202: Chapter 202 Welcome to Science Paradise!

When Dmitri Volkov and more than fifty other top scientists from around the world stepped out of the private jet's cabin, a scorching hot wind swirling with yellow sand slapped them right in the face!

"Oh, my God!"

"Cough, cough... What kind of hellhole is this!"

Beneath their feet was an endless expanse of scorching yellow sand, and above their heads was a vicious sun capable of roasting a person alive.

A typical African desert—desolate and barren.

Everyone was shielding their eyes with their hands, struggling to adapt to the harsh environment, when a scene on the distant horizon caused their curses to catch in their throats.

Everyone thought they were hallucinating from the heatwaves.

At the very end of this desolation, a cluster of buildings stood right there.

White walls and black tiles, upturned eaves and corners, pavilions and terraces, with winding paths leading to secluded spots.

Most absurdly, the entire complex was surrounded by an outrageously complex water system! Crystal-clear water flowed slowly beneath small white jade bridges and alongside carved corridors; there were even a few tender green lotus leaves that had just taken root floating on the surface!

In the heart of the desert, a misty Jiangnan garden had been forcibly created!

This scene was so absurd that it exceeded everyone's cognition, causing the brains of these scientists—who were used to grand spectacles and considered themselves mentally resilient—to come to a complete standstill.

A physicist from Germany reached out and pinched his companion.

"Ow! What are you doing!"

"It hurts? So it's not a hallucination?"

"No kidding!"

Amidst the crowd's commotion, a voice pierced through the noise, reaching everyone's ears clearly.

"Welcome, everyone, to the National Research Institute."

Everyone snapped back to their senses in unison and looked toward the source of the voice.

A young man sat in an electric wheelchair, his gaze falling flatly upon them.

It was Jack.

His expression was calm; as he looked at this group of top minds whose jaws were nearly hitting the ground, his gaze was no different than if he were looking at the sand in the desert.

"I am the temporary person-in-charge here, Jack. I know you've all had a long journey and must have many questions."

Jack paused for a moment, his gaze turning toward that incredible Jiangnan water town.

"But please believe me, everything you see is just the beginning."

Under Jack's lead, the group followed behind, their feet stepping on creaking wooden boardwalks as they crossed an exquisite white jade arch bridge and officially entered the interior of the institute, their minds dazed the entire time.

As soon as they entered, the scenery changed abruptly!

In stark contrast to the deeply traditional exterior, the interior of the building greeted them with an intense sense of futuristic technology!

Soft light sources filled the space, yet no lamps could be found. Once the constant-temperature and constant-humidity central air conditioning started, it completely walled off the desert's heat. There were also holographic projection devices everywhere on the walls, playing welcoming messages.

Classical and futuristic elements were forcibly fused here in a manner that was both crude and harmonious.

Jack said nothing, leading them to a heavy metal door.

"This is where you will be working in the future."

He gave it a gentle push, and the door slid open silently.

As the scene behind the door came into view, the biologists present first caught their breath, then began to pant heavily!

Ultra-clean workbenches!

Gene sequencers!

Mass spectrometers!

High-throughput flow cytometers!

Centrifuges!

All the equipment consisted of the world's most top-tier and expensive models, many of which were even still in the conceptual stage!

They were so brand new that the protective film on their casings hadn't even been peeled off yet!

"You may use all the equipment here without restriction." Jack's voice wasn't loud, but every word pounded heavily against everyone's nerves. "The Lord has only one requirement: produce results as quickly as possible."

Volkov, the top biologist from Moscow, rushed to a piece of equipment in a few strides.

His hands trembled slightly as he stroked the metallic-gleaming casing almost piously.

"Thermo Fisher... the latest cryo-electron microscope..." His lips quivered as he muttered to himself. "In Moscow, I waited in line for three years and couldn't even touch a model two generations behind this one! And here... here..."

Here, this national treasure worth millions of dollars—something countless scientists dreamed of—was casually placed in a corner of the laboratory, treated no differently than a common cabbage by the roadside.

