15: Chapter 15 That was just a weed killer, although it could corrode tanks.

"Dead people?"

Chen Yuan chuckled, his laughter sounding particularly eerie over the transmission. "How can one achieve great things while fearing death? As long as those 'stubborn troubles' can be resolved, this small price is worth it. Remember, the name is 'green peace'; it sounds a bit more eco-friendly."

Inside the command vehicle, James's face turned deathly pale.

"green peace"? "Not a Blade of Grass Left"?

This is fucking definitely a code name for some high-concentration nerve gas or defoliant!

"Quick! Notify headquarters!"

James ripped off his headset and roared into the microphone, "Target confirmed! They are going to display a biological weapon of mass destruction at tomorrow's press conference! Requesting backup! Requesting a SWAT tactical team on standby! This level even requires the intervention of a Chemical Defense Unit!"

The entire CIA San Verde branch stayed awake all night.

Countless agents bustled about like startled cockroaches. Satellites locked onto the Pharmaceutical Factory, snipers took their positions in the distance, and the Chemical Defense Unit, wearing heavy yellow hazmat suits, established a quarantine zone several kilometers away.

They stood ready for a battle, prepared to face a biohazard that could potentially destroy the city.

However, the next morning.

Chen Yuan, dressed in simple overalls and holding a microphone, had a smile as bright as a village party secretary who had just been named a model worker. "Welcome to the new product launch. Today, I would like to grandly introduce our company's latest product—'green peace' Potent Herbicide!"

"Pfft—"

James, hiding in the crowd, almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

Herbicide?

I've already taken off my pants... wait, I've already put on my hazmat suit, and you're telling me this is herbicide?

"Everyone, do not look down on weeding."

Chen Yuan ignored the strange atmosphere in the audience. He walked to a display case covered with bulletproof glass, which contained a particularly resilient cactus and... a piece of scrapped tank armor plate brought back from a junkyard as a backdrop.

"On the US-Mexico Border, weeds are as annoying as flies that won't go away."

Chen Yuan glanced pointedly in the direction where James was, then put on a pair of heavy anti-corrosion gloves and picked up a bottle of clear liquid.

"Our herbicide extracts the acidic essence of a certain special plant. It is eco-friendly and non-toxic, but it has a destructive power over plant fibers."

As he spoke, he unscrewed the cap and poured the liquid into a spray gun.

"Time to witness a miracle."

Chen Yuan pulled the trigger.

"Sizzle—"

A clear mist of water sprayed onto the cactus.

Only two seconds passed.

The once green and plump cactus actually began to wither and turn yellow at a speed visible to the naked eye. Then, as if melted by some invisible force, it turned into a puddle of black slime and flowed down the glass.

The audience fell instantly silent.

The farmers' eyes widened. How is this herbicide? This is practically Corpse-dissolving fluid!

"The effect is alright, right?"

Chen Yuan nodded with satisfaction, about to put down the spray gun.

Just then, his hand "suddenly" slipped.

Or maybe it was intentional, who knows?

The nozzle tilted slightly, and a stray stream of liquid traced an arc, splashing right onto the tank armor plate that served as the backdrop.

"Sizzle—!!!"

A teeth-gritting sound, like water being poured into boiling oil, suddenly rang out.

A plume of white smoke rose into the air.

Under everyone's terrified gaze, that Homogeneous Steel Armor—50mm thick and capable of withstanding even an armor-piercing shell—actually bubbled, softened, and dissolved rapidly like snow under hot water.

In less than five seconds.

A fist-sized hole appeared in the hard steel plate, and one could even see the rostrum's support frame through the hole.

The remaining liquid dripped onto the concrete floor, continuing to make a "sizzling" corrosive sound as it burned a small pit into the ground.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Even the sound of the wind blowing through the colorful flags seemed piercingly loud.

James's mouth hung open, and he didn't even notice his sunglasses sliding down to the bridge of his nose. He stared intently at the smoking hole, feeling his worldview collapsing.

This is fucking herbicide?

This is Alien's spit!

Whose grass grows harder than a tank? Are you planning to weed for Transformers?!

Chen Yuan on stage seemed to be "startled" as well.

He exaggeratedly covered his mouth, then scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, offering an apologetic smile to the microphone:

"Oops, my hand slipped."

"Everyone, don't misunderstand, this really is herbicide."

He pointed to the smoking hole and talked nonsense with a straight face: "It's just that our formula... has been modified slightly. After all, some weeds have very developed root systems, and nowadays the soil is heavily polluted with heavy metals. To completely eradicate the roots, we need a little bit of... penetration power."

"This little bit is reasonable, right?"

