayed at their posts just to bring light to the people as quickly as possible.

"The ultimate goal of the research and development of Xuanguang Technology is to serve the people and protect the peace of Home." Mu Li thought to himself as he looked at the report, his fingertips lightly tapping the table. "If we cannot solve the practical difficulties of the grassroots people and let Xuanguang Technology truly take root at the grassroots level, no matter how powerful the technology is, it loses its original meaning." He realized that there was still a large gap in the application of Xuanguang Technology in the field of grassroots power, and this was exactly the direction he would work toward next.

A few days later, the reconstruction of the Xuanguang Energy Base proceeded in an orderly manner. Various departments were busy repairing damaged equipment, organizing post-war materials, and advancing follow-up technical research and development. After presiding over the post-war reconstruction work meeting, Mu Li kept Zhao Gang and Li Rui behind alone, his expression serious and his tone firm.

"Zhao Gang, Li Rui, I'm leaving the base's daily work, the improvement of the defense system, and the follow-up research and development of Xuanguang Technology to the two of you," Mu Li said, looking at them with a steady gaze. "You are the brothers I trust most, and I believe you can do a good job."

Zhao Gang and Li Rui glanced at each other, looks of confusion on their faces. Li Rui was the first to speak, asking, "Engineer Mu, where are you going? You've just been through a major battle, and your body hasn't recovered yet. You can't go off on another adventure."

Mu Li smiled and waved his hand, saying, "I'm fine; my body will recover soon. After the war, power facilities everywhere are severely damaged, and the pressure on grassroots power personnel for repairs is immense. The people's lives are very inconvenient because of the power outages. I want to leave the base temporarily, hide my identity, and experience working in the grassroots power industry."

He paused and continued, "On one hand, I want to gain a deep understanding of the practical difficulties and needs of grassroots power work to see how Xuanguang Technology can better adapt to grassroots power scenarios and develop equipment and techniques more suitable for grassroots use. On the other hand, I can also provide some technical support to grassroots power personnel to help them speed up the repair progress so that people can resume their normal lives as soon as possible."

"But Engineer Mu, your identity is too special. As the core leader of the Xuanguang Team and a 'Guardian of Home,' once your identity is exposed, it will not only cause an unnecessary sensation but could also be dangerous!" Li Rui said worriedly, his tone full of concern. "Besides, grassroots work is hard and the environment is complex; you won't be able to adapt at all."

"Don't worry, I'll make a thorough disguise and won't expose my identity," Mu Li said, his eyes firm and his tone brook no argument. "The system will provide me with protection and support at any time. If there's any danger, it will issue a warning immediately. I will enter a grassroots power department through normal recruitment as a recently graduated electrical engineering student. This way, I can gain a deep understanding of grassroots work without attracting attention."

Seeing Mu Li's firm attitude, Zhao Gang and Li Rui knew he had made his decision and that further persuasion would be useless, so they nodded. Zhao Gang spoke up, "Alright, Engineer Mu, don't worry. We will definitely handle the affairs at the base and won't let you be distracted. You must be careful yourself. If anything happens, contact us at any time, and we will rush to support you immediately."

"Thank you." Mu Li patted their shoulders, a gratified smile appearing on his face. "I've already forged an identity through the system. My name is 'Li Mu,' a graduate from an ordinary power vocational school with basic knowledge of power maintenance. My resume has also been perfected, so there won't be any issues. I'll go to a grassroots power supply station in Yuzhou City first. That's one of the areas where power facilities were most severely damaged. The repair tasks are heavy, and the terrain is complex, so I should be able to get a more direct understanding of the actual situation of grassroots power work."

Early the next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Mu Li changed into ordinary blue overalls, took off his Xuanguang Energy badge, and applied a slight disguise to his face. His skin tone became a bit darker, and the sharp edge in his brow was deliberately retracted, making him look more like a slightly green, recently graduated college student. He did not take a xuanguang assault boat, nor did he let anyone see him off. Like an ordinary citizen, he carried a simple bag and took the high-speed rail to Yuzhou City.

Yuzhou City is located in a mountainous area with complex terrain, surrounded by mountains and with poor transportation. Affected by the Void Temple's Dark Energy attack this time, power lines in several towns were completely destroyed. Many transmission towers collapsed under the impact of heavy rain and mountain floods after being eroded by Dark Energy. The lives of the people in the mountains were severely affected, with power outages, water cuts, and shortages of supplies, leaving them in a difficult situation. Mu Li followed the route planned by the system, traveling through several transfers, and finally headed for the "Qingshan Power Supply Station" where he was to take up his post.