Not just that!

Everything! Everything was like this!

How was this a laboratory?

This was clearly a temple of science, forcibly built from US dollars, gold, and the crystallization of human technology!

"Gentlemen, ladies."

Jack clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back from their euphoria and shock.

On the wall behind him, a soft light lit up, quickly forming a three-dimensional model of a desert.

"As you can see, the land beneath our feet is sand."

"Soft, flowing sand cannot hold any moisture or nutrients. This is the biggest challenge restricting our large-scale agricultural expansion and even urban construction in the desert."

Jack's tone became serious.

"Your first task is to solve this problem. I need you to develop a solution within three months that can quickly solidify sandy soil and fundamentally change its physical structure!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was an uproar among the scientists.

"Three months? Mr. Jack, you must be joking! Soil modification is a global challenge!" an American soil scientist shouted excitedly.

"Exactly! This requires a massive amount of experimentation and data analysis. Just building the initial model would take half a year! If we start from scratch, we might not see a breakthrough even in three years!"

"This is an impossible task!"

Doubts and discussions rose one after another.

This group had just been dazzled by the equipment and treatment, but the rigor of science brought them back to their senses, and they began pointing out the absurdity of the plan.

Jack had long anticipated their reaction.

He simply looked at everyone calmly and then snapped his fingers.

*Snap!*

In the center of the laboratory, a wide AI interactive interface lit up out of thin air; it was the "heimdall" subsystem.

A gentle, neutral, and emotionless synthesized electronic voice echoed throughout the laboratory.

"Good afternoon, researchers. Based on real-time analysis of existing soil samples and cross-referencing global research paper databases, I recommend the following three research directions for you..."

*Swish!*

On the screen, three incredibly clear technical paths were listed.

[1. Polymer and Microbial Composite Sand Solidification Technology]

[2. Sand Grain Clustering Scheme Based on Plasma Surface Modification]

[3. Soil Lattice Reconstruction Induced by Quantum Entanglement]

Under each technical path, there were dense theoretical foundations, preliminary experimental plans, and even simulated success rates and potential problems!

The noise in the entire laboratory vanished instantly; one could hear a pin drop!

All the scientists, including the American who had shouted the loudest just now, stared intently at the wide screen, their expressions shifting from disbelief to utter shock!

What... what the hell is this?!

This artificial intelligence... actually mapped out a research blueprint they wouldn't even dare dream of, all in just a few seconds?

Moreover, these three directions... every single one of them... was damn well forward-looking and feasible! Even the third one touched upon fields of theoretical physics they hadn't even reached yet!

"This artificial intelligence system will be your most capable assistant." Jack's voice sounded at the right moment, breaking the silence.

"It has the highest authority within the institute and can mobilize resources from any public database worldwide, providing you with 24/7 uninterrupted computing power and research direction guidance."

The corners of Jack's mouth twitched upward slightly.

"What you need to do is to verify, to practice, and to turn these advanced theories it has proposed into reality."

Volkov stared fixedly at the "Polymer and Microbial Composite Sand Solidification Technology" path on the screen—something he had never even imagined—and a burning light erupted in his cloudy eyes!

This wasn't a desert!

This was the ultimate heaven that all scientific researchers wouldn't even dare to dream of!

"I... I can't wait! Quick! Give me a workbench!" A German engineer rubbed his hands together, his face flushed with excitement.

"That's right! Enough talk! Let's get started right now!"

"That third option! Quantum entanglement! My God! This is practically tailor-made for me!"

The scientists, who had been full of doubts and resentment just a moment ago, were now in high spirits, everyone raring to go, wishing they could dive into the lab benches and get to work immediately!

Watching this bustling scene, a faint smile finally appeared on Jack's calm face.

The Lord's plan had succeeded.

With the most generous treatment, top-tier equipment, and a little guidance from "black technology," he had successfully fused this group of the world's smartest brains together, making them unleash their full potential for the same goal.