The audience below was still petrified.

Reasonable?

Reasonable my ass!

If this stuff was put into a sprinkler truck and driven into Washington, the White House would be dissolved into a puddle of mud!

"Ahem, Mr. Chen."

A burly white man in a dark green jacket suddenly stood up. He pushed aside the still-dazed agents and strode onto the rostrum.

There was no fear in his eyes, only a fanaticism akin to seeing a peerless beauty.

"I am Colonel William from The Pentagon's Equipment Procurement Department."

The man ignored Chen Yuan's extended hand and walked directly to the burned-through steel plate. He reached out his finger and, ignoring the residual heat, gently touched the smooth and even cut.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, a perfect chemical reaction."

Colonel William turned around and looked at Chen Yuan, his eyes shining like two large light bulbs. "Mr. Chen, you said just now that this thing is... non-toxic?"

"Absolutely eco-friendly."

Chen Yuan replied with a smile, "Except for a slight allergic reaction to metal and plant fibers, it will naturally degrade into fertilizer in the soil after 24 hours."

"Fertilizer?"

Colonel William's mouth twitched, and then he burst into a hearty laugh that was somewhat chilling.

"Good! What a fine 'fertilizer'!"

He threw an arm around Chen Yuan's shoulder with a warmth as if they were long-lost brothers. "Brother Chen, we'll take your 'herbicide'! As much as you have!"

"However, the packaging needs to be changed."

William lowered his voice to a volume only the two of them could hear: "Don't put it in these plastic bottles. Pack it into aerial bombs for us, or... into missile warheads?"

Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow and feigned surprise: "Colonel, this is an agricultural product, you're planning to..."

"Weeding!"

William blinked, his face full of righteous indignation. "The 'weeds' over in the Middle East have been growing too fast lately, and they're all hiding in concrete bunkers and tanks. Ordinary herbicides don't work. We need your kind... with penetration power."

James, watching this scene from below, closed his eyes in despair.

He knew he had lost again.

Not only had he lost, but he had lost completely.

Chen Yuan had not only cleared his name but also managed to latch onto the military's thickest leg. From today on, this Pharmaceutical Factory would no longer be a smuggler's den, but a 'strategic partner' of the America.

Whoever dared to touch him would be touching The Pentagon's cheese.

"Deal."

Chen Yuan shook William's hand with a bright smile. "For the sake of world green peace, I shall not shirk my responsibility."

While the two were chatting happily, Old John limped over, holding the half-used spray gun with a look of heartache:

"Boss, the cost of this thing is very high. That spray just now cost several hundred dollars. Shouldn't we raise the price?"

"Raise the price for what?"

Chen Yuan glared at him, then turned to William and said righteously, "How can we talk about money when supporting national defense? The price for the military must be discounted!"

"How much of a discount?" William was so moved his tears almost fell.

"Two percent off." Chen Yuan held up two fingers. "I can't do any more; any more and I'll go bankrupt."

William: "..."

Although something felt off, looking at the burned-through steel plate, he still gritted his teeth and nodded.

Worth it!

Totally worth it!

Even at the original price, this was much cheaper than those Bunker Busters that cost millions each!

"Pleasure doing business with you."

Chen Yuan watched as William signed his name on the letter of intent, the calculator in his mind clicking away.

This bottle of "herbicide" was actually a high-concentration strong acid mixture plus a bit of system-exclusive catalyst, costing less than fifty dollars. Selling it to the military... fifty thousand a ton isn't too much, right?

This isn't herbicide; this is clearly liquid gold!

"By the way, Mr. Chen."

William put away the contract and suddenly seemed to remember something. "Since you have such deep achievements in the field of chemistry, then in terms of biological enhancement..."

He glanced at the blonde secretary, Alice, who stood behind Chen Yuan, silent but radiating a dangerous aura.

As a professional soldier, William could feel that this woman was definitely not just eye candy.

"I wonder if you're interested in participating in our 'Super Soldier' program?"

Chen Yuan's pupils contracted slightly.

The fish has taken the bait.

And it's a great white shark.

"Super Soldier?" He feigned a look of bewilderment. "That's stuff from movies, right? We're just a small factory selling veterinary drugs and herbicides, what do we know about that?"

"You're being too modest."

William smiled meaningfully. "I've heard all about it. That night, your two security guards dismantled an entire armed convoy. We in the military are also very short of such 'security guards'."

Chen Yuan was silent for a moment.

Then, he slowly raised his head, a flash of madness and ambition in his eyes.

"Colonel, since you are so sincere."

"Then how about... coming to my basement for a look?"

"There are some real 'big guys' there that you might be interested in."