The Qingshan Power Supply Station is located in Qingshan Town on the outskirts of Yuzhou City, nestled at the foot of the mountains. It doesn't cover a large area, consisting only of a small two-story building and a small material warehouse. There are only about a dozen staff members in the power supply station, yet they are responsible for the power supply and line maintenance of five surrounding towns and dozens of villages. Their jurisdiction is wide, and their tasks are heavy. At this time, the power supply station was a scene of busy activity. Staff members hurried between the warehouse and the office, organizing repair materials and formulating repair plans. Everyone's face bore signs of exhaustion, and their eyes were bloodshot, yet their gazes remained firm without a hint of complaint.

"You must be Li Mu, right? Welcome to the Qingshan Power Supply Station! I'm the director, Zhou Jianjun." A dark-skinned, burly middle-aged man walked up to greet him. His hands were covered in callouses, and his face bore the marks of exposure to the elements. His gaze was steady and firm, and his overalls were covered in dust and oil stains, clearly having just returned from a repair site. "I received notice long ago that a young lad was coming to support us, but I didn't expect you to arrive so soon."

"Hello, Director Zhou. I'm Li Mu. I'm very happy to join the Qingshan Power Supply Station and contribute to the repair work," Mu Li said respectfully, a youthful smile on his face. He deliberately slowed down his speech, mimicking the tone of a recent college graduate, perfectly playing his new role without revealing any flaws.

"Xiao Li, it's a critical period for repairs right now. We are severely short-handed and busy every day without a moment's rest. You've come at just the right time; you're really helping us out. Your main job is to assist the senior employees in conducting line inspections, troubleshooting, and repair work. Follow Master Wang; he's very experienced and will guide you well."

He paused, his tone becoming serious: "However, I must remind you that the mountain terrain is complex and the roads are rugged. Vehicles cannot pass through many places, so you can only go on foot. Moreover, the repair work is very hard and carries a certain amount of danger. Sometimes you even have to risk heavy rain and flash floods to repair the lines. You must be mentally prepared; you can't back out halfway."

"Director Zhou, I am mentally prepared," Mu Li said quickly, a determined look appearing on his face. "I've studied relevant electrical knowledge in school and participated in internships. Although I don't have much experience, I'm willing to work hard and learn. I definitely won't hold everyone back and will do my best to help everyone complete the repair work."

Afterward, Zhou Jianjun introduced Mu Li to the other staff members at the power supply station. Everyone was very warm and greeted him one after another. Although everyone was exhausted, their faces were filled with kindness. Mu Li was assigned to the repair team led by the veteran employee Master Wang. Master Wang was in his fifties and had been engaged in grassroots electrical work for over twenty years. He was experienced, honest, and soft-spoken, but he was meticulous and knew the grassroots line conditions like the back of his hand.

"Xiao Li, come with me. We're going to Qingshan Village to inspect the lines today. Several villagers there have reported power outages, and the cause of the fault hasn't been identified yet. If we don't go soon, the villagers' lives will become even more inconvenient." Master Wang picked up a tool bag filled with common tools like wrenches, screwdrivers, and voltage testers, as well as several rolls of ordinary insulating tape. He spoke to Mu Li in a gentle tone as he walked out.

"Okay, Master Wang." Mu Li immediately followed, taking a spare tool bag from Master Wang's hand and walking out of the power supply station behind him.

Qingshan Village was located deep in the mountains. The roads were rugged and muddy, making them impassable for vehicles, so they could only travel on foot. Master Wang led Mu Li along the winding mountain path. Along the way, Mu Li saw many transmission lines blackened and damaged by Dark Energy erosion. Some utility poles were tilted or broken, and some had even fallen directly onto the slopes, with lines tangled together in a state of disrepair. The wind in the mountains was strong and cold against the skin. The roadsides were overgrown with weeds, and sections destroyed by flash floods could occasionally be seen, making travel very difficult.

"These lines and poles were all damaged by Dark Energy attacks from the Void Temple." Master Wang sighed, his voice full of helplessness and exhaustion. "We've been doing repairs for several days now, leaving before dawn and returning after dark every day. We can't get a hot meal or a good night's sleep. But the damaged area is too large and materials are insufficient, so we can't finish it all at once. Many villagers have been without power for days; the food in their fridges has spoiled, and they don't even have light at night. Cooking and getting water have become problems. We're anxious to help, but we're powerless."

