191: Chapter 191 Countermeasures Against Pirates

The clamor and glory of the award ceremony were soon left behind by Lin Zhou.

As soon as the ceremony ended, he declined all banquets and celebrations, returning directly to the core settlement of the Republic located in the Water Town.

The internal issues exposed by rooting out the traitor, Old Lu, carried far more weight than enjoying the cheers of victory.

His first stop was the data center, which remained in stable operation even in low-power mode.

Through the thick soundproof glass, Lin Zhou watched rows of black server cabinets, their blue-green indicator lights blinking rhythmically, weaving into a flowing sea of digital light. The unique, static-tinged cold air of the server room felt as if it could almost penetrate the soundproofing.

Inside the glass wall, the group of AI engineers he had "rescued" from Shanghai was arguing incessantly in front of an interactive whiteboard. Li Xiang, the former technical team leader who wore thick-rimmed glasses, was waving his thin arms, pointing and gesturing repeatedly at a complex algorithmic model.

Everyone on the team wore an expression full of drive—the radiance that only appears when creating something new.

The scene before him caused Lin Zhou's furrowed brow, tight for many days, to relax slightly. He did not go in to disturb them, only nodding to the project manager waiting at the door.

The manager understood his intention and stepped out quickly.

"Leader," the manager lowered his voice, but the excitement in his tone could not be hidden. "The self-learning kernel of the 'heimdall' system has completed its first iteration, and the efficiency of the logic patches has tripled! Li Xiang and his group say our current computing power isn't enough to run it at full capacity, and they are clamoring to access more global public data ports."

Lin Zhou's gaze passed through the glass, watching Li Xiang dancing around inside, and a smile appeared on his face. "Tell them, if they want more computing power, they need to produce more stunning results. 'heimdall' is the eyes and brain of our future; I don't want it to be just a powerful calculator."

He turned back, staring at the manager, his tone serious: "You are the core cornerstone of this country. If you lack any resources, report directly to me. I have only one requirement: fast, and you must ensure safety."

"Understood!" The manager nodded vigorously, his eyes burning as if there were fire inside.

Next to the data center was the construction site of the National Research Institute, designed in the style of a Water Town.

Unlike the quiet and orderly data center, this place was a scene of bustling construction.

The roar of hundreds of pieces of heavy construction machinery mingled together, deafening. In the excavated foundation pit, workers were busy on the crisscrossing steel framework, their figures appearing exceptionally small.

Not far away, several behemoths were being slowly lifted by giant crawler cranes; these were the "Atmospheric Water Generators" that would soon change the arid face of this land. The equipment's silver-gray metal casing reflected blinding light under the desert sun, and the complex pipes and cooling fins intertwined, revealing a unique sense of power.

A middle-aged man with dark skin, wearing a hard hat, jogged over; he was the chief engineer of this project.

"Leader, are you here to check the progress?" He wiped the sweat from his forehead and reported, pointing to the open foundation pit.

"The foundation will be completely finished in three more days, and next week the main steel structure can begin to be erected. Look over there, those precious things are our Atmospheric Water Generators. We've overcome several technical difficulties and expect to enter the installation and commissioning phase next month. By then, our desert will be able to have its own 'tap water'!"

Looking at the magnificent construction site, a surge of ambition stirred in Lin Zhou's chest. "Well done, Old Wang. Safety is the priority, and quality cannot be compromised. If you don't have enough money or manpower, ask Chen Yuan at any time. If he dares to withhold even a penny from you, come directly to me."

"Haha, with that word from you, we feel at ease!" Old Wang smiled honestly. "I guarantee to build you the most beautiful research institute in the world!"

The last stop of the inspection was the temporary detention center of the Police Department.

Several reinforced shipping containers were lined up together. The surroundings were quiet, with only the sound of wind scraping against the metal walls, exuding an air of grimness. Here, Lin Zhou saw the only two prisoners—former Naval Adjutant Old Lu, and Vikram Singh, who had been sentenced for leaking classified information.

Having survived the initial breakdown and despair, the two men's mental state could now barely be considered stable. The panic they felt when first arrested had disappeared, replaced by a sense of utter numbness.

Old Lu's hair had turned mostly white; his whole body was hunched and curled up in a corner, devoid of vitality.

He Jun had long been waiting there. Seeing Lin Zhou look at Old Lu, his expression also turned gloomy.

"Leader," he stepped forward and saluted, then reported.

"The prisoners are well-behaved and haven't caused any trouble. The special military tribunal is ready, and all evidence chains—including the bank statements and recordings provided by Jack—have been verified. The formal trial is expected to begin in three days. Chief Justice Zhang Zhe suggests notifying the entire military and all expatriate officials of the verdict to serve as a warning to others."

Lin Zhou nodded, his words devoid of any warmth: "Proceed as Chief Justice Zhang suggests. Corruption is a malignant tumor; discover one, and excise it. No leniency."

From the data center to the National Research Institute, and then to the upcoming livelihood projects, all projects were proceeding in an orderly manner, driven by sufficient funds. Seeing this flourishing scene, Lin Zhou's furrowed brow finally relaxed. The internal parasites had been rooted out, and the engine of development was running at full speed. He, the "Leader," decided to continue his vacation.

Without delay, he boarded a plane to Hainan, continuing his interrupted vacation.

On the private offshore island in Sanya, the sea breeze was just as it had always been. Not long after Lin Zhou lay down, Jack's steady voice came through his Bluetooth headset.

"Leader, the situation has changed."

"Speak."

"The informants we planted in several seed companies in Europe and America have sent word that their reverse engineering project on our seeds has completely failed. Those people are now very panicked; the first batch of seeds they bought at a high price is being used up quickly, and it's about to run out."

Lin Zhou chuckled: "Technical barriers are our lifeline. If they were so easily cracked, that would be a joke."

"The problem is," Jack's tone became serious, "they don't want to waste money buying from us at a high price anymore, so... they've set their sights on the batch of aid goods we are about to ship to Africa."

Lin Zhou narrowed his eyes: "What do they want to do?"

"They have prepared two plans. First, using the excuse of 'suspecting the ship of smuggling arms,' they will intercept and inspect it on the high seas, forcibly boarding the vessel. If the interception fails, or if they can't find a pretext, they have a backup plan—hiring a professional black-market team to disguise themselves as pirates and rob it directly!"

"Pirates?" Lin Zhou was so angry he laughed. "It's the 21st century, and they're still playing with such primitive methods."

"Primitive, but effective." Jack's response carried no emotion.

"Leader, we must immediately have our own maritime armed forces. I suggest: First, immediately purchase a second-hand merchant ship on the international market for rapid modification. Second, urgently procure a batch of suicide drones; they are the perfect weapon for dealing with harassment from small speedboats. Third, and most importantly, find a way to get a 'containerized weapon system.' This thing looks no different from a regular shipping container on the outside, but it hides anti-ship missiles or close-in weapon systems inside; it is the best disguise and trump card. As long as we can deal with small-scale harassment, we can buy enough time and space for the cargo ship."

After listening, Lin Zhou was silent for a few seconds, his eyes revealing a murderous aura.

"Very well, do as you said. Money is no object; I want the fastest speed." He sat up from the lounge chair, looking out at the boundless ocean. "Since someone wants to play outside the table, we will accompany them for a good game. Let them know that not only can they not steal my things, but reaching out will cost them dearly!"