29: Chapter 29: The veteran expert was completely convinced.

The wind stopped, and the clouds of yellow sand settled down.

Between heaven and earth, only the spring water drawn from underground remained, flowing steadily along the massive blue-gold array base, its sound bringing a sense of peace to everyone's hearts.

Time seemed to have frozen.

Everyone tilted their heads, staring at the figure slowly descending from the sky, completely stunned, forgetting even to breathe.

Chief Engineer Wang Heshan's desperate shout, "Please… lead us!", was still buzzing in everyone's ears.

Behind him, Chief Engineer Sun Hai and his group of old experts, averaging over fifty years old, all bowed their backs very low. They had spent their entire lives dealing with reinforced concrete and believed in science. But what they witnessed today had completely shattered everything they had believed in all their lives.

Flying, creation, turning stones into gold… these things that only existed in myths were happening right before their eyes.

In the end, the end of science really is theology.

Jiang Ning tapped her toes lightly on the center of the array base. Forcibly mobilizing the earth's energy to repair the array just now had drained her significantly, and her face was a bit pale. However, her gaze remained calm, revealing no emotion.

She did not look at the engineers who were practically begging to kowtow to her, but instead looked at the person slumped in the mud, shivering uncontrollably.

Dr. Li.

"Get rid of him."

Jiang Ning uttered these three words; her voice was not loud, but no one dared to disobey.

She couldn't be bothered to ask why, nor did she care to judge him. In the eyes of this Chief Consultant, for a parasite who cut corners at the most critical moment of the project and nearly got everyone killed, there was only one outcome: removal.

Crisp and decisive.

Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo only then recovered from the immense shock. Upon hearing Jiang Ning's order, the sadness and disappointment in his heart immediately turned into anger.

He turned around abruptly, pointing at Dr. Li, who was being held down tightly by two young men, and roared with a hoarse voice, "Take him away! Watch him closely! Wait for Director Zhao's orders!"

He still held onto some sentiment of their teacher-student relationship and didn't burn all the bridges. But he knew clearly that Dr. Li's life was over. Treason—this charge was enough to ensure he would never recover.

Several soldiers rushed up, hoisted Dr. Li—who had lost his soul and was still muttering "devil"—and dragged him away.

An engineering accident that could have been written into history, and a vicious internal betrayal, were resolved by Jiang Ning in a way no one could have imagined.

With the rat droppings cleared away, the atmosphere at the scene was still a bit stiff.

Everyone's eyes were focused on Jiang Ning and the still-bowing Chief Engineer Wang Heshan.

One was the pillar of the old era's Infrastructure Construction, the other was a visitor from beyond who brought the myths of the new era.

Chief Engineer Wang Heshan slowly straightened his body. He raised his head, and on that wrinkled old face, the stubbornness and pride from before were gone, replaced only by awe.

"Chief… Consultant Jiang." As he spoke, his voice was extremely dry, and he had changed his form of address. "Previously, it was I, Wang Heshan, who was ignorant, looking at the sky from the bottom of a well, and nearly ruined the country's major affairs because of my stubbornness."

He looked at the excessively young girl before him, his face full of shame.

"In my life, I have never been convinced by anyone. But today, I am convinced, from the bottom of my heart."

He took a breath and bowed solemnly once more. The words he spoke this time caused a shock in the hearts of all the engineers present.

"From now on, regarding the 'Kuafu Project', I, Wang Heshan, and the entire team I brought, will listen to you completely. If you tell us to go east, we will never go west. If you tell us to beat a dog, we will never chase a chicken."

"You are the true Chief Engineer of this project!"

With these few words, Chief Engineer Wang Heshan effectively handed over his lifelong reputation, power, and face, delivering them all to Jiang Ning.

Chief Engineer Sun Hai and the others behind him not only didn't feel ashamed, but instead puffed out their chests, their eyes full of excitement and fanaticism.

To be able to work on an engineering project with an immortal—this was something they wouldn't even dare to dream of!

Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo also looked at Jiang Ning with an excited face. He knew that the biggest conflict within the "Kuafu Project" was gone. This team, representing the highest level of the country's Infrastructure Construction, had finally twisted into a single rope.

And the end of that rope was in Jiang Ning's hands.

Facing this scene of near-surrender of power, Jiang Ning's reaction remained very calm.

She was completely uninterested in things like power and status. All she cared about was the project.

She glanced at Chief Engineer Wang Heshan and nodded, accepting his allegiance. Then, she turned and pointed at the stabilized array base, turning back into that decisive, no-nonsense foreman.

"Since you are all listening to me now, don't just stand there like idiots."

"Chief Engineer Wang Heshan."

"Here!" Chief Engineer Wang Heshan stood straight subconsciously, just like a soldier waiting for orders.

"Your men are responsible for the follow-up water treatment and pipeline laying. Within three days, I want to see the first batch of purified fresh water in the camp."

"Yes! Guaranteed to complete the mission!" Chief Engineer Wang Heshan answered loudly, as if he had found the feeling of commanding thousands of troops to build dams back in the day.

"Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo."

"Present!"

"Your men are responsible for the maintenance of the array base and energy monitoring. Report all data to me every hour. Also, bring over the group of people selected earlier; it's time I taught them how to use this thing."

"Received!"

With a few words, the tasks were clearly divided. The two teams that had just been in chaos were instantly organized clearly by her.

Watching the scene of everyone getting back to work, a hint of a smile finally appeared on Jiang Ning's lips.

That's more like it.

Stop with that nonsense, and everyone get to work for me!

Just then, the system notification sound in her head, which hadn't rung for a long time, sounded.

[Ding! Main Quest (Stage 2): Miracle on the Gobi, completed.]

[Quest Rating: Exceedingly Perfect (Note: Host resolved internal crisis using extraordinary means and successfully integrated the project team, extra upgrade to rating level).]

[Calculating merit points…]

[Project Name: 'Kuafu' No. 1 Water Diversion Array and The Oasis Core Hub.]

[Project Scale: Super Large.]

[Project Impact: National Strategic Level, laying the foundation for the Spiritual Energy Revival on Earth.]

[Comprehensive Assessment, Reward merit points: 8000 points (Base 5000 + Excess 3000).]

[Congratulations, Host, Intermediate Shop access unlocked!]

[Novice period ended, system functions upgraded. Unlocked new module: "Introduction to Artifact Refining".]

[Host's current merit points: 8000 points.]

A large influx of merit points surged in, and Jiang Ning's body, which had been feeling weak from overexertion, was instantly filled with a warm current.

She felt that layer in her body that she had been unable to break through loosen.

Foundation Establishment, it's coming soon!