Mu Li nodded, his heart feeling a bit heavy. Looking at the power facilities eroded by Dark Energy and thinking of the helpless villagers, he became even more determined. He quietly activated his system to scan the surrounding lines. [System Prompt: Detected 3 line faults within a 1.5-kilometer radius, specifically: aged and broken lines, short circuit caused by Dark Energy residue, and loose utility pole foundations. Among them, the short circuit caused by Dark Energy residue poses a fire hazard. It is recommended to prioritize this to avoid safety accidents.]

"Master Wang, there should be a short circuit fault not far ahead. Let's go check that out first," Mu Li said naturally, without showing any abnormality. "I studied line fault detection in school. When we passed by just now, I noticed the lines in that area looked a bit unusual. The wires were tangled, and the insulation seemed damaged. It's most likely a short circuit."

Master Wang glanced at Mu Li with some surprise, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. "Oh? How do you know? We've checked a section before but haven't reached that part yet. You're quite impressive, young man." Although a bit skeptical, Master Wang nodded. "Alright, let's go check it out first. If there really is a fault, we can resolve it sooner and save the villagers some suffering."

The two quickened their pace and headed in the direction Mu Li had mentioned. After walking for about ten minutes, they indeed found a section of line eroded by Dark Energy on a hillside. The outer insulation had been corroded and damaged by Dark Energy, and two wires were tangled together. Their surfaces were covered with black Dark Energy residue, emitting faint sparks—clearly a short circuit. The surrounding weeds were also blackened by smoke and could catch fire at any moment.

"There really is a fault! Xiao Li, you're good!" Master Wang said happily, a gratified smile appearing on his face. He quickly put down his tool bag, took out a voltage tester, and carefully checked the line. After confirming the power was off, he began to work. "It's a good thing you found it in time. If it had been any later and started a fire, the consequences would be unimaginable. These are all mountain forests; once they catch fire, there's no way to put it out."

Mu Li helped by handing over tools while using the system to carefully analyze the cause of the fault, offering suggestions to Master Wang: "Master Wang, this section of the line is severely eroded by Dark Energy. Simply repairing it with ordinary insulating tape might not last long before the fault recurs. Moreover, the Dark Energy will continue to corrode the line, posing a safety hazard. We can wrap it with xuanguang insulating tape. This tape has excellent insulation and can resist Dark Energy erosion. It also has a long service life and can solve the problem fundamentally."

"xuanguang insulating tape?" Master Wang stopped what he was doing, a look of helplessness appearing on his face. He sighed and said, "I've heard of that material. They say it's very effective. It was developed by the Xuanguang Energy Base specifically to resist Dark Energy erosion. But our grassroots power supply station is short on supplies, and we aren't equipped with it. Forget xuanguang insulating tape, we're even running out of ordinary insulating tape."

Mu Li's heart stirred, knowing this was a good opportunity to bring Xuanguang Technology to the grassroots level. He quietly contacted the technicians at the Xuanguang Energy Base through the system, asking them to secretly deliver a batch of supplies like xuanguang insulating tape and xuanguang repair tools to the Qingshan Power Supply Station, repeatedly instructing them not to reveal his identity. "Master Wang, don't worry. I have a way to get some xuanguang insulating tape. I know some classmates from school who have channels to get it. It can be delivered in a couple of days. Then, we can use it to repair the lines and completely solve the problem of Dark Energy erosion."

Master Wang looked at Mu Li in surprise, his eyes full of disbelief. "You can get it? That would be wonderful! With that kind of material, our repair work will be much easier, and the probability of the fault recurring will decrease. Thank you so much, Xiao Li!"

After the two worked together to fix the short circuit, they continued to inspect other lines. Along the way, with the help of the system, Mu Li was always able to quickly and accurately find fault points and propose efficient repair plans. Master Wang was increasingly impressed by this new young man and came to recognize his abilities more and more.

While inspecting the Home of an elderly person living alone, they found the senior sitting in a dark room, fumbling to tidy things up by the faint light from the window. The room was dim without a single light, and the air was filled with a damp scent. Seeing Master Wang and Mu Li, the elderly person hurriedly came forward, his steps somewhat unsteady, his face carrying exhaustion and anxiety: "Master Wang, you've finally come! My house has been without power for days. The food in the fridge has spoiled and smells, and there's no light at night. It's hard even to walk around. As a lonely old man, I didn't know who to turn to and could only wait for you to arrive."

Master Wang quickly stepped forward to support the elderly man and said in a gentle tone, "Uncle Zhang, don't worry. We're here to help you troubleshoot the fault. It'll be fixed soon. Please sit down and rest for a bit so you don't overexert yourself."