33: Chapter 33: The money's here, but words don't count.

"What the hell did you just say?!"

Vice President Qian Feng's face twisted in rage. He pointed at Jiang Ning's retreating back, hopping mad, "Who the hell do you think you are! How dare you talk to me like that!"

"Clear the area? Do you have any idea who I am? My father is Chairman Qian Boan! One phone call from me and I can have you kicked out!"

He completely exploded.

Ever since he was a child, he had always been pampered by everyone. Today, he was first contradicted by a bunch of laborers, and now he was being ignored by a beautiful woman he had taken a liking to. His fragile self-esteem shattered on the spot.

Yet, Jiang Ning couldn't even be bothered to turn her head.

The braying of such a person didn't even warrant as much of her attention as the sound of the machinery on the construction site.

Director Zhao Lixin, however, had a face that turned completely cold.

He stepped forward, blocking Vice President Qian Feng's path, and stared at him coldly.

"Watch your tongue, Vice President Qian Feng." His voice wasn't loud, but it was filled with pressure. "This is a top-level national military restricted zone, not the backyard of Huanyu Group."

"The orders of Chief Consultant Jiang are the highest directive. I will say this one more time: all unauthorized personnel must leave immediately within ten minutes!"

Vice President Qian Feng was momentarily shaken by Director Zhao Lixin's intensity, but his arrogance quickly returned.

"Military restricted zone? Who are you trying to scare?" He stiffened his neck and retorted, pointing at Director Zhao Lixin's nose. "Don't give me that crap! Let me tell you, I came here on my father's orders, and with the nod of someone upstairs! If you dare touch a single hair on my head, I guarantee none of you will be able to take the consequences!"

The bodyguards in black behind him pressed forward, faintly surrounding Director Zhao Lixin and Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo and the others. The atmosphere suddenly tightened.

Those few influencers screamed in terror and hid behind the cars.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Director Zhao Lixin looked at the idiot in front of him. Instead of getting angry, he actually laughed.

He raised his hand and spoke only a few words into the communicator on his collar.

"Group A, clear the area."

As soon as his voice fell.

Dozens of people suddenly appeared all around. Soldiers wearing desert camouflage emerged from the roofs of the prefab houses, behind the sand dunes, and even from the beds of the off-road vehicles.

Dozens of dark gun barrels aimed in unison at Vice President Qian Feng and his group of bodyguards.

The air instantly went still.

The bodyguards, who had been so aggressive just a moment ago, turned pale instantly. They all raised their hands, not daring to let out a peep. No matter how good they were at fighting, in front of the state apparatus, they weren't even worth a speck of dust.

Vice President Qian Feng was also dumbfounded.

He looked at those gun barrels, and a chill surged from the soles of his feet straight to his forehead.

No matter how reckless he was, he could distinguish that these things were not toys.

"W-what are you doing?!" His voice trembled. "I... I am from Huanyu Group..."

"On this land, no capital is greater than the state." Director Zhao Lixin walked up to him, looked down at him with utter disdain, and said, "Your father might not have taught you this. Today, I will teach you for free."

He raised his hand and checked his watch.

"The timer starts now. You have nine minutes left."

Vice President Qian Feng's face flushed red and turned pale. He wanted to say a few harsh words, but with dozens of gun barrels pointed at him, he couldn't squeeze out a single word.

Fear overwhelmed everything.

"Go! Let's go!"

He practically rolled into his Ferrari, not even caring about the group of influencers or the things scattered all over the ground.

The motorcade turned around in a chaotic mess and, under the "escort" of a group of soldiers, fled the base with their tails between their legs.

The farce ended just like that.

"Satisfying! That was fucking satisfying!"

Watching the motorcade drive away, a young engineer couldn't help but wave his fist and shout.

"Exactly! Who does he think he is? Does he really think he can fly just because he has a little money?"

"In front of our Chief Consultant Jiang, he's nothing but a fart!"

The engineers finally vented their anger. When they looked at Jiang Ning again, besides admiration, there was now a bit more worship.

In their eyes, Jiang Ning was not only a god of technology but also a spiritual idol. That attitude of not caring about money or power was just too cool.

Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo and Chief Engineer Wang Heshan looked at each other and smiled.

Having such a Chief Consultant is the good fortune of the Kuafu Project.

Director Zhao Lixin walked to Jiang Ning's side with an apologetic look: "Chief Consultant Jiang, I apologize. I didn't do my job well, letting such a person in to be an eyesore to you."

He knew in his heart that for Huanyu Group to get the approval to come in, it meant there were people in high places backing them. This matter was probably just beginning.

"It's fine." Jiang Ning's reaction remained indifferent. "Just a fly."

She paused for a moment and added, "However, this fly has reminded me of something."

"What is it?" Director Zhao Lixin asked curiously.

Jiang Ning pointed at the huge Water Diversion Array, and then pointed at the land in the distance that had already turned green.

"This place needs a defense system." Her tone was as if she were talking about the most ordinary thing. "A system that can automatically distinguish between friend and foe and block all ill-intentioned flies from the outside."

Director Zhao Lixin was stunned, and then his heartbeat quickened.

A defense system?

Could it be...

"I recently read that book, 'Introduction to Artifact Refining'." Jiang Ning's speaking speed was not fast, but the content made Director Zhao Lixin's breathing heavy. "Combining it with our existing arrays, I can probably add a 'lid' to this oasis."

"Something that we call a 'Mountain Protection Array'."

...

On the other end, in a luxury command vehicle over a hundred kilometers away from the base.

Chairman Qian Boan was watching his son's pathetic appearance coldly via remote video.

"Trash."

He turned off the video and spat out two words.

The female secretary beside him lowered her head, not daring to make a sound.

Chairman Qian Boan was not angry because of his son's failure; instead, the expression on his face became even more interested.

"Interesting, really interesting." He muttered to himself. "She doesn't eat the soft approach, and she doesn't fear the hard one. It seems this Jiang Ning is even trickier than I thought."

"Chairman, what should we do next?" The female secretary asked cautiously.

"What should we do?" Chairman Qian Boan picked up a glass of red wine and swirled it. "My son is stupid, but he said one thing right."

"In this world, there is nothing that cannot be traded. If money doesn't work, then use something else."

He stood up and walked to the huge porthole window, looking at the desert in the distance dyed golden by the setting sun.

"Isn't she trying to do Infrastructure Construction? She surely needs materials, equipment, and people, right?"

"Pass on my order: initiate the 'Gecko' Project. Within half a month, I want to monopolize all upstream suppliers related to the 'Kuafu Project' in the Northwest!"

"Steel, special cement, rare metals... everything she needs must be held in my hands!"

A chill permeated his eyes.

"I want to see how you, this fairy who doesn't eat food from the human world, can remain so aloof after your supplies are cut off."

"At that time, it will be you begging me."

"Chief Engineer Jiang, I'll give you one more chance."

"Name